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The Mpemba effect is a fingerprint of the anomalous relaxation phenomenon wherein an initially hotter system equilibrates faster than an initially colder system when both are quenched to the same low temperature. Experiments on a single colloidal particle trapped in a carefully shaped double well potential have demonstrated this effect recently [A. Kumar and J. Bechhoefer, Nature 584, 64 (2020)]. In a similar vein, here, we consider a piece-wise linear double well potential that allows us to demonstrate the Mpemba effect using an exact analysis based on the spectral decomposition of the corresponding Fokker–Planck equation. We elucidate the role of the metastable states in the energy landscape as well as the initial population statistics of the particles in showcasing the Mpemba effect. Crucially, our findings indicate that neither the metastability nor the asymmetry in the potential is a necessary or a sufficient condition for the Mpemba effect to be observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Haplotype estimation, or phasing, has gained significant traction in large-scale projects due to its valuable contributions to population genetics, variant analysis, and the creation of reference panels for imputation and phasing of new samples. To scale with the growing number of samples, haplotype estimation methods designed for population scale rely on highly optimized statistical models to phase genotype data, and usually ignore read-level information. Statistical methods excel in resolving common variants, however, they still struggle at rare variants due to the lack of statistical information. In this study we introduce SAPPHIRE, a new method that leverages whole-genome sequencing data to enhance the precision of haplotype calls produced by statistical phasing. SAPPHIRE achieves this by refining haplotype estimates through the realignment of sequencing reads, particularly targeting low-confidence phase calls. Our findings demonstrate that SAPPHIRE significantly enhances the accuracy of haplotypes obtained from state of the art methods and also provides the subset of phase calls that are validated by sequencing reads. Finally, we show that our method scales to large data sets by its successful application to the extensive 3.6 Petabytes of sequencing data of the last UK Biobank 200,031 sample release. Author summary: Haplotype estimation, also known as phasing, is now applied to population scale projects, typically of hundreds of thousands of samples to millions of samples. Generally phasing relies on statistical methods as they provide very accurate results for common variations. However, for rare and very rare variants the lack of statistical power often results in poor phasing. The large amount of rare variations discovered with whole-genome sequencing as well as the number of samples makes it expensive to process. We have developed the SAPPHIRE method that leverages whole-genome sequencing data to verify and correct the phase at poorly phased variant loci. It does so by finding sequencing reads that contain both the poorly phased variant and an accurately phased common variant. SAPPHIRE scales with large data sets by specifically targeting variation where statistical phasing performed poorly, therefore it reduces the quantity of sequencing data to be processed and combines the advantages of both read-based and statistical approaches. We show the efficiency of SAPPHIRE by improving the estimated haplotypes for 200,031 samples in the UK Biobank. SAPPHIRE is free and available as open-source software. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate modeling of selection effects is a key ingredient to the success of gravitational-wave astronomy. The detection probability plays a crucial role in both statistical population studies, where it enters the hierarchical Bayesian likelihood, and astrophysical modeling, where it is used to convert predictions from population-synthesis codes into observable distributions. We review the most commonly used approximations, extend them, and present some recipes for a straightforward implementation. These include a closed-form expression capturing both multiple detectors and noise realizations written in terms of the so-called Marcum Q -function and a ready-to-use mapping between signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) thresholds and false-alarm rates from state-of-the-art detection pipelines. The bias introduced by approximating the matched filter SNR with the optimal SNR is not symmetric: sources that are nominally below threshold are more likely to be detected than sources above threshold are to be missed. Using both analytical considerations and software injections in detection pipelines, we confirm that including noise realizations when estimating the selection function introduces an average variation of a few %. This effect is most relevant for large catalogs and specific subpopulations of sources at the edge of detectability (e.g. high redshifts). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Consider a setting where multiple parties holding sensitive data aim to collaboratively learn population level statistics, but pooling the sensitive data sets is not possible due to privacy concerns and parties are unable to engage in centrally coordinated joint computation. We study the feasibility of combining privacy preserving synthetic data sets in place of the original data for collaborative learning on real-world health data from the UK Biobank. Methods: We perform an empirical evaluation based on an existing prospective cohort study from the literature. Multiple parties were simulated by splitting the UK Biobank cohort along assessment centers, for which we generate synthetic data using differentially private generative modelling techniques. We then apply the original study's Poisson regression analysis on the combined synthetic data sets and evaluate the effects of 1) the size of local data set, 2) the number of participating parties, and 3) local shifts in distributions, on the obtained likelihood scores. Results: We discover that parties engaging in the collaborative learning via shared synthetic data obtain more accurate estimates of the regression parameters compared to using only their local data. This finding extends to the difficult case of small heterogeneous data sets. Furthermore, the more parties participate, the larger and more consistent the improvements become up to a certain limit. Finally, we find that data sharing can especially help parties whose data contain underrepresented groups to perform better-adjusted analysis for said groups. Conclusions: Based on our results we conclude that sharing of synthetic data is a viable method for enabling learning from sensitive data without violating privacy constraints even if individual data sets are small or do not represent the overall population well. Lack of access to distributed sensitive data is often a bottleneck in biomedical research, which our study shows can be alleviated with privacy-preserving collaborative learning methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Escalating drug overdose death rates in Canada are of ever-increasing concern. To better understand the extent of this health threat, we obtained mortality statistics and population figures for the years 2000 to 2020, and examined rates of overdose deaths, coded (using ICD-10) as accidental, suicide or "undetermined intent." The drug deemed as primarily responsible for the death was categorized as opioid, non-opioid, or unspecified. Age patterns of drug deaths were graphed. Joinpoint analysis was used to test the significance of changes in death rates. Accidental opioid and stimulant overdose death rates in Canada have climbed faster since 2011, though not as high as corresponding US rates. Unknown cause death rates have increased. However, opioid and non-opioid suicide rates have decreased significantly since 2011, and there have been fewer drug deaths of undetermined intent. Increased attention to the possibility that some suicides are being misclassified is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many population statistics describe the characteristics of populations within and among species. These are useful for describing population dynamics, understanding how environmental factors alter demographic patterns, testing hypotheses related to the evolution of life history characteristics and informing the effective management of populations.In this study, we propose a population statistic: the interstage flow. The interstage flow is defined as the product of the element in the ith row, the jth column of the population projection matrix and the jth element of the normalized stable stage distribution.The sum of the interstage flow matrix elements is equal to the population growth rate (PGR), which is the dominant eigenvalue of the population projection matrix. The interstage flow matrix elements allow decomposition of PGR into component contributions made by transitions between developmental stages.We demonstrate the utility of interstage flow matrices using matrix population models from the COMPADRE plant matrix database. We compared interstage flows among four life history/functional groups (FGs) (semelparous herbs, iteroparous herbs, shrubs and trees) and described how PGR reflected individual transitions related to stasis, fecundity and growth. We found that the individual flows are different among FGs.Synthesis. The