Point Of View Research Articles

Insomnia disorder characterized by probabilistic metastable substates using blood-oxygenation-level-dependent (BOLD) phase signals.

From a clinical point of view, how to force a transition from insomnia brain state to healthy brain state by external driven stimulation is of great interest. This needs to define brain state of insomnia disorder as metastable substates. The current study was to identify recurrent substates of insomnia disorder in terms of probability of occurrence, lifetime, and alternation profiles by using leading eigenvector dynamics analysis (LEiDA) method. We enrolled 32 patients with insomnia disorder and 30 healthy subjects. We firstly obtained the BOLD phase coherence matrix from Hilbert transform of BOLD signals and then extracted all the leading eigenvectors from the BOLD phase coherence matrix for all subjects across all time points. Lastly, we clustered the leading eigenvectors using a k-means clustering algorithm to find the probabilistic metastable substates (PMS) and calculate the probability of occurrence and associated lifetime for substates. The resulting 3 clusters were optimal for brain state of insomnia disorder and healthy brain state, respectively. The occurred probabilities of the PMS were significantly different between the patients with insomnia disorder and healthy subjects, with 0.51 versus 0.44 for PMS-1 (p < 0.001), 0.25 versus 0.27 for PMS-2 (p = 0.051), and 0.24 versus 0.29 for PMS-3 (p < 0.001), as well as the lifetime (in TR) of 36.65 versus 33.15 for PMS-1 (p = 0.068), 14.36 versus 15.43 for PMS-2 (p = 0.117), and 14.80 versus 16.34 for PMS-3 (p = 0.042). The values of the diagonal of the transition matrix were much higher than the probabilities of switching states, indicating the metastable nature of substates. The resulted probabilistic metastable substates hint the characteristic brain dynamics of insomnia disorder. The results may lay a foundation to help determine how to force a transition from insomnia brain state to healthy brain state by external driven stimulation.

Can you trust Wikidata?

In order to use a value retrieved from a Knowledge Graph (KG) for some computation, the user should, in principle, ensure that s/he trusts the veracity of the claim, i.e., considers the statement as a fact. Crowd-sourced KGs, or KGs constructed by integrating several different information sources of varying quality, must be used via a trust layer. The veracity of each claim in the underlying KG should be evaluated, considering what is relevant to carrying out some action that motivates the information seeking. The present work aims to assess how well Wikidata (WD) supports the trust decision process implied when using its data. WD provides several mechanisms that can support this trust decision, and our KG Profiling, based on WD claims and schema, elaborates an analysis of how multiple points of view, controversies, and potentially incomplete or incongruent content are presented and represented.

Advices for diagnostics of ankylosing spondylitis/axial spondyloarthritis: A review

The article written by a rheumatologist and a radiologist who have long-term experience in diagnostics of ankylosing spondylitis (axial spondylitis), provides advices on rational recognition of these diseases. The first part of the article discusses adequate visualization of the sacroiliac joints and the need for thoughtful consideration of radiological and MRI signs of sacroiliitis, neither of which, taken alone, is pathognomonic. An optimal, from the authors' point of view, algorithm for conducting visualization studies of sacroilial joints is proposed. Numerous situations simulating sacroiliitis are analyzed.

Chronic and immediate refined carbohydrate consumption and facial attractiveness.

