The Interleukin-11/IL-11 receptor promotes glioblastoma survival and invasion under glucose-starved conditions through enhanced glutaminolysis
- Stuart, Sarah, Bezawork-Geleta, Ayenachew, Areeb, Zammam, Gomez, Juliana, Tsui, Vanessa, Zulkifli, Ahmad, Paradiso, Lucia, Jones, Jordan, Nguyen, Hong, Putoczki, Tracy, Licciardi, Paul, Kannourakis, George, Morokoff, Andrew, Achuthan, Adrian, Luwor, Rodney
- Authors: Stuart, Sarah , Bezawork-Geleta, Ayenachew , Areeb, Zammam , Gomez, Juliana , Tsui, Vanessa , Zulkifli, Ahmad , Paradiso, Lucia , Jones, Jordan , Nguyen, Hong , Putoczki, Tracy , Licciardi, Paul , Kannourakis, George , Morokoff, Andrew , Achuthan, Adrian , Luwor, Rodney
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Molecular Sciences Vol. 24, no. 4 (2023), p.
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- Description: Glioblastoma cells adapt to changes in glucose availability through metabolic plasticity allowing for cell survival and continued progression in low-glucose concentrations. However, the regulatory cytokine networks that govern the ability to survive in glucose-starved conditions are not fully defined. In the present study, we define a critical role for the IL-11/IL-11R
- Authors: Stuart, Sarah , Bezawork-Geleta, Ayenachew , Areeb, Zammam , Gomez, Juliana , Tsui, Vanessa , Zulkifli, Ahmad , Paradiso, Lucia , Jones, Jordan , Nguyen, Hong , Putoczki, Tracy , Licciardi, Paul , Kannourakis, George , Morokoff, Andrew , Achuthan, Adrian , Luwor, Rodney
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Molecular Sciences Vol. 24, no. 4 (2023), p.
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- Description: Glioblastoma cells adapt to changes in glucose availability through metabolic plasticity allowing for cell survival and continued progression in low-glucose concentrations. However, the regulatory cytokine networks that govern the ability to survive in glucose-starved conditions are not fully defined. In the present study, we define a critical role for the IL-11/IL-11R
Straw mulch application enhanced soil properties and reduced diffuse pollution at a steep vineyard in Istria (Croatia)
- Dugan, Ivan, Pereira, Paulo, Defterdarovic, Jasmina, Filipovic, Lana, Filipovic, Vilim, Bogunovic, Igor
- Authors: Dugan, Ivan , Pereira, Paulo , Defterdarovic, Jasmina , Filipovic, Lana , Filipovic, Vilim , Bogunovic, Igor
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Land Vol. 12, no. 9 (2023), p.
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- Description: Straw mulching is a sustainable practice used to control soil erosion. However, different doses of mulch affect the efficiency of straw conservation. This study presents detailed research on how soil physicochemical properties and the hydrological response react to different types of vineyard soil management (Tilled, Grass, Low Straw, High Straw) and seasons (spring, summer, autumn) under conventional management on Anthrosols in Mediterranean conditions. To assess soil properties, core samples and disturbed samples were taken from the topsoil layer (0–10 cm). To evaluate erosion rates, a rainfall simulation experiment was conducted (58 mm h
- Authors: Dugan, Ivan , Pereira, Paulo , Defterdarovic, Jasmina , Filipovic, Lana , Filipovic, Vilim , Bogunovic, Igor
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Land Vol. 12, no. 9 (2023), p.
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- Description: Straw mulching is a sustainable practice used to control soil erosion. However, different doses of mulch affect the efficiency of straw conservation. This study presents detailed research on how soil physicochemical properties and the hydrological response react to different types of vineyard soil management (Tilled, Grass, Low Straw, High Straw) and seasons (spring, summer, autumn) under conventional management on Anthrosols in Mediterranean conditions. To assess soil properties, core samples and disturbed samples were taken from the topsoil layer (0–10 cm). To evaluate erosion rates, a rainfall simulation experiment was conducted (58 mm h
Perceptions of birds by urban residents in an Australian regional city and implications for conservation
- Champness, Brendan, Fitzsimons, James, Kendal, Dave, Palmer, Grant
- Authors: Champness, Brendan , Fitzsimons, James , Kendal, Dave , Palmer, Grant
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Birds Vol. 4, no. 3 (2023), p. 262-276
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- Description: Given the prevalence of common and threatened bird species within cities, more research is necessary to determine human attitudes to urban birds and how this may affect conservation in urban areas In Australia, few studies have considered the impact of human attitudes on birds; those that have focused primarily on particular species. In this study, we aim to understand the perceptions of urban residents of an Australian city (Ballarat) by examining the ways they categorise birds (using the multiple sorting technique). We found that people were particularly enamored by large, exotic species, but if familiar to them, native species were positively perceived by people. People tended to view aggressive species negatively, but only where this aggression was directed at humans. This approach gained important insight into the attitudes of these urban residents to local birds and their conservation. We used this insight to suggest how attitudes to avian species conservation may inform conservation initiatives and methods for maintaining biological diversity in urban areas. © 2023 by the authors.
- Authors: Champness, Brendan , Fitzsimons, James , Kendal, Dave , Palmer, Grant
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Birds Vol. 4, no. 3 (2023), p. 262-276
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Given the prevalence of common and threatened bird species within cities, more research is necessary to determine human attitudes to urban birds and how this may affect conservation in urban areas In Australia, few studies have considered the impact of human attitudes on birds; those that have focused primarily on particular species. In this study, we aim to understand the perceptions of urban residents of an Australian city (Ballarat) by examining the ways they categorise birds (using the multiple sorting technique). We found that people were particularly enamored by large, exotic species, but if familiar to them, native species were positively perceived by people. People tended to view aggressive species negatively, but only where this aggression was directed at humans. This approach gained important insight into the attitudes of these urban residents to local birds and their conservation. We used this insight to suggest how attitudes to avian species conservation may inform conservation initiatives and methods for maintaining biological diversity in urban areas. © 2023 by the authors.
Cancer classification utilizing voting classifier with ensemble feature selection method and transcriptomic data
- Khatun, Rabea, Akter, Maksuda, Islam, Md Manowarul, Uddin, Md Ashraf, Talukder, Md Alamin, Kamruzzaman, Joarder, Azad, Akm, Paul, Bikash, Almoyad, Muhammad, Aryal, Sunil, Moni, Mohammad
- Authors: Khatun, Rabea , Akter, Maksuda , Islam, Md Manowarul , Uddin, Md Ashraf , Talukder, Md Alamin , Kamruzzaman, Joarder , Azad, Akm , Paul, Bikash , Almoyad, Muhammad , Aryal, Sunil , Moni, Mohammad
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Genes Vol. 14, no. 9 (2023), p.
