bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mittag-Leffler Functions in the Integral Representation of a Class of FDEs: Existence, Stability and Numirical Study.
Authors: Benhamida Ouafaa
Published: April 2024

This paper proposes a new fractional order differential problem of Langevin type. Using Mitttag Leffler functions in the integral representation of the problem, the Banach fixed point theorem is applied to prove an existence and uniqueness result of solution for the proposed problem. Then, the existence of at least one solution is established and some illustrative examples are discussed. The stability in the sense of Ulam Hyers is also investigated. Finally, numerical simulations of the solutions are performed using Runge Kutta method in combination with decoupling and quasi-linearization techniques.
Mathematics Subject Classification (2010): 26A33, 34A60, 65L06.
Effect of some medicinal oil with adjuvant (BIO-FILM) on maize, sunflower and sorghum productivity and associated weeds
Authors: Kamel Enase Mohamed , Elain Hesham Mohamad Ali , Ahmed Al. Badr saad , Mekky Mohammed Shams
Published: April 2024

The aim of this study to evaluate the applied basil and camphor oils for weed control and phytotoxic effect on some field crops, compared to chemical and mechanical weed control as well as un-weeded check. Wire house and field experiments were conducted during the period from the year 2020 to 2023 in the experimental farm and wire house of Weed Research Central Laboratory at Giza Research Station, Agricultural Research Center (ARC) Egypt, in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) in four replicates.
The statically analyze of the data obtained, the significantly reduced of number and fresh weight of some weed species under all experiments by weed control treatments. Improvement of maize, sunflower and sorghum without any phytotoxic effect of essential oils or herbicides under study, except sorghum crop was sensitive to the herbicides used in the study.
Camphor and basil oils were more effective on Ipomea eriocarpa, Setaria virids, Trianthema portulacastrum, Cyperus rotundus and Cynodon dactylon. The reduction in fresh weight of weed species about between 80 to 100% under low weed seed bank of the soil and sensitive weed species and less effect under the high soil weed seed bank specially by I. eriocarpa and S. viridsdue to the emergence of this weed species after applied this oils.
Finley Camphor and Sweet basil oil can be using for weed control under low infestation by weeds and complement by one hand hoeing in case the high infestation by I. eriocarpa.
Generalized model of stochastic common property fishery differential game: Numerical study
Authors: Nikooeinejad Zahra , Heydari Mohammad
Published: April 2024

In a generalized model of stochastic common property differential game problem, we have a more flexible framework that extends the model to handle the natural growth, price and cost functions for a wide range of parameters. Unlike previous studies that appeared in the literature, instead of keeping the model as parsimonious as possible, we consider the nonlinear resource stock dynamics and nonquadratic payoff functions, focusing on monopoly, duopoly and oligopoly games with a feedback information structure. It is observed that the choice of model parameters has an important influence on the nature and analytical behavior of solution of the nonlinear HJB PDEs (ODEs) and consequently on Nash equilibrium strategies for finite- (infinite-) horizon planning. We can not derive a closed-form solution for this class of generalized models. Hence, this paper presents a collocation method based on the fractional-order shifted Chelyshkov polynomials to solve the nonlinear Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman PDEs (ODEs) in the generalized stochastic common property differential game problem with finite- (infinite-) horizon. Numerical results show that the choice of different parameters in the approximate solutions based on the fractional-order shifted Chelyshkov polynomials greatly affect the performance of the collocation method. Also, the results show that the firms' optimal extraction plans are strongly influenced by the natural growth, price and cost functions with respect to different parameters.
A cross-sectional investigation on the function of the female pelvic floor in the Sichuan province, China
Authors: Min Ai-Ping , Zeng Die , Feng Xin , Zhang Rui-Jin , Pan Ting-Ting , Luo Jia-Qi
Published: April 2024

Background Pelvic floor dysfunction significantly impacts patients’ quality of life, and its incidence is steadily increasing over time. However, there remains a lack of sufficient awareness regarding this condition. This study aims to enhance public awareness through relevant survey.
Methods A total of 368 married women were randomly recruited from the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department of Leshan People's Hospital from May 2018 to December 2023 for pelvic floor function screening. Of these, 122 married women did not have children (group A), 122 married women had children before menopause (group B), and 124 women were postmenopausal (group C). Through questionnaire survey, Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification score, and myoelectric assessment, the data were collected and statistically analyzed.
Results The electrophysiological indicators of the three groups revealed statistically significant differences in the prevalence of manual muscle strength≥grade 3, anal lift muscle strength≥grade 3, Class I muscle fatigue, and maximum systolic pressure among the groups (p<0.05). However, there was no statistically significant difference observed in Class II muscle fatigue. (p≥0.05). The results of pelvic organ prolapse in the three groups showed statistically significant differences (p<0.05). When comparing the Aa value and C value between groups, there were statistically significant differences between group A and group B as well as between group A and group C (p<0.05). However, the differences between group B and group C were not statistically significant (p>0.05). In terms of the D value comparison, there was a statistically significant difference between group A and group C (p<0.05), but no significance was found when comparing group A with group B or when comparing group B with group C (p>0.05). Additionally, there were statistically significant variations observed in Ap values among the three groups (p<0.05).
Conclusion Before the onset of symptoms associated with pelvic floor dysfunction, there are changes in the position of pelvic organs and electrophysiological indicators of the pelvic floor. Therefore, early screening, detection, and treatment are crucial for preventing the development of pelvic floor dysfunction diseases.
Key words Healthy women, Pelvic floor function, Prevention, Pelvic organ prolapse quantification score, Electrophysiology
A Smart Contract Generation Method Based on Blockchain Patterns and Model-driven Multi-party Service Agreements
Authors: Shen Xinzhe , Li Wenyu , Xu Hanchuan , Luo Jiale , Wang Xiao , Wang Zhongjie
Published: April 2024

