bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessment of Supporting Facilities in Selected Private Universities in Ogun State, Nigeria
Authors: Ayedun Caleb Abiodun , Utom Jennifer Anwurika , Oluwunmi Adedamola , Omonijo Dare Ojo , Akinjare Omolade Adedoyin
Published: May 2021

The study was set out to assess the adequacy of supporting facilities provided in private Universities Ogun State from the users’ perspective. To achieve the aim, five objectives were set and resolved, These include ascertainment of the characteristics of students in the private Universities, identification of the basic supporting facilities available in the a private Universities, investigation of the students’ perception of the adequacy of supporting facilities, determination of  the student’s level of satisfaction with the available supporting facilities and finally, examination of the relationship between the student’s characteristics and their satisfaction level with the adequacy of supporting facilities. The population for the study comprised of the students of private Universities (Covenant University, Ota, Bells University of Technology, Ota and Babcock University, Ilisan-Remo). Data for the study was collected with the aid of structured questionnaires which were distributed to three hundred and sixty (360) students in the three (3) selected private Universities out of which two hundred and seventy one (271) representing 75% of the total distributed questionnaires were retrieved and found useful. The data obtained from the retrieved questionnaires were computed with the aid of SPSS (version 20.0) and subsequently analyzed using percentages, mean, RII and multiple linear regression and presented in tables. Findings from the study indicated that amongst the pre-listed support facilities, 23% of the respondents attested to the availability of special facilities for the physically challenged. The study also revealed that students perceived inadequacy in the ambulance response time, number of buses available for transportation, provision of restroom for shoppers, prompt attendance to students in the cafeteria and number of rest rooms available. However, the study showed the students overall level of satisfaction with medical (RII = 0.6768), transportation (RII = 0.6777), shopping mart (RII = 0.6443) and cafeteria (RII = 0.6681). Furthermore, the study discovered a strong relationship between students characteristics and medical facilities (P = 0.000), transport facilities (P = 0.022) and cafeteria facilities (P = 0.001) in one (1) of the sampled private Universities. The study recommends that Management of the sampled Universities carry out regular facilities evaluation and also the provision of more shuttle ambulance, transportation buses, restrooms in the shopping mart and the cafeteria and special facilities that cater to the physically challenged.

 

Received: 27 February 2021 / Accepted: 4 May 2021 / Published: 17 May 2021
Causes of Stress among Students in Higher Educational Institutions in India
Authors: Goyal Pratibha , Chakrawal Alok Kumar , Banerjee Richa
Published: May 2021

A student has to deal with pressure from many directions. When the extent of the pressure exceeds the capacity of an individual, it becomes stressful. Students may experience stress due several factors like academics, workload, relationships with friends and peers, teachers, parents, job and career aspirations and financial problems. The present study was carried out to find the level of stress and the main factors responsible for it among students in higher educational institutions in India. From all over India, a sample of 616 students was taken. The respondents were the states of Assam, Gujarat, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Rajasthan. Primary data was collected with the help of a structured and pre-tested questionnaire. It included information about demographic profile of the respondents and had seven sub-scales pertaining to different stress factors. Results showed that moderate to low level stress was experienced by majority of the students. 'Job and career' and 'financial difficulties' were the main causes of stress. The next important factors were academics and work load. This paper further analyses the important reasons behind each stress factor.

 

Received: 18 November 2020 / Accepted: 26 February 2021 / Published: 17 May 2021
A note on I-convergence and I∗ -convergence of an infinite product
Authors:   DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS DUZCE UNIVERSITY DUZCE, TURKEY E-mail address: merveilkhan@gmail.com, ILKHAN MERVE , BASARIR METIN ,   DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS SAKARYA UNIVERSITY SAKARYA, TURKEY E-mail address: basarir@sakarya.edu.tr, KARA EMRAH EVREN ,   DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS DUZCE UNIVERSITY DUZCE, TURKEY E-mail address: karaeevren@gmail.com
Published: May 2021

In this paper, we define I-convergence and I ∗-convergence of an infinite product by Cauchy conditions and prove the relation between these two notions.
q-Greens’ s formula on the complex plane in the sense of Harman
Authors:   DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS KIRIKKALE UNIVERSITY YAHSIHAN, KIRIKKALE, TURKEY E-mail address: kerimkoca@gmail.com, KOCA KERIM , GENCTURK ILKER ,   DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS KIRIKKALE UNIVERSITY YAHSIHAN, KIRIKKALE, TURKEY E-mail address: ilkergencturk@gmail.com, AYDIN MUSTAFA ,   DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS KIRIKKALE UNIVERSITY YAHSIHAN, KIRIKKALE, TURKEY E-mail address: mustafa.aydin868@gmail.com
Published: May 2021

