Vitality Index Research Articles

Size and vitality characteristics of bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) populations in the Central Bohemian region of the Czech Republic: a case study of non-timber forest products

Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) is a key non-timber forest product that plays an important role in forest biodiversity and ecosystem function. This study evaluated the vitality levels of eight bilberry populations in the Central Bohemian region of the Czech Republic, examining whether their vitality depends on the habitat type. Morphometric analyses were conducted, measuring 13 static metric and 16 static allometric morphological parameters of bilberry shoots. Statistical methods, including correlation, factor analysis, and ANOVA, were employed to determine the vitality index and population vitality structure based on the algorithm developed by Y.A. Zlobin. The results indicated that bilberry plants exhibit significant morphological variability based on forest conditions, forming plants with specific habitus traits. High positive correlations were found between many morphological characteristics, which were grouped into five clusters, each comprising 2–4 parameters. Among these, phytomass, total leaf surface area, and plant height were identified as the key determinants of vitality levels. Bilberry populations in Central Bohemian forests were classified into three vitality categories: prosperous, balanced, and depressed. The study found that the most vigorous populations, with Q-index values between 0.3333 and 0.4375, were located in associations such as Pinetum (sylvestris) vaccinio (myrtilli)-oxalidosum (acetosellae), Pinetum (sylvestris) vaccinio (myrtilli), and Pineto (sylvestris)-Piceetum (abietis) vaccinio (myrtilli)-oxalidosum (acetosellae). These populations are also of high economic value due to their bioresource potential. The study underscores the importance of habitat type in influencing bilberry vitality and offers insights into future research on bilberry populations as a vital component of non-timber forest products.

Revealing the Peculiarities of Female Students’ Physiological Characteristics with Different Somatotypes in the Absence of Compulsory Physical Activity at University

Objectives. The purpose of the study was to determine the parameters of female students’ physiological characteristics with different somatotypes, which they achieved by exercising outside the university due to COVID-19 quarantine and air raids during the hostilities in Ukraine. Material and methods. The study involved 66 female students aged 17.8 ± 0.6 years, who belonged to different somatotypes and had no reservations about engaging in different amounts of physical activity. The Shtefko-Ostrovsky method, modified by S. Darskaja, was used to diagnose the somatotype. The necessary empirical data were obtained through the performing well-known functional tests that allowed to determine blood pressure, heart rate in different situations, vital capacity, vital capacity index, maximum isometric strength index, and Robinson index. The parameters of these characteristics were determined in female students with each of the four available somatotypes during the study, and each parameter was compared with different somatotypes. The testing was conducted at the beginning (January) and at the end (May-June) of the academic semester, but during one academic year. Results. At the beginning, and even more so at the end of the academic year, the parameters of the studied characteristics in female students with each of the available somatotypes differed from each other (p-values ranging at the level from 0.05 to 0.000). The volumes and conditions of physical activity used during the academic year did not lead to significant changes in the physiological characteristics of all female students, i.e. parameters remained at the previously achieved level. At the same time, the presence of peculiarities caused by the girl’s belonging to a certain somatotype was observed. Conclusions. Identifying the peculiarities in changes of female students’ physiological characteristics’ parameters, taking into account their somatotypes, is a perspective and significant direction for modernization of physical education at university. The obtained data will contribute to the individualization of the content and normative bases of physical education for female students, using information on the manifestation and change of parameters of various characteristics, including physiological ones.

Thyroidectomy Induced Toxicity of Testis and Possible Amelioration by Chia (Salvia hispanica) Seeds Extract

