bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Digital Distractions, Mindfulness, and Academic Performance With Undergraduate College Students
Authors: Eduljee Nina B. , Murphy Laurie , Croteau Karen
Published: August 2021

This study examined the relationship between digital distractions, mindfulness, and academic performance with undergraduate college students. A total of 199 students completed surveys that examined digital distractions and the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (Baer et al., 2006). The results indicated that 96.5% of participants had a digital device near them when studying, and 94.0% used a digital device to help them study. The major purpose for using a digital device in the classroom was to check the time on their phone (91.0%) and text someone (88.9%). Some reasons for using a digital device for non-classroom purposes included to fight boredom (39.2%) and to stay connected with others (25.1%). Participants who had fewer digital distractions tended to be more mindful and a significant positive relationship (r = .192, p <; .05) was obtained between overall mindfulness and academic performance.
Poverty Effects on Oral Language Development
Authors: Clark Amy Jo , Van Dyke Melanie K. , Tussey Jill T. , Haas Leslie
Published: August 2021

This chapter focuses on oral language development in children birth to third grade. Additionally, the effects of poverty on oral language development in children is explored. Subject matter includes typical language development, common language disorders, and current information regarding the interplay of language and technology. Particular attention is paid to the ways the home environment influences early language in infants and toddlers. Strategies to support language development in young children through the language experience approach, literacy, text sets, and technology are explained. Resources, materials, and suggested activities for parents, caregivers, and educators are embedded.
The Relationship of Classroom Behavior and Income Inequality to Literacy in Early Childhood
Authors: Nunamaker Ross Glen Chandler , Mosier William Arthur
Published: August 2021

This chapter addresses the association between nurturing prosocial classroom behavior in young children, literacy, and income inequality. Literacy will be explored as it relates to social competence in the classroom as influenced by income inequity. One highlighted area of importance is a play-based, child-focused environment that is culturally sensitive and responsive to the needs of the whole child. Socioeconomic disparities in literacy skills have been increasing over the past 40 years. This subject must be addressed in order to effectively meet the cognitive, social, and emotional needs of each individual child. Literacy skills are developed during early childhood. It is also the case that limited literacy during early childhood increases the risk of children displaying aggressive behavior at school as they progress to higher grades. For these reasons, tackling the problem during the early years with developmentally appropriate adult-child interventions are what is needed to reverse the trends placing an increasing number of young children at-risk of academic underachievement.
Transacting With Texts
Authors: Gusler Sara , Carr Victoria , Johnson Holly
Published: August 2021

This chapter presents an applied model for supporting preschool children's executive function, skills that serve as protective factors against risks associated with poverty, using Rosenblatt's transactional theory. The authors posit pedagogy that elicits children's responses to an author's/illustrator's picturebook whereby preschool readers' responses are mediated by the teacher through reflective discussion. Children are encouraged to reflect upon literary characters' motivations, behaviors, and problem solving. A demonstration case analysis shows how this model is implemented in a diverse and inclusive university laboratory preschool program where approximately half the children are served through Head Start, a federal program for children living in poverty. Given the preschool years are an especially sensitive period for acquisition of executive function skills, the authors assert that supporting young children's transactions with and interpretations of a text is the type of transactional strategy that has potential for narrowing the opportunity gap.
Food Insecurity and Literacy Learning
Authors: Guha Smita
Published: August 2021

Food insecurity occurs when there is no consistent access to enough food. There are different reasons for food shortage leading to food insecurity. As per Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory, food is a basic need and must be met. Lack of availability of food develops food insecurity among adults and children. Food insecurity results in physical and mental health issues. Food insecurity is evident among some of the homeless people. To overcome food insecurity, literacy learning plays a major role. Families and children suffering from food insecurity need support and education.
Improving Literacy Outcomes for Disadvantaged Girls Through Empowerment
Authors: Aslam Monazza , Cashman Laura , Hamid Moaaz , Rawal Shenila , Jamil Baela Raza , Sabates Ricardo , Saeed Saba
Published: August 2021

Literacy acquisition is important for the formation of higher order skills, further engagement with written forms of knowledge, and deeper participation in society. Yet not all children have the opportunity to acquire literacy skills in their own mother tongue to allow them to continue to advance to these wider benefits of learning. This is particularly the case for girls living in poverty in Pakistan, where about 40% of the poorest girls are out of school compared to 24% of the richest girls not going to school. For those who start school, less than half complete a full cycle of basic education and less than 20% complete secondary schooling. In this chapter, the authors develop evidence for the effectiveness of a remedial learning program—Siyani Sahelian—which aims to support the reintegration of disadvantaged girls into schooling by developing literacy skills in Urdu (among other academic and life skills). The chapter provides evidence of the extent to which the programme supports literacy acquisition in an equitable way, and the main reasons behind the observed trends.
Big Data and Big Data Analytics for Improved Healthcare Service and Management
Authors: Pramanik Pijush Kanti Dutta , Pal Saurabh , Mukhopadhyay Moutan
Published: August 2021

