Short Email Research Articles

Phishing vulnerability compounded by older age, apolipoprotein E e4 genotype, and lower cognition.

With technological advancements, financial exploitation tactics have expanded into the online realm. Older adults may be particularly susceptible to online scams due to age- and Alzheimer's disease-related changes in cognition. In this study, 182 adults ranging from 18 to 90 years underwent cognitive assessment, genotyping for apolipoprotein E e4 (APOE4), and completed the lab-based Short Phishing Email Suspicion Test (S-PEST) as well as the real-life PHishing Internet Task (PHIT). Across both paradigms, older age predicted heightened susceptibility to phishing, with this enhanced susceptibility pronounced among older APOE4 allele carriers with lower working memory. Additionally, performance in both phishing tasks was correlated in that reduced ability to discriminate between phishing and safe emails in S-PEST predicted greater phishing susceptibility in PHIT. The current study identifies older age, APOE4, and lower cognition as risk factors for phishing vulnerability and introduces S-PEST as an easy-to-administer, ecologically valid tool for assessing phishing susceptibility.

Earthquake detection in mountainous homes using the internet of things connected to photovoltaic energy supply

The North Sumatra region is an area with the potential for earthquakes originating from volcanic and oceanic eruptions which have resulted in many fatalities. Therefore, through the application of automatic monitoring and control system technology connected to the internet of things (IoTs), it is the right solution to provide efforts to increase security for residents of the house to always be vigilant. The security enhancement method referred to in this study is a home security system protection system by anticipating earthquakes. The advantage of this tool is that it applies a notification security system method with a sensitivity sensor which is automatically sent via email and sonor buzzer which also acts as sound vibrations due to an earthquake. The test results show that when a vibration occurs, the system will send a short email message to the user's smartphone so that the user will receive an email in the form of a warning message that the state of the house has an earthquake and the light-emitting diode (LED) interrupts and the buzzer is also on so that the alarm sounds which has been integrated into IoT. Then an integrated security monitoring system using the web can be monitored in real time.

The potential value of brief waitlist interventions in enhancing treatment retention and outcomes: a randomised controlled trial

ABSTRACT People with eating disorders are often placed on lengthy waitlists for treatment. This is problematic, as increased time spent on waitlists has been shown to predict dropout. We examined whether providing brief interventions to people on a waitlist improved retention or outcomes in treatment. Participants (N = 85) were referred to a university training clinic for 10-session cognitive behavioural therapy for non-underweight patients with eating disorders (CBT-T). While waitlisted for CBT-T, participants were randomised to one of two waitlist interventions or a control condition. In one waitlist intervention (CRT-Brief), participants received a cognitive remediation therapy session at the start of the waitlist period. In the other waitlist intervention (brief contact), participants were sent a short supportive email and psychoeducation halfway through the waitlist period. The control condition was waitlist as usual. There was no evidence to suggest that the waitlist interventions improved symptoms during the waitlist period or CBT-T. However, participants who received a waitlist intervention were three times more likely to complete treatment. The present study suggests that providing even brief contact while people are waitlisted for eating disorder treatment significantly improves retention. However, replication in a more adequately powered study is required.

Assessment of relationship between different communication methods and treatment compliance in orthodontic patients during Covid-19 pandemics

Objective: The aim of this study was to minimize impairment in oral hygiene and failure of brackets; therefore, effects of pandemic on treatment duration, by communicating our patients using 4 different methods during Covid-19 pandemic. 
 
 Methods: In the study, 227 patients undergoing fixed orthodontic treatment were included. Five groups were designed: WhatsApp group, short message service (SMS) group, Teledentistry group, e-mail group and control group. During quarantine period, patients were contacted for 4 times and same text was sent to patients. After pandemics, the patients were assessed using mucogingival index (MGI), orthodontic plaque index (OPI) and failure of brackets was determined.
 