Background: Thyroidectomy or thyroid surgery induces hypothyroidism and causes thyroid and testicular hormone deficiency. The current Study Aimed to examine the therapeutic effect of chia seeds extract against thyroidectomy-induced testicular toxicity, oxidative stress, DNA damage, proliferation in rats. Methods: 40 male rats were equally divided into 4 groups [Gp1, control ; Gp2, CSE ; Gp3, thyroidectomies rats; Gp4, treated thyroidectomies rats with chia seeds extract (Thy+CSE )]. Result: Following a thyroidectomy, significant reductions (P less than 0.05) were observed in The Levels of triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4), sexual hormones (Testosterone (tt), Follicle-Stimulating Hormone and Luteinizing Hormone And prolactin), count of sperm, index of morphology, vitality, progressive motility, total motility (PR+NP), Glutathione, Superoxide Dismutase, Glutathione S-Transferase and PCNA expressions compared to the control and CSE after three weeks. Additionally, thyroidectomy leads to significant (P less than 0.05) increases in the serum of thyrotropin (TSH), alanine transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, non-progressive sperms, immotile sperms, malondialdehyde, DNA damage and injury of testis and significant (P less than 0.05) decreases in blood. Thy+CSE treatment helped to modulate most of these changes and recover testicular injury when compared To The Control and CSE. Rats treated with CSE after thyroidectomy Showed gradual improvements in testicular functions, histology and spermatogenesis due to its beneficial affection in free radicals’ scavenger.

Assessing the Risk of Postoperative Delirium Through Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status of Elderly Patients With Gastric Cancer.

Postoperative delirium is especially common and often problematic among elderly patients undergoing surgery. This study aimed to explore factors that can predict postoperative delirium in elderly patients undergoing gastric cancer surgery. This cohort study included 255 patients age 75 years or older who underwent gastric cancer surgery between July 2010 and December 2020. All the patients underwent preoperative comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) evaluation by a geriatrician. In addition to the CGA items, this study investigated the association between postoperative delirium and clinicopathologic factors, including Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG-PS). The most common postoperative complication was delirium, present in 31 patients (12.2%). The group with delirium was significantly more likely to have ECOG-PS≥2, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, or cerebral infarction. The CGA showed frailty in the Instrumental Activities of Daily Living scale (IADL), the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), the Vitality Index (VI), and the Geriatric Depression Scale 15 (GDS-15). In the multivariate analysis, the independent risk factors for delirium were ECOG-PS ≥2 (P=0.002) and MMSE-frailty (P<0.001). Using an MMSE score of ≤23 and an ECOG-PS score of ≥2 as cutoffs, postoperative delirium was predicted with a sensitivity of 80.7% and a specificity of 74.1%. Postoperative delirium might be more easily predicted based on the combination of MMSE and ECOG-PS for elderly patients with gastric cancer undergoing gastrectomy.

Tool chip contact length analysis of dry and cryogenic turning of aerospace alloy Ti-6Al-4V

Tool chip contact length is a vital machining index being representative of manufacturing efficiency. Various machining factors including tool wear and energy consumption are governed by tool chip contact length. The current work was undertaken to make a comparative analysis of dry and cryogenic turning of Ti-6Al-4V in terms of their sustainability and productivity indices. During experimentation, cutting speeds of 50 m/min and 125 m/min were selected working at feed rates ranging from 0.16 mm/rev to 0.24 mm/rev. Scanning electron microscopy was utilized to analyse the results. It was observed that machining under cryogenic conditions, in comparison with dry conditions, resulted in up to 51 % lower tool chip contact length. The results were also investigated in terms of chip formation for both machining environments. In addition, benefits of lower tool chip contact length were quantified in terms of lesser tool wear and better energy consumption. Tool chip contact length and chip formation analysis, indicative of the machining process efficiency, highlights that cryogenic condition is more sustainable and productive than dry conditions.

