bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Modelling road traffic crashes using spatial autoregressive model with additional endogenous variable
Authors: Olubusoye Olusanya Elisa , Oluwatoyin Korter Grace , Adebare Salisu Afees
Published: September 2023

Road traffic crashes have become a global issue of concern because of the number of deaths and injuries. The model of interest is a linear cross sectional Spatial Autoregressive (SAR) model with additional endogenous variables, exogenous variables and SAR disturbances. The focus is on RTC in Oyo state, Nigeria. The number of RTC in each LGA of the state is the dependent variable. A 33×33 weights matrix; travel density; land area and major road length of each LGA were used as exogenous variables and population was the IV. The objective is to determine the hotspots and examine whether the number of RTC cases in a given LGA is affected by the number of RTC cases of neighbouring LGAs and an instrumental variable. The hotspots include Oluyole, Ido, Akinyele, Egbeda, Atiba, Oyo East, and Ogbomosho South LGAs. The study concludes that the number of RTC in a given LGA is affected by the number of RTC in contiguous LGAs. The policy implication is that road safety and security measures must be administered simultaneously to LGAs with high concentration of RTC and their neighbours to achieve significant remedial effect.
The identificiation of training needs for human capital quality improvement in Poland – a statistical approach
Authors: Dziechciarz–Duda Marta , Dziechciarz Józef
Published: September 2023

The Ministry of Science and Higher Education has launched the Competency Development Programme in the form of additional financial means for activities to equip students with unique, the so-called soft skills necessary in scientific careers and on the labour market. Courses developing skills such as team work ability, leadership, creativity, independent thinking and innovative approach to problem solving will be financed. For that purpose, a thorough analysis of needs is necessary. Existing databases describing the quality of human capital in Poland should be analysed in order to identify those competencies that graduates of universities are missing. The arsenal of possible statistical tools applicable for that purpose covers a wide range of techniques, from the simplest methods of descriptive statistics to advanced multivariate statistical analysis. The study will attempt to identify the missing soft competences based on existing statistical data, e.g. Polish human capital database.
Report. International conference on "Quality of Life and Spatial Cohesion" organized by the Central Statistical Office of Poland and The Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University, Warsaw, 17-18 November 2016 (W. Okrasa)
Authors: Okrasa Włodzimierz
Published: September 2023

The conference organized by the Central Statistical Office of Poland (CSO) and the Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University in Warsaw (CSWU) was held on 17-18 November at the CSWU campus. The conference was sponsored by the European Union Cohesion Fund (as a part of the EU Technical Assistance Operational Programme 2014-2020).
New patterns of modern socio-economic development of Russian regions
Authors: Kuznetsova O.V.
Published: September 2023

The article analyzes the differentiation of Russian regions according to the dynamics of their socioeconomic development in 2022 on the basis of a number of statistical indicators, primarily indices
of output of goods and services by basic types of economic activity and industrial production (taking
into account the current picture of interregional differences in the dynamics and structure of gross regional product in 2020-2021). It is shown that the economic development of the regions in 2022 was
significantly influenced by the dependence of their economy on foreign capital, which previously did
not play such a significant role, which for the first time in recent years led to the greatest problems of the
North-Western Federal District. In manufacturing, as in 2015, the highest growth rates were characteristic of the Southern Federal District, primarily its largest regions, as well as the Central One. The latter
one at the same time was distinguished by great contrasts between individual regions, which turned
out to be among the leaders and outsiders in terms of production indices. The real monetary incomes
of the population in 2022 were weakly dependent on the dynamics of economic indicators – traditionally,
a significant role was played by the redistribution of income within the framework of state social policy.
In addition, as is typical of the crisis years, the dynamics of retail trade turnover by region was not
determined by the real monetary incomes of the population.
Methodology for regional urban systems studies
Authors: Lappo G.M.
Published: September 2023

The material is a research report prepared by the author in 1965 as part of an expedition to
study urban settlements in the Central Economic Region. G.M. Lappo led a detachment to
study small towns. The report was discovered in the spring of 2023 in the archives of the
Department of Economic and Social Geography of Russia, Faculty of Geography, Moscow
State University.
Analysis of Institutional Ownership, Audit Committee, Investment Opportunity Set, on Accounting Conservatism with Capital Intensity as Variable Moderation
Authors: Kurniawan Frengki
Published: September 2023

This study aims to examine institutional ownership, audit committees, and investment opportunity sets on accounting conservatism which is moderated by capital intensity. The purposive sampling method was used as a method in collecting research data and the multiple regression equation model was used as a statistical analysis tool with the SPSS 25 application. The sample in this study were 23 issuers on the Indonesia Stock Exchange, especially manufacturing sector companies whose financial reports had been published for 4 (four) years. four) years from 2018 to 2021. Based on the results of this study, it shows that audit quality, capital intensity, institutional ownership, audit quality capital intensity, capital intensity, investment opportunity set have an effect on accounting conservatism. Meanwhile, institutional ownership and investment opportunity set have no effect on accounting conservatism.
Analysis of Language Rules in the Description Text of Class V SDN 2 Karang Bayan Students for the 2021/2022 Academic Year
Authors: Widiada I Ketut , Tahir Muhammad , Rinjani Laura
Published: September 2023

