bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Barriers and Facilitators to the Implementation of Virtual Reality Interventions for People With Chronic Pain: Scoping Review (Preprint)
Authors: Elser Alexander , Lange Marina , Kopkow Christian , Schäfer Axel Georg
Published: September 2023

BACKGROUND

Chronic pain is a growing health problem worldwide with a significant impact on individuals and societies. In regard to treatment, there is a gap between guideline recommendations and common practice in health care, especially concerning cognitive and psychological interventions. Virtual reality (VR) may provide a way to improve this situation. A growing body of evidence indicates that VR therapy has positive effects on pain and physical function. However, there is limited knowledge about barriers and facilitators to the implementation of VR interventions for people with chronic pain in health care settings.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to identify and analyze the barriers and facilitators involved in implementing VR interventions for people with chronic pain.

METHODS

We conducted a scoping review of the German and English literature using the MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, CINAHL, PEDro, LILACS, and Web of Science (inception to November 2023) databases, including quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods studies reporting barriers and facilitators to the implementation of VR interventions for people with chronic pain, as reported by patients or health care professionals. Two reviewers systematically screened the abstracts and full texts of retrieved articles according to the inclusion criteria. All mentioned barriers and facilitators were extracted and categorized according to the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF).

RESULTS

The database search resulted in 1864 records after removal of duplicates. From the 14 included studies, 30 barriers and 33 facilitators from the patient perspective and 2 facilitators from the health care professional perspective were extracted. Barriers reported by people with chronic pain were most frequently assigned to the TDF domains environmental context (60%) and skills (16.7%). Most facilitators were found in three domains for both the patients and health care professionals: beliefs about consequences (30.3%), emotions (18.2%), and environmental context (18.2%).

CONCLUSIONS

The findings of this review can inform the development of strategies for future implementations of VR interventions for people with chronic pain. Additionally, further research should address knowledge gaps about the perspective of health care professionals regarding the implementation of VR interventions for people with chronic pain.
Feasibility of Deploying Home-Based Digital Technology, Environmental Sensors, and Web-Based Surveys for Assessing Behavioral Symptoms and Identifying Their Precipitants in Older Adults: Longitudinal, Observational Study (Preprint)
Authors: Au-Yeung Wan-Tai M , Liu Yan , Hanna Remonda , Gothard Sarah , Rodrigues Nathaniel , Leon Guerrero Cierra , Beattie Zachary , Kaye Jeffrey
Published: September 2023

BACKGROUND

Apathy, depression, and anxiety are prevalent neuropsychiatric symptoms experienced by older adults. Early detection, prevention, and intervention may improve outcomes.

OBJECTIVE

We aim to demonstrate the feasibility of deploying web-based weekly questionnaires inquiring about the behavioral symptoms of older adults with normal cognition, mild cognitive impairment, or early-stage dementia and to demonstrate the feasibility of deploying an in-home technology platform for measuring participant behaviors and their environment.

METHODS

The target population of this study is older adults with normal cognition, mild cognitive impairment, or early-stage dementia. This is an observational, longitudinal study with a study period of up to 9 months. The severity of participant behavioral symptoms (apathy, depression, and anxiety) was self-reported weekly through web-based surveys. Participants’ digital biomarkers were continuously collected at their personal residences and through wearables throughout the duration of the study. The indoor physical environment at each residence, such as light level, noise level, temperature, humidity, or air quality, was also measured using indoor environmental sensors. Feasibility was examined, and preliminary correlation analysis between the level of symptoms and the digital biomarkers and between the level of symptoms and the indoor environment was performed.

RESULTS

At 13 months after recruitment began, a total of 9 participants had enrolled into this study. The participants showed high adherence rates in completing the weekly questionnaires (response rate: 275/278, 98.9%), and data collection using the digital technology appeared feasible and acceptable to the participants with few exceptions. Participants’ severity of behavioral symptoms fluctuated from week to week. Preliminary results show that the duration of sleep onset and noise level are positively correlated with the anxiety level in a subset of our participants.

CONCLUSIONS

This study is a step toward more frequent assessment of older adults’ behavioral symptoms and holistic in situ monitoring of older adults’ behaviors and their living environment. The goal of this study is to facilitate the development of objective digital biomarkers of neuropsychiatric symptoms and to identify in-home environmental factors that contribute to these symptoms.
El discurso sobre el adulterio en las versiones de El ebrio de Gilda de Abreu y Vicente Celestino: representación de la mujer en el cine y el teatro
Authors: Adamatti Margarida Maria
Published: September 2023

Gilda de Abreu fue la segunda directora de cine en Brasil. El artículo analiza el régimen discursivo sobre el adulterio femenino como causa de la perdición masculina en la película El ebrio (1946) de Gilda de Abreu y en las dos versiones de la pieza teatral del mismo nombre (1941 1947) de Vicente Celestino, su marido. Si bien la colaboración de la pareja se extendió por casi cuarenta años como coautoría, la propuesta busca localizar en las tres versiones disponibles momentos intersticiales de representación de la mujer entre las voces narrativas. Partiendo de la documentación disponible en archivos y un análisis inédito de la censura de la obra, el estudio se hace a partir de la articulación entre la composición del personaje femenino, el análisis del discurso aplicado al campo del cine y de la teoría feminista del cine en busca de fisuras en la representación de la sexualidad femenina.
A THIRLWALL’S LAW APPLICATION TO INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN SERVICES
Authors: Amado Gonçalo
Published: September 2023

