Complete Search Research Articles

Switching Heads and Cultures: Transformation of an Indian Myth into the Quest of Identity Crisis in Girish Karnad’s Hayavadana

Myths and legends have an enduring significance for the fundamental human obsessions. Indian drama is flavoured with several elements in which mythology plays an important role. One of the most renowned playwrights of contemporary India, Girish Karnad who has made use of the theatre to explore the culture of Indian past, re-created Hayavadana, a commentary on the problems of human being’s search for completeness and perfection, with his own imaginative calibre deriving it from Kathasaritsagar, an 11th century compendium of Indian legends and drawing the picturesque of Thomas Mann’s story of The Transposed Heads in a modern approach. It revolves around the triangular relation between Padmini, Devdatta and Kapila ending in Padmini’s frustrated search to get the best of both men in one body highlighting the confusion of human identities and the ambiguous nature of human personality. This present paper focuses on how Girish Karnad re-interprets the mythology in his creation rummaging a conflict between modernity and indigenous tradition against the backdrop of mythical history to enunciate the acute crisis of identity, self-discovery and imperfection or and wholeness to reach to the zenith of perfection that is next to impossible reflecting the strength of psychology over the physical one where the human beings strive to obtain perfection in all the aspects throughout their life but they forget the fact that perfection is something that is unachievable. It is concluded that although the ending of the play is not within the orthodoxy of Indian epic texts and Hindu philosophy, it can be seen in the cultural context of an Indian woman of today who seeks to fulfil her needs and aspirations.

Metabolic syndrome and risk of ovarian cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

MetS is associated with greater morbidity and mortality in relation to a number of malignancies, but its association with ovarian cancer remains contested. The present study was a systematic review and meta-analysis of case-control and cohort studies examining the association between MetS and ovarian cancer risk. The study was registered on the PROSPERO platform in January 2023 (CRD42023391830). Up until February 13, 2023, a complete search was undertaken in PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials. On the basis of inclusion and exclusion criteria, eligible studies for meta-analysis were screened to determine the association between MetS and ovarian cancer risk. Five studies were included in total, including three cohort studies and two case-control studies. Meta-analysis showed no significant correlation between metabolic syndrome and ovarian cancer (OR=1.29, 95% CI: 0.90-1.84). Significant heterogeneity (I2 = 92.6, P<0.05) existed between the included studies. We performed a subgroup analysis of the risk of bias and showed that only unadjusted stratification of risk of bias for smoking (OR= 3.19, 95% CI: 2.14-4.76) and hysterectomy (OR= 3.19, 95% CI: 2.14-4.76) demonstrated a relationship between metabolic syndrome and ovarian cancer risk. The meta-regression analysis revealed that smoking and hysterectomy excision were substantially linked with heterogeneity (p < 0.05). Our research revealed no statistically significant association between MetS and ovarian cancer risk. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome has highlighted the need of enhancing and controlling women's metabolic health. However, the evaluation of metabolic syndrome as a cancer risk factor may be deceptive and etiologically uninformative.

A Comprehensive Analysis of Legislative Strategies for New Psychoactive Substances: The Brazilian Panorama

Over the last decades, new psychoactive substances (NPSs) have established a new pattern of drug synthesis and distribution. These compounds brought with them several challenges, including their analytical determination by known methodologies, the uncertainty of their toxicological effects, and the possible approaches used for control. In Brazil, the control of NPS started with a nominal list of proscribed compounds. But the variety of substances was so large that other strategies were implemented. Generic legislation was created as several groups began to emerge, such as phenethylamines, synthetic cathinones, and synthetic cannabinoids. The legislation also began to include salts and isomers of all listed substances and precursor chemical ingredients or plants that may be used to produce them. Those substances are known for the unpredictability of their effects, causing a wide range of symptoms, including seizures, aggression, and acute psychosis. Users under effect represent a high risk for themselves and others. In this study, we present an overview of the timeline in which NPSs were detected in Brazilian territory and the legislative approaches. A complete literature search was performed using PubMed, Scopus, the World Wide Web and Brazilian governmental websites employing relevant keywords such as NPS, legislation, and Brazil. Even with the high volume of legislative measures, the race against NPS intoxication cases and apprehensions continues to be fierce. There are limitations in the process of detection, identification, and prohibition of the substances in the country that demand a multifactorial approach, stronger public health measures, scientific research, as well as harm reduction strategies. Nevertheless, the Brazilian scenario on NPS arrival reflects a worldwide problem faced by many countries. In conclusion, it is stated that the use of multiple legislative strategies such as prohibition lists and generic controls can provide for better regulation of the NPS problem. However, this issue needs to be addressed by multiple organizations, including police departments and the public health system, and that effort needs to be coordinated and standardized for all Brazilian Federal states.

