Multiple Analysis Of Variance Research Articles

Mental Health Services for Autistic People with Intellectual Disability: An Exploratory Study on Patient and Treatment Characteristics, and Intervention - Outcome Associations

ABSTRACT Introduction Autistic people with co-occurring intellectual disability have a high risk of mental disorders. This study aimed to investigate specialized mental health services for this group, emphasizing inpatient/outpatient treatment, patient characteristics, interventions, and outcomes. Methods The current study used data from a Norwegian multicenter study (the AUP study), 151 participants were included. Statistical analyses included comparisons of the two treatment groups and multiple analyses of variance on outcome measures of behavioral and mental health symptoms for all patients. Results Seventy-four patients received outpatient treatment and 77 received inpatient treatment. The inpatients had significantly more “severe” mental disorders and received a higher number of interventions. Both groups improved significantly during treatment, inpatients slightly more. Psychotherapy was associated with positive outcomes. Psychopharmacological treatment or duration were not associated with outcomes. Conclusion Treatment of mental disorders is effective in autistic people with co-occurring intellectual disability. Psychotherapy may be beneficial for these patients.

Relationship Between Occupational Burnout and Negative Affective Responses of Nurses During the Public Health Crisis

Background: Long-term exposure of nurses to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the lack of necessary and sufficient facilities to deal with the disease have had significant negative effects on their occupational and mental health. Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate the association between occupational burnout and negative affective responses, including depression, anxiety, and stress, in nurses during the recent pandemic. Methods: A total of 270 nurses who worked at Razi hospital, one of the principal referral hospitals for COVID-19 patients in the northern province of Guilan, Iran, throughout 2021 - 2022, were included in this study. These nurses were selected using convenience sampling and were assigned to one of three wards: COVID-19 (n = 43), emergency (n = 55), or other wards (n = 172). In addition to providing their sociodemographic information, the participants completed two assessments: the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS) and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales-42 (DASS-42). Results: The correlation matrix showed that all MBI-HSS and DASS-42 scores, except in one case, had a positive correlation with each other (P < 0.0001). In the multiple analysis of variance, gender (P = 0.17), education (P = 0.005), hospital ward (P = 0.048), social support (P = 0.001), family support (P < 0.0001), financial support (P = 0.01), occupational satisfaction (P = 0.044), social respect (P < 0.0001), history of death in the family (P = 0.006) and relatives (P = 0.043), and having a child in primary school age (P = 0.04) created a significant difference in MBI-HSS and DASS-42 scores. Conclusions: In general, nurses tend to be considerably affected by the negative effects of the recent public health crisis, especially occupational burnout, and it is necessary to make arrangements to improve their mental health and reduce the level of occupational burnout in them.

Exploring the Benefits of Vocational Activity for People with Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorder in Norway

AbstractVocational activity holds many benefits for people with severe mental illness. The purpose of the present study is to explore potential benefits of vocational activity on self-esteem and benefits as described by employment specialists. Data from 148 adults with schizophrenia spectrum disorders participating in a comprehensive vocational rehabilitation program was collected as part of the Job Management Program (JUMP) study. Assessments were conducted at inclusion, post intervention (10 months) and 2 years after inclusion. Multiple regressions and mixed between-within subjects analysis of variance were applied to assess potential effects of vocational activity on self-esteem as measured by the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. One hundred and twenty-one reports submitted by the employment specialists post intervention were assessed through a qualitative approach based on thematic analysis. Statistical analyses indicate that vocational activity might be beneficial for self-esteem. Qualitative analysis indicate that vocational activity may provide opportunities for experiencing capability, achievement, and positive social interaction, and be beneficial for well-being, self-confidence, and self-esteem. Vocational activity may be beneficial for well-being and self-esteem among people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Statistical analysis indicate that vocational activity may have a positive effect on self-esteem, and there was a non-significant trend indicating that competitive employment may be particularly favourable. However, more research is needed regarding potential differences in effect between types of vocational activity.

