Information Services Center Research Articles

Assessment of Clinical Toxicological Resources in Countries Belonging to the World Health Organization's Regional Office of the Eastern Mediterranean.

Poison Centers are vital to prevent and manage exposures to chemicals, toxins, and ionizing radiation. However, many countries still lack sufficient poison information center services. Within the World Health Organization's Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office (EMRO) region, we were not able to identify a formal assessment of its toxicological resources. We sought to assess the clinical toxicological resources in the EMRO region and the attitudes, needs, andperspective of the workforce in thatregion. METHODS: This was a two part survey study. First, wedeveloped a poison center questionnaire and scoring system based on the World Health Organization's Guidelines for Establishing a Poison Center; thisinstrument wasadministeredby phone to poison center directors and faculty in the EMROregion. Questions assessed for the presence or absence of important poison center capabilities listed in the WHO guidelines, and points were assigned based on response. Secondly, we administered an electronicworkforce survey to clinical toxicology professionals in the region; participanteligibility for the workforce survey was based on themembership roster ofMENATOX. Out of 22 EMRO countries, 16 countries have an established poison center, and 14 of 16 participated in the poison center survey. The results reflected a wide variability in capabilities amongcountries. Areas such as call centers, clinical toxicology units, laboratory services, and data management were relatively lacking while some other areas including toxicovigilance, chemical incidents and emergencies, antidotes/antivenoms, poisoning information sources, and the availability of free services were relatively stronger.Twenty-seven out of 32 workforce respondents were physicians. Results from that survey highlighted a desire for more support from government and better compensation. Our studyidentified areas of need for the EMRO region.The poison center survey results reflect large disparities amongcountries with some areas being stronger than others. The workforce survey highlighted issues such as compensation and government recognition. Overall, a formal assessment of individual poison centers can provide benchmarks to drive improvement of services, but further research is needed to identify and characterize country-specific needs.

Retraction notice: Application and use of telepresence robots in libraries and information center services: prospect and challenges

Retraction notice: Application and use of telepresence robots in libraries and information center services: prospect and challenges

Peran PERAN DINAS SOSIAL KABUPATEN PANDEGLANG DALAM PEMBERDAYAAN MASYARAKAT MELALUI PKH (PROGRAM KELUARGA HARAPAN) DI KELURAHAN KADUMERAK TAHUN 2022

Overty is a phenomenon and social problem and it is continuously studied and concern to the central government and regional governments. This study aims to find out the activities of the Pandeglang Regency Social Service in community empowerment through PKH (Program Keluarga Harapan) and to find out what efforts have been made by the Pandeglang Regency Social Service through PKH (Program Keluarga Harapan) in Kadumerak Village in 2022. Research methods used is a qualitative descriptive research method. The source of data in this qualitative research is to dig up information directly from sources of information that are considered related to community empowerment through PKH (Program keluarga harapan) in Kadumerak Village in 2022. As for the informant in this study is the Head of Social Protection and Security, Head of Social Welfare Section, PKH Facilitator, and KPM PKH Participant. The results of this study indicate that the implementation of PKH and the role of the Pandeglang District Social Service through PKH (Family Hope Program) in Kadumerak Village in 2022 is in accordance with its objectives, namely to provide health services, education and improve social welfare to very poor groups of people. The Pandeglang district social service experienced several obstacles, including data that was out of sync between KPM PKH participants and the original situation on the ground, and the length of time for updating data made it difficult for the Pandeglang District Social Service to enter data on new PKH participant candidates. Then there is a lack of public understanding regarding the PKH program. The efforts of the Pandeglang Regency Social Service in empowering the community through PKH (Family Hope Program) in 2022 are to improve the quality of information center services regarding PKH complaints and socialization by taking an outreach approach with the community regarding PKH (Family Hope Program). Keywords: Role of Social Services, Community Empowerment, Family Hope Program.