Like other fields, the healthcare sector has also been greatly impacted by big data. A huge volume of healthcare data and other related data are being continually generated from diverse sources. Tapping and analysing these data, suitably, would open up new avenues and opportunities for healthcare services. In view of that, this paper aims to present a systematic overview of big data and big data analytics, applicable to modern-day healthcare. Acknowledging the massive upsurge in healthcare data generation, various ‘V's, specific to healthcare big data, are identified. Different types of data analytics, applicable to healthcare, are discussed. Along with presenting the technological backbone of healthcare big data and analytics, the advantages and challenges of healthcare big data are meticulously explained. A brief report on the present and future market of healthcare big data and analytics is also presented. Besides, several applications and use cases are discussed with sufficient details.
Comparing the Perception of Privacy for Medical Devices and Devices With Medical Functionality
Authors: Kaiser Florian , Wiens Marcus , Schultmann Frank
Published: August 2021

Health data privacy is essential for the acceptance of digital health applications. Hence, privacy is a precondition for future healthcare delivery. This study compares the perception of the current state of health data privacy in officially registered and therefore regulated health applications (medical devices) according to the medical product act as well as non-regulated health applications (devices with medical functionality) in Germany. To this end, an empirical study based on a questionnaire is conducted (n=53). The results show that there are significant differences between the analysed health applications with respect to perceived data privacy. In particular, there is a significant difference of the levels of perceived security between both types of devices. Low privacy for one type of device may hamper trust in digital health applications in general as there are spill-over effects regarding the perception of data privacy. Thus, the study suggests that legal regulations for devices with medical functionality should be adapted to protect health data adequately.
Multi-Objective Hydro-Thermal Scheduling Problem Using Two Novel Optimization Techniques
Authors: Roy Provas Kumar , Pradhan Moumita , Pal Tandra
Published: August 2021

This article describes an efficient and reliable strategy for the scheduling of nonlinear multi-objective hydrothermal power systems using the grey wolf optimization (GWO) technique. Moreover, the theory of oppositional-based learning (OBL) is integrated with original GWO for further enhancing its convergence rate and solution accuracy. The constraints related to hydro and thermal plants and environmental aspects are also considered in this paper. To show its efficiency and effectiveness, the proposed GWO and OGWO algorithms are authenticated for the test system consisting of a multi-chain cascade of 4 hydro and 3 thermal units whose valve-point loading effects are also taken into account. Furthermore, statistical outcomes of the conventional heuristic approaches available in the literature are compared with the proposed GWO and OGWO approaches, and these methods give moderately better operational fuel cost and emission in less computational time.
Multifactorial Particle Swarm Optimization Enhanced by Hybridization With Firefly Algorithm
Authors: Xiao Heng , Yokoya  , Hatanaka Toshiharu
Published: August 2021

In recent years, evolutionary multitasking has received attention in the evolutionary computation community. As an evolutionary multifactorial optimization method, multifactorial evolutionary algorithm (MFEA) is proposed to realize evolutionary multitasking. One concept called the skill factor is introduced to assign a preferred task for each individual in MFEA. Then, based on the skill factor, there are some multifactorial optimization solvers including swarm intelligence that have been developed. In this paper, a PSO-FA hybrid model with a model selection mechanism triggered by updating the personal best memory is applied to multifactorial optimization. The skill factor reassignment is introduced in this model to enhance the search capability of the hybrid swarm model. Then numerical experiments are carried out by using nine benchmark problems based on typical multitask situations and by comparing with a simple multifactorial PSO to show the effectiveness of the proposed method.
A Novel Methodology for Cloud of Things-Based Secure Higher Education Framework Using Zero Knowledge Proof System
Authors: Mukherjee Kuntal , Maurya Sudhanshu , Mandal Ranjan Kumar , Thakur Mukul , Khatoon Farzana
Published: August 2021

The cutting-edge technology, namely Cloud of Things (CoT) has shaped the existing business process into a new orientation in terms of performance, usability, and reliability. Among different business processes, online education is one of the prime areas where CoT can be used to make it more agile in the context of performance and usability. In this endeavor, a novel methodology has been proposed for an online higher education framework based on CoT. The proposed framework is made agile using Service Oriented Architecture (SOA). Furthermore, in order to make the proposed framework more reliable, a Zero Knowledge Proof (ZKPF) system has been introduced here. The proposed ZKPF algorithm is based on the Hadamard matrix. Experimental results have shown to lay bare the effectiveness of the proposed algorithms.
Predictors of Super-Performers in the Home Health Industry
Authors: Dey Sukhen , Pinto-Oehme Pamela
Published: August 2021