proposed population statistic, the interstage flow matrix, describes the contribution of individual developmental stage transitions to the PGR. The flow of individuals between developmental stages differs in distinctive ways among different life histories and FGs. The interstage flow matrix is a valuable statistic for describing these differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Undercounting is a critical issue in migration statistics, resulting in bias. This typically arises from insufficient reporting requirements and problems with enforcing such requirements. The main sources of information on undercounting are the metadata accompanying official statistics and expert opinions. However, metadata and arbitrary expert opinions may be limited by overlooking important details in migration data shared by various countries. This includes potential oversight of changes in methodologies, definitions, or retrospective updates to the data following censuses. This work presents a methodological solution with three objectives to address undercounting in international migration data. First, we provide an overview of available metadata and expert opinions on undercounting in European migration flows. Secondly, we propose a novel data-driven approach that incorporates year-specific and duration-of-stay-adjusted classifications. The proposed methodological solution relies on comparisons of flows in the same direction reported by a given country with high-quality data reported by another set of countries. We use bilateral migration data provided by Eurostat, United Nations, and selected national statistical institutes. Duration-of-stay correction coefficients are derived through an optimization model or borrowed from the literature. Metadata and expert opinion scores can also be integrated to classify undercounting. Finally, we provide a dynamic classification of undercounting for thirty-two European countries (2002–21), accessible through an online Shiny application, offering flexibility and adaptability. The findings highlight significant undercounting in new European Union Member States, particularly Bulgaria, Latvia, and Romania. Interestingly, other European countries, including those presumed to maintain reliable population statistics, also exhibit notable periods of undercounting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crater detection is useful for research into dating a planetary surface's age and geological mapping. The high-resolution imaging camera (HiRIC) carried by the Tianwen-1 rover provides digital image model (DIM) datasets with a resolution of 0.7 m/pixel, which are suitable for detecting meter-scale craters. The existing deep-learning-based automatic crater detection algorithms require a large number of crater annotation datasets for training. However, there is currently a lack of datasets of optical images of small-sized craters. In this study, we propose a model based on the Segment Anything Model (SAM) to detect craters in Tianwen-1's landing area and perform statistical analysis. The SAM network was used to obtain a segmentation mask of the craters from the DIM images. Then non-circular filtering was used to filter out irregular craters. Finally, deduplication and removal of false positives were performed to obtain accurate circular craters, and their center's position and diameter were obtained through circular fitting analysis. We extracted 841,727 craters in total, with diameters ranging from 1.57 m to 7910.47 m. These data are useful for further Martian crater catalogs and crater datasets. Additionally, the crater size–frequency distribution (CSFD) was also analyzed, indicating that the surface ages of the Tianwen-1 landing area are ~3.25 billion years, with subsequent surface resurfacing events occurring ~1.67 billion years ago. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Long COVID refers to the persistence or development of signs and symptoms well after the acute phase of COVID-19. Objective of the study: To investigate the long-term outcomes of the SARS-CoV-2 infection in terms of psychological, social, and relational consequences within the Italian population. Materials and methods: We conducted an observational, cross-sectional, and multicenter study using an online questionnaire distributed to a sample of the Italian population. By utilizing the Short Form 12 Health Survey (SF-12) and the Hikikomori scale, we assessed perceived quality of life and social isolation, respectively. The questionnaire also included an open-answer question: "What will you remember about the pandemic period?". We used generative artificial intelligence to analyze and summarize the corresponding answers. Results: A total of 1097 people participated in this study. A total of 79.3% (n = 870) of participants declared that they had been hospitalized and 62.8% (n = 689) received home care. Physical symptoms included headaches (43%, n = 472) and asthma (30.4%, n = 334). Additionally, 29.2% (n = 320) developed an addiction during the pandemic and, among these, 224 claimed internet addiction while 73 declared an emotional addiction. Furthermore, 51.8% (n = 568) experienced limitations in carrying out daily life activities. According to the Hikikomori scale, participants with positive SARS-CoV-2 infection exhibited higher levels of isolation compared to the others (p < 0.001). Participants without COVID-19 showed higher levels of emotional support (p < 0.001). Our semiautomatic analysis of the open-ended responses, obtained by a procedure based on a free large language model, allowed us to deduce and summarize the main feelings expressed by the interviewees regarding the pandemic. Conclusions: The data collected emphasize the urgent need to investigate the consequences of long COVID in order to implement interventions to support psychological well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the New Zealand government is progressing plans for substituting the census as we know it for information held in state agency records, the huge gap between what we need population statistics for, and the scope and quality of existing statistics stays under the radar. The scale and volatility of migration, the impact of increased longevity and the different demographic dynamics of fast-growing ethnic communities must be continually measured in ways we can trust. Confidence that the statistical qualities of the census would be replicated requires transparency, validation and independent peer review if trust is to be maintained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

'Migration background' has been an official category of population statistics in Germany since 2006 and has become an integral part of knowledge production about Germany as an immigration country. However, 'migration background' is not only a way of constructing 'migrant' and 'native' populations; it is also employed as a marker of ethnic inequality and often differentiated into subgroups to stand for national links or ethnic descent. I reflect on these observations as utterances of methodological nationalism inscribed into data practices and (non)knowledge production in migration research. I link them to ideas about statactivism (Bruno et al. 2014. "Statactivism." Partezipatione & Conflitto 7 (2): 198–220) as a means of intervention. I give some examples of how I have tried to destabilize the usual (non)knowledge production in migration research and reflect on the possibilities for individual researchers to do so. My ethnographic analysis is based on a close reading of national statistical reports, fieldwork in statistical offices, participatory observations in workshops, informal and formal interviews, and my own involvement in (non)knowledge production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The population of radio-loud stars has to date been studied primarily through either targeted observations of a small number of highly active stars or wide-field, single-epoch surveys that cannot easily distinguish stellar emission from background extragalactic sources. As a result it has been difficult to constrain population statistics such as the surface density and fraction of the population producing radio emission in a particular variable or spectral class. In this paper, we present a sample of 36 radio stars detected in a circular polarization search of the multi-epoch Variables and Slow Transients (VAST) pilot survey with ASKAP at 887.5 MHz. Through repeat sampling of the VAST pilot survey footprint we find an upper limit to the duty cycle of M-dwarf radio bursts of |$8.5 \,\rm {per\,cent}$|⁠ , and that at least 10 ± 3 |$\rm {per\,cent}$| of the population should produce radio bursts more luminous than |$10^{15} \,\rm {erg}\mathrm{s}^{-1} \,\mathrm{Hz}^{-1}$|⁠. We infer a lower limit on the long-term surface density of such bursts in a shallow |$1.25 \,\mathrm{m}\rm {Jy}\rm\ {PSF}^{-1}$| sensitivity survey of |${9}^{\, +{11}}_{-{7}}\times 10^{-3}$|   |$\,\deg ^{-2}$| and an instantaneous radio star surface density of 1.7 ± 0.2 × 10−3   |$\,\deg ^{-2}$| on 12 min time-scales. Based on these rates we anticipate ∼200 ± 50 new radio star detections per year over the full VAST survey and |${41\, 000}^{\, +{10\, 000}}_{-{9\, 000}}$| in next-generation all-sky surveys with the Square Kilometre Array. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern, high-density neuronal recordings reveal at ever higher precision how information is represented by neural populations. Still, we lack the tools to understand these processes bottom-up, emerging from the biophysical properties of neurons, synapses, and network structure. The concept of the dynamic gain function, a spectrally resolved approximation of a population’s coding capability, has the potential to link cell-level properties to network-level performance. However, the concept is not only useful but also very complex because the dynamic gain’s shape is co-determined by axonal and somato-dendritic parameters and the population’s operating regime. Previously, this complexity precluded an understanding of any individual parameter’s impact. Here, we decomposed the dynamic gain function into three components corresponding to separate signal transformations. This allowed attribution of network-level encoding features to specific cell-level parameters. Applying the method to data from real neurons and biophysically plausible models, we found: (1) The encoding bandwidth of real neurons, approximately 400 Hz, is constrained by the voltage dependence of axonal currents during early action potential initiation. (2) State-of-the-art models only achieve encoding bandwidths around 100 Hz and are limited mainly by subthreshold processes instead. (3) Large dendrites and low-threshold potassium currents modulate the bandwidth by shaping the subthreshold stimulus-to-voltage transformation. Our decomposition provides physiological interpretations when the dynamic gain curve changes, for instance during spectrinopathies and neurodegeneration. By pinpointing shortcomings of current models, it also guides inference of neuron models best suited for large-scale network simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to conceptualize tourist journey through analyzing tourist experiences. In this study, the connotation and important criteria of the Eiffel Tower visitor travel experiences were identified using a qualitative approach. The statistical population of this study includes the visitors who posted online reviews on TripAdvisor. The data was extracted using the python program script. Data analysis was performed using the content analysis method with the help of the Maxqda software. The results show that considering structural and scenic attractions, person- environment fit and supplementary need factors in the Pre-trip stage; environmental, social, and service space factors in the entrance stage; Value for money and payment methods factors in the payment stage can affect tourist experiences and their behavioral intentions. This study is a pioneer work to qualitatively create a model for the concept of the tourist journey by examining the experience of tourists. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Statistical analysis for populations of networks is widely applicable, but challenging, as networks have strongly non-Euclidean behaviour. Graph space is an exhaustive framework for studying populations of unlabelled networks that are weighted or unweighted, uni- or multilayered, directed or undirected. Viewing graph space as the quotient of a Euclidean space with respect to a finite group action, we show that it is not a manifold, and that its curvature is unbounded from above. Within this geometrical framework we define generalized geodesic principal components, and we introduce the align-all-and-compute algorithms, all of which allow for the computation of statistics on graph space. The statistics and algorithms are compared with existing methods and empirically validated on three real datasets, showcasing the potential utility of the framework. The whole framework is implemented within the geomstats Python package. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The exploratory nature of phase II trials makes it quite common to include heterogeneous patient subgroups with different prognoses in the same trial. Incorporating such patient heterogeneity or stratification into statistical calculation for sample size can improve efficiency and reduce sample sizes in single-arm phase II trials with binary outcomes. However, such consideration is lacking in randomized phase II trials. In this paper, we propose methods that can utilize some natural order constraints that may exist in stratified population to gain statistical efficiency for randomized phase II designs. For thoroughness and simplicity, we focus on the randomized phase II selection designs in this paper, although our method can be easily generalized to the randomized phase II screening designs. We consider both binary and time-to-event outcomes in our development. Compared with methods that do not use order constraints, our method is shown to improve the probabilities of correct selection or reduce sample size in our simulation and real examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are transient radio signals of extragalactic origins that are subjected to propagation effects such as dispersion and scattering. It follows then that these signals hold information regarding the medium they have traversed and are hence useful as cosmological probes of the Universe. Recently, FRBs were used to make an independent measure of the Hubble constant H 0, promising to resolve the Hubble tension given a sufficient number of detected FRBs. Such cosmological studies are dependent on FRB population statistics, cosmological parameters, and detection biases, and thus it is important to accurately characterize each of these. In this work, we empirically characterize the sensitivity of the Fast Real-time Engine for Dedispersing Amplitudes (FREDDA) which is the current detection system for the Australian Square Kilometre Array Pathfinder (ASKAP). We coherently redisperse high-time resolution data of 13 ASKAP-detected FRBs and inject them into FREDDA to determine the recovered signal-to-noise ratios as a function of dispersion measure. We find that for 11 of the 13 FRBs, these results are consistent with injecting idealized pulses. Approximating this sensitivity function with theoretical predictions results in a systematic error of 0.3 km s−1 Mpc−1 on H 0 when it is the only free parameter. Allowing additional parameters to vary could increase this systematic by up to |$\sim 1\,$| km s−1 Mpc−1. We estimate that this systematic will not be relevant until ∼400 localized FRBs have been detected, but will likely be significant in resolving the Hubble tension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Emotional and cognitive components such as emotional intelligence, Alexithymia, and thought-action fusion have a significant impact on generalized anxiety disorder, and the above components are considered to be the main factors in the creation and continuation of this disorder. Therefore, the present study aimed to compare emotional intelligence, Alexithymia, and thought-action fusion in patients with generalized anxiety disorder and normal people. Method: The present study was descriptive and causalcomparative in terms of its fundamental purpose and data collection method. The statistical population of the research was all generalized anxiety patients who were referred to specialized psychiatry and counseling clinics in Qazvin city in the spring and summer of 2023, who were diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder by specialists. From this statistical population, 50 people with Generalized Anxiety Disorder and 50 normal people were selected by the available sampling method. instruments for data gathering were Bar-N's Emotional Intelligence (1980), Toronto Alexithymia Questionnaire (1994), and Rachman and Shafran's Thought-Action Fusion Questionnaire (1998). Data were analyzed using SPSS-25 software and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). Findings: The results showed that there is a significant difference between emotional intelligence, Alexithymia, and thought-action fusion in patients with generalized anxiety disorder and normal people. Conclusion: Therefore, The results showed that the scores of emotional ataxia and thought-action fusion in people with generalized anxiety disorder are higher than those of normal people, but the score of emotional intelligence in normal people is higher than that of people with generalized anxiety disorder. This finding has important implications for the pathology of generalized anxiety disorder. Accordingly, professionals can use these results for the prevention and treatment of generalized anxiety disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aimed to explore the effect of environmental sustainability and entrepreneurial orientations on the performance of greenhouses in Iran. It is a sort of descriptive-correlational research conducted by the survey methodology. The data collection instrument was a questionnaire whose validity was checked by a panel of entrepreneurship and environment experts, and its reliability was estimated by conducting a pilot study and calculating Cronbach's alpha (α = 0.88–0.91). The statistical population was composed of all greenhouse units in Mahallat County in Markazi province, Iran (N = 405). The sample size was determined to be 197 greenhouses by Krejcie and Morgan's table. The independent variables included environmental sustainability orientations (including the dimensions of environmental knowledge and awareness, practices, and commitment) and entrepreneurial orientation of greenhouse managers (including the dimensions of innovation, proactiveness, and risk-taking), and the dependent variable was the performance of greenhouses (including the dimensions of increasing customers, increasing