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- Description: Biomarker-based cancer identification and classification tools are widely used in bioinformatics and machine learning fields. However, the high dimensionality of microarray gene expression data poses a challenge for identifying important genes in cancer diagnosis. Many feature selection algorithms optimize cancer diagnosis by selecting optimal features. This article proposes an ensemble rank-based feature selection method (EFSM) and an ensemble weighted average voting classifier (VT) to overcome this challenge. The EFSM uses a ranking method that aggregates features from individual selection methods to efficiently discover the most relevant and useful features. The VT combines support vector machine, k-nearest neighbor, and decision tree algorithms to create an ensemble model. The proposed method was tested on three benchmark datasets and compared to existing built-in ensemble models. The results show that our model achieved higher accuracy, with 100% for leukaemia, 94.74% for colon cancer, and 94.34% for the 11-tumor dataset. This study concludes by identifying a subset of the most important cancer-causing genes and demonstrating their significance compared to the original data. The proposed approach surpasses existing strategies in accuracy and stability, significantly impacting the development of ML-based gene analysis. It detects vital genes with higher precision and stability than other existing methods. © 2023 by the authors.
- Authors: Khatun, Rabea , Akter, Maksuda , Islam, Md Manowarul , Uddin, Md Ashraf , Talukder, Md Alamin , Kamruzzaman, Joarder , Azad, Akm , Paul, Bikash , Almoyad, Muhammad , Aryal, Sunil , Moni, Mohammad
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Genes Vol. 14, no. 9 (2023), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Biomarker-based cancer identification and classification tools are widely used in bioinformatics and machine learning fields. However, the high dimensionality of microarray gene expression data poses a challenge for identifying important genes in cancer diagnosis. Many feature selection algorithms optimize cancer diagnosis by selecting optimal features. This article proposes an ensemble rank-based feature selection method (EFSM) and an ensemble weighted average voting classifier (VT) to overcome this challenge. The EFSM uses a ranking method that aggregates features from individual selection methods to efficiently discover the most relevant and useful features. The VT combines support vector machine, k-nearest neighbor, and decision tree algorithms to create an ensemble model. The proposed method was tested on three benchmark datasets and compared to existing built-in ensemble models. The results show that our model achieved higher accuracy, with 100% for leukaemia, 94.74% for colon cancer, and 94.34% for the 11-tumor dataset. This study concludes by identifying a subset of the most important cancer-causing genes and demonstrating their significance compared to the original data. The proposed approach surpasses existing strategies in accuracy and stability, significantly impacting the development of ML-based gene analysis. It detects vital genes with higher precision and stability than other existing methods. © 2023 by the authors.
Nonsmooth optimization-based hyperparameter-free neural networks for large-scale regression
- Karmitsa, Napsu, Taheri, Sona, Joki, Kaisa, Paasivirta, Pauliina, Defterdarovic, J., Bagirov, Adil, Mäkelä, Marko
- Authors: Karmitsa, Napsu , Taheri, Sona , Joki, Kaisa , Paasivirta, Pauliina , Defterdarovic, J. , Bagirov, Adil , Mäkelä, Marko
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Algorithms Vol. 16, no. 9 (2023), p.
- Relation: http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DP190100580
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- Description: In this paper, a new nonsmooth optimization-based algorithm for solving large-scale regression problems is introduced. The regression problem is modeled as fully-connected feedforward neural networks with one hidden layer, piecewise linear activation, and the (Formula presented.) -loss functions. A modified version of the limited memory bundle method is applied to minimize this nonsmooth objective. In addition, a novel constructive approach for automated determination of the proper number of hidden nodes is developed. Finally, large real-world data sets are used to evaluate the proposed algorithm and to compare it with some state-of-the-art neural network algorithms for regression. The results demonstrate the superiority of the proposed algorithm as a predictive tool in most data sets used in numerical experiments. © 2023 by the authors.
- Authors: Karmitsa, Napsu , Taheri, Sona , Joki, Kaisa , Paasivirta, Pauliina , Defterdarovic, J. , Bagirov, Adil , Mäkelä, Marko
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Algorithms Vol. 16, no. 9 (2023), p.
- Relation: http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DP190100580
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: In this paper, a new nonsmooth optimization-based algorithm for solving large-scale regression problems is introduced. The regression problem is modeled as fully-connected feedforward neural networks with one hidden layer, piecewise linear activation, and the (Formula presented.) -loss functions. A modified version of the limited memory bundle method is applied to minimize this nonsmooth objective. In addition, a novel constructive approach for automated determination of the proper number of hidden nodes is developed. Finally, large real-world data sets are used to evaluate the proposed algorithm and to compare it with some state-of-the-art neural network algorithms for regression. The results demonstrate the superiority of the proposed algorithm as a predictive tool in most data sets used in numerical experiments. © 2023 by the authors.
Coconut water : a sports drink alternative?
- O’Brien, Brendan, Bell, Leo, Hennessy, Declan, Denham, Joshua, Paton, Carl
- Authors: O’Brien, Brendan , Bell, Leo , Hennessy, Declan , Denham, Joshua , Paton, Carl
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Sports Vol. 11, no. 9 (2023), p.
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- Description: Coconut water is used as an alternative to conventional sports drinks for hydration during endurance cycling; however, evidence supporting its use is limited. This study determined if drinking coconut water compared to a sports drink altered cycling performance and physiology. In a randomized crossover trial, 19 experienced male (n = 15) and female (n = 4) cyclists (age 30 ± 9 years, body mass 79 ± 11 kg, (Formula presented.) O2 peak 55 ± 8 mL·kg
- Authors: O’Brien, Brendan , Bell, Leo , Hennessy, Declan , Denham, Joshua , Paton, Carl
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Sports Vol. 11, no. 9 (2023), p.
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- Description: Coconut water is used as an alternative to conventional sports drinks for hydration during endurance cycling; however, evidence supporting its use is limited. This study determined if drinking coconut water compared to a sports drink altered cycling performance and physiology. In a randomized crossover trial, 19 experienced male (n = 15) and female (n = 4) cyclists (age 30 ± 9 years, body mass 79 ± 11 kg, (Formula presented.) O2 peak 55 ± 8 mL·kg
Sustainability of a rainfed wheat production system in relation to water and nitrogen dynamics in the soil in the Eyre Peninsula, South Australia
- Phogat, Vinod, Šimůnek, Jirka, Petrie, Paul, Pitt, Tim, Filipović, Vilim
- Authors: Phogat, Vinod , Šimůnek, Jirka , Petrie, Paul , Pitt, Tim , Filipović, Vilim
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Sustainability (Switzerland) Vol. 15, no. 18 (2023), p.