Analysis of Households’ Water Access and Consumption in Differential Urban Neighbourhoods of Osogbo, Nigeria

The study focused on scrutinizing the sources and consumption patterns of domestic water supply in Osogbo, with an emphasis on households' socio-economic characteristics. Data were collected from three deliberately chosen residential neighborhoods representing low, medium, and high-density areas, with a cumulative population of 134,159 and an estimated 26,829 households. Employing a multistage sampling technique, 25% of streets in each neighborhood were randomly selected, and systematic sampling was utilized to distribute 268 structured questionnaires (1% of households) to gather information. Descriptive analyses, such as means and percentages, were employed to scrutinize socio-economic characteristics and water consumption patterns. The study also utilized inferential statistics, specifically Multiple Analysis of Variance (MANOVA), to assess the impact of residential densities and water sources on water consumption volume. Results highlighted hand-dug wells (46%), public taps (22.4%), and boreholes (15.7%) as thepredominant water sources. MANOVA revealed a statistically significant influence of residential densities and water sources on water consumption volume (p=0.049). In low-density areas, households consumed an average of 960 liters per day, compared to 735 and 517.5 liters in medium- and high-density areas, respectively. Across Osogbo, the average household consumed 664.7 liters daily. Correlation analysis indicated a positive and statistically significant relationship between resident population and water consumption (p<0.05). The study concluded by emphasizing the pivotal roles of government, communities, NGOs, and individuals in addressing water provision challenges in the area.

Impact of COVID-19-related lifestyle changes on diabetic macular edema.

To assess diabetic macular edema (DME) progression during the early phases of the COVID-19 pandemic, when severe societal restrictions raised the concern of possible deterioration of health in patients with systemic conditions, particularly those requiring frequent office visits. This is a multicenter retrospective chart review of 370 patients (724 eyes) with an established diagnosis of DME seen on 3 separate visits between January 2019 and July 2021. Period 1 was January 2019 to February 2020 (considered pre-COVID-19), period 2 was March 2020 to December 2020 (considered the height of the pandemic; highest level of pandemic-related clinical and societal regulations) and period 3 was January 2021 to July 2021 (re-adjustment to the new "pandemic norms"). Main outcome measures included visual acuity, body mass index (BMI), blood pressure (BP), hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), macular thickness, patient adherence to scheduled ophthalmology visits, and DME treatment(s) received at each visit. To facilitate measurement of macular thickness, each macula was divided into 9 Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS)-defined macular sectors as measured by OCT imaging. There was no change of BMI, systolic BP, and diastolic BP between any of the time periods. HbA1c showed a very small increase from period 1 (7.6%) to period 2 (7.8%, P=0.015) and decreased back to 7.6% at period 3 (P=0.12). Macular thickness decreased for 100% of macular regions. The central macular thickness decreased across all 3 periods from 329.5 to 316.6 µm (P=0.0045). After analysis of multiple variables including HbA1c, BMI, adherence to scheduled appointments, different clinic centers, and treatment interventions, there was no easily identifiable subgroup of patients that experienced the increase in DME. DME doesn't worsen during the COVID-19 pandemic, instead sustaining a very small but statistically significant improvement. While identifying a mechanism behind our findings is beyond the scope of this study, potential explanations may include a delay in retinal changes beyond our study period, an unexpected increase in treatment frequency despite pandemic restrictions, and an unanticipated pandemic-related improvement in some lifestyle factors that may have had a positive impact on DME.

The health and quality of life of dental workers in jordan during COVID-19: A cross-sectional study.

Dental team members are susceptible to high mental and physical stress levels, which could have increased during the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This study aimed to evaluate Jordanian dental workers' health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and determine its predictors during the COVID-19 Pandemic. This was a cross-sectional survey study conducted on dental team members, namely; Dentists, dental Assistants, and Dental Technicians. The survey questionnaire was composed of questions related to stress during COVID-19, a short-form survey of 12 items (SF-12), a Depression, Anxiety, and Stress scale (DASS-21), and a Nordic musculoskeletal disorder questionnaire (NMQ). Descriptive analyses were used to describe the main outcome measures, and multiple variable regression analysis was conducted to identify the quality of life predictors. Participants' HRQoL measured by SF-12 showed a mean±SD score of 67.1±17.19 for the physical component and 54.51±20.27 for the mental component. The Nordic scale showed symptoms of lower back pain as 63.9% over 12 months, 32% over 12 months' functional limitation symptoms, and 45% in 7 days The regression model was found strong for our study with 53.8% variations (r2 = 0.538, F = 43.739, P < 0.001) in health-related quality of life. Our study concluded that the level of HRQoL among Jordanian dental specialists during COVID-19 was observed to impact levels of physical and mental well-being which negatively influence the quality of life. Predictive factors like depression, stress, anxiety, musculoskeletal health, and individual everyday quality of life significantly affect the HRQoL of dental specialists.