The world is aging. This paper focuses on the home health care sector. The authors have examined the patient experience aspects of the elderly population. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) designed a Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) survey specifically for the home healthcare population (HHCAHPS). This paper has identified super-performers within the U.S. home healthcare agencies. By super-performers, this research implies agencies that received superior consumer experience ratings among the U.S. home healthcare segment. The authors applied machine learning techniques to compose a predictive model and identify the predictors of super-performer agencies. The study signals the need for clinically oriented variables for a better model. This paper intends to continue this research with the additional clinically-driven care measures for the patients at home.
Broken DNA of Global Health Security
Authors: Pathni Rajiv Kumar
Published: August 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc across the globe causing massive disruptions to life, liberty, and livelihoods. With more than 3.7 million deaths and a projected cumulative output loss of 28 trillion USD through 2025, it is evident that the extant global health security infrastructure is grossly inadequate. The current crisis has uncovered critical deficiencies in preparedness and response to epidemics and the predictive inability of current indices, underscoring the need for new framework and metrics. This paper argues for the global community to treat pandemics as a threat to global security to ensure mustering of political will and financial resources and to organize appropriate, rapid, and sustained domestic and international responses. A public-health-only approach without commensurate national and global security measures will continue to fail to prevent local outbreaks from becoming global catastrophes. A values-based geopolitical order with resolute global leadership, political will, sustainable financing, and solidarity is critical for the world's future.
COVID-19 and Moral Distress: A Pediatric Critical Care Survey
Authors: Thomas Tessy A. , Davis F. Daniel , Kumar Shelley , Thammasitboon Satid , Rushton Cynda H.
Published: August 2021

Background

Moral distress adversely affects the delivery of high-quality patient care and places health care professionals at risk for burnout, moral injury, and the loss of professional integrity.

Objectives

To investigate whether pediatric critical care professionals are experiencing moral distress during the COVID-19 pandemic and, if so, for what reasons.

Methods

An exploratory survey of pediatric critical care professionals was conducted via the Pediatric Acute Lung Injury and Sepsis Investigators Network from April to May 2020. The survey was derived from a framework integrating contemporary literature on moral distress, moral resilience, and expert consensus. Integration of descriptive statistics for quantitative data and thematic analysis for qualitative data yielded mixed insights.

Results

Overall, 85.8% of survey respondents reported moral distress. Nurses reported higher degrees of moral distress than other professional groups. Inducers of moral distress were related to challenges to professional integrity and lack of organizational support. Five themes were identified: (1) psychological safety, (2) expectations of leadership, (3) connectedness through a moral community, (4) professional identity challenges, and (5) professional versus social responsibility. Most respondents were confident in their ability to reason through ethical dilemmas (76.0%) and think clearly when confronting an ethical challenge even when pressured (78.9%).

Conclusions

During the COVID-19 pandemic, pediatric critical care professionals are experiencing moral distress due to various factors that challenge their professional integrity. Despite these challenges, they also exhibit attributes of moral resilience. Organizations have opportunities to cultivate a psychologically safe and healthy work environment to mitigate anticipatory, present, and lingering moral distress.
Factors affecting decontamination of N95 masks for reuse
Authors: Kanaujia Rimjhim , Angrup Archana , Biswal Manisha , Sehgal Inderpaul Singh , Ray Pallab
Published: August 2021

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has led to an enormous increase in cases worldwide in a short time. The potential shortage might call for the reuse of personal protective equipment especially N95 masks. In this review, the methods available for decontamination of N95 masks have been compared to highlight the advantages and efficacies of different methods. Studies conducted to evaluate the biocidal efficacy, effect on filtration efficacy of the decontamination method, and maintenance of structural integrity of masks, were reviewed. Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) vapour were the most commonly evaluated interventions and showed good germicidal activity without significant deleterious effects on mask performance. Vapourous H2O2 was the best method as it maintained NIOSH (The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) recommendations of the mask on re-use and additionally, one mask could be decontaminated and reused 30 times. Ethylene oxide (EtO) preserved the maximum filtration efficacy and flow resistance. Chemical and heat-based methods had the advantages of being cost-effective and feasible but affected the structural integrity and fit of the masks. For the decontamination of N95 masks, among the heat-based methods steam was found to be the best for low middle-income countries setting. H2O2-based methods, UVGI, and EtO all exhibited both adequate biocidal efficacies and functionality (fit testing and structural integrity). Further studies on logistics, healthcare worker acceptability of reuse, and actual efficacy of protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection should be carried out to validate the use of decontamination in the real-life settings.
Ku Nseke and Ku Mpèmba: The Dikènga Theory as Evinced Through Content and Function of Akan Ananse Stories and Yorùbá Ìjàpá Tales
Authors: Kambon Obádélé
Published: August 2021

The aim of this paper is to highlight parallels between Akan Ananse stories and Yorùbá Ìjàpá tales. In this article, connections are made with regard to function and content of Akan and Yorùbá stories using Dikenga, the cosmogram of the Bakôngo, as a tool for oral literary analysis revealing intertextual parallels (O_ Kambon, 2017). We highlight six (6) sets of stories common to both Akan and Yorùbá people differentiated primarily by the main character being the spider or the tortoise. Further, we show how the stages of transformation of any story can be gainfully analysed using the proposed Dikenga theory of literary analysis.
Presuppositions in the Study of African Social and Political Thought
Authors: Assimeng Max
Published: August 2021