The international trade in services has grown exponentially, both in developed and developing countries, outpacing the manufacturing growth. According to the literature, there are two waves of growth in the services sector: A first wave in developing countries specializing in traditional services; a second wave in developed countries and producers of modern services. Using the multisectoral Thirlwall’s law model for 90 countries, modern services have the highest income-elasticity. The role of relative prices is not significant. Also, the two waves of growth are verified. Countries that are more competitive in international services grow less relative to global growth but have a higher level of development. In less developed countries with a higher share in tourism exports, the higher the surplus of the balance of services, the lower the current account balance.
INFLACIÓN Y CRECIMIENTO ECONÓMICO EN AMÉRICA LATINA, UNA RELACIÓN NO LINEAL
Authors: Aceves Mejía Mario , Absalón Copete Carlos
Published: September 2023

RESUMEN
El artículo revisa y reformula teórica y empíricamente la relación no lineal entre la inflación y el crecimiento económico planteada por Thirlwall (1974) para el conjunto de economías de América Latina que han seguido stricto sensu el régimen de metas de inflación durante el periodo 2003-2020. La hipótesis de esta investigación reside en la existencia de un nivel de inflación óptimo en el que la tasa de crecimiento económico logra un nivel máximo, horizonte de inflación distinto al objetivo de política monetaria actual. Por consiguiente, el argumento que se desarrolla en este artículo trata sobre la existencia de una relación positiva entre el crecimiento y la inflación a niveles moderados, pero el grado de preferencia de los bancos centrales ha sido tal que ha sacrificado crecimiento y empleo en aras de la estabilidad de los precios.
 
INFLATION AND ECONOMIC GROWTH IN LATIN AMERICA, A NON-LINEAR RELATIONSHIP
ABSTRACT
The article reviews and reformulates theoretically and empirically the non-linear relationship between inflation and economic growth proposed by Thirlwall (1974) for the set of Latin American economies that strictly use the inflation targeting regime during the period 2003-2020. The hypothesis of this research resides in the existence of an optimal inflation level for which the economic growth rate reaches a maximum level, an inflation rate which differs from the current monetary policy target. Consequently, the argument developed in this article deals with the existence of a positive relationship between growth and inflation at low levels, while the degree of preference of central banks has been such that they have given up growth and employment opportunities to price stability.
Text Analytics and Natural Language Processing for Business Insights: A Comprehensive Review
Authors: Sinjanka Yusupha
Published: September 2023

Abstract: In today's fast-paced business era, data reigns supreme. From emails and social media to reviews and articles, we've amassed a treasure trove of textual information that unveils customer sentiments, market trends, and brand perceptions. However, the real challenge lies in extracting valuable insights from this textual abundance. With that, we present an intensive and thorough review of the existing methods of over the past six years, from 2018 to 2023. We found two game-changers: text analytics, the detective of text patterns, and Natural Language Processing (NLP), the language expert for computers. Together, they bring order to the chaotic world of words. Our review explores the quick development of NLP and offers suggestions for problems. Businesses can make educated decisions, outperform rivals, and make data their greatest asset with the help of these cutting-edge solutions. In order to ensure they find gold in the sea of text data, our study serves as the compass that directs them on this revolutionary journey.
Sustainable Supplier Selection and Order allocation using Integrating AHP-TOPSIS and Goal Programming
Authors: Saputro Thomy Eko , Khusna Zida Heilmalia Aqiel Melita , Dewi Shanty Kusuma
Published: September 2023

Increased awareness of environmental and social aspects has become an urgent global issue, especially in ensuring supply chain sustainability. In addition, optimizing sustainable supplier selection and order allocation is also crucial for companies to encourage sustainable industries. This research aims to determine the best potential sustainable suppliers and determine order allocation by considering economic, social, and environmental dimensions. This research proposes an approach that integrates AHP-Topsis and goal programming to solve the problem of sustainable supplier selection and order allocation. The AHP-Topsis procedure is proposed for weighting the criteria and sub-criteria of sustainable supplier selection. Meanwhile, Topsis is offered for supplier ranking. This study offers a goal programming procedure for order allocation. Order allocation is based on three goals: minimizing total procurement cost, maximizing total purchase value, and reducing carbon emissions. A case study is presented on the plastic bean processing industry in Indonesia involving three criteria (Economic, social, and environmental) and 17 sub-criteria. The analysis results show that economic criteria have the highest weight, followed by environmental and social criteria. Furthermore, the TOPSIS method selected the three best suppliers out of 5 alternative suppliers to receive order allocation. The order allocation process for three periods was carried out using the Goal Programming method on suppliers C, E, and A. This research contributes to improving supply chain sustainability. It provides practical guidance for companies in selecting suppliers and allocating orders efficiently.
Evaluation of Sustainability Supply Chain Performance in the Food Industry: A Case Study
Authors: Hadi Danang Kumara , Setiawan Andika Putra , Indrian Oppy Valencia , Rosyid Erwin Fadilatur
Published: September 2023