sales, and increasing profitability). The results of structural equation modeling showed that the dimensions of environmental sustainability orientations and entrepreneurial orientations of the greenhouse managers were decisive factors in the performance dimensions of the greenhouses. Furthermore, the entrepreneurial orientations had a positive and significant effect on the environmental sustainability orientations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate (in)stability can manifest in the size of mollusks attesting to variable impacts on growth, seasonal exploitation, and cultural persistence. We present population statistics of the height of a bivalve species (Donax obesulus) collected from sites dating to the Early Horizon (EH, 900–200 BCE) in the Nepeña Valley and the Middle Horizon (MH, 600–1000 CE) in the Jequetepeque Valley of northern coastal Peru and compare them with a paleoclimate record and a sample of modern shells (collected in 2012, 2014, and 2016) from the Nepeña Valley. We observe diachronic variation in the size of D. obesulus with larger bivalves during the EH and smaller shells during the MH and in the modern sample. D. obesulus size remains relatively static during the MH at one site through two sub-phases. These bivalve populations were likely impacted by both climate and cultural circumstances. A proxy for runoff from El Niño related rainfall (%lithic flux) from a previously published nearby marine sediment core is elevated during the EH and Late Moche phase of the MH and correlates with shell height. During the Transitional phase of the MH and the modern interval, however, there are periods of comparatively reduced El Niño activity and shell height compared to the EH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study describes the deaths of individuals in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention between FY2021-2023, updating a report from FY2018-2020, which identified an increased death rate amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Data was extracted from death reports published online by ICE. Causes of deaths were recorded, and death rates per 100,000 admissions were calculated using population statistics reported by ICE. Reports of individuals released from ICE custody just prior to death were also identified and described. Results: There were 12 deaths reported from FY2021-2023, compared to 38 deaths from FY2018-2020. The death rate per 100,000 admissions in ICE detention was 3.251 in FY2021, 0.939 in FY2022, and 1.457 in FY2023, compared with a pandemic-era high of 10.833 in FY2020. Suicide caused 1 of 12 (8.3%) deaths in FY2021-2023 compared with 9 of 38 (23.7%) deaths in FY2018-2020. COVID-19 was contributory in 3 of 11 (25%) medical deaths in FY2021-2023, compared with 8 of 11 (72.7%) in the COVID-era months of FY2020 (p = 0.030). Overall, 4 of 11 (36.3%) medical deaths in FY2021-2023 resulted from cardiac arrest in detention facilities, compared with 6 of 29 (20.3%) in FY2018-2020. Three deaths of hospitalized individuals released from ICE custody with grave prognoses were identified. Conclusions: The death rate among individuals in ICE custody decreased in FY2021-2023, which may be explained in part by the release of vulnerable individuals following recent federal legal determinations (e.g., Fraihat v. ICE). Identification of medically complex individuals released from ICE custody just prior to death and not reported by ICE indicates that reported deaths underestimate total deaths associated with ICE detention. Attentive monitoring of mortality outcomes following release from ICE custody is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recombination events establish the patterns of haplotypic structure in a population and estimates of recombination rates are used in several downstream population and statistical genetic analyses. Using suboptimal maps from distantly related populations may reduce the efficacy of genomic analyses, particularly for underrepresented populations such as the Native Hawaiians. To overcome this challenge, we constructed recombination maps using genome-wide array data from two study samples of Native Hawaiians: one reflecting the current admixed state of Native Hawaiians (NH map) and one based on individuals of enriched Polynesian ancestries (PNS map) with the potential to be used for less admixed Polynesian populations such as the Samoans. We found the recombination landscape to be less correlated with those from other continental populations (e.g. Spearman's rho = 0.79 between PNS and CEU (Utah residents with Northern and Western European ancestry) compared to 0.92 between YRI (Yoruba in Ibadan, Nigeria) and CEU at 50 kb resolution), likely driven by the unique demographic history of the Native Hawaiians. PNS also shared the fewest recombination hotspots with other populations (e.g. 8% of hotspots shared between PNS and CEU compared to 27% of hotspots shared between YRI and CEU). We found that downstream analyses in the Native Hawaiian population, such as local ancestry inference, imputation, and IBD segment and relatedness detections, would achieve similar efficacy when using the NH map compared to an omnibus map. However, for genome scans of adaptive loci using integrated haplotype scores, we found several loci with apparent genome-wide significant signals (|Z-score|> 4) in Native Hawaiians that would not have been significant when analyzed using NH-specific maps. Population-specific recombination maps may therefore improve the robustness of haplotype-based statistics and help us better characterize the evolutionary history that may underlie Native Hawaiian-specific health conditions that persist today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aimed to explore the empowerment of trainees of agricultural schools for the development of their professional performance. It was a survey study. The statistical population was composed of all trainees studying in agricultural schools in Iran in the 2020-2021 educational year, amounting to 1,119 students, out of whom 169 trainees were sampled by simple randomization. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the closure of the schools, the questionnaires were sent and received by e-mail from the provinces of Tehran, Khuzestan, Fars, Qazvin, Mazandaran, and Semnan. Data were analyzed by the structural equation method using Smart PLS3. Based on the results, the educational content, educational process, management process, technical trainer development, and supply of space, equipment, and technology in agricultural schools have positive and significant effects on the empowerment of trainees in these schools. The standardized path coefficients revealed that the educational content directly accounted for 67.2% of the variance in the trainees' empowerment. Also, 39.9, 31.1, 30.2, and 29.8% of the variance in the Iranian trainee's empowerment were captured by the educational process, management process, technical trainer development, and the supply of space, equipment, and technology, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Incremental dynamic analysis (IDA) is one of the widely used methods for structural assessment analysis and fragility curve development, given its unique capabilities in taking into account the aleatory uncertainties of earthquake records and its ability to provide a desirable statistical population of the system response. However, the strong dependence of the results on the number of selected records, the record selection process and scaling procedure, as well as the associated high computational costs are some of the obstacles, which limit the practicality of the IDA method especially in the case of large-scale structures. In the present study, an alternative approach called "Response Bounds" is proposed to estimate the expected range of structural responses under earthquakes with different intensity levels and to develop seismic fragility curves. To reduce computational costs and address the challenges associated with the record selection, a novel scenario-based Endurance Time (ET) analysis method is adopted. The good agreement between the fragility results of 5-, 10-, and 15-storey steel moment-resisting frames obtained by the proposed method and the IDA (less than 9% error) demonstrated the accuracy and reliability of the predicted results. The method could also estimate the mean loss ratio from fragility curves with less than 5% error in all cases. The proposed response-bound method can significantly reduce the computational costs of conventional seismic fragility assessment methods, and therefore can be used as an efficient tool for seismic reliability analysis in practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was focused on the assessment of genetic diversity in twenty-three populations of Orobanche cumana parasitizing on sunflower in Bulgaria, Turkey, Moldova and Romania using 13 ISSR markers. The obtained results on the genetic diversity parameters showed that the broomrape populations were characterised by a significant level of the intrapopulation diversity. In addition, descriptive population genetic statistics revealed that Turkish populations had a higher level of genetic diversity indices than populations from several areas of the northeast and east of the Balkan Peninsula included in Eastern Europe. The analysis of molecular variance showed that 38 % of the genetic variability was due to differences within populations, 34 % was due to differences among populations