In this work, we proved the q-Green’s identity in the sense of Harman for the discrete functions f(z), g(z) which are defined on the square discrete set D ⊂ C. We also presented q -analogue of Cauchy integral formula by using discrete q-analytic f(z) and p-analytic g(z) functions.
SCIENTIFIC AND PEDAGOGICAL ESSENCE OF THE CONCEPTS OF "MORALITY" AND "SPIRITUALITY"
Authors:   Samara National Research University named after academician S.P. Korolev, Panina E.S.
Published: May 2021

Тhe article examines the concepts of "morality" and "spirituality" based on research by domestic, foreign scientists, psychologists of different eras. The main directions of the study of concepts are highlighted. The main parameters of morality from a pedagogical, philosophical point of view are emphasized. Highlighting the main parameters of morality. Definition of the concept of "morality" based on historical analysis. The substantive part of the concepts of spiritual, moral and moral education. Spiritual and moral education is in demand in pedagogical practice and gives morality to the national identity. The characteristic of the content of the concepts of spiritual, moral, moral and moral education is presented, their features are determined. The relationship between morality and spirituality in cultural identity. The importance of spiritual and moral education is in demand in modern pedagogical science, it is this education that enriches a person with national identity and contributes to the development of spiritual needs, motivating him in his actions to the national ideal, self-actualization. Consideration of the compatibility of physiological needs with the moral and moral qualities of a person. Cognitive and aesthetic layers in the pyramid of needs. Study of the concept of morality in the framework of the activity approach. The educational process and its content. The life stage of a person and the process of self-improvement. The role of the system of rules and principles of human behavior in society and the system of personal beliefs and priorities in life.
Rapid controlled synthesis of gold–platinum nanorods with excellent photothermal properties under 808 nm excitation
Authors: Wang Jialin , Duan Qianqian , Yang Min , Zhang Boye , Guo Li , Li Pengcui , Zhang Wendong , Sang Shengbo
Published: May 2021

Noble metal nanomaterials are particularly suitable as photothermal transduction agents (PTAs) with high photothermal conversion efficiency (PCE) due to local surface plasmon resonance (LSPR). Studies on different gold–platinum (Au–Pt) bimetal nanoparticles exhibiting the LSPR effect have provided a new idea for the synthesis of excellent PTAs. But there is no simple and scalable method for the controllable synthesis of Au–Pt nanoparticles with adjustable LSPR wavelength range. In this work, the effects of Ag+ and K2PtCl4 on the deposition of Pt on the surface of gold nanorods (AuNRs) were investigated. A fast, precise, and controlled synthesis of dumbbell-like Pt-coated AuNRs (Au@Pt NRs) under mild conditions is proposed. The synthesized Au@Pt NRs have a longitudinal LSPR wavelength of 812 nm, which is very close to a common laser wavelength of 808 nm. The Au@Pt NRs exhibit excellent photothermal properties when irradiated with a laser. The temperature increased by more than 36 °C after irradiation for 10 min, with a PCE of about 78.77%, which is much higher than that of AuNRs (57.33%). In addition, even after four on/off cycles, the Au@Pt NRs are able to maintain the photothermal properties and retain their optical properties, indicating that they have excellent photothermal stability and reusability.
Design and synthesis of highly oxygenated furo[3,2-c]pyran-4-ones and furo[3,2-c]chromen-4-ones scaffold as potential anticancer and antimicrobial agent
Authors: Rani Suman , Kamra Nisha , Thakral Sumit , Kumar Devinder , Singh Ajeet , Sangwan Payare L , Singh Shashank K
Published: May 2021