Comparison of force and moment tensor estimations of subevents during the 2022 Hunga–Tonga submarine volcanic eruption

SUMMARYThe 2022 January 15 Hunga–Tonga submarine volcanic eruption was unprecedented in the modern era for its size, in terms of its plume height and atmospheric waves, including sound. Global seismic stations recorded maximal radiated energy during 30 min of the plume-forming phase of the eruption (04:00 to 04:30 UTC), with the largest subevents occurring over a 5-min interval starting at 04:15:17 UTC. Here, we consider two simple point-source models—force and moment tensor—and separately consider the single main subevent and the sequence of four subevents. Estimation of source models for the first subevent in the sequence is achieved with a complete search of model parameter space to find the global minimum of a waveform misfit function (body or surface waves). We performed 25 runs to explore the impact of depth, source model (force or moment tensor), wave type (body or surface), and component (vertical, radial, and transverse) on the waveform fits and estimated best-fitting source. Visualization of the misfit function reveals complex trade-offs among model parameters, highlighting the importance of characterizing uncertainties and parameter trade-offs. The four-subevent source model has up to 28 model parameters and requires an efficient search algorithm to find the best-fitting source. For this, we use the covariance matrix adaptation evolution strategy implemented on a high-performance computing cluster. The 10 four-subevent runs for each source model return sequences of subvertical downward forces and explosive-like moment tensors for each subevent. Our results show that these two simple source models provide comparable fits to regional and global seismic waveforms and that the source types for each subevent—either force direction or moment tensor source type on the eigenvalue lune—are similar enough to each other to consider that the subevents originate from the same process. Our estimation of the source mechanisms, sizes, and relative timing should benefit a physical interpretation of the eruption sequence.

Stationary modes for vector nonlinear Schrödinger-type equations: A numerical procedure for complete search and its mathematical background

In this paper, we address the problem of complete description of coexisting stationary localized modes for the system of n nonlinearly coupled Schrödinger-type equations. Our approach is based on the observation that if the nonlinearity is defocusing (repulsive), then generic solutions of the corresponding stationary system have singularities at finite points of the real axis and, consequently, cannot describe profiles of stationary modes. Then the stationary localized modes can be found by a procedure of “filtering out” solutions with singularities. We have formulated and proved three rigorous statements that form the mathematical background of the approach. The first of them, Theorem on parametrization, states that there exists a homeomorphism between S and Rn, where S is the set of solutions of the stationary system that decay to zero componentwise at +∞. This allows to code the solutions from S by n-component vectors. The second statement, Theorem on singularity, states that, under certain conditions, the singular solutions are ubiquitous in the system and gives the conditions for detection of singularities. This statement allows to seek for localized modes by properly arranged numerical scanning in S operating with vectors from Rn. The third theorem, Theorem on collapsing solutions, allows to reduce the scanning procedure to a finite domain in Rn. As a result, if the conditions of the three theorems hold, the scanning procedure yields the complete set of localized modes for the system. We illustrate this method by an examples of two and three nonlinearly coupled equations that describe the steady states of two and three- component Bose-Einstein Condensate. As the main outcome, in the chosen domain of chemical potentials, we have found all coexisting nonlinear modes.

An Overview on Assay Methods to Quantify ROS and Enzymatic Antioxidants in Erythrocytes and Spermatozoa of Small Domestic Ruminants.

