bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Innovative Development of Small and Medium-Sized Businesses in Russia Taking into Account the Experience of Foreign Countries
Authors:   Southwest State University, Sergeev Petr V.
Published: February 2022

Relevance. At present, the level of use of the socio-economic potential of small and medium-sized businesses in the Russian Federation, in comparison with developed and many developing countries of the world, seems to be relatively low. As the experience of the countries of the European Union and China shows, the contribution of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to the national economy can be increased through their involvement in a variety of global chains with a high level of added value, in connection with which the topic of this article seems relevant. The purpose of this article is: to analyze the theoretical and practical problems that hinder the development of the potential of SMEs; substantiating the need to use direct and indirect methods of state support for small and medium-sized enterprises, taking into account the best practices of foreign countries to stimulate their participation in scientific and innovative activities; an attempt to prove the feasibility of using special regional digital development centers as a subject for managing the development of the SME institute. The objectives of the study are to study the current state and the dependence of the development of small and medium-sized businesses on exogenous and endogenous factors, substantiate an adequate set of direct and indirect measures of state support for their interaction with big business within global chains with a high level of added value. The research methodology consists in the use of dialectical, positivist, structuralist and other methodological approaches, and within their framework the following methods of scientific knowledge - historical, ascent from the abstract to the concrete, the unity of logical and historical, comparative analysis, etc. The research is based on statistical data and scientific publications posted in the official mass media. The results of the work are reflected in the form of an analysis of the initial statistical information characterizing the current state of small and medium-sized enterprises in the domestic economy, a generalization of the problems that hinder the successful development of the SME institute and promising scientific and innovative directions of its development in the system of global value-added production chains. Conclusions The modern foreign practice of the functioning of SMEs testifies to the unlimited potential of their social and economic opportunities, in connection with which the positive experience of foreign states should be used in domestic practice, taking into account the peculiarities of the economic development of Russian regions. To this end, it is advisable to develop the necessary set of measures within the framework of state scientific and innovative programs for the innovative development of small and medium-sized businesses in the Russian Federation.
Integrating Multiple Inputs Into an Artificial Pancreas System: Narrative Literature Review
Authors: Hettiarachchi Chirath , Daskalaki Elena , Desborough Jane , Nolan Christopher J , O’Neal David , Suominen Hanna
Published: February 2022

Background

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a chronic autoimmune disease in which a deficiency in insulin production impairs the glucose homeostasis of the body. Continuous subcutaneous infusion of insulin is a commonly used treatment method. Artificial pancreas systems (APS) use continuous glucose level monitoring and continuous subcutaneous infusion of insulin in a closed-loop mode incorporating a controller (or control algorithm). However, the operation of APS is challenging because of complexities arising during meals, exercise, stress, sleep, illnesses, glucose sensing and insulin action delays, and the cognitive burden. To overcome these challenges, options to augment APS through integration of additional inputs, creating multi-input APS (MAPS), are being investigated.

Objective

The aim of this survey is to identify and analyze input data, control architectures, and validation methods of MAPS to better understand the complexities and current state of such systems. This is expected to be valuable in developing improved systems to enhance the quality of life of people with T1D.

Methods

A literature survey was conducted using the Scopus, PubMed, and IEEE Xplore databases for the period January 1, 2005, to February 10, 2020. On the basis of the search criteria, 1092 articles were initially shortlisted, of which 11 (1.01%) were selected for an in-depth narrative analysis. In addition, 6 clinical studies associated with the selected studies were also analyzed.

Results

Signals such as heart rate, accelerometer readings, energy expenditure, and galvanic skin response captured by wearable devices were the most frequently used additional inputs. The use of invasive (blood or other body fluid analytes) inputs such as lactate and adrenaline were also simulated. These inputs were incorporated to switch the mode of the controller through activity detection, directly incorporated for decision-making and for the development of intermediate modules for the controller. The validation of the MAPS was carried out through the use of simulators based on different physiological models and clinical trials.

Conclusions

The integration of additional physiological signals with continuous glucose level monitoring has the potential to optimize glucose control in people with T1D through addressing the identified limitations of APS. Most of the identified additional inputs are related to wearable devices. The rapid growth in wearable technologies can be seen as a key motivator regarding MAPS. However, it is important to further evaluate the practical complexities and psychosocial aspects associated with such systems in real life.
Health Promotion Among Mexican-Origin Survivors of Breast Cancer and Caregivers Living in the United States–Mexico Border Region: Qualitative Analysis From the Vida Plena Study
Authors: Skiba Meghan B , Lopez-Pentecost Melissa , Werts Samantha J , Ingram Maia , Vogel Rosi M , Enriquez Tatiana , Garcia Lizzie , Thomson Cynthia A
Published: February 2022

Background

Hispanic survivors of cancer experience increased cancer burden. Lifestyle behaviors, including diet and physical activity, may reduce the cancer burden. There is limited knowledge about the posttreatment lifestyle experiences of Hispanic survivors of cancer living on the United States–Mexico border.