IMPACT OF HABITUAL SMOKING ON THE ORGANISM OF ADOLESCENTS LIVING IN THE NORTH OF RUSSIA

The aim of the work is to analyze the impact of habitual smoking on the physiological systems of adolescents living in the north of Russia (65º N). Materials and Methods. Using generally accepted methods, morphofunctional, physiometric, physiological and psychological parameters were determined in 34 boys aged 14–15 years (11 smokers for at least 2–3 years and 23 non-smokers). The level of physical health was assessed according to Apanasenko method. Results. Compared with non-smokers, smoking adolescents have statistically significantly higher body weight, body mass index (BMI), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), pulse pressure (PP), mean blood pressure (MBP) during exercise, heart rate (HR) during exercise and its increase while working, HR recovery after exercise (Martine-Kushelevsky test), rate pressure product (RPP), and scores of activity (WAM questionnaire). At the same time, they demonstrated lower strength index (SI), maximum expiratory pressure (MEP), vital capacity (VC), vital index (VI), Skibinskaya index (SI), level of physical health (LPH), and WAM parameters. Smokers, compared to 11 non-smokers of the same weight, have statistically significantly lower height, strength and SI, Genchi test time, MEP, VC, VI, SI, LPH, and scores of well-being and mood (WAM parameters). However, they have higher HR during exercise, its increase while working, and HR recovery. Excess body weight in smokers leads to hypertension, while long-term smoking in teenagers living in the north of Russia causes physiological decline and physical health deterioration. In some cases, our results (decrease in strength, Genchi test time, VC, VI, increased HR, hypertensive reactions, and health deterioration in smokers) correlate with the data obtained both in our country and abroad.

Плотность всходов сосны обыкновенной в сосновых лесах под влиянием выбросов Карабашского медеплавильного комбината и лесных пожаров

We assessed the features of natural pine regeneration in forests with different ages of ground fires in the Southern Urals depending on the level of heavy metal pollution. Using the materials obtained from 81 sample plots laid in maturing, mature and over-mature pine forests of natural origin in three types of forest growth conditions (TFGC 1 – TFGC 3), the relationship between the density of pine seedlings and the state of forest stands (crown density, stand age, vital status index), with the characteristics of vegetation condition (total number of species, total projective cover of herb-shrub layer, projective cover of bryophytes layer), with external influences (pollution level, distance from emission source, duration of fire disturbance), and with the methodological features of the study (accounting year) was analyzed. The high variability of estimates of the density of pine seedlings did not allow us to identify the relationship between the density of seedlings and the level of pollution and/or fire disturbances. The density of seedlings is nonlinearly related to the protective cover of the herb-shrub layer. With increasing coverage of the herb-shrub layer, the density of seedlings increased in areas with high levels of pollution and decreased in areas with background pollution.

State-of-health estimation of lithium-ion batteries using multiple correlation analysis-based feature screening and optimizing echo state networks with the weighted mean of vectors

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are widely employed in electric vehicles (EVs) and energy storage systems owing to their high energy density, low self-discharge rate, and superior longevity. As a vital evaluation index for the degradation state of LIBs, the state of health (SOH) must be accurately estimated. This study adopts an electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS)-based equivalent circuit model (ECM) to estimate battery SOH. The internal dynamic electrical behaviors of LIBs are decoupled by the distribution of relaxation times (DRT) method, whereby the critical degradation features are extracted from the DRT curves and the fitted ECM parameters. Subsequently, referring to the ensemble learning approach (ELA), the multiple correlation analysis (MCA) is utilized to identify the most pertinent degradation features. The battery data are subjected to a comprehensive analysis with five types of correlations to ascertain the optimal number and combination of health indicators (HIs). Furthermore, the weighted mean of vectors (INFO) algorithm is employed to optimize the hyperparameters in the echo state network (ESN) model for SOH estimation. The echo state networks model optimized with the weighted mean of vectors algorithm (INFO-ESN) is verified with eight types of LIBs under different operating conditions. Experimental results of the proposed method manifest that the root mean square error (RMSE) and mean absolute error (MAE) of the battery SOH range from 0.32 % to 1.06 %, thereby verifying the accuracy and robustness of the proposed method.