The Influence of Direct Instruction (Di), Teaching Games for Understanding (TGFU) and Motivation on Learning Outcomes of Volleyball Underpass

This research aims to determine the interaction between the Direct Instruction (DI) and Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU) learning models with learning motivation (high and low) on the learning outcomes of volleyball underpass. Experimental method with a quantitative approach in class VII. The data collection technique uses a measurement test on the learning outcomes of volleyball underpassing and uses a questionnaire to measure student motivation. Two-way ANOVA (multiple variance analysis) Tukey test analysis technique if there is an interaction. The results of data analysis show that there is a significant difference, namely the TGfU model has a higher value, namely 15.85, compared to the DI model with a value of 10.55 in learning outcomes for volleyball bottom passing. The research conclusion is that there is an interaction and difference in influence between the DI and TGfU models with learning motivation on the learning outcomes of volleyball underpassing, and there is a difference in influence between students who have high and low learning motivation on learning outcomes for volleyball underpassing.

Effects of combined nutrient and pesticide exposure on algal biomass, and Daphnia magna abundance

Fertilisers and pesticides are increasingly used in agriculture to improve productivity and protect crops from fungi and insects. However, these farm inputs may lead to adverse effects on aquatic biodiversity through eutrophication and pesticide toxicity. This study aimed to establish the effects of nutrient-only, pesticide-only, combined nutrients and pesticides, and control on the abundance of Daphnia magna, and algal biomass. In each of the treatments, different concentrations of nutrients and pesticides residues were added separately or in combination. Responses were measured every 24 h, and the experiments ended after 168 h of exposure. The experiment was set in four concentration treatments comprising high, moderately high, moderately low, and low concentrations. Data analysis was done using Multiple Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) and ANOVA to determine the effect of time, concentrations and the interaction of time and concentrations for each of the treatments on D. magna abundance, and algal biomass. Higher concentrations of pesticide additives were associated with lower abundance of D. magna, and higher algal biomass over the exposure periods. There was a significant reduction in the abundance of D. magna in the combined treatment indicating the toxic effect of pesticide addition. Determination of effect concentrations based on combined nutrients-pesticides experiments becomes important in setting water quality standards, and monitoring the quality status, to avoid underestimating the ecological implications of combined contamination.

Quantitative differences in volumetric calculations for radiation dosimetry in segmental Y90 treatment planning using hybrid angiography-CT compared with anatomic segmentation.

To compare treatment volumes reconstructed from hybrid Angio-CT catheter-directed infusion imaging and Couinaud anatomic model as well as the implied differences in Y-90 radiation dosimetry. Patients who underwent transarterial radioembolization (TARE) using Y-90 glass microspheres with pretreatment CT or MRI imaging as well as intraprocedural angiography-CT (Angio-CT) were analysed. Treatment volumes were delineated using both tumoural angiosomes (derived from Angio-CT) and Couinaud anatomic landmarks. Segmental and lobar treatment volumes were calculated via semi-automated contouring software. Volume and dose differences were compared by the two-tailed Student t test or Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Factors affecting volume and dose differences were assessed via simple and/or multiple variable linear regression analysis. From September 2018 to March 2021, 44 patients underwent 45 lobar treatments and 38 patients received 56 segmental treatments. All target liver lobes and all tumours were completely included within the field-of-view by Angio-CT. Tumour sizes ranged between 1.1 and 19.5 cm in diameter. Segmental volumes and treatment doses were significantly different between the Couinaud and Angio-CT volumetry methods (316 vs 404 mL, P < .0001 and 253 vs 212 Gy, P < .01, respectively). Watershed tumours were significantly correlated with underestimated volumes by the Couinaud anatomic model (P < .001). There was a significant linear relationship between tumour diameter and percent volume difference (R2 = 0.44, P < .0001). The Couinaud model overestimated volumes for large tumours that exhibited central hypovascularity/necrosis and for superselected peripheral tumours. Angio-CT may confer advantages over the Couinaud anatomic model and enable more accurate, personalized dosimetry for TARE. Angio-CT may confer advantages over traditional cross-sectional and cone-beam CT imaging for selective internal radiation therapy planning.