A multi-party service agreement refers to a textual agreement formulated under the participation of multiple parties, aiming to regulate the rights and responsibilities among them to facilitate their joint participation in a certain service or project. Traditional methods of executing agreements relying on centralized institutions may have potential trust issues. With the development of blockchain and smart contract technology, deploying textual agreements onto the blockchain for decentralized execution provides a new direction for addressing trust issues. However, the high complexity of textual agreements and cross-domain communication barriers result in difficulties and long cycles in smart contract development. To address the challenges faced in the development of smart contracts based on multi-party service agreements, this paper proposes a rapid and secure method for building smart contracts. Firstly, large language model(LLM) is employed to assist in extracting clause information from multi-party service agreements, and modeling the elements that can be expressed on the blockchain. Secondly, following the model-driven architecture (MDA), a smart contract reuse library is maintained to generate smart contract code. The results show that this method can automatically analyze the agreement text for blockchain representation, assist in manual modeling, generate the computation independent model(CIM), automatically convert it into the platform independent model(PIM), and further generate smart contract code. Through detailed case studies and verification of the code generation process, this paper demonstrates the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method. The generated code, after passing security checks, can be successfully deployed and used, providing reliable technical support for the execution of textual agreements.
A Novel Approach for Parameter Estimation of Mixture oftwo Weibull Distributions in Failure Data Modeling
Authors: Yan Tianyu , Fang Kai-Tai , Yin Hong
Published: April 2024

The mixture of two 2-parameter Weibull distributions (MixW), as a specialized variant of the mixtureof Weibull distributions, serves as an ideal model for heterogeneous data sets within the realms ofreliability studies and survival analysis. A principal challenge in dealing with MixW lies in the estima-tion of parameters. Inspired by the exemplary efficacy of the quasi-Monte Carlo method in Quantileestimation, this paper introduces an innovative approach, which employs the Harrell-Davis and threeSfakianakis and Verginis quantile estimators to enhance the representativeness of the sample, therebyimproving the accuracy of parameter estimation. Given the difficulty in deriving analytical expres-sions for the parameters of MixW and their propensity for convergence to local maxima, this paperadopts the sequential number-theoretic (SNTO) algorithm for the numerical resolution of parameterestimation. The initial optimization region for SNTO is determined via the graphical method of theWeibull Probability Plot (WPP). Simulation studies have demonstrated that our proposed methodsignificantly enhances estimation precision and reduces dependence on the “quality” of the sample.Furthermore, this methodology has been applied to two real data sets, showcasing the effectiveness ofour proposed approach.
Response of snowmelt-driven loess landslides to climate change in Ten- zan, north-west China
Authors: wei xueli , xian yu
Published: April 2024

In seasonally frozen regions, snowmelt-induced landslides are becoming a common geomorphological process. However, their failure mechanism are not yet well understood. This study focuses on the Zeketai River Basin in the Ili Basin of Ten-zan, China, and attempts to explain the deformation process and failure mechanism. The results revealed that the 242 loess landslides showed obvious season distribution and aspect differentiation. The landslide probability density-area distribution was well in line with the three-parameter inverse-gamma probability distribution. Long-term snowmelt infiltration and repeated soil freezing-thawing affected the slope surface and subsurface hydrothermal and mechanical equilibrium. The combined effect of static liquefaction of sliding surface and sliding liquefaction at slope toe was a hybrid mechanism for slope deformation and failure. On exposed landslide slope thicker snowpack and faster snowmelt contributed to persistent deformation of this landslide. In the future, climate warming would increase snowmelt-driven slope failures in seasonally frozen regions. More careful consideration and discussion regarding the thermal-hydraulic and mechanical processes and early warning of snowmelt-driven landslides should be strengthened.
Effect of gallium nitrate on the antibacterial activity of vancomycin in methicillin-sensitive and resistant Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Hanifeh Narges Mohammad , Keyvani-Ghamsari Saeedeh , khorsandi khatereh , Khaledi Elahe Mahmoodi
Published: April 2024