Evaluating sustainability in the food supply chain has multiple benefits, including reducing environmental impact, meeting regulations, satisfying consumer demands, improving efficiency, and enhancing business reputation. This paper outlines a Sustainability Supply Chain Management (SSCM) framework using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to weigh Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). With 12 variables and 39 KPIs, the method involves data collection, performance measure selection, and analysis. KPIs with lower weight values highlight areas needing improvement, such as recycling costs, personnel expenses, sales responsiveness, eco-friendly labelling, distribution efficiency, green product development, recycled material usage, employee capabilities, product reputation, worker satisfaction, and stakeholder trust. Based on KPI weights, recommendations include prioritizing energy use in production and marketing, ensuring timely product delivery, maintaining product quality, streamlining production processes, focusing on energy efficiency, promoting eco-labelling, fostering eco-awareness, and advancing environmental technology.
Factores sociales y culturales que favorecen la riqueza de frutales en huertos familiares
Authors: Guadarrama Martínez Noemi , Chávez Mejía María Cristina
Published: September 2023

Los huertos familiares (HF) son complejos por el proceso de evolución de la relación sociedad-naturaleza. En San Andrés Nicolás Bravo, se observa que los HF conservan una diversidad importante, sobre todo de especies frutales. El objetivo de la investigación fue analizar los factores socioculturales que permiten la existencia de una riqueza de especies frutales. Para identificar cuáles de los factores son significativos, así como asociaciones entre ellos, se entrevistó a 50 personas de San Andrés Nicolás, 38% mujeres y 62% hombres. Con los resul­tados de las entrevistas se realizó la prueba de c², para identificar factores sociales y culturales, que permiten o afectan la riqueza de especies en los HF. Dentro de los hallazgos principales se indica que los factores signifi­cativos sociales fueron la ocupación del encargado del HF, escolaridad de los encargados, edad del responsable del mantenimiento de los huertos; los factores culturales significativos fueron religión y usos de las especies frutales, mientras que los factores sociales no significativos fueron edad, superficie total del huerto familiar, superficie para las especies frutales y género del responsable del HF. La riqueza de especies frutales se relaciona con su uso, religión de la familia y características del responsable del huerto; la edad y tamaño del huerto no influyen en su riqueza, tampoco el género del responsable del huerto. Los huertos familiares en San Andrés Nicolás Bravo, son un ejemplo claro de que es posible utilizar y conservar la biodiversidad y de que, a través de las prácticas de manejo, se preserva el patrimonio biocultural.
Los siete pecados capitales del sector agroalimentario en México y cómo revertirlos
Authors: Vargas-Canales Juan Manuel , García-Melchor Nicasio , Orozco-Cirilo Sergio , Camacho-Vera Joaquín Hutzilihuitl
Published: September 2023

El sector agroalimentario a nivel mundial es el más importante para la reproducción de la vida. Además, la pan­demia reciente dejó claro que la mejor forma de resistir, superar y adaptarse a los problemas de salud es mantener una alimentación sana y adecuada. La alimentación en la actualidad proviene de un sector agroalimentario su­bordinado a un modelo económico y tecnológico. El objetivo de este análisis fue profundizar en comprender la lógica y dinámica actual del sector agroalimentario con el fin de plantear algunas estrategias que permitan mejorar la producción de alimentos. Como primer punto se argumenta sobre la importancia del sector agroalimentario, las tendencias demográficas mundiales y sus necesidades y algunos problemas como el cambio climático y sus efectos. Por otra parte, se desarrolla un análisis sobre la forma como atentamos casi sin control contra la vida y los recursos bajo el modelo de uso vigente; para ello se hace referencia a siete faltas capitales identificadas en el sector agroalimentario. A partir de esta analogía, se plantean algunas alternativas para el futuro del sector agroalimen­tario de México ante escenarios futuros de cambio climático, desastres naturales, pandemias, conflictos bélicos, e inestabilidad económica, los cuales se considera que serán cada vez más constantes. En principio se plantea fo­mentar la autosuficiencia alimentaria; cambios en el modelo tecnológico sin dejar de utilizar tecnología moderna; y una profunda reorganización de los sistemas económicos y sociales. Por último, es conveniente mencionar que dicha transformación, no será fácil ni pacífica debido a que prevalecen muchos intereses económicos.
Membongkar Makna Keagamaan dalam Estetika Dekorasi: Gereja Katedral Santo Petrus di Bandung
Authors: Fuadi Nuriz M. Adib , Rizal Maulana Abdullah Muslich , Pertiwi Silmi Rahma , Zulfa Anis Kamila , Syahda Tarmidzi Naeli Nafis , Nabilah Dianah
Published: September 2023