Efficacy, safety, and predictive model of Palbociclib in the treatment of HR-positive and HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer

PurposeThis research designeded to: 1. Analyze the efficacy and safety of Palbociclib treatment in HR-positive and HER2-negative (HR + /HER2-) metastatic breast cancer(MBC) patients. 2. Establish and validate a nomogram model for predicting the progression-free survival (PFS) rates of 6 months, 12 months, and 18 months in HR + /HER2- MBC patients after receiving Palbociclib plus endocrine therapy (ET).Patients and methods1. This research retrospectively analyzed the efficacy and safety of Palbociclib combined with ET in 214 patients with HR + /HER2- MBC. 2. A nomogram was designed and constructed with the retrospective clinical data of 214 patients with HR + /HER2- MBC who received Palbociclib plus ET at Zhejiang Cancer Hospital in China from August 2018 to August 2022. Among these patients, 161 were randomly assigned to the training cohort, while 53 to the validation cohort. The predictive accuracy of the nomogram was assessed through the analysis the area under the receiver operating characteristic(ROC) curve, calibration curve, and decision curve analysis(DCA).Results1. Median PFS was 7.17 months (95% CI: 7.61—10.05 months), with an objective response rate (ORR) of 2.80% and a disease control rate (DCR) of 34.58%. The most prevalent grade 3–4 adverse event was neutropenia (38.79%). 2. Multiple variable analysis of the training set revealed that age < 60 years old, PR < 20%, Ki-67 ≥ 20%, luminal B molecular subtype, primary resistance to ET, receipt of late-stage chemotherapy, and presence of liver metastasis or ≥ 2 visceral metastases were independent prognostic factors associated with poor PFS (P < 0.05). Then, the predictive model underwent development and validation utilizing the aforementioned parameters. On the one hand, the area under the ROC curve (AUC) values of the training set at 6 months, 12 months, and 18 months were 0.771, 0.783, and 0.790, respectively, indicating a strong predictive ability of the developed model. On the other hand, the AUC of the validation set at 6 months, 12 months, and 18 months were 0.720, 0.766, and 0.754, respectively, suggesting the favorable discriminatory ability of the model. The calibration curves also exhibited a good fit with the ideal curves, and the DCA demonstrated the clinical applicability of the model. The nomogram's different scores could distinguish PFS.ConclusionThis retrospective study demonstrates the efficacy of Palbociclib in Chinese breast cancer patients. Moreover, the clinical parameters showed a significant association with the prognosis of HR + /HER2- MBC, and the prognostic models constructed based on these variables also displayed robust predictive power, which could offer more intuitive and convenient references for clinical doctors to formulate follow-up treatment plans.

New Score Models for Predicting Bleeding and Ischemic of Ticagrelor Therapy in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus.

Ticagrelor is an antiplatelet drug, and its use increases the risk of bleeding. Coronary artery disease is significantly influenced by the widespread occurrence of diabetes mellitus. In order to decrease the incidence of clinical adverse events, a novel bleeding and thrombosis score is developed in this research. We conducted a retrospective analysis of patient data from two medical centers who were diagnosed with diabetes mellitus and treated with ticagrelor. We gathered information on every patient from the electronic database of the hospital and follow-up. The collected data were statistically analyzed to obtain risk factors for bleeding and ischemic events. A total of 851 patients with diabetes mellitus who have been administered ticagrelor are included in our investigation. A total of 76 patients have bleeding events and 80 patients have ischemic events. The analysis of multiple variables indicates that characteristics like the age of >65, having a previous occurrence of bleeding, experiencing anemia, using aspirin, and taking atorvastatin are linked to a higher likelihood of bleeding. Additionally, the age of >65, smoking, having a history of blood clots, and having a BMI ≥ 30 are found to increase the risk of ischemia. The A4B score established in this study was better than the HAS-BLED score，and the same is true for the ABST score to the CHA2DS-VASc score. This new risk assessment model can potentially detect patients who are at high risk for bleeding and ischemic events. For high-risk patients, the dose of ticagrelor can be adjusted appropriately or the medication can be adjusted.(2023-09-11, ChiCTR2300075627).

Patient Motivation to Reduce or Discontinue Opioids for Chronic Pain: Self-efficacy, Barriers, and Readiness to Change.