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- Description: Rainfed wheat production systems are usually characterized by low-fertility soils and frequent droughts, creating an unfavorable environment for sustainable crop production. In this study, we used a processed-based biophysical numerical model to evaluate the water balance and nitrogen (N) dynamics in soils under rainfed wheat cultivation at low (219 mm, Pygery) and medium rainfall (392 mm, Yeelanna) sites in south Australia over the two seasons. Estimated evapotranspiration components and N partitioning data were used to calibrate and validate the model and to compute wheat’s water and N use efficiency. There was a large disparity in the estimated water balance components at the two sites. Plant water uptake accounted for 40–50% of rainfall, more at the low rainfall site. In contrast, leaching losses of up to 25% of seasonal rainfall at the medium rainfall site (Yeelanna) indicate a significant amount of water evading the root zone. The model-predicted N partitioning revealed that ammonia–nitrogen (NH4–N) contributed little to plant N nutrition, and its concentration in the soil remained below 2 ppm throughout the crop season except immediately after the NH4–N-based fertilizer application. Nitrate–nitrogen (NO3–N) contributed to most N uptake during both seasons at both locations. The N losses from the soil at the medium rainfall site (3.5–20.5 kg ha
- Authors: Phogat, Vinod , Šimůnek, Jirka , Petrie, Paul , Pitt, Tim , Filipović, Vilim
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Sustainability (Switzerland) Vol. 15, no. 18 (2023), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Rainfed wheat production systems are usually characterized by low-fertility soils and frequent droughts, creating an unfavorable environment for sustainable crop production. In this study, we used a processed-based biophysical numerical model to evaluate the water balance and nitrogen (N) dynamics in soils under rainfed wheat cultivation at low (219 mm, Pygery) and medium rainfall (392 mm, Yeelanna) sites in south Australia over the two seasons. Estimated evapotranspiration components and N partitioning data were used to calibrate and validate the model and to compute wheat’s water and N use efficiency. There was a large disparity in the estimated water balance components at the two sites. Plant water uptake accounted for 40–50% of rainfall, more at the low rainfall site. In contrast, leaching losses of up to 25% of seasonal rainfall at the medium rainfall site (Yeelanna) indicate a significant amount of water evading the root zone. The model-predicted N partitioning revealed that ammonia–nitrogen (NH4–N) contributed little to plant N nutrition, and its concentration in the soil remained below 2 ppm throughout the crop season except immediately after the NH4–N-based fertilizer application. Nitrate–nitrogen (NO3–N) contributed to most N uptake during both seasons at both locations. The N losses from the soil at the medium rainfall site (3.5–20.5 kg ha
Deep learning and federated learning for screening COVID-19 : a review
- Mondal, M., Bharati, Subrato, Podder, Prajoy, Kamruzzaman, Joarder
- Authors: Mondal, M. , Bharati, Subrato , Podder, Prajoy , Kamruzzaman, Joarder
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: BioMedInformatics Vol. 3, no. 3 (2023), p. 691-713
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- Description: Since December 2019, a novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has infected millions of individuals. This paper conducts a thorough study of the use of deep learning (DL) and federated learning (FL) approaches to COVID-19 screening. To begin, an evaluation of research articles published between 1 January 2020 and 28 June 2023 is presented, considering the preferred reporting items of systematic reviews and meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. The review compares various datasets on medical imaging, including X-ray, computed tomography (CT) scans, and ultrasound images, in terms of the number of images, COVID-19 samples, and classes in the datasets. Following that, a description of existing DL algorithms applied to various datasets is offered. Additionally, a summary of recent work on FL for COVID-19 screening is provided. Efforts to improve the quality of FL models are comprehensively reviewed and objectively evaluated. © 2023 by the authors.
- Authors: Mondal, M. , Bharati, Subrato , Podder, Prajoy , Kamruzzaman, Joarder
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: BioMedInformatics Vol. 3, no. 3 (2023), p. 691-713
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Since December 2019, a novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has infected millions of individuals. This paper conducts a thorough study of the use of deep learning (DL) and federated learning (FL) approaches to COVID-19 screening. To begin, an evaluation of research articles published between 1 January 2020 and 28 June 2023 is presented, considering the preferred reporting items of systematic reviews and meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. The review compares various datasets on medical imaging, including X-ray, computed tomography (CT) scans, and ultrasound images, in terms of the number of images, COVID-19 samples, and classes in the datasets. Following that, a description of existing DL algorithms applied to various datasets is offered. Additionally, a summary of recent work on FL for COVID-19 screening is provided. Efforts to improve the quality of FL models are comprehensively reviewed and objectively evaluated. © 2023 by the authors.
Disordered social media use during COVID-19 predicts perceived stress and depression through indirect effects via fear of COVID-19
- Tillman, Gabriel, March, Evita, Lavender, Andrew, Braund, Taylor, Mesagno, Christopher
- Authors: Tillman, Gabriel , March, Evita , Lavender, Andrew , Braund, Taylor , Mesagno, Christopher
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Behavioral Sciences Vol. 13, no. 9 (2023), p.
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- Description: The 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a global threat that can have an adverse effect on an individuals’ physical and mental health. Here, we investigate if disordered social media use predicts user stress and depression symptoms indirectly via fear of COVID-19. A total of 359 (timepoint 1 = 171, timepoint 2 = 188) participants were recruited via social media and snowball sampling. They completed an online survey that measured disordered social media use, fear of COVID-19, perceived stress, and depression symptomatology at two cross-sectional timepoints. We found that disordered social media use predicts depression indirectly through fear of COVID-19 at both timepoints. We also found that disordered social media use predicts perceived stress indirectly through fear of COVID-19, but only at timepoint 1. Taken together with previous research, our findings indicate that disordered social media use may lead to increased fear of COVID-19, which in turn may lead to poorer psychological wellbeing outcomes. Overall, there is evidence that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the physical, psychological, and emotional health of individuals worldwide. Moreover, this impact may be exacerbated by disordered use of social media. © 2023 by the authors.