This study aims to describe the use of language rules in the description text of grade V students of SDN 2 Karang Bayan for the 2021/2022 school year. The subjects of this study were class V students consisting of 16 male students and 12 female students. The object of this study are sentences on the student's description text. The data collection technique used is documentation of the results of student description texts written individually. The type of research used is descriptive qualitative, which is research that aims to describe data in the form of description text related to the linguistic rules of description text with words clearly and in detail. Data processing used by researchers is reading all student description texts, marking errors by coding, grouping data according to the type of error, describing errors, and correcting errors. The results of this study show that the use of linguistic rules in student description texts includes 11 aspects, including nouns, adjectives, transitive verbs, adverbs, standard and non-standard words, connotations and denotations, self-created words, the use of capital letters, word writing, punctuation writing, and figurative language. The use of linguistic rules in student description texts is categorized as very low because it reaches a percentage of 44%. This means that there are still many students who are wrong in using language rules when writing. Meanwhile, the use of inappropriate language rules reached a percentage of 56%. Most students do not apply the rules when writing, especially in writing student description texts. The most common mistakes made by students on the use of capital letters and punctuation writing. Indications that cause errors occur because they are still affected by everyday language and students' inaccuracy after the end of sentences using appropriate punctuation marks so that students do not pay attention to good and correct language rules.
Cuvinte obținute prin contaminare conform dicționarelor academice: câteva propuneri etimologice
Authors:   Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Alexandru Rosetti” / Universitatea din București monica.vasileanu@litere.unibuc.ro, VASILEANU MONICA , MOROIANU CRISTIAN ,   Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Alexandru Rosetti” / Universitatea din București cristian.moroianu@litere.unibuc.ro, RADU-BEJENARU CRISTINA-ANDREEA ,   Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Alexandru Rosetti” / Universitatea din București cristina-andreea.bejenaru@lls.unibuc.ro
Published: September 2023

The three main academic dictionaries of Romanian, DA-DLR, DEX and DELR, record a number of words coined by lexical blending, a process defined in Romanian linguistics as the fusion of two words that have a semantic affinity (usually synonyms or near-synonyms). Relying on the general criteria for any etymological research, i.e., the formal criterion, semantic congruity, circulation of words, etc., as well as on the specific features of lexical blending, we suggest other etymological solutions for 38 words registered as lexical blends.
T. rex mount at New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science
Authors: Wedel Matt
Published: September 2023

The Sunday after SVP, Brian Engh and I visited the museum in Albuquerque. I was quite taken with the mounted  T. rex  . It’s waaaay more interesting and dynamic than any other  T. rex  mount I’ve seen. It even beats the “Rockette rex” in Denver (which I really like and need to blog about), by virtue of putting the body and head down at eye level where you can study them up close.
Mike Taylor interview by Szymon Górnicki
Authors: Taylor Mike
Published: September 2023

A while back — near the start of the year, in fact — Szymon Górnicki interviewed me by email about palaeontology, alternative career paths, open access, palaeoart, PeerJ, scholarly infrastructure, the wonder of blogging, and how to get started learning about palaeo. He also illustrated it with this caricature of me, nicely illustrating our 2009 paper on neck posture.
Afield in Oklahoma, part 2
Authors: Wedel Matt
Published: September 2023

Ripple rock. Not from the Morrison, but from the overlying Dakota – Lower Cretaceous. Now this is from the Morrison. My son, London, spotted this tiny tooth of a Jurassic croc while working in the quarry. That’s my thumb and London’s index finger for scale. London’s index finger again, pointing at a different Morrison tooth. This one’s from a theropod, still exposed in a sandstone block in one of Stovall’s old quarries from the 1930s.
Exploded turtles of the Academy of Natural Sciences
Authors: Wedel Matt
Published: September 2023

Saw this gem back in the herpetology collections at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia and thought, “Someone up and Beauchened a turtle head.” (My inner monologue is a tennis match between an arch language pedant and an unreconstructed hick with a penchant for folksy archaisms.) What a sweet mount – there should be one of these for every critter in the museum.
Afield in Oklahoma, part 3
Authors: Wedel Matt
Published: September 2023

It’s been a bit since my last update. That’s how things go on the road. We got in some time for exploration and a little prospecting. We also had to close the quarry. Anne Weil, whose dig London and I were out there to assist on, brought a speaker on the last day and played us out with a hydration song while we shut everything down for another year.
Xenoposeidon‘s world-domination plan continues!
Authors: Taylor Mike
Published: September 2023

I was delighted today to see a tweet from dinodadreviews: https://twitter.com/dinodadreviews/status/1086494527345623040 (Here is it, archived, in case it goes away for any reason): This is a nice, elegant bit of artwork, based of course on the old brachiosaurid interpretation of  Xenoposeidon  — which has been superseded by the new rebbachisaurid interpretation, but the author and designer weren’t to know that.
Maybe pneumaticity is variable because it’s built on a shaky foundation
Authors: Wedel Matt
Published: September 2023

In my recent visit to the LACM herpetology collection, I was interested to note that almost every croc, lizard, and snake vertebra I saw had a pair of neurovascular foramina on either side of the centrum, in “pleurocoel” position. You can see these in the baby  Tomistoma  tail, above. Some vertebrae have a big foramen, some have a small foramen, and some have no visible foramen at all. Somehow I’d never noticed this before.
Caudal vertebrae of Haplocanthosaurus delfsi
Authors: Wedel Matt
Published: September 2023