The Western diet has undergone a massive switch since the second half of the 20th century, with the massive increase of the consumption of refined carbohydrate associated with many adverse health effects. The physiological mechanisms linked to this consumption, such as hyperglycaemia and hyperinsulinemia, may impact non medical traits such as facial attractiveness. To explore this issue, the relationship between facial attractiveness and immediate and chronic refined carbohydrate consumption estimated by glycemic load was studied for 104 French subjects. Facial attractiveness was assessed by opposite sex raters using pictures taken two hours after a controlled breakfast. Chronic consumption was assessed considering three high glycemic risk meals: breakfast, afternoon snacking and between-meal snacking. Immediate consumption of a high glycemic breakfast decreased facial attractiveness for men and women while controlling for several control variables, including energy intake. Chronic refined carbohydrate consumption had different effects on attractiveness depending on the meal and/or the sex. Chronic refined carbohydrate consumption, estimated by the glycemic load, during the three studied meals reduced attractiveness, while a high energy intake increased it. Nevertheless, the effect was reversed for men concerning the afternoon snack, for which a high energy intake reduced attractiveness and a high glycemic load increased it. These effects were maintained when potential confounders for facial attractiveness were controlled such as age, age departure from actual age, masculinity/femininity (perceived and measured), BMI, physical activity, parental home ownership, smoking, couple status, hormonal contraceptive use (for women), and facial hairiness (for men). Results were possibly mediated by an increase in age appearance for women and a decrease in perceived masculinity for men. The physiological differences between the three meals studied and the interpretation of the results from an adaptive/maladaptive point of view in relation to our new dietary environment are discussed.

Features of the functioning of apartment museums in the modern sociocultural situation

The article discusses the peculiarities of the implementation of the museum mission in society, namely scientific and educational activities, in relation to the peculiarities of existence and interaction with society of a special small museum type – apartment museums. The factors, conditions, regulations, that form these features of activities, are given. In addition, the ways of expanding and attracting audience to apartment museums, are highlighted and described, that make it possible to minimize disadvantages of small museums, as space of the areas, collections’ and other restrictions. All classical forms of interaction with the audience and the use of multimedia technologies are considered from the point of view of the pros and cons of their implementation on the basis of apartment museums.

Deprescribing statinsand other cardiovascular medications Barriers and facilitators

Considering the growing problematic of polypharmacy, this article summarizes barriers and facilitators to deprescribing cardiovascular medications, from the point of view of physicians and patients. Patients seem to be more open to discontinue cardiovascular medications when their physician suggests to do so, or if they dislike the medication. Physicians tend to consider deprescribing more if they had positive experiences with deprescribing in the past, or if their patients ask them to. The most common barrier for patients is the fear of health deterioration. Patient desire to continue with their usual medication or past negative experiences with depresecribing are frequently reported as barriers by physicians.

Financial control: Evolution of the concept and modern challenges

Aim. To determine the directions of further research on the development of financial control in Russia.Objectives. To reveal the content of financial control, its essence and features, including from the point of view of historical aspects of its formation; to determine the stages of development of financial control; to analyze modern problems and challenges facing the system of financial control.Methods. The authors have studied specialized literature devoted to the topic under consideration. The research is based on the dialectical system approach, logical analysis, comparison, grouping, application of general scientific methods.Results. The article reveals the content of financial control, its essence, including from the point of view of historical aspects of its formation. The key stages of financial control development are characterized, the analysis of modern problems and challenges arising in this system is carried out. On this basis, the directions of further development of financial control in Russia are determined.Conclusions. The development of the financial control system at the corporate level is essential to ensure the efficiency of companies' activities. The need for monitoring and control is an integral part of a closed system of business activity. The ability of the company to timely respond to risks and predict potential changes, as well as the ability to promptly make management decisions can be attributed to one of the key aspects of effective entrepreneurial activity in modern economic conditions characterized by increased competition, growing pressure from sanctions, economic volatility, etc.

ANALISIS EFEKTIFITAS DIMENSI KEPEMIMPINAN (Studi Kasus pada RSUD Prof. dr. Soekandar Mojokerto)