- Authors: Tillman, Gabriel , March, Evita , Lavender, Andrew , Braund, Taylor , Mesagno, Christopher
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Behavioral Sciences Vol. 13, no. 9 (2023), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a global threat that can have an adverse effect on an individuals’ physical and mental health. Here, we investigate if disordered social media use predicts user stress and depression symptoms indirectly via fear of COVID-19. A total of 359 (timepoint 1 = 171, timepoint 2 = 188) participants were recruited via social media and snowball sampling. They completed an online survey that measured disordered social media use, fear of COVID-19, perceived stress, and depression symptomatology at two cross-sectional timepoints. We found that disordered social media use predicts depression indirectly through fear of COVID-19 at both timepoints. We also found that disordered social media use predicts perceived stress indirectly through fear of COVID-19, but only at timepoint 1. Taken together with previous research, our findings indicate that disordered social media use may lead to increased fear of COVID-19, which in turn may lead to poorer psychological wellbeing outcomes. Overall, there is evidence that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the physical, psychological, and emotional health of individuals worldwide. Moreover, this impact may be exacerbated by disordered use of social media. © 2023 by the authors.
Knowledge-based intelligent text simplification for biological relation extraction
- Gill, Jaskaran, Chetty, Madhu, Lim, Suryani, Hallinan, Jennifer
- Authors: Gill, Jaskaran , Chetty, Madhu , Lim, Suryani , Hallinan, Jennifer
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Informatics Vol. 10, no. 4 (2023), p.
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- Description: Relation extraction from biological publications plays a pivotal role in accelerating scientific discovery and advancing medical research. While vast amounts of this knowledge is stored within the published literature, extracting it manually from this continually growing volume of documents is becoming increasingly arduous. Recently, attention has been focused towards automatically extracting such knowledge using pre-trained Large Language Models (LLM) and deep-learning algorithms for automated relation extraction. However, the complex syntactic structure of biological sentences, with nested entities and domain-specific terminology, and insufficient annotated training corpora, poses major challenges in accurately capturing entity relationships from the unstructured data. To address these issues, in this paper, we propose a Knowledge-based Intelligent Text Simplification (KITS) approach focused on the accurate extraction of biological relations. KITS is able to precisely and accurately capture the relational context among various binary relations within the sentence, alongside preventing any potential changes in meaning for those sentences being simplified by KITS. The experiments show that the proposed technique, using well-known performance metrics, resulted in a 21% increase in precision, with only 25% of sentences simplified in the Learning Language in Logic (LLL) dataset. Combining the proposed method with BioBERT, the popular pre-trained LLM was able to outperform other state-of-the-art methods. © 2023 by the authors.
- Authors: Gill, Jaskaran , Chetty, Madhu , Lim, Suryani , Hallinan, Jennifer
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Informatics Vol. 10, no. 4 (2023), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Relation extraction from biological publications plays a pivotal role in accelerating scientific discovery and advancing medical research. While vast amounts of this knowledge is stored within the published literature, extracting it manually from this continually growing volume of documents is becoming increasingly arduous. Recently, attention has been focused towards automatically extracting such knowledge using pre-trained Large Language Models (LLM) and deep-learning algorithms for automated relation extraction. However, the complex syntactic structure of biological sentences, with nested entities and domain-specific terminology, and insufficient annotated training corpora, poses major challenges in accurately capturing entity relationships from the unstructured data. To address these issues, in this paper, we propose a Knowledge-based Intelligent Text Simplification (KITS) approach focused on the accurate extraction of biological relations. KITS is able to precisely and accurately capture the relational context among various binary relations within the sentence, alongside preventing any potential changes in meaning for those sentences being simplified by KITS. The experiments show that the proposed technique, using well-known performance metrics, resulted in a 21% increase in precision, with only 25% of sentences simplified in the Learning Language in Logic (LLL) dataset. Combining the proposed method with BioBERT, the popular pre-trained LLM was able to outperform other state-of-the-art methods. © 2023 by the authors.
Securing smart healthcare cyber-physical systems against blackhole and greyhole attacks using a blockchain-enabled gini index framework
- Javed, Mannan, Tariq, Noshina, Ashraf, Muhammad, Khan, Farrukh, Asim, Muhammad, Imran, Muhammad
- Authors: Javed, Mannan , Tariq, Noshina , Ashraf, Muhammad , Khan, Farrukh , Asim, Muhammad , Imran, Muhammad
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Sensors Vol. 23, no. 23 (2023), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The increasing reliance on cyber-physical systems (CPSs) in critical domains such as healthcare, smart grids, and intelligent transportation systems necessitates robust security measures to protect against cyber threats. Among these threats, blackhole and greyhole attacks pose significant risks to the availability and integrity of CPSs. The current detection and mitigation approaches often struggle to accurately differentiate between legitimate and malicious behavior, leading to ineffective protection. This paper introduces Gini-index and blockchain-based Blackhole/Greyhole RPL (GBG-RPL), a novel technique designed for efficient detection and mitigation of blackhole and greyhole attacks in smart health monitoring CPSs. GBG-RPL leverages the analytical prowess of the Gini index and the security advantages of blockchain technology to protect these systems against sophisticated threats. This research not only focuses on identifying anomalous activities but also proposes a resilient framework that ensures the integrity and reliability of the monitored data. GBG-RPL achieves notable improvements as compared to another state-of-the-art technique referred to as BCPS-RPL, including a 7.18% reduction in packet loss ratio, an 11.97% enhancement in residual energy utilization, and a 19.27% decrease in energy consumption. Its security features are also very effective, boasting a 10.65% improvement in attack-detection rate and an 18.88% faster average attack-detection time. GBG-RPL optimizes network management by exhibiting a 21.65% reduction in message overhead and a 28.34% decrease in end-to-end delay, thus showing its potential for enhanced reliability, efficiency, and security. © 2023 by the authors.