This article aims to explore the symbolism contained in St Peter's Cathedral, a historic church in the city of Bandung. Designed by architect Ir. C. P. Wolf Schoemakre and blessed by Mgr Luypen, the construction of St Peter's Cathedral shows a variation of the generally gothic European architectural style, while still incorporating symbolic elements of the Catholic religion in its architectural structure. These symbols not only have a decorative function, but also contain religious values that show the spiritual majesty reflected in the architectural form of St Peter's Cathedral. To uncover the religious meanings contained, the researcher used field observation methods and rigorous interviews. This research concludes that every religious symbol in St Peter's Cathedral has a religious dimension that calls for sacred respect by its adherents. In this ever-evolving era, deep meaning is often lost in the attention to mere appearance, resulting in insensitivity to the values embedded in symbols. Hence, an in-depth examination of the richness of meaning in these symbols becomes indispensable. As such, this article offers a fundamental and in-depth analysis of the symbolism of St Peter's Cathedral, exploring the depth of spiritual meaning embedded in each of its architectural details.AbstrakArtikel ini bertujuan untuk mendalami simbolisme yang terkandung dalam Gereja Katedral Santo Petrus, sebuah gereja bersejarah di kota Bandung. Dirancang oleh arsitek Ir. C. P. Wolf Schoemakre dan diberkati oleh Mgr. Luypen, konstruksi Gereja Katedral St. Peter memperlihatkan variasi dari gaya arsitektur Eropa yang umumnya gotik, sementara tetap memadukan elemen-elemen simbolis agama Katolik dalam struktur arsitekturnya. Simbol-simbol ini tidak hanya memiliki fungsi dekoratif, tetapi juga mengandung muatan nilai religius yang menunjukkan keagungan spiritual yang tercermin dalam rupa arsitektur Gereja Katedral Santo Petrus. Untuk membuka makna religius yang terkandung, peneliti menggunakan metode observasi lapangan dan wawancara yang teliti. Penelitian ini berkesimpulan bahwa setiap lambang keagamaan di Katedral St. Peter memiliki dimensi religius yang memanggil untuk dihormati secara sakral oleh para penganutnya. Dalam era yang terus berkembang ini, makna mendalam seringkali terhempas oleh perhatian pada penampilan belaka, mengakibatkan ketidakpekaan akan nilai-nilai yang tertanam dalam simbol-simbol. Oleh karena itu, sebuah telaah mendalam mengenai kekayaan makna dalam simbol-simbol tersebut menjadi sangat diperlukan. Dengan demikian, artikel ini menawarkan analisis yang mendasar serta mendalam terhadap simbolisme Gereja Katedral Santo Petrus, menggali kedalaman makna spiritual yang tersemat dalam setiap detil arsitekturnya.
Early warning signs of financial distress using random forest and logit model
Authors: Budhidharma Valentino , Sembel Roy , Hulu Edison , Ugut Gracia
Published: September 2023

The purpose of this study is to develop a new model to explain financial distress in Indonesia. There have been many theories, variables, and estimation methods used by previous studies about early warning signs of financial distress. Unfortunately, there are few studies on this subject using a combination of theories, random forests (RF) as the machine learning algorithm, and logit as the statistical method, especially in Indonesia. By using the RF, it is expected the study can get an improved combination of classification and regression tree (CART) and bagging (Breiman, 1996). The samples used are most sectors in Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) from 2005 to 2020, excluding the financial sector. The results show that cash to total assets (CTA), retained earnings to total assets (RETA), quick assets to total assets (QATA), earnings before tax to current liabilities (EBTCL), total liability to total assets (TLTA), total sales (TS), book value per share (BVPS), and market to book ratio of the firm (MB) have a negative significant association with the probability of firms in distress. While current assets to total assets (CATA), quick assets to current liabilities (QACL), total liabilities to market value of total assets (TLMTA), total assets (TA), and interest rate (INTEREST) have a positive significant association with the probability of firms in distress. In conclusion, to avoid financial distress firms must have good selling while maintaining enough cash flow to fulfill their short-term liabilities. Firms must also keep on growing to become bigger so they can withstand more crises. This condition must be supported by a conducive interest rate. Another result shows that combining theories, random forests, and logit can be used to build a new financial distress prediction model. The second result is a new enlightenment since this method can be used to develop many new financial study models, not only using logit estimates but also other estimation methods.
Frecuencia de la infección por Helicobacter pylori en pacientes que requirieron endoscopia digestiva en siete unidades de tres subregiones de Antioquia
Authors: Salazar Giraldo Beatriz Eugenia , Gómez Villegas Sara Isabel , Vélez Gómez Diego Enrique , Ramírez Lopera Verónica , Pérez Cala Tania Lizeth , Martínez Alonso
Published: September 2023