Tired of  Haplo  caudals yet? No? Good – me neither. Not by a long shot. Above is McIntosh and Williams (1988: fig. 10) showing the rearticulated and partially reconstructed tail of CMNH 10380, the holotype and only known specimen of  Haplocanthosaurus delfsi  , in right anterolateral oblique view. It’s not an original, I plucked it from a PDF scan of the paper. Probably an original reprint would be a lot more clear.
Pelican cervico-dorsal transition, backlit
Authors: Wedel Matt
Published: September 2023

What it says on the tin. This is a specimen from the UCMP comparative collection. I was just going to post this photo with zero commentary, but I can’t help myself. Note that on the two vertebrae in the middle, the  crista transverso-obliqua  (what in non-avian dinos would be the spinopostzygapophyseal lamina or SPOL) rises higher than either the neural spine apex or the epipophyses. That’s crazy.
You have been summoned! Announcing the SummonENGH 2018 Paleoart Contest
Authors: Wedel Matt
Published: September 2023

My good friend, frequent collaborator, and fellow adventurer Brian Engh has won the John J. Lanzendorf Paleoart Prize for 2D paleoart (there are also categories for 3D paleoart and scientific illustration). He’s in august company;
Bird neural canals are weird, part 3: the glycogen body
Authors: Wedel Matt
Published: September 2023

I planned to post this last spring but I never got around to it. I think I have a mental block about discussing the glycogen body.
Bird neural canals are weird, part 2: the lumbosacral expansion
Authors: Wedel Matt
Published: September 2023

This is the second post in the “bird neural canals are weird” series (intro post here), and it covers the first of five expansions of the spinal cord or meninges in the lumbosacral regions of birds. The lumbosacral expansion of the spinal cord is not unique to birds and doesn’t require any special explanation.
Aquilops skull, take 3
Authors: Wedel Matt
Published: September 2023

Nothing really new here, not like a new skull recon or anything. The original version I did for Farke et al. (2014) had the jaw articulated and closed. Then in 2017 I posted a version with the lower jaw disarticulated. Obviously what was needed was one with the lower jaw articulated and open. Now it exists, here.
Diverticulum, diverticula
Authors: Wedel Matt
Published: September 2023

This is not ‘Nam. This is Latin. There are rules. The term for a small growth off an organ or body is  diverticulum  , singular, or  diverticula  , plural. There are no  diverticulae  or God forbid  diverticuli  , no matter what you might read in some papers. Diverticuli is a word – it’s the genitive form of diverticulum. But I’ve never seen it used that way in an anatomy or paleo paper.
Current status of image-enhanced endoscopy in inflammatory bowel disease
Authors: Yang Young Joo
Published: September 2023

In inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), chronic inflammation leads to unfavorable clinical outcomes and increases the risk of developing colorectal neoplasm (CRN); thereby highlighting the importance of endoscopically evaluating disease activity as well as detecting and characterizing CRN in patients with IBD. With recent advances in image-enhanced endoscopic (IEE) technologies, especially virtual chromoendoscopy (VCE) platforms, this review discusses state-of-the-art IEE techniques and their applicability in assessing disease activity and surveillance colonoscopy in patients with IBD. Among various IEE, VCE demonstrated the capacity to identify quiescent disease activity. And endoscopic remission defined by the new scoring system using VCE platform better predicted clinical outcomes, which may benefit the tailoring of therapeutic strategies in patients with IBD. High-definition dye-chromoendoscopy (HD-DCE) is numerically superior to high-definition white light endoscopy (HD-WLE) in detecting CRN in IBD; however, discrepancy is observed in the statistical significance. VCE showed comparable performance in detecting dysplasia to HD-WLE or DCE and potential for optical diagnosis to differentiate neoplastic from nonneoplastic lesions during surveillance colonoscopy. Applying these novel advanced IEE technologies would provide opportunities for personalized medicine in IBD and optimal treatment of CRN in patients with IBD.
Factors Influencing The Sustainability Of Environmental Impact Investment Projects In Piura: A Review Of The Literature
Authors: Carlín-Marres, Luis Alberto,  , Carpio-Mendoza, Janet,  , Dioses-Urbina, Sandra Maribel,  , Rodríguez-Moreano, Carolay Maritza,  , Alania Vasquez, Miguel Angel,  , Ramírez-Valladares, Cristhian Ovidio
Published: September 2023

Through this document, it was possible to analyze the main characteristics of the volume of scientific production regarding the study  of the variables of sustainability of investment projects in environmental impact in Piura. A bibliometric analysis was proposed to analyze details such as Year of Publication, Country of Origin of the publication, Area of Knowledge in which the published research is carried out and the Type of Publication most frequently used by the authors of each document published in high-impact journals indexed in the Scopus database during the period between 2019 and 2023. Among the main findings, it was possible to determine that, for the execution of the different research methodologies, the report of 484 scientific documents related to the study of the sustainability of environmental impact investment projects of public entities in Latin America and Spanish-speaking was achieved. The maximum number of publications made in a year was 342 documents submitted in 2020, the same number of publications in 2021. The country of origin of the institutions that reported the highest number of records in Scopus was Spain and Brazil with 289 documents. The area of knowledge with the greatest influence at the time of executing the research projects that resulted in scientific publications was Ecology and Environment, which contributed great theoretical material in a total of 280 publications. Finally, the type of publication most frequently used to publicize findings from the analysis of the aforementioned variables was the Article, which represented 73.5% of the total scientific production.
CIENCIAS DE LA CONDUCTA: OBJETO MATERIAL Y OBJETO FORMAL
Authors: Roca-Balasch Josep
Published: September 2023