- Authors: Javed, Mannan , Tariq, Noshina , Ashraf, Muhammad , Khan, Farrukh , Asim, Muhammad , Imran, Muhammad
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Sensors Vol. 23, no. 23 (2023), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The increasing reliance on cyber-physical systems (CPSs) in critical domains such as healthcare, smart grids, and intelligent transportation systems necessitates robust security measures to protect against cyber threats. Among these threats, blackhole and greyhole attacks pose significant risks to the availability and integrity of CPSs. The current detection and mitigation approaches often struggle to accurately differentiate between legitimate and malicious behavior, leading to ineffective protection. This paper introduces Gini-index and blockchain-based Blackhole/Greyhole RPL (GBG-RPL), a novel technique designed for efficient detection and mitigation of blackhole and greyhole attacks in smart health monitoring CPSs. GBG-RPL leverages the analytical prowess of the Gini index and the security advantages of blockchain technology to protect these systems against sophisticated threats. This research not only focuses on identifying anomalous activities but also proposes a resilient framework that ensures the integrity and reliability of the monitored data. GBG-RPL achieves notable improvements as compared to another state-of-the-art technique referred to as BCPS-RPL, including a 7.18% reduction in packet loss ratio, an 11.97% enhancement in residual energy utilization, and a 19.27% decrease in energy consumption. Its security features are also very effective, boasting a 10.65% improvement in attack-detection rate and an 18.88% faster average attack-detection time. GBG-RPL optimizes network management by exhibiting a 21.65% reduction in message overhead and a 28.34% decrease in end-to-end delay, thus showing its potential for enhanced reliability, efficiency, and security. © 2023 by the authors.
A new era of integration between multiomics and spatio-temporal analysis for the translation of EMT towards clinical applications in cancer
- Fonseca Teixeira, Adilson, Wu, Siqi, Luwor, Rodney, Zhu, Hong-Jian
- Authors: Fonseca Teixeira, Adilson , Wu, Siqi , Luwor, Rodney , Zhu, Hong-Jian
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: Cells Vol. 12, no. 23 (2023), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is crucial to metastasis by increasing cancer cell migration and invasion. At the cellular level, EMT-related morphological and functional changes are well established. At the molecular level, critical signaling pathways able to drive EMT have been described. Yet, the translation of EMT into efficient diagnostic methods and anti-metastatic therapies is still missing. This highlights a gap in our understanding of the precise mechanisms governing EMT. Here, we discuss evidence suggesting that overcoming this limitation requires the integration of multiple omics, a hitherto neglected strategy in the EMT field. More specifically, this work summarizes results that were independently obtained through epigenomics/transcriptomics while comprehensively reviewing the achievements of proteomics in cancer research. Additionally, we prospect gains to be obtained by applying spatio-temporal multiomics in the investigation of EMT-driven metastasis. Along with the development of more sensitive technologies, the integration of currently available omics, and a look at dynamic alterations that regulate EMT at the subcellular level will lead to a deeper understanding of this process. Further, considering the significance of EMT to cancer progression, this integrative strategy may enable the development of new and improved biomarkers and therapeutics capable of increasing the survival and quality of life of cancer patients. © 2023 by the authors.
- Authors: Fonseca Teixeira, Adilson , Wu, Siqi , Luwor, Rodney , Zhu, Hong-Jian
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: Cells Vol. 12, no. 23 (2023), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is crucial to metastasis by increasing cancer cell migration and invasion. At the cellular level, EMT-related morphological and functional changes are well established. At the molecular level, critical signaling pathways able to drive EMT have been described. Yet, the translation of EMT into efficient diagnostic methods and anti-metastatic therapies is still missing. This highlights a gap in our understanding of the precise mechanisms governing EMT. Here, we discuss evidence suggesting that overcoming this limitation requires the integration of multiple omics, a hitherto neglected strategy in the EMT field. More specifically, this work summarizes results that were independently obtained through epigenomics/transcriptomics while comprehensively reviewing the achievements of proteomics in cancer research. Additionally, we prospect gains to be obtained by applying spatio-temporal multiomics in the investigation of EMT-driven metastasis. Along with the development of more sensitive technologies, the integration of currently available omics, and a look at dynamic alterations that regulate EMT at the subcellular level will lead to a deeper understanding of this process. Further, considering the significance of EMT to cancer progression, this integrative strategy may enable the development of new and improved biomarkers and therapeutics capable of increasing the survival and quality of life of cancer patients. © 2023 by the authors.
Germination strategy of chenopodium acuminatum Willd. under Fluctuating Salinity Habitats
- Tian, Yu, Li, Yang, Zhang, Hongxiang, Tennakoon, Kushan, Sun, Zewei
- Authors: Tian, Yu , Li, Yang , Zhang, Hongxiang , Tennakoon, Kushan , Sun, Zewei
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Agronomy Vol. 13, no. 11 (2023), p.
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- Reviewed:
- Description: Germination events of plants often occur after rainfall in saline environments where the soil salinity is diluted, viz recovery germination. Previous germination studies have rarely considered the duration of exposure to salt stress, and none of them have investigated recovery germination under low-salt concentration, other than in distilled water. The main objective of this study was to investigate the effects of salinity, exposure duration and low-salt recovery solutions on seed germination of the weed Chenopodium acuminatum to get a clear insight about the germination strategy exhibited by this species in a saline habitat. Seeds were initially exposed to 0–400 mM NaCl for 10, 20 and 30 d. The subsequent recovery experiment was conducted differently. For those initially treated with 100 and 200 mM NaCl, the recovery solution was distilled water, while for those initially treated with 300 and 400 mM NaCl, the recovery solution was distilled water, at 50 and 100 mM NaCl. Results showed that the recovery germination percentage and rate significantly decreased when the exposure duration extended. Seeds could subsequently recover to germinate at high percentages at recovery salt solution concentrations for a short duration, but the recovery percentages and rates in high salinity, combined with high exposure duration and relatively high recovery salt concentrations, were remarkably lower. More than 30% of the ungerminated seeds were viable after the recovery experiment. We suggest that Ch. acuminatum exhibits a ‘cautious’ strategy of germination to avoid injury from long-term salt stress and ensure survival for the subsequent continuation of its population under unfavorable saline conditions. © 2023 by the authors.
- Authors: Tian, Yu , Li, Yang , Zhang, Hongxiang , Tennakoon, Kushan , Sun, Zewei
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Agronomy Vol. 13, no. 11 (2023), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Germination events of plants often occur after rainfall in saline environments where the soil salinity is diluted, viz recovery germination. Previous germination studies have rarely considered the duration of exposure to salt stress, and none of them have investigated recovery germination under low-salt concentration, other than in distilled water. The main objective of this study was to investigate the effects of salinity, exposure duration and low-salt recovery solutions on seed germination of the weed Chenopodium acuminatum to get a clear insight about the germination strategy exhibited by this species in a saline habitat. Seeds were initially exposed to 0–400 mM NaCl for 10, 20 and 30 d. The subsequent recovery experiment was conducted differently. For those initially treated with 100 and 200 mM NaCl, the recovery solution was distilled water, while for those initially treated with 300 and 400 mM NaCl, the recovery solution was distilled water, at 50 and 100 mM NaCl. Results showed that the recovery germination percentage and rate significantly decreased when the exposure duration extended. Seeds could subsequently recover to germinate at high percentages at recovery salt solution concentrations for a short duration, but the recovery percentages and rates in high salinity, combined with high exposure duration and relatively high recovery salt concentrations, were remarkably lower. More than 30% of the ungerminated seeds were viable after the recovery experiment. We suggest that Ch. acuminatum exhibits a ‘cautious’ strategy of germination to avoid injury from long-term salt stress and ensure survival for the subsequent continuation of its population under unfavorable saline conditions. © 2023 by the authors.