Objetivo: determinar la frecuencia de Helicobacter pylori y la presencia de factores sociodemográficos, hábitos de vida y antecedentes personales y familiares de enfermedades gastroduodenales en pacientes que requirieron y fueron llevados a endoscopia digestiva (sintomáticos o por tamización) en siete unidades de endoscopia de tres subregiones de Antioquia.
Materiales y métodos: estudio transversal realizado entre 2016 y 2018 que incluyó a 272 participantes. Los factores sociodemográficos, hábitos de vida, antecedentes personales y familiares se relacionaron con la infección por H. pylori. Se realizó estadística descriptiva y análisis bivariado para establecer la asociación entre las variables y el análisis multivariado (regresión binomial) para ajustar las razones de prevalencia de los factores asociados. Un valor p ≤ 0,05 se consideró estadísticamente significativo.
Resultados: la frecuencia de infección por H. pylori fue de 55,9%, con diferencias por subregión (área metropolitana del Valle de Aburrá: 54,3%, oriente: 64% y Urabá: 79,2%). Los factores asociados a la infección por H. pylori fueron sexo masculino (razón de prevalencia ajustada [RPA] = 1,26; intervalo de confianza [IC] del 95% = 1,04-1,52), edad de 18-55 años (RPA = 1,62; IC 95% = 1,22-2,16), ausencia de agua potable (RPA = 1,40; IC 95%: 1,15-1,72) y nivel educativo inferior al universitario (RPA = 1,73; IC 95% = 1,26-2,38).
Conclusión: la frecuencia de H. pylori fue mayor que en otros estudios recientes porque se emplearon diferentes pruebas diagnósticas para su detección y se demostraron diferencias en la frecuencia de la infección por región, lo cual se explica por la heterogeneidad en las poblaciones analizadas. Este estudio sugiere la necesidad de mejorar las condiciones de vida de la población para reducir la infección por H. pylori y dirigir medidas de prevención primaria de la infección especialmente en los grupos familiares, en hombres, individuos entre 18 y 55 años, sin agua potable y con un nivel educativo inferior al universitario.
Western Balkans-EU relations between the USA, Russia and Turkey
Authors: Yetimoğlu Yağmur , Akşemsettinoğlu Gokhan
Published: September 2023

Driven by stability and security concerns stemming from the recent past, the
European Union (EU) has decided to include the Western Balkans (WB) in its
enlargement process. in the meantime, the United States of America (USA),
Russia, and Turkey have become engaged in promoting the need for balance of
power in the region, although their interests have been mutually
conflicting. in fact, the USA has supported the policies of the EU towards
the WB to consolidate Euro-Atlantic integration and to maintain its
authority as a superpower on the eastern side of the Atlantic. Another major
power, Russia, has sought to counterbalance both the EU and the USA in the
region by leveraging its close relations with Serbia. On the other hand, a
neighboring country in the region, Turkey, has adopted the policy of soft
power and good neighborly policy towards the WB to strengthen relations with
old partners, based on perception of shared culture, heritage and history.
This article analyzes the diverging national interests of the USA, Russia,
and Turkey in the context of the Normative Power Europe approach pertaining
to the WB.
Factors’ analysis associated with adverse outcome of the treatment of patients with invasive candidiasis
Authors: Popovic Svetlana , Begovic-Kupresanin Vesna
Published: September 2023

Introduction/Objective. Invasive candidiasis (IC) is the most common invasive fungal infection in humans. It manifests as candidemia, and can affect internal organs and lead to sepsis and septic shock. A good knowledge of the factors that lead to the morbidity and mortality of these patients is necessary. We aimed to investigate the factors associated with the unfavorable outcome of patients with IC treated at our institution. Methods. The research was conducted at the Military Medical Academy in Belgrade, Serbia. The retrospective cohort study included 145 patients of both sexes, aged over 18, with a proven diagnosis of IC. Demographics, comorbidities, use of therapeutic procedures, antibiotics, antifungal treatment and outcome were compared between deceased and surviving patients with IC. The results were analyzed using Student?s t-test, Mann?Whitney U test, multivariate statistical analysis. Results. The results showed that the predictors of death were diabetes mellitus (adjusted OR 6.886; CI: 2.608?18.178; p = 0.000) and chemotherapy (adjusted OR 6.826; 95% CI: 2.037?22.866; p = 0.002), which increase the risk of death seven times compared to the basal risk and mechanical ventilation, which increases the risk of death about three times (adjusted OR: 3.056; 95% CI: 1.132?8.253; p = 0.012). Conclusion. Optimal treatment is necessary in terms of early detection and identification of the causative agent of IC. In susceptible patients, such as immunocompromised patients, appropriate treatment should be initiated as soon as possible.
Management Accounting Research Opportunities in Climate Change Reporting
Authors: Jona Jonathan , Soderstrom Naomi S.
Published: September 2023

Climate risk is a critically important challenge for society. Current accounting-related efforts include initiatives by regulators to promulgate climate risk disclosure standards, focusing on disclosure of nonfinancial and forward-looking information. These proposals are certain to evolve over time. With management accounting research’s focus on decision-making and performance evaluation using nonfinancial performance measures and effective management control systems, management accounting researchers are in a strong position to provide unique input into the ongoing development of these reporting standards. In this commentary, we discuss topics where management accounting researchers can contribute to the standard-setting efforts. Contributing to these efforts requires a change in mindset for management accounting researchers from primarily focusing on internal and potentially idiosyncratic decision-makers to a broader audience that includes external providers of capital. However, the reward to doing so is participation in interesting and important research avenues that can have a real impact on society.

