Background:Children with hearing impairments (HIs) have traditionally faced difficulties with language acquisition due to various factors, such as difficulties in accessing early intervention and therapy, among others. There is an opportunity for digital technology to address this problem; however, how different technologies can facilitate language acquisition, as well as the level of evidence, is not well understood. Objective:This study aimed to explore the types, roles, and outcomes of different digital technologies in supporting language development in children with HIs. Methods:Following Arksey and O'Malley's framework for conducting a scoping review and the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews), we systematically searched 6 online databases from 2014 to September 2024 for relevant studies on the role of digital technologies in supporting language learning among children with HIs (aged <18 years). Results:A total of 45 studies met the inclusion criteria. Mobile apps were the most frequently reported technologies, followed by digital books, extended reality, computer-based programs, and tangible or robotic tools. The most commonly used signed-language apps focus on vocabulary development and visual communication. Spoken language tools were less common but included augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems and auditory training apps. The efficacy outcomes of 12 studies included in this review showed that AAC-based apps had stronger effects on expressive language, pragmatic communication skills, and vocabulary development. These outcomes occurred when AAC-based apps were used in structured contexts with a therapist or parent. In contrast, signed language apps often reported narrower, word-level outcomes. Notably, relatively few interventions targeted early spoken language development, despite early childhood being a critical period for language acquisition. In addition, limited attention was given to visual design considerations related to user comfort, cultural relevance, and contextual adaptation. Conclusions:The evidence base reveals 3 structural patterns: the dominance of accessibility-driven mobile technologies; an imbalance between signed and spoken-language interventions, characterized by a greater number of signed-language tools but stronger and more consistent evidence for spoken-language outcomes, particularly in AAC-based interventions; and limited integration of digital technologies across home, school, and clinical contexts. Future research should prioritize the co-design and evaluation of culturally responsive, integrated, developmentally appropriate digital systems that support early spoken-language development and sustained, family-mediated language learning across contexts.

Exclusive breastfeeding in the first 6 months of life is crucial for the health of mothers and babies in low-and middle-income countries. Milk mid-chain fatty acids (MCFA) are potential biomarkers of milk production in other settings. This study investigates MCFA as markers of exclusive breastfeeding in low-and middle-income countries. This was an ancillary observational analysis of human milk fatty acids from a parent randomised controlled trial of vitamin D supplementation in Bangladesh. We categorised mothers as currently exclusively or non-exclusively breastfeeding based on weekly infant feeding questionnaires. We analysed milk fatty acids at 3 months postpartum by GC and modelled longitudinal exclusive breastfeeding using milk fatty acids in repeated-measures Poisson regression. Fatty acids are reported as % total fatty acids. The prevalence of currently exclusive breast-feeding was 76 % at 3 months and 43 % at 6 months (n 587). Both C6:0 and C15:0 were higher with exclusive breastfeeding (C6:0, P = 0·001; C15:0, P = 0·007), while C12:0 and C14:0 were lower (C12:0, P < 0·001; C14:0, P < 0·001). We combined these into an MCFA index defined as ((C6:0 + C15:0)/(C12:0 + C14:0)) × 1000 (Excl: 25 ± 0·50, Non-excl: 20 ± 0·60, P < 0·001). Mothers in the highest and lowest MCFA index tertiles had an exclusive breastfeeding prevalence at 3 months of 95 % and 60 %, respectively (P < 0·001), and remained different until 6 months. In secondary analysis, vitamin D supplementation during lactation was moderately associated with exclusive breastfeeding (relative prevalence: 1·17 (95 % CI 1·04, 1·32)). Milk MCFA were markers of exclusive breastfeeding in this cohort, and the milk MCFA index at 3 months predicted exclusive breastfeeding from 3 to 6 months postpartum.