and the lowest molecular variation was among countries (28 %). According to clustering and PCA methods, Moldavian, Bulgarian and Romanian broomrapes shared more genetic traits with each other than with Turkish populations within a main gene pool. As a whole, all results of this study showed that there is a high intrapopulation diversity of the O. cumana gene pool in the Black Sea basin. From the clustering and PCA analyses, it can be concluded that the grouping of broomrape populations is partly determined by their geographical origin, as well as by the genetic differences and similarities accumulated over time, and is not related to virulence. The information obtained from this study may be highly relevant in contributing to the development of sustainable control strategies of the pathogen and breeding programmes for sunflower resistance to broomrape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES: Determining the level of satisfaction in each field will help to examine and eliminate the existing problems and shortcomings. Using this information, students' satisfaction can be provided as much as possible while strengthening the positive factors and correcting the negative factors. The aim of this study was to evaluate the Student's Satisfaction with externship Education in the Academic Departments of the Medical School of Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences in 2021. METHODS: This descriptive cross-sectional study, was performed in the medical school of Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences. The statistical population was all externship students. The validity of the questionnaire's content was determined by consulting experts, and its reliability was obtained by Cronbach's alpha method based on a sample of 20 students. The questionnaires were completed virtually on the Google site using the Google Form. Data analysis was performed Stata V14.2 software using descriptive statistics, t-test, and chi-square, and the significant level was considered 0.05. RESULTS: The results showed that 55% of the participants were female and 45% were male. The level of students 'satisfaction with the quality of supervisors' education was moderate to high and in other cases was moderate to low. Students were more satisfied with teaching anesthesia than other departments and were dissatisfied with the infectious department. No statistically significant difference was found between people's satisfaction with the overall clinical education process in terms of age. CONCLUSION: The results of this study showed that students have moderate to poor satisfaction with externship education in educational groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last decade, several studies aimed at dissecting the genetic architecture of local small ruminant breeds to discover which variations are involved in the process of adaptation to environmental conditions, a topic that has acquired priority due to climate change. Considering that traditional breeds are a reservoir of such important genetic variation, improving the current knowledge about their genetic diversity and origin is the first step forward in designing sound conservation guidelines. The genetic composition of North-Western European archetypical goat breeds is still poorly exploited. In this study we aimed to fill this gap investigating goat breeds across Ireland and Scandinavia, including also some other potential continental sources of introgression. The PCA and Admixture analyses suggest a well-defined cluster that includes Norwegian and Swedish breeds, while the crossbred Danish landrace is far apart, and there appears to be a close relationship between the Irish and Saanen goats. In addition, both graph representation of historical relationships among populations and f4-ratio statistics suggest a certain degree of gene flow between the Norse and Atlantic landraces. Furthermore, we identify signs of ancient admixture events of Scandinavian origin in the Irish and in the Icelandic goats. The time when these migrations, and consequently the introgression, of Scandinavian-like alleles occurred, can be traced back to the Viking colonisation of these two isles during the Viking Age (793-1066 CE). The demographic analysis indicates a complicated history of these traditional breeds with signatures of bottleneck, inbreeding and crossbreeding with the improved breeds. Despite these recent demographic changes and the historical genetic background shaped by centuries of human-mediated gene flow, most of them maintained their genetic identity, becoming an irreplaceable genetic resource as well as a cultural heritage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Datong Basin was an important arena for population movement and admixture between the Yellow River Valley and Eastern Steppe. In historical materials, the region was often the setting for a tug-of-war between Han farmers and non-Han nomads. The genetic makeup and population history of this Datong population has, however, remained uncertain. In this study, we analysed 289 mitogenomes from Datong individuals. Our primary findings were: (1) population summary statistics analysis revealed a high level of genetic diversity and strong signals of population expansion in the Datong population; (2) inter-population comparisons (PCA and Fst heatmap) exhibited a close clustering between the Datong population and Northern Han, especially northern frontier groups, such as the Inner Mongolia Han, Heilongjiang Han, Liaoning Han and Tianjin Han; (3) phylogeographic analysis of complete mitogenomes revealed the presence of different components in the maternal gene pools of Datong population—the northern East Asian component was dominant (66.44%), whereas the southern East Asians were the second largest component with 31.49%. We also observed a much reduced west Eurasian (2.07%) component; (4) direct comparisons with ancient groups showed closer relationship between Datong and Yellow River farmers than Eastern Steppe nomads. Despite, therefore, centuries of Eastern Steppe nomadic control over the Datong area, Yellow River farmers had a much more significant impact on the Datong population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reliable survey data is needed to be able to infer survey findings to the general population. However, self-selection or panel attrition of the survey respondents may bias survey estimations. To tackle these challenges, weighting adjustments have been established to correct for different inclusion probabilities and to reduce bias in the survey. These strategies adjust the survey data to match known population statistics (e.g., means and proportions). The usefulness of weighting strategies depends on the benchmarks of the variables available from official statistics or other highly reliable sources, for instance, whether population information on the weighting variables is available as joint distributions of all variables or as margins only. While complex weighting strategies have been developed for poststratification using joint distributions (for example multilevel regression and poststratification), these methods are not applicable when only population margins are available. In this paper, we propose two practical approaches that combine the multilevel regression weighting method with weighting algorithms using marginal population distributions only. In a simulation study, we applied both approaches to volunteer samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We calculate the distribution probability of hexagonal six-site rings in the disordered state of a cubic or hexagonal ice lattice model with ice rules perfectly obeyed. The mean-field distribution obtained is in significant agreement with those, slightly different among them, obtained by Monte Carlo simulations of the cubic or hexagonal model. The results are discussed in connection with the equilibrium and non-equilibrium transition from disorder to ferroelectric proton order. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We conducted this study with the aim of identifying factors that affect the use of health information technology in the treatment and management of hypertension. Methods: This paper is a descriptive-analytic study conducted in 2022. To obtain relevant articles, databases including Scopus, Web of Science, IEEE, and PubMed were searched and the time period was between 2013 and 2022. Based on the review of similar articles, a five-point Likert scale checklist was developed in the second phase. The statistical population of the present study was specialist physicians (N = 40) and patients (N = 384). In order to analyze the data, SPSS Statistics 24 was used. To analyze the data obtained from the checklist, we used summary statistics (mean and standard deviation). Results: As a result of the review literature process, 50 papers were screened, that based we can distinguish motivational and inhibitory factors affecting the use of health information technology in hypertension management. Indeed, Motivational factors and inhibitory factors can be classified into five groups: organizational, economic, technical, personal, and legal/moral factors. Based on the results of the checklist, the factors that were identified as most influential on motivation and inhibitory patients and specialist physicians' to use of health information technology to manage and treat hypertension. Conclusion: Utilizing technologies for hypertension, its management can be improved by identifying