Influence of the Madden–Julian Oscillation (MJO) on tropical cyclones affecting Tonga in the Southwest Pacific
- Tu’uholoaki, Moleni, Espejo, Antonio, Sharma, Krishneel, Singh, Awnesh, Wandres, Moritz, Damlamian, Herve, Chand, Savin
- Authors: Tu’uholoaki, Moleni , Espejo, Antonio , Sharma, Krishneel , Singh, Awnesh , Wandres, Moritz , Damlamian, Herve , Chand, Savin
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Atmosphere Vol. 14, no. 7 (2023), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The modulating influence of the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) on tropical cyclones (TCs) has been examined globally, regionally, and subregionally, but its impact on the island scale remains unclear. This study investigates how TC activity affecting the Tonga region is being modulated by the MJO, using the Southwest Pacific Enhanced Archive of Tropical Cyclones (SPEArTC) and the MJO index. In particular, this study investigates how the MJO modulates the frequency and intensity of TCs affecting the Tonga region relative to the entire study period (1970–2019; hereafter referred to as all years), as well as to different phases of the El Niño southern oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon. Results suggest that the MJO strongly modulates TC activity affecting the Tonga region. The frequency and intensity of TCs is enhanced during the active phases (phases six to eight) in all years, including El Niño and ENSO-neutral years. The MJO also strongly influences the climatological pattern of genesis of TCs affecting the Tonga region, where more (fewer) cyclones form in the active (inactive) phases of the MJO and more genesis points are clustered (scattered) near (away from) the Tonga region. There were three regression curves that best described the movement of TCs in the region matching the dominant steering mechanisms in the Southwest Pacific region. The findings of this study can provide climatological information for the Tonga Meteorological Service (TMS) and disaster managers to better understand the TC risk associated with the impact of the MJO on TCs affecting the Tonga region and support its TC early warning system. © 2023 by the authors.
- Authors: Tu’uholoaki, Moleni , Espejo, Antonio , Sharma, Krishneel , Singh, Awnesh , Wandres, Moritz , Damlamian, Herve , Chand, Savin
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Atmosphere Vol. 14, no. 7 (2023), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The modulating influence of the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) on tropical cyclones (TCs) has been examined globally, regionally, and subregionally, but its impact on the island scale remains unclear. This study investigates how TC activity affecting the Tonga region is being modulated by the MJO, using the Southwest Pacific Enhanced Archive of Tropical Cyclones (SPEArTC) and the MJO index. In particular, this study investigates how the MJO modulates the frequency and intensity of TCs affecting the Tonga region relative to the entire study period (1970–2019; hereafter referred to as all years), as well as to different phases of the El Niño southern oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon. Results suggest that the MJO strongly modulates TC activity affecting the Tonga region. The frequency and intensity of TCs is enhanced during the active phases (phases six to eight) in all years, including El Niño and ENSO-neutral years. The MJO also strongly influences the climatological pattern of genesis of TCs affecting the Tonga region, where more (fewer) cyclones form in the active (inactive) phases of the MJO and more genesis points are clustered (scattered) near (away from) the Tonga region. There were three regression curves that best described the movement of TCs in the region matching the dominant steering mechanisms in the Southwest Pacific region. The findings of this study can provide climatological information for the Tonga Meteorological Service (TMS) and disaster managers to better understand the TC risk associated with the impact of the MJO on TCs affecting the Tonga region and support its TC early warning system. © 2023 by the authors.
Does multisession cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex prime the effects of cognitive behavioral therapy on fear of pain, fear of movement, and disability in patients with nonspecific low back pain? A randomized clinical trial study
- Ehsani, Fatemeh, Hafez Yousefi, Mohaddeseh, Jafarzadeh, Abbas, Zoghi, Maryam, Jaberzadeh, Shapour
- Authors: Ehsani, Fatemeh , Hafez Yousefi, Mohaddeseh , Jafarzadeh, Abbas , Zoghi, Maryam , Jaberzadeh, Shapour
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Brain Sciences Vol. 13, no. 10 (2023), p.
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- Description: Many studies have shown that low back pain (LBP) is associated with psychosomatic symptoms which may lead to brain changes. This study aimed to investigate the effect of the concurrent application of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and transcranial direct electrical stimulation (tDCS) over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) on fear of pain, fear of movement, and disability in patients with nonspecific LBP. This study was performed on 45 LBP patients (23 women, 22 men; mean age 33.00 ± 1.77 years) in three groups: experimental (2 mA cathodal tDCS (c-tDCS)), sham (c-tDCS turned off after 30 s), and control (only received CBT). In all groups, CBT was conducted for 20 min per session, with two sessions per week for four weeks. Fear of pain, fear of movement, and disability were evaluated using questionnaires at baseline, immediately after, and one month after completion of interventions. Results indicated that all three different types of intervention could significantly reduce fear and disability immediately after intervention (p > 0.05). However, improvement in the experimental group was significantly higher than in the other groups immediately after and at the one-month follow-up after interventions (p < 0.05). DLPFC c-tDCS can prime the immediate effects of CBT and also the lasting effects on the reduction in the fear of pain, fear of movement, and disability in LBP patients. © 2023 by the authors.
- Authors: Ehsani, Fatemeh , Hafez Yousefi, Mohaddeseh , Jafarzadeh, Abbas , Zoghi, Maryam , Jaberzadeh, Shapour
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Brain Sciences Vol. 13, no. 10 (2023), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Many studies have shown that low back pain (LBP) is associated with psychosomatic symptoms which may lead to brain changes. This study aimed to investigate the effect of the concurrent application of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and transcranial direct electrical stimulation (tDCS) over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) on fear of pain, fear of movement, and disability in patients with nonspecific LBP. This study was performed on 45 LBP patients (23 women, 22 men; mean age 33.00 ± 1.77 years) in three groups: experimental (2 mA cathodal tDCS (c-tDCS)), sham (c-tDCS turned off after 30 s), and control (only received CBT). In all groups, CBT was conducted for 20 min per session, with two sessions per week for four weeks. Fear of pain, fear of movement, and disability were evaluated using questionnaires at baseline, immediately after, and one month after completion of interventions. Results indicated that all three different types of intervention could significantly reduce fear and disability immediately after intervention (p > 0.05). However, improvement in the experimental group was significantly higher than in the other groups immediately after and at the one-month follow-up after interventions (p < 0.05). DLPFC c-tDCS can prime the immediate effects of CBT and also the lasting effects on the reduction in the fear of pain, fear of movement, and disability in LBP patients. © 2023 by the authors.