Background Health interventions delivered by digital platforms are gaining popularity and are evolving to address the needs of patients with chronic diseases. The heterogeneity of chronic diseases requires that digital health platforms vary in their approaches to chronic disease management. Objective This review aimed to explore the characteristics of digital health platforms and the corresponding digital interventions developed to support patients with chronic diseases. This includes those platforms’ design, development, and the metrics by which any incremental benefits they provide are assessed. Methods We searched electronic databases including Scopus, Web of Science, PsycINFO, IEEE Xplore, MEDLINE, and Embase. Relevant articles published from January 2013 to November 2024 were extracted. Extracted data were then synthesized using qualitative content analysis and presented in narrative form with relevant tables. Results In total, we identified 69 digital health platforms supporting the management of 20 chronic diseases. Most platforms were mobile apps (n=22) or a combination of web and mobile apps (n=15). Most of the platforms (n=44) were tailored to support self-management of chronic diseases. These platforms also provided a web-based portal where health care providers could review and manage the information recorded by patients. In 77% (53/69) of the studies, patients reported that the digital interventions delivered by the platform improved their quality of life, their health, and their ability to self-manage their chronic diseases. In addition, health care providers reported positive outcomes, including improved clinical utility and patient communication. While short-term health outcomes of the digital health interventions were largely positive, long-term health outcomes remain unknown. This was because most of the studies were short-term pilots and often formative in nature (n=42). Many had limited sample sizes, limited participant uptake of the digital platforms, and technical issues. In many cases, further personalization of platforms was required to meet patients’ self-management needs. Conclusions Digital health interventions can be beneficial in the management of chronic disease. The adoption of digital interventions in combination with regular clinical care can improve health outcomes, support self-management, and enhance communication between patients and health care providers. However, long-term user engagement is the major barrier to their long-term success. High dropout rates, often resulting from a lack of motivation or technical issues, testify to the need for adaptive, low-burden interventions that function seamlessly in users’ daily lives. Adopting user-centered and co-design approaches that engage both clinicians and patients in designing digital health platforms may enhance the usability and uptake of such platforms.

Background:Heat illness poses a serious health risk for endurance athletes in tropical climates, yet smart sportswear solutions integrating wearable digital health functions remain underexplored in low-resource settings. Objective:The objective of this research was to co-design concepts for wearable technology-enabled cycling sportswear that integrate cooling, physiological monitoring, culturally responsive usability, and cost-sensitive implementation to inform heat illness prevention strategies and support future prototype development. Methods:We conducted five co-design workshops with 20 semi-professional cyclists in Sri Lanka, using the Functional-Expressive-Aesthetic (FEA) framework to elicit user needs. Participants generated 19 design concepts and prioritized features through group discussion, sticky-note voting and qualitative ranking based on perceived health impact, usability, and cost feasibility. Results:Cooling comfort emerged as the top priority, with strong preference for hybrid designs combining natural wind cooling and smart user-controllable cooling. Key cooling zones included neck/upper back and underarm/chest. Participants valued physiological monitoring when it supported actionable interventions, such as future sensor-triggered cooling and hydration prompts, rather than passive monitoring dashboards. Additional priorities included localized UI in Sinhala, simplified data visualization, and safety features such as reflective elements. Two T-shirt concepts were finalized: smart cooling with user-controlled settings and lightweight cooling packs integrated with perforated panels. Conclusions:Findings suggest that smart sportswear for low-resource tropical cycling contexts should prioritise actionable, localised, and cost-sensitive cooling interventions rather than monitoring-only functions. The study contributes concept-level design requirements for culturally responsive wearable digital health sportswear. Because the findings are based on co-design outputs and participant perceptions, the proposed health benefits remain conceptual and require prototype development, physiological validation, usability testing, and field evaluation under cycling conditions.