 Results: In MGI, percentage of patients with healthy result were as follows: WhatsApp group, 83.7%; SMS group, 87.8%; Teledentistry group, 83.7%; E-mail group, 77.5%; control group, 72.2% and no significant difference was found (p>0.05). The OPI scores were as follows: 1.12±1.24 in WhatsApp group; 1.27±1.28 in SMS group; 1.24±1.38 in Teledentistry group; 1.00±1.22 in E-mail group; and 1.61±1.25 in the control group and no significant difference was found (p>0.05). The mean number of brackets broken was 0.47±0.88 in WhatsApp group, 0.39±0.83 in SMS group, 0.51±1.00 in Teledentistry group, 0.40±0.67 in E-mail group and 0.44±0.86 in the control group and no significant difference was found (p>0.05).
 
 Conclusion: It was determined that communicating with patients in different ways did not make any difference in terms of the subjects investigated in the study. It was concluded that it would be more appropriate to conduct new studies including social and psychological evaluations.

An Intelligent Framework Based on Deep Learning for SMS and e-mail Spam Detection

The use of short message service (SMS) and e-mail have increased too much over the last decades. 80% of people do not read e-mails while 98% of cell phone users daily read their SMS. However, these communication media are unsafe and can produce malicious attacks called spam. The e-mails that pretend to be from a trusted company to provide “financial or personal information” are phishing e-mails. These e-mails contain some links; users might download malicious software on their computers when they click on them. Most techniques and models are developed to automatically detect these “SMS and e-mails” but none of them achieved 100% accuracy. In previous studies using machine learning (ML), spam detection using a small dataset has resulted in lower accuracy. To counter this problem, in this paper, multiple classifiers of ML and a classifier of deep learning (DL) were applied to the SMS and e-mail dataset for spam detection with higher accuracy. After conducting experiments on the real dataset, the researchers concluded that the proposed system performed better and more accurately than previously existing models. Specifically, the support vector machine (SVM) classifier outperformed all others. These results suggest that SVM is the optimal choice for classification purposes.

Interface design for residential energy feedback, in the Indian context

Global access to electricity has increased from 78.2% to 2000 to 90.5% in 2020, resulting in an increased electricity demand worldwide. Unlike commercial electricity consumption, which is managed by professionals, residential consumption is managed by the householders, who often lack insight into their energy usage. Quality feedback, including detailed energy consumption and tips, can lead to substantial household savings. There are several mediums for providing energy feedback, such as Short Message Service (SMS), postal letter, email, mobile app, and In-Home Display (IHD). Studies suggest that feedback through electronic media can save up to 20% of energy consumption. In this work, we aim to design mobile application interfaces that can maximize energy savings through effective feedback. The level of savings realized is dependent on the user’s preferences and understanding of the information presented. User preferences are subjective of their profile (e.g., age, occupation, income) and the cultural context (e.g., country). The possibility of energy reduction is high when the provided information matches the user preferred information for feedback. Smart homes have recently been included as an annexure in India’s building energy code (Eco Niwas Samhita 2021), indicating a growing demand for quality energy feedback in India. However, there is a lack of research that addresses what feedback information is suitable for Indian users. We conducted two questionnaire-based surveys, one to understand users’ preferences for feedback information and another to validate the designed mobile application interface screens. The surveys were conducted on two age groups, young and middle-aged adults. A Chi-Square Test of Independence was performed to assess the relationship between the user’s preference for feedback information and their age group. Participants identified total energy consumption, appliance level disaggregated information, energy-saving tips, goals, and historical consumption comparisons as the top five information types. In contrast, normative comparison was the least preferred information. The follow-up design validations suggest that the interface should be customizable to accommodate the varying preferences of users. The current findings will help customize the energy feedback display UI design as per the Indian population.Graphical

An assessment of the experiences, and perceptions of the collateral effects of the COVID-19 lockdown measures in Southeast Nigeria: implications for policy and action.