Tomando en consideración los conceptos filosóficos de Objeto Material y Objeto Formal, se afirma que decir que la psicología estudia la conducta de los individuos equivale a fijar su objeto material. Este objeto material lo comparte con otras ciencias y disciplinas como son la etología o la ética y con todas las ciencias que asumen el carácter comportamental de su objeto de estudio. Se argumenta, complementariamente, que para la fijación del Objeto Formal es necesario definir la perspectiva de estudio con que se aborda el análisis de la conducta. Se concluye que para las ciencias básicas o explicativas el Objeto Formal coincide con la función que fijan como clave para su justificación. Se afirma, en este sentido, que para la psicología esta función es la asociación y es en base a ella que se puede construir un cuerpo teórico equivalente al de las otras ciencias naturales.
Development of Basketball Teaching Model under Concept of Outcome – Outcome-Based Education for Xi'an University Students in Shaanxi Province
Authors: Chen Dong , Siriphan Chanchai , Soonjan Rumpai
Published: September 2023

Background and Aim: In the evolving pedagogical landscape, the Outcome-Based Education (OBE) approach has garnered attention for its student-centric model and clear educational outcomes. University in Shaanxi Province recognizes the need for an integrative basketball teaching model to harmonize with this paradigm shift. This study endeavors to design a basketball teaching model for Xi'an University students, underpinning the OBE concept.
Materials and Methods: Employing a combination of interviews, questionnaires, and specialized software packages, data were collected from a population comprising 45 teachers and 5,000 first-year students, with a selected sample of 370 students and 45 teachers. The research process encompassed a thorough examination of the current teaching model, followed by the utilization of the Delphi technique and focus groups to conceptualize the OBE framework for basketball teaching.
Results: Analysis revealed the need for a comprehensive basketball teaching model in higher education. The proposed OBE model integrates 4 primary elements (Basketball Theory, Basketball Skills, and Physical, and Social Adaptability), further divided into 12 secondary and 34 tertiary elements. Each segment is tailored to specific outcome objectives, emphasizing cognitive understanding, skill mastery, physical fitness, and social adaptation.
Conclusion: The proposed OBE basketball teaching model offers a holistic approach to basketball education, integrating both sport-specific and life-oriented skills. By aligning with China's national development goals and the principles of education, this model stands poised to revolutionize basketball education in Xi'an, setting a benchmark for other provinces.
Quality of Life of Families Caring for Preschool Children with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia undergoing Chemotherapy: A Qualitative Descriptive Study
Authors: Boonchuaylua Pattama , Rutchanagul Pregamol , Puangpaka Kongvattananon  , Charlotte Barry
Published: September 2023

Childhood cancer presents as a significant and life-threatening illness thatprofoundly impacts the well-being of the entire family of the affected child throughoutthe trajectory of the disease. This qualitative descriptive study explored strategies to improvefamily quality of life according to the perspective of families of preschool children withacute lymphoblastic leukemia undergoing chemotherapy. Data were collected fromMarch to June 2019 through in-depth individual interviews with 32 family membersaged 20-50 years from the outpatient hematology department and pediatric ward.Content analysis was used for data analysis which revealed three themes:1) Modification of family function: they needed adjustment of family roles, preparingfamily caregivers for cancer care, and maintaining family interactions; 2) Effectiveness offamily communication: there were contents, methods, and information sharing; and 3) Socialsupport for family caregiving, including external and spiritual support.Findings could help nurses and other health providers identify and promote potentiallyeffective strategies to improve the quality of care and the quality of life of patients and families.The findings also provide valuable insights for nurses to develop interventions to enhanceand promote the reorganization of family roles to take of the child with leukemia, as well aschemotherapy treatment communication in the family and support for family caregiving.
İZMİR’DEKİ TAHTACILARIN YERLEŞİK HAYATA GEÇİŞİNDE SALGIN HASTALIK ANLATILARININ TARİHSEL DEĞERLENDİRMESİ
Authors: ADITATAR Funda , SALMAN YIKMIŞ Meral
Published: September 2023