Objective

This study aims to support the development of a stakeholder-informed, culturally relevant, evidence-based lifestyle intervention for Mexican-origin Hispanic survivors of cancer living in a border community to improve their dietary quality and physical activity.

Methods

Semistructured interviews with 12 Mexican-origin Hispanic survivors of breast cancer and 7 caregivers were conducted through internet-based teleconferencing. The interviews explored the impact of cancer on lifestyle and treatment-related symptoms, perception of lifestyle as an influence on health after cancer, and intervention content and delivery preferences. Interviews were analyzed using a deductive thematic approach grounded in the Quality of Cancer Survivorship Care Framework.

Results

Key survivor themes included perception of Mexican diet as unhealthy, need for reliable diet-related information, perceived benefits of physical activity after cancer treatment, family support for healthy lifestyles (physical and emotional), presence of cancer-related symptoms interfering with lifestyle, and financial barriers to living a healthy lifestyle. Among caregivers, key themes included effects of the cancer caregiving experience on caregivers’ lifestyle and cancer-preventive behaviors and gratification in providing support to the survivors.

Conclusions

The interviews revealed key considerations to the adaptation, development, and implementation of a theory-informed, evidence-based, culturally relevant lifestyle program to support lifestyle behavior change among Mexican-origin Hispanic survivors of cancer living in border communities. Our qualitative findings highlight specific strategies that can be implemented in health promotion programming aimed at encouraging cancer protective behaviors to reduce the burden of cancer and comorbidities in Mexican-origin survivors of cancer living in border communities.
Traditional Machine Learning Models and Bidirectional Encoder Representations From Transformer (BERT)–Based Automatic Classification of Tweets About Eating Disorders: Algorithm Development and Validation Study
Authors: Benítez-Andrades José Alberto , Alija-Pérez José-Manuel , Vidal Maria-Esther , Pastor-Vargas Rafael , García-Ordás María Teresa
Published: February 2022

Background

Eating disorders affect an increasing number of people. Social networks provide information that can help.

Objective

We aimed to find machine learning models capable of efficiently categorizing tweets about eating disorders domain.

Methods

We collected tweets related to eating disorders, for 3 consecutive months. After preprocessing, a subset of 2000 tweets was labeled: (1) messages written by people suffering from eating disorders or not, (2) messages promoting suffering from eating disorders or not, (3) informative messages or not, and (4) scientific or nonscientific messages. Traditional machine learning and deep learning models were used to classify tweets. We evaluated accuracy, F1 score, and computational time for each model.

Results

A total of 1,058,957 tweets related to eating disorders were collected. were obtained in the 4 categorizations, with The bidirectional encoder representations from transformer–based models had the best score among the machine learning and deep learning techniques applied to the 4 categorization tasks (F1 scores 71.1%-86.4%).

Conclusions

Bidirectional encoder representations from transformer–based models have better performance, although their computational cost is significantly higher than those of traditional techniques, in classifying eating disorder–related tweets.
Health Promotion Among Mexican-Origin Survivors of Breast Cancer and Caregivers Living in the United States–Mexico Border Region: Qualitative Analysis From the Vida Plena Study (Preprint)
Authors: Skiba Meghan B , Lopez-Pentecost Melissa , Werts Samantha J , Ingram Maia , Vogel Rosi M , Enriquez Tatiana , Garcia Lizzie , Thomson Cynthia A
Published: February 2022

BACKGROUND

Hispanic survivors of cancer experience increased cancer burden. Lifestyle behaviors, including diet and physical activity, may reduce the cancer burden. There is limited knowledge about the posttreatment lifestyle experiences of Hispanic survivors of cancer living on the United States–Mexico border.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to support the development of a stakeholder-informed, culturally relevant, evidence-based lifestyle intervention for Mexican-origin Hispanic survivors of cancer living in a border community to improve their dietary quality and physical activity.

METHODS

Semistructured interviews with 12 Mexican-origin Hispanic survivors of breast cancer and 7 caregivers were conducted through internet-based teleconferencing. The interviews explored the impact of cancer on lifestyle and treatment-related symptoms, perception of lifestyle as an influence on health after cancer, and intervention content and delivery preferences. Interviews were analyzed using a deductive thematic approach grounded in the Quality of Cancer Survivorship Care Framework.

RESULTS

Key survivor themes included perception of Mexican diet as unhealthy, need for reliable diet-related information, perceived benefits of physical activity after cancer treatment, family support for healthy lifestyles (physical and emotional), presence of cancer-related symptoms interfering with lifestyle, and financial barriers to living a healthy lifestyle. Among caregivers, key themes included effects of the cancer caregiving experience on caregivers’ lifestyle and cancer-preventive behaviors and gratification in providing support to the survivors.