دور الحكومة الرقمية في دعم النمو الاقتصادي للدول - دراسة حالة: دولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة

The study aimed to identify the reality and future of implementing digital government in the United Arab Emirates, and its role in supporting the country’s economic growth. This is done by learning about the concept of digital government, its elements, and its importance, and then learning about the foundations of implementing digital government in the United Arab Emirates. The role of the digital government in enhancing the position of the United Arab Emirates regionally and internationally as a center for technical progress and e-commerce, and knowing the position of the United Arab Emirates in the relevant global competitiveness indicators through the use of the descriptive analytical approach and the case study approach. The study reached a set of results, the most important of which are: The contribution of the United Arab Emirates’ adoption of modern technology and its application to digital government in achieving the concept of leadership and innovation, and developing distinguished infrastructure, as the country has allocated large investments to support the information technology sector; This led it to become a regional center for information and communication technology services and industry, and created an attractive investment environment in the information technology sector, which enhanced the diversification of sources of income and increased the size of the gross domestic product and its dependence on non-oil sectors, as the percentage of increase in the gross domestic product reached 7.9%. Year 2022, these sectors, of all types, relied on a qualified infrastructure of technical development, which highlights the importance of the state adopting technical progress through digital government in supporting economic growth. Digital transformation in the United Arab Emirates also contributed to enhancing its competitiveness in the international system by occupying first place globally in 23 indicators in 2020 in multiple sectors, including communications, health, work, and residence, all of which fall within the digital transformation in the United Arab Emirates. The study recommended a set of recommendations, including the need to generalize the success of the United Arab Emirates’ experience in implementing the digital government project to Arab countries; this is due to the success of its application in the UAE and its role in facilitating and simplifying all procedures and services provided to customers. Its impact on reducing time and costs, and its role in attracting investments and promoting economic growth. In addition to continuing to build and strengthen the education system using modern technical means, which contributes to spreading the culture of information technology and preparing technically qualified educational personnel to deal with the requirements of technical development.

An Assessment of Changes in the Thermal Environment during the COVID-19 Lockdown: Case Studies from the Greenland and Norwegian Seas

The COVID-19 lockdown had a significant impact on human activities, reducing anthropogenic heat and CO2 emissions. To effectively assess the impact of the lockdown on the thermal environment, we used the sliding paired t-test, which we improved from the traditional sliding t-test by introducing the paired t-test for sliding statistical tests, to test the abrupt change in the thermal environment. Furthermore, an additive decomposition model and wavelet analysis method were used to analyze the characteristics of trend and irregular change, coherence, and phase difference of the time series data with respect to the thermal environment. We chose the Greenland Sea and the Norwegian Sea, regions highly sensitive to changes in climate and ocean circulation, as case studies and used remote sensing data of the sea surface temperature (SST) and the atmospheric CO2 concentration data obtained from the Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center from January 2015 to December 2021 for the analysis. The results show that although the annual spatial mean SST in 2020 is lower than the mean of all 7 years in most areas of the two seas, there is no evidence of a significant mutation in the decrease in the SST during the lockdown in 2020 compared with the temperatures before, according to the sliding paired t-test. The analysis of the irregular components of the monthly mean SST decomposed by an additive decomposition model also does not show the anomalously low SST during the lockdown in 2020. In addition, the lockdown had almost no impact on the increasing trend of CO2 concentration. The wavelet analysis also shows that there is no obvious anomaly in coherence or phase difference between the periodic variation of the SST and the CO2 concentrations in 2020 compared with other years. These results suggest that the direct effect of the COVID-19 lockdown on the thermal environment of the study area could be negligible.