The extension of multidrug-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus (S.aureus) is one of the main health challenges in the world, which requires serious solutions to deal with it. Combination therapies using conventional antibiotics and new antibacterial compounds that target different bacterial pathways are effective methods against resistant bacterial infections. Gallium is an iron-like metal that competes with iron for uptake into bacteria and has the potential to disrupt iron-dependent vital processes in bacteria. In this study, we explored the antibacterial effects of gallium nitrate (Ga(NO3)3) and vancomycin alone and in combination with each other on methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA) and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) using microdilution assay and checkerboard test, respectively. Then, their effect on the formation and destruction of biofilms was investigated. Finally, the amount of ROS production in the presence of these two compounds in bacteria was evaluated. The results indicated that the vancomycin/ Ga(NO3)3 combination reduced the MIC of vancomycin in the MRSA strain and had an additive effect on it. Vancomycin plus Ga(NO3)3 reduced the formation of biofilms and increased the destruction of biofilms formed in both strains, especially in the MRSA strain. ROS production was also higher in the combination of vancomycin with Ga(NO3)3 compared to vancomycin alone, especially in MRSA. Therefore, our results showed that Ga(NO3)3 enhances the antibacterial activity of vancomycin and this combination therapy can be considered as a new strategy for the treatment of MRSA infections.
Incidence and Risk Factors Affecting Fibrinolytic Alveolitis After Permanent Tooth Extractions
Authors: Bataineh Anwar B. , Alkadi Saleh
Published: April 2024

Objectives
The condition known as fibrinolytic alveolitis is one of the most frequent after the extraction of permanent teeth. The aim of this study is to evaluate the incidence of fibrinolytic alveolitis as well as the correlation between different risk factors and its occurrence.
Material and Methods
Data were collected over a period of 6 months from the Dental Management System for every patient who had permanent teeth extraction at the Oral Surgery Clinic, Faculty of Dentistry/ Jordan University of Science and Technology. Data were age, sex, systemic status of patients, smoking habits, indication of extraction, anatomical location of the extracted teeth was divided into: Upper teeth and lower teeth, number of tooth/teeth extracted, procedure involved in teeth extraction, complications during extraction, compliance to post extraction instructions, fibrinolytic alveolitis present.
Results
During six-month period from October 2022 to March 2023 a total of 480 permanent teeth extractions of 316 patients, of which 204(64.56%) male patients and 112(35.44%) female patients, the ratio of male:female was1.8:1. Out of all 480 extractions the incidence of fibrinolytic alveolitis was 22(4.58%) of all extractions and 6.96% of affected patients.
Conclusions
The overall incidence of fibrinolytic alveolitis was comparable to that of previous research. The findings also suggest that the method and location of extraction are important factors in the development of fibrinolytic alveolitis.
Clinical Relevance:
Even though general dental offices often treat patients with fibrinolytic alveolitis, oral and maxillofacial surgeons play a critical role in treatment and achieving better results. The current theories around the prevention and treatment of fibrinolytic alveolitis, as well as the complexity and numerous natures of the etiology of fibrinolytic alveolitis, should be known to clinicians.
In vitro anthelmintic potential of selected essential oils against gastrointestinal nematodes of sheep
Authors: Štrbac Filip , Krnjajić Slobodan , Simin Nataša , Orčić Dejan , Rinaldi Laura , Musella Vincenzo , Castagna Fabio , Ratajac Radomir , Stojanović Dragica , Bosco Antonio
Published: April 2024