BackgroundAs the prevalence of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) among older adults increases, so does the need to enhance social participation and cognitive functions through innovative interventions. Digital storytelling in group settings holds potential not only to foster social connections but also to integrate with traditional in-person activities, leveraging both for greater impact. ObjectiveThis study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of the Huiyou app in supporting group-based storytelling activities, aiming to enhance social participation for people with MCI. We focused on the app’s ability to improve storytelling goal attainment, social connectedness, self-efficacy, and subjective happiness, comparing these outcomes between the experimental and control groups. MethodsWe randomly assigned 20 participants with MCI to either an intervention group or a control group, engaging them in the use of the Huiyou digital storytelling app over 4 weekly sessions of 45 minutes each. We measured outcomes through the Assessment of Life Habits questionnaire (77 items), particularly outdoor activities and interpersonal relationships; the Social Connectedness Scale–Revised (20 items); the General Self-Efficacy Scale (10 items), focusing on coping self-efficacy; and the Subjective Well-Being Scale (SWBS; 20 items), with a special emphasis on self-acceptance. ResultsThe sample had an average age of 69.7 (SD 3.21) years, with no significant (P=.23) baseline differences between groups in age, sex, or educational background. Cognitive function, assessed via the Montreal Cognitive Assessment–Chinese questionnaire, also showed no significant differences at baseline (P=.20). Specifically, significant enhancements in the outdoor activity (mean value difference 0.171, SD 0.353; Cohen d=1.046; P=.03) and interpersonal adaptation experience subscales of the SWBS (mean value difference 0.167, SD 0.247; Cohen d=1.290; P=.01) were noted. Notably, storytelling performance improved markedly, evidenced by increases in story sharing duration and complexity. Although overall improvements in Assessment of Life Habits (P=.14), Social Connectedness Scale–Revised (P=.59), and Subjective Well-Being Scale (P=.26) scores were not statistically significant, the large effect sizes observed suggest potential benefits of the Huiyou app that might be obscured by the study’s small sample size. ConclusionsThis study indicates that the Huiyou mobile storytelling app is feasible to enhance social participation and specific aspects of social functioning such as interpersonal adaptation for people with MCI. Despite the lack of significant changes in overall scores for key scales, observed effect sizes highlight a positive trend that merits further investigation. These results advocate for the continuation of digital intervention development to improve quality of life and social integration for individuals with MCI.

Internet addiction in children has been widely recognised as a substantial health and well-being issue that needs further studies and interventions. Existing literature suggests that behaviours related to children’s internet use and parental mediation may influence their online risks. However, there is a lack of research exploring how those factors may be associated with internet addiction risk, particularly in the context of developing regions with a higher risk and prevalence. The present study aims to investigate parental perspectives on the meaningful characteristics of children’s online behaviour and parental mediation that may contribute to protecting children from internet addiction. We conducted qualitative descriptive research involving 22 parents of Indonesian primary school children with diverse internet addiction risk assessed using the Parent-Child Internet Addiction Test (PCIAT). The data were collected using a 7-day parental diary followed by a post-diary interview and analysed using content analysis. This study found that children with a lower risk (PCIAT≤30) were more likely to have less mobile screen time, engage in positive online activities, show transparency about online activities, prioritise essential activities over internet use and show interests in various real-world activities. Their parents were more likely to enforce strict screen time and content restrictions, provide adequate supervision, demonstrate consistent internet parenting, maintain open communication about internet use and show adequate awareness in educating and role-modelling healthy internet use. Three domains of parental challenges were also identified: determining effective parental mediation strategies, maintaining positive attitudes in internet parenting and managing external influences. These findings suggest that families should improve children’s online behaviour to protect them from internet addiction, such as managing online activities, encouraging positive internet use, promoting transparency and balancing the day with various activities. Parents should also be supported in providing appropriate regulations, educating their children about healthy internet use and serving as role models.

Auditory features like voice pitch and speech style significantly influence human-computer interaction, especially in driving where voice assistants provide real-time guidance. This study examined how two voice pitches (Alto and Bass) and two speech styles (Casual and Frozen) affected drivers' cognitive and emotional responses. Eighty-four participants in a driving simulator received voice reminders from an assistant with varied auditory features while stress, heart rate variability, emotions, and task performance were recorded. Cognitive load was assessed using the NASA-TLX questionnaire. Results showed that the Frozen speech style combined with Alto pitch triggered higher stress and cognitive load, while speech style had a stronger effect than pitch on emotions. These insights aid in designing user-friendly voice assistants that reduce driver stress and improve safety. Future studies should investigate long-term effects and individual auditory differences.