motivating and inhibiting factors. Our approach can improve the acceptability of these technologies, save costs, reduce long-term complications of hypertension, and improve patient quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A growing number of far-infrared (FIR) bright sources completely invisible in deep extragalactic optical surveys hint at an elusive population of z > 4 dusty, star-forming galaxies. Cycle 1 JWST surveys are now detecting their rest-frame optical light, which provides key insight into their stellar properties and statistical constraints on the population as a whole. This work presents the JWST Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam) counterpart from the COSMOS-Web survey to an FIR SCUBA-2 and Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) source, AzTECC71, which was previously undetected at wavelengths shorter than 850 μ m. AzTECC71, among the reddest galaxies in COSMOS-Web with F277W − F444W ∼ 0.9, is undetected in NIRCam/F150W and F115W and fainter in F444W than other submillimeter galaxies identified in COSMOS-Web by 2–4 magnitudes. This is consistent with the system having both a lower stellar mass and higher redshift than the median dusty, star-forming galaxy. With deep ground- and space-based upper limits combined with detections in F277W, F444W, and the FIR including ALMA Band 6, we find a high probability (99%) that AzTECC71 is at z > 4 with z phot = 5.7 − 0.7 + 0.8 . This galaxy is massive ( log M * / M ⊙ ∼ 10.7) and infrared-luminous ( log L IR / L ⊙ ∼ 12.7), comparable to other optically undetected but FIR-bright dusty, star-forming galaxies at z > 4. This population of luminous, infrared galaxies at z > 4 is largely unconstrained but comprises an important bridge between the most extreme dust-obscured galaxies and more typical high-redshift star-forming galaxies. If further FIR-selected galaxies that drop out of the F150W filter in COSMOS-Web have redshifts z > 4 like AzTECC71, then the volume density of such sources may be ∼3–10 × greater than previously estimated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, thousands tons of chemicals material are used to increase agricultural production that provides a risky situation for the communities. Recently, biological or organic agriculture is considered to get rid of such problems. But this style of agriculture is facing with many difficulties and challenges. The purpose of this research is to investigate the obstacles to the development of organic agriculture in Kohgiluyeh and Buyer-Ahmad provinces of Iran. This study was performed in three phases by using Delphi method. In this regard, the statistical population of the study were 32 experts of Jihad Agricultural Organization of Kohgiluyeh and Buyer-Ahmad Province, Iran. The results show that, regarding economic barriers, lack of governmental support; regarding social - cultural barriers, lack of consumption culture of organic products and regarding the political and administrative barriers, lack of clear policies and legislation in the field of organic farming are the main obstacles. Weakness in the education system for the production and consumption of organic products is also among the highest priorities in educational barriers. Education and culturalization in the field organic agriculture and appointing a special organization for this purpose seems to be essential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the population genetic structure and divergence among the regional populations of the Japanese honeybee, Apis cerana japonica, by re‐sequencing the genomes of 105 individuals from the three main Japanese islands with diverse climates. The genetic structure results indicated that these individuals are distinct from the mainland Chinese A. cerana samples. Furthermore, population structure analyses have identified three genetically distinct geographic regions in Japan: Northern (Tohoku‐Kanto‐Chubu districts), Central (Chugoku district), and Southern (Kyushu district). In some districts, "possible non‐native" individuals, likely introduced from other regions in recent years, were discovered. Then, genome‐wide scans were conducted to detect candidate genes for adaptation by two different approaches. We performed a population branch statistics (PBS) analysis to identify candidate genes for population‐specific divergence. A latent factor mixed model (LFMM) was used to identify genes associated with climatic variables along a geographic gradient. The PBSmax analysis identified 25 candidate genes for population‐specific divergence whereas the LFMM analysis identified 73 candidate genes for adaptation to climatic variables along a geographic gradient. However, no common genes were identified by both methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article provides an overview of the European Master in Official Statistics (EMOS) program, which aims to train future official statisticians by connecting European universities with producers of official statistics. It discusses the program's current offerings, which include 33 master's courses in 17 European countries, and emphasizes the integration of practical skills and advanced statistical methods. The article also mentions a study commissioned by Eurostat to assess the future development of EMOS and a workshop held to discuss experiences and ideas for the program's future. Additionally, the article highlights various articles published in the Statistical Journal of the IAOS, covering topics such as estimating COVID-19 incidence rates, measuring hidden population groups, using register-based population statistics, and applying innovative statistical methods. It also mentions upcoming discussions on the role of data scientists in replacing statisticians and a call for papers on understanding and assessing the value of official statistics. [Extracted from the article]

Like many countries, Ireland has been researching new systems of population estimates compiled using administrative data. Ireland does not have a Central Population Register from which the estimates can be compiled. The primary step in compiling population estimates from administrative data is to first build a Statistical Population Dataset (SPD). Ideally an SPD will have one record for each person in the population containing the relevant attributes. The ideal SPD then allows compilation of statistics by simply counting over records. In practice, the compilation of SPDs is prone to error. These errors can be classified into 4 types of error; overcoverage, undercoverage, domain misclassification and linkage error. Ireland, to date, has investigated 2 different approaches to the compilation of population estimates from administrative data. The first, labeled in this paper as the simple count method, is based on building an SPD which minimises the overall number of individual record errors such that simple counts from the SPD will provide population estimates. The second, labeled in this paper as the estimation method, is based on building an SPD which aims to eliminate all error types bar that of undercoverage and then adjusts counts for undercoverage using Dual System Estimation (DSE) methods to obtain population estimates. This paper explores the advantages and disadvantages of both methods before considering how they could be integrated to eliminate the disadvantages. Many NSIs will be considering similar challenges when compiling annual Census like population estimates and this paper aims to contribute to that discussion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China karst is a global hotspot of increasing vegetation cover, with ecological conservation projects being considered as the main driver. New research using global datasets also indicates that rural outmigration has contributed to increasing biomass at national scale. However, the link between rural outmigration and vegetation cover increase has not been established at regional scale, and it remains unclear as to whether increases in biomass do, in fact, improve the environmental conditions. In this study, we use local field and statistical data on population density and rocky desertification areas to study population movements and changes in aboveground biomass in relation to rocky desertification in South China karst during 2000–2017. Our results show that the urban population in this region increased by 8.3 million people between 2005 and 2015, and the rural population decreased by 4.8 million people. We find that aboveground biomass increased most in rural areas with low human pressure, and that there was an almost linear relationship between increase in biomass and rural outmigration, with the highest increase in aboveground biomass density (1.5 MgC ha−1 yr−1) observed in areas where rural outmigration was highest, and the lowest increase in aboveground biomass density (1.1 MgC ha−1 yr−1) where rural outmigration was lowest. Rocky desertification areas decreased with a higher level of rural outmigration. Using local field data, our study confirmed that rural outmigration can generate a carbon sink at regional scale by reducing rocky desertification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of study was to investigate the effect of undergraduate curriculum quality on students’ entrepreneurial intention, considering the role of mediators of entrepreneurial inspiration and entrepreneurial creativity. The study was an applied research and based on the analysis of structural equations. The statistical population was undergraduate