JEL Classifications: M49; M48; M14.
An Examination of the Listing of Analyst Coverage on Corporate Websites
Authors: Bradshaw Mark T. , Lee Lian Fen , Peterson Kyle
Published: September 2023

We examine firm decisions to provide listings of sell-side analyst coverage on corporate investor relations (IR) websites. These listings are related to three major areas of financial research—voluntary disclosure, investor relations, and analysts. Our hand-collected data permit cross-sectional and time-series analyses. Firms are more likely to have such listings when analysts are more important information intermediaries and when firms are directly involved in managing their IR websites. For firms with listings, the probability of an analyst being included on the listing is increasing in firm awareness of and familiarity with the analyst, how active and favorable the analyst is, and the analyst’s reputation. Additional analysis indicates similar results across self-hosting versus third-party hosting IR websites, with a notable exception that self-hosting firms exhibit a stronger preference for analysts who issue more favorable research about the firm. Decisions to add or drop analysts from listings reinforce the main results.

Data Availability: Data are available from public sources identified in the text.

JEL Classifications: G17; G24; M41.
potencial do GeoGebra como ferramenta de auxílio as habilidades de visualização
Authors: Mathias Carmen Vieira
Published: September 2023

O GeoGebra é um software de matemática dinâmica projetado para ensinar e aprender matemática. A partir da sua interface é permitido aos usuários visualizar de forma interativa o resultado de suas construções. Neste contexto, a partir das experiências didáticas da autora, este artigo tem por objetivo apresentar diferentes atividades que podem contribuir com o ensino de matemática, pensando no processo de visualização pertinente a alunos do Ensino Superior. Para tanto são apresentadas possibilidades de integrar o GeoGebra em sala de aula de diferentes disciplinas, como Álgebra Linear, Cálculo, Geometria Plana e Geometria Espacial. Nas conclusões, para além das alternativas didáticas, discute-se o quanto o GeoGebra extrapolou seus objetivos educacionais.
Preparation of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus for elective percutaneous coronary intervention
Authors: Kochergina A. M. , Khorlampenko A. A. , Karetnikova V. N. , Barbarash O. L.
Published: September 2023

Aim. To assess the quality of preparation of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus for elective percutaneous coronary intervention, which is aimed to achieving the target values of the modifiable cardiovascular risk factors.

Materials and Methods. We retrospectively analysed 100 electronic medical records of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who were admitted for elective percutaneous coronary intervention at Research Institute for Complex Issues of Cardiovascular Diseases from 2021 to 2022. We analysed clinicopathological data, the data from clinical laboratory tests, and pharmacological anamnesis.

Results. The average age was 65.19 ± 8.69 years, and the proportion of women was 59%. Smoking history and obesity were reported in 22% and 55% of patients, respectively, with average body mass index of 30.38 [27.66; 34.87] kg/m2. All patients suffered from arterial hypertension, 55% had past medical history of myocardial infarction, and 15% had atrial fibrillation. The duration of type 2 diabetes mellitus was 10 [3; 12] years. Target blood pressure at the admission was achieved in 40% patients. Average total cholesterol and blood glucose were 4.15 [3.50; 5.10] mmol/L and 7.85 [6.15; 11.00] mmol/L, respectively. Beta blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin II receptor blockers, and statics were received by 90%, 89%, and 97% of patients. Maximum statin dose was registered in 27% patients, combined therapy (statin + ezetimibe) was documented in 4% patients. 14% of patients did not take hypoglycemic drugs. Oral hypoglycemic agents were received in 65% (in most cases biguanides and sulphonylureas, in 7% patients they were combined with insulin). Sodium-dependent glucose cotransporter (SGLT2) inhibitors have been taken by 19% of patients.

Conclusion. Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus recommended for elective percutaneous coronary intervention typically suffer from arterial hypertension and frequently had increased body mass index, total cholesterol, and blood glucose. The prevalence of using antihypertensive drugs, oral hypoglycemic agents, and lipid-lowering drugs should be increased.
Comparasion of Error Rate Prediction Methods of C4.5 Algorithm for Balanced Data
Authors: Ichlas Djuazva  , Dodi Vionanda  , Nonong Amalita  , Zilrahmi
Published: September 2023

C45 is a highly effective decision tree algorithm widely used for classification purposes. Compared to CHAID, Cart, and ID3, C4.5 generates decision trees that are easier to understand and does so in a faster manner. This is due to C4.5 selecting attributes based on their information content during each stage of the process. After generating the decision tree model, its performance needs to be evaluated. One commonly used method is the prediction error rate, which assesses the model's performance. The prediction error rate consists of two approaches: the train error rate, which employs the same data for both building and testing the model, potentially leading to overfitting, and the test error rate, which divides the data into training and testing sets. The test error rate includes cross validation techniques such as Leave One Out Cross Validation (LOOCV), Hold Out (HO), and k-folds cross validation. Considering these factors, this research focuses on comparing the three cross-validation methods for predicting error rates applied to the C4.5 algorithm. The study utilizes artificially generated data with a normal distribution, including univariate, bivariate, and multivariate datasets with various combinations of mean differences and correlations. Different correlation structures are applied between two relevant variables and between relevant and irrelevant variables in the bivariate and multivariate data, including three correlation levels: no correlation, moderate correlation, and high correlation. This research findings that k-folds cross validation is the most suitable cross validation method to apply to C4.5.
Effect of High Calcium Precursor (HCP) Content on Bonding Strength of Geopolymer Concrete Exposed at Different Curing Temperatures
Authors: Ahmad Zailani Warid Wazien
Published: September 2023