This study aimed to assess levels and predictors of self-efficacy and motivation to change opioid use among a community sample of patients using opioids for chronic pain, as well as patient-reported barriers to pursuing opioid discontinuation. Participants with a variety of chronic pain conditions, recruited from ResearchMatch.org , completed a battery of electronic, self-report questionnaires assessing demographic and medical characteristics, pain treatment history, and levels of readiness, self-efficacy, and other attitudes toward reducing or discontinuing opioid use. Multiple regression analyses and analyses of variance were conducted to examine predictors of readiness and self-efficacy to change opioid use. A modified version of rapid qualitative analysis was utilized to analyze themes in participant responses to an open-ended item about "what it would take" to consider opioid discontinuation. The final sample included N=119 participants, the majority of whom were female (78.2%), Caucasian (77.3%), and well-educated. Readiness and self-efficacy to decrease or stop opioid use were fairly low on a 0 to 10 Visual Analog Scale (2.6 to 3.8) and significantly higher to decrease than stop ( P <0.01). Higher readiness to change was predicted by lower pain severity and higher concern about opioids, whereas higher self-efficacy was predicted by shorter pain duration. Results from the qualitative analyses revealed that the availability of an alternative treatment option was the most commonly cited requirement to consider opioid discontinuation. Patients with lower pain severity, shorter duration of pain, and higher concerns about opioids may be a prime target from a motivation standpoint for interventions addressing opioid tapering and discontinuation.

HAP1 cell utilization for accurate interpretation of germline BAP1 variants

Aims/Purpose: Pathogenic germline variants in BRCA1‐Associated Protein 1 (BAP1) gene cause a rare, dominant, life‐threatening tumour predisposition syndrome (BAP1‐TPDS). It increases risk for atypical cutaneous Spitz tumours and for several index cancers: uveal melanoma, malignant mesothelioma, cutaneous melanoma, clear cell renal cell carcinoma, and basal cell carcinoma. Because about 50% of variants in the public database CLINVAR are of unknown significance (VUS) and accurate interpretation of variants is crucial for screening cancer in carriers, improved tools for genomic BAP1 variant interpretation are needed. We aimed to create a mammalian cell based tool for this purpose.Methods: Four pathogenic BAP1 variants (c.67 + 1G &gt; T, c.281A &gt; G, c.680G &gt; A, and c.1780_1781insT) and one VUS (c.1526C &gt; T) were edited into the genome of near haploid HAP1 cells with CRISPR‐Cas9 and assayed for BAP1 expression and cell fitness. Proliferation and cell adhesion was quantified using xCelligence real‐time cell analysis system.Results: BAP1 loss reduces growth of HAP1 cells, which we exploited as phenotypic readout for pathogenicity of inserted variants. Three BAP1‐TPDS history‐associated variants c.67 + 1G &gt; T, c.281A &gt; G, and c.1780_1781insT reduced HAP1 adhesion and proliferation roughly by 70–80% whereas the c.680G &gt; A missense variant, identified in a patient with UM without BAP1‐TPDS family history, reduced proliferation by 50%. VUS c.1526C &gt; T behaved similarly to wild type.Conclusions: Qualitatively, the results of our in vitro tool for BAP1 variant interpretation agree with previous studies, validating the tool. The validated system has potential for scaling up for simultaneous analysis of multiple variants. Quantitatively, it might have potential for predicting higher or lower risk in family members.

An Integrated Framework for Analysis and Prediction of Impact of Single Nucleotide Polymorphism Associated with Human Diseases.

Single nucleotide polymorphisms are most common type of genetic variation in human genome. Analyzing genetic variants can help us better understand the genetic basis of diseases and develop predictive models which are useful to identify individuals who are at increased risk for certain diseases. Several SNP analysis tools have already been developed. For running these tools, the user needs to collect data from various databases. Secondly, often researchers have to use multiple variant analysis tools for cross validating their results and increase confidence in their findings. Extracting data from multiple databases and running multiple tools at a time, increases complexity and time required for analysis. There are some web-based tools that integrate multiple genetic variant databases and provide variant annotations for a few tools. These approaches have some limitations such as retrieving annotation information, filtering common pathogenic variants. The proposed web-based tool, namely IPSNP: An Integrated Platform for Predicting Impact of SNPs is written in Django which is a python-based framework. It uses RESTful API of MyVariant.info to extract annotation information of variants associated with a given gene, rsID, HGVS format variants specified in a VCF file for 29 tools. The results are in the form of a CSV file of predictions (1) derived from the consensus decision, (2) a file having annotations for the variants associated with the given gene, (3) a file showing variants declared as pathogenic commonly by the selected tools, and (4) a CSV file containing chromosome coordinates based on GRCh37 and GRCh38 genome assemblies, rsIDs and proteomic data, so that users may use tools of their choice and avoiding manual parameter collection for each tool. IPSNP is a valuable resource for researchers and clinicians and it can help to save time and effort in discovering the novel disease-associated variants and the development of personalized treatments.

Ebeveynin Çocuğunun Duygusunu Düzenlemesi ile Çocuğun Duygu Düzenlemesi İlişkisinde Psikolojik İyi Oluşun Aracı Rolü

The purpose of the present study was to analyze the mediating role of psychological well-being in the relationship between parents’ regulation of their children’s emotions and childs’ regulation of their own emotion. The study group consisted of 386 mothers living in different cities of Turkey. To collect the data, the convenience sampling method was applied, and the measurement tools were published on an online platform and presented to the participants for their answers. The data of the research were obtained using the Parent Emotion Regulation Scale (PERS), Emotion Regulation Checklist, Psychological Well-Being Scale, and the personal information form. Pearson moment correlation analysis and parallel multiple variable analysis (PROCESS) in the data analysis. According to the findings obtained from the study, psychological well-being significantly mediates the relationship between parent ’s child’s emotion regulation and child's emotion regulation. This result shows that the psychological well-being of the parent plays a mediating role in the emotion regulation process in the relationship between the parent ’s regulation of the child ’s emotion and the child ’s regulation of their own emotion. This result of the research was discussed within the scope of the relevant literature, and suggestions were made for future research.

The Influence of Price Perceptions, Promotions and Service Quality on Customer Satisfaction with Maxim Online Motorcycle Taxi Services in Depok City

One practical and efficient alternative is an online motorbike taxi, which can take you to your workplace or the commuter line train station faster than other public transportation. The era of using the internet to build online motorbike taxi ordering applications has changed local motorbike taxis to internet-based ones via smartphone applications. The online motorcycle taxis that dominate in this city are Gojek and Grab; apart from that, Maxim offers cheaper rates than the others. This research aims to determine the influence of price perceptions, promotions, and service quality on customer satisfaction with Maxim's online motorcycle taxi service in Depok City. This research uses a quantitative descriptive method by distributing questionnaires via Google Forms. Meanwhile, the collection methods used are observation, questionnaires, documentation, and literature. In this research, the population is all online motorcycle taxi customers in Depok City who have used the Maxim application. In the research using a sample of 120 respondents. In analyzing the research data, SPSS 25 was used to calculate the results of the Multiple Linear Regression variable test, t-test, F test, and determination analysis. The results of this research show that, based on the t-test, price perception has a positive and insignificant effect on customer satisfaction, and based on the t-test, promotion and service quality have a positive and significant effect on customer satisfaction. Based on the results of the F Test, perceptions of price, promotion and service quality together significantly affect customer satisfaction with the Maxim online motorcycle taxi service in Depok City. Based on the results of multiple regression analysis, the influence of price perceptions, promotions and service quality on customer satisfaction is only 78.5%. In comparison, the remaining 21.5% is influenced by other variables not examined in this research.

Performance assessment of different photovoltaic module technologies in floating photovoltaic power plants under waters environment

The paper undertakes a novel study that aims to analyze the performance characteristics of ten monocrystalline or polycrystalline silicon modules employing different emerging technologies in waters environment. In this work, monitoring data were collected over a duration of one year using a multi-technology empirical platform within a floating photovoltaic power plant. The energy performance of different module technologies was evaluated using multiple performance metrics such as array yield, performance ratio, capacity factor, efficiency and energy density. By considering environmental variables such as irradiance, ambient temperature, and water temperature, the thermal behavior of photovoltaic modules under water surface deployment conditions is revealed. Furthermore, the multiple variable coupling analysis was conducted to determine the correlation between the performance metrics of various technology type modules and meteorological variables in waters environment. The results indicate that the energy performance and reliability of monocrystalline silicon modules using double-glass double-sided P-type PERC technology is superior to other technologies in waters environment, and the performance ratio and capacity factor reach 88.95 % and 15.04 %, respectively. The heterojunction with intrinsic thin-layer (HIT) technology module exhibits better thermal stability and holds an advantage in the deployment of limited water surface areas due to its higher energy density. Moreover, the performance ratio of floating photovoltaic systems shows a weak correlation with irradiance, and is more significantly affected by the negative correlation of ambient temperature than water temperature.

Sulfamic acid modified UiO-66 metal-organic framework for biodiesel production: Process optimization using response surface methodology, kinetics, and thermodynamic study

A novel sulfamic acid-modified UiO-66 metal–organic framework (UiO-66/SA) catalyst was synthesized in this work for the esterification of oleic acid to biodiesel. Oleic acid was used as a test substrate as it constitutes a major proportion of several biodiesel feedstocks like Jatropha curcas oil, karanja oil, and waste cooking oil. The catalyst was extensively characterized by XRD, TGA, FT-IR, BET, SEM, CHNS and XPS. The catalyst demonstrated a high acidity of 1.4 mmol g−1 evaluated by ammonia-temperature programmed desorption (NH3-TPD) analysis. Central composite design (CCD) approach of response surface methodology (RSM) was used to process the optimization of various parameters (RSM) where, a maximum biodiesel yield of 94.4 ± 0.3 % was obtained under the optimized reaction conditions of methanol to oil molar ratio of 21.9:1, catalyst loading of 7.6 wt%, reaction temperature of 85 °C, and reaction time of 1.8 h. The activation energy for the esterification reaction was found to be 41.56 kJ mol−1 and further, the thermodynamic study confirmed the endothermic nature of the reaction. Multiple regressions and analysis of variance (ANOVA)were used to fit the experimental data to a quadratic equation.

Impact of COVID-19 on Manufacturing Overhead Cost: A Case of an Electronic OEM Company in Guangdong, China

This research analyzes the data of the manufacturing overhead costs (MOHC) of a plant in an electronic OEM company (located in Guangdong, China) during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. A paired t-test and a multiple variable regression analysis are conducted. MOHC and other indications are visualized by time sequence diagrams to facilitate the identification of the difference between mid- and post-pandemic. Through diving deeper into the effect of COVID-19 on the MOHC, Unit MOHC, and shipment, the overall influence of COVID-19 on the entire electronic OEM industry can be inferred. It is concluded that COVID-19 has influenced MOHC, Unit MOHC, shipment, and employee size, which may bring forth a paradigm-shifting experience on how people view the influence of COVID-19 on the entire electronic OEM industry and pave the way for further research afterward. This paper fills the research gap by focusing on one plant in one company, avoiding the difference in MOHC among different companies and plants.

Peer learning is both preferable and less expensive than score-based peer review: Initial experience at a tertiary academic center

PurposeTo examine radiologist experiences and perceptions during a transition from score-based peer review to a peer learning program, and to assess differences in time-cost efficiency between the two models of quality improvement. MethodsDifferences in Likert scale survey responses from radiologists (N = 27) in a multispecialty group at a single tertiary academic center before and following intervention were evaluated by Mann-Whitney U test. Multiple variable linear regression analysis assessed independent variables and program preference. ResultsAll positive impacts rated significantly higher for the peer learning program. Workflow disruption for the peer learning program rated significantly lower. 70.4 % (19 of 27) preferred the new program, and 25.9 % (7 of 27) preferred the old program. Only the “worth investment” questionnaire score demonstrated a significant correlation to program preference and with an effect that was greatest among all variables (Beta = 1.11, p = 0.02). There was a significantly decreased amount of time per month used to complete peer learning exercises (0.76 ± 0.45 h, N = 27) versus peer review exercises (1.71 ± 1.84 h, N = 34, p = 0.011). The result was a difference of 0.95 ± 1.89 h/month (11.4 ± 22.7 h/year), translating to an estimated direct salary time-cost saving of $1653.68/year/radiologists and a direct productivity time-cost saving of $3469.39/year/radiologist when utilizing the peer learning program. ConclusionsThere was a strongly positive perception of the new peer learning program. There was a substantial implied direct time-cost saving from the transition to the peer learning program. PrecisThe peer learning model emphasizes learning from errors via feedback in a non-punitive environment. This model was positively perceived and demonstrated substantial implied direct time-cost saving.