The present review aims to provide an overview of the assay methods for the quantification of ROS and principal enzymatic antioxidants as biomarkers of oxidative stress in erythrocytes and spermatozoa of small domestic ruminants. A complete literature search was carried out in PubMed, Scopus and the World Wide Web using relevant keywords and focusing on the last five years (2018-2023). Among spectrophotometry, fluorometry and chemiluminescence, the most widely used method for ROS assay is fluorometry, probably because it allows to simultaneously assay several ROS, using different probes, with greater economic advantages. Regarding intracellular antioxidant enzymes, recent literature reports only spectrophotometric methods, many of which use commercial kits. The use of a less sensitive but cheapest method is suitable because both erythrocytes and spermatozoa samples are highly concentrated in domestic ruminant species. All methods considered in this review have been found to be appropriate; in general, the differences are related to their costs and sensitivity. Quantification of ROS and enzymatic antioxidant activity in erythrocytes and spermatozoa may find application in the study of the welfare and health status of small domestic ruminants for monitoring livestock production.

Controllability analysis of directed networks based on pruning motif isomorph

The current driver nodes search methods are difficult to cope with large networks, and the solution process does not consider the cost of control imposed by the nodes. In order to solve the problem of control input to achieve control synchronization in finite states for networks with different node costs, this paper proposes a pruning and motif isomorph search method for a driver node set. Firstly, we prove the sufficient conditions for the network to be strictly controllable under partial nodes control, then we classify the nodes and prove the equivalence controllability of the pruning network, and then we establish three models of maximum augmenting path search, local pruning and motif matching to form a complete driver node set search algorithm. Finally, the algorithm is validated by three types of experiments: examples, classical networks and real networks. The results show that our method not only guarantees the accuracy of the search results, but also has lower time complexity than other existing methods, which can efficiently handle large networks, and no more than 16.84% of the maximum driver nodes can control the whole network.

Estimation psychophysiological state via nonlinear dynamic integral models

The method of experimental research “input-output”of the human oculo-motor system was developed and implemented using innovative eye-tracking technology for recording oculo-motor systemresponses to test visual stimuli. Stimuli are displayed on the monitor screen at different distances from the starting position. This formally corresponds to the action of step signals with different amplitudes at the input of the oculo-motor system. According to the empirical data of the “input-output”studies of the respondent's oculo-motor systemobtained with the aid of the TobiiProTX300 eye tracker, the transient functions of the first and diagonal intersections of the transient functions of the second and third orders of the oculo-motor systemwere determined. Experimental studies of the respondent's oculo-motor systemto identify the state of fatigue were carried out before the beginning (in the morning) and after the working day (in the evening). The obtained multidimensional transient functions are used as a source of primary data in the implementation of intelligent information technology for diagnosis and monitoring of the psychophysiological state of a person. Instrumental algorithmic and software tools for determining diagnostic features based on the identification data of the oculo-motor systemin the form of multidimensional transient functionsin the Python language have been developed.Training samples of data fortwo states of the respondent (“Normal”and “Fatigue”) were formed on the basis of the proposed heuristic features, which are determined using integral and differential transformations of the obtained multidimensional transient functionsof the oculo-motor system. Training samples of data are used to build classifiers of psychophysiological states of an individual using machine learning tools. The informativeness of individual features and all their possible combinations in pairs according to the indicator of the probability of correct recognition was studied using the method of complete search. The research results were obtained by evaluating the quality of recognition of states built by Bayesian classifiers in different spaces of the proposed features. An analysis of the stability of the correct recognitioninformativeness indicator of different feature spaces under the influence of different levels of additive noise on the features was carried out. Two-dimensional feature spaces with the maximum and most stable value of the correct recognitionindicator were found when solving the scientific and practical task of assessing the psychophysiological state (fatigue) of a person (0.9375). Thus, it seems appropriate to use the multidimensional transient functionsobtained from eye-tracking data in diagnostic studies in the fields of neuroscience and experimental psychology

Complete Search of Sliding Tile Puzzles on a Personal Computer [Extended Abstract

The 4x4 and 8x2 Sliding Tile Puzzles have more than ten trillion solvable states, making complete brute force search very challenging: best existing solutions take weeks to run or require expensive hardware. We propose and implement a set of optimizations of the frontier search algorithm, that are efficient on a modern personal computer. We run a number of complete searches, each taking about 3 days on our hardware, for both puzzles in single-tile and multi-tile metrics, verifying previously known results about the radiuses of the puzzles. We also discover that the diameter of the 4x4 Puzzle is 80 single-tile moves, and the radius of the 8x2 Puzzle is 57 multi-tile moves.