there is limited evidence from developing countries including Nigeria on the collateral effects of the COVID-19 lockdown on the socioeconomic lives of citizens. The aim of this study was to explore citizens´ experiences and perceptions of the impact of COVID-19 lockdown measures on daily living in Southeast Nigeria. this was a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted among policymakers, researchers, non-governmental organizations (NGO) officials, and health practitioners in Southeast Nigeria. Data were collected using short message sending (SMS), emails, and key informant interviews. although the COVID-19 lockdown measures had both positive and negative effects, it was largely negative. Some of the effects on family and social life were more quality time with family and improved family ties, increased social vices, reduced social and religious interaction, and disrupted academic calendars and educational pursuits. On economic life, the lockdown provided an additional source of income for those involved in the sales of facemasks and related commodities, while for others it reduced income and increased expenditures. Regarding work/career, the lockdown promoted the use of new technologies and skill acquisition, while remote work relieved work-related stress. The health effects were mostly negative including loneliness, depression, and anxiety, however, it improved health consciousness and personal hygiene. Other systemic effects stated were reduced air pollution and poor patronage at health facilities. without intending to, the COVID-19 lockdown in Nigeria had mixed effects on family and socioeconomic life, negatively impacting mental health but improving work-related life among others. These findings are a call to policy action to mitigate the negative effects whilst sustaining the positive gains from the lockdown.

Expression of formality in writing: English-dominant speakers’ and English learners’ knowledge, preferences, and other-language influence

ABSTRACT This study explores English-dominant speakers’ and English learners’ knowledge of (in)formal stylistic variants, their choice of (in)formal styles in relation to social context, their preferences in the use of select (in)formal stylistic variants, and their beliefs about the influence of their other languages. Ten English-dominant undergraduates in Canada, 10 international English-as-a-second-language undergraduates in Canada, and 11 English-as-a-foreign-language undergraduates in Slovakia completed a questionnaire and composed 6 short e-mail messages, each embedded in a unique social context defined by the intended reader (ranging from completely unfamiliar to extremely familiar) and the communication purpose (ranging from completely transactional to completely interactional). Differences were found among the groups in their knowledge of (in)formal stylistic variants, their choice of style, their use of some (in)formal variants, and reported effects of their other languages. This study concludes that primarily classroom-instructed English learners who wish to learn how English-dominant speakers approach expression of formality would benefit from explicit instruction. It further concludes that more research is necessary to identify factors driving individual knowledge of (in)formal variants and preferences in their use, particularly in relation to overall communicative competence and the context of language acquisition and use.

Study within a review (SWAR).

Study within a review (SWAR).

Implementing PROMS for elective surgery patients: feasibility, response rate, degree of recovery and patient acceptability

BackgroundPatient reported outcome measures (PROMs) engage patients in co-evaluation of their health and wellbeing outcomes. This study aimed to determine the feasibility, response rate, degree of recovery and patient acceptability of a PROM survey for elective surgery.MethodsWe sampled patients with a broad range of elective surgeries from four major Australian hospitals to evaluate (1) feasibility of the technology used to implement the PROMs across geographically dispersed sites, (2) response rates for automated short message service (SMS) versus email survey delivery formats, (3) the degree of recovery at one and four weeks post-surgery as measured by the Quality of Recovery 15 Item PROM (QoR-15), and (4) patient acceptability of PROMS based on survey and focus group results. Feasibility and acceptability recommendations were then co-designed with stakeholders, based on the data.ResultsOver three months there were 5985 surveys responses from 20,052 surveys (30% response rate). Feasibility testing revealed minor and infrequent technical difficulties in automated email and SMS administration of PROMs prior to surgery. The response rate for the QoR-15 was 34.8% (n = 3108/8919) for SMS and 25.8% (n = 2877/11,133) for email. Mean QoR-15 scores were 122.1 (SD 25.2; n = 1021); 113.1 (SD 27.7; n = 1906) and 123.4 (SD 26.84; n = 1051) for pre-surgery and one and four weeks post-surgery, respectively. One week after surgery, 825 of the 1906 responses (43%) exceeded 122.6 (pre-surgery average), and at four weeks post-surgery, 676 of the 1051 responses (64%) exceeded 122.6 (pre-surgery average). The PROM survey was highly acceptable with 76% (n = 2830/3739) of patients rating 8/10 or above for acceptability. Fourteen patient driven recommendations were then co-developed.ConclusionAdministering PROMS electronically for elective surgery hospital patients was feasible, acceptable and discriminated changes in surgical recovery over time. Patient co-design and involvement provided innovative and practical solutions to implementation and new recommendations for implementation.Trial Registration and Ethical Approval ACTRN12621000298819 (Phase I and II) and ACTRN12621000969864 (Phase III). Ethics approval has been obtained from La Trobe University (Australia) Human Research Ethics Committee (HEC20479).Key pointsPatient reported outcome measures (PROMs) help to engage patients in understanding their health and wellbeing outcomes. This study aimed to determine how patients feel about completing a PROM survey before and after elective surgery, and to develop a set of recommendations on how to roll out the survey, based on patient feedback. We found that implementing an electronic PROM survey before and after elective surgery was relatively easy to do and was well accepted by patients. Consumer feedback throughout the project enabled co-design of innovative and practical solutions to PROM survey administration.