Heavy Lifetime Cannabis Use and Mortality by Sex

The association between mortality and cannabis use remains unclear. To examine sex-stratified associations of cumulative lifetime cannabis use with all-cause, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and cancer mortality in the UK Biobank population. This cohort study used data from volunteers in the UK Biobank population. Participant monitoring for mortality in the UK Biobank study commenced from the point of their inclusion between 2006 and 2010 and continued until December 19, 2020. Data regarding the causes of death were sourced from the National Health Service Information Centre. Data were analyzed from inception of study inclusion to December 2020. Cannabis use status was assessed by questionnaire and categorized as heavy, moderate, low, and never. The main outcomes were all-cause, CVD, and cancer mortality. Sex-stratified associations of cumulative lifetime cannabis use with mortality were estimated using Cox proportional hazards regression with adjustment for demographic and clinical variables. Among 121 895 participants (54.51% females with mean [SD] age of 55.15 [7.64] years; 45.49% males with mean [SD] age of 56.46 [7.79] years) during an overall median of 11.80 years (IQR, 10.53-13.22 years) of follow-up, 2375 total deaths occurred, including 1411 deaths from CVD and 440 from cancer. In males, after full adjustment, the hazard ratios (HRs) were 1.28 (95% CI, 0.90-1.81) for all-cause mortality, 0.98 (95% CI, 0.43-2.25) for CVD mortality, and 1.09 (95% CI, 0.71-1.67) for cancer mortality among heavy cannabis users compared with never users. In females, after full adjustment, the HRs were 1.49 (95% CI, 0.92-2.40) for all-cause mortality, 2.67 (95% CI, 1.19-4.32) for CVD mortality, and 1.61 (95% CI, 0.91-2.83) for cancer mortality among heavy cannabis users compared with never users. In female current tobacco users, after full adjustment, heavy cannabis use was associated with all-cause mortality (HR, 2.25; 95% CI, 1.12-4.53), CVD mortality (HR, 2.56; 95% CI, 1.43-15.36), and cancer mortality (HR, 3.52; 95% CI, 1.50-8.33) and among never tobacco users was associated with CVD mortality (HR, 2.98; 95% CI, 1.67-6.61). In male current tobacco users, heavy cannabis use was associated with cancer mortality (HR, 2.44; 95% CI, 1.14-5.23). In this study, a positive association between CVD mortality and heavy lifetime cannabis use was observed among females. Longitudinal studies are needed in general populations to investigate the potential effects of cannabis on mortality.

Ratio of Red Blood Cell Distribution Width to Albumin Level and Risk of Mortality.

The ratio of red blood cell distribution width (RDW) to albumin concentration (RAR) has emerged as a reliable prognostic marker for mortality in patients with various diseases. However, whether RAR is associated with mortality in the general population remains unknown. To explore whether RAR is associated with all-cause and cause-specific mortality and to elucidate their dose-response association. This population-based prospective cohort study used data from participants in the 1998-2018 US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and from the UK Biobank with baseline information provided from 2006 to 2010. Included participants had complete data on serum albumin concentration, RDW, and cause of death. The NHANES data were linked to the National Death Index records through December 31, 2019. For the UK Biobank, dates and causes of death were obtained from the National Health Service Information Centre (England and Wales) and the National Health Service Central Register Scotland (Scotland) to November 30, 2022. Potential associations between RAR and the risk of all-cause and cause-specific mortality were evaluated using Cox proportional hazards regression models. Restricted cubic spline regressions were applied to estimate possible nonlinear associations. In NHANES, 50 622 participants 18 years of age or older years were included (mean [SD] age, 48.6 [18.7] years; 26 136 [51.6%] female), and their mean (SD) RAR was 3.15 (0.51). In the UK Biobank, 418 950 participants 37 years of age or older (mean [SD], 56.6 [8.1] years; 225 038 [53.7%] female) were included, and their mean RAR (SD) was 2.99 (0.31). The NHANES documented 7590 deaths over a median (IQR) follow-up of 9.4 (5.1-14.2) years, and the UK Biobank documented 36 793 deaths over a median (IQR) follow-up of 13.8 (13.0-14.5) years. According to the multivariate analysis, elevated RAR was significantly associated with greater risk of all-cause mortality (NHANES: hazard ratio [HR], 1.83 [95% CI, 1.76-1.90]; UK Biobank: HR, 2.08 [95% CI, 2.03-2.13]), as well as mortality due to malignant neoplasm (NHANES: HR, 1.89 [95% CI, 1.73-2.07]; UK Biobank: HR, 1.93 [95% CI, 1.86-2.00]), heart disease (NHANES: HR, 1.88 [95% CI, 1.74-2.03]; UK Biobank: HR, 2.42 [95% CI, 2.29-2.57]), cerebrovascular disease (NHANES: HR, 1.35 [95% CI, 1.07-1.69]; UK Biobank: HR, 2.15 [95% CI, 1.91-2.42]), respiratory disease (NHANES: HR, 1.99 [95% CI, 1.68-2.35]; UK Biobank: HR, 2.96 [95% CI, 2.78-3.15]), diabetes (NHANES: HR, 1.55 [95% CI, 1.27-1.90]; UK Biobank: HR, 2.83 [95% CI, 2.35-3.40]), and other causes of mortality (NHANES: HR, 1.97 [95% CI, 1.86-2.08]; UK Biobank: HR, 2.40 [95% CI, 2.30-2.50]) in both cohorts. Additionally, a nonlinear association was observed between RAR levels and all-cause mortality in both cohorts. In this cohort study, a higher baseline RAR was associated with an increased risk of all-cause and cause-specific mortality in the general population. These findings suggest that RAR may be a simple, reliable, and inexpensive indicator for identifying individuals at high risk of mortality in clinical practice.