CONCLUSIONS

The interviews revealed key considerations to the adaptation, development, and implementation of a theory-informed, evidence-based, culturally relevant lifestyle program to support lifestyle behavior change among Mexican-origin Hispanic survivors of cancer living in border communities. Our qualitative findings highlight specific strategies that can be implemented in health promotion programming aimed at encouraging cancer protective behaviors to reduce the burden of cancer and comorbidities in Mexican-origin survivors of cancer living in border communities.
Cancer Screening Recommendations During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Scoping Review (Preprint)
Authors: Shah Sumit K , McElfish Pearl A
Published: February 2022

BACKGROUND

Cancer screening tests are recommended to prevent cancer-associated mortality by detecting precancerous and cancerous lesions in early stages. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the use of preventive health care services. Although there was an increase in the number of cancer screening tests beginning in late 2020, screenings remained 29% to 36% lower than in the prepandemic era.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this review is to assist health care providers in identifying approaches for prioritizing patients and increasing breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening during the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

We used the scoping review framework to identify articles on PubMed and EBSCO databases. A total of 403 articles were identified, and 23 articles were selected for this review. The literature review ranged from January 1, 2020, to September 30, 2021.

RESULTS

The articles included two primary categories of recommendations: (1) risk stratification and triage to prioritize screenings and (2) alternative methods to conduct cancer screenings. Risk stratification and triage recommendations focused on prioritizing high-risk patients with an abnormal or suspicious result on the previous screening test, patients in certain age groups and sex, patients with a personal medical or family cancer history, patients that are currently symptomatic, and patients that are predisposed to hereditary cancers and cancer-causing mutations. Other recommended strategies included identifying areas facing the most disparities, creating algorithms and using artificial intelligence to create cancer risk scores, leveraging in-person visits to assess cancer risk, and providing the option of open access screenings where patients can schedule screenings and can be assigned a priority category by health care staff. Some recommended using telemedicine to categorize patients and determine screening eligibility for patients with new complaints. Several articles noted the importance of implementing preventive measures such as COVID-19 screening prior to the procedures, maintaining hygiene measures, and social distancing in waiting rooms. Alternative screening methods that do not require an in-person clinic visit and can effectively screen patients for cancers included mailing self-collection sampling kits for cervical and colorectal cancers, and implementing or expanding mobile screening units.

CONCLUSIONS

Although the COVID-19 pandemic had devastating effects on population health globally, it could be an opportunity to adapt and evolve cancer screening methods. Disruption often creates innovation, and focus on alternative methods for cancer screenings may help reach rural and underresourced areas after the pandemic has ended.
Teledermatology in German-Speaking Countries: Patients’ and Physicians’ Perspectives (Preprint)
Authors: Greis Christian , Otten Marina , Reinders Patrick
Published: February 2022

BACKGROUND

With increasing digitalization and the current pandemic, teledermatology has gained importance in German-speaking countries in recent years. The regulation on remote consultation methods was recently relaxed, allowing for a more widespread introduction of teledermatological health care services.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this work is to evaluate a store-and-forward (SAF) teledermatology application from the patients’ and physicians’ perspectives.

METHODS

We carried out a noncontrolled user survey of the web-based platform derma2go in the course of the remote consultation by German dermatologists. Through the platform, patients with dermatological requests could obtain expert advice within a few hours after entering their medical history and uploading photographs of their skin lesions.

RESULTS

A total of 1476 (t1) and 361 (t2) patients and 2207 dermatologist ratings were included within the evaluation. A large proportion of participants were satisfied with the application (t1=83.9%; t2=81.2%). Most participants also rated the usability as high (t1=83.0% satisfied) and were satisfied with the response time of the dermatologists (t1=92.0% satisfied). In addition, a large majority agreed with the statement that they trusted the web-based application (t1=90.5%). At t2, 20.0% of those who participated stated that their skin problem had healed; for 49.8% of participants, it had already improved; for 22.0% of participants, it was unchanged; and for 3.5% of participants, skin problems had worsened. For 64.0% of users, the request was completely resolved, and for 24.2% or users, it was partly resolved as result of the consultation. For 79.7% of users, no additional information was needed by the participating dermatologists. From the practitioners’ perspective, 71.2% of all requests were completely resolved and 24.7% were partly resolved.

CONCLUSIONS

Our evaluation has shown that SAF applications, exemplified by derma2go, are likely to improve access to dermatological care, with a high patient satisfaction and a high rate of resolved requests, from the patients’ and physicians’ perspectives. In the future, teledermatological SAF applications can represent a supplement to the existing routine care in dermatology. The indications, patient groups, and use cases, for which the application is particularly suitable, will be determined in further studies.
Exploring a Need for a Cardiometabolic Disease Staging System as a Computerized Clinical Decision Support Tool: Qualitative Study (Preprint)
Authors: Karabukayeva Aizhan , Anderson Jami L , Hall Allyson G , Feldman Sue S , Mehta Tapan
Published: February 2022

BACKGROUND

Although cardiometabolic diseases are leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the United States, computerized tools for risk assessment of cardiometabolic disease are rarely integral components of primary care practice. Embedding cardiometabolic disease staging systems (CMDS) into computerized clinical decision support systems (CDSS) may assist with identifying and treating patients at greatest risk for developing cardiometabolic disease.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to explore the current approach to medical management of obesity and the need for CMDS designed to aid medical management of people living with obesity, at risk of being obese, or diabetic at the point of care.