Using machine learning approaches to predict timely clinic attendance and the uptake of HIV/STI testing post clinic reminder messages

Timely and regular testing for HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STI) is important for controlling HIV and STI (HIV/STI) among men who have sex with men (MSM). We established multiple machine learning models (e.g., logistic regression, lasso regression, ridge regression, elastic net regression, support vector machine, k-nearest neighbour, naïve bayes, random forest, gradient boosting machine, XGBoost, and multi-layer perceptron) to predict timely (i.e., within 30 days) clinic attendance and HIV/STI testing uptake after receiving a reminder message via short message service (SMS) or email). Our study used 3044 clinic consultations among MSM within 12 months after receiving an email or SMS reminder at the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre between April 11, 2019, and April 30, 2020. About 29.5% [899/3044] were timely clinic attendance post reminder messages, and 84.6% [761/899] had HIV/STI testing. The XGBoost model performed best in predicting timely clinic attendance [mean [SD] AUC 62.8% (3.2%); F1 score 70.8% (1.2%)]. The elastic net regression model performed best in predicting HIV/STI testing within 30 days [AUC 82.7% (6.3%); F1 score 85.3% (1.8%)]. The machine learning approach is helpful in predicting timely clinic attendance and HIV/STI re-testing. Our predictive models could be incorporated into clinic websites to inform sexual health care or follow-up service.

A new remote monitoring device to track magnetic resonance imaging machine cooling system failures

The magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine cooling system has a vital role in the conduct of MRI examinations because a shutdown of the MRI cooling system in the absence of the manipulators can lead to grave consequences over time, like quench, which is the vaporization of helium liquid in the MRI tank, and it's the most expensive MRI failure. To limit the risks of this problem, several companies have tried to develop a monitoring system to track MRI cooling system failures but all solutions proposed are complicated and demand many connections with MRI. The proposed solution is simple, easy, and efficient requires only one joint with the helium compressor, and it has a humidity and temperature sensor to detect quench incident, it works using an advanced monitoring algorithm that evaluates the status of the cooling system and identifies breakdowns, in case of failure our system will send short message service (SMS) notifications and emails to the customer service team. The proposed solution shows the potential for starting the research to understand the relationship between the behavior of the MRI cooling system and the quench using machine learning algorithms.

Diacritics generation and application in hate speech detection on Vietnamese social networks

One of the challenging problems in text processing is diacritics generation where one needs to generate diacritic marks for non-accented text. With an ever increasing amount of informal text without accents such as short text messages, emails or blog posts on social media, a software system which is capable of generating diacritic marks accurately is very useful and necessary in many situations. This paper presents an approach to improve the accuracy of diacritics generation for Vietnamese text. We propose two novel deep learning models which leverage a plausible conceptual representation for the phonetic structure of Vietnamese syllables. Experimental results on real-world datasets show that our models achieve a significant improvement as compared to the state-of-the-art methods for diacritics generation. We also demonstrate that the proposed models can be applied efficiently to improve the accuracy of hate speech detection on Vietnamese social networks.