The essay sought to initiate discussion among scholars of social and politicaltheory on a then insufficiently acknowledged problem in African intellectualhistory. Attention was drawn to the neglect of African social and political thoughtin worldwide social and intellectual analysis in the hopes that it would lead torigorous examination and debate that would lead to new and generalizableconceptual frameworks.
A Critical Look at Ghana’s Human Capital Development Agenda: Where Do We Go From Here?
Authors: Puplampu Bill Buenar
Published: August 2021

This lecture explores the extent to which Ghana has paid sufficient strategic attention to the development of skills, competencies and capacities which would propel consistent socio-economic development. It argues that many initiatives and efforts have been made in the area of education. However these have been unfocused, disparate, not strategic and wasteful. Five policy and implementation gaps are identified and five recommendations are proffered for urgent consideration by policy makers.
Decrypting Crypto-Colonialism and unveiling the Mask of Innocence : Switzerland’s Covert Colonial Designs and Continuity in Africa.
Authors: Appiah Juliana Safowaa , Yeboah Mireku Roland
Published: August 2021

Switzerland, an example of neutrality and peace, is among Western European countries least associated with colonialism. Switzerland has engineered and promoted a favorable public opinion of itself to the African continent. This article suggests, however, that the history of Switzerland in Africa is much less strange to colonialism than its image. Swiss soldiers, companies and individuals—often with either the explicit or implicit consent of the Swiss authorities—participated in and benefitted from the colonial ventures of European powers in Africa. At the same time, Switzerland pursued its own colonial projects that consisted of profitable trade relations and exporting the Swiss Weltanschauung (world view) tantamount to Western racist pseudoscientific ontology. Notwithstanding, the Swiss modus operandi, which worked in the shadow of bigger players and combined business with aid and colonialism with humanitarianism, concealed the role of Switzerland in the construction and maintenance of the colonial world order. For the same reason, Swiss colonialism was not argeted by the movement of decolonization, much the same way the metropoles of colonial rule were and thus had the possibility to continue. By projecting coloniality, the colonial matrix of power and postcolonial thought, this paper contributes to the existing intellectual debate on colonial complicity (including racism) of Switzerland. We unearth the mechanism through which Swiss colonialism manifested and the mutated form it has taken in the aftermath of the decolonization process.
Reflexives and Intensifiers in Dagbani and Gurenɛ
Authors: Alhassan Issah Samuel , E. Nsoh Avea , Awinkene Atintono Samuel
Published: August 2021

This paper discusses the morphology and distribution of reflexive pronouns and self-intensifiers in two Mabia (Gur) languages of Ghana, Gurenε and Dagbani. We show that reflexive pronouns in both languages are bimorphemic, comprising of a personal pronoun and the reflexivizer -miŋa and -maŋa ‘self’, for Gurenε and Dagbani respectively. We again, show that self-intensifiers and reflexives are morphologically distinct as the former has additional morpheme -maŋ and -m/ for Dagbani and Gurenε respectively, which we analyse as being responsible for the emphatic readings of self-intensifiers. We also demonstrate that reflexives are invariably in the same clause with their antecedents. We however, contend that unlike Dagbani, the third person emphatic eŋa ‘she/he’ and its weak counterpart a ‘she/he’ are mutually exclusive in Gurenε, explaining why personalnames are incompatible with the former. Finally, we demonstrate that adnominal and inclusive intensifiers seem to have similar distribution, suggesting that the Gurenε and Dagbani data do not justify the postulation of three subtypes of intensifiers.
Effect of treatment with trypanocides on Trypanosoma brucei induced oxidative stress and antioxidant enzyme activities in dogs
Authors: Akpa P.O. , Umeakuana P.U. , Nnaji T.O. , Anene B.M.
Published: August 2021

Oxidative stress and alteration of endogenous antioxidant enzymes play roles in the pathophysiological mechanism of trypanosomosis. The oxidative stress marker: malondialdehyde- MDA and antioxidative stress markers: Serum catalase- CAT, Serum Reduced Glutathione -GSH-Rd and Serum Superoxide dismutase- SOD of Nigerian local dogs (NLD) experimentally infected with Trypanosoma brucei were evaluated after treatments with diminazene aceturate (DA) and isometamidium chloride (IMC). Twenty dogs of age 3 – 4 months were assigned to any of the four groups of five dogs each as follows: 1 = infected and treated with DA (7.0 mg/kg); 2 = uninfected untreated; 3 = infected and untreated; 4 = infected and treated with IMC (0.5 mg/kg). DA and IMC cleared the parasites from the blood, following treatment of the dogs. Relapse was recorded in two dogs in group 1 and one dog in group 4 on days 35 and 56 post-infection (PI) respectively. No dog died except one in group 1. The levels of malondialdehyde- MDA increased significantly by day 7 post-infection in all the infected groups. However, by day 14 post-infection the malondialdehyde levels in group 4 became similar with group 2. The MDA level in group 1 remained significantly higher than in group 2. As from days 7 – 14 post-infection Catalase, Reducedg glutathionend superoxide dismutase levels in the infected groups were significantly lower than group 2. Nevertheless, both trypanocides did not return the levels of CAT, GSH, and SOD to pre-infection values before the termination of the experiment. The findings suggested that the two trypanocides could neither reverse the induced oxidative stress nor normalize the antioxidant capacity of the dogs infected with T. brucei.
The ‘Chinese Dream’ or the ‘American Nightmare’: Where Did the U.S.-China Relations Come in Three Decades
Authors: Leksyutina Y. V.
Published: August 2021

