Specific Issues Research Articles

Peripartum Depression: What's New?

Peripartum depression (PPD), including both depression during pregnancy and postpartum, is the most frequent health disorder during the perinatal period. It is a significant public health issue in many countries due to its prevalence and its impact on women, as well as on their partners and offspring. Here, we will attempt to untangle the most recent studies and publications, considering what it is essential to know in 2024 about PPD as a specific perinatal issue. PPD appears to be a very heterogeneous disorder in which a complex interplay between different factors contributes to its pathophysiology. Thus, the need to enhance diagnosis and referral through a better understanding of its severity and co-morbidities has emerged as a major public health issue. Indeed, research has consistently shown that PPD negatively impacts parent-infant interactions and infants' cognitive, social, and emotional development. Evidence underlining its global risk has accumulated over the past three decades, but many questions remain, including how these vulnerable offspring developmental trajectories unfold.

Practical Application and Management of Information Communication Technology (ICT) to Enhance the Performance of Ugandan Secondary Schools in West Nile

This study focuses on the contribution that Information and Communication Technology (ICT) can make to improving teacher and student performance in secondary schools in West Nile Region, Uganda. Examines the existing ICT implementation, assesses integration and potential benefits issues, and analyses the relationship between ICT usage and learning outcomes. The research is focused on showing that ICT can go global and how it connects Uganda’s secondary schools in West Nile to global education networks. ICT enhances global learning through active participation, innovation, and flexibility through access to international resources and embracing cross-boundary collaboration and virtual interchanges. This has improved student achievement but also endows students and teachers with the competencies to prosper in a globally connected environment. Ugandan schools have poorly developed ICT facilities, but schools embrace ICT education and facilities for operations. The study centers on specific ICT issues in West Nile schools and explores the possibility of using ICT to raise aggregate performance and efficiency in communication, collaboration, and organizational management. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from 400 respondents, including teachers and students from 10 secondary schools. Data collection tools included questionnaires and interviews. Quantitative analysis was performed using SPSS, while NVivo was used for qualitative analysis. Ethical considerations were strictly adhered to protect participants' rights. While observing ICT integration in teaching across the ten selected secondary schools in West Nile and surveying 100 teachers, researchers found that 55.6% of them sometimes, 33.3% consistently, and 11% seldom integrate ICT in their teaching. This limited integration is due to a lack of ICT equipment, for example, computers, projectors, and internet connections; inadequate teacher education, where the majority of the teachers are found to be either lacking skills or self-confidence to incorporate ICT in teaching; and limited resource availability where even schools that have procured ICT tools are most often found to be having very few that are inadequacy for the needs of both teacher and students to make effective use of. These results raise concerns regarding the existing disparities in developments and funds for ICT training in West Nile’s secondary schools, with recommendations being made to enhance specific plans to reduce the digital divide. These include making ICT tools a focal area, increasing internet connection, and providing training activities that would increase and develop the competencies of the teaching staff. They seek to devise a technological learning atmosphere to enhance education, teacher, and student learning outcomes

Secure fuzzy retrieval protocol for multiple datasets

With the diversification of data sources and the massive growth of datasets, data retrieval has become increasingly complex and time-consuming. In the traditional retrieval method, if a user wants to query multiple datasets, the general approach is to retrieve them one by one in order, which may lead to duplication of work and waste of resources. Private set intersection is a specific issue in secure multi-party computation. It allows several participants, each holding different sets, to jointly calculate the intersection of their sets without revealing any information other than the intersection. This method is naturally suitable for data fusion. In this work, we propose a secure fuzzy retrieval protocol for multiple datasets. First, we use private set intersection technology to fuse multiple datasets. Then, we perform secure retrieval based on this fused dataset, effectively avoiding the waste of resources caused by separate retrievals, thereby maximizing resource efficiency. It is worth mentioning that the protocol proposed in this paper can also be used for fuzzy retrieval to improve the user’s search experience. More importantly, the protocol can maximize privacy protection during the retrieval process, including strict protection of sensitive information such as retrieval keywords, ensuring that user data and query intentions will not be leaked during the entire retrieval process. Finally, we provide a rigorous security proof and demonstrate the effectiveness of the protocol through simulation experiments.