Psychological Capital Dengan Kinerja Karyawan Di Info Service Center

Employee performance is very important for a company. Good performance will create quality human resources (HR) so that the company's goals and success can be realized. The existence of psychological capital can help individuals to explore their potential and help realize positive potential and self-confidence, therefore this research aims to test whether there is a relationship between psychological capital and employee performance at info service centers. This research uses quantitative correlational methods. The sampling method used was purposive sampling with a total sample of 56 employees at the information service center in the marketing work sector. This research uses data collection techniques in the form of employee performance data program results and the Psychological Capital Questionnaire (PCQ) instrumental scale proposed by Luthans, Youssef, and Avolio (2007). The data analysis technique used in this research is Spearman Rho. Based on the results of data analysis, a correlation coefficient was obtained. So the research results show that there is a very significant positive correlation between psychological capital and performance. Based on the categorization calculations for the two variables, it shows that the employee subjects in the info service center in the marketing sector have a high category, this shows that the hypothesis is accepted.

ANALISIS SIMULASI PROTOKOL ROUTING DINAMIS OSPF UNTUK PENINGKATAN EFISIENSI JARINGAN HYBRID KAMPUS UNUD DENPASAR

UNUD GDLN building located in UNUD Sudirman campus acts as an information and communication technology service center as an internet access service provider, radio broadcast and online learning. The UNUD Campus network currently uses a static hybrid routing protocol, where the static routing protocol has the disadvantage that the network administrator must always reconfigure the network if there is a topology change. The Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) dynamic routing protocol can be used as a solution to overcome the weaknesses of static routing protocols because it is more suitable for larger networks and has the advantage of automatically determining the best route. This research aims to analyze the application of OSPF routing protocol in UNUD Denpasar Campus with GNS3 simulation. This research uses Quality of Service (QoS) parameters to analyze network performance, and test scenarios by PING with large data transmission that imitates YouTube video streaming. The results showed that OSPF dynamic routing protocol has better performance and has met the TIPHON standard with very good results for packet loss, throughput, and delay parameters and good results for jitter parameters. Tests on static routing protocol simulations and OSPF routing protocols are carried out by comparing the transmission process based on the resolution on YouTube video streaming imitation, starting with 360p, 480p, 720p and 1080p resolutions. Based on the results of the study, it can be concluded that OSPF routing is more suitable and produces better parameter values when transmitting streaming video with a resolution of 480p, 720p and 1080p, while the transmission of streaming video with a resolution of 360p is more suitable for static routing which is more suitable for transmission with lower resolutions.