Bu makalede, İzmir’de yaşayan Alevi-Kızılbaş Tahtacı topluluklarının yerleşik hayat geçişleri hakkında belleklerinde yer etmiş anlatıların, tarihsel gerçeklik için kaynak olup olamayacağını eleştirel biçimde değerlendirmek amaçlanmıştır. Yatırların ve Yanyatır Ocağının dedesinin kerametiyle salgın hastalığın durdurulduğu yerlere ait yerleşme anlatılarından yola çıkarak, Tahtacıların İzmir’de yerleşik hayata geçmelerinde salgın hastalıkların olası etkisi, arşiv belgelerine dayanarak araştırılmıştır. Bahsi geçen salgın hastalıkların veba olabileceği tespit edilmiş fakat ilgili nüfus kayıtları araştırıldığında, İzmir’de Tahtacıların vebadan etkilendiğine dair bir bulguya ulaşılamamıştır. İzmir’e en yakın bölge olarak Söke’de Tahtacıların veba salgınından etkilendiği tespiti, birbiriyle etkileşim halinde olan Tahtacı topluluklar arasında salgın hastalık anlatısının yayılmış olabileceğini fikrini vermiştir. Bellekte yer eden salgın anlatılarının kerametle örülü olması, Tahtacıların etraflarını çevreleyen dünyayı nasıl kavramış olduğuna ilişkin ipuçları vermektedir. Ayrıca, yerleşik hayat geçişte temel etkenler olan devletin yerleşik hayat geçirme politikalarının ve ormancılıkta modernleşme girişimleriyle geleneksel tahtacılık mesleğinin sona erişinin değil de salgın hastalık ve keramete ilişkin anlatıların bellekte yer etmesi, yüzyıllardır konar göçer olarak yaşamış Tahtacıların yerleşik hayata geçirilmeyi kabul edilir bir hale getirmesinin yolu olarak okunabileceğine dikkat çekilmiştir.
ALEVİ-BEKTAŞİ METİNLERİNDE SÖZ VARLIĞI: YOL ÖRNEĞİ
Authors: YILDIZ Ufuk
Published: September 2023

Türkiye Diyanet Vakfı Yayınları’nca Alevi-Bektaşi Klasikleri Dizisi başlığı altında: “Makâlât, Hızırnâme, Fütüvvetnâme-i Tarîkat, Besmele Tefsîri, Velâyetnâme, İlm-i Câvidân, Kitâb-ı Cabbâr Kulu, Kitâb-ı Dâr, Dîl-güşâ, Saray-nâme, Erkânnâme, Şeyh Safî Buyruğu, Dâstân-ı İbrâhîm Edhem-Dâstân-ı Fâtıma-Dâstân-ı Hâtun, Muhammed Bin Hanefiyye Cengi” isimli eserlerin yayımı yapılmıştır. Yayımı yapılan bu eserlerde Alevi-Bektaşi gruplarınca kullanılan zengin söz varlığı bulunmaktadır. Alevi-Bektaşi gruplarınca kullanılan yol sözcüğünün bu metinler içerisinde nasıl kullanıldığı, yol ile ilgili ne tür söz varlığının bulunduğu yazımızın ana konusunu oluşturmaktadır. Yazımızın sonunda, Türkçe sözlükte yer alan yol sözcüğü ile ilgili söz varlığına değinilmiş, incelemesini yaptığımız metinlerde geçen yol sözcüğü ile ilgili söz varlığının hali hazırda Türkçe sözlükte yer alan yol sözcüğüne ait söz varlığıyla karşılaştırılması yapılarak tablo halinde sunulmuştur. Bilimsel verilere ulaşmada çalışılan alanın belirlenmesi önemli ölçütlerden biridir. Günlük yaşamda ağızlarda kullanılan yol ile ilgili kavramların çok daha çeşitli olması yazımızın boyutlarını geçeceği düşüncesiyle çalışmamızı yazılı metinlerle sınırlandırdık. Bu nedenle halk ağzında günlük yaşamda kullanılan yol ile ilgili kavramlar çalışmamızın dışında tutulmuştur.
Investigating the Effect of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation and Reflexology on Balance and Sleep Quality in Geriatric Individuals
Authors:   Ege University, Health Science Faculty, Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitaton, Izmir, Turkey, GOKCEK Ozden , ARGALI DENIZ Mine ,   Suleyman Demirel University Research and Application Hospital, Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Isparta, Turkey; minedeniz@sdu.edu.tr, DOGRU HUZMELI Esra ,   Hatay Mustafa Kemal University, Health Science Faculty, Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitaton,  Hatay, Turkey, MELEK Ismet ,   Hatay Mustafa Kemal University, Tayfur Ata Sökmen Medicine Faculty, Department of Neurology, Hatay, Turkey
Published: September 2023

"Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and reflexology can be effective in pain, balance and sleep problems in the elderly. Our study aimed to examine the effect of TENS and reflexology on balance and sleep quality in geriatric individuals. Materials and Method: 60 individuals with balance and sleep problems were included in our study and randomly divided into three groups: Reflexology (N=20), TENS (N=20) and control (N=20). All individuals were evaluated with the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), and Tinetti Balance Test (TBT) method pre-treatment and post-treatment. Results: It was observed that there was a significant increase in BBS in the reflexology group after the treatment compared to the pre-treatment, while a decrease in pain and an increase in sleep quality were observed in the TENS group post-treatment. While the decrease in the risk of falling was seen in all three groups, the improvement in the risk of falling was mostly seen in the reflexology group. There was no statistical difference between the groups post-treatment (p>0.05). Conclusion: We conclude that reflexology practice increased the balance and decreased the risk of falling. We think that reflexology application as an alternative treatment will reduce the symptoms."
Effects of Comorbidity on Gait in Individuals with Stroke
Authors:   Pamukkale University, Institute of Health Sciences, Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation, Denizli, TÜRKİYE, YILMAZ Esra ,   ylmzesra@hotmail.com, ETISLI-KORKMAZ Nilufer ,   Pamukkale University, Institute of Health Sciences, Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation, Denizli, TÜRKİYE
Published: September 2023