A literature review of the positive displacement compressor : current challenges and future opportunities
- Lu, Kui, Sultan, Ibrahim, Phung, Truong
- Authors: Lu, Kui , Sultan, Ibrahim , Phung, Truong
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: Energies Vol. 16, no. 20 (2023), p.
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- Description: Positive displacement compressors are essential in many engineering systems, from domestic to industrial applications. Many studies have been devoted to providing more insights into the workings and proposing solutions for performance improvements of these machines. This study aims to present a systematic review of published research on positive displacement compressors of various geometrical structures. This paper discusses the literature on compressor topics, including leakage, heat transfer, friction and lubrication, valve dynamics, port characteristics, and capacity control strategies. Moreover, the current status of the application of machine learning methods in positive displacement compressors is also discussed. The challenges and opportunities for future work are presented at the end of the paper. © 2023 by the authors.
- Authors: Lu, Kui , Sultan, Ibrahim , Phung, Truong
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: Energies Vol. 16, no. 20 (2023), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Positive displacement compressors are essential in many engineering systems, from domestic to industrial applications. Many studies have been devoted to providing more insights into the workings and proposing solutions for performance improvements of these machines. This study aims to present a systematic review of published research on positive displacement compressors of various geometrical structures. This paper discusses the literature on compressor topics, including leakage, heat transfer, friction and lubrication, valve dynamics, port characteristics, and capacity control strategies. Moreover, the current status of the application of machine learning methods in positive displacement compressors is also discussed. The challenges and opportunities for future work are presented at the end of the paper. © 2023 by the authors.
Comparative evaluation of empirical approaches and artificial intelligence techniques for predicting uniaxial compressive strength of rock
- Li, Chuanqi, Zhou, Jian, Dias, Daniel, Du, Kun, Khandelwal, Manoj
- Authors: Li, Chuanqi , Zhou, Jian , Dias, Daniel , Du, Kun , Khandelwal, Manoj
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Geosciences (Switzerland) Vol. 13, no. 10 (2023), p.
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- Description: The uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) of rocks is one of the key parameters for evaluating the safety and stability of civil and mining structures. In this study, 386 rock samples containing four properties named the load strength (PLS), the porosity (Pn), the P-wave velocity (Vp), and the Schmidt hardness rebound number (SHR) are utilized to predict the UCS using several typical empirical equations (EA) and artificial intelligence (AI) methods, i.e., 16 single regression (SR) equations, 2 multiple regression (MR) equations, and the random forest (RF) models optimized by grey wolf optimization (GWO), moth flame optimization (MFO), lion swarm optimization (LSO), and sparrow search algorithm (SSA). The root mean square error (RMSE), determination coefficient (R2), Willmott’s index (WI), and variance accounted for (VAF) are used to evaluate the predictive performance of all developed models. The evaluation results show that the overall performance of AI models is superior to empirical approaches, especially the LSO-RF model. In addition, the most important input variable is the Pn for predicting the UCS. Therefore, AI techniques are considered as more efficient and accurate approaches to replace the empirical equations for predicting the UCS of these collected rock samples, which provides a reliable and effective idea to predict the rock UCS in the filed site. © 2023 by the authors.
- Authors: Li, Chuanqi , Zhou, Jian , Dias, Daniel , Du, Kun , Khandelwal, Manoj
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Geosciences (Switzerland) Vol. 13, no. 10 (2023), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) of rocks is one of the key parameters for evaluating the safety and stability of civil and mining structures. In this study, 386 rock samples containing four properties named the load strength (PLS), the porosity (Pn), the P-wave velocity (Vp), and the Schmidt hardness rebound number (SHR) are utilized to predict the UCS using several typical empirical equations (EA) and artificial intelligence (AI) methods, i.e., 16 single regression (SR) equations, 2 multiple regression (MR) equations, and the random forest (RF) models optimized by grey wolf optimization (GWO), moth flame optimization (MFO), lion swarm optimization (LSO), and sparrow search algorithm (SSA). The root mean square error (RMSE), determination coefficient (R2), Willmott’s index (WI), and variance accounted for (VAF) are used to evaluate the predictive performance of all developed models. The evaluation results show that the overall performance of AI models is superior to empirical approaches, especially the LSO-RF model. In addition, the most important input variable is the Pn for predicting the UCS. Therefore, AI techniques are considered as more efficient and accurate approaches to replace the empirical equations for predicting the UCS of these collected rock samples, which provides a reliable and effective idea to predict the rock UCS in the filed site. © 2023 by the authors.
Psychometric characteristics of the brazil mood scale among youth and elite athletes using two response time frames
- Rohlfs, Izabel, Noce, Franco, Gabbett, Tim, Wilke, Carolina, Vido, Marcelo, Terry, Victoria, Terry, Peter
- Authors: Rohlfs, Izabel , Noce, Franco , Gabbett, Tim , Wilke, Carolina , Vido, Marcelo , Terry, Victoria , Terry, Peter
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Sports Vol. 11, no. 12 (2023), p.
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- Description: Regular assessment of the mood construct as an indicator of psychological wellbeing is used in Brazil to screen athletes for risk of mental health issues. The present study tested the psychometric characteristics of the Brazil Mood Scale (BRAMS) using both “right now” and “past week” response time frames and investigated between-group differences in mood based on athletes’ sex, age, and social vulnerability. Participants were 898 athletes (511 male, 387 female, age range: 12–44 years) from eight sports. The factorial validity of the BRAMS was supported using both response time frames independently and in a multi-sample analysis. Subscale reliability was supported for both time frames. Fatigue, depression, and tension scores were higher using the “past week” time frame than the “right now” time frame. Males reported higher vigor scores than females, and younger participants (<18 years) reported lower scores for anger and depression than older participants (18+ years). No significant differences in mood (p > 0.05) were found between participants identified as socially vulnerable and those who were not socially vulnerable. Findings supported the psychometric integrity of the BRAMS and its use as a screening measure for psychological wellbeing among youth and elite athletes in Brazil. © 2023 by the authors.