BACKGROUND:The 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentration at which parathyroid hormone (PTH) concentration plateaus has been considered to benchmark vitamin D deficiency. However, in young children, there is limited evidence for a suppression point in the 25(OH)D-PTH relationship or its relevance to bone mass accrual. OBJECTIVES:To determine whether the threshold of 25(OH)D at PTH suppression in young children is corroborated by associations of 25(OH)D (or PTH) with bone mineral content (BMC) and areal bone mineral density (aBMD). METHODS:In a cross-sectional secondary analysis of data from the BONe and mUScle health in Kids (BONUSKids) study of 4-y-old children in Bangladesh, serum 25(OH)D and intact PTH (iPTH) were analyzed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and a chemiluminescent immunoassay, respectively. BMC and aBMD were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Associations between 25(OH)D, iPTH, and bone outcomes (BMC, BMC z-score, aBMD, and aBMD z-score) were modeled using multivariable-adjusted linear regression and spline models. Model fit was compared using Akaike's Information Criteria. RESULTS:Of 534 participants (51% female), 28% had 25(OH)D concentrations <25 nmol/L and 34% had iPTH >6.7 pmol/L. Model fit of the inverse relationship between 25(OH)D and iPTH was optimized with an inflection point at 25 nmol/L [<25 nmol/L: -0.16 pmol/L per 1 nmol/L increase in 25(OH)D; 95% confidence interval (CI): -0.22, -0.10; P < 0.001), above which the slope attenuated (≥25 nmol/L: -0.02 pmol/L; 95% CI: -0.04, -0.003; P = 0.019]. However, the positive linear associations between 25(OH)D and bone mass outcomes were monotonic (P < 0.05), and iPTH was not associated with any bone outcome in adjusted models (P > 0.05 for all). Associations were similar in males and females. CONCLUSIONS:Among 4-y-old children in Dhaka, Bangladesh, we did not identify a 25(OH)D threshold to define vitamin D deficiency based on its association with bone mass. However, efforts to raise 25(OH)D to ≥25 nmol/L may be warranted based on the relatively strong inverse association of 25(OH)D with iPTH below this threshold. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT03537443.

This scoping review systematically examines the evolution of research impact assessment frameworks, categorising their development into 4 generations. The study follows Arksey and O’Malley’s (2005) scoping review methodology, enhanced by Levac et al. (2010) and aligned with PRISMA-ScR guidelines. A comprehensive search was conducted across Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, IEEE Xplore, and Google Scholar, as well as grey literature, to identify relevant studies on research impact frameworks, metrics, and methodologies. A total of 139 studies were selected based on predefined inclusion criteria, encompassing bibliometric indices, multidimensional frameworks, predictive analytics, and alternative metrics. The findings highlight the transition from traditional citation-based measures to sophisticated, data-driven methodologies. The first generation (bibliometric indices) included 26 key metrics focusing on publication productivity. The second generation introduced 41 multidimensional frameworks incorporating societal, economic, and policy indicators. The third-generation integrated machine learning and predictive analytics to assess impact across 17 aspects and 9 data-driven factors. The fourth generation utilised 16 alternative metrics, including Altmetric Attention Scores and PlumX Metrics, to capture real-time digital engagement. Key challenges identified include limited standardisation, regional biases, and the under-exploitation of emerging technologies, such as large language models. The study underscores the need for predictive multidimensional frameworks and standardised taxonomies to enhance scalability and foresight in impact assessment. By structuring the evolution of research impact science, this review provides actionable insights to refine assessment methodologies, ensuring their relevance for addressing societal challenges and guiding strategic research investments.