Background
Gastrointestinal nematodes (GINs) represent major obstacle to modern small ruminant farming due to their various negative effects on animal health, welfare and productivity. The exclusive use of commercial, synthetic anthelmintics is no longer a sustainable option due to the development of resistance in GINs and the problem of residues of these drugs in animal products and the environment. The aim of this study was to investigate in vitro the phytotherapeutic properties of seven different plant essential oils (EOs): Citrus x sinensis (L.) Osbeck, Citrus medica (L.), Mentha spicata (L.), Ocimum basilicum (L.), Hyssopus officinalis (L.), Salvia officinalis (L.) and Lavandula angustifolia Mill. against GINs in sheep.
Methods
First, the chemical composition (qualitative and semi-quantitative characterization) of the tested EOs was determined by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis. Their anthelmintic potential was evaluated in vitro using the egg hatch test, which was performed at eight different concentrations of each oil: 50, 12.5, 3.125, 0.781, 0.195, 0.049, 0.025 and 0.0125 mg/ml. Finally, a coproculture examination was performed to determine the genera of GIN against which the oils were tested.
Results
Some of the most frequently identified compounds in GC-MS analyses were limonene, myrcene, α- and β- pinene, γ-terpinene, sabinene, linalool, eucalyptol, terpinen-4-ol, camphor, etc., with their total number per oil varying from 8 (C. sinensis) to 42 (O. basilicum). The tested EOs showed a dose-dependent (R2 close to 1) ovicidal activity, with O. basilicum (23.3–93.3%, IC50 = 0.08 mg/ml), M. spicata (13.0-92.7%, IC50 = 0.07 mg/ml) and H. officinalis (42.7–91.3%, IC50 = 0.19 mg/ml) being the most effective. The high activity of these oils could be attributed to the high content of the monoterpene alcohol linalool and the terpenoid ketones carvone and pinocamphone. The least effective were S. officinalis (15.0–89.0%, IC50 = 0.53 mg/ml) and C. medica 12.3–95.0% (IC50 = 2.52 mg/ml). Four genera of sheep GINs were identified on coproculture examination, i.e. Haemonchus 43%, Trichostrongylus 35%, Teladorsagia 17% and Chabertia 5%.
Conclusion
The results obtained suggest that EOs tested, especially wild mint, basil and hyssop, could represent a valuable alternative in the control of GINs in sheep, which could help to reduce the use of chemical drugs. Future field trials should be performed to confirm these findings.
DiffREE: Feature-Conditioned Diffusion Model for Radar Echo
Extrapolation
Authors: Qi-liang WU , Xing WANG , Tong ZHANG , Zi-shu MIAO , Wei-liang YE , Hao LI
Published: April 2024

Deep learning techniques for radar echo extrapolation and prediction have become crucial for short-term precipitation forecasts in recent years. As the extrapolation leading time extends, radar echo intensity attenuates increasingly, and the forecast performance on strong echoes declines rapidly. These are two typical characteristics contributing to the current inaccurate results of radar extrapolation. To this end, we propose a novel diffusion radar echo extrapolation (DiffREE) algorithm driven by echo frames in this study. This algorithm deeply integrates the spatio-temporal information of radar echo frames through a conditional encoding module, and then it utilizes a Transformer encoder to automatically extract the spatio-temporal features of echoes. These features serve as inputs to the conditional diffusion model, driving the model to reconstruct the current radar echo frame. Moreover, a validation experiment demonstrates that the proposed method can generate high-precision and high-quality forecast images of radar echoes. To further substantiate the model performance, the DiffREE algorithm is compared with the other four models by using public datasets. In the radar echo extrapolation task, the DiffREE demonstrates a remarkable improvement in the evaluation metrics of critical success index, equitable threat score, Heidke skill score and probability of detection by 21.5%, 27.6%, 25.8%, and 21.8%, respectively, displaying notable superiority.
level of awareness among medical students at Syrian Private University about the etiology of short stature in children
Authors: Mheni Ranim , Orabe Zainab , Hammoud Taghrid
Published: April 2024

Aim
Our research aims to shed light on a very important health problem and to study and evaluate the awareness of medical students at the Syrian Private University about this health problem in all its aspects, in order to develop successful and thoughtful educational plans in order to compete with local and international universities with the quality of education.
Methods and material:
A cross-sectional study during an extended period between 17-10-2023 and 26-12-2023. Samples were collected through an electronic questionnaire among medical students at Syrian Private University. The data was analyzed using the EXCEL program and SPSS statistics V26. Once the questionnaire was answered, the student was... Agree to share.
Results
The sample in our study consisted of 300 students with an average age of (22.34 ± 2.84 years), male/female ratio: 55%/45%, and the percentage of sixth-year students was the most common (31.7% of the total participants). The percentage of general knowledge was 98%, and the most common sources of knowledge were from University lectures (46.6% of all participants), the percentage of knowledge about symptoms and signs was 49.84%, the factors associated with short stature was 50.26%, diagnostic methods were 55.38%, medical tests to diagnose short stature were 20.8%, and treatment methods were 75.1%, and knowledge was most common among students in recent years.
Conclusion
This study showed a lack of knowledge among first-year students. Scientific seminars must be held to raise awareness for first-year students so that they are fully aware of all complications of the disease and the means of diagnosis and treatment.
Context-Aware Temporal Embedding of Objects in Video Data
Authors: Farhan Ahnaf , Hossain M. Shahriar
Published: April 2024

In video analysis, understanding the temporal context is crucial for recognizing object interactions, event patterns, and contextual changes over time. The proposed model leverages adjacency and semantic similarities between objects from neighboring video frames to construct context-aware temporal object embeddings. Unlike traditional methods that rely solely on visual appearance, our temporal embedding model considers the contextual relationships between objects, creating a meaningful embedding space where temporally connected object's vectors are positioned in proximity. Empirical studies demonstrate that our context-aware temporal embeddings can be used in conjunction with conventional visual embeddings to enhance the effectiveness of downstream applications. Moreover, the embeddings can be used to narrate a video using a Large Language Model (LLM). This paper describes the intricate details of the proposed objective function to generate context-aware temporal object embeddings for video data and showcases the potential applications of the generated embeddings in video analysis and object classification tasks.
Discovering FinTech field evolution, international collaboration, thematic map, and future research directions: A bibliometric and content analyses
Authors: Duan Carson
Published: April 2024

