Asia Pacific Academy of Science Pte. Ltd.
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Enhancing mental health and treatment outcomes in leukemia patients through coping strategies, computer sciences, and psychological interventions
No full textThis study investigates the effectiveness of coping strategies, computer sciences, and psychological interventions in managing depression and anxiety among leukemia patients. Given the high prevalence of psychological distress in this population, the research employed a combination of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), systematic literature reviews, and qualitative analyses through patient interviews and clinical observations. The experimental tests included interventions such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), mindfulness-based stress reduction programs, supportive psychotherapy, and structured coping strategy workshops. Results demonstrated a significant reduction in depression and anxiety symptoms among patients receiving these interventions compared to those under standard care. Improvements were observed in emotional regulation, coping skills, quality of life, and treatment adherence, with CBT and mindfulness interventions yielding the most pronounced effects. The study contributes to the growing body of evidence supporting the integration of psychological care into standard leukemia treatment protocols. It emphasizes the critical role of adaptive coping mechanisms and psychological support in enhancing both mental health and clinical outcomes, advocating for comprehensive, interdisciplinary approaches
Exploring the Nexus: A Systematic Literature Review on Meta-Influencers in Immersive Brand Engagement
No full textVirtual Reality (VR) technology develops new, engaging ways for digital marketing to reach consumers through immersive environments. The rise of meta-influencers represents a fresh approach to marketing through influencers because these virtual personas can interact with customers in virtual spaces. For the purpose of this review, we define meta-influencers as AI-powered virtual influencers, typically hyper-realistic avatars or digital humans operating within immersive VR environments to influence consumer behaviour and brand engagement. The use of meta-influencers or virtual influencers presents organisations with improved scalability and managed promotional efforts, along with two major challenges regarding authenticity and privacy risks in data collection. Positive engagement between consumers and VR environments depends on the application of social presence components alongside gamification elements and digital rewards like NFTs. This study analyses 18 peer-reviewed studies regarding meta-influencers in VR marketing by using the PICO framework (Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome) to examine their influence on customer engagement as well as brand loyalty and immersive brand experiences. The study shows the requirement for ethical AI approaches to develop influencers together with standardised data protocols, which resolve emerging technological and moral problems in the AI domain. This study also proposed a conceptual model based on the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) framework to explain how meta-influencers shape consumer perceptions and behaviour in VR, helping consumers make purchasing decisions and encouraging long-term brand loyalty through immersive interactions
A hedonic approach to study willingness to pay for certified green hotel by customers in Thailand
Full text linkGreen hotels are becoming increasingly popular as more and more people become conscious of the impact of their travel on the environment. There are several certifications known as Green Building Certificates given to hotels all over the world to encourage them to move towards eco-friendly attitude. Having a certification is often considered as a marketing tool. These certifications are often internationally known. Although green hotel has been gaining in popularity by both hotel business and tourist demand in Thailand, there is limited information whether tourists are willing to pay more, and if so, how much more. This research studies tourists’ willingness to pay for staying in green hotel. The method for the study employs the hedonic pricing model to investigate hotel attributes in the determination of hotel room rates in Phuket, Thailand. The hotel attributes studied include green leaf certification, hotel star, the distance of hotel from the nearest beach, the distance of hotel from the city centre and other facilities of the hotel such as breakfast, meeting room, internet access, shuttle service, fitness centre, pool, and restaurant. The results show that tourists are willing to pay up to 68 percent premium for staying in green hotel. In addition, hotel star rating and some facilities such as free breakfast, fitness centre and shuttle service also have positive effects on room rates. However, the further away the hotel from the beach the lower the room rate
Farnese palace in Caprarola, Italy: Towards a people-centred brand image in a cultural tourism market
