Scientific Research Publishing

【Autonomous VR Exposure Therapy for Anxiety Disorders Using Conversational AI—Ethical and Technical Implications and Preliminary Results】 Full article: https://lnkd.in/e5rt9G4a (Authored by David Obremski and Carolin Wienrich, from University of Würzburg, Germany.) Virtual Reality (VR) offers a controllable, safe and effective environment for exposure therapy. Meanwhile, the recent rapid progress in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in general and conversational AI in particular paves the way for increasing automation of exposure therapy components. This paper provides an overview of relevant work in the field of Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy (#VRET), introduces existing AI-based approaches in therapy-related settings, presents current ethical positions on the use of autonomous embodied AI in therapy contexts and derives technical requirements from them, and presents the implementation and subsequent preliminary evaluation of a prototype realizing VRET with an AI-controlled agent as a virtual therapist. #AI_Therapy #Psychotherapy

【Serum Zinc and Copper Level in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) Patients and Its Correlation with Disease Duration-A Tertiary Hospital Study】 Full article: https://lnkd.in/eK_VHNrM (Authored by Mohammad Imnul Islam, et al., from Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Bangladesh.) #Juvenile_Idiopathic_Arthritis (JIA) is the most common rheumatic disease and one of the most common chronic illnesses of childhood. Studies show that JIA is associated with abnormal levels of serum #zinc (Zn) and #copper (Cu) as during inflammation serum copper concentration increases and zinc decreases. This work reports the serum levels of Zn and Cu in different sub-types of JIA patients and their correlation with the disease duration in this study.

【Investigating Media Selection through ChatGPT: An Exploratory Study on Generative Artificial Intelligence in the Aid of Instructional Design】 Full article: https://lnkd.in/eDbmAdas (Authored by Boaventura DaCosta and Carolyn Kinsell, from Solers Research Group, USA.) #Media_selection stands as a pivotal aspect within instructional systems and with it, the long-accepted premise that every instructional designer encounters the challenge of determining the most suitable media for effective instructional delivery. This study explores the use of #ChatGPT as a resource to assist instructional designers and educators in selecting the most suitable media for delivering their instructional content. #Artificial_Intelligence #Delivery_Systems #Generative_AI

【The Preliminary Study on Screening and Application of Phthalic Acid-Degrading Bacteria】 Full article: https://lnkd.in/ebu75anA (Authored by Honghao Zhang, et al., from Hubei University (China), etc.) Phthalic acid, as one of the main allelopathic substances in tobacco fields, can reduce the root activity of tobacco plants and inhibit their growth. Moreover, once phthalic acid enters the environment, it may be absorbed by organisms and humans through various pathways, reducing food security and causing various diseases. Therefore, finding beneficial microorganisms that can effectively degrade #phthalic_acid is crucial for addressing phthalic acid pollution issues. This study screens and isolates phthalic acid ester-degrading bacteria from soil with a long-term history of tobacco cropping and confirms that the degradation strain B3 belongs to the genus Escherichia coli (Enterobacter hormaechei subsp.) through physiological and biochemical tests and 16S rRNA identification. #Degrading_Bacteria #Rhizosphere_Soil 

【Effective Utilization of Government-Provided CTI by Small Businesses within the Defense Industrial Base】 Full article: https://lnkd.in/ehRbevnr (Authored by Josiah Dykstra, et al., from National Security Agency (USA), etc.) Despite the economic impact of #small_businesses in the U.S., it is well known that most small businesses do not have the resources required to establish a sophisticated cybersecurity program. This study assesses whether government-provided #cyber_threat_intelligence (CTI) is helpful in preventing or responding to, cyber-attacks among small businesses within the Defense Industrial Base (#DIB) and explores ways of improving the effective utilization of government-provided CTI to small businesses within the DIB.  

【Optimal Investment in Advertising and Quality to Mitigate a Possible Product-Harm Crisis】 Full article: https://lnkd.in/eFDUHJvi (Authored by Francesco Moresino, from University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland (HES-SO), Switzerland.) #Product_harm_crises pose significant challenges to companies, emphasizing the critical importance of effective risk management and crisis preparedness. This paper proposes an original method to compute the #optimal_investment in quality and advertising in order to reduce the probability of occurrence of a possible product-harm crisis and mitigate its effects. #Game_Theory #Advertising #Quality

【Research and Application of Caideng Model Rendering Technology for Virtual Reality】 Full article: https://lnkd.in/eMpC4t-d (Authored by Xuefeng Wang, et al., from Sichuan University of Science & Engineering (China), etc.) Caideng is China's national intangible cultural heritage. With the development of information technology, #virtual_reality (VR) technology has provided new ideas for the digital transformation and upgrading of the traditional #Caideng industry. This study designs an optimized lighting model algorithm that fuses the bidirectional transmission distribution function (BTDF) model, uses image optimization processing methods to enhance the immersive experience effect on the VR and presents a Caideng roaming interactive system. #Lighting_Model 

【Effects of β-Glucan Supplementation on Repairing of Phenol-Induced Vaginal Mucosal Epithelium Damage in Rats】 Full article: https://lnkd.in/ekFdJMXC (Authored by Song Fei, et al., from Guangzhou Red Cross Hospital of Jinan University (China), etc.) In various gynecological and vaginal intimate plastic surgery procedures, the vaginal mucosal epithelium is often damaged. For middle-aged and elderly women, once the vaginal mucosa is damaged, recovery is often difficult due to the decrease in estrogen levels in the body. Therefore, there is a need to develop better treatment methods and drugs for repairing damaged vaginal mucosa. This study investigates the effects of different concentrations of #β_glucan on the repair of damaged #vaginal_mucosa, the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and the inflammatory factor-6 (IL-6) in vaginal tissues. #Damage_Repair

【Decoding Retinoblastoma: Differential Gene Expression】 Full article: https://lnkd.in/eUKq9wsx (Authored by Ahmed Jasim Mahmood Al-Mashhadani, et al., from Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, China.) #Retinoblastoma is the most common intraocular cancer in children. Early detection and understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying this malignancy are crucial for improving therapeutic strategies and patient outcomes. Computational tools can aid in the visualization of gene regulatory networks facilitating a deeper understanding of the regulatory hierarchies that govern tumor biology. This study uses computational tools to dissect the differential #gene_expression profiles in retinoblastoma. #Chemoresistance #Immune_Response #Computational_Biology

【Penalized Spline Estimation for Nonparametric Multiplicative Regression Models】 Full article: https://lnkd.in/ecWrZjzh (Authored by Wei Chen, et al., from Jiangsu University of Science and Technology (China), etc.) This study introduces the estimation problem of the unknown link function in the nonparametric #multiplicative_regression model, proposes a new estimation method by combining the penalized splines and the least product relative error criterion, and gives some remarks about the selection of smoothing parameters and knots, and the asymptotic properties of the proposed estimator. #Nonparametric_Estimation #Penalized_Splines #Relative_Error