Mapping of sea ice concentration using the NASA NIMBUS 5 Electrically Scanning Microwave Radiometer data from 1972–1977

Abstract. The Electrically Scanning Microwave Radiometer (ESMR) instrument onboard the NIMBUS 5 satellite was a one-channel microwave radiometer that measured the 19.35 GHz horizontally polarized brightness temperature (TB) from 11 December 1972 to 16 May 1977. The original tape archive data in swath projection have recently been made available online by the NASA Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC). Even though the ESMR was a predecessor of modern multi-frequency radiometers, there are still parts of modern processing methodologies which can be applied to the data to derive the sea ice extent globally. Here, we have reprocessed the entire dataset using a modern processing methodology that includes the implementation of pre-processing filtering, dynamical tie points, and a radiative transfer model (RTM) together with numerical weather prediction (NWP) for atmospheric correction. We present the one-channel sea ice concentration (SIC) algorithm and the model for computing temporally and spatially varying SIC uncertainty estimates. Post-processing steps include resampling to daily grids, land-spillover correction, the application of climatological masks, the setting of processing flags, and the estimation of sea ice extent, monthly means, and trends. This sea ice dataset derived from the NIMBUS 5 ESMR extends the sea ice record with an important reference from the mid-1970s. To make it easier to perform a consistent analysis of sea ice development over time, the same grid and land mask as used for EUMETSAT's OSI-SAF SMMR-based sea-ice climate data record (CDR) were used for our ESMR dataset. SIC uncertainties were included to further ease comparison to other datasets and time periods. We find that our sea ice extent in the Arctic and Antarctic in the 1970s is generally higher than those available from the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC), which were derived from the same ESMR dataset, with mean differences of 240 000 and 590 000 km2, respectively. When comparing monthly sea ice extents, the largest differences reach up to 2 million km2. Such large differences cannot be explained by the different grids and land masks of the datasets alone and must therefore also result from the differences in data filtering and algorithms, such as the dynamical tie points and atmospheric correction. The new ESMR SIC dataset has been released as part of the ESA Climate Change Initiative (ESA CCI) program and is publicly available at https://doi.org/10.5285/34a15b96f1134d9e95b9e486d74e49cf (Tonboe et al., 2023).

Analysis of the Level of Tourist Satisfaction with the Quality of Tourism Information Center Services at Yogyakarta International Airport

Tourism is an industry that is growing rapidly. Tourism has an important role in encouraging economic activity, improving the country's image, improving community welfare, and providing expanded employment opportunities. In an effort to increase tourism, the Tourism Information Center is presented as a tourism-oriented information center that provides detailed information about a destination. The tourism industry as a service industry has the main characteristic, namely service, therefore service plays a very important role. This research aims to analyze the level of satisfaction of service users with service quality using the Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) method at the Tourism Information Center at Yogyakarta International Airport. This research uses a quantitative type of research using descriptive methods. Data collection was carried out by distributing questionnaires to visitors to the Tourism Information Center at Yogyakarta International Airport. The population in this study are visitors who have received services from the Tourism Information Center at Yogyakarta International Airport at least once. The sampling method used was Non Probability Sampling with Purposive Sampling technique. Based on the research results, service users were very satisfied with the service performance provided by the Tourism Information Center. This can be seen from the CSI value obtained, which is 94.2%. Things that need to be improved or improved in the Tourism Information Center service, one of which is the availability of physical facilities such as brochures, maps, and others with a fairly large gap between interest and satisfaction.