The bulk of academic studies characterize the contemporary U.S. – China relations as asymmetrical ones, in which the relations' agenda − a course towards ﬁnding areas of cooperation or emphasizing contradictions/rivalry − was set by Washington's policy towards China, with the latter being more of a reacting party. In this paper, I argue that one needs a further and deeper reﬂection on the current confrontation between the U.S. and China, in particular the reasons and circumstances of how and why the “Chinese dream” of a remarkable renaissance of the Chinese nation became an American nightmare, forcing Washington to opt for a containment policy against China. In this regard, I show the importance of tracing the dynamics of the post-Cold War development of the U.S. – China relations to comprehend the patterns and logic of the shaping of American policy towards China. The article also explains the evolution of U.S. – China relations in the post-Cold War period as determined by the presence or absence of a strategic basis in the U.S. – China relations, which implies cooperation between the two countries in stopping the external existential threat to the U.S. So, I conclude that the uniqueness of the current stage lies in the fact that, because of China's emergence as a strong global power and Washington's disillusions about China, China itself is beginning to be perceived by Washington as an existential threat, to stop which the containment policy should be applied.
Azerbaijan: From Small to Regional Power?
Authors: Ibrahimov R. F.
Published: August 2021

The article gives a general overview of the main factors inﬂuencing the formation of Azerbaijan’s foreign policy, as well as analyzes how these factors have changed since Azerbaijan’s independence until 2021. The conclusion is made that the existence of the Nagorno-Karabakh conﬂict has been a key factor in the formation of the political and economic system of the country, as well as the consciousness and perception of the world by its citizens. Since independence, Azerbaijan’s main objective has been to change the regional status quo, as well as to regain military and political control over Nagorno-Karabakh. In the theoretical part of the article, the author considers two categories of statehood: small and medium power. The established deﬁnition of small and medium power says that the main criteria of their diﬀerence lies in the size of the economy, the number of armed forces, as well as in the criterion of the “will” of the peoples to solve extraordinary foreign policy tasks. The author believes that the consolidation of the country’s available capabilities made it possible not only to achieve the goal of territorial integrity, but also to move Azerbaijan from the category of a small to a medium power. Azerbaijan deliberately moved to the rank of a medium power: through the development of regional ties and energy diplomacy, as well as through the isolation of Armenia. As a result, Azerbaijan’s seizure of seven districts and part of Nagorno-Karabakh, including Shusha, was a signiﬁcant event that allowed the country to fundamentally change the unfavorable status quo that had prevailed for years.
Evolution and Internal Logic of Kyrgyzstan’s International Relations during the Period of Independence
Authors: Podobed I. V.
Published: August 2021

This article examines the position of Kyrgyzstan in the international system and its foreign policy in the context of the social fabric established after the collapse of the USSR, the dynamics of socio-economic development, as well as electoral processes and delimitation. The evolution of international relations in Kyrgyzstan is seen as a derivative of the socio-economic macro process that has been developing over the past three decades. In this article, the author attempts to combine the most common research optics that rarely intersect in one work: the study of the domestic political process and its role in setting foreign policy priorities. Due to the existence of an extensive clan system and the fragility of the central government, it is impossible to conduct internally consistent foreign policy. The foreign policy activity of Kyrgyzstan is aimed at maintaining a certain balance in relations with major actors in the region to create the most favourable conditions for labour migration, obtaining ﬁnancial assistance and transit trade.
North Korean Miracle: 30 Уears of Surviving Crisis and Isolation
Authors: Lankov A. N.
Published: August 2021

The article examines those factors that allowed the Kim family regime to stay in power in extremely unfavorable environment. In political science literature, it is generally accepted that an authoritarian regime faces three major threats: an elite conspiracy/coup, a mass protest, a foreign invasion. The article demonstrates that in the case of the DPRK, which is a much poorer part of a divided country, the potential threat of mass popular protests might be higher than in many other authoritarian regimes. However, the autocrat and his entourage successfully counter this threat by exercising an unusually thorough policy of informational self-isolation, further reinforced by strict administrative control and police surveillance. On the other hand, the ever present threat of Seoul-led “uniﬁcation-by-absorption” strengthens the elites’ unity and reduces the likelihood of conspiracies. This is important since elite conspiracies and coups have constituted the major danger for post-1945 autocracies. North Korean elites understand that even a successful coup can eventually provoke the outbreak of popular discontent, followed by the collapse of North Korean statehood and German-style uniﬁcation under Seoul’s control. Under this scenario, conspiracy’s winners and losers will perish alike, with all members of the current elite having little chance to retain their power and privileges. Hence, the elite has reasons not to “rock the boat.” Finally, the threat of a foreign invasion (or foreign intervention into a domestic crisis) is successfully neutralized by the existence of a nuclear deterrent. Since the North Korean faces a grave existential threat which is created by the existence of the South, it is ready to sacriﬁce the economic development for the sake of political stability. Hence, the elite is willing to invest large resources into military programs and overlook the diﬃculties the self-isolation and other survival-oriented policies create for the economic development of the country.
Normative Power ASEAN? Globalisation of Asian Values and Its Limits
Authors: Efremova K.
Published: August 2021