Full text linkThe valorization of cultural identity-centered brand icons has become a requested action nowadays, promoting the marketing statement of local heritage sites that aren’t designated as UNESCO World Heritage. Thus, these sites might compete to enhance and safeguard cultural heritage and authentic cultural knowledge. Moreover, lessening the high negative impact of the customization approach on the conservation statement of the cultural asset, the research adopts a people-centered approach developing the interlinkages between cultural tourism marketing and conservative management to enhance the rapport between the community and the palace in a community-based cultural tourism manner. Therefore, this empirical study reviews the cultural significance of the Farnese Palace in Caprarola and its reflection on its marketing statement, developing its brand image. It applies an integrated method that combines quantitative and qualitative analysis. It mainly assesses 165 online questionnaires with the public audience. The findings of this study draw a proposal for generating a people-centered heritage branding image (logo and slogan) of the Farnese Palace in Caprarola that seeks to generate a lifelong learning memory for the community and a long-term brand image for the visitors’ mentality
Utilising mycoremediation for treatment of petroleum-contaminated soils and sediments from Ogoniland, Niger Delta, Nigeria: A kinetic insight
Full text linkThe high prospect of mycoremediation and the lingering issues of Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons (TPHs), associated with crude oil pollution in Ogoniland, Niger Delta, Nigeria, necessitate investigations for sustainable remediation options. Therefore, mycoremediation of different contaminated soils (clayey, sandy, and loamy) and sediments collected within the study area was carried out using Pleurotus ostreatus and fermented palm wine, both optimized with Tween 80, for a period of 90 days. Results revealed variation in soils and sediments TPHs content, in the range of 120 to 525 g/kg dry soil (about 12% to 50% of TPHs contamination), which far exceeded the soil threshold value of 10 g/kg dry soil or 1%. Also, the TPHs concentrations in the soils and sediments, and the remediation efficiency were directly related to the textural properties, with the highest TPHs concentrations in clayey soils and the highest remediation efficiencies in loamy soils. Both mycoremediation agents, enhanced with Tween 80, achieved TPHs remediation above 98% in all the treatments (except in sandy soil). In all cases, the mycoremediation proceeded via pseudo second-order kinetics, and the removal rates peaked at 45–75 days. The kinetic insights also establish the initial TPHs concentration as one of the key factors influencing the remediation efficiency. This study further revealed that mycoremediation of TPHs works best in loamy soils; therefore, shifting soil properties towards those of loamy during mycoremediation is highly recommended. Consequently, with the abundant mycoremediation resources in the Niger Delta, mycoremediation can provide a sustainable option in the clean-up of the petroleum-contaminated soils and sediments
Spatial hotspots of microplastic accumulation in sediment associated with stream outflows into lakes and estuaries
Full text linkMicroplastics are a major form of anthropogenic pollution, and over time, the sediment at the bottom of aquatic environments becomes the sink for the denser of these particles. By mapping and analyzing sediment from lake and estuary systems, this study aimed to find spatial relationships between water and sediment dynamics at stream-to-slack-water transitions and resulting microplastic sediment accumulation characteristics. Sediment was collected along transects extending from the stream mouth to open water depositional environments at four unique study sites. After a series of separations from collected sediment, microplastics were weighed to map longitudinal variations in plastic concentration. At all study sites, the highest concentrations of microplastics (up to 14% dry weight) in sediment were found to focus in spatial hotspots peaking 600–700 m down gradient from the transition to a low-energy environment in intertidal freshwater estuary systems, and 150 m downstream in a lake system, all being associated with environments of clay-dominated sediment deposition. The dominant types of plastics identified were cellophane and polydimethylsiloxane. We hypothesize these spatial hotspots of microplastic accumulation may result from the unique diversity of density ranges for microplastic sediment, ranging from just above 1 g/cm3, but below the 2.7 g/cm3 common for natural mineral sediment, thus creating plastic depositional locations that are spatially offset from those of common mineral grains
Advancements in wearable sensor technology for enhanced diagnosis and management of Parkinson’s disease