Circumstances affecting patients’ euthanasia or medically assisted suicide decisions from the perspectives of patients, relatives, and healthcare professionals: A qualitative systematic review

This study aims to explore circumstances affecting patients’ euthanasia and medically assisted suicide (MAS) decisions from the perspectives of patients, relatives, and healthcare professionals. A qualitative systematic review was performed following PRISMA recommendations. The review protocol is registered in PROSPERO (CRD42022303034). Literature searches were conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL Complete, Eric, PsycInfo, and citation pearl search in Scopus from 2012 to 2022. In total, 6840 publications were initially retrieved. The analysis included a descriptive numerical summary analysis and a qualitative thematic analysis of 27 publications, resulting in two main themes—Contexts and factors influencing actions and interactions, and Finding support while dealing with resistance in euthanasia and MAS decisions—and related sub-themes. The results illuminated the dynamics in (inter)actions between patients and involved parties that might both impede and facilitate patients’ decisions related to euthanasia/MAS, potentially influencing patients’ decision-making experiences, and the roles and experiences of involved parties.

Construction of Quasi-DOE on Sobol’s Sequences with Better Uniformity 2D Projections

Abstract In order to establish the projection properties of computer uniform designs of experiments on Sobol’s sequences, an empirical comparative statistical analysis of the homogeneity of 2D projections of the best known improved designs of experiments was carried out using the novel objective indicators of discrepancies. These designs show an incomplete solution to the problem of clustering points in low-dimensional projections graphically and numerically, which requires further research for new Sobol’s sequences without the drawback mentioned above. In the article, using the example of the first 20 improved Sobol’s sequences, a methodology for creating refined designs is proposed, which is based on the unconventional use of these already found sequences. It involves the creation of the next dimensional design based on the best homogeneity and projection properties of the previous one. The selection of sequences for creating an initial design is based on the analysis of numerical indicators of the weighted symmetrized centered discrepancy for two-dimensional projections. According to the algorithm, the combination of sequences is fixed for the found variant and a complete search of the added one-dimensional sequences is performed until the best one is detected. According to the proposed methodology, as an example, a search for more perfect variants of designs for factor spaces from two to nine dimensions was carried out. New combinations of Sobol’s sequences with better projection properties than those already known are given. Their effectiveness is confirmed by statistical calculations and graphically demonstrated box plots and histograms of the projection indicators distribution of the weighted symmetrized centred discrepancy. In addition, the numerical results of calculating the volumetric indicators of discrepancies for the created designs with different number of points are given.

Mapping the characteristics, methodological quality and standards of reporting of network meta-analyses on antithrombotic therapies: An overview

BackgroundAlthough a large number of network meta-analyses (NMAs) in the field of cardiology are available, little is known about their methodological quality. We aimed to map the characteristics and critically appraised the standards of conduct and evidence reporting of NMAs assessing antithrombotic therapies for the treatment or prophylaxis of heart diseases and cardiac surgical procedures. MethodsWe systematically searched PubMed and Scopus to identify NMAs comparing the clinical effects of antithrombotic therapies. Overall characteristics of the NMAs were extracted and their reporting quality and methodological quality were evaluated using the PRISMA-NMA checklist and AMSTAR-2, respectively. ResultsWe found 86 NMAs published between 2007 and 2022. Comparisons among direct-acting oral anticoagulants were available in 61 (71%) NMAs. Although around 75% of NMAs stated that they followed international guidelines for conduct and reporting, only one third provided a protocol/register. Complete search strategies and publication bias assessment were lacking in around 53% and 59% of studies, respectively. Most NMAs (n = 77, 90%) provided supplemental material; however, only 5 (6%) made the complete raw data available. Network diagrams were depicted in most studies (n = 67, 78%), yet network geometry was described in only 11 (12.8%) of them. Mean adherence to the PRISMA-NMA checklist was 65.1 ± 16.5%. AMSTAR-2 assessment showed 88% of the NMAs had critically low methodological quality. ConclusionAlthough there is a wide diffusion of NMA-type studies on antithrombotics for heart diseases, their methodological and reporting quality remains suboptimal. This may reflect fragile clinical practices due to misleading conclusions from critically low-quality NMAs.