Integrating satellite and model data to explore spatial-temporal changes in aerosol optical properties and their meteorological relationships in northwest India

This study aims to analyze the temporal and spatial distribution of Aerosol Optical Properties across Northwest India using aerosol data from MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) and OMI (Ozone Monitoring Instrument) sensors from 2003 to 2022. Therefore, this study investigated the decadal, interannual, and seasonal changes in aerosol optical properties, vegetation index, and meteorological parameters in the northwest Indian region (8 boxes). Using GIOVANNI (Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC) Online Visualization and Analysis Infrastructure), we retrieved daily and monthly Aqua and Terra MODIS products of aerosol optical depth (AOD), Angstrom exponent (AE), normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and OMI aerosol index (AI) to examine the spatiotemporal variations by using statistical approaches. The results demonstrated that the decadal averages of aerosol properties showed values of AOD 0.35 (Aqua) and 0.34 (Terra) and AE 1.20 (Aqua) and 1.10 (Terra) with the highest levels during the post-monsoon. Notably, the mean interannual concentrations of AOD and NDVI consistently surpass 0.3, and AE and AI exceed 1 in most locations, underscoring the persistence of high aerosol loading. Also, the study revealed a negative decadal change in AOD of about −8.24 %, while AE, AI, and NDVI showed positive decadal changes of about 9.24 %, 15.09 %, and 12.67 %, respectively. In addition, aerosol optical properties and local meteorology strongly correlated (−0.8 to +0.8). Principal Component Analysis (PCA) identifies meteorological parameters as significant drivers, with the first three components explaining over 70 % of the variation in aerosol optical properties. The NOAA HYSPLIT trajectory model suggests that the long-distance dust transport from the Arabian Peninsula frequently penetrates Gujarat province and then to northwest India. The results contributed to air quality management strategies and provided valuable insights into regional climate and air quality with the influence of meteorology.

ANALISIS KINERJA PROTOKOL ROUTING DINAMIS IS-IS UNTUK MENINGKATKAN PERFORMANSI JARINGAN HYBRID KAMPUS UNUD DENPASAR

As a center for Information and Communication Technology services, the Global Distance Learning Network (GDLN) of Udayana University must reconsider the implementation of static routing protocols that have been applied to meet the increasing demands of computer networks. Dynamic routing protocols, such as Intermediate System to Intermediate System (IS-IS), can be used to address the challenges currently faced with static routing, and serve as a more viable option for larger network requirements. This research evaluates the implementation of static routing protocols and IS-IS at the UNUD Denpasar campus using Graphical Network Simulator-3 to assess the future utilization of the IS-IS routing protocol. Quality of Service (QoS) parameters are used to assess network performance, while the scenarios include PING intervals with settings close to streaming YouTube videos. The research findings reveal that both routing protocols exhibit good service quality, meeting TIPHON criteria with excellent evaluations for packet loss, throughput, and delay, in addition to satisfactory criteria for jitter. Simulation tests demonstrate the superiority of the IS-IS routing protocol compared to static routing when transmitting data in high-resolution streaming video formats like 480p, 720p, and 1080p. On the other hand, static routing is more suitable for disseminating data consisting of lower-resolution streaming videos (360p). Based on the research results, it can be inferred that the dynamic routing protocol IS-IS is more suitable for meeting network demands on a larger scale.

Framework for intellectual property information services in academic libraries: Example from the United States and China

The provision of intellectual property information services (IPIS) plays a vital role in bolstering the public service infrastructure for intellectual property. Utilizing IPIS' social advantages in universities is integral to boosting technological innovation and fostering economic growth. This study conducts a literature review and network research to examine how academic libraries in the U.S. and China carry out IPIS in the knowledge economy era to adapt to the new network environment. Specifically, we select 43 academic libraries recognized as Patent and Trademark Resource Centers in the U.S. and 33 National Intellectual Property Information Service Centers in China. Our main contribution is developing a framework with 5 interrelated dimensions encompassing a total of 15 elements that can serve as a reference or guide for creating IPIS in academic libraries, where online services are the primary format. Through a comprehensive analysis of the survey sample websites, we thoroughly examine the key attributes of the IPIS models employed by academic libraries in both the U.S. and China across various levels. Our research also encompasses a comprehensive examination of the roles and responsibilities of academic libraries and librarians in the context of the knowledge and innovation era. Finally, this study draws upon the valuable practical experiences of IPIS at academic libraries in the U.S. and China, serving as a point of reference. It offers robust targeting and applicable guidelines and recommendations for academic libraries in comparable nations, particularly China, to build IPIS.