METHODS

Using a general inductive approach, this qualitative research study was guided by an interpretive epistemology. The method included semistructured, in-depth interviews with primary care providers (PCPs) from university-based community health clinics. The literature informed the interview protocol and included questions on PCPs’ experiences and the need for a tool to improve their ability to manage and prevent complications from overweight and obesity.

RESULTS

PCPs (N=10) described their current approaches and emphasized behavioral treatments consisting of combined diet, physical activity, and behavior therapy as the first line of treatment for people who were overweight or obese. Results suggest that beneficial features of CDSS include (1) clinically relevant and customizable support, (2) provision of a comprehensive medical summary with trends, (3) availability of patient education materials and community resources, and (4) simplicity and ease of navigation.

CONCLUSIONS

Implementation of a CMDS via a CDSS could enable PCPs to conduct comprehensive cardiometabolic disease risk assessments, supporting clinical management of overweight, obesity, and diabetes. Results from this study provide unique insights to developers and researchers by identifying areas for design optimization, improved end user experience, and successful adoption of the CDSS.
Potential neurological applications of Centella asiatica: a brief review
Authors: Gofir Abdul , Wibowo Samekto , Hakimi Mohammad
Published: February 2022

Centella asiatica (C. asiatica) or gotu kola has been used traditionally in many Asian countries as herbal medicines for many conditions, such as headache, asthma and memory enhancement. Centella asiatica has been also widely investigated for its neuroprotective effects in animal disease model including epilepsy, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. A brief review of neurological effects studies of C. asiatica in animal model was reported. Eligible studies published through December 2020 from PubMed and EMBASE journal data base were collected. Any keywords related to C. asiatica or gota kola AND neurological conditions were used. The results showed that several experimental studies concerning the neuroprotective properties of C. asiatica have been reported. Phytochemical studies reported that C. asiatica contained many bioactive compounds in which triterpenoids are the most identified. Furthermore, the triterpenoids have proven to have neuroprotective effect due to their effects of anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, improvement of mitochondrial dysfunctions, and increased brain-derived neurotrophic factors. Further studies are needed to investigate the neuroprotective mechanisms of C. asiatica. In conclusion, C. asiatica might  have potential as an alternative medicine for neurological conditions, such as stroke, epilepsy, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
Current pharmacological treatments for COVID-19: A narrative review
Authors: Sudi Indra Jaya  , Yacobus Christian Prasetyo
Published: February 2022

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has lasted more than one year. The number of daily cases and the number of deaths is still changing dynamically. As of this writing, specific drugs for COVID-19 are not yet available. This review aims to describe the key clinical evidence in pharmacological treatments for COVID-19. The article search process was carried out on the PubMed database with a combination of keywords ((“COVID-19”) OR (“SARS-CoV-2”)) AND ((“treatment”) OR (“therapy”)). In this article, there were six drugs reviewed that is corticosteroids, remdesivir, lopinavir-ritonavir, hydroxychloroquine, ivermectin, and interleukin-6 (IL-6) receptor blockers. Hydroxychloroquine, lopinavir-ritonavir, remdesivir, and ivermectin were not recommended for COVID-19 treatments regardless of disease severity and duration of symptoms. Therefore, they were excluded from the list of drugs for the treatment of COVID-19 by World Health Organization (WHO) stated strong recommendations in favor of two drugs, namely systemic corticosteroids and IL-6 receptor blockers namely tocilizumab or sarilumab. Both of them are recommended for the treatment of patients with severe and critical covid-19 so they are included in the list of COVID-19 therapeutic drugs by WHO.
The Backwash Effect of IELTS on English Teaching in China
Authors: Zeng Shu
Published: February 2022

The influence of language testing on curriculum design, teaching methods, and learning habits is referred to as the “washback effect.” This effect has an impact on the decisions made by students and teachers. Teachers may, for example, teach to a test, or learners may concentrate on parts of language acquisition that will be tested in their future courses. In language testing, the washback effect is usually categorised as either negative or positive, with the latter being referred to as wash-forward. When definitions of language competence are excessively narrow, it can be destructive to more flexible methods to language education; nevertheless, it can be useful when effective teaching techniques occur. Washback may also be helpful or bad depending on whether it aids or hinders the achievement of educational objectives. Teaching the curriculum becomes the same as teaching to the test if a test has positive washback. When there is a mismatch between the declared aims of teaching and the emphasis of assessment, negative washback can develop, leading to the abandoning of instructional goals in favour of test preparation.
Sudden loss, corporate governance structure, and big bath behavior: Evidence from Egypt
Authors: Mohamed Shereen , Elbolok Rasha
Published: February 2022