On low rank 4d mathcal{N} = 2 SCFTs

There are two major ways of constructing 4d mathcal{N} = 2 superconformal field theories (SCFTs): the first one is putting a 6d (2, 0) theory on a punctured Riemann surface (class-S theory), and the second one is putting type IIB string theory on a 3d canonical singularity. As there are interests on low rank theories, we search all the possibilities from above two constructions. Most of those theories are engineered by class-S theory with irregular singularities, and we find a universal formula for the rank of theory so that a complete search is possible. We then compute various physical quantities of those theories, such as the central charges, flavor symmetry, associated vertex operator algebra and Higgs branch, etc. One of interesting consequence of our results are the prediction of many new isomorphism of 2d vertex operator algebra.

Performance of panoramic radiography compared with computed tomography in the evaluation of pathological changes in the maxillary sinuses: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

A systematic review was performed to evaluate the performance of panoramic radiography (PR) vs CT or cone beam CT (CBCT) in the diagnosis of pathological maxillary sinuses. This review was registered in the PROSPERO database under the number CRD42020211766. Observational studies that compared PR with CT/CBCT were used to evaluate pathological changes in the maxillary sinuses. A complete search of seven primary databases and gray literature was carried out. The risk of bias was assessed according to the Newcastle-Ottawa tool, and the GRADE tool was used to assess the quality of evidence. A binary meta-analysis was performed to assess the effectiveness of evaluating pathological alterations in the maxillary sinuses in PR and CT/CBCT. Seven studies were included in our study, out of which four were included in a quantitative analysis. All studies were classified as low risk of bias. Five studies compared PR with CBCT and two studies compared PR to CT. The most common pathological alteration in maxillary sinuses reported was mucosal thickening. CT/CBCT was seen to be the most effective method for assessing pathological changes in the maxillary sinus when compared to PR (RR = 0.19, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.05 to 0.70, p = 0.01). CT/CBCT are the most appropriate imaging methods to evaluate pathological changes in the maxillary sinuses, while PR is still limited in the evaluation of these changes being considered only for initial diagnosis.

Prevalence of Cardiovascular Complications in Coronavirus Disease 2019 adult Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

It has been found that the new coronavirus can affect various parts of the cardiovascular system. Cardiovascular complications caused by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are often serious and can increase the mortality rate among infected patients. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of cardiovascular complications in COVID-19 adult patients. A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies published in English were conducted between December 2019 and February 2021. A complete search was performed in PubMed (PubMed Central and MEDLINE), Google Scholar, Cochrane Library, Science Direct, Ovid, Embase, Scopus, CINAHL, Web of Science, and WILEY, as well as BioRXiv, MedRXiv, and gray literature. A random effect model was used to examine the prevalence of cardiovascular complications among COVID-19 patients. The I2 test was used to measure heterogeneity across the included studies. A total of 74 studies involving 34,379 COVID-19 patients were included for meta-analysis. The mean age of the participants was 61.30±14.75 years. The overall pooled prevalence of cardiovascular complications was 23.45%. The most prevalent complications were acute myocardial injury (AMI) (19.38%, 95% CI=13.62-26.81, test for heterogeneity I2=97.5%, P<0.001), arrhythmia (11.16%, 95% CI=8.23-14.96, test for heterogeneity I2=91.5%, P<0.001), heart failure (HF) (7.56%, 95% CI=4.50-12.45, test for heterogeneity I2=96.3%, P<0.001), and cardiomyopathy (2.78%, 95% CI=0.34-9.68). The highest pooled prevalence of cardiac enzymes was lactate dehydrogenase (61.45%), troponin (23.10%), and creatine kinase-myocardial band or creatine kinase (14.52%). The high prevalence of serious cardiovascular complications in COVID-19 patients (AMI, arrhythmia, and HF) necessitates increased awareness by healthcare administrators.