Financial technology (FinTech) research has exploded globally over the last few years; therefore, this research aims to respond by conducting a bibliometric analysis. With an adoption of a hybrid approach combining the bibliometric method and content analysis, this study focuses on field evolution, international collaboration, and thematic analyses as well as future research direction forecasting. First, the study found that, between 1999 and 2022, the chronological evolution of FinTech has experienced three phases: initiation (1999–2016), development (2017–2019), and fast-growing (2020-now). Then, knowledge mapping showed three, thirteen and nine research themes for each phase, respectively. Furthermore, the analysis of thematic characteristics of clusters of fast-growing period, forecasted nine topics as future research direction: FinTech, blockchain, financial inclusion, artificial intelligence, innovation, trust, digitalization, regulation, and FinTech Innovation. Finally, the content analysis indicated three potential exploring areas: 1) FinTech research in emerging economies, 2) location- and culture-specific FinTech application and adoption studies, and 3) COVID-19 effects on FinTech from both positive and negative perspectives. Overall, the results theoretically enrich the FinTech literature and have substantial implications for scholars, policymakers and practitioners.
Exploring Factors of Physicians' Preferences for Continuing Medical Education
Authors: Mandic Ruzica Nikolic , Bjegovic-Mikanovic Vesna , Bukumiric Zoran , Terzic-Supic Zorica , Todorovic Jovana , Grujicic Sandra , Nesic Dejan , Laaser Ulrich
Published: April 2024

Background Achieving sustainability in continuing medical education (CME) involves regular assessment of the evolving needs of healthcare professionals and updates in educational content accordingly. The aim of this study was to examine the topics physicians in Serbia consider the most important for their professional development and to analyze the factors associated with different domains of the competencies identified by the physicians
Method This cross-sectional study was conducted among 2,625 physicians who are members of the medical chamber in Serbia. Besides similar studies, the Delphi process among medical experts served to create the research instruments, while obtained data were analyzed using factor analysis and robust regression analysis.
Results The results pointed to a significant association between the scores in all identified domains (management, clinical practice, communication, public health, essentials and clinical emergency) and female gender. The score in the communication domain was additionally associated with work in privately owned institutions (B=0.563). The scores in the public health domain and the basic medical skills (essentials domain) were additionally associated with age (B=0.077 and B=0.100), work in a primary healthcare institution (B=2.327 and B=2.155) and being a specialist (B=-1.795 and B=-2.901). The score on the clinical emergency domain, besides the female gender, was associated with work in primary health care (B=0.748), being a specialist (B=-1.592) and being a subspecialist (B=-1.023).
Conclusion Our results can serve as a guide for developing sustainable CMEs directed to different physician populations. Integrating sustainability into CME is an ongoing and collaborative effort which ensures that CME programs equip medical professionals with the necessary knowledge and skills to spearhead the transition towards a more sustainable healthcare system.
Numerical proceeding to calculate impurity states in 2D semiconductor heterostructures
Authors: Akimov Volodymyr , Tulupenko Viktor , Demediuk Roman , Tiutiunnyk Anton , Duque Carlos A. , Morales Alvaro L. , Laroze David , Mora-Ramos Miguel Eduardo
Published: April 2024

The article provides and discusses details of numerical proceeding for the expansion method to calculate energy positions and wave functions of the localized and resonant electronic states emerging in quantum well-type semiconductor nanostructures because of perturbation of confined states by the Coulomb potential of the hydrogenic impurity center. Effective mass approximation is used. Several excited both resonant and non-resonant states are calculated and classified for the case of a simple rectangular GaAs/AlGaAs quantum well. Results are compared to the ones in literature.
Worldwide Trending of Research in Architecture Education: A Bibliometric Analysis in Two Decades
Authors: Zain Mhd Hafiz Karami Mhd , Abdullah Fadzidah , Sanusi Aliyah Nur Zafirah Sanusi
Published: April 2024

Research on the architecture education is growing. Architecture education is crucial for the progress of architectural practice and built environment. However, there is limited publications regarding research trending of architecture education. Therefore, this study aims to conduct a bibliometric analysis of scholarly publications on architecture education from the Scopus database over the past two decades. The present study conducted frequency analysis using Microsoft Excel, ran data visualisation using VOSviewer, and used Harzing Publish or Perish for citation metrics and analysis. The study reveals that, from 2003 until early 2024, the number of publications pertaining to architecture education throughout the past two decades has increased steadily. The United States was ranked first in terms of research activity concerning architectural education, followed by Turkey. Politechnika Krakowska from Poland was the most active university in terms of architectural education research publications of significance. Numerous architecture education studies, in which several authors collaborated and were written in diverse languages, were published by a collective of 32 authors from 77 nations and 31 institutions. Nevertheless, this research only analysed the current trend of research on architecture education by examining the current trend of publications, the citation patterns, the prominent themes, and the state of collaboration in authorship. Future studies could focus on abstract analysis, narrowing the topics based on trending themes discovered in this study.
Production of Transparent Wood Using Glycerine Extracted from Transverse and Longitudinal Sections of Poplar Wood
Authors: ŞAHİN Şakire , BİNGÖL Şinasi
Published: April 2024