"This study aimed to investigate the effect of comorbidity on gait in stroke individuals. Methods: Ten individuals who had a stroke and between the ages of 18 and 80 participated in the study. Demographic data form included demographic information, clinical status, the presence of aphasia, and pathological reflexes. The Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) was used to evaluate the presence of comorbidity, and Timed Up and Go (TUG) was used for gait assessment. Results: It was seen that 5 of the participants were right hemiparetic and 7 of them were women. It was obtained that the disease duration was between 3.43 and 125.13 months, and just 2 participants were using an assistive device. The participants’ mean age was 58.10 ± 13.32 years, CCI score was 4.3 ± 2.11, and TUG score was 15.74 ± 4.91. No significant results were obtained from the regression analysis for the effect of comorbidity on gait, or from the correlation analysis (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Individuals have gait problems due to various reasons after stroke. It was found that the comorbidities of the individuals did not affect their gait more than the stroke itself. The disorders and factors affecting gait parameters should be examined and awareness should be raised about the comorbidities associated with stroke or already existing comorbidities and their effects on gait in individuals with stroke. Future studies with more individuals whom were with different comorbidities are needed, to investigate the effects of comorbidities on walking."
Motor Imagery Assesment Methods: A Narrative Review
Authors: KALAYCI Melike Gizem , GÜN Neslişah , ANALAY AKBABA Yıldız
Published: September 2023

Motor imagery is the mental rehearsal of movements without revealing any movement. It is a complex phenomenon that is difficult to study, understand and explain since it requires mental planning and preparing. It is particularly challenging to evaluate to what extent movements are mentally represented. However, not everyone experiences the same level of vividness and intensity in their vision. The study procedure in this area is complicated by the fact that there are variations in people's imagery styles. Although exercises that involve motor imagery have been found to be successful in physiotherapy, there is a crucial link between imagery skill and the effectiveness of the practice. This review's objective is to provide information on the tests used in physiotherapy clinics to assess a patient's capacity to use motor imagery.
How Mandatory Volunteering Prepares Future Volunteers in Adult Literacy
Authors: Ng'umbi Michael
Published: September 2023

Mandatory volunteering is a pedagogical approach that puts a requirement within the curriculum for students to accumulate some credit hours while providing service in the community. It is aimed at improving practical learning, linking colleges with the community, and as presented in this study, acting as a breeding programme for future volunteers. The purpose of the study was to make an analysis of how a mandatory volunteering programme could be used to prepare future volunteers for adult literacy programmes. Based on the experiential learning model, this study adopted a case study design in which a single case was followed and deeply analysed and discussed. Adoption of case study was aimed at understanding, from the individual student, the psychological and practical features that make a successful volunteering experience. It was found out that the crucial factors for an effective volunteering experience were: having an experience full of inequalities and challenges; a positive reflection of the experience; an intellectual ability to advance a situated theorisation, and ability to redesign a plan of action based on new theorisation; and an internal drive to implement the redesigned plan of action. It is concluded that under such conditions, a mandatory volunteering can be a springboard to future volunteering behaviour. The study proposes a simple adult literacy volunteering model that can be adopted for use in other contexts as well as for further studies.
Kepemimpinan Kepala Sekolah dalam Meningkatkan Profesionalisme Guru di SMA Integral Hidayatullah Batam
Authors: Ramli Mohammad
Published: September 2023

Tulisan ini merupakan hasil dari sebuah penelitian penulis mengenai Upaya Kepala Sekolah dalam Meningkatkan Profesionalisme Guru di SMA Integral Hidayatullah Batam. sehingga, Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui Kepemimpinan Kepala Sekolah dalam Meningkatkan Profesionalisme Guru di SMA Integral Hidayatullah Batam. Adapun hasil yang diharapkan dari penulisan ini adalah mengungkapkan tiga temuan yaitu: (1) Untuk Mengetahui Kepemimpinan Kepala Sekolah Dalam Meningkatkan Profesionalisme Guru di SMA Integral Hidayatullah Batam, (2) Untuk Mengetahui Upaya Kepala Sekolah Dalam Meningkatkan Profesionalisme Guru di SMA Integral Hidayatullah Batam, (3) Untuk Mengetahui Langkah-langkah Kepala Sekolah Dalam Meningkatkan Profesionalisme Guru di SMA Integral Hidayatullah Batam. Dari penjelasan di atas dapat disimpulkan bahwa Kepemimpinan Kepala Sekolah Dalam Meningkatkan Profesionalisme Guru, Kepala Sekolah menggunakan gaya kepemimpinan demokratis, menjaga kedisiplinan guru, melakukan Kelompok Kerja Guru (KKG), mengadakan pelatihan atau seminar, Musyawarah Guru Mata Pelajaran (MGMP) dan mengikutsertakan para guru dalam Upaya Kepala Sekolah dalam Meningkatkan Profesionalisme Guru di SMA Integral Hidayatullah Batam.
Fundamental Taksonomi Bloom dalam Sistem Pendidikan Menurut Q.S Al-'Alaq Ayat 1-5 (Telaah Tafsir Ibnu Katsir, Al-Qurthubi dan Salman)
Authors: Muji Muji
Published: September 2023