Success in the management of District Hospital of Prof. dr. Soekandar Mojokerto closely related to leadership effectiveness at the managerial level. Measurement of the effectiveness of leadership that has been applied by a manager can be judged from the point of view of the perception of employees, so that it can be seen the gap between perception and expectation of the employees. This study aims to perceive and identify the expectations of leadership based on appraisals, as well as analyzing the things that become priorities for improving leadership effectiveness based on gap analysis.&#x0D; Measurement of leadership effectiveness used three dimensions such as; relationship of innate leadership, task structure, position power of the leader. Research is a descriptive survey using a method stratified random sampling. Numbers of samples were 126 employees who occupy positions in hospital management at District Hospital of Prof. dr. Soekandar Mojokerto.&#x0D; The results showed that the assessment of employees on the effectiveness of leadership in District Hospital of Prof. dr. Soekandar Mojokerto had been viewed that it did not in line with expectations at both the head of departement, head of section, coordinators and staff space. While the results of the gap analysis showed that there was a lack of appreciation of the employees,because of less rewarding high to performing employees, achieving promotion to employees and find it was fairless in giving punishment to the employees.&#x0D; To improve the effectiveness of leadership in District Hospital of Prof. dr. Soekandar Mojokerto need step of improvement priorities such as the development of a vision and mission hospitals, tariffs improvement, strengthen partnerships, develop human resources and public services.

Normalized quandle twisted Alexander invariants

We introduce a quandle version of the normalized (twisted) Alexander polynomial, which is an invariant of a pair of an oriented link and a quandle representation. The invariant can be constructed by fixing each Alexander pair, and we find various invariants in our framework, which include the quandle cocycle invariant and the normalized (twisted) Alexander polynomial of a knot. In this paper, we develop the theory of normalization with row and column relations of matrices. The theory works for several row and column relations, although the twisted Alexander polynomial is defined with one column relation. We give a formula of our invariant for the mirror image of an oriented link, which explains why the Alexander polynomial fails to detect the chirality of knots and why the quandle cocycle invariant effectively detects it from a unified point of view. We also show that cohomologous Alexander pairs yield the same invariant.

Analysis of Geography Textbook for Class XII Prescribed by Mizoram Board of School Education

In this study the researcher aims to analyze Geography textbook for class XII ,a new syllabus prescribed by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and The National Council of Educational Research and Training .The prescribed Geography textbook is fully adopted by Mizoram Board of School Education .As regard the textbook the study consider the quality of textbook in terms of its physical feature and academic aspects of the book. It is found that the textbook is good enough for higher level of secondary education. The textbook is still relevant according to the level of learners and learners’ experience, behavior of the learners .The textbook is also recommended for further learning in terms of its physical aspects and academic point of views.

Thermal noise calibration of functionalized cantilevers for force microscopy: Effects of the colloidal probe position

Colloidal probes are often used in force microscopy when the geometry of the tip–sample interaction should be well controlled. Their calibration requires an understanding of their mechanical response, which is very sensitive to the details of the force sensor consisting of a cantilever and the attached colloid. We present some analytical models to describe the dynamics of the cantilever and its load positioned anywhere along its length. The thermal noise calibration of such probes is then studied from a practical point of view, leading to correction coefficients that can be applied in standard force microscope calibration routines. Experimental measurements of resonance frequencies and thermal noise profiles of raw and loaded cantilevers demonstrate the validity of the approach.

A Quality Perspective of Sustainable Management of Water Services: Insights of Citizens' Perceptions in Five Albanian Municipalities

This paper aims to explore citizens' perceptions of water services to inform policy-making and pressure service providers to improve efficiency and service quality using innovative solutions. Despite abundant water resource endowments, ongoing infrastructure upgrades, and technological advancements implemented for sustainable service management, the industry failed to deliver the expected results. However, more than 60% of produced water goes unbilled, service coverage disparities persist, service quality falls short of goals, and low water meter readings worsen resource utilisation and financial sustainability. As a result of poor and unsustainable social, environmental, and economic management of services, the industry witnessed a significant restructuring process, shifting from municipal to regional-level governance, overlooking citizen perceptions of water services as an element that may directly impact the sustainability and future developments of the water sector. The latter, coupled with research findings highlighting deficiencies of municipalities in Albania in local public services provision, triggered the in-depth investigation of water sector governance in Albania (from the citizens' point of view). The research sets a baseline in exploring citizens' perceptions of water services, using a representative sample-based survey in five Albanian municipalities and along five dimensions of service management: access and quality of the services, transparency and communication, satisfaction with services, value for money, and willingness to pay (WTP) for improved services. Our findings suggest a low satisfaction with water services offered by municipally-owned water utilities, primarily related to water supply duration and quality. Despite lacking trust in service improvement, WTP for improved services is positive. Received: 15 December 2023 / Accepted: 16 February 2024 / Published: 5 March 2024