Appraising motivation as a predictor of independence in individual activities of daily living in patients with subacute stroke: a retrospective study

ABSTRACT Objectives This study aimed to evaluate the impact of motivation on independence in activities of daily living, such as eating, getting up, and rehabilitation, in subacute stroke patients. Materials and Methods We retrospectively assessed the data of 191 first-stroke patients in a rehabilitation hospital ward. Motivation was examined using the following five elements of the Vitality Index: waking pattern, communication, feeding, on and off toilet, and rehabilitation and other activities. As an outcome measure, independence in activities of daily living, such as eating and dressing, was assessed using the Barthel Index. Logistic regression analysis was performed using the independence of each activities of daily living, as determined by the Barthel Index at discharge, as a dependent variable and each of the Vitality Index item scores as the independent variable. Results Motivation to get up item of the Vitality Index was significantly associated with independence in grooming and dressing, whereas motivation to communicate item was significantly associated with independence in transferring (p < 0.05). Furthermore, motivation to eat item was significantly associated with independence in feeding, grooming, dressing, and transferring, whereas motivation to engage in rehabilitation and activities was significantly associated with independence in dressing, transferring, and toileting (p < 0.05). Conclusions Our results suggest that the motivation to eat, get up, communicate, and participate in rehabilitation and activities is associated with independence in different activities of daily living. The present study provides useful insights into the significance and interpretation of assessing motivation on independence in activities of daily living.

Morphofunctional indicators of the body students of the medical university

Introduction. The period of adolescence accounts for the completion of the growth processes of the body, and the beginning of stabilization of functional indicators, which, as more plastic factors, are more sensitive to environmental conditions. Measuring, evaluating, and predicting morphofunctional parameters of the body of medical university students, taking into account regional standards of physical development, is one of the priorities of modern medicine and scientific research in general.The aim of the study is to study the features of anthropometric and functional characteristics, vegetotype of medical university students in comparison with the current regional standard.Materials and methods. Anthropometric and functional parameters were measured in 300 medical students (77 males, 223 females), aged 19,1±0,88 years.Results. It is shown that anthropometric characteristics of students significantly exceed the regional standard, in boys it is body length (p&lt;0,01), and weight-height ratio (p&lt;0,05), in girls it is body length, chest circumference and weight-height ratio (p&lt;0,01). Cardiointervalography parameters revealed 4,01 % vagotonics, 88,33 % eutonics and 7,62 % sympathotonics, a significant difference (p&lt;0,01) was also found in linear cardiointervalogram parameters in cohorts of these vegetotypes. Functional indices in absolute terms revealed compliance with the regional standard only in vital capacity of lungs, carpal dynamometry is significantly lower than the standard, in girls (p&lt;0,01), boys (p&lt;0,05), haemodynamics in terms of diastolic blood pressure and heart rate significantly (p&lt;0,01) exceeds the reference values. Integral functional indices: vital index, vegetative index, minute volume of respiration differ significantly by sex (p&lt;0,05); Kerdo index, minute volume of blood circulation showed a significant difference by vegetotype (p&lt;0,05); pulse pressure showed a significant difference by sex and vegetotype (p&lt;0,01).Conclusion. The studies showed statistically significant excesses relative to the regional standard in young men in body length (p&lt;0,01) and mass-height ratio (p&lt;0,05), in chest circumference in girls (p&lt;0,01); in diastolic blood pressure and heart rate in boys and girls (p&lt;0,01). Absolute and integral indices of cardio-respiratory system are significantly higher in sympathotonics than in vagotonics. Young men, relative to girls, demonstrate higher absolute, linear values of cardiointervalogram (p&lt;0,01), in the whole population these indices are within the range of norm of the regional standard. Among students the majority 88,33 % have normotonic type of ANS. The obtained results, in our opinion, show the need for systematic monitoring of objective morphofunctional state of modern youth.

Deep learning-based minute-scale digital prediction model for temperature induced deflection of a multi-tower double-layer steel truss bridge

Bridge deflection serves as a vital and intuitive index for the evaluation of bridge safety. Temperature load has the greatest influence on the bridge deformation and studies on the temperature-induced deformation prediction of long-span bridge are in limited numbers. A digital prediction model based on deep learning in minute scale is established to study the bridge deflection caused by temperature. The wavelet transform (WT) is adopted to filter the high-frequency signals of the original deflection caused by the related load factors. Three different networks, long short-term memory (LSTM), bidirectional LSTM (Bi-LSTM), and Transformer variant, are studied and compared in the prediction process. Two different learning strategies considering different input data are also considered to optimize the prediction performance. The proposed prediction model is applied to the temperature induced deflection prediction of a multi-tower double-layer steel truss bridge. The results show that strategy A, which employs temperature time series data as input, is less effective than strategy B. Incorporating both temperature and deflection data as inputs is essential for predicting temperature-induced deflections. Moreover, the Transformer-variant network generally exhibits superior prediction performance compared to the LSTM and Bi-LSTM. The self-attention mechanism of the Transformer allows it to focus on key historical temperature points, thereby enhancing prediction accuracy.