students of Urmia National University in the first semester of the academic year 2022-2023 in faculties of engineering, art and agriculture. A questionnaire was used to collect data and the reliability and validity of it was confirmed and randomly distributed to the students. Finally 341 questionnaires were examined. The results indicated that there is a positive and significant relationship between the curriculum quality and entrepreneurial intentions (P<0.01). Entrepreneurial inspiration (P<0.01) and entrepreneurial creativity (P<0.01) also play a mediating role in this relationship. It is recommended that in the study of infrastructure of entrepreneurial purposes and in the educational and developmental policies, attention should be paid to curriculum quality in terms of connection with the industry. For development of entrepreneurial skills with the knowledge of individual and environmental foundations, expansion of the emotional and cognitive intention of students to become an entrepreneur should be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As improved recording technologies have created new opportunities for neurophysiological investigation, emphasis has shifted from individual neurons to multiple populations that form circuits, and it has become important to provide evidence of cross-population coordinated activity. We review various methods for doing so, placing them in six major categories while avoiding technical descriptions and instead focusing on high-level motivations and concerns. Our aim is to indicate what the methods can achieve and the circumstances under which they are likely to succeed. Toward this end, we include a discussion of four crosscutting issues: the definition of neural populations, trial-to-trial variability and Poisson-like noise, time-varying dynamics, and causality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a major participant in the construction of "China-Myanmar Economic Corridor" and the "One Belt and One Road" Initiative, Myanmar has an important strategic position, but the research on its population and socio-economic situation is relatively weak. Based on the summary of Myanmar's population distribution from the provincial scale, this paper used panel data of population, socio-economic and natural environment of Myanmar from 2005 to 2017, and spatial econometric model, explored the influencing factors of population distribution in Myanmar. The results show that: ① There are significant differences in the spatial distribution of population in Myanmar. The population density in Myanmar is "high in the central part and low in the eastern part and low in the western part". Yangon, Mandalay and Naypyidaw are the national population agglomeration areas, and the population in the three provinces and regions accounts for 28. 5% of the total population in the country. ② social and public services have a significant positive direct effect on the population distribution, and natural environment on the population distribution has significant positive effect and negative spillover effects space direct‐ ly, with the urban development and the employment quality has significant positive direct effect on the population distribution and positive spatial spillover effects, political conflict on the popu‐ lation distribution has significant negative spatial spillover effect, and no significant effect on the population distribution statistics of economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Suitability of teaching-learning strategies with the generational characteristics of the audience is one of the most important components in their effectiveness. The purpose of this research was to explore and explain teaching-learning strategies proportioning to the generational characteristics of undergraduate students studying in the academic year of 2020-2021. This study was conducted with a qualitative approach, content analysis method and through semi-structured interviews with experts. The statistical population consisted of educational sciences and sociology experts in Iranian higher education and the sample selection was purposive and snowball with 40 experts in the field of research from educational sciences and social sciences colleges of Isfahan and Tehran universities in the academic year 2020-2021. By structural and interpretive analysis of data through the three-step process of extracting the semantic units, sub-themes and main themes, teachinglearning strategies proportioning to the generational characteristics of today's undergraduate students including seven e-learning, self-directed, project-based, collaborative, dialogue-based, problem-solving, and synectics strategies, was identified. Based on this study, it can be concluded, the success of lecturers in teaching-learning effectively of today's generation of undergraduate students requires the application of these strategies in combination and according to the situation and conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

the major goal of this research is to design the employability model of university graduates. To this end, qualitative research, grounded theory method and in-depth interview have been applied. The statistical population of the study was faculty members of Shahid Chamran university of Ahvaz. 15 people were selected as research samples, using theoretical sampling method. The content of interviews was analyzed using open coding, axial coding and selective coding, after being logged. The components identified from the results of data analysis in the form of paradigmatic model are: casual conditions (student, professor, curriculum, educational factors), axial phenomenon (skills), contextual conditions (higher education policies, government policies, university philosophy, condition political organizational and meta organizational factors, regulations, management factors, condition economical), interfering conditions (socio-cultural factors), strategies (improving the quality of university performance, the level of interactions, international position of university, educational activities and educational situation), consequences (employability and its results at three levels: individual, organization and society). In selective coding, formation of “employability” was proposed as the core and center of the discussion and the employability theory was presented, based on that. The most important common feature of the designed model with others is related to the classes of skills and curriculum, and considering all the components affecting employability, is the most important difference from all previously designed models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we analyze the spread of an infectious disease in a not necessarily homogeneous multipopulation that interacts and is distributed in a discrete two-dimensional lattice (network) that acquires only partial immunity to the circulating stain. We use the solution properties of the proposed model to motivate the effects of including space in the dynamics. We show that the dynamics is largely influenced by the topology of the interactions between the different populations. The theoretical results are investigated numerically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last decade or so, Tanzania's economy has registered a significant growth in the rate of financial inclusion. The level of financial exclusion has consistently declined from 55% to 28% between 2009 and 2017 respectively. Moreover, the percentage of the adult population using formal financial services has almost quadrupled between 2009 and 2017. However, available statistics also illustrate that the participation of youth population in the formal banking, insurance, credit and savings products and services remain abysmally low. Furthermore, less than 50 percent of youth borrow from formal financial institutions. Indeed, lack of access to finance is frequently singled out as the major obstacle among youth to engage in entrepreneurial activities. Although much has been done to address financial inclusion, relatively little is known about the determinants of youth financial inclusion as well as the impact of financial inclusion on youth's willingness to engage in entrepreneurship in Tanzania. This study uses World Bank Financial Inclusion Index, (2018) to examine both the determinants of financial inclusion and the effects of financial inclusion on youth willingness to engage in entrepreneurial activities in Tanzania. In doing so, we employ propensity scores matching (PSM) and the treatment effects models. Financial inclusion is measured by using three indicators namely; "formal account", "formal savings" and "formal credit". The results from the logit PSM regression indicate that being employed increases the likelihood of having a current account or a savings account in a formal financial institution amongst the young people. In the case of formal account and formal saving, attaining a secondary education level increases the probability of having a formal account and a formal saving account relative to those with primary education. The estimated results from the Average Treatment Effect, whose computation is built on the propensity scores and the kernel matching algorithm show that having a formal current account, formal saving account and access to formal credit services positively affect the willingness of youths to engage into entrepreneurship. The policy implication is that government policy that enhances expansion of credit to youth remains paramount as a panacea to engage youth in entrepreneurial activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research was conducted with the aim of comparing women's perception of positive feedback related to appearance from their husbands, based on body image levels in married women in Tehran. The statistical population of this research was made up of married women with normal BMI in Tehran in 1400-1401. 