The integration of digital games in elementary schools: The principals’ point of view

The integration of digital games in elementary schools: The principals’ point of view

The impact of private lessons on the performance of teachers in school Their point of view

The research aimed to identify the impact of private lessons on the performance of teachers in school from their point of view. The research used the descriptive approach and applied the questionnaire tool by applying it to a random sample of male and female teachers, amounting to (1228) male and female teachers, with (518) male and (710) female teachers, and concluded. The research concluded that private lessons have different effects on the educational process, as it showed that most of the statements of the educational effects axis fell into the large category of the scale, which is the category between (3.55 - 3.99), and this indicates the reflection of those lessons. The statement that the lessons contribute came in first place. “Privacy in filling the gap resulting from the poor performance of some teachers” and obtained the arithmetic mean (3.99) at a high level. The study also indicated that there are statistically significant differences at the significance level (α≤0.05) between the averages of the educational effects of private lessons due to gender, and the study indicated that there are no There are statistically significant differences at the level of significance (α≤0.05) between the levels of reflection of these lessons on teachers according to their academic qualifications and practical experience. The study recommends enacting laws and regulations that regulate this process.

Phenomenal realism and subjective-objective dichotomy

The resolution of subjective-objective dichotomy is not lies in reduction rather grounded on the synthesis of phenomenal aspect and intentional-representational aspect of experience. We have to acknowledge the limits of both physical and mental objectivity and gradually transcend and expand the scope of physical as well as mental objectivity through neutral perspective. The Nagelian version of phenomenal realism has indicated for resolving the subjective-objective dichotomy by observing the interaction of subjective point of view and objective point of view about the reality from neutral perspective.

D-A Conjugated Polymer/CdS S-Scheme Heterojunction with Enhanced Interfacial Charge Transfer for Efficient Photocatalytic Hydrogen Generation.

Owing to the improved charge separation and maximized redox capability of the system, Step-scheme (S-scheme) heterojunctions have garnered significant research attention for efficient photocatalysis of H2 evolution. In this work, an innovative linear donor-acceptor (D-A) conjugated polymer fluorene-alt-(benzo-thiophene-dione) (PFBTD) is coupled with the CdS nanosheets, forming the organic-inorganic S-scheme heterojunction. The CdS/PFBTD (CP) composite exhibits an impressed hydrogen production rate of 7.62mmolg-1 h-1 without any co-catalysts, which is ≈14 times higher than pristine CdS. It is revealed that the outstanding photocatalytic performance is attributed to the formation of rapid electron transfer channels through the interfacial Cd─O bonding as evidenced by the density functional theory (DFT) calculations and in situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis. The charge transfer mechanism involved in S-scheme heterojunctions is further investigated through the photo-irradiated Kelvin probe force microscopy (KPFM) analysis. This work provides a new point of view on the mechanism of interfacial charge transfer and points out the direction of designing superior organic-inorganic S-scheme heterojunction photocatalysts.

Teacher Interaction from the Perspective of University Students

From our previous research conducted among teacher candidates, we could conclude that attitude plays a prominent role in the student's relationship with the subject, to which the teacher's interpersonal behaviour contributes greatly. For this reason, our goal is to examine the characteristics of the teacher's interpersonal behaviour from the teacher's and student's perspectives. Our research aimed to determine the teacher's interaction style from the students' perspective using the QTI measurement tool (Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction). The research aimed to assess how students see the teacher's classroom activities. In our research, we used the QTI questionnaire revised by Wubbels among university students majoring in English. The questionnaire contained 48 items. With the help of our survey, we want to examine what the teacher's interaction activity is like according to themself, according to the students, and whether there is a difference between the teacher's point of view and that of the students. The QTI measurement tool can serve as a valuable source of information for teachers in comparing their self-assessment with the student's view, which can obviously enhance their professional development.