Synthesis of a number of highly oxygenated furo[3,2-c]pyran-4-one (4, 5) and furo[3,2-c]chromen-4-one (8, 9) has been accomplished by a simple one pot reaction from easily available versatile starting materials - dehydroacetic acid and 3-acetyl-4-hydroxycoumarin. All the synthesized molecules were characterized utilizing various spectroscopic techniques and screened for anticancer activity (in vitro) against three Colon (HCT-116, SW-620, HT-24), Lung (A-549), Prostate-(PC-3), Breast-(MCF-7) cell lines. Compounds 5a, 9d, 9f showed good activity against breast MCF-7 cancer cell line having IC50 values 6.9, 2.8, 5.3 µM, respectively. Out of these compound 9d showed better activity against prostate PC-3 cell line with IC50 value 3.8 µM. The synthesized compounds were also studied for potential antibacterial activity (in vitro) using different strains of bacteria (Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus -Gram-positive, and Escherichia coli- Gram negative) as well as fungal strains (Aspergillus niger and Candida albicans) using Norfloxacin and Fluconazole as antibacterial and antifungal standard drugs, respectively. The outcome of the antimicrobial screening study showed that compound 9f exhibited promising activity against S. aureus and B. subtilis while 5h showed excellent and 5i and 9b showed better activity against E. coli. The compounds 5c-5e displayed excellent activity against C. albicans and A. niger than Fluconazole.
Text-Effekte der Vermarktung: Über Ferdinand von Schirachs ‚Trilogie‘ Verbrechen , Schuld , Strafe
Authors: Pabst Stephan
Published: May 2021

Ferdinand von Schirach est l’un des auteurs contemporains de langue allemande qui connaît le plus de succès. Ce sont surtout ses « Stories » tirées de la vie d’un avocat pénaliste qui ont fait sa gloire et sa réussite commerciale. Pour certains critiques et chercheurs en littérature, elles se lisent comme des réflexions philosophico-anthropologiques sur le crime. Ce faisant, ils suivent une piste que l’auteur von Schirach a lui-même tracée dans ses textes et paratextes. Le présent article propose au contraire de lire ces traces comme faisant partie intégrante d’une stratégie par laquelle von Schirach s’adresse au lecteur de littérature populaire aussi bien qu’au critique professionnel. Cette stratégie s’observe dans le rapport qu’entretiennent les textes avec l’image de l’auteur von Schirach, avec leur caractère sériel, ainsi que dans l’usage des citations en épigraphe. La dimension anthropologique de ses « Stories » se révèle être en réalité une manière de nier le caractère social des crimes.
Préserver le secret, protéger l’information. La loyauté en milieu militaire
Authors: Schehr Sébastien
Published: May 2021

Au cours de l’histoire, les organisations militaires se sont constamment appuyées sur des dispositifs juridiques, techniques et sociaux ainsi que sur des valeurs morales et des dispositions psychosociales pour protéger leurs secrets et minimiser les risques de leur compromission. L’article s’intéresse au cas de la loyauté et montre comment ce sentiment moral contribue à leur préservation comme au contrôle des informations qui y circulent.
Secret médical : une valeur à construire
Authors: Sicard Didier
Published: May 2021

Le fondement du secret médical est éthique plus que déontologique. Il est celui d’une protection liée à la vulnérabilité que constitue la maladie face à l’ordre policier, sanitaire, voire moral. Ce n’est pas un article du Code, mais un respect de la personne soignée. De plus en plus fragilisé aujourd’hui, il est une valeur à restaurer, plus encore à construire.
Le poids du secret
Authors: Rival Cyril
Published: May 2021

Il est dans la nature humaine de posséder des secrets et de vouloir accéder à ceux d’autrui. L’expression du fait qu’il possède un secret procure à son détenteur une dignité particulière, elle le met au-dessus des ignorants et des curieux, elle le valorise comme étant celui qui a été digne de recevoir une confidence ou de détenir des informations confidentielles. L’intelligence relationnelle est d’être capable d’arbitrer entre nos secrets positifs, qui nous aident, et ceux qui sont des poisons lents qu’il faut à un moment libérer. Au risque que la douleur psychique s’installe.
Fictions du secret, secrets de la fiction
Authors: Blistène Pauline
Published: May 2021

Dans un contexte où la demande d’informations concernant les activités des services de renseignement ne cesse de croître, et où la ligne de démarcation entre réalité et fiction semble constamment brouillée, les fictions d’espionnage répondent à une double exigence : la prétendue mise en visibilité de ces acteurs de l’ombre, dont l’opacité structurelle met au défi le principe démocratique de publicité ; leur dissimulation plus efficace, sous couvert de mise en transparence. Plus que de simples miroirs, qui reflèteraient de façon plus ou moins réaliste un monde autrement inaccessible, elles sont une condition du secret en démocratie.
Telephone tapping at Verdun
Authors: Degoulange Jean-Marc
Published: May 2021