This study investigates the effect of sudden loss on corporate governance structure (CGS), and its implications on earnings management technique “big bath” in the Egyptian context. A matched sample of 208 firm-year observations in the Egyptian Stock Exchange (EGX) has been examined. Using the same methodology as in Mulcahy and Donnelly (2015) and Cheng, Park, Pierce, and Zhang (2019), the difference-in-differences (DID) approach is applied to measure the response of CGS to sudden loss versus profit incident, while binary logistic regression is used to investigate big bath following. Results indicate a significant association of sudden loss on changes in the loss firms’ CGS following the loss, although these changes do not significantly differ from those made by profit firms. This indicates that sudden loss may trigger changes in corporate governance (CG), but other conditions also play a role in evoking such changes. Results also show a significant positive association of sudden loss on increasing the likelihood of engaging in a big bath behavior. The findings of this study are expected to help Egyptian firms’ managers to improve firms’ performance and governance structure that lead to high-quality earnings and provide financial reports that rationalize investors’ decisions. This study is the first to test the influence of sudden loss on CGS and link it to big bath in Egyptian setting.
How to Take Over and Revise a Medical Ethnology Course in the Post-Everything Era
Authors: Irwin Rachel
Published: February 2022

Nearly all university lectures have faced the challenges of taking over a course from colleagues. Yet the conceptual and practical challenges of this process are rarely discussed in higher education. In this article, I describe my experiences of becoming the course convenor of an existing medical ethnology course and revising it.  The first challenge was to make the course my own, while also maintaining the existing positive aspects. A secondary, but related, challenge was to update the course material in relation to contemporary social movements that have called for more attention to power, privilege and inclusivity in the classroom.
Rheological and morphological analysis of irradiated high and low density polyethylene samples
Authors: Kadyirov Aidar , Akhmadiyarov Aydar , Garipov Ruslan , Vachagina Ekaterina
Published: February 2022

The influence of intensity of the ?-irradiation on commercial high and low density polyethylene (LDPE and HDPE) granules (Kazanorgsintez PJSC, Kazan, Tatarstan, Russia) on their rheological and morphological properties at irradiation doses of 5 and 10 kGy was studied. Experiments in the oscillation mode revealed an increase in the dynamic moduli values with increasing radiation dose compared to the initial samples. At the same ?-irradiation doses, the HDPE samples compared to the LDPE ones showed the greatest changes in rheological properties, while the zero shear viscosity of HDPE increased by order of magnitude compared to the initial one at the irradiation dose of 10 kGy. Morphology analysis of supramolecular structures revealed an increase in cob-web-type structures for the irradiated sample in comparison with the initial sample, which may indicate the formation of branched structures under ?-irradiation.
Two cases of uneventful pregnancies following the treatment of choriocarcinoma
Authors: Cerovic Radojka , Janjic Tijana , Radojevic Milos , Cupic Jovana , Kadija Sasa
Published: February 2022

Introduction. Gestational trophoblastic disease represents a distinguished group of disorders that are derived from placental trophoblastic tissue aroused from abnormal fertilization. Choriocarcinoma is a malignant human chorionic gonadotropin-producing epithelial tumor arising from villous trophoblast. The choice of the chemotherapy regime is based on the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage and World Health Organization score of the disease. The objective of this article is to show that successful pregnancy is possible even after treatment of highrisk gestational trophoblastic neoplasia. Outlines of cases. We present two successfully treated patients who achieved pregnancy and delivered healthy babies in term. Conclusion. Gestational trophoblastic neoplasia has become the most curable malignant disease since the introduction of chemotherapy, which is effective and well-tolerated, and allows fertility preservation in high-proportion of women.
Improvements in Parental Sleep, Fear of Hypoglycemia, and Diabetes Distress With Use of an Advanced Hybrid Closed-Loop System
Authors: Cobry Erin C. , Bisio Alessandro , Wadwa R. Paul , Breton Marc D.
Published: February 2022

OBJECTIVE

Parental sleep quality may contribute to glycemic control in youth with type 1 diabetes. In this article we present sleep analysis from a multicenter, randomized trial of children ages 6–13 years with type 1 diabetes evaluating the Tandem Control-IQ (CIQ) hybrid closed-loop (HCL) system.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) scores were assessed at baseline to identify parents as “poor” sleepers (PSQI >5). Glycemic and psycho-behavioral outcomes before and after CIQ use were analyzed in poor sleepers (n = 49) and their children.

RESULTS

Nocturnal time in range (P < 0.001) and time hyperglycemic (P < 0.001), Hypoglycemia Fear Survey for Parents score (P < 0.001), Problem Areas in Diabetes scale score (P < 0.001), PSQI score (P < 0.001), and Hypoglycemia Fear Survey for Children score (P = 0.025) significantly improved. Of poor sleepers, 27 became good sleepers (PSQI score <5).