Origin and diversity of Capsella bursa-pastoris from the genomic point of view

BackgroundCapsella bursa-pastoris, a cosmopolitan weed of hybrid origin, is an emerging model object for the study of early consequences of polyploidy, being a fast growing annual and a close relative of Arabidopsis thaliana. The development of this model is hampered by the absence of a reference genome sequence.ResultsWe present here a subgenome-resolved chromosome-scale assembly and a genetic map of the genome of Capsella bursa-pastoris. It shows that the subgenomes are mostly colinear, with no massive deletions, insertions, or rearrangements in any of them. A subgenome-aware annotation reveals the lack of genome dominance—both subgenomes carry similar number of genes. While most chromosomes can be unambiguously recognized as derived from either paternal or maternal parent, we also found homeologous exchange between two chromosomes. It led to an emergence of two hybrid chromosomes; this event is shared between distant populations of C. bursa-pastoris. The whole-genome analysis of 119 samples belonging to C. bursa-pastoris and its parental species C. grandiflora/rubella and C. orientalis reveals introgression from C. orientalis but not from C. grandiflora/rubella.ConclusionsC. bursa-pastoris does not show genome dominance. In the earliest stages of evolution of this species, a homeologous exchange occurred; its presence in all present-day populations of C. bursa-pastoris indicates on a single origin of this species. The evidence coming from whole-genome analysis challenges the current view that C. grandiflora/rubella was a direct progenitor of C. bursa-pastoris; we hypothesize that it was an extinct (or undiscovered) species sister to C. grandiflora/rubella.

Professional Competence of Teachers Concerning the Content of the Educational Area: Man and the World of Work in Pre-primary and Primary Education

In the introduction of the paper, the issue of the quality of technical education from the point of view of the professional competence of teachers, with a focus on undergraduate preparation of future teachers and their successful performance in their future careers, is discussed. Further, in more detail, the authors analyse study programs, including the teaching subjects incorporated into them, of pre-primary and primary education at three universities in Slovakia concerning the content and goals of the educational area Man and the world of work. Results of their comparative analysis have shown significant differences in the teacher trainee preparation at the concerned universities. As to the bachelor study programs, these correspond with the topics of the educational area. In the master study programmes, the topical units of the educational area are indicated indirectly in the frame of the learning outcomes. At the same time, the emphasis is put mainly on didactical aspects.

Motivations in the adoption and conversion of freemium services: insights for digital entrepreneurship

AbstractTechnological advancements have created opportunities for entrepreneurship and innovation and enabled the development of new products, services, platforms, and business models, including the freemium business model. The freemium business model is present in several digital services (e.g., music, social networking, and gaming), but, for businesses to succeed, it is of the utmost importance that users convert their subscriptions from free to premium. Previous research has endeavored to explain what motivations drive consumers to adopt different digital services and platforms and what motivations and user characteristics lead them to convert to the premium service, but little research has been dedicated to the motivations for consumers to distinguish between competing platforms. To enhance comprehension of these matters, this study analyzes a group of motivations and user characteristics as explanatory variables. Data was obtained via an online questionnaire, with a sample of 231 users of music streaming platforms. The main results suggest that satisfaction, perceived value, and ubiquity are statistically significant motivations that positively influence choosing a platform. Regarding subscribing to the premium service, the same motivations, as well as users’ age and occupation, present influential results, which are relevant from theoretical and managerial points of view, especially for entrepreneurs aiming to define the best strategy to successfully deploy their digital businesses.