The idea of normative power Europe, pioneered by Ian J. Manners, is usually applied to the European Union’s foreign policy. It states that the EU promotes one’s norms and values among adjacent states, determining what is “normal” in international relations. This paper, along with the burgeoning literature that looks for normative power beyond Europe, argues that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is another regional grouping that attempts to disseminate its norms and values worldwide, thus transforming itself into a nascent “normative power.” Structure-wise, this paper proceeds as follows. First, I will brieﬂy overview the concept of Ian Manner’s normative power and its applicability to Europe and Asia. Second, I will determine the Asian values that may be the basis for ASEAN’s normative stance in the world. My comparison of ASEAN and the EU’s values are structured along with several topical issues: the role of a state in people’s quotidian life and the question of human rights promotion. I exemplify the latter with the Myanmar crisis that evoked harsh criticism of the international community. I conclude that the transformation of ASEAN into a “normative power” is rather dubious since there are limits in promoting the Asian norms and values. In ASEAN, there is a group of developing countries that reject Western universalism and struggle to ﬁnd their own way in world politics.
Fast IQ Amplitude Approximation Method for ASIC Digital System
Authors:   Department of Computing Fundamentals, FPT University, Hanoi, Vietnam, Pham Giao N. , Bui Anh N. , Nguyen Binh A. , Nguyen Tung V. , Nguyen Hai T.
Published: August 2021

In some modules of digital systems, such as Fast Fourier Transform (FFT), Discrete Fourier transform (DFT), IQ (in-phase and quadrature components) modulation/ demodulation, the outputs use the complex data formed , and the calculation of its magnitude value √ are required. In software digital signal processing platform, the multiplication and square root operations are executed by using its math library; however, in Application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) digital system design, the implementation of those operators via Coordinate Rotation Digital Computer (CORDIC) algorithm requires the numerous resources and delays. So, in this paper, we present a fast approximation method for above problem which takes a small delay but acceptable accuracy for AISC digital system design. Keywords—ASIC, Digital system design, FFT, DFT, Fast amplitude approximation, Max-Min approximation.
The Development of the Method of Radar Observation System Construction of the Airspace on the Basis of Genetic Algorithm
Authors:   Ivan Kozhedub Kharkiv National Air Force University, Ukraine, Kharkiv, Oleksenko Oleksandr , Khudov Hennadii , Petrenko Kyrylo , Horobets Yurii , Kolianda Valerii , Kuchuk Nina , Konstantinov Andrij , Kireienko Volodymyr , Serdiuk Oleksii , Yuzova Iryna , Solomonenko Yuriy
Published: August 2021

The methodological approaches to the use of genetic algorithm for the synthesis of the rational structure of the radar surveillance system are proposed in the paper. The structure of the radar surveillance system is presented in the form of an incidence matrix, which is used as a chromosome by the operators of the genetic algorithm. This matrix is used as a chromosome by the operators of the genetic algorithm. The elements of the incidence matrix that describe the relationships between the elements of the structure of the observation system are genes in the genetic algorithm. In each cycle of the genetic algorithm, a pair of chromosomes is paired, during which part of the genes are exchanged, which for the system under study means the appearance and disappearance of the corresponding connections between the elements. The calculation of the values of the efficiency of radar surveillance for each variant of the structure is proposed to be carried out using the ant colony optimization. The gain in the value of the conditional probability of correct detection with a fixed probability of false alarm is approximately 10% Keywords— genetic algorithm, artificial intelligence, optimization, route, radar surveillance system.
Prediction of Earnings Manipulation on Malaysian Listed Firms: A Comparison between Linear and Tree-based Machine Learning
Authors:   Faculty of Accountancy, Universiti Teknologi Mara, Perak Branch, Tapah Campus, Malaysia, Rahman Rahayu Abdul , Masrom Suraya , Zakaria Nor Balkish , Nurdin Enny
Published: August 2021

Predicting the earning manipulation is an inseparable part of financial-economic analysis, helping shareholders, investors, creditors and outsiders acquire high quality of firm’s financial information. Thus, the aim of the paper is to compare the earnings manipulation prediction models developed by using two types of machine learning algorithms; linear and tree categories. The linear based machine learning are Logistic Regression and Generalized Linear Model while the tree based are Decision Tree and Random Forest. All of the algorithms were tested on dataset of earnings manipulation among 1874 firm-year observations of firms listed on Bursa Malaysia . The results indicate that the performances of the two kinds of machine learning is not extremely different except with the Decision Tree. Furthermore, the most outperformed algorithm has been presented by the linear based machine learning, which produced the best accuracy in the shortest total time completion. All the models present better ability in detecting the false cases of earnings manipulation rather than the true cases mainly from the tree based machine learning. Keywords-- Earnings Manipulation, Earnings Management, Machine Learning, Malaysia
Los pilares esenciales para una educación inclusiva de las personas homosexuales
Authors: Verbicaro Soares Douglas , Oliveira Maria Clara Govêia de , Alves Jhemylly Wilhena
Published: August 2021