Building Connections in the Library

Building Connections among an Information Services Team in a theological library and a communication center housed in the same building can be beneficial to the academic pursuits of students and faculty at institutions that are both large and small. This conversation group focused on the critical work of Information Services and the communication center in building neural connections by stimulating the various lobes of the brain responsible for the research and writing process. Considering a whole brain approach, participants were introduced to ways in which Information Services and communication center staff can collaborate to assist with the academic pursuits of both faculty and students at their respective institutions.

Association of circulating vitamin D and omega 3 fatty acid with all-cause mortality in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: A large population-based cohort study.

To assess the associations of both the level of circulating vitamin D and the ratio of omega-3 fatty acids to total fatty acids (omega-3%) with mortality among participants with rheumatoid arthritis. This study included 4,293 and 1,157 adults with rheumatoid arthritis identified by self-report from the UK Biobank for the analysis of vitamin D and omega-3%, respectively. Death outcomes were obtained from the National Health Service Information Centre (England and Wales) and the National Health Service Central Register Scotland (Scotland). Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals for mortality. The medians (25th-75th percentiles) of serum 25(OH)D and omega-3% were 45.8 (31.4-62.9) nmol/L and 4.1% (3.3%-5.1%), respectively. During 52,612 person-years of follow-up in the 25(OH)D group, 502 all-cause deaths occurred; and during 14,192 person-years of follow-up in the omega-3% group, 122 all-cause deaths occurred. Rheumatoid arthritis patients with vitamin D levels of at least 20nmol/L had an approximately 40-50% lower risk of all-cause mortality than those with severe vitamin D deficiency (hazard ratio ranging from 0.51 to 0.62, all P values<0.05). Each unit increase in natural log-transformed 25(OH)D was associated with a 22% reduction in the risk of all-cause mortality, and a U-shaped association between serum 25(OH)D and all-cause mortality was found. However, the association between omega-3% and mortality was not significant. Lower serum 25(OH)D concentration, but not omega-3%, was significantly associated with higher all-cause mortality in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Optimizing serum vitamin D levels may be an important factor in reducing mortality risk in this population.

Application and use of telepresence robots in libraries and information center services: prospect and challenges

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore how robots are being used in libraries and information centers to transform their services and what are the future possibilities and trends in the application of robots in libraries.Design/methodology/approachThrough a review of the literature, this paper analyzes various library websites and consults literature relating to the use of telepresence robots in libraries; the current application of robots in libraries has been enumerated along with case studies of libraries currently adopting telepresence robots.FindingsWith the practical examples of libraries using different types of robots, this study summarizes diverse activities of artificial intelligence-mediated robots. The uses of telepresence technology in libraries help to enhance library services, reach new users and provide a more inclusive and accessible library experience. Telepresence robots enhance the quality and accessibility of library services, expand library outreach and provide new opportunities for virtual engagement and programming. The application of telepresence robots in libraries can offer many benefits, but there are also several challenges that libraries must address to ensure successful implementation.Social implicationsThis study will motivate libraries and library professionals to take advantage of adopting telepresence robots in library and information center services and further accelerate library operations in the right direction.Originality/valueThis paper highlights how the introduction of telepresence robots in libraries improves services and productivity and creates a more engaging environment for the user group. The benefits and challenges of using robots in the library and the future trend in the application of telepresence robots in libraries are also discussed.

Prediction of glaciated area fraction over the Sikkim Himalayan Region, India: a comparative study using response surface method, random forest, and artificial neural network.