Innovative and ecologically sustainable transparent wood has garnered notable attention in recent times. Normally, transparency in wood is achieved through petroleum-based polymers, but ongoing studies aim to substitute them with bio-based options to avoid potential harm. In this study, poplar wood was prepared in two distinct sizes for transparency. The wood was longitudinally cut into 10×10×1 mm dimensions and transversely cut into 20×20×1 mm dimensions. Transparency was achieved via glycerol infiltration in the cut wood specimens, which were subsequently coated with transparent epoxy resin for protection against external factors. The potential applications of transparent wood are diverse. It can be employed in narrow and dark interior spaces, as well as in wall and floor design. Additionally, using transparent wood in attics can create an illusion of spaciousness, thanks to its optical permeability feature. Furthermore, the low thermal conductivity and environmental friendliness of wood make it advantageous for the construction industry. This study not only highlights the feasibility of transparent wood but also underlines its potential to revolutionise interior design and construction practices. Further research and development in this area are essential to unlocking the full potential of this innovative and sustainable material.
Correlation between gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and the risk of acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), A cross-sectional study in Syrian Patients
Authors: Al-Sawaf Tareq , Nakhleh Merry , Al-Bardan Hussam
Published: April 2024

Background: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are prevalent chronic conditions associated with significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. While GERD affects 10-20% of adults in Western countries, COPD affects approximately 10% of adults over 40 years old. The coexistence of GERD and COPD is increasingly recognized, with evidence suggesting a bidirectional relationship between the two conditions.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample of residents from various provinces in Syria (Damascus, Al-Suwayda, Raqqa, Deir ez-Zor, Daraa), with informed consent obtained from all participants. The inclusion criteria encompassed all participants who responded to the questionnaire within the period from February 1st to March 25th, 2024.
Results: The survey involved 100 COPD patients from various Syrian regions, mostly Damascus (82%), with 76% male and 24% female, averaging 64.5 years. 75% lacked education, 63% were employed in diverse fields. Smoking rate was 89%, with 98% married and 3 children on average. 50% had high blood pressure, 28% previously diagnosed with COPD. 86% struggled to quit smoking. 60% had three meals daily.
Conclusions: The study assessed 100 participants with COPD from various Syrian regions, predominantly Damascus (82%). It found 48% had normal BMI, while 68% were male smokers, despite awareness campaigns. Elderly participants (aged 70-61) were prevalent, potentially experiencing comorbidities such as hypertension and cardiac disorders. 40% reported acid reflux, correlated with dietary neglect. There was no significant gender correlation with GERD, but age showed a weak association. Smoking exacerbated COPD symptoms, with increased consumption leading to worsened prognosis. Male gender potentially protected against severe exacerbations. Participants within the normal weight range (48%) faced increased hospitalization risks due to severe exacerbations. Studies emphasized weight gain and obesity's protective role against exacerbations and morbidity rates among COPD patients.
DYNA-B: An Enhanced And Dynamic Batch Size Tuning For LSTM Neural Network
Authors: Soni Jayesh , Prabakar Nagarajan , Upadhyay Himanshu
Published: April 2024

Deep neural networks can be trained in various domains using increasingly large batch sizes without compromising the efficiency. However, this massive data parallelism may differ from domain to domain. It is computationally challenging to train large deep neural networks on large datasets. In response, there has been a surge of interest in utilizing large batch size values during the optimization process, as it enables faster training of these networks, thereby facilitating distributed processing. However, this approach also presents a well-known problem called the "generalization gap," which can result in a degraded performance across multiple datasets. Currently, there is limited understanding of how to determine the optimal batch size. To address this issue, we propose an adaptive tuning algorithm that dynamically adjusts the batch size. Our algorithm consists of four stages: gradient warm-up, loss derivation, calculation of weighted loss using historical batch size data, and batch size updating. We demonstrate the superior performance of our algorithm compared with the traditional constant-batch size approach by comparing it with multiple system-call datasets of varying sizes.
A Qualitative Inquiry into the Implementation Challenges of Circular Economy Practices in Supply Chains
Authors: Gupta Reena
Published: April 2024