Digital Literacy Ability of Students of Biology Education Study Program FSTT Undikma

This study aims to understand the condition of digital literacy skills of S1 students of the biology education study program, Faculty of Science, Engineering and Applied (FSTT) Mandalika University of Education (Undikma). Cross-sectional study with a survey method that aims to analyze variable data collected at a certain point in time throughout the sample population or a predetermined subset. The population of this study is all active Biology Education study program students as many as 212 students. The research sample amounted to 86 students as respondents obtained by accidental sampling techniques. This research instrument is in the form of a google form-based student digital literacy mastery questionnaire, which is given online. The results of the study on each indicator are the Access indicator of 58.1% of students' goals to access the internet to complete assignments, 91.9% using mobile phone media, 40% using subjects as search points, and 67% using complete search keywords to access information from the internet. In the Analyze and Evaluate indicator, 60.5% read and understand the information thoroughly and 48.98% read the information thoroughly and the sources used. In the Create indicator, the new form of information created by students is with 41.9% making research reports, 36.0% using Microsoft Office devices, and 51.2% in the form of writing. The Reflect indicator is the largest percentage of respondents to respect and maintain a code of ethics when accessing information accessed from the internet with a magnitude of 65.1% listing the source of information cited appropriately and 75.6% ensuring the correctness of the information and using as needed. Indiator Act, the actions of college students after accessing and using the internet with 46.5% using information to solve problems and 34.9% to make presentations in public. Based on this description, it can be concluded that students' digital literacy skills have reached the good category

The IACOB project

Context. The empirical distribution of projected rotational velocities (v sin i) in massive O-type stars is characterised by a dominant slow velocity component and a tail of fast rotators. It has been proposed that binary interaction plays a dominant role in the formation of this tail. Aims. We perform a complete and homogeneous search for empirical signatures of binarity in a sample of 54 fast-rotating stars with the aim of evaluating this hypothesis. This working sample has been extracted from a larger sample of 415 Galactic O-type stars that covers the full range of v sin i values. Methods. We used new and archival multi-epoch spectra in order to detect spectroscopic binary systems. We complemented this information with Gaia proper motions and TESS photometric data to aid in the identification of runaway stars and eclipsing binaries, respectively. We also benefitted from additional published information to provide a more complete overview of the empirical properties of our working sample of fast-rotating O-type stars. Results. The identified fraction of single-lined spectroscopic binary (SB1) systems and apparently single stars among the fast-rotating sample is ∼18% and ∼70%, respectively. The remaining 12% correspond to four secure double-line spectroscopic binaries (SB2) with at least one of the components having a v sin i &gt; 200 km s−1 (∼8%), along with a small sample of 2 stars (∼4%) for which the SB2 classification is doubtful: these could actually be single stars with a remarkable line-profile variability. When comparing these percentages with those corresponding to the slow-rotating sample, we find that our sample of fast rotators is characterised by a slightly larger percentage of SB1 systems (∼18% vs. ∼13%) and a considerably smaller fraction of clearly detected SB2 systems (8% vs. 33%). Overall, there seems to be a clear deficit of spectroscopic binaries (SB1+SB2) among fast-rotating O-type stars (∼26% vs. ∼46%). On the contrary, the fraction of runaway stars is significantly higher in the fast-rotating domain (∼33–50%) than among those stars with v sin i &lt; 200 km s−1. Lastly, almost 65% of the apparently single fast-rotating stars are runaways. As a by-product, we discovered a new over-contact SB2 system (HD 165921) and two fast-rotating SB1 systems (HD 46485 and HD 152200) Also, we propose HD 94024 and HD 12323 (both SB1 systems with a v sin i &lt; 200 km s−1) as candidates for hosting a quiescent stellar-mass black hole. Conclusions. Our empirical results seem to be in good agreement with the assumption that the tail of fast-rotating O-type stars (with v sin i &gt; 200 km s−1) is mostly populated by post-interaction binary products. In particular, we find that the final statistics of identified spectroscopic binaries and apparent single stars are in good agreement with newly computed predictions obtained with the binary population synthesis code BPASS and earlier estimations obtained in previous studies.

LncRNA Linc00173 may be a potential prognostic biomarker in human solid tumors: a meta-analysis and bioinformatics analysis.