CONCLUSIONS

Use of CIQ in youth with type 1 diabetes ages 6–13 years significantly improved sleep and psychosocial measures in parent poor sleepers, coinciding with improvements in child nocturnal glycemia, highlighting the relationship between HCL systems and parent sleep quality.
A FEW REMARKS ON VALUES AND SIGNS ON CITY WALLS
Authors: Ференски Пётр Якуб , Собонь Гжегож
Published: February 2022

Статья содержит теоретические и методологические предложения о том, как следует исследовать и понимать визуальные аспекты городского пространства. Представлена концепция смыслового сопряжения знаков и ценностей. Эта идея возникла и развивалась в 1970–1980-х годах на основе изучения польской культуры. Авторы предлагают использовать её для описания графических феноменов на городских стенах. Те явления, которые обычно считаются проявлениями вандализма или неуместными картинками, надписями и каракулями, на самом деле работают как стратегии передачи ценностей (норм, убеждений, идей, мировоззрений и т. д.), важных с точки зрения городских сообществ и групп. Развитие этой темы в тексте статьи представлено через несколько примеров из полевых исследований, проведённых в некоторых жилых районах Вроцлава (Польша). Исследование было основано на качественных методах, весь материал записан на фото- и видеокамеры. Важно, что этот материал был собран в 2020–2021 годах, во время пандемии COVID-19, что определённым образом повлияло на его содержание.

The article contains a theoretical and methodological proposal on how to research and understand the visual aspects of urban space. First of all, the authors present the concept of linking signs and values. This idea was created and developed in the 1970s and 1980s on the ground of Polish cultural studies. Researchers propose to use it to describe the graphic phenomena on city walls. What is commonly considered to be manifestations of vandalism or irrelevant images, inscriptions, and scribbles are, in fact, strategies for the transmission of values that are important for social communities (norms, beliefs, ideas, worldviews etc.). The further part of the text presents a few examples from field studies conducted in several housing estates in Wrocław (Poland). The research was qualitative, and the material was recorded with photo and video cameras. The material was collected in the years 2020 and 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, which influenced its content.
Refleksi Pelaksanaan Pilkada Serentak 2020: Suatu Kajian Tentang Demokrasi di Indonesia
Authors: Wada Igam Arya
Published: February 2022

In 2020, Indonesia is mandated by Law No. 10 of 2016 on the second amendment to Law No. 1 of 2015 on the Election of Governors, Regents, and Mayors to conduct simultaneous elections. But on the other hand, the Government of Indonesia also has a policy in an effort to control cases of the Covid-19 pandemic in Indonesia by limiting people to gather. This is a dilemma, that the key to the success of the election is one of them is seen from the level of participation of the people who attended to vote. However, this is doubtful considering that the public still has fears of being exposed to the covid-19 virus. Thus, this article aims to see the success of the implementation of the Sentak Election in 2020 judging from the aspect of democracy, especially public participation. In an effort to achieve this goal, this article was written with literature research that emphasizes the legislative approach and conceptual approach. Therefore, this article concludes that the implementation of simultaneous elections in 2020 still presents many problems in various aspects and still many received rejection from the public, so that it has an impact on the level of participation.
Empirical Examination of TOP Management Characteristics and Strategic Decision Making
Authors: Osazevbaru Henry Osahon
Published: February 2022

This study examined top management characteristics and strategic decision making in organizations. The basic question the paper seeks to address is: Do managers’ background characteristics have significant influence on their decision making process? To achieve this, hypotheses were developed and primary data were obtained through structured questionnaire that was validated and pilot tested. The Cronbach alpha test for reliability gave an overall reliability coefficient of 0.9548 for the research instrument. From a population of 250 employees of government constituted boards and commissions in Delta State, Nigeria, a sample size of 158 respondents was obtained. The dependent variable was strategic decision making, while top management characteristics being the independent variable was measured by risk propensity, educational background, age disposition and cognitive complexity. Need for achievement was however introduced as a control variable and the analyses of the primary data were done by means of the inferential and descriptive statistics. Specifically, the ordinary least square regression (OLS) technique was employed to test the hypotheses of the study. Overall, the results from the test of hypotheses suggest that risk propensity, educational background, age disposition and cognitive complexity have significant relationship with strategic decision making. It was therefore concluded that top management characteristics exert significant influence on strategic decision making. In the light of this conclusion, it was recommended amongst others, that top managers must at all times give attention to these characteristics.
Propojení VSM a VSM 4.0
Authors: Slancová Iveta
Published: February 2022

The current situation in the market caused by COVID-19 pandemic brings new challenges. Lean management showed its deficiency in the form of low stock (JIT/JIS) already during the tsunami in 2011 in Japan, when the leader in LEAN Toyota withdrew from zero stock in order to be able to respond agilely to serious supply disruptions. The current unfavourable situation is a global problem that brings new requirements to ensure the competitiveness of companies. A possible response to this situation is provided in this article, which shows an example of the implementation of VSM (Value Stream Mapping) in a company operating in the automotive industry. VSM is based on the elimination of waste in the value stream, mainly in the case of material flow, which raises question of whether it is currently beneficial to eliminate stocks to a minimum. A new term VSM 4.0 has emerged, which is more suitable for current situation. It brings the benefits of digitization and industry 4.0 and aims to eliminate waste in information flows. The aim of this article is to elaborate a VSM map of the current and future state (VSD) and point out other possible savings in an optimized process thanks to VSM 4.0 so that the company is able to respond effectively to customer demands and maintain a competitive advantage despite the necessary stock levels in the warehouses.
Knowledge and Awareness regarding Emergency Colour Codes among Resident Doctors and Nursing Staffs of Tertiary Care Facility of District Etawah
Authors:   MD Post Graduate, Department of Community Medicine, UPUMS, Saifai, Etawah, Uttar Pradesh, India, D Saxena
Published: February 2022