En mai 1915, le sous-lieutenant Delavie, chef de section des téléphonistes du 210 e  régiment d’infanterie basé dans le secteur de Saint-Mihiel, découvre le moyen d’écouter les conversations téléphoniques allemandes. Durant toute la bataille de Verdun, plus d’une vingtaine de postes d’écoute téléphonique vont ainsi renseigner le 2 e  bureau de la 2 e  armée, en particulier sur l’ordre de bataille, les intentions, les difficultés logistiques et le moral de l’ennemi.
Stablecoins : le meilleur des mondes ?
Authors: Melachrinos Anastasia , Pfister Christian
Published: May 2021

Au fondement de la notion de stablecoins (SC) se trouve la volonté de concilier deux mondes : celui de la monnaie légale, dont les attributs essentiels sont l’ordre hiérarchique, la vocation à l’unicité et la stabilité du pouvoir d’achat, et celui des crypto-actifs, caractérisés par la décentralisation, le foisonnement donc la possibilité de choix, et l’instabilité de leur valeur. Les SC y parviennent-ils ? Au regard de la volatilité de leur cours, de leur faible nombre, de leur encours limité et de la concentration de leur marché, les SC n’ont, jusqu’à présent, rencontré qu’un succès très mitigé et font figure d’appendice du marché des crypto-actifs. Toutefois, l’arrivée de très grands acteurs assurant l’émission de SC et susceptibles de toucher un large public pourrait procurer un niveau de confiance supplémentaire aux utilisateurs de SC et donner à leurs projets une portée potentiellement systémique. Ces SC mondiaux créeraient des risques, en particulier pour la stabilité financière et la politique monétaire et dans les économies les moins développées. L’article passe en revue ces risques et les réponses que le secteur privé, les régulateurs et les banques centrales peuvent leur apporter.
Les limbes de la dette
Authors: Ravelli Quentin
Published: May 2021

Quand les dettes sont remboursées et qu’elles ne concernent que quelques groupes sociaux, elles peuvent jouer un rôle de maintien de l’ordre social et ouvrir des perspectives d’ascension sociale. Mais quand elles dépassent les salaires et se généralisent, elles aiguisent au contraire la contestation, comme c’est le cas depuis la grande crise de 2008 dans de nombreux pays. Après une longue mutation des métiers de la finance, initiée dans les années 1980 aux États-Unis par les grandes banques de Wall Street, la technologie de la titrisation a transformé les dettes populaires en produits financiers rentables, liquides, négociables sur les marchés internationaux. Désormais produite à une échelle de masse, cette dette-marchandise devient un enjeu militant de premier plan, en particulier en Espagne, autour de la Plataforma de Afectados por la Hipoteca ( pah ) : les dettes titrisées y font l’objet de larges recompositions militantes, inédites, où convergent les membres actifs d’associations de consommateurs, de l’aide aux immigrés, du droit au logement, de partis politiques et de syndicats. Pour répondre à la désorientation et à la colère des familles égarées dans les « limbes » de la dette, les parcours militants s’infléchissent, se forment aux technologies financières et font évoluer leurs méthodes de contestation.
Comparison of novel wearable cardiac monitors to yield accurate exercising ECG and heart rate data in horses
Authors: Haughan J. , Manriquez M. , Cohen N.D. , Robinson M.A. , de Solis C. Navas
Published: May 2021

Exercise associated deaths (EADs) in horses are a problem for the equestrian industry. Sudden death (SD) is responsible for approximately 20% of EADs. The underlying cause of SD is suspected to be cardiovascular disease but often cannot be determined post-mortem. User-friendly cardiac monitors are needed for large scale investigations of arrhythmias associated with SD in horses. We hypothesised that novel wearable devices would provide exercising electrocardiograms (ECGs) of sufficient diagnostic quality for this purpose. Diagnostic quality of ECGs generated by two wearable devices (W2nd™ and Polar Equine™) were compared to simultaneous recordings with a telemetry unit (Televet™) in 5 Thoroughbreds completing 43 separate submaximal exercise tests on a high-speed treadmill. Maximal heart rate (HRmax) generated by mobile applications (HRmaxapp), HRmax after manual correction (HRmaxcorr), percentage of diagnostic ECGs (%diag) at the gallop, and overall quality assessed by visual analogue scale (VAS) were assessed by a blinded observer. HRmaxcorr did not differ significantly between groups. HRmaxapp was significantly lower for W2nd (166.8/min, 95% confidence interval (CI): 160.5-173.1/min) but did not differ significantly between Televet (178.8/min 95% CI: 165.8-191.1/min) and Polar (181.3/min, 95% CI: 174.5-188.1/min). HRmaxcorr was accurate and precise in all runs. HRmaxapp was within a priori limits of agreement in 16/23 W2nd and 18/19 Polar recordings. %diag was significantly lower (77.1%, 95% CI: 67.4-86.8) for W2nd than Polar (100%, 95% CI: 89.9-110.3). VAS was lower for W2nd (46.2, 95% CI: 35.5-57.0) than Polar (90.6, 25% CI: 79.4-101.9). In conclusion, wearable devices appear to be promising tools for investigation of equine exercising arrhythmias in large-scale studies.
The effect of trace minerals on the stability of retinol acetate, cholecalciferol and selenomethionine stability within premixes
Authors: Concarr M. , Sinkunaite I. , Murphy R.
Published: May 2021