Enhancing user experience in online learning environments: Design, evaluation, and usability techniques

This study aims to enhance user experience on online learning platforms by investigating design principles, usability evaluation techniques, and rede-sign processes. A total of 150 participants, divided equally among students, educators, and professionals, were stratified by age, gender, education level, and familiarity with online learning. Various evaluation methods, including heuristic evaluation, guideline reviews, and cognitive walkthroughs, were employed. Metrics such as task success rate, time-on-task, and Net Promoter Score (NPS) were used to quantify user satisfaction and effectiveness. Addi-tionally, five qualitative interviews were conducted for deeper insights. The results revealed specific usability issues and demonstrated the effectiveness of the applied evaluation techniques. Post-redesign metrics indicated signif-icant improvements in user satisfaction and engagement. The study under-scores the importance of a multi-faceted approach to design and evaluation in online learning platforms and suggests avenues for future research.

A Comparative Study on User Satisfaction from Manual to Online Information System Using Define-Measure-Analyze-Improve-Control (DMAIC) in Service Administrative Process

Efficient application processes are crucial for enhancing user satisfaction in organizational systems. However, manual processes often result in inefficiencies, user dissatisfaction and delays, as observed in this case study. This research aimed to improve the application process by leveraging the Online Information System (OIS) and utilizing the Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control (DMAIC) methodology to address identified inefficiencies systematically. The study adopted a structured approach through the DMAIC phases to identify root causes of dissatisfaction, prioritize issues and implement targeted solutions. Key findings indicated significant improvements in user satisfaction metrics, with usability increasing by 70.21 %, accessibility by 61.04 %, consistency by 44.12 % and response time by 51.95 %. The implementation of OIS played a significant role in these outcomes by automating processes, reducing errors, eliminating redundant steps, simplifying the application process and making it more reliable and accessible. The discussion highlighted the critical role of DMAIC in guiding the improvement efforts, particularly in aligning solutions with user needs and ensuring sustainability through standardization and training. Despite these successes, the study faced limitations such as the restricted scope of user testing to a specific context and potential adaptability issues in broader applications. Future research should explore the scalability of the OIS and its integration with other organizational processes to ensure comprehensive usability and effectiveness.

Cybersecurity Behavior in the West Sumatra Universities

User cybersecurity behavior refers to the actions, habits, and decisions made by individuals when using technology and information that affect the level of security of the data and systems they access. Previous research has shown that user cybersecurity behavior is one of the leading causes of computer and information security issues in many organizations, particularly education. To address this issue, researchers must find solutions to improve user cybersecurity behavior within an organization. Therefore, this study aims to find the factors influencing user cybersecurity behavior in higher education institutions in West Sumatra in 2020. This study was conducted using a survey research method. A questionnaire was distributed to 155 respondents. The questionnaire consisted of 28 questions covering seven factors influencing user cybersecurity behavior. The survey data will be analyzed using the Structural Equation Model based on Partial Least Square. The research findings indicate that all variables, such as Misuse Prevention and Compliance, Body of Knowledge, Skill, Behavioral Intervention, Attitude, Security Compliance Behavior, and Technology, have significant relationships. The relationships between these factors will be shown in the framework to be developed. This indicates that the education sector in Indonesia is aware of cyber threats and the importance of security procedures in the workplace. For further research, a deeper exploration of specific security issues is needed to propose potential solutions or actions that can be implemented to improve user cybersecurity behavior in the education sector, particularly in Indonesia.