Dentro de la sociedad brasileña, el prejuicio hacia las personas homosexuales sigue siendo muy fuerte, por lo que todavía hay mucho repudio social dentro de los institutos más básicos de la sociedad. En el conocimiento de las desventajas de tener un desarrollo en medio de tales condiciones, este artículo busca explorar los pilares esenciales de la educación, con el fin de entender: ¿Cómo puede llegar a ser más inclusivo y acogedor para las personas homosexuales? Utilizando el método deductivo y la investigación bibliográfica, se discute el pilar familiar y se hacen consideraciones sobre la familia y la homosexualidad, además del pilar escolar. Por último, se concluye por la necesidad de una acción estatal para fomentar una educación que garantice la dignidad humana, los derechos fundamentales y el desarrollo físico, mental y social de las personas homosexuales.
Lei Geral de Proteção dos Dados Pessoais: análise acerca da proteção de dados do consumidor à luz da Lei n. 13709/2018
Authors: Pinto Laryssa Carolyne Oliveira , Verbicaro Soares Douglas
Published: August 2021

Esta pesquisa traz como tema a Lei Geral de Proteção de Dados Pessoais e uma análise acerca de sua abrangência na proteção de dados do consumidor no ambiente de consumo virtual. Nas últimas duas décadas houve um crescente avanço na utilização da internet para se realizar compras e contratar serviços. Consequentemente, tornou-se um desafio para os juristas a possibilidade de acompanhamento das atualizações acerca da nova relação de consumo. Tal fato se tornou ainda mais difícil quando surgiu o novo modo de contratar. Dessa forma, houve a necessidade de se criar mecanismos para que o consumidor pudesse navegar de forma segura nos sites de compras virtuais. Por conseguinte, surgiram normais legais para o uso de dados pessoais na internet (p. exemplo a lei n. 12.965/2014, que dispunha sobre o Marco Civil da Internet). Contudo, essas normativas careciam de uma política que visasse à regulamentação da guarda e manutenção de dados pessoais do indivíduo nos bancos de dados e cadastro de consumo. Dentro dessa realidade surgiu a Lei Geral de Proteção de Dados, vindo a regulamentar o tratamento de dados pessoais no ambiente virtual. Assim, esta pesquisa traz como destaque a análise da LGPD através de uma pesquisa bibliográfica, abordando os principais aspectos da lei referentes à proteção de dados do consumidor e relacionando as principais mudanças no campo da política de segurança da informação como solução para maior segurança e transparência no tratamento de dados.
Does COVID-19 Drive Stock Price Bubbles in Medical Mask?
Authors: Li Zheng Zheng , Xiao Yidong , Su Chi-Wei
Published: August 2021

This article studies whether there is a bubble in the price of medical masks, especially considering the COVID-19 pandemic. The empirical results show that multiple bubbles exist in 2020 and are correlated with COVID-19 related events. This study alerts investors to rationally evaluate changes in the stock market during the pandemic.
Asymmetric Impact of COVID-19 on China’s Stock Market Volatility: Media Effect or Fact?
Authors: Li Xin
Published: August 2021

This study examines the asymmetric effects of positive and negative changes in media attention to COVID-19 and daily new confirmed COVID-19 cases on China’s stock market volatility by utilizing the nonlinear autoregressive distributed lag (NARDL) model. Empirical results show that media attention has a pronounced effect on China’s stock market volatility and this effect is greater than the direct impact of COVID-19. Finally, several important policy implications arise from these findings.
Refinement of Extended Accelerated Over-Relaxation Method for Solution of Linear Systems
Authors: Audu KJ , Yahaya YA , Adeboye KR , Abubakar UY
Published: August 2021

Given any linear stationary iterative methods in the form z^(i+1)=Jz^(i)+f, where J is the iteration matrix, a significant improvements of the iteration matrix will decrease the spectral radius and enhances the rate of convergence of the particular method while solving system of linear equations in the form Az=b. This motivates us to refine the Extended Accelerated Over-Relaxation (EAOR) method called Refinement of Extended Accelerated Over-Relaxation (REAOR) so as to accelerate the convergence rate of the method. In this paper, a refinement of Extended Accelerated Over-Relaxation method that would minimize the spectral radius, when compared to EAOR method, is proposed. The method is a 3-parameter generalization of the refinement of Accelerated Over-Relaxation (RAOR) method, refinement of Successive Over-Relaxation (RSOR) method, refinement of Gauss-Seidel (RGS) method and refinement of Jacobi (RJ) method. We investigated the convergence of the method for weak irreducible diagonally dominant matrix, matrix or matrix and presented some numerical examples to check the performance of the method. The results indicate the superiority of the method over some existing methods.
Gestión del conocimiento y productividad de una empresa constructora del Perú
Authors: Avalos Rubén Moisés Mauricio , Chacchi Denisse Vanessa García , Yépez Nancy Lucía Merma , Hernández Ericka Janet Villamares
Published: August 2021