Background: Emergency codes are comprehensive, nationwide, systematic approach to incident management, includes the command and coordination of incidents, resource management, and information management. Therefore, it is important for all residents, doctors and staff to be aware and have knowledge about it. Aims: 1) To assess the knowledge and awareness about emergency colour codes among resident doctors and nursing staffs of tertiary care health centre. 2) To find out the training status of Advanced Cardiac Life Support and Basic Life Support among resident doctors and nursing staffs. Methods and Material: A cross sectional study was conducted on all the resident doctors and the nursing staffs in UPUMS Saifai, Etawah. A pre-designed and pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire was used to get the desired information. The questions were pertaining to knowledge and awareness of emergency codes, ACLS, BLS and training regarding to it. Data were entered in excel sheet and were analysed by using IBM SPSS version 25. Descriptive statistics was calculated for quantitative variables. Chi-square and Fischer-exact test was used for analysis of categorical variables. P value less than 0.05 was taken statistically significant. Results: Out of 120 participants, 60% (72/ 120) were resident doctors and 40% (48/ 120) were nursing staffs. Most of the resident doctors (47/ 72) were trained in Basic Life Support as compared to Advanced Cardiac Life Support. Conclusions: Knowledge and awareness regarding emergency colour codes was very poor among resident doctors and nursing staffs and also training was not done in BLS and ACLS.
Central cord syndrome: clinical features, etiological diagnosis, and outcome in 74 dogs
Authors: Ros Carlos , José-López Roberto , Suñol Anna , Montoliu Patricia , Aige, DVM Vicente , de Carellán Mateo Alejandra García , Font Cristina
Published: February 2022

OBJECTIVE

To describe the clinical and neurologic signs, diagnostic investigations, definitive or presumptive diagnosis, treatment, and outcome of dogs presented with acute onset central cord syndrome (CCS).

ANIMALS

74 client-owned dogs evaluated for CCS at 5 referral hospitals between January 2016 and March 2021.

PROCEDURES

Data were collected from the medical records of each dog, including patient signalment, physical and neurologic examination results, presence of signs of respiratory failure, diagnostic imaging findings, definitive or presumptive diagnosis, treatment and follow-up information. Descriptive statistics were calculated and bivariable analysis was performed to identify associations between selected variables.

RESULTS

2 neuroanatomic locations for the CCS were identified: C1-C5 spinal cord segments in 65 of 74 (88%) dogs and C6-T2 in 9 (12%) dogs. Neurolocalization did not correlate with the imaging findings in 43 (58%) dogs. Different diseases were associated with CCS. The most common condition was Hansen type I disk herniation in 27 (36%) dogs and hydrated nucleus pulposus extrusion in 16 (22%) dogs. Main lesion locations within the vertebral column associated with CCS were C3-C4 and C4-C5 intervertebral disk spaces in 21 (28%) and 18 (24%) dogs, respectively. Outcome was favorable in 69 (93%) dogs. Patients presenting with hypoventilation were 14.7 times more likely to have a poor outcome.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

CCS in dogs may be seen with lesions in the C1-C5 and C6-T2 spinal cord segments. Etiologies are variable. Total or partial improvement was achieved in most dogs with the appropriate treatment. Hypoventilation was associated with death.
Procesado térmico de moldes confeccionados con revestimiento de joyería mediante microondas por calentamiento híbrido
Authors:   Universidad de La Laguna (España), Moreno Candel Francisco , Acosta Hernández Fátima Felisa ,   Universidad de La Laguna (España), Pérez-Conesa Itahisa ,   Universidad de La Laguna (España), Aguilar Galea José Antonio ,   Universidad de Sevilla (España)
Published: February 2022

This research aims to contribute to the understanding and control of the processing of materials involved in artistic casting by microwaves, in order to facilitate this type of energy sources in the thermal processes of dewaxing. Specifically, the behavior of small samples made with commercial refractory coatings on simple wax models was studied. An adaptation and compatibilization of the conventional technique of fused jewelry was designed to validate an integral treatment with this energy alternative. On the one hand, a suitable time/power curve was designed for the initial dewaxing and drying of these pastes, taking into account the dielectric properties of the water present in their confection. On the other hand, a feasible procedure was studied for the development of their burning, through the use of hybrid heating using silicon carbide (SiC-β) as a susceptor. In order to apply a step temperature, a double muffle combining transparent and absorbing materials with the capacity to reach 750°C with MW power of 700w was fabricated. The results obtained intensified the interest in studying a thermal processing for the dewaxing and firing of refractory linings with larger models and more complex shapes oriented to jewelry and small format sculpture.
La expansión de las especies de Pluchea cass. (Asteraceae) y su potencial comportamiento invasor en Tenerife (Islas Canarias)
Authors: Rodríguez Navarro María Leticia , Fariña Trujillo Beatriz , Rivero Quintero Atteneri
Published: February 2022