Calling Out the Catalogue

The implicit and explicit silencing of Romani and Traveller voices in museum and archive collections, and in the wider narrative of British history, has been increasingly recognised over the last decade (Matthews 2015). In the pursuit of decolonising museums and archives, however, institutional recognition of the significant contributions of Romani and Traveller peoples to the traditional music heritage of the UK and Ireland has largely been absent. Throughout the 20th century and increasingly since the 1960s, folk song collectors around the British Isles have turned to Romani Gypsies and Travellers in search of traditional songs and music. Hamish Henderson, Ewan MacColl, and Peggy Seeger, amongst others, admired Romani and Traveller singers for preserving what collectors perceived to be native song traditions. Recordings of Romani Gypsies and Travellers, held in national and regional sound archives, have had a lasting impact on folk repertoires in the UK and Ireland. However, the incorporation of such recordings into specialist collections has tended to erase Romani and Traveller identities. As the cultural and ethnic backgrounds of the singers are rarely acknowledged in the catalogues, and are searchable only with specialist knowledge, their songs are implicitly added to the canon of English, Scottish or Irish folk music. The songs are thus co-opted, not to tell Romani Gypsy and Traveller stories and history, but those of a majority population. This article addresses specific issues pertaining to an English archive collection held at the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library in Cecil Sharp House, London. Recognising the precariousness of funding that many specialist collections face, we do not simply critique a lack of progress regarding representation. Instead, we outline how Romani and Traveller communities might collaborate with archivists, cultural events organisers, and universities, to connect archival collections with various publics in England today.

Avaliações de Usuários do Aplicativo "Gov.br" como Base para Análise de Usabilidade

This article presents an analysis of the usability of the "Gov.br" app, based on user comments left on the Google Play Store, aiming to identify areas for improvement in the user experience. The central question of the study is how user feedback can contribute to enhancing the application. This is a descriptive study grounded in usability heuristics found in the scientific literature. The results show that user comments highlight significant issues, such as functionality errors, display difficulties, and overly complex tasks. The suggestions emphasize the need to simplify processes, increase accessibility, and personalize features. Comments with intermediate ratings (between 2 and 4 stars) proved particularly useful for identifying specific issues and proposing solutions. The analysis of these opinions emerges as an effective approach for evaluating and improving the usability of government mobile applications. The study underscores the relevance of a data-driven approach to guide the development of user-centered interfaces.

Symptom Checker Framework: Leveraging Machine Learning for Early Diagnosis in Healthcare Systems

The early and accurate identification of diseases based on symptoms is a critical factor in effective healthcare. In this project, we introduce DignoSmart: Your Personalized Symptom Check, an intelligent, machine-learning-based application designed to assist users in identifying potential health conditions by entering their symptoms. The system utilizes a decision tree algorithm to predict possible diseases based on user input through a chat-like interface. Users begin by providing personal information, such as age and symptoms. The application processes this data and, through a series of follow-up questions, refines its understanding of the user's health condition. These questions, related to symptom duration, pain intensity, and specific issues like back pain, guide the prediction process. The decision tree algorithm, trained on a dataset of symptoms and disease correlations, predicts the most likely condition based on the responses. The system then provides a detailed description of the predicted disease, including key information about the condition and possible causes. Additionally, it offers recommendations for basic precautions and suggests when to seek medical attention. By integrating machine learning techniques and an intuitive user interface, DignoSmart aims to assist users in recognizing potential health problems early and taking appropriate action, thus contributing to better health outcomes..