Aspects of Narrative Competence in Language Levels and Narrative Texts in the CEFR1

Purpose: This study aimed to identify the genres that require second/foreign language learners to draw on their narrativecompetence along with the related level descriptors in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR)and the CEFR Companion Volume with New Descriptors, which serve to achieve coherence in the structuring of languagelearning/teaching processes by standardizing the way language ability is described.Design/Methodology/Approach: In this qualitative research, data were collected from the Common European Framework ofReference for Languages(2001) and the CEFR Companion Volume (2018) published by the Council of Europe through documentreview, and a content analysis was conducted. The processes of collecting, categorizing, and preparing the data for descriptionwere carried out sequentially.Findings: In the CEFR, written texts such as novels, personal letters, short stories, short newspaper articles (that describeevents), comic strips, photo stories, travelogues, news items, biographies, cartoons, advertisements, postcards, messages,notes, e-mails, blogs and fairy tales, which can be considered as narrative texts, are mentioned. In addition, personalnarratives, films, and anecdotes, which are not written genres, are also encountered. It has been found out that the leveldescriptors that can be functional in drawing inferences about whether the learners developed a narrative competence or notare structured gradually from level A to C in the CEFR. Upon analysis of the level descriptors regarding narrative texts andnarrative competence with respect to the four skills, it has been noted that the level descriptors that can be associated withnarrative texts and competence at all levels were the fewest in number regarding speaking and listening and the highestregarding reading.Highlights: Even though other genres are not referred to directly in the CEFR, a general framework about other genres is evidentin the text. The categorization of the narrativity-related level descriptors based on proficiency levels and skills is thought tocontribute to the designation of the learning objectives that reflect the language-specific features of narrative structures basedon the level descriptors in the CEFR, and thus to the enhancement of the quality of curriculum, materials, and activities to bedeveloped.

Measuring MPs’ Responsiveness: How to Do it and Stay Out of Trouble

This article reviews the issues raised by the reaction to an audit experiment, studying the responsiveness of British MPs to their constituents, in November and December 2020. The experiment was part of a wider comparative project investigating the linkage between legislators and their constituents. We sent two short emails to all MPs asking how they and their party were going to respond to the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. We were required by our ethics committee to debrief the subjects, providing the opportunity to withdraw from the analysis. The scale of the reaction to the debriefing email was neither desired nor anticipated ( https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-56196967 ). We explain how we got ourselves into such difficulty, how we might have stayed out of it and the wider implications of our experience for experimental research on politicians. We reflect on the ethical issues raised by the reaction to our research, alongside the role that communications with legislators, the wider parliamentary community and the media should play in research design when conducting experiments with politicians as subjects.

Behind every robust result is a robust method: Perspectives from a case study and publication process in hydrological modelling

Behind every robust result is a robust method: Perspectives from a case study and publication process in hydrological modelling

Assessment of a Ground-Based Lightning Detection and Near-Real-Time Warning System in the Rural Community of Swayimane, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

AbstractClimate change projections of increases in lightning activity are an added concern for lightning-prone countries such as South Africa. South Africa’s high levels of poverty, lack of education, and awareness, as well as a poorly developed infrastructure, increase the vulnerability of rural communities to the threat of lightning. Despite the existence of national lightning networks, lightning alerts and warnings are not disseminated well to such rural communities. We therefore developed a community-based early warning system (EWS) to detect and disseminate lightning threats and alerts in a timely and comprehensible manner within Swayimane, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The system is composed of an electrical field meter and a lightning flash sensor with warnings disseminated via audible and visible alarms on site and with a remote server issuing short message services (SMSs) and email alerts. Twelve months of data (February 2018–February 2019) were utilized to evaluate the performance of the EWS’s detection and warning capabilities. Diurnal variations in lightning activity indicated the influence of solar radiation, causing convective conditions with peaks in lightning activity occurring during the late afternoon and early evening (between 1400 and 2100) coinciding with students being released from school and when most workers return home. In addition to detecting the threat of lightning, the EWS was beneficial in identifying periods that exhibited above-normal lightning activity, with two specific lightning events examined in detail. Poor network signals in rural communities presented an initial challenge, delaying data transmission to the central server until rectified using multiple network providers. Overall, the EWS was found to disseminate reliable warnings in a timely manner.

Discrimination by politicians against religious minorities: Experimental evidence from the UK

Are Labour party politicians anti-Semitic, and are Conservative party politicians Islamophobic? In this correspondence study we measure the responsiveness of elected local representatives in the United Kingdom to requests from putative constituents from minority religious groups. We send short email requests to 10,268 local government representatives from each of the main political parties, from stereotypically Islamic, Jewish, and Christian names. Response rates are six to seven percentage points lower to stereotypically Muslim or Jewish names. The two major political parties both show equal bias towards the two minority group names. Results suggest that the bias in response may be implicit. Bias is lower in more dense and diverse locations.