Glacier area fraction at high altitude mountains is a serious worry in today's time triggered by climate change. The current information on this natural resource is very important for the survival of humanity as it affects the water, food, and energy security of people dependent on it. Due to its problematic accessibility and tough environmental condition, ground monitoring is quite challenging. This study investigates the impact of environmental parameters and pollutants on glacier area fraction over the Eastern Himalaya region and its prediction through random forest (RF), multilayer perceptron (MLP), radial basis function analysis (RBFN), and response surface methodology (RSM) models. The data are obtained from the Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC), NASA's data archive portal ( https://giovanni.gsfc.nasa.gov ). The collinearity of independent variables reveals that all selected input parameters are highly correlated with R2 value > 0.9. The RSM and RF model provided valuable insight of the predictor's significance in addition to their capability to predict the response. The model performance was evaluated in terms of R2 value and the error matrices. The model's R2 value was found to be 0.843, 0.839, 0.838, and 0.743 for MLP, RBFN, RF, and RSM respectively. Although, the neural network model R2 values are the highest, but the most reliable and suitable model is RF as the error matrices for this model are much lower than others. This study encourages the investigation of the hybridization of these models for more accurate prediction.

Associations between handgrip strength and skeletal muscle mass with all-cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality in people with type 2 diabetes: A prospective cohort study of the UK Biobank.

To explore the associations between handgrip strength (HGS) and skeletal muscle mass (SMM) with all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality risk in type 2 diabetes (T2DM) patients. Data were obtained from the UK Biobank. Baseline survey was conducted between 2006 and 2010, and followed up for a median of 12.52 years. HGS was measured using dynamometer, and SMM was measured using bioelectrical impedance method. Mortality was available via links to the National Health Service Information Centre. Sex-specific analyses were conducted. A total of 13 392 T2DM participants were included, with a mean age of 60.39 years and 52.35% men. During the follow-up, there were 3006 (22.45%) deaths, including 746 (5.57%) CVD deaths. The risk for all-cause mortality and CVD mortality among both men and women increased progressively with decreasing HGS quartiles (p trend <.05). A 1 SD decrease in HGS was found to both increase the all-cause risk (HR: 1.31 [95% CI: 1.24-1.38]) and CVD mortality risk (HR: 1.35 [95% CI: 1.22-1.50]) for men, and all-cause risk (HR: 1.26 [95% CI: 1.11-1.42]) and CVD mortality risk (HR: 1.43 [95% CI: 1.09-1.89]) for women. There was no statistically significant trend association between SMM/height2 and mortality risk, and the restricted cubic regression splines indicated that SMM/height2 showed a U-shaped nonlinear relationship (pnonlinear <.05). Grip strength displayed a linear downward trend with mortality risk among T2DM patients, whereas muscle mass showed a U-shaped relationship. Low grip strength seemed to be a better predictor for mortality compared to low muscle mass.

Peningkatan pemahaman kesiapan kerja calon lulusan UNDANA melalui penyuluhan Tes Potensi Akademik

The purpose of this Community Service (PkM) activity is to increase the understanding of graduate candidates of Nusa Cendana University (Undana) regarding the importance of preparing for the Academic Potential Test (TPA) as part of job search readiness. The PkM team from the Mathematics Education Study Program, collaborated with the head of the Center for Information Services, Job Opportunities and Career Development (LIKKPK), Institute for Research and Community Service (LP2M) Undana so that there were one hundred and thirty-five graduate candidates who were actively involved. This activity was carried out through the preparation and implementation stages. During the preparatory stage, the PkM Team prepared TPA materials based on request by the LP2M Team. For the implementation phase, activities were carried out classically three times outside the network in August and September. Discussion, question-answer, practice are the methods used. There were 3 sub-topics discussed at each meeting: 1) Definition and function of TPA, 2) Types and examples of TPA questions, 3) TPA success tips. The results of the evaluation showed that this counseling had succeeded in achieving the stated objectives. This is indicated by most counseling participants who gave a positive response through the open questionnaire given.