Energy-Efficient Adaptive Dynamic Building Facades: A Review of Their Energy Efficiency and Operating Loads

Energy-efficient, adaptive, affordable and durable curtain wall systems have always attracted great interest among the scientific and technical communities. In this regard, the purpose of this work was to conduct a comprehensive review of the issues related to energy-efficient adaptive dynamic facades, taking into account their operating loads, revealing the diversity of the studies conducted in this area. The review of the literature was carried out in three stages. For all stages, the review period was 2001–2024. In the first stage, a review of traditional curtain facade systems was conducted, which emphasized the relevance of this area, identifying a total of 4338 sources. In the second stage, a review of specific issues, such as adaptive dynamic facade systems, yielded 2838 sources, from which the 87 most suitable sources were selected. In the third stage, a review focusing on the issue of operating loads yielded 741 works, from which 43 suitable sources were selected. At the same time, pie charts reflecting the most active international scientific journals were compiled for each area. The conducted review of energy-efficient adaptive dynamic building facades, taking into account their operating loads, could provide significant assistance in further research on the specified issues. As researchers mainly focus on environmental friendliness and cost-effectiveness, they often neglect issues such as the systems’ resistance to operating loads, which represents a serious deficiency. In this regard, this review identified a gap in the research on the development of energy-efficient facades with an air layer; on this basis, the further development of adaptive facade systems is required. The review of the selected studies also showed that issues related to energy efficiency and sustainability, taking into account operational loads, have not been addressed in combination; rather, they have only been addressed individually. At the same time, this review shows that the proposed development of an adaptive system of external fencing could be relevant, both nationally and internationally, depending on the natural and climatic conditions of the territory for which the buildings are designed.

Transgender health issues addressed in research on telehealth use: a scoping review

Telehealth is a valuable tool for reminding transgender-persons to undergo HIV testing, hormone injections, and voice training. Despite increased awareness of the unique health needs of transgender-individuals in recent years, effectively addressing their concerns remains challenging. The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected socioeconomic status, mental health, and access to gender-affirming treatment. To better understand how individuals and their specific health issues are addressed in telehealth solutions, we conducted a scoping review using PubMed and Scopus, spanning from 2000 to 2021. We screened eligible articles following the PRISMA checklist, extracted the data, and performed a thematic analysis of 100 reports. For control purposes, we double-checked the ratings during the screening and coding. Our results show that telehealth is primarily used for healthcare access, sexual and reproductive health, and mental health. Since 2020, the overall number of publications has greatly increased, with only nine reports explicitly referring to COVID-19-related challenges. The latter relate exclusively to clinical purposes such as healthcare access. We found that transgender-women were researched more often than transgender-men, particularly in the field of sexual and reproductive health research. Some studies included groups other than transgender-persons, such as parents or clinicians, who might be relevant for advancing telehealth use. The review’s findings highlight the need for more research that considers the diversity of transgender-groups and the adapted use of diverse technological tools beyond pandemics and public health crises.

Beyond Boundaries: Achieving 100% Heart Disease Prediction Using Diverse Machine Learning Algorithms

Heart disease plays a virtual role in recent years.This study addresses critical need for early detection of heart disease to alleviate its impact .We propose a machine learning architecture for early stage of the art feature extraction utilizing states of the art feature extraction stratagies. The effect of 5 machine learning algorithm-logistic algorithm - k-neighbour - support vector machine - decision tree - random forest was evaluated. Among the 5 algorithm random forest exhibited superior performance .We used 2 heart disease datasets -one 303 instances and another with 1026 instances the larger datasets yields outstanding results with the random forest achieving perfect scores across all metrics - accuracy-1,precision-1,and recall-1 and f1-score-1.This impressive performance underscores the algorithm’s effectiveness. The main objective of the project is to resolve and address specific issues

Kant's conception of race and modern political science

Racial issues remained for a long time one of the marginal topics in political thought. However, in the last few decades racial questions have become a topic of discussion in political science. Modern debates about race in political science are quite multifaceted and concern both practical and theoretical issues. In this regard, participants in discussions often turn to the of thinkers of the past. Much of this research focuses on the specific issue of Kant's concept of race, which is often used as a pretext to label Kant as a ‘racist’ thinker. Why is it that Kant's concept of race has become so important for contemporary discussions of race in political science? Could the characterizing of Kant as a ‘racist’ have a negative impact on the perception of his political philosophy? Answering these questions is the purpose of this paper.