Sweet potato is an important root crop grown in the riverine islands (Char area) of Bangladesh under subtropical climatic conditions. Sweet potato growers in char areas rarely follow a specific planning time but plant their vines from early October to the end of December. Farmers always obtain comparatively lower yields because sweet potato vines are not planted at the right time. This experiment was conducted for two consecutive years during the rabi seasons of 2021-22 and 2022-23 at Chinirpotol Char, Saghata, Gaibandha, to determine the optimum planting time of sweet potato vines for increasing crop productivity. Three planting times, 15 October, 30 October, and 15 November, and three sweet potato varieties, BARI Mistialu-8, BARI Mistialu-12, and local cultivars, were selected for comparison of productivity. BARI Mistialu-8 produced the significantly highest tuberous root yield (37.55 t ha(-1) from 2021-22 and 38.22 t ha(-1) from 2022-23) when the vines were planted on 15 October, similar to BARI Mistialu-12 (35.59 t ha(-1) from 2021-22 and 36.25 t ha(-1) from 2022-23). With respect to variety, BARI Mistialu-8 and BARI Mistialu-12 produced statistically similar yields in both years. However, the results revealed that, compared with the native sweet potato variety, BARI Mistialu-8 and BARI Mistialu-12 presented significant decreases in sweet potato root yield starting from 15 October onwards, every 15 days. Despite this decline, on average, BARI Mistialu-8 and BARI Mistialu-12 produced 60.71 % and 52.32 % greater root yields than the local cultivar did.

Increasing children's access to the internet raises concerns about the internet addiction phenomenon that can adversely impact health and well-being. Children are particularly vulnerable to this problem due to individual limitations and environmental influences, especially from parents. This study investigates parental perspectives on the extent to which parental mediation and children's online behaviour across multiple internet-enabled devices influence internet addiction in children. We recruited 1627 parents of Indonesian children aged 7-11 years old to complete self-administered questionnaires assessing parental mediation, children's online behaviour, and their internet addiction risk. Using the partial least squares-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM), we tested a model representing the constructs (R2 = 0.529). Our study discovered significant negative predictors of internet addiction, including online activities for learning or productivity (beta = -0.068) and five parental mediation strategies: active (beta = -0.119), co-use (beta = -0.060), restrictive-general (beta = -0.216), restrictive-specific (beta = -0.150), and supervision (beta = -0.181). Two variables were significant positive predictors of internet addiction, including mobile device use (beta = 0.284) and recreational online activities (beta = 0.157). Both variables also partially mediated the relationship between parental mediation and internet addiction. The findings highlight that the appropriate parental mediation to prevent excessive recreational screen time and encourage positive online activities can be an effective effort to prevent internet addiction in children.