El estudio de investigación tuvo como objetivo determinar la relación entre la gestión del conocimiento en la productividad de la empresa CONSTRUCTORA PBG E.I.R.L. San Martín de Porres, 2020. El tipo de investigación fue de tipo básica, diseño correlacional, transversal. La muestra estuvo conformada por 70 colaboradores, con una población censal de 70 trabajadores, con instrumentos validados por expertos y una alta fiabilidad. La escala de percepción de la gestión del conocimiento, para el presente estudio presentó confiabilidad con Alfa de Cronbach de 0.788 indicando una fuerte consistencia interna, y la Escala de productividad, para la investigación presentó validez de confiabilidad con Alfa de Cronbach de 0.891 indicando una fuerte consistencia interna. Los resultados  descriptivos de la  variable gestión del conocimiento  según los trabajadores el 35.7% lo considera deficiente, el 42.9% los considera regular y el 21.4% es considerado como eficiente; en la dimensión Creación del conocimiento, el 28.6% lo considera deficiente, el 50.0% los considera regular y el 21.4% es considerado como eficiente; en la dimensión Transferencia del conocimiento el 25.7% lo considera deficiente, el 45.7% los considera regular y el 28.6% es considerado como eficiente; en la dimensión Aplicación del conocimiento el 28.6% lo considera deficiente, el 42.9% los considera regular y el 28.6% es considerado como eficiente. Los resultados nos indicaron la gestión del conocimiento se relaciona con la productividad se relacionan moderadamente con un (Rho 0,622 y p-valor 0,000)
Intralesional use of amphotericin B associated with oral itraconazole for the treatment of recurrent sporotrichosis in a cat – case report
Authors: G. R. Santos Carla Regina , Justen Moreira de Souza Heloisa , Freire de Farias Luiza , Palha de Brito Jardim Mariana , Santos Carrasco Lara Patricia , Martins do Rio Moreira Clarissa
Published: August 2021

Nasal sporotrichosis is a condition of difficult clinical resolution, which is commonly refractory to treatment and recurrent in cats. In this report, amphotericin B was used intralesionally in combination with oral itraconazole (100 mg/per cat/oral each 24h) in order to treat a cat with relapse of nasal sporotrichosis. During the treatment, laboratory tests were performed to ensure the safety of the protocol used. The new biomarker for renal function SDMA IDEXX was used before and after the end of the protocol to monitor renal function. Adverse effects were edema and local discomfort. Total treatment duration was 3 months, and no renal toxic effect was observed. This protocol therefore proved to be effective and safe to treat nasal sporotrichosis.
Impacts of Internet Banking on Customer Satisfactions in Rawalpindi & Islamabad
Authors: Kashif Abdul Rauf , Younus Babar
Published: August 2021

It presents how e-banking affects customer satisfaction in verified traditional banking administration, its relationship with age, occupation and education, its effect on branch visits, customer's understanding of e-banking, possibilities and difficulties, etc. of electronic banking. -banking. This article attempted to view all of the above out of 200 successfully completed and returned questionnaires from e-banking customers. In this study, tables, graphs, standard deviations, normality tests, and correlations were used to examine whether customers visit branches when e-banking is important and the qualitative relationship between segments and e-banking according to regression analysis. The test was carried out. Clarify the factors that determine customer satisfaction in e-banking. The findings inferred that the majority of e-banking customers are younger people, well-informed, paid and personalized agents, financial professionals, and women who are not effectively using e-banking assistance and there is also a link between e-banking and the segment. Electronic banking has further developed customer satisfaction, reduced the frequency of bank lobbies for bank administration, reduced the permanence of the space, and made it an ideal opportunity for customers. E-banking customers, bank customer satisfaction has expanded as a result of becoming e-banking customers, educated customers to control the evolution of records, and is likely to grow bank management electronics in the country.
Migration Processes as a Reflection of International Relations
Authors: Zakirov Shakirdjan , Abdukadyrov Abdukayum , Djuraev Avazbek , Kayumov Bakhtiyor
Published: August 2021

This article attempts to review the analysis of migration processes in relation to interethnic relations. After gaining independence, the new Uzbekistan faced not only economic problems but also social, including ethno-social nature. It is acknowledged that during the time of the Soviet republic, when carrying out the national-territorial delimitation, attention was paid to such factors as economic gravity, approximate national borders, administrative convenience of management, ethnographic-territorial areas, the geographic location of the republic, etc. As a result, many representatives of the Central Asian nations found themselves not on "their" territory. Uzbekistan has become one of the republics with the most variegated ethnic composition of the population. And therefore, research in this direction is relevant.