This study compared the effect of an organic proteinate mineral source and an inorganic sulphate mineral source in relation to their effect on the stability of retinol acetate and cholecalciferol within simulated premixes, while comparing the stability of two different selenomethionine (SeMet) sources (selenium enriched yeast (SeYeast) and the chemically synthesised L-SeMet) in the presence of inorganic sulphate mineral sources within simulated premixes. Four vitamin-trace mineral premixes, two containing organic trace mineral sources in the form of proteinates and two containing inorganic trace mineral sources in the form of sulphates, were formulated so that, when added to a complete broiler feed at the appropriate inclusion rates, they contained the same amount of retinol acetate and cholecalciferol and varying levels of trace minerals (National Research Council recommended level, commonly used industry level or a reduced inclusion level). The two SeMet-trace mineral premixes were formulated to contain commonly used industry levels of vitamins and trace minerals. The two SeMet-trace mineral premixes differed in the source of SeMet. One premix contained chemically synthesised L-SeMet while the other contained SeYeast. The vitamin content of the four vitamin-trace mineral premixes was analysed after 14 and 84 days in storage by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography and the amount present within each of the premixes was compared to the quantity determined prior to storage. In general, the premixes formulated with the sulphate trace mineral source were found to have higher losses of retinol acetate and cholecalciferol than those formulated with the proteinate trace mineral source. The inclusion of the proteinate minerals at both National Research Council and reduced inclusion levels significantly (P≤0.05) increased the stability of both the vitamins when compared to the inorganic sulphate mineral sources included at commonly used industry levels. The SeMet content of the two SeMet-trace mineral premixes was analysed after 49 days in storage by high performance liquid chromatography – inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and the amount of SeMet present within each of the samples was compared to the quantity determined prior to storage. SeMet present within the SeYeast was found to be significantly more stable (P≤0.05) than the chemically synthesised L-SeMet.
Mycotoxins in herbal tea: transfer into the infusion
Authors: Chalyy Z. , Kiseleva M. , Sedova I. , Tutelyan V.
Published: May 2021

Mycotoxins are natural food contaminants, associated with adverse health effects due to acute intoxication and, what is much more common, chronic exposure. The most hazardous and widespread mycotoxins are subjected to regulation in food in most countries. Alongside with regulated, a wide list of mycotoxins is monitored in various foods. Traditionally mycotoxins in tea are determined in a dry sample, not taking into account their transfer rate into the infusion. This study was aimed at the determination of the transfer rate of several mycotoxins from naturally contaminated herbal tea samples into an infusion. Seven of the most contaminated samples were pre-selected during the monitoring of mycotoxins inCamellia sinensis and herbal tea available in the Russian Federation. Ochratoxin A (OTA), sterigmatocystin (STE), mycophenolic acid (MPA), tentoxin (TTX), alternariol (AOH), its methyl ether (AME), zearalenone (ZEN), enniatins A and B (ENN A and B), beauvericin (BEA) were detected in these samples in the range of several μg/kg to several mg/kg. HPLC-MS/MS was used for dry tea samples and their infusion analysis. Mycotoxin polarity and infusion pH (for analytes possessing carboxylic groups) appeared to be factors determining transfer rate. STE transferred into infusion at the average rate of 10%. Average transfer ofAlternaria toxins varied from 73% (TTX) to 45% (AOH) and about 11% (AME). A third part of ZEN was detected in the infusion. Transfer of ENNs and BEA was low and did not exceed 7%. Infusion pH affected MPA transfer rate; it increased from 23% to 96% in the pH range from 5.5 to 6.3. 83% of OTA was detected in the infusion of a single contaminated sample. Consideration of the mycotoxin transfer rate to herbal tea infusions resulted in the change of the model herbal tea input into mean chronic dietary exposure for most studied mycotoxins.
Preparation of highly sensitive monoclonal antibody against α-zearalanol based on the similar antigen determinant structure to zearalanone
Authors: Hu X.F. , Sun Y.N. , Hu S.Y. , Xing Y.R. , Chen L.L. , Cao J.B. , Zhang G.P.
Published: May 2021