Introduction: Heterogeneity in definitions of severe infection, sepsis and serious bacterial infection (SBI) in young infants limits the comparability of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of infection prevention interventions. To inform the design of severe infection prevention RCTs for young infants in low-resource settings, we estimated the incidence of severe infection in an observational cohort of Bangladeshi infants aged 0-60 days and examined the effect of variations in case definitions on incidence estimates. Methods: In 2020-2022, 1939 infants born generally healthy were enrolled at two hospitals in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Severe infection cases were identified through up to 12 scheduled community health worker home visits from 0-60 days of age or through caregiver self-referral. The primary severe infection case definition combined physician documentation of standardized clinical signs and/or diagnosis of sepsis/SBI, plus either a positive blood culture or parenteral antibiotic treatment for >=5 days. Incidence rates were estimated for the primary severe infection definition, the World Health Organization (WHO) definition of possible SBI, blood culture-confirmed infection, and five alternative severe infection definitions. Results: Severe infection incidence per 1000 infant-days was 1.2 (95% CI 0.97-1.4) using the primary definition, 0.84 (0.69-1.0) using the WHO definition of possible SBI, and 0.026 (0.0085-0.081) using blood culture-confirmed infection. One-third of cases met criteria for the primary severe infection definition through physician diagnosis of sepsis/SBI rather than the standardized clinical signs, and 85% of cases were identified following caregiver self-referral despite frequent scheduled study visits. Conclusion: Severe infection incidence in young infants varied considerably by case definition. A severe infection definition that requires physician documentation of standardized clinical signs may miss a substantial proportion of cases identified by physician diagnosis of sepsis/SBI. In settings where health facilities are accessible, frequently scheduled home assessments by study personnel to identify severe infection in infants may not be necessary. ### Competing Interest Statement AF received consulting fees from Brigham and Women's Hospital for separate work on the diagnostic accuracy of clinical sign algorithms to identify sepsis in young infants. None of the other authors had competing interests to declare. ### Clinical Protocols ### Funding Statement The study was funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) under grant INV-007389 to The Hospital for Sick Children and grant GR-02268 to The International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b). BMGF had an advisory role in the overall study concept and design; however, the BMGF had no role in data collection, analysis, interpretation of data, writing of the article, and the decision to submit the article for publication. ### Author Declarations I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained. Yes The details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below: Hospital for Sick Children Research Ethics Board (REB #1000063899) gave ethical approval for this work. The ethical review committee at the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b) (PR-19045) gave ethical approval for this work. The ethical review committee at the Bangladesh Shishu Hospital and Institute (formally known as Dhaka Shishu Hospital), the ethical governing body for the Child Health Research Foundation (CHRF) (BICH-ERC-20/02/2019) gave ethical approval for this work. I confirm that all necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived, and that any patient/participant/sample identifiers included were not known to anyone (e.g., hospital staff, patients or participants themselves) outside the research group so cannot be used to identify individuals. Yes I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance). Yes I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines, such as any relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material, if applicable. Yes De-identified datasets and code files used in the analyses of this study are publicly available at the Borealis online data repository.

As vehicle automation levels increase, the interaction between drivers and vehicles becomes significant. This pilot study investigated which type of driving system reminder, Text Display or humanoid Voice Command, provokes stronger preferences and facilitates driver performance. Six participants were recruited for the experiment, and were tasked with completing two rounds of driving sessions. During these sessions, reminders were presented in both text and voice formats, allowing a comparative analysis of their effects on driver performance. Data analysis was performed using mean value comparison, Wilcoxon Signed-Rank test, and Chi-Square test to evaluate user performance, emotion changes, and user satisfaction. The findings show that the participants showed stronger preferences for voice-based driving reminders, which aligns with the observed behaviors of the drivers. Regarding the emotion results, apart from the emotion of surprise, no significant differences were detected among the other emotions. Despite the limitations of a small sample size of participants, this study aims to improve communication between humans and machines through better alert systems for drivers. It also seeks to enhance the field of advanced driver assistant systems by developing more intuitive and responsive interactions between humans and in-vehicle assistants.

BackgroundUrban residents are facing increasing levels of exposure to extreme conditions, driven by global warming, urbanization, and the abundance of combustible materials in heavily constructed environments. There is an urgent need for evidence-based, innovation-driven public safety awareness. Frequent fire incidents in the Emirates of Sharjah and Dubai highlight the glaring deficiencies in conventional awareness safety campaigns.ObjectiveThis study aimed to enhance fire hazard recognition skills among residents, enabling them to recall and apply fire safety guidelines in their homes or apartments within a contextual, engaging, motivating, and immersive learning environment.MethodsTwo virtual reality-based environments were developed and evaluated. The first virtual reality platform provided fire safety content in a non-contextual form based on available awareness campaign materials such as brochures, leaflets, and videos. The second virtual reality platform offered contextual simulations that mimicked realistic apartment and home fire hazard scenarios. A pre-test/post-test experimental design was employed, and data were analyzed using paired and unequal variances t-tests to evaluate learning outcomes and usability.ResultsParticipants using the contextual virtual reality platform demonstrated significantly higher improvements in fire hazard identification skills than those using the non-contextual platform. The contextual group also showed higher engagement and perceived usefulness. Usability testing conducted using the System Usability Scale confirmed the superior performance of the contextual model, which achieved the highest mean score among the evaluated options.DiscussionContextual, immersive learning environments significantly outperformed traditional materials in promoting hazard awareness skills. This study supports the use of scenario-based virtual reality training as an effective tool for public safety education, particularly in high-risk and urban areas where traditional campaigns may be ineffective.