- Authors: Rohlfs, Izabel , Noce, Franco , Gabbett, Tim , Wilke, Carolina , Vido, Marcelo , Terry, Victoria , Terry, Peter
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Sports Vol. 11, no. 12 (2023), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Regular assessment of the mood construct as an indicator of psychological wellbeing is used in Brazil to screen athletes for risk of mental health issues. The present study tested the psychometric characteristics of the Brazil Mood Scale (BRAMS) using both “right now” and “past week” response time frames and investigated between-group differences in mood based on athletes’ sex, age, and social vulnerability. Participants were 898 athletes (511 male, 387 female, age range: 12–44 years) from eight sports. The factorial validity of the BRAMS was supported using both response time frames independently and in a multi-sample analysis. Subscale reliability was supported for both time frames. Fatigue, depression, and tension scores were higher using the “past week” time frame than the “right now” time frame. Males reported higher vigor scores than females, and younger participants (<18 years) reported lower scores for anger and depression than older participants (18+ years). No significant differences in mood (p > 0.05) were found between participants identified as socially vulnerable and those who were not socially vulnerable. Findings supported the psychometric integrity of the BRAMS and its use as a screening measure for psychological wellbeing among youth and elite athletes in Brazil. © 2023 by the authors.
The roles of depression, life control and affective distress on treatment attendance and perceived disability in chronic back pain sufferers throughout the duration of the condition
- Oraison, Humberto, Loton, Daniel, Kennedy, Gerard
- Authors: Oraison, Humberto , Loton, Daniel , Kennedy, Gerard
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Vol. 20, no. 19 (2023), p.
- Full Text:
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- Description: The aims of this study were to examine psychological factors that predict treatment seeking and disability over the total duration of experiencing back pain. A sample of 201 adults experiencing chronic back pain was recruited through health professionals and completed the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS), the Oswestry Back Pain Disability Questionnaire (ODQ), the McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ) and the life control and affective distress variables of the West Haven–Yale Multidimensional Pain Inventory (WHYMP), and participants disclosed the number of treatment sessions attended over the course of the illness. Depression, life control and affective distress were tested as indirect predictors of disability severity that were mediated by treatment attendance. Each unit increase in life control predicted attending nearly 30 more treatment sessions, each unit increase in affective distress predicted attending 16 fewer treatments and each unit increase in depression predicted 4 fewer treatments, together explaining 44% of variance in treatment seeking. The effects of life control and affective distress on disability were explained by treatment attendance, whereas depression retained a direct effect on disability. Treatment attendance had an effect on disability. The findings show that participants with lower life control and higher affective distress and depression had higher levels of pain and disability, in part due to due to their treatment-seeking behaviour. © 2023 by the authors.
- Authors: Oraison, Humberto , Loton, Daniel , Kennedy, Gerard
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Vol. 20, no. 19 (2023), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The aims of this study were to examine psychological factors that predict treatment seeking and disability over the total duration of experiencing back pain. A sample of 201 adults experiencing chronic back pain was recruited through health professionals and completed the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS), the Oswestry Back Pain Disability Questionnaire (ODQ), the McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ) and the life control and affective distress variables of the West Haven–Yale Multidimensional Pain Inventory (WHYMP), and participants disclosed the number of treatment sessions attended over the course of the illness. Depression, life control and affective distress were tested as indirect predictors of disability severity that were mediated by treatment attendance. Each unit increase in life control predicted attending nearly 30 more treatment sessions, each unit increase in affective distress predicted attending 16 fewer treatments and each unit increase in depression predicted 4 fewer treatments, together explaining 44% of variance in treatment seeking. The effects of life control and affective distress on disability were explained by treatment attendance, whereas depression retained a direct effect on disability. Treatment attendance had an effect on disability. The findings show that participants with lower life control and higher affective distress and depression had higher levels of pain and disability, in part due to due to their treatment-seeking behaviour. © 2023 by the authors.
A systematic review of wheelchair and mobility scooter containment systems used internationally on public transit buses
- Unsworth, Carolyn, Timmer, Amanda
- Authors: Unsworth, Carolyn , Timmer, Amanda
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Vol. 20, no. 20 (2023), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Despite the daily need for people to travel on public transit buses using their wheeled mobility devices, relatively little information is available regarding the most efficacious, affordable, and independent approaches to assist passengers with keeping their mobility devices in the designated wheelchair access space. A systematic review was undertaken to summarize this literature, place it within a geographical and temporal context, appraise its quality, and establish common themes. Key academic and grey literature transportation databases and government websites searched from 1990 to May 2022 identified 33 documents, which were appraised using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) or the Authority, Accuracy, Coverage, Objectivity, Date, Significance (AACODS) tool. Overall, the documents included were of good quality. The literature retrieved focused on the development and testing of the active containment systems favored for use in North America with a contrastingly small examination of the effectiveness of passive or semi-passive containment systems. Almost no literature was retrieved in English from European researchers documenting the use or effectiveness of rearward-facing passive systems. While tip or slide events are relatively rare among mobility device users, the effective use of containment systems is vital to minimize these. Further research is required to support transport policy makers, operators, and bus drivers to identify and correctly implement optimal containment systems to promote safety for all passengers on public buses. © 2023 by the authors.
- Authors: Unsworth, Carolyn , Timmer, Amanda
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Vol. 20, no. 20 (2023), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Despite the daily need for people to travel on public transit buses using their wheeled mobility devices, relatively little information is available regarding the most efficacious, affordable, and independent approaches to assist passengers with keeping their mobility devices in the designated wheelchair access space. A systematic review was undertaken to summarize this literature, place it within a geographical and temporal context, appraise its quality, and establish common themes. Key academic and grey literature transportation databases and government websites searched from 1990 to May 2022 identified 33 documents, which were appraised using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) or the Authority, Accuracy, Coverage, Objectivity, Date, Significance (AACODS) tool. Overall, the documents included were of good quality. The literature retrieved focused on the development and testing of the active containment systems favored for use in North America with a contrastingly small examination of the effectiveness of passive or semi-passive containment systems. Almost no literature was retrieved in English from European researchers documenting the use or effectiveness of rearward-facing passive systems. While tip or slide events are relatively rare among mobility device users, the effective use of containment systems is vital to minimize these. Further research is required to support transport policy makers, operators, and bus drivers to identify and correctly implement optimal containment systems to promote safety for all passengers on public buses. © 2023 by the authors.