This qualitative inquiry investigates the multifaceted challenges of implementing circular economy practices within supply chains. Through in-depth interviews and thematic analysis, the study unveils the interconnected dynamics of technological constraints, regulatory ambiguity, organizational barriers, supply chain complexity, and stakeholder collaboration shaping the landscape of circularity. Findings highlight the need for a holistic approach encompassing multi-stakeholder collaboration, regulatory alignment, organizational transformation, supply chain integration, and technological innovation. By fostering collaboration among governments, businesses, academia, civil society, and other stakeholders, it is possible to drive collective action, share knowledge and resources, and foster innovation and learning. Regulatory alignment and policy support are crucial for providing clarity, incentives, and market signals that catalyze investment and innovation. Moreover, integrating circular economy objectives into business strategy and performance metrics ensures that circularity becomes integral to decision-making processes, guiding resource allocation and investment priorities. Technological innovation and collaboration offer additional avenues for overcoming barriers and unlocking the transformative potential of circularity within supply chains. Ultimately, addressing the implementation challenges of circular economy practices requires a concerted and collaborative effort across stakeholders, sectors, and disciplines, leading to more sustainable, resilient, and regenerative supply chains.
Essential Elements of Shared Decision-making with Youth and their Families with Multiple and Enduring Problems
Authors: Barnhoorn-Bos Anne Marie , Mulder Eva , Nooteboom Laura , Meurs Alet , Vermeiren Robert
Published: April 2024

Shared decision-making (SDM) is crucial to achieve family-tailored care. However, when providing integrated youth care, SDM can be complicated by the context of families with complex problems, and the multiple professionals involved. Commonly used SDM models may not adequately address these specific challenges. Therefore, this qualitative study explores families' and professionals' perspectives on essential elements of SDM with families with multiple and enduring problems. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 parents, 3 youth and 22 professionals from Specialist Integrated care Teams. A framework method - comprising essential elements of SDM - was applied to systematically code the transcripts both deductively and inductively. Our study shows that the nine essential elements of SDM require a specific interpretation in the context of integrated youth care. Consideration must be given to the diversity of participants in decision-making, the complexity of the problems and SDM as a continuous process of multiple decisions. In addition, families and professionals mentioned three complementary elements: (1) build collaborative relationships, (2) prioritize problems, goals and actions, and (3) interprofessional consultation. Thus, in integrated youth care professionals must consider SDM as a cyclical process of larger and smaller decisions and take time to build collaborative relationships with families and the care network. Throughout the care process families and professionals balance their mutual roles in decision-making in line with the changing needs and preferences of families.
Development of a Job Competency Model for the Master Teachers in Primary Schools
Authors:   Human Engagement Institute, Kim Suyoung , Jun JuSung
Published: April 2024

The purpose of this study was to develop a job competency model for primary school master teachers. Through literature review, behavioral event interviews and in-depth interviews, a draft job competency model was developed, and focus group interviews were conducted to develop a tentative job competency model. Then, a content validity study was conducted with 20 experts to obtain CVI and IRA values, and the final job competency model with validated job competencies and behavioral indicators was confirmed. The job competency model of elementary school master teachers consists of four job areas (supporting school education, student education activities, supporting teacher professional development, and research and development activities), nine job competencies (supporting school educational goals, responding to changes in the educational environment, curriculum literacy, learner orientation, teaching expertise, instructional consulting, teacher professional coaching, learning organization, and master teacher professional development), and 33 behavioral indicators. It is significant that the model of master teachers' job competencies developed in this study provided a systematic understanding of master teachers' job competencies.
Integrasi Technology Readiness dan Technology Acceptance Model Terhadap Kesiapan Pengguna Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) pada Industri Pengolahan Kelapa Organik
Authors: Afiana Fiby Nur , Rifai Zanuar , Frilisia Willy Ardo
Published: April 2024

The manufacturing engineering technology that is widely used to integrate activities, financial management, production, and projects into human resource management is Enterprise Resource Planning. One of them is Odoo which is utilized by an organic coconut processing company in Banyumas Regency. Investment in technology often raises pros and cons in a company, where technology investment cannot immediately provide benefits. So the attitude of Human Resources and the level of user readiness for the Adoo application really needs to be studied. The TRAM (Technology Readiness and Acceptance and Odel) method is a combination of the concepts of the Technology Readiness and Technology Acceptance Model, used to determine the effect of user readiness on technology acceptance in a company with the addition of one variable, namely perceived enjoyment. The results obtained by the five hypotheses are stated to have a positive and significant effect, while the two hypotheses are stated to have a negative and insignificant effect. Technology Readiness has a positive and significant effect on Perceived Usefulness, Perceived Ease of Use, Perceived Enjoyment, and Intention to use Odoo while Perceived Usefulness and Perceived Ease of Use have a negative and insignificant effect on Intention to use Odoo. Perceived Enjoyment has a positive and significant effect on the Intention to use Odoo and is a factor that quite influences the readiness and acceptance of new technology. The results of the research can be used by companies to weigh and decide how the company is going towards technology. Considering that the cost of adopting technology is sufficient and significant, it cannot immediately provide benefits to the company, but the benefits can be felt several years later.
Creativity of Modern Russian Writers in Teaching Russian Language to Tajik High School Students: Theoretical and Practical Aspects
Authors:   Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia named after Patrice Lumumba, Saidov Zaynularab Z.
Published: April 2024