Full text linkParkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurological disorder that gradually impairs bodily movements, making early diagnosis critical for slowing symptom progression and improving patients’ quality of life. As initial symptoms can be subtle, modern wearable sensor technologies play a vital role in monitoring patient movement and behavior. This review explores the applications of wearable sensors in diagnosing and managing Parkinson’s disease, drawing from 35 relevant studies published between 2015 and 2024. Findings indicate that 60%–80% of early-stage PD patients exhibit both motor and non-motor symptoms that can be effectively detected using motion sensors and electrophysiological methods, achieving approximately 90% accuracy in monitoring movement patterns. The incorporation of the Internet of Things (IoT) and machine learning has significantly enhanced the performance of these devices. Overall, wearable sensors are recognized as effective tools for early diagnosis and ongoing management of Parkinson’s disease, with the potential to improve patients’ quality of life and facilitate treatment processes. Future advancements should focus on developing smarter sensors and utilizing advanced algorithms for data analysis to maximize their clinical utility
Spatio-temporal analysis of urban heat island dynamics in urban centers landscape of southwest Ethiopia
Full text linkClimate change is becoming a global threat to human well-being and the sustainability of the planet Earth. The central cores of urban centers are significantly observed warmer than their surrounding outskirts or rural areas, which is identified as the urban heat island (UHI) effect fueled by massive Land Use Land Cover (LULC) change. The main research aim was to examine the Spatio-temporal variation of UHI dynamics based on the land surface temperature (LST), Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and built-up density in the urban centers (Jimma, Bedelle, Bonga, and Sokorru) landscape using techniques of remote sensing. In this study, Landsat thematic mapper (TM) for 1987 and Landsat Operational Imagery (OLI) for 2018 in the extraction of LST were used for examining UHI. Also, LULC, NDVI and built-up density of the urban centers were analyzed. The results of the study showed that the urban core had greater LST and UHI values, due to an increase of built-up density and a decline of green space. The result of LST mean value range rose from 20.1 ℃ (Bonga) to 23.3 ℃ (Sokorru) in 1987 and 22.67 ℃ (Bedelle) to 24.74 ℃ (Bonga), and 24.72 ℃ (Sokorru) in 2018, while the maximum observed LST value range from 28.97 ℃ (Jimma) in 1987 to 32.61 ℃ (Bonga) in 2018. The maximum range of UHI mean value was from 11.23 ℃ (1987) to 14.04 ℃ (2018), while the maximum observed UHI value ranged from 19.63 ℃ in 1987 to 23.32 ℃ in 2018 over Jimma city. The computed correlation at 5% significance results showed LULC change has a significant association with surface air temperature (r = 0.621, Sig. (2-tailed) = 0.031) accompanied by UHI impacts. We recommended urban authorities, policymakers, and urban planners should consider the effects of LST and UHI in urban planning to realize climate-smart urban centers of tomorrow in urban centers of southwest Ethiopia
Automated leaderboard system for hackathon evaluation using large language models
Full text linkEvaluating large numbers of hackathon submissions quickly, fairly, and at scale is a persistent challenge. Existing automated grading systems often struggle with bias, limited scalability, and a lack of transparency. In this paper, we present a novel hybrid evaluation framework that leverages large language models (LLMs) and a weighted scoring mechanism to address these issues. Our approach classifies hackathon submissions using LLMs, converts Jupyter notebooks to markdown for consistent analysis, and integrates multiple evaluation factors—from technical quality to video presentations—into a single, balanced score. Through dynamic prompt engineering and iterative refinement against manually benchmarked evaluations, we mitigate prompt design biases and ensure stable, fair outcomes. We validate our method in a multi-campus GenAI and Cybersecurity hackathon, demonstrating improved scalability, reduced evaluator workload, and transparent feedback. Our results highlight the potential of hybrid AI-driven frameworks to enhance fairness, adaptability, and efficiency in large-scale educational and competitive environments
Effects of solar sail and various perturbations under the equilateral triangular configuration in the four interacting bodies problem
Full text linkSolar sail and other perturbation effects are studied on the dynamical motion of the infinitesimal body in the four interacting bodies where three bigger bodies (two out of these three bodies are oblate in shape and equal in size) are situated at the vertices of an equilateral triangle. The important dynamical properties, like the locations of equilibrium points, their stability, the periodic orbits, Poincaré surfaces of section, and the basins of attraction, are illustrated with the evaluated equations of motion in unperturbed and perturbed cases. This investigation will be helpful to the space agencies worldwide