Geopolymer is a green cementitious binder that can be used to replace Portland cement binder and possesses exceptional physical, mechanical, and durability properties. Its mechanical properties such as bonding strength against the substrate were comparable to the Portland cement based repair products which can provide high durability and adhesive strength to the repaired structure. Geopolymer comprises two primary components which are the precursor and alkali activator. High Calcium Precursor (HCP) is the new repair material that was developed by Innovation Construction Materials (INCOM) Research Group to be used as a geopolymer’s precursor in Malaysia. In this research, the effect of HCP contents on the bonding strength of geopolymer concrete was assessed at different curing conditions. Based on the result, it was found that 100 g of HCP gave an optimum bonding strength of 21.3 MPa after 28 days of normal curing. In addition, in this research, the bonding strength also was measured after the geopolymer/substrate composite was exposed at different temperatures (60, 80, and 100 ⁰C). The bonding strength between HCP based geopolymer and the substrate does not significantly affected by the temperature’s exposure. Hence, HCP showed a high potential to be used as a precursor for geopolymer production.
Dual-axis Solar Energy Tracking and Monitoring System with Arduino as a Microcontroller
Authors: Ramli Mohd Sufian
Published: September 2023

As an inexhaustible and non-polluting energy source of the future, solar energy is improving to meet the world's ever-increasing energy demands. In this project, the solar panel is made movable to absorb energy in different directions based on the direction of the sun to maximize the amount of energy generated by solar photovoltaic system. Four Light Dependent Resistors (LDRs), a voltage sensor and a set of humidity and temperature sensor are acting as inputs. Meanwhile, two servo motor outputs are placed in the horizontal and vertical axes to maximize power absorption by orienting the PV panel towards the varying sun directions. The Arduino Mega2560 was used as the microcontroller that controls the inputs to make sure the outputs are operating as required. Apart from the servo motors, another important feature of the project includes the monitoring unit for the system which comprises of the LCD display and Microsoft Excel Data Streamer.
The World Paradigm: A New Proposal for Sociology
Authors: Torres Esteban
Published: September 2023

In this article, I advance the formulation of a paradigm whose components have arisen inorganically in the sociological field in the Western Hemisphere since the beginning of the 21st century. This intellectual corpus, which I call the “World Paradigm” (WP), contains a scientific device structured on the basis of the dialectic between three principles: globalization, localization and historicization. The WP also has a critical and a political device, which, activated by the scientific device, would make it possible to recreate a dynamic designed to renew sociology’s commitment to social change. I present the central elements comprising the WP, distinguishing them from the levers supporting the already consolidated modern and postmodern paradigms. These systemic structures create both enduring patterns of inequality and state systems of classification and can raise questions about the people whom the state classifies into the categories we use. I conclude with a brief analysis of the benefits that could arise from expanding our theoretical repertoires through the inclusion of knowledge produced in the Global South.
Historical and projected land-use / land cover changes of the Welmel River Watershed, Genale Dawa Basin, Ethiopia
Authors: Ayalew Solomon E. , Nigussie Tewodros A.
Published: September 2023

Human activities on land have grown significantly changing the entire landscape, while most of the changes have occurred in the tropics. The change has become a serious environmental concern at the local, regional and global scales. The intensity, speed, and degree of land use / land cover (LULC) changes are nowadays quicker compared to the past because of the development of society. Moreover, the rapid increase in population resulted in disturbing a large number of landscapes on the Earth. The main objective of this study was to detect historical (1990– 2020) and predicted (2020–2050) LULC changes in the Welmel River Watershed, which is located in the Genale-Dawa Basin, South Eastern Ethiopia. The dataset of 1990, 2005, and 2020 was generated from Landsat 5, Landsat 7 and Landsat 8 respectively to determine the historical LULC map. The result of this study revealed that agriculture/ settlement increased by 6.85 km 2∙y –1, while forestland declined by 9.16 km 2∙y –1 over the last 31 years between 1990 and 2020. In the coming 31 years (by 2050), if the existing trend of the LULC change continues, agriculture/settlement land is expected to increase from 290.64 km 2 in 2020 to 492.51 km 2 in 2050 at the rate of 6.73 km 2∙y –1, while forestland is expected to shrink from 690.48 km2 in 2020 to 427.01 km 2 in 2050 by a rate of 8.78 km 2∙y –1.
The estimation of water erosion with RUSLE and deposition model: A case study of the Bin El-Ouidane dam catchment area (High Atlas, Morocco)
Authors: Nouaim Wafae , Rambourg Dimitri , El Harti Abderrazak , Abderrahim Ettaqy , Merzouki Mohamed , Karaoui Ismail
Published: September 2023