Telemedicine Services in the University of the Philippines Health Service during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Two-week Process Documentation and Analysis

Background. Telemedicine provides access to health care services during pandemics. It can be utilized to screen asymptomatic persons, follow up close contacts of confirmed cases, monitor individuals with symptoms, conduct specialty consultations, and offer health services to patients during pandemics.
 Objective. To describe the telemedicine processes, good practices, and areas for improvement in the University of the Philippines Health Service (UPHS) during the COVID-19 pandemic.
 Methods. This was a cross-sectional study to document telemedicine processes in UPHS. All teleconsultations of employees and students of Philippine General Hospital (PGH) and UP Manila (UPM) during the two-week study period in October 2020 were included. Quantitative data was collected from different modes of patient entry into the UPHS telemedicine services: email, Online Consultation Request and Appointment (OCRA) System, and phone hotlines. Qualitative information was gathered as narrative descriptions of observations in the clinic’s service delivery areas. A focus group discussion was also conducted to illustrate the different steps of the pathway used for telemedicine.
 Results. The telemedicine services of UPHS consisted of virtual triage, COVID-19/non-COVID-19 consultation, and telemonitoring. The UPHS virtual triage received patient concerns through OCRA or the hotline numbers. On the other hand, the COVID-19 teleconsultation service provided care to employees and students who contacted the clinic regarding symptoms or exposure via email. The non-COVID-19 service had teleconsultation for patients with other medical concerns. Coordination among staff and presence of a consultant were identified as good practices, while the areas for improvement include the lack of written protocols in issuing fit-to-work clearance for difficult cases and the optional use of OCRA for UPHS consult.
 Conclusion. Telemedicine services at the UPHS included tele-triaging, teleconsultations, and telemonitoring with use of phone calls, short messaging service (SMS), emails, and OCRA. Timely coordination, on-site duty consultants, and use of technology were identified as good practices. Lack of protocols and inconsistent OCRA use are areas for improvement.

DIGITAL PATH OF THE HYPERTENSIVE PATIENT BEFORE A FIRST VISIT IN A TERTIARY CARE HYPERTENSION UNIT: A REAL-LIFE PILOT STUDY

Objective: There is growing evidence that the information and communication technologies (ICT) can improve health care access, patient education, compliance or outcomes, particularly in chronic diseases such as hypertension. In this e-Health context, our group validated, several years ago, a standardized patient self-questionnaire (Hy-Quest) and a software system to help patients manage Home Blood Pressure Measurement (Hy-Result software). But to what degree can patients use ICT before any face to face contact with a health care professional? Design and method: Between October 2017 and October 2018, 304 patients booked an appointment through the website of an ESH Excellence Centre, (www.centre-hypertension.org). Among them, 81% were first-visiting patients and 75% declared owning a sphygmomanometer. A simple, short E-mail was sent to a sample of 63 of them asking them to complete two tasks before attending their first appointment: ie. complete the Hy-Quest questionnaire (Hy-Q)and self-measure their blood pressure (BP), communicating their readings using the Hy-Result software (Hy-R). Results: Patients who responded were 56 (19-86) years old, had a mean office BP of 143/90 mmHg, a mean home BP of 137/84 mmHg under 1.8 antihypertensive drug/person. The mean duration of hypertension was 9 years (0–46). Attending their first visit, 54% of patients were able to successfully get through the digital path (27% completing Hy-Q+Hy-R; 25.4% Hy-Q only; 1.6% Hy-R only). Different problems (unattended or delayed visit, neither Hy-Q nor Hy-R completed, refusal to participate, computer problems) led the remaining 46% of patients to an unsuccessful digital path [Fig.]. Conclusions: This pilot study shows that approximately half of the patients can contribute to preparing their first visit by going through a digital path starting from the online reservation, to filling in Hy-Quest and communicating their self-measured BP readings using the Hy-Result software. This study confirms the interest for continuing with a larger study to confirm these percentages, to gain a better understanding of the reasons that prevent the patient from preparing online for his first visit and subsequently, optimize the steps of the hypertensive patient's digital path.