Malabsorption in the intestine in a child, specific issues (clinical case)

The article discusses a clinical case of a child with intestinal malabsorption. The diagnosis was verified based on an objective examination, laboratory and instrumental studies.

Transportation Mode Detection Using Learning Methods and Self-Contained Sensors: Review.

Due to increasing traffic congestion, travel modeling has gained importance in the development of transportion mode detection (TMD) strategies over the past decade. Nowadays, recent smartphones, equipped with integrated inertial measurement units (IMUs) and embedded algorithms, can play a crucial role in such development. In particular, obtaining much more information on the transportation modes used by users through smartphones is very challenging due to the variety of the data (accelerometers, magnetometers, gyroscopes, proximity sensors, etc.), the standardization issue of datasets and the pertinence of learning methods for that purpose. Reviewing the latest progress on TMD systems is important to inform readers about recent datasets used in detection, best practices for classification issues and the remaining challenges that still impact the detection performances. Existing TMD review papers until now offer overviews of applications and algorithms without tackling the specific issues faced with real-world data collection and classification. Compared to these works, the proposed review provides some novelties such as an in-depth analysis of the current state-of-the-art techniques in TMD systems, relying on recent references and focusing particularly on the major existing problems, and an evaluation of existing methodologies for detecting travel modes using smartphone IMUs (including dataset structures, sensor data types, feature extraction, etc.). This review paper can help researchers to focus their efforts on the main problems and challenges identified.

Approaches to understanding and ways of administrative and legal regulation of discretionary powers of local self-government bodies in the field of land relations

The article is dedicated to a detailed study of the discretionary powers of local self-government bodies in the field of land relations, taking into account the new approaches enshrined in the Law of Ukraine “On Administrative Procedure. The study examines the theoretical aspects of discretionary powers in both narrow and broad senses. Analyzing the definitions established in the Law of Ukraine «On Administrative Procedure», the author provides their understanding of discretionary powers “in the narrow sense” as the ability of an administrative body to choose one of several options for decisions that are lawful and meet the purpose for which such powers are granted. This creates space for making individual administrative acts within the framework of administrative procedures. Such powers are limited to the adoption of individual acts aimed at resolving specific land issues. Discretionary powers in the broad sense, on the other hand, should be understood as the authority granted to local self-government bodies based on a law or other regulatory legal act, allowing these bodies to independently regulate legal relations in the field of land relations. These powers include the ability to make decisions at their own discretion, particularly through the issuance of normative acts. This regulation must comply not only with the requirements of general legislation but also be aimed at achieving the goals set out in special legal acts, as well as in local regulatory legal acts adopted by the local self-government bodies themselves. The author also emphasizes the need for further development of doctrinal approaches to discretionary powers, which should contribute not only to improving the efficiency of law enforcement but also to creating legal mechanisms that ensure an adequate level of control over their implementation. The article highlights the importance of developing legal guarantees for the protection of citizens’ interests in the context of the exercise of discretionary powers by local authorities in the field of land relations. The author believes that this will contribute to increasing the transparency and accountability of local self-government bodies, as well as ensuring fairness and legality in decision-making.

Revealing health and socioeconomic realities among individuals with sickle cell trait through case studies from remote areas of India