In this study, we report a new method to prepare highly sensitive monoclonal antibody against α-zearalanol (ZAL) based on a similar antigen determinant structure. Zearalanone (ZAN), structural analogs of ZAL, was modified by oximation to obtain ZAN-O. ZAN-O was then coupled with bovine serum albumin using 1-ethyl-3- (3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide (EDC) to synthesise the artificial complete antigen ZAN-O-BSA. ZAN-O-BSA was used to immunise the BALB/c mice. The splenocytes of the immunised mice were fused with myeloma NS0 cells. During the process of cell fusion, ZAL was used as an inhibitor instead of ZAN to screen the hybridoma cell lines that can secrete monoclonal antibodies against ZAL. The sensitivity (half inhibitory concentration, IC50) of the prepared monoclonal antibody was 0.475 ng/ml, the limit of detection (LOD) was 0.050 ng/ml, the linear range of detection was 0.066-3.399 ng/ml, the affinity constant Kaff was 6.18×107 l/mol, the cross-reactivity rate with structural analogues, such as β-zearalanol, α-zearalenol, β-zearalenol, ZAN and zearalenone were 28.07, 13.16, 15.83, 60.28 and 7.95% respectively. The cross-reactivity with other mycotoxin and carrier proteins were all less than 0.05%. The prepared monoclonal antibody can be used to establish a highly sensitive immunoassay for the detection of ZAL.
Some Indian herbs have protective effects against deleterious effects of ochratoxin A in broiler chicks
Authors: Stoev S.D. , Dimitrov K. , Zarkov I. , Mircheva T. , Zapryanova D. , Valchev I. , Denev S. , Chobanova S. , Stefanov M. , Arora R.
Published: May 2021

A protective effect of two herbs,Glycyrrhiza glabraandTinospora cordifolia, given as feed additives was observed against the growth inhibitory effect of ochratoxin A (OTA) and associated immunosuppression and biochemical or pathomorphological changes. The feed levels of 3 mg/kg OTA and fine powder of one of both herbs were given during a period of 32 days to female broiler chicks divided into 3 experimental and 1 control groups (14 chicks per group). The observed pathological and biochemical changes, the changes in relative organs’ weight and body weight, and the decrease of antibody titer against Newcastle disease were more pronounced in the OTA-treated chicks without herbal supplementation, and less pronounced in the chicks treated additionally withG. glabraorT. cordifoliaas was shown by the better feed performance and the higher body weight in the chicks treated with the herbs. The higher relative weight of lymphoid organs of the chicks supplemented with both herbs revealed their beneficial effects on the immune system. The hepatoprotective effect of both herbs was evident, being stronger in the chicks additionally supplemented withG. glabrashown by the pathomorphological findings and by the lower levels of aspartate transaminase (131.1 U/l) compared to chicks given only OTA (156.0 U/l). A protective effect ofT. cordifoliaon the bone marrow and kidneys was found as was shown by the lower levels of uric acid (382.9 μmol/l) compared to chicks given only OTA (466.9 μmol/l).
Learning Management Systems in the Era of E-Learning
Authors: Namada Juliana M.
Published: May 2021

The twenty-first century has seen a paradigm shift occasioned by the onset and rapid spread of the coronavirus pandemic in different perspectives. The lockdowns and other protocols introduced by health authorities globally inhibited the progress of many business sectors of the economy. The education sector for example has been affected significantly with e-learning taking a central position to promote social distancing and minimize the spread of the virus. COVID-19 has made the work from home approach a new normal. LMS systems have become effective tools of delivering online content and been considered highly significant on the advent of the pandemic. This chapter presents LMS systems as a medium of e-learning and explains how different digital tools facilitate both synchronous and asynchronous e-learning. A systematic literature review was adopted to shed light on different functionalities of LMS systems and the associated digital tools used for e-learning. The chapter ends by identifying challenges associated with LMS systems and suggesting possible mitigation strategies.
Digitally-Enabled Design Management
Authors: Tallet Emma , Gledson Barry , Rogage Kay , Thompson Anna , Wiggett Drew
Published: May 2021