Salah satu bentuk keprihatinan penulis terhadap mindset peserta didik yang mengunggulkan teori-teori pendidikan dari barat, sehingga apapun yang ditransmisikan oleh barat akan diterima tanpa disaring terlebih dahulu kebenarannya, sehingga hilangnya fungsi Al-Qur’an sebagai patokan yang relevan untuk dikaji diberbagai disiplin ilmu, khususnya di dunia pendidikan. Maka yang perlu dikaji adalah taksonomi bloom dalam sistem pendidikan dan pembuktian fundamental taksonomi bloom melalui Q.S Al-‘Alaq ayat 1-5. Adapun hasil yang diharapkan berdasarkan telaah dan analisis penulis bahwa (1) Taksonomi bloom  telah lama digunakan dalam sistem pendidikan seperti, pendidikan holistik, dan tematik yang dalam komponennya terdiri dari kurikulum, perencanaan pembelajaran, alat atau media pembelajaran sampai pada evaluasi yang menggunakan konsep hierarki C1-C6. (2) pada pembuktiaannya ayat 1-5 menjadi fudamental kemudian disiplin ilmu pengetahuan sains dan psikologi menjadi penggagas dan penjelasnya sehingga terbentuklah taksomomi bloom.
Liver ultrasound scanning in the detection of hepatic steatosis and fibrosis in NASH patients
Authors: Hegazy Mona , Mostafa Abeer
Published: September 2023

Background

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become the most prevalent cause of liver disease in western countries. The development of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and fibrosis identifies the risk group with an increased incidence of liver-related deaths.

Aim

The aim of the present study is to investigate how accurately liver ultrasound (US) can contribute toward the prediction of the severity of liver damage in NAFLD, and to determine whether it may be an easily available, inexpensive, noninterventional, widely used screening method.

Methods

Fifty-four obese patients with variable degrees of BMI were recruited in the present study. Assessment of full medical history, anthropometric measurements, biochemical studies, abdominal US, liver biopsy for histological examination, and determination of the NAFLD activity score (NAS) score were carried out on all patients to identify NASH patients . Liver steatosis was evaluated using liver US, and graded according to a semiquantitative scale from 1 to 4. Liver histological examination was carried out to identify patients with NASH, borderline NASH, or non-NASH according to the NAS score.

Results

According to the NAS score, patients were divided into non-NASH patients (eight patients), borderline NASH patients (24 patients), NASH patients (20 patients), and patients with NASH and fibrosis (two patients). Alanine aminotransferase and γ-glutamyl transpeptidase were significantly higher in NASH patients. Correlating the grading of hepatic steatosis by liver US and NAS score, grade 1 was found in 37.5% of patients with non-NASH, 33.3% of patients with borderline NASH, and only in 5% of patients with NASH, whereas grade 4 steatosis was found in 20% of NASH patients and 4.2% of patients with borderline NASH; none of the non-NASH patients were diagnosed with grade 4 hepatic steatosis. The sensitivity of liver US in detecting grades of steatosis in liver biopsy was 61% in grade 1, 25% in grade 2, and 75% in grade 3. There was a direct correlation between grading of steatosis in the histological examination and the presence of NASH, P less than 0.000.

Conclusion

Liver US is not only sensitive in the detection of hepatic steatosis, but also in the prediction of the presence of NASH; therefore, it can be used as a simple, noninvasive, low-cost method for the screening of NAFLD and for the early identification of patients in need of aggressive intervention.
Correlation of serum angiogenin level with various vascular complications in type 2 diabetic patients
Authors: Ahmed Nagwa F. , Eissa Somayh S. , Ali Abeer A. , Ali Mona N. , Morsy Amal A. , Ismail Sahar M. , Ahmed Heba R.
Published: September 2023

Introduction

Premature development of microvascular and macrovascular disease is the most frequent complication of diabetes. It is responsible for diabetic retinopathy, nephropathy, and neuropathy. Moreover, diabetes leads to reduced collateralization in ischemic tissues, which causes a three- to four-fold increase in cardiac mortality in diabetic individuals compared with nondiabetic individuals.

The pathophysiological mechanisms responsible for impaired angiogenic activity in diabetes remain unknown. The role of angiogenin in the physiological revascularization process has not been clarified.

Purpose

This work was carried out to determine the serum angiogenin level in type 2 diabetic patients and to determine its correlation with various microangiopathies, cardiovascular complications, and the duration in type 2 diabetic patients.

Patients and methods

This work was carried out on 88 individuals, 68 type 2 diabetic patients and 20 apparently healthy controls. All individuals were subjected to the following assessments: medical history taking; clinical examination including measurement of BMI; estimation of levels of fasting blood sugar, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, urea, low-density lipoprotein, and creatinine; determination of the albumin/creatinine ratio and complete lipid profile (total cholesterol, triglyceride, high-density lipoproteins); serum angiogenin estimation by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay; fundus examination; ECG and transthoracic echocardiography; and abdominal ultrasonography.

Results

Our results indicated a significant decrease in the serum angiogenin level in diabetic patients compared with the control group; an insignificantly low serum angiogenin level in diabetic patients with retinopathy and nephropathy compared with those without retinopathy and nephropathy, respectively; a significant decrease in the serum angiogenin level in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) compared with diabetic patients without CAD; an insignificant inverse correlation of angiogenin with fasting blood sugar, duration of diabetes mellitus with urea, and creatinine with albumin/creatinine ratio; and an insignificant proportional correlation of angiogenin with ejection fraction in diabetic patients with complications of retinopathy, nephropathy, and CAD in each group separately.