233 people were investigated using a simple random sampling method by implementing a virtual questionnaire. The tools used in the research included Littleton's body image questionnaire (2005) and the perception questionnaire of positive feedback related to appearance including five scenarios that were presented in the form of an internet questionnaire. In this research, the difference in women's scores between five types of feedback and the total score of all feedbacks and body image was investigated using the covariance analysis method and with the statistical control of the age variable. The findings showed that the total score of feedbacks and the feedback score of denying the existence of defects in the high and low body image groups were different, and no difference was observed in the scores of other feedbacks in the high and low body image groups. According to the results of this research, it can be said that positive body image is one of the factors that cause positive perception of some types of positive feedback related to appearance in women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and objective: Undoubtedly, employees face a variety of organizational problems and issues during the service period. Employees' decisions and actions in facing these problems and issues will be based on their knowledge and mental patterns. This study aimed to document and record the cultural and spiritual experience in the face of the COVID-19 crisis. Method: This research was an applied, inductive and exploratory-descriptive case study, which was conducted as a one-time crosssectional survey in a qualitative manner. Data was collected using documentary reviews and questionnaires. The statistical population of this study included managers, experts, and administrators of Baqiyatallah University located in Tehran, Iran. According to the qualitative approach of the research, purposeful sampling was used and data collection was continued until the required data was collected. Data analysis was performed in MaxQDA 2020 and Excel 2019 software. Results: The results showed a total of 282 open source codes. Code frequencies were as follows: 25 codes for event dimension, 54 for issue dimension, 61 for measures and decisions dimension, 71 for output-outcome dimension, 35 for suggestions dimension, 17 for scenario planning and modeling dimension, and 19 for lessons learned dimension. Conclusion: The results of this study can be used as a basis for managers to plan and implement experience documentation in cultural and spiritual areas in the face of the COVID-19 crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For many people, their gender is the same as their sex recorded at birth. For some, gender and sex recorded at birth may not align, or they may not fall exclusively into the binary categories of male or female. There is growing recognition of the need to have quality estimates and projections of the population in a context beyond binary sex and gender. However, there is currently little demographic literature on this topic and production of such data is limited. In this paper, we use the demographic equation as a framework to describe the implications of considering sex and gender diversity in the production of population projections. In doing so, we consider implications for base population estimates, births, deaths and migration. We also consider implications of acknowledging gender as a concept that can change over time. We outline existing Australian and international approaches to data collection and address implications for the formation of projection assumptions. We conclude by outlining possible future directions for forming population projections that consider sex and gender beyond the binary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Scorpion sting is one of the medical health problems in tropical and subtropical regions of Iran. This study deals with the frequency of complications of scorpion sting, in patients referred to Afzalipour Hospital in Kerman. Methods: This retrospective descriptive-analytical study was performed using the census sampling method of patients, who referred to Afzalipour Hospital in Kerman following scorpion sting. The statistical population included all patients from 2016 to 2018. After collecting and extracting the data, the results were analyzed by SPSS software. Results: A total of 111 stings were reported, 61 females (55%) and 49 males (45%). Local signs included pain (55), swelling (15.3), erythema (21.6), skin ecchymosis (18.9), tenderness (10.8), and bleeding (1.8%). Systemic symptoms included nausea and vomiting (9), pain (1.8), numbness and paresthesia (3.6), weakness (9) and (86.5) without systemic symptoms. The average number of hospitalization days was 1.77. Conclusion: Clinical manifestations of patients show that species belonging to two families, Buthidae and Hemiscorpidae, are the cause of stings in this province. Stings has been more common in women and in the age group of 21 to 40 years old and more in July. Due to different species with neurotoxic and hemotoxic poison, the development of treatment protocols by trained physicians, who are familiar with clinical manifestations of these arthropods, are essential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the spread of Web 2, social networks became more popular. Social networks are used in various fields and scientific fields due to their capabilities and facilities. This study aims to analyze published Persian research on scientific social networks systematically. The present study is applied research with a systematic review approach using the Kitchenham and Charters model, which consists of 7 steps: question design, database identification, benchmarking, search process, selection, extraction, analysis, and data quality evaluation. The statistical population comprises 83 studies indexed in Persian databases (Elmnet, Irandoc, Magiran, Noormags, SID, Civilica, ISC) published in scientific and social networks. Findings showed that the study of scientific, social networks has been started since 2012, and about 84 studies have been published in this field. Among different years, in 2018, the most works were published. About 215 authors were involved in writing these works, of which 51.6% were women and 48.4% were men, 48.8 were faculty members and 50.2 were non-faculty members. The specialty of most writers was knowledge and information science. Thematically, the study of indicators and capabilities of scientific social networks with 23 studies is in the first place, presence and use of scientific social networks with 20 titles in the second, review of various aspects of social networks with 15 titles in the third, cooperation networks with 12 titles in the fourth and general scientific social networks and construction of research profiles in them with four titles placed in the fifth rank. In conclusion, researchers try to study the activities of the universities of the Ministry of Science and the activities of medical universities. Most of the published research was in the form of articles published in scientific journals or at scientific conferences. Also, most were published in collaboration with three or four authors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Cancer is a leading cause of death in the Caribbean, and the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is no exception. Evidence suggests that cancer incidence and mortality may vary based on demographic factors across the different cancer types. This study aimed to investigate the incidence and mortality trends associated with cancer cases in Trinidad and Tobago for the period 2008–2018, across different age groups, gender, and ethnicity. Methods: Data on 15,029 incident cancer cases were reported to the Dr. Elizabeth Quamina Cancer Registry between 2008 and 2018. The retrospective data were analyzed by sex, ancestry, and age, and were reported using Trinidad and Tobago population statistics for the period 2008–2018. Results: The incidence of prostate and breast cancers was high among males and females, respectively. Among males, the highest cancer mortality was associated with prostate, lung, colon, blood, and pancreatic cancers, respectively. Among females, the highest cancer mortality was associated with breast, ovary, colon, blood, and pancreatic cancers. The frequency of occurrence of the top five cancer sites was the highest among Afro-Trinidadians followed by Indo-Trinidadians. Most females diagnosed with breast cancer were at a localized stage, while most males diagnosed with breast cancer were at a distant or regional stage. Most individuals diagnosed with blood cancer were at a distant stage. For lung and colon cancer, the stage of diagnosis for most males and females was either distant or unknown. Majority of males are diagnosed with prostate cancer at an unknown stage. Conclusions: The findings indicate highest cancer incidence and mortality occur among Afro-Trinidadians. The stage at diagnosis varies across cancer types and gender. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]