Water erosion is a critical issue for Morocco, especially in its semi-arid regions, where climatic and edaphic conditions only allow erratic soil formation and vegetation growth. Therefore, water erosion endangers human activity both directly (loss of arable land, landslides, mudflows) and indirectly (siltation of dams, river pollution). This study is part of the Kingdom’s effort to assess the risk of water erosion in its territory. It is dedicated to the Bin El-Ouidane dam water catchment, one of the biggest water storage facilities in the country, located in the High Atlas Mountains. The poorly developed soils are very sensitive to erosion in this mountainous area that combines steep slopes and sparse vegetation cover. The calculation of soil losses is carried out with the RUSLE model and corrected by estimating areas of deposition based on the unit stream power theory. This method produces a mean erosion rate of around 6.3 t·ha -1·y -1, or an overall annual loss of 4.1 mln t, consistently with the siltation rate of the dam. Primary risk areas (erosion rates > 40 t·ha -1·y -1) account for 54% of the total losses, while they cover only 7% of the catchment. This distribution of the soil losses also shows that the erosion risk is mainly correlated to slope, directing the means of control toward mechanical interventions.
Modelling causality between agricultural and meteorological drought indices in the Corong River basin, East Java Indonesia
Authors: Affandy Nur A. , Iranata Data , Anwar Nadjadji , Maulana Mahendra A. , Prastyo Dedy D. , Jaelani Lalu M. , Suryadi F.X.
Published: September 2023

The Lamongan Regency is an area in East Java, Indonesia, which often experiences drought, especially in the south. The Corong River basin is located in the southern part of Lamongan, which supplies the irrigation area of the Gondang Reservoir. Drought monitoring in the Corong River basin is very important to ensure the sustainability of the agricultural regions. This study aims to analyse the causal relationship between meteorological and agricultural drought indices represented by standardised precipitation evapotranspiration index ( SPEI) and standard normalisation difference vegetation index ( NDVI), using time series regression. The correlation between NDVI and SPEI lag 4 has the largest correlation test results between NDVI and SPEI lag, which is 0.41. This suggests that the previous four months of meteorological drought impacted the current agricultural drought. A time series regression model strengthens the results, which show a causal relationship between NDVI and SPEI lag. According to the NDVI–SPEI-1 lag 4 time series model, NDVI was influenced by NDVI in the previous 12 periods, and SPEI-1 in the last four periods had a determinant coefficient value of 0.4. This shows that the causal model between SPEI-1 and NDVI shows a fairly strong relationship for drought management in agricultural areas (irrigated areas) and is considered a reliable and effective tool in determining the severity and duration of drought in the study area.
The impact of maize irrigation intervals and potassium fertiliser rates on mealybug populations, vegetative growth, and resulting yield
Authors: Bakry Moustafa M.S. , Aljedani Dalal M.
Published: September 2023

The mealybug, Phenacoccus solenopsis (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Pseudococcidae), is one of the main pests attacking maize plants in Egypt. Field trials were carried out in the maize field to assess the influence of irrigation periods and potassium fertiliser rates on the mealybug ( P. solenopsis) population estimates, vegetative growth, resulting yield, and its components for the maize cultivar (‘Single-Hybrid 168 Yellow’) in the Luxor Governorate, Egypt. Results revealed that unfertilised plants irrigated every seven days had higher pest population densities than other treatments over the two seasons. The fertilised treatments at 114 kg K 2O∙ha –1 that received water every 10 days had the smallest population of P. solenopsis in every season. Data during the two seasons (2021 and 2022) revealed that the maize to which potassium fertiliser was added by 114 kg K 2O∙ha –1 and irrigated every 10 days had vegetative growth (plant height, diameter, and number of green leaves per plant), yield and its components (average ear length, ear weight, number of grains per ear, weight of 1000 grains, and grain yield) significantly increased as compared to those of the plants that were irrigated every 7 days and without adding fertiliser. A higher dose of potassium fertiliser reduces the infestation of P. solenopsis but causes an increment of maize vegetative growth. This affects the final yield. This information aids farmers in comprehending the good agronomic techniques of maize plants to decrease the infestation of mealybugs and increase the yield.
Blending Hydrogen With Natural Gas/Biomethane and Transportation in Existing Gas Networks
Authors: Zemite L. , Jansons L. , Zeltins N. , Lappuke S. , Bode I.
Published: September 2023

The existing European Union (EU) natural gas network provides large capacity to integrate renewable (RGs) and low-carbon gases. Today, hydrogen contributes only a few percent to Europe’s energy consumption and is almost exclusively produced from fossil fuels and used in the industry. Nevertheless, hydrogen has a significant role to play in emission reduction in hard-to-decarbonize sectors, in particular, as a fuel in transport applications and as a fuel or feedstock in certain industrial processes (steel, refining or chemical industries, the production of “green fertilizers”). Carbon dioxide (CO2) in reaction with hydrogen can also be further processed into synthetic fuels, such as synthetic kerosene in aviation. In addition, hydrogen brings other environmental co-benefits when used as fuel, such as the lack of air pollutant emissions.

However, in transitional phase from fossil to RG, namely, renewable or green hydrogen, natural gas/biomethane and hydrogen blends, are needed to gradually replace natural in existing gas transmission and distribution networks. The gas networks are believed to be able to use natural gas/biomethane and hydrogen blends with 5–20 % of hydrogen by volume. Most systems and applications are able to handle it without a need for major infrastructure upgrades or end-use appliance retrofits or replacements. The promotion of hydrogen network such as European Hydrogen backbone (EHB) is gaining momentum in Europe. To decarbonize the natural gas grids, the threshold of hydrogen in the existing grid systems must be increased, which can be done by means of wider natural gas/biomethane and hydrogen blending and simultaneous transportation in currently operational gas networks.