Despite advances in diagnostic techniques and treatments, cancer remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide.Therefore, finding new biomarkers and therapeutic targets is crucial for improving the diagnosis and treatment of human cancer.LncRNA Linc00173 is a newly identified tumor marker, and in this study, we aimed to explore the relationship between Linc00173 and clinicopathological features and patient prognosis. By using The Cochrane Library, EMbase, Web of Science, PubMed, OVID, we conducted a complete and thorough literature search from its inception to November 10, 2022.Meta-analysis was performed using Stata SE16.0 software. Nine studies involving 1102 patients were included.Meta-analysis showed that the overexpression of Linc00173 was significantly associated with poorer OS (HR = 1.76,95%CI:1.36-2.26, P < 0.001) and shorter DFS (HR = 1.89, 95%CI:1.49-2.40,P < 0.001),and was significantly associated with gender (male) (OR = 1.31,95% CI:1.01-1.69, P = 0.042), tumor size (large) (OR = 1.34,95% CI:1.01-1.78, P = 0.045), and lymph node metastasis (positive) (OR = 1.72,95% CI:1.03-2.88, P = 0.038). Overexpression of Linc00173 is associated with poor prognosis in cancer patients and is a potential prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target.

Usability of KOHA OPAC by Undergraduate Users for Information Retrieval with Regard to Usability Testing in Technical University of Kenya Library

The intention of this paper was to determine usability of KOHA OPAC in information retrieval with regard to usability testing by undergraduate users at Technical University of Kenya Library (TU-KL) in Nairobi County. Usability testing can be realized by way of assigning tasks to a representative of the user population in order to determine whether users can be able to achieve the desired goal of retrieving information. To a great extent, success will depend on how users perform the tasks assigned to them. This study conducted usability test on actual users of KOHA OPAC at Technical University of Kenya Library. Qualitative data was collected using the think aloud method where study participants were required to verbalize their thought process as they performed search and retrieval tasks using KOHA OPAC. The number of errors made, time taken to complete search and retrieval activities were coded, recorded and analysed during usability testing. This helped the researcher to determine whether KOHA OPAC is easy to use and whether it saves time for the user. Undergraduate students for the study were selected using a stratified random sampling technique. The population of the study (n = 382) was determined using a simplified formula developed by Yamane. The study initiated a usability test which presented search scenarios where participants were invited to participate in searching and retrieving information resources using KOHA OPAC. The results of the usability test of KOHA OPAC at TU-KL showed that users were slow at accomplishing search tasks, they took long duration to access TU-KL website that hosts KOHA OPAC and there was inefficiency in accessing library materials. This study concluded that usability challenges may have an impact on users' overall satisfaction with KOHA OPAC and information retrieval effectiveness. In order to enhance user experience and boost the effectiveness of information retrieval, the study recommends improvement of KOHA OPAC usability by revamping its interface and enhancing its features.&#x0D;

Deep Reinforcement Learning Based Computation Offloading and Trajectory Planning for Multi-UAV Cooperative Target Search

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are widely used for surveillance and monitoring to complete target search tasks. However, the short battery life and moderate computational capability hinder UAVs to process computation-intensive tasks. The emerging edge computing technologies can alleviate this problem by offloading tasks to the ground edge servers. How to evaluate the search process so as to make optimal offloading decisions and make optimal flying trajectories represent fundamental research challenges. In this paper, we propose to utilize the concept of uncertainty to evaluate the search process, which reflects the reliability of the target search results. Thereafter, we propose a deep reinforcement learning (DRL) technique to jointly make optimal computation offloading decisions and flying orientation choices for multi-UAV cooperative target search. Specifically, we first formulate an uncertainty minimization problem based on the established system model. By introducing a reward function, we prove that the uncertainty minimization problem is equivalent to a reward maximization problem, which is further analyzed by a Markov decision process (MDP). To obtain the optimal task offloading decisions and flying orientation choices, a deep Q-network (DQN) based DRL architecture with a separated Q-network is then proposed. Finally, extensive simulations validate the effectiveness of the proposed techniques, and comprehensive discussions on how different parameters affect the search performance are given.