There is a widespread misperception that sickle cell trait (SCT) is not a major health issue, since people with SCT do not normally exhibit apparent symptoms like those found with sickle cell disease (SCD). Therefore, SCT individuals are often neglected, as SCT is assumed to be a benign condition. However, in the present study, growing evidence has linked SCT to severe health risks. This study aims to comprehensively examine the clinical and socioeconomic aspects of SCT individuals in Koraput district of Odisha, India. A total of 9 individuals with specific, uncommon comorbidities and social issues were selected for a detailed case study during the SCT screening program, which involved 1132 individuals aged 30 years and above from scheduled tribe (ST) and scheduled caste (SC) categories, unrelated up to the 1st cousin. Physiological measurements such as weight, height, blood pressure, fasting blood sugar, and haemoglobin levels were recorded. Mental health and quality of life (QOL) were assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and WHOQOL-BREF tools. In-depth interviews were conducted to explore socioeconomic factors. Case studies revealed various comorbidities and social issues among SCT individuals. These included priapism, anaemia, hypotension, low blood glucose, decreased BMI, reduced SpO2 levels, retinopathy, paralysis, social barriers affecting marriage prospects, diagnosis stigma and depression, neonatal deaths, clinical negligence, consanguineous marriages leading to offspring with SCD. Additionally, the economic burden associated with healthcare expenditures was evident. The study highlights the need for awareness and comprehensive support systems for individuals with SCT, particularly in marginalized communities.

Academic Expression of a Chinese Master's Nursing Student in Proposal Defense in the Philippines: A Qualitative Analysis and Improvement Suggestions of a Case Study

This case study explores the academic expression challenges faced by a Chinese nursing master's student during the thesis proposal defense in the Philippines. By analyzing recorded transcripts of the defense Q&A segment and panel feedback documents, the st udy identifies specific issues in academic expression, including vague definitions, unclear research objectives, and deficiencies in theoretical frameworks and research designs. The feedback from professors emphasizes the importance of a systematic researc h design, clarity in academic terminology, and adherence to academic writing standards. The study offers targeted suggestions for the student to enhance academic expression, such as improving content organization, enriching theoretical frameworks, refining data collection methodologies, and integrating diverse academic sources. Additionally, it provides universal recommendations for all international students facing similar challenges, including the significance of seeking continuous fe edback, engaging in s elf reflection, and developing effective academic communication skills. Overall, this research aims to provide valuable insights and strategies for international nursing students to navigate academic expression challenges in cross cultural contexts effecti vely.

Veterans’ health

Military veterans represent around 3.8% of the population, and may have specific needs that differ from the general population. The occupational demands of service life often lead to earlier onset of musculoskeletal problems, medical conditions and psychological sequalae from conflict zones. Most service personnel are fortunate to have a support network with easy access to medical care and sophisticated social prescribing. For many, the transition into civilian life is challenging and may disrupt support networks and continuity of medical care leading to the exacerbation of some physical and mental health conditions. The veteran may have a past medical history necessitating transfer to ‘civilian life’ this needs to be carefully explored. This article aims to cover specific mental health, physical health and administrative issues that may arise when dealing with the veteran and aims to inform and smooth the transition into civilian life from a medical perspective.

الآثار المترتبة على الخلع في مرض الموت: دراسة فقهية قانونية مقارنة

This research deals with the hypothesis of the occurrence of Khul’ in the death illness of one of the spouses, and since it is most likely permissible for a foreigner to donate to pay the compensation for Khul’ to the husband instead of his wife, the research also deals with the hypothesis that Khul’ occurs in the death illness of this foreigner who donated to pay the compensation. In the research, I conducted a comparative study between Islamic jurisprudence and personal status laws, where I addressed the position of each of them regarding the problems of the research. In this research, I have adopted the inductive approach, relying on the Holy Quran, the books of the Noble Prophetic Sunnah, the books of Islamic jurisprudence, as well as personal status laws. Through it, I have concluded that divorce in the event of a terminal illness is valid according to Sharia, whether the husband is the terminally ill patient, or the wife, or even a stranger who guarantees the compensation for divorce. As for the amount of compensation, jurists have differed on it according to whether the wife is the patient, the husband, or the stranger. As for personal status laws, most of them have been silent about all the hypotheses of the issue, relying on referring to a doctrine that is referred to when the law is devoid of a specific issue, or relying on the existence of a text that addresses the actions of the terminally ill patient in general, whether by the same law or civil law.