Investigating the relationship between spermogram parameters and sexual desire in infertile men: a cross-sectional study from a tertiary centre in Iran

BackgroundMale factor infertility can affect spermatogenesis, sexual desire, and thus the quality of life of couples. The present study was conducted to investigate the relationship between spermogram parameters, and the...

A Numerical Investigation on the Sinkage of the Deep-Sea Mining Vehicle Based on a Modified Constitutive Soil Model

Abstract The seabed soil of the polymetallic nodule mining area is relatively thin, soft, and fluid, which will produce large deformation under external disturbance. Its undrained shear strength is related to strain-rate and strain-softening effect. It is an important engineering safety problem for the deep-sea mining vehicle (DSMV) to travel in the soft seabed, and its sinkage is a vital index affecting the traction performance. It is necessary to study the sinkage performance of the DSMV under the characteristics of large soil deformation, but there are only few existing studies. This study established a numerical model of seabed soft soil with Tresca constitutive considering strain-rate and strain-softening effects. First, a numerical simulation study was carried out on the interaction between the DSMV track plate and the seabed soil, and the influence of track plate structures on the pressure–sinkage characteristic was obtained. Then, a simplified three-dimensional model of the “PIONEER-I” DSMV was established. Under the condition of wet weight and initial vertical velocity, the influence of different initial bottoming velocities, weight, and soil parameters on the sinkage of the DSMV was obtained. An empirical prediction model of the DSMV sinkage was established based on the energy method and numerical calculation results.

Independent and joint associations of multiple metals exposure with vital capacity index: a cross-sectional study in Chinese children and adolescents.

The current study aimed to explore the relationships between urinary metals and vital capacity index (VCI) in 380 children and adolescents in Northeast China using a variety of statistical methods. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 380 children and adolescents in Liaoning Province, China. To assess the relationships between urinary metals and VCI, Elastic-net (ENET) regression, multivariate linear regression, weighted quantile sum (WQS), bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) and quantile-based g computation (qgcomp) were adopted. The ENET model selected magnesium (Mg), vanadium (V), manganese (Mn), arsenic (As), tin (Sn) and lead (Pb) as crucial elements. In multiple linear regression, we observed urinary Pb, Mn was negatively correlated with VCI individually in both total study population and adolescents (all p values < 0.05) in the adjustment model. The WQS indices were negatively related with VCI in total study population (β=-3.19, 95%CI: -6.07, -0.30) and adolescents (β=-3.46, 95%CI: -6.58, -0.35). The highest weight in total study population was Pb (38.80%), in adolescents was Mn (35.10%). In the qgcomp, Pb (31.90%), Mn (27.20%) were the major negative contributors to the association in the total population (β=-3.51, 95%CI: -6.29, -0.74). As (42.50%), Mn (39.90%) were the main negative contributors (β=-3.95, 95% CI: -6.68, -1.22) among adolescents. The results of BKMR were basically consistent with WQS and qgcomp analyses. Our results indicated that Pb and Mn were priority toxic materials on VCI. The cumulative effect of metals was negatively related to VCI, and this relationship was more pronounced in adolescents.