Calls for the digital transformation of the construction sector in part revolve around a need for productivity improvements, with a focus upon project time and cost enhancements. The purpose of this work is to provide a state-of-the-art analysis of design management (DM) usually employed to oversee design quality by coordinating design information, typically on behalf of a construction contractor. DM methods, activities, and processes with respect to the potential and underutilisation of building information modelling (BIM) are discussed. A synthesis of recent research efforts is provided identifying further emerging, disruptive, but underutilised digital tools and technologies, which when integrated with BIM, are capable of supporting DM processes. This chapter will aid practitioners and researchers in the design, implementation, and management of digital tools, and provide greater support to the DM function on modern construction projects. It will also be of use to students for a grounding in BIM and BIM-related technologies.
Industry Views on BIM for Site Safety in Hong Kong
Authors: Wan Allen Chi Kong , Zulu Sambo Lyson , Khosrow-Shahi Farzad
Published: May 2021

The construction industry continues to be a high-risk industry in comparison to others. It is imperative therefore that the industry should continue to seek ways to improve its safety performance. Technological developments and in particular building information modelling is seen to be a promising catalyst for improving safety outcomes in the construction industry. The discussion in this chapter focuses on the perception of professionals in the Hong Kong construction industry of the application of BIM for site safety. Given that sizable capital projects in Hong Kong are now using BIM and site safety continues to be a concern for the local construction stakeholders, it is timely to explore their perceptions of the use of BIM for construction safety. The findings show that there is strong support for using BIM to improve safety outcomes. Participants saw potential use in planning, visualization, and communication as the main reasons for supporting BIM for safety. Issues such as data accuracy, BIM competence, and resource implications were raised as some of the concerns with BIM for safety.
Development of a Building Information Modelling Threshold Capability Framework to Enable Global Curriculum Co-Integration
Authors: London Kerry , Willand Nicola , Zhang Peng
Published: May 2021

The construction and project management graduates are entering an ever-changing workforce that will require a smarter way of working. Creation, use, and management of building information modelling (BIM) models is a critical part of this smarter world. The aim of this research is to develop a threshold capability framework within the context of a broader digital construction project management curriculum to enable the global integration of BIM into a construction management curriculum. This chapter reports the evaluation of the framework through an analysis of 21 interviews with key stakeholder groups. Much effort is required to guide Australian construction practitioners to embrace a greater use of BIM in practice. This research identifies that the concept of graduate resilience skills in students is critical for the success of such a transition. Infusing construction management digital literacy is a long term and evolving exercise, and confidence in delivery capability must be simultaneously built.
Simulation-Based Collaboration Training
Authors: London Kerry A. , Pablo Zelinna
Published: May 2021

Collaboration is a key challenge in the construction sector. While many innovative solutions have been explored, collaboration is persistently hampered by barriers such as the dominance of short-term project-based work and the geographical dispersion of actors. The chapter presents an approach for strengthening collaborative capacity in the construction industry. Building collaborative capacity requires the systematic identification, development, and assessment of specific knowledge, skill, and behavioural competencies. To address the challenge of identification, the authors propose 133 competencies based on a collaborative practice model developed from six qualitative case studies. To address the challenge of development, the authors propose the mobilization of simulation-based training (SBT) grounded in detailed scenarios linked to their model. Finally, for the challenge of assessment, the researchers propose an assessment instrument and a novel collaborative practice index. The authors also provide discussions on digitizing the SBT as part of future work.
Entrepreneurship and Unemployment
Authors: Leote Francisco José Mendes , Teixeira Nuno Miguel , Galvão Rosa
Published: May 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic is having a very negative economic and social impact on Portugal's economy, with the year 2020 expected to represent the largest economic recession since the 1970s. According to the Bank of Portugal forecasts, employment is expected to fall significantly, with the unemployment rate estimated at around 10%, with a special focus on young graduates. Simultaneously, several research papers have revealed the importance of entrepreneurship in job creation and economic development, highlighting the role of entrepreneurial ecosystems and government support for creating successful businesses. In this sense, this study has as its main objective to characterize a support program to the investment of young unemployed entrepreneurs and evidence its potential impact on Portugal's economic growth and social progress.
Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Financial Statements of Portuguese Stock Index 20 Companies
Authors: Alves Maria Teresa V. D.
Published: May 2021