Internet addiction emerges as a substantial health and well-being issue in children. Research suggests that software-mediated interventions may help address the problem; however, there is a gap in investigating the designs and considerations from the perspectives of children and parents, who are the primary stakeholders. The present study aims to co-design digital tools to protect young children from internet addiction. We involved 24 participants (children and parents) in 3 serial workshops: (1) conceptualising potential efforts through focus group discussion, (2) designing digital tools through card-based ideation, and (3) evaluating ideas through mixed-method testing. Our study contributes to conceptualising seven themes of potential efforts and producing 18 digital tool features categorised into eight functions. We discovered the promising potential of digital tools as parent-child dyadic interventions to encourage real-world interests, promote positive online activities, schedule balanced activities, provide online rules as playful missions with constructive consequences, and assist parental mediation decision-making.

BACKGROUND:Lifestyle, environmental, and genetic factors influence visual impairment. The current study aims to report the sociodemographic, lifestyle, and behavioral factors associated with self-reported ocular conditions among children. MATERIALS AND METHODS:Data were collected from 13341 children aged 7-14 from 176 primary schools and 16 madrasas (Islamic educational institutes) of Narail Upazila from 30 November 2022 to 20 August 2023. Data on sociodemographic factors, including living conditions and parents' education; lifestyle and behavioral characteristics, including vitamin A consumption, watching TV or mobile; and self-reported ocular conditions, including seeing the blackboard or distant people, were collected. Chi-square tests and logistic regression analyses reported the association between sociodemographic characteristics with lifestyle and behavioral characteristics, and self-reported ocular conditions. The statistical software SPSS was used for data analysis. RESULTS:Of the total children, 52.5% were girls. Almost 99% had taken Vitamin A, 59% watched TV or mobile screens regularly, 99 (0.7%) children reported that they had problems seeing the blackboard or distant people, only 59 (0.4%) children had eye examinations previously, and 32 (0.2%) children used spectacles even if they had experienced any adverse ocular conditions. The proportion of children watching TV (67% vs. 58%) or mobile screens (69.6% vs. 57.6%) was higher in urban than rural areas. The proportion of children who had problems seeing blackboard was higher in urban areas (2.2% vs. 0.6) than in rural areas and among mothers with higher education (3.1% among graduate mothers vs. 0.3% among mothers without schooling). More than 99% of children had no eye examination before this screening program. Watching TV one-hour relative risk 4.16, (95% confidence interval (CI): 2.15-8.07 or more than one hour RR 5.33, 95% CI: 2.62-10.8 was associated with a higher proportion of seeing problems than those who did not watch TV. Those who used mobile for one hour, 4.82, (95% confidence interval (CI): 2.17-10.7 or more than one hour RR 7.30, 95% CI: 3.06-17.4 was associated with a higher proportion of reporting any ocular trauma than who did not use mobile phone. CONCLUSION:Vitamin A taken among schoolchildren is very high, and self-reported ocular problems are minimal. Children living in urban areas are more prone to behavioral risk factors for visual impairment and have a higher proportion of ocular trauma. Increased awareness of vision impairment and its risk factors by schoolteachers can be a feasible and cost-effective approach to improving eye health in schoolchildren, especially in resource-poor setting.