Measuring ecological well-being based on the degree of ecosystem service supply and demand matching in Shenzhen, China

Measuring urban ecological well-being and achieving a comprehensive understanding of its spatial differentiation characteristics are important foundations for meeting the growing health needs of residents and improving the insufficient and unbalanced development of the urban ecological environment. However, the current framework for defining urban ecological well-being that considers the supply and demand of ecosystem services (ESs) is unclear. The key to enhancing urban ecological well-being lies in measuring the level and patterns of ecological well-being in urban spaces through the degree of ES supply–demand matching; therefore, the present study aims to construct a measurement framework for urban ecological well-being based on this matching. The developed framework was applied to assess ecological well-being in Shenzhen in 2015 and 2020. This study summarizes the spatial patterns and analyzes their temporal and spatial distributions and influencing factors, showing that: (1) the spatial distribution of the comprehensive supply and demand of ESs in Shenzhen both have strong spatial heterogeneity; (2) the area of four types of relatively low ecological well-being patterns in Shenzhen was greater than that of five types of relatively low ecological well-being patterns in 2020, and the proportions of the areas of low, relatively low, and relatively sufficient well-being were the largest; (3) the overall trend of ecological well-being change is one of decline. The area in which Shenzhen’s ecological well-being has declined is far greater than the area in which it has improved. The main reasons for this are the increase in the urban vitality index, an increase in the demand for ESs, and an increase in impermeable surfaces, which have led to a decrease in the supply capacity of the ecosystem in some areas.

Impact of surgical treatment on patient reported outcome in patients with spinal metastases from prostate cancer

ObjectiveThis study aimed to elucidate postoperative outcomes in patients with spinal metastases of prostate cancer, with a focus on patient-oriented assessments. MethodsThis was a prospective multicenter registry study involving 35 centers. A total of 413 patients enrolled in the Japanese Association for Spine Surgery and Oncology Multicenter Prospective Study of Surgery for Metastatic Spinal Tumors were evaluated for inclusion. The eligible patients were followed for at least 1 year after surgery. The Frankel Classification, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status, visual analog scale for pain, face scale, Barthel Index, vitality index, indications for oral pain medication, and the EQ-5D-5L questionnaire were used for evaluating functional status, activities of daily living, and patient motivation. ResultsOf the 413 eligible patients, 41 with primary prostate cancer were included in the study. The patient-oriented assessments indicated that the patients experienced postoperative improvements in quality of life and motivation in most items, with the improvements extending for up to 6 months. More than half of the patients with Frankel classifications B or C showed improved neurological function at 1 month after surgery, and most patients presented maintained or improved their classification at 6 months. ConclusionSurgical intervention for spinal metastases of prostate cancer significantly improved neurological function, quality of life, and motivation of the patients. Consequently, our results support the validity of surgical intervention for improving the neurological function and overall well-being of patients with spinal metastases of prostate cancer.

Assessment of the Quality of Cause-of-Death Data in Serbia for 2005-2019 Vital Statistics Performance Index Estimation.

We aimed to evaluate the quality of the cause of death (COD) concerning mortality patterns and completeness of death registration to identify areas for improvement in Serbia. COD data collected from the mortality register in Serbia from 2005 to 2019 (1540615 deaths) were analyzed with the software Analysis of National Causes of Death for Action. The Vital Statistics Performance Index for Quality (VSPI(Q)) is estimated for the overall COD data quality. The completeness of death certification was higher than 98%. Usable underlying COD was registered in 57%, 24.1% with an unusable and 18.6% with insufficiently specified COD. The VSPI(Q) was 67.2%, denoting medium quality. The typical error was using intermediate COD (24.7% of all deaths), while 13.2% and 8.5% of all garbage codes (GC) belonged to the Very High and High Severity classes. The leading underlying COD is unspecified cardiomyopathy. The analysis revealed that 39.1% of GC has been redistributed to non-communicable diseases, 2.5% to external causes and 1.1% to communicable diseases. In the 15 years' worth of data analyzed, the true underlying COD, in many cases, was ill-defined, indicating that COD data at the national level could be distorted. The additional and continuous professional education of medical students as well as physicians is needed. It should focus on the most common GC among the leading COD and acquiring skills in certifying external causes of death.