Se aborda el potencial comportamiento invasor de las especies del género Pluchea en la isla de Tenerife, mediante su caracterización corológica, implementada con datos propios, de su Cabildo Insular, del equipo de alerta temprana del Gobierno de Canarias (REDEXOS) y la información inédita cedida por otros investigadores. Se recomienda su incorporación al Catálogo español de especies exóticas invasoras, así como en el futuro Catálogo regional. Por último, se aportan recomendaciones para su manejo y control.
Monitoring a thermophilous woodland reforestation project in Tenerife, Canary Islands
Authors:   University of Bozen/Bolzano,, Rota Francesco , Vidal-Rodríguez Mercedes ,   Universidad de La Laguna, Chiarucci Alessandro ,   University of Bologna, Fernández-Palacios José María ,   Universidad de La Laguna, Whittaker Robert J. ,   University of Oxford
Published: February 2022

The Canarian juniper woodland, dominated by Juniperus turbinata ssp. canariensis, is a priority habitat and is among the most endangered ecosystems of the European Union. Saplings of 12 species were planted between March 2006 and January 2008 within the Rural Park of Teno (Tenerife) during a LIFE reforestation project. To assess the replanting effectiveness, six 25 × 25 m permanent plots were established for monitoring plant conditions in 2014. We report the results of annual surveys up to 2019. We recorded vitality, phenology and size of 225 planted individuals belonging to eight different species. The vitality showed general positive trends, with a low 2018 decrease. Around 30% of surviving saplings displayed flowers or fruits in 2019. Juniperus turbinata ssp. canariensis and Olea cerasiformis presented a significant increment for all the growth traits, but only the juniper showed locally varied patterns of growth. We expect that the monitoring will contribute useful insights for other restoration projects for the endangered Canary endemic thermophilous woodland.
Reef environments of Murciélago Islands and Santa Elena peninsula, Guanacaste conservation area, Costa Rican pacific
Authors:   Universidad de Costa Rica, Alvarado Juan José , Azofeifa-Solano Juan Carlos ,   Universidad de Costa Rica, Beita-Jiménez Andrés ,   Universidad de Costa Rica, Cortés Jorge ,   Universidad de Costa Rica, Mena Sebastián ,   Universidad de Costa Rica, Salas-Moya Carolina ,   Universidad de Costa Rica, Fernández-García Cindy ,   Universidad de Costa Rica
Published: February 2022

The ecology of the marine environments of the Murciélago Islands and the Santa Elena Peninsula have been studied little despite their high biodiversity. This area is influenced by a coastal upwelling. In 2014, 2016 and 2018, the region was visited to assess the composition and diversity of its reef environments. Bottom coverage, macroinvertebrate diversity and abundance, and reef fish biomass were quantified. The substrate was dominated by turf and crustose calcareous algae. Live coral coverage has decreased compared to previous reports for the area. Sea urchins were the macroinvertebrates with the highest densities, while species of commercial interest presented low densities, this may suggest some degree of fishing pressure. 84 reef fish species were identified, making the islands area with the greatest diversity of reef fish in the North Pacific of Costa Rica. Coral biotopes in this region are key to the conservation of connectivity between reef areas due to their high diversity.
Sistem Pendukung Keputusan Pemilihan Sepatu Pada Online Shop Choice Fashion Dengan Menggunakan Metode Moora
Authors: Sari Melenia Winda , Alexander Onki , Marcheta Noorlela
Published: February 2022

Sepatu yang menjadi kebutuhan manusia sebagai alas kaki telah berkembang kegunaannya searah berkembangnya zaman, salah satunya menjadi tren fashion yang membuat jenis sepatu semakin bertambah. Bisnis dalam bidang penjualan sepatu salah satunya ditekuni oleh online shop Choicefashion sejak tahun 2018. Terdapat sekitar 250 produk sepatu dengan berbagai merk dan jenis sepatu ditawarkan online shop Choicefashion, menyebabkan customer sulit menentukan sepatu berdasarkan kriteria yang mereka inginkan Untuk memberikan rekomendasi sepatu sesuai dengan kriteria dari customer maka dibutuhkan sistem pendukung keputusan. Penelitian ini membahas tentang sistem pendukung keputusan pemilihan sepatu dengan metode MOORA. MOORA dapat mendukung keputusan dari banyak kriteria dan mudah dipahami dalam memisahkan subjektif suatu proses evaluasi ke dalam kriteria bobot keputusan dengan atribut pengambilan keputusan. Kriteria sepatu ditentukan oleh customer melalui kuesioner. Melalui penelitian ini, customer dapat menentukan sepatu sesuai dengan kriteria yang diinginkan. Sistem yang dibuat berbasis website yang nanti akan menampilkan hasil rekomendasi pemilihan sepatu.