COVID-19 emerged and spread all over the world. Portugal was no exception. Rules and measures applied, regarding the impacts of the pandemic, have affected the economy and, naturally, the entities life. The main objective of this chapter is to investigate the standards and rules entities have to obey and orientations that they have to follow vis a vis COVID-19, and to understand how COVID-19 has impacted interim financial statements of the entities included in the selected sample. Then it seeks to measure entities financial health using financial ratios and Zmijewski model and to compare those entities in order to try to find any relation among financial health and the disclosures made about COVID-19. It verifies that, as a rule, entities have followed the necessary procedures and that COVID-19 has had an impact, specially over credit risk, revenues, and expenses, and that the financially healthier entity is a quite transparent one.
Economic Policy Uncertainty in Banking
Authors: Ozili Peterson K.
Published: May 2021

This chapter is a survey of the most important research in the economic policy uncertainty literature. Economic policy uncertainty, although still under-researched relative to mainstream topics in economics and finance, has recently received increased scholarly attention. Through synthesizing common themes in the literature, the chapter highlights the progress made so far and suggests some avenues for future research that allow future researchers to position their research and differentiate themselves from other studies in the literature. The chapter finds that economic policy uncertainty affects banks through a reduction in credit supply and loan re-pricing. High economic policy uncertainty compels bank managers to discretionary distortion of bank financial reporting in ways that help them to mitigate the depressing effect of economic policy uncertainty on banks' financial statements.
Blockchain Technology in Securitization in India
Authors: Menon Anirudh , Khandelwal Dikshant , Suthar Kailash Multanmal , B. K. Sunitha
Published: May 2021

Blockchain and securitization's benefits go beyond the benefits of loan originating, underwriting, rating assignment and reviews, loan servicing, smart contracts, secondary market trading. This research is based on the qualitative data collected from external sources. The focus is on using secondary data from over 30 research papers, articles, and professional experiments that have been taken into account, and the formulas and conditions gathered from them have been experimented with the Indian economic scenario. The understanding is that securitization has always been a challenge in a country like India, but with the wide range of benefits from the ‘blockchain', it can help improve the challenges and ensure a wider scope of securitization in a country like India, emphasizing that blockchain gives an elevated level of information security which brings about lower ingenuity trouble and disposes of administrative failures from the cycle of securitization.
Internet of Things-Enabled Smart Entry System for Telecom Sites
Authors: Garg Ruchi , Garg Harsh
Published: May 2021

Internet of things (IoT) is leading towards revolutionary applications with huge potential to improvise the efficiency multifold. IoT with the use of sensors has opened a huge window for applications in almost every area of life, and its penetration is endless with wireless connectivity. In this chapter, a wireless sensor-based solution for smart access control system for telecom sites is proposed and implemented. This project is initially implemented for 10 sites for a leading telecom operator, which will later on be scalable. This solution provides smart access to site engineers on the telecom site. Also, this system helps to remotely monitor multiple sites simultaneously, which protects the site from any forced entry and vandalism. The proposed solution and its implementation are given in detail in the chapter.
Smart Grid Using Internet of Things
Authors: Kaswan Kuldeep Singh , Dhatterwal Jagjit Singh , Gaur Nitin Kumar
Published: May 2021

The IoT (internet of things) is a network of people and stuff at any moment, anytime, for anyone, with any network or service. IoT is therefore a major complex worldwide network backbone for online service providers. The smart grid (SG) is one of IoT's main applications. SG is an interconnected data exchange network that gathers and analyzes data obtained from transmission lines, generation stations, and customers through the power grid. The internet of things has risen as the basis of creativity for energy grids. The chapter is based on the idea that, if one grid station transmitting electricity to customers is cut off due to some defects of IoT-based systems, all grid station loads can be connected to another system so that power is not disrupted. The authors discuss the IoT and SG and their relationship in this chapter. The best advantages for SG and specifications can be addressed in the SG works, creative innovations using IoT in SG, IoT software, and facilities in SG.
Opportunities of Virtual Learning Environments
Authors: Langston Michael Wayne
Published: May 2021

Establishing European model PhD programs in HyFlex virtual learning environments allows professors to construct a course of study utilizing the community of inquiry that matures students from graduate students to scholars and researchers. Relying heavily on teaching presence at the start, students move into reliance on their cohort (social presence) while developing their thinking, researching, and writing skills through an interpretive task model from which they develop the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to succeed at the doctoral level in their disciplines. This chapter presents best practices in establishing effective cohorts to develