Analysis Approach Research Articles

Green infant formula analysis: Optimizing headspace solid-phase microextraction of carbonyl compounds associated with lipid peroxidation using GC-MS and pentafluorophenylhydrazine derivatization

The refinement and optimization of a method combining headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was successfully performed for the first time to determine seven carbonyl and dicarbonyl compounds, including glyoxal, methylglyoxal, dimethylglyoxal, and malondialdehyde in infant formulae, related to lipid peroxidation. HS-SPME was utilized for simultaneous extraction and derivatization with pentafluorophenylhydrazine (PFPH). Critical parameters such as temperature, pH, extractive phase, and salting-out were meticulously investigated and fine-tuned by an asymmetrical 2232//9 screening design to ensure the method's efficacy and reliability. Optimal conditions included a PFPH concentration of 5 g/L, pH 5.0, head-space extraction at 60 °C within 10 min, utilizing a DVB/CAR/PDMS coating, and a 20% w/w salting-out. The analytical validation of this method, compliant with FDA guidelines, demonstrated exceptional linearity, sensitivity, specificity, precision (RSD ≤13.8%), and accuracy (84.8% ≤ recovery ≤111.5%). The metric approach AGREEprep confirms its eco-friendliness, marking a significant step towards an environmentally conscious approach in infant formula analysis. An occurrence study conducted on 25 infant formula samples revealed widespread carbonyl and dicarbonyl compounds in both powdered and liquid variants. ANOVA results exhibited variations in compound concentrations among different sample groups. Clustering analyses delineated distinct groups based on carbonyl content, indicating the potential of these compounds as markers for lipid peroxidation and food quality assessment. This method serves as a valuable tool for evaluating infant formula quality, stability towards oxidation, and safety.

Network-based representations and dynamic discrete choice models for multiple discrete choice analysis

In many choice modeling applications, consumer demand is frequently characterized as multiple discrete, which means that consumer choose multiple items simultaneously. The analysis and prediction of consumer behavior in multiple discrete choice situations pose several challenges. In this paper, to address this, we propose a random utility maximization (RUM) based model that considers each subset of choice alternatives as a composite alternative, where individuals choose a subset according to the RUM framework. While this approach offers a natural and intuitive modeling approach for multiple-choice analysis, the large number of subsets of choices in the formulation makes its estimation and application intractable. To overcome this challenge, we introduce directed acyclic graph (DAG) based representations of choices where each node of the DAG is associated with an elemental alternative and additional information such as the number of selected elemental alternatives. Our innovation is to show that the multi-choice model is equivalent to a recursive route choice model on the DAG, leading to the development of new efficient estimation algorithms based on dynamic programming. In addition, the DAG representations enable us to bring some advanced route choice models to capture the correlation between subset choice alternatives. Numerical experiments based on synthetic and real datasets show many advantages of our modeling approach and the proposed estimation algorithms.

An assessment of the mediating role of hypertension in the effect of long-term air pollution exposure on dementia

Background: Growing evidence links air pollution exposure to the risk of dementia. We hypothesized that hypertension may partially mediate this effect. Methods: We previously documented an association between air pollution and dementia in the Ginkgo Evaluation of Memory Study, a randomized, placebo-controlled trial of 3069 adults ≥75 years across four US sites who were evaluated for dementia every 6 months from 2000–2008. We utilized a two-stage regression approach for causal mediation analysis to decompose the total effect of air pollution on dementia into its natural direct and indirect effect through prevalent hypertension. Exposure to air pollution in the 10 or 20 years before enrollment was assigned using estimates from fine-scale spatial-temporal models for PM2.5, PM10, and NO2. We used Poisson regression models for hypertension and Cox proportional hazard models for time-to-incident all-cause dementia, adjusting for a priori confounders. Results: Participants were free of mild cognitive impairment at baseline (n = 2564 included in analyses); 69% had prevalent hypertension at baseline. During follow-up, 12% developed all-cause dementia (Alzheimer’s disease [AD] = 212; vascular dementia with or without AD [VaD/AD mixed] = 97). We did not find an adverse effect of any air pollutant on hypertension. Hypertension was associated with VaD/AD mixed (HR, 1.92 [95% CI = 1.14, 3.24]) but not AD. We did not observe mediation through hypertension for the effect of any pollutant on dementia outcomes. Conclusions: The lack of mediated effect may be due to other mechanistic pathways and the minimal effect of air pollution on hypertension in this cohort of older adults.

Analysis of the influence of communication, leadership, and work teams on nurse discipline

Introduction: The availability of quality health services for the community must receive attention from the government as one of the efforts to develop the health sector. Disappointing evidence regarding improvement in nurses' safe and quality care elevates the need to broaden our knowledge regarding the factors that enhance constant learning in nursing teams. Objective: Analyzes the effect of communication, leadership, and teamwork on nurse discipline. Methods: This quantitative research uses an analytical observational approach and a cross-sectional research design. With the analysis of the data, a linear regression test. The sample was selected using the cluster random sampling method with 36 respondents. Result: This shows the results of a linear regression test with a communication value of p = 0.024, a leadership p = 0.057, and a work team value of p = 0.004, so it can be supposed that there is an influence between the effectiveness of the work team and nurse discipline. So, it can be concluded that the point of communication and the effectiveness of the work team affect the discipline of nurses. Conclusion: the effect of the level of communication effectiveness and the effectiveness of the work team on the discipline of nurses. The story of the effectiveness of nurses can be increased by regulating the flow of information by sending authorized delegates. They are utilizing feedback to maintain organizational communication effectiveness by providing nurses with orientation, direction, and supervision.

The Concept of Electronic Pensioner in Some Countries Versus Romania

We aim to introduce the concept of e-pensioner (EP) with the intention of having this term used as a document within the European Union’s strategy on Artificial Intelligence (AI) for the period 2023-2027 and after implemented into the legislation of member countries. The relationship between older generations and emerging forms of digitalization and artificial intelligence is the focal point, aiming to provide an easily approachable dimension for pensioners. This article presents an analytical framework and approaches for integrating pensioners into the digital era. Following the exposition of theoretical foundations, the article delineates the use of pensioner cards in select countries worldwide. The intersection of pensioners with the digital era proves to be a fertile entry point for examining regulatory ordinances in the digital realm. A novel digital form, the AI-based digital portal, involves a technique of facial authentication for pensioners to send digital life certificates. Two key factors are named across all examined countries. The primary driver of digital transformation is propelled by the desire to enhance the efficiency and efficacy of public administration, which becomes particularly crucial as populations age, leading to increased demand for social services and competition for limited resources in the developed public sector. The innovative application of technology presents opportunities for streamlining processes, enhancing productivity, and reducing costs while concurrently improving service quality. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the management and administration of public pension funds stands for a natural progression of technology in the public domain. In an environment characterized by complexity and volatility, AI can provide a level of analysis and prediction that exceeds human ability. Presently, there exists a wide array of AI-powered tools for object detection, natural language processing, understanding and inference, optical character recognition, predictive analytics, anomaly detection, noise elimination, model forecasting, recommendation systems, and monitoring and observability.

Work motivation of implementing nurses to improve the quality of health services

Introduction: The motivation of the implementing nurse is essential to improving the quality of health services. Implementing nurses plays a vital role in providing quality services to patients. High work motivation is crucial in enhancing nurses' performance and commitment to providing the best care. Objective: Knowing the motivation behind implementing nurses can improve the quality of health services. Method: This research is quantitative, with a cross-sectional study design using a quantitative analytical approach. The number of samples was 81 people using total sampling. The research instrument used was a questionnaire with a Likert scale. The analysis method uses the Fisher's exact test. Results: Based on the results of the analysis, these employees have discipline that is still lacking in completing work, while of the 5 respondents who have low work motivation, three respondents (3.7%) have good performance. This is because employees have effectiveness, efficiency, authority, responsibility, discipline, and good work initiative. The statistical test results using Fisher's exact test obtained p = 0.009, smaller than a = 0.05 (p < 0.05), which means Ho is accepted and Ha is rejected. This suggests there is a meaningful relationship between work motivation and. Conclusion: The researchers found that the work motivation of implementing nurses can improve the quality of health services. Implementing nurses can enhance healthcare quality, build team spirit, and achieve organisational goals. These efforts help increase patient satisfaction and improve job satisfaction and nurses' well-being. Therefore, understanding and applying compelling work motivation is the key to improving the quality of health services.

Arslantepe in the foreground: The economic and social role of the large blades at the end of the 4th millennium BC

This paper focuses on the study of large blade assemblages made from chert raw materials at the site of Arslantepe VI-A period (3500–3200 BCE). By applying an analytical approach combining raw material characterization (NM-PCI protocol), technological and use-wear analyses, and experimental archaeology, we discuss our results from a double perspective. At first glance, we demonstrate the great potential that this proxy offers for the reconstruction of technical systems and routine activities in late prehistoric sites. Secondly, we highlight the contribution of large blades for understanding socio-economic dynamics in case-oriented debates. Specifically, large chert blade study provides further pieces of the puzzle to characterize technical and economic behaviors of the social group settled on the mound of Arslantepe at the end of the 4th millennium BC. At this time, a palatine complex with centralized administration and symbols of power, were tools to boost social inequality.

Effects of steel bolts on retrofitting the buckling performance of storage rack system uprights

Storage rack systems, essential for product storage, encounter design challenges, particularly for uprights under axial loading. Despite being produced from thin-walled steel sheets, these systems are required to support excessive loads. Extensive research has focused on maximizing the load-bearing capacity of rack uprights in recent years. This study aims to enhance the axial load capacity of upright profiles through a retrofitting method of installing steel bolts and spacers. Experimental, numerical, and analytical evaluations were conducted to assess the effectiveness of bolt installation in enhancing axial strength of the uprights. Bolt installation altered buckling modes, suppressing distortional buckling. Results consistently showed an increase in axial load capacity with bolt installation, particularly notable in taller uprights. Comparison of experimental, numerical, and analytical results revealed good alignment, highlighting the positive impact of bolt installation on structural stability. Numerical analysis slightly underestimated experimental outcomes, especially for longer lengths, while the analytical approach showed a combination of overestimation and underestimation, with significant overestimation for longer lengths. The study concludes that bolt installation effectively increases the axial load capacity, especially for taller uprights. These findings offer remarkable insights on the positive effect of bolt installation for optimizing storage rack systems by enhancing structural stability and eliminating distortional buckling.

Accident black spots identification based on association rule mining

This paper presents an analytical approach to identifying the important characteristics of accident black spots on Moroccan rural roads. An association rule mining method is applied to extract road spatial characteristics associated with fatal accidents. The weighted severity index was calculated for each section, which was then used to determine the severity levels of black spots. The apriori algorithm is applied to find the correlation between road characteristics and the severity levels of black spots. Then, a general rule selection method is proposed to identify the rules strongly associated with each severity level. The results show that the proposed approach is effective in identifying the most important factors contributing to accidents. Furthermore, it shows that the combination of several road characteristics, such as road width, road surface, and bridge presence, may contribute to fatal accidents. The general rule selection found that wet, bad surfaces, and narrow shoulders were significantly associated with accidents on rural roads. The findings of the present study can help develop effective strategies to reduce road accidents and thus improve road safety in the country.

An Analytical Approach for Buckling of FG Cylindrical Nanopanels Resting on Pasternak’s Foundations in the Thermal Environment

An Analytical Approach for Buckling of FG Cylindrical Nanopanels Resting on Pasternak’s Foundations in the Thermal Environment

The thermodynamic properties of diatomic gases. A rigorous analytical approach

The paper reports a closed-form analytical representation of the thermodynamic functions of diatomic molecules in the ground electronic state. For this purpose, analytical formulas for vibrational and rotational partition functions are derived. A rigorous method is proposed for factorizing the vibrational and rotational contributions to the ro-vibrational partition function using an average vibrational quantum number. The behavior of thermodynamic functions as a function of temperature is discussed for carbon monoxide as a test system. The reliability of the analytical method is verified by comparison with experimental data and with the direct summation method, which uses theoretical values of energy levels.

Unveiling the patient-centered approach: exploring the needs of Javanese stroke patients in home health services

Home-based care can be effective, efficient, safe, and affordable, if this care is performed using a patient-centered approach. Patient-centered care prioritizes the patient’s needs and preferences. The issue of patient-centered care remains the focus of various parties. This study aimed to explore the expectations of patients who have experienced a stroke, their family caregivers as recipients of home-based care services and healthcare workers as home-based care providers. This study used a qualitative explorative model. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 participants, in addition to 4 focus group discussions. Data was analyzed using a content analysis approach with open code 13 software and the results were presented in COREQ systematics for qualitative studies. There were four main themes present in the results: physical well-being, self-actualization, psychological condition and balance between family burden and coping. Physical limitations were highlighted as the most burden some for the majority of the participants. At the time of the study, the majority of the patients, their family and health workers were diligently working towards to achieving the best outcome regarding physical well-being. Physical well-being is a fundamental need. Reaching this goal, could lead to better self-actualization, better physiological condition and improving the burden on families. This study may be useful as preliminary data to compile a home-based care construct indicators for stroke patients.

Financial medicine: A multi-dimensional concept moving towards contextually specific working definitions for use in the South African prehospital setting

IntroductionThe phenomenon that has been described as Financial Medicine has been occurring within the South African Healthcare sector for at least the last decade. Despite the ongoing effect of this phenomenon, there is no organised body of knowledge or formulated working definitions to guide knowledge sharing and theorisation within this research focus area. The practice of Financial Medicine exerts a deleterious effect on the South African prehospital healthcare system, and represents an area in dire need of focused research efforts. Establishing appropriate working definitions and associated taxonomy is an important first step in supporting further research efforts into this aspect of South African prehospital healthcare systems. MethodsA qualitative research methodology following a constructivist grounded theory design was used. Participants voluntarily consented to be enrolled into one-on-one in-depth interviews, and were selected using purposive and theoretical sampling techniques. Data was subjected to validated coding procedures and analysed using the constant comparative analysis approach, analytical diagramming, and supported by researcher theoretical sensitivity. ResultsA working definition for Financial Medicine is provided. Six new terms are introduced, with associated working definitions, namely Financial Medicine Practices, Treatment-based profiteering, Cost-of-care-aversion, Personal-gain-at-patient-expense, Money-racketeering-in-healthcare, and Impoverishing-healthcare-earning. ConclusionThe working definitions and suggested taxonomy presented in this article are the first step in formally conceptualising and theorising the phenomenon of Financial Medicine, in order to support further research and collaboration in this space.

Dealing imbalance dataset problem in sentiment analysis of recession in Indonesia

<span lang="EN-US">Global recession news dominates social media, particularly in Indonesia, with social news platforms on Twitter generating public responses and <br /> re-tweetings on the issue. Mining these opinions from Twitter using a sentiment analysis approach yields invaluable insights. The research stages included data collection, pre-processing, data labeling using the <br /> lexical-based method like valence aware dictionary and sentiment reasoner (VADER) and TextBlob, sampling techniques using synthetic minority oversampling technique (SMOTE) and random over sampling (ROS) before and after splitting data, and modeling using machine learning such as support vector machines (SVM), k-nearest neighbour (KNN), naive Bayes, and model evaluation. The problem is that almost 300,000 data collected from NodeXL are unbalanced. The findings show that models with balanced datasets show better model evaluation results. The sampling technique was carried out before and after splitting the data. The model evaluation results show that the Bernoulli-naive Bayes algorithm, with the VADER labeling technique, and the SMOTE sampling technique after splitting data, obtains the best accuracy of 84%, and using the ROS technique obtains an accuracy of 81%. On the other hand, with the SMOTE and ROS technique before splitting data on the SVM algorithm, it gets the best accuracy of 93% from before if only using SVM only reached 84%.</span>

Exploring cocrystals and polymorphism in pharmaceutical science: A comprehensive review

The pharmaceutical industry has been working hard in recent years to find ways to control polymorphism, which involves many solid drug forms due to their various physical and chemical characteristics. Creating cocrystals and salts of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) is one potential research direction. These substances have drawn a lot of attention because they can improve crucial pharmacological features without reducing therapeutic efficacy. It is significant to note that not all compounds having multiple hydrogen bond donor/acceptor groups and polymorphism properties will form cocrystals; this behavior varies. Pharmaceutical firms and researchers alter APIs, frequently by generating cocrystals, salts, or polymorphs. This review discusses analytical approaches for solids drug forms such as diffraction, spectroscopy, thermal analysis, and pharmaceutical characterization. These techniques enable us to investigate solid APIs thoroughly, from their bulk characteristics to their molecular composition. They offer vital details regarding the composition, attributes, purity, and probable changes of the substance. These technologies are also useful for continuous monitoring and analysis of drug development physical procedures.

Women’s memory of episiotomy experience from 2 months to 2 years after birth in Orlu Imo State

Episiotomy procedures are defined based on the millimetre distance from the incision point to the posterior fourchette and the angle in degrees from the sagittal or parasagittal plane. This study examined Women's Memory of Episiotomy Experience from 2 Months to 2 Years after Birth in Orlu of Imo State. The study employed a qualitative survey design with four research questions. The sample size of 57 participants was selected, convenience sampling technique was used to select the respondents, the respondent were thus; women who underwent episiotomy 25, Midwives 8, family members 24. Data were collected using one on-one interview, via recordings. Data was analysed using percentages, barcharts and content analysis approach and thematic categorization. The results revealed 60% of the respondents come from low socioeconomic background. The study further revealed that; the challenges women experience within 2 months to 2 years as result of episiotomy were pain, inability to breast feed; due to inability to sit well, inability to walk freely, the perceived impact of episiotomy on women within the first 2 months to 2 years after birth were inability to have sex as usual. In conclusion, women were inadequately informed and not psychologically prepared for episiotomy, the respondent’s experienced untoward effect after the procedure which included: pain, and interference with daily life activities. Therefore, the study recommends that healthcare providers, especially midwives, to seek alternatives to routine use of episiotomy, and consider selective episiotomy practices based on individual patient need and thus educate pregnant mothers on perineal massage using recommended oil.

Syrian refugees’ vision for quality education in a Lebanese public school: a participatory visual research

This study explores the quality of education delivered to Syrian students in a public school in Lebanon. Concepts of agency and empowerment are at the heart of this discussion. To address the current lack of student-centred perspectives on schooling in this context, this study supplements the Capability Approach (CA) with a social justice framework and uses visual and art-based methods to gain insights into what these young people have reason to value. It examines the value of combining theoretical insights, analytical approaches and methods that share a commitment to honouring participant agency. Analysis of input from children advocates considering the concept of ‘care’ as an integral dimension to social justice in the context of this study. It also suggests the need for implementing negative and positive peacebuilding strategies and contemplating the relationship between art education and school violence. We argue for a whole-child approach to refugee education, drawing connections between cognitive academic learning and affective embodied wellbeing. We conclude the study by discussing these findings and shedding light on the significance of our theoretical and methodological choices and their potential to inspire future research endeavours and explorations.

Capturing group dynamic faultlines with Yule’s Q

PurposeUnderstanding group dynamics is essential for promoting institutional change. The purpose of this brief article is to introduce the use of Yule’s Q to quantify group dynamics in a way that allows an individual’s tendency to associate with others based on their shared attributes to be captured as they evolve.Design/methodology/approachTwo academic departments at a large public urban university participated in ongoing meetings as part of the year-long change initiative. Field notes of these meetings were recorded for information on participants and the flow of conversations. Yule’s Q was calculated with responsive interaction network and attribute data coded from the field notes.FindingsYule’s Q can be used to quantify group dynamics with a visualization of interactions among group members. The differences in the triggered divisions or faultlines in organizational change initiatives by shared common attributes (e.g. levels of positions within departments) can be related to group interactions and/or disruptions in collaboration.Originality/valueThis study can contribute to broadening the research community’s analytic approaches to utilizing network and attribute data for understanding group dynamics and their patterns across meetings.

Text Mining Analysis of Retail and Consumer Service Leaders' Sustainability Narratives: Are They Actually True?

This study investigates the relationship between the sustainability narratives of retail and consumer services leaders and their actual sustainability practices, with a focus on the impact of these narratives on consumer perceptions and engagement. Firm-generated content (FGC) has become a significant factor influencing consumer reactions, especially in the context of sustainability claims within the retail and consumer services sectors. Our research examines the alignment of linguistic and communicative elements in sustainability communications with the actual sustainability performance of companies employing a multifaceted analytical approach including content/theme analysis, sentiment analysis, emotion detection, and readability assessments. The findings reveal that thematic content related to sustainability, emotional engagement strategies, and the clarity of communication are shown to play vital roles in enhancing consumer trust and engagement with retail and consumer services firms. Moreover, readability and polarity are critical in shaping consumer perceptions of authenticity and reliability in sustainability narratives. The study underscores the importance of transparency and authenticity in sustainability communications, demonstrating that effective messaging can significantly influence consumer engagement with retail and consumer services firms. By bridging the gap between sustainability narratives and actual practices, the research contributes to a deeper understanding of strategic communication's role in fostering sustainable consumer behavior and trust in the retail and consumer services sector.

Interagency Coordination to Manage Co-Occurring Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and Mental Health Conditions.

The authors aimed to identify barriers to and strategies for supporting coordination between state agencies for intellectual and developmental disability (IDD) or mental health to meet the mental health needs of people with co-occurring IDD and mental health conditions. Forty-nine employees of state agencies as well as advocacy and service delivery organizations across 11 U.S. states with separate IDD and mental health agencies were interviewed between April 2022 and April 2023. Data were analyzed with a thematic analysis approach. Interviewees reported that relationships between the IDD and mental health agencies have elements of both competition and coordination and that coordination primarily takes place in response to crisis events. Barriers to interagency coordination included a narrow focus on the populations targeted by each agency, within-state variation in agency structures, and a lack of knowledge about co-occurring IDD and mental health conditions. Interviewees also described both administrative (e.g., memorandums of understanding) and agency culture (e.g., focusing on whole-person care) strategies that are or could be used to improve coordination to provide mental health services for people with both IDD and a mental health condition. Strategies that support state agencies in moving away from crisis response toward a focus on whole-person care should be prioritized to support coordination of mental health services for individuals with co-occurring IDD and mental health conditions.