Conclusion

This work concluded that the serum angiogenin level is lower in type 2 diabetic patients compared with the control group and it decreases with prolonged duration of diabetes, especially in uncontrolled patients and patients with microangiopathic and cardiovascular complications.

As angiogenin is one of most powerful angiogenic factors, we recommend further studies to evaluate the diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic value of angiogenin in various microangiopathic and cardiovascular complications of type 2 diabetes.
Dynamic posturography findings among patients with liver cirrhosis in Egypt
Authors: Aref Wael M. , Hosni Noha A. , Naguib Mohamed , El-Basel Mohamed
Published: September 2023

Background

Liver cirrhosis is a condition that destroys the normal function of the liver, leading to hepatic encephalopathy, which is associated with impairment in postural control and disturbance in balance.

Aim of the study

The aim of this study was to detect the disturbances in balance and postural control because of hepatic encephalopathy as a result of liver cirrhosis using dynamic posturography.

Participants and methods

Individuals were divided into two groups: 45 patients with liver cirrhosis and 45 controls. Both groups underwent dynamic posturography to evaluate balance control, number connection test-type A, line tracing test, and serum ammonia (NH3) level to assess encephalopathy.

Results

Dynamic posturography findings were significantly weaker in patients with liver cirrhosis than in the controls. They were also weaker in patients with high NH3 than in patients with low NH3. There were significant negative correlations between dynamic posturography findings and number connection test-type A, line tracing test, and NH3 levels.

Conclusion

Hepatic encephalopathy because if liver cirrhosis affects balance control and the degree of affection is related to the degree of encephalopathy.
The effect of chronic khat chewing on liver enzyme levels: a Yemenian study
Authors: Ramzy Iman , Abdelbary Mohammad , Abdelhafez Hanan , Omran Dalia , Al-Amrany Mansour , Al-Shami Aqeel M.
Published: September 2023

Background

Khat is a natural stimulant from the Catha edulis plant, which grows mainly in Yemen. The liver has been suspected to be vulnerable to the harmful effects of khat use.

Aim

The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of khat chewing on the liver function in healthy Yemeni individuals.

Methods

Liver function tests were performed on 30 chronic khat chewers (group I) and 20 individuals who did not chew khat (group II).

Results

Twenty percent of group I and only 5% of group II reported abnormally elevated alanine transaminase (ALT) levels, with no statistically significant difference between the mean ALT values (P = 0.208); 13.3% of group I showed elevated aspartate aminotransferase levels (P = 0.058). With regard to other liver function tests there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups. ALT levels increased with increasing duration of khat chewing.

Conclusion

Chronic khat chewing causes subclinical hepatocellular damage, whereas transient khat chewing has no effect on the liver function.
Admission insulin resistance index in nondiabetic patients with acute coronary syndrome: clinical and angiographic features
Authors: Refaie Wael , Elewa Ahmad
Published: September 2023

Background

The clinical implication of insulin resistance has extended beyond diabetes mellitus to include ischemic heart disease, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and features of metabolic syndrome. Nondiabetic patients with acute coronary syndrome and elevated admission insulin resistance index (AIRI) may have certain clinical angiographic and therapeutic strategies.

Objectives

The study aimed to illustrate the value of AIRI in nondiabetic patients with acute coronary syndrome and identify the angiographic coronary artery disease severity in relation to AIRI.

Study design

This study was cross-sectional in design.

Patients and methods

This study included 120 nondiabetic patients presenting with acute chest pain who were admitted to the coronary care unit. Admission glucose and insulin concentrations were measured and the AIRI was calculated. ECG was carried out and the patients were grouped as follows: those with unstable angina (UA) (40 cases) and those with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) (40 cases). They were compared with 40 patients with stable angina (SA) and a group of controls (40 individuals). The studied participants were examined clinically stressing on the other criteria for insulin resistance syndrome. The following laboratory tests were undertaken, including random plasma glucose, HBA1-c, lipid profile, cardiac enzymes (CK-MB, LDH), and troponin T. An angiographic study was carried out for patients from each diseased group and for 20 patients who had suffered a first attack in the SA group.

Results

AIRI was significantly elevated in the AMI (3.9 ± 0.1) and UA (3.01 ± 0.2) groups when compared with the SA and control groups. AIRI was significantly higher in the AMI group when compared with the UA group. Coronary angiography revealed one coronary vessel involvement in 10, 20, and 10% of patients in the SA, UA, and AMI groups, respectively, whereas two-vessel involvement was detected in 0, 30, and 60% of patients in the SA, UA, and AMI groups, respectively. Three-coronary-vessel disease was not detected in the SA group but was evident in 5% of UA and 30% of AMI patients. The relation of AIRI in the studied groups on the basis of the χ2-test revealed significant elevation of AIRI in the AMI and UA groups. Cases with three-vessel affection demonstrated higher AIRI.

Conclusion

Elevated AIRI can predict coronary artery events in nondiabetic patients with acute chest pain. Multiple coronary vessel involvement is common in such cases and suitable planned invasive therapeutic strategies have to be considered.