In an era of evolving scholarly ecosystems, machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) have become pivotal in advancing research impact analysis. Despite their transformative potential, the fragmented body of literature in this domain necessitates consolidation to provide a comprehensive understanding of their applications in multidimensional impact assessment. This study bridges this gap by employing bibliometric methodologies, including co-authorship analysis, citation burst detection, and advanced topic modelling using BERTopic, to analyse a curated corpus of 1608 scholarly articles. Guided by three core research questions, this study investigates how ML and AI enhance research impact evaluation, identifies dominant methodologies, and outlines future research directions. The findings underscore the transformative potential of ML and AI to augment traditional bibliometric indicators by uncovering latent patterns in collaboration networks, institutional influence, and knowledge dissemination. In particular, the scalability and semantic depth of BERTopic in thematic extraction, combined with the visualisation capabilities of tools such as CiteSpace and VOSviewer, provide novel insights into the dynamic interplay of scholarly contributions across dimensions. Theoretically, this research extends the scientometric discourse by integrating advanced computational techniques and reconfiguring established paradigms for assessing research contributions. Practically, it provides actionable insights for researchers, institutions, and policymakers, enabling enhanced strategic decision-making and visibility of impactful research. By proposing a robust, data-driven framework, this study lays the groundwork for holistic and equitable research impact evaluation, addressing its academic, societal, and economic dimensions.

This study assesses the capacity of a custom research evaluation tool built on OpenAI’s GPT-4, implemented through the ChatGPT interface, to replicate the qualitative depth and structure of the United Kingdom’s Research Excellence Framework (REF) case studies. The REF offers a detailed, narrative-based approach to research impact assessment, but is resource-intensive to implement at scale. In this evaluation, we tested whether a GPT-4–powered system could generate comparable impact summaries in a scalable manner. Using a mixed-methods design, summaries produced by the custom tool for a stratified random sample of 100 REF case studies were assessed by four expert raters. Statistical analysis showed high inter-rater reliability for thematic alignment (Fleiss’ κ = 0.875) and relevance (κ = 0.685), but notably lower agreement for comprehensiveness (κ = 0.440) and insightfulness (κ = 0.267). Qualitative analysis indicated that, while the GPT-4–generated outputs were thematically coherent, they consistently omitted specific, verifiable evidence—most notably quantitative metrics and named stakeholders—required in formal REF evaluation. Within the scope of this study, the findings suggest that GPT-4, when configured through ChatGPT, was better suited to prospective, formative tasks such as generating potential impact pathways for grant proposal development, rather than replacing expert judgment in retrospective research assessment. This paper provides an empirical benchmark for GPT-4’s role in qualitative research evaluation and proposes guidelines for its responsible use.

Mixed cropping is an important cropping system in char areas without an optimum seeding combination of chili, brinjal, radish and coriander. To identify this an experiment was conducted in two consecutive years to find suitable seeding ratio and to ensure maximization of yield and economic returns. The experiment was designed in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Four mixed cropping ratios with one sole chili viz. Chili (sole), 100% chili + 70% brinjal + 20% Radish + 10% coriander, 100% chili + 50% brinjal + 30% radish + 20% coriander, 100% chili + 30% brinjal + 40% radish + 30% coriander, 100% chili + 80% brinjal + 70% radish + 50% coriander were evaluated. The highest chili equivalent yield 29.9 t ha-1 (29.7 t ha-1 in 2019–20 and 30.1 t ha-1 in 2020–21), gross return (10512 USD ha-1) and gross margin (9233 USD ha-1) was found from 100% chili + 30% brinjal + 40% radish + 30% coriander seeding ratio. On the other hand, the lowest chili equivalent yield 11.8 t ha-1 (11.7 t ha-1 in 2019–20 and 11.9 t ha-1 in 2020–21), gross return (4167 USD ha-1) and gross margin (2845 USD ha-1) was found from Chili (sole) treatment. The maximum MBCR (241.7) was also recorded from the same 100% chili mixed cropped with 30% brinjal+ 40% radish + 30% coriander seeding combination. Finally, the combination of 100% chili + 30% brinjal + 40% radish + 30% coriander seeds has found great productivity and profitability in mixed cropping system.