In this article we are talking about the appeal in teaching the Russian language to the work of modern Russian writers who are known in Russia and abroad, when teaching the Russian language to Tajik high school students. As a work, the analysis of which can serve as an example for work in the lessons of Russian language and literature in a Tajik school, the story of Evgeny G. Vodolazkin “Kunstkamera in faces” was chosen. The article provides a rationale for its methodological value in teaching the Russian language, a linguistic analysis of the text is carried out, accompanied by tasks and exercises that are aimed at understanding the content of the text, at fixing the grammatical and lexical material used in it, and at developing students’ communicative skills. On this basis, it is recommended to work with the works of other contemporary Russian writers: Dina Rubina, Zakhar Prilepin. Lyudmila Ulitskaya, Lyudmila Petrushevskaya, Svetlana Mosova, Sergei Shargunov, Tatyana Tolstaya. The specific material presented is chosen taking into account the situation of the Russian language in the Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic and in modern Tajikistan. It is emphasized that the use of literary texts in the Tajik school has a long tradition of referring to the work of classic writers of Russian and Soviet literature, which requires, however, the expansion of the studied material at the expense of the works of contemporary Russian writers. Obviously, the study of the works of the 21st century will contribute to the interested study of the Russian language by Tajik students, as well as to acquaint them with the modern culture of the Russian people.
N-Methyl-D-Aspartate (NMDA) Receptor Antagonists and their
Pharmacological Implication: A Medicinal Chemistry-oriented
Perspective Outline
Authors: Rana Vikas , Ghosh Shayantan , Bhatt Akanksha , Bisht Damini , Joshi Gaurav , Purohit Priyank
Published: April 2024

N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors, i.e., inotropic glutamate receptors,
are important in synaptic plasticity, brain growth, memory, and learning. The activation
of NMDA is done by neurotransmitter glutamate and co-agonist (glycine or D-serine)
binding. However, the over-activation of NMDA elevates the intracellular calcium influx, which causes various neurological diseases and disorders. Therefore, to prevent
excitotoxicity and neuronal death, inhibition of NMDA must be done using its antagonist. This review delineates the structure of subunits of NMDA and the conformational
changes induced after the binding of agonists (glycine and D-serine) and antagonists
(ifenprodil, etc.). Additionally, reported NMDA antagonists from different sources, such
as synthetic, semisynthetic, and natural resources, are explained by their mechanism of
action and pharmacological role. The comprehensive report also addresses the chemical
spacing of NMDA inhibitors and in-vivo and in-vitro models to test NMDA antagonists.
Since the Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB) is the primary membrane that prevents the penetration of a wide variety of drug molecules, we also elaborate on the medicinal chemistry
approach to improve the effectiveness of their antagonists.
Recent Advances in the Treatment Strategies of Friedreich’s Ataxia: A Review
of Potential Drug Candidates and their Underlying Mechanisms
Authors: Saini Aman Kumar , Anil Neha , Vijay Ardra N. , Mangla Bharti , Javed Shamama , Kumar Pankaj , Ahsan Waquar
Published: April 2024

Background:

Friedreich's ataxia (FRDA) is a rare hereditary neurodegenerative disorder characterized
by progressive ataxia, cardiomyopathy, and diabetes. The disease is caused by a deficiency of frataxin, a
mitochondrial protein involved in iron-sulfur cluster synthesis and iron metabolism.

Objective:

This review aims to summarize recent advances in the development of treatment strategies for FRDA,
with a focus on potential drug candidates and their mechanisms of action.

Methods:

A comprehensive literature search was conducted using various authentic scientific databases to
identify studies published in the last decade that investigated potential treatment strategies for FRDA. The
search terms used included “Friedreich's ataxia”, “treatment”, “drug candidates”, and “mechanisms of action.”

Results:

To date, only one drug got approval from US-FDA in the year 2023; however, significant developments
were achieved in FRDA-related research focusing on diverse therapeutic interventions that could potentially
alleviate the symptoms of this disease. Several promising drug candidates have been identified for the
treatment of FRDA, which target various aspects of frataxin deficiency and aim to restore frataxin levels, reduce
oxidative stress, and improve mitochondrial function. Clinical trials have shown varying degrees of success,
with some drugs demonstrating significant improvements in neurological function and quality of life in
FRDA patients.

Conclusion:

While there has been significant progress in the development of treatment strategies for FRDA,
further research is needed to optimize these approaches and identify the most effective and safe treatment options
for patients. The integration of multiple therapeutic strategies may be necessary to achieve the best outcomes
in FRDA management.