The trend of the quality of cause-of-death data and its association with socio-economic indicators in Serbia in the period 2005–19

This study aims to evaluate the temporal trend in the quality of cause-of-death data and garbage code profiles and to determine its association with socio-economic status in Serbia. A longitudinal study was assessed using data from mortality registers from 2005 to 2019. Computer application Analysis of Causes of National Deaths for Action (ANACONDA) calculates the distribution of garbage codes by severity and composite quality indicator: Vital Statistics Performance Index for Quality (VSPI(Q)). A relationship between VSPI(Q) and country development was estimated by analysing two socio-economic indicators: the Socio-demographic Index and the Human Development Index (HDI). Serbia indicates progress in strengthening cause-of-death statistics. The steady upward trend of the VSPI(Q) index has risen from 55.6 (medium quality) to 70.2 (high quality) over the examined years. Significant reduction of ‘Insufficiently specified causes with limited impact’ (Level 4) and an increase in the trend of ‘High-impact garbage codes’ (Levels 1 to 3) were evident. Decreased deaths of no policy value (annual percentage change of −1.41%) have manifested since 2014. A strong positive association between VSPI(Q) and socio-economic indicators was assessed, where the HDI has shown a stronger association with VSPI(Q). Improved socio-economic conditions on the national level are followed by enhanced cause-of-death data quality. Upcoming actions to improve quality should be directed at high-impact garbage codes. The study underlines the need to prioritise the education and training of physicians with a crucial role in death certification to overcome many cause-of-death quality issues identified in this assessment.

Vitality of Lembak Language Bengkulu City in the Dynamics of Contemporary Society

This study explored the current situation and challenges facing the preservation of the Lembak language among the Lembak ethnic group in Bengkulu City. With globalization and modernization, there were concerns about keeping indigenous languages like Lembak alive, especially with the influence of dominant languages. The study aimed to evaluate the vitality of the Lembak language, identify factors contributing to its preservation or decline, and provide recommendations for its sustained maintenance amid the continuously changing societal dynamics. Employing a mixed-method approach, the methodology encompassed cluster sampling for a survey comprising 210 respondents drawn from seven neighborhoods across three districts in Bengkulu City, alongside purposive sampling for interviews involving 36 respondents from diverse demographic strata encompassing varying age groups and occupational backgrounds, including parents, teachers, and students, all of whom were native Lembak speakers. Findings revealed an average vitality index of 0.38 for the Lembak language, signifying its endangered status. While the language remained prevalent among older age groups limited in their community, its usage notably declined among younger generations, partially due to language contact and a preference for dominant languages. This situation is exacerbated by the lack of formal support and promotion from the government, absence of official backing, insufficient formal teaching materials, minimal language documentation, and the necessity for the Lembak language to adapt to the new challenges of the digital era to remain relevant and develop.To ensure the Lembak language survives, it was suggested to raise awareness, improve education, and gain support from the government and other groups.

A GIS methodology for mapping regional and community vitality for Canada using the CanEcumene 3.0 Geodatabase with census data

Many ecosystem-based management (EBM) and related applications require integrating geospatial information about socio-economic conditions of human populated areas within a study area. However, integrating socio-economic data in such a way that it can be related to ecological data is challenging due to issues associated with spatial representation between socio-economic and ecological data frameworks. In Canada, this problem is particularly acute given its large geographic size, diversity of environments and highly irregular population distribution. Although several indices have been developed for Canada related to well-being and vulnerability, their suitability for EBM-related applications is limited. This article presents a GIS-based methodology for mapping regional and community vitality index (RVI/CVI) for Canada using standard Census data integrated with the CanEcumene 3.0 Geospatial Database (GDB). The method uses percentile ranks of five sub-indicators of vitality covering population growth, age structure, education, employment and economic wealth. Results reveal a number of notable patterns and trends in socio-economic conditions across the country and across different types of communities and regions. Most notable are decreasing CVI values from economic core regions to rural and remote communities; decreasing scores from high population centres to lower populated areas and lower scores for Indigenous communities when compared with non-Indigenous communities. A series of maps show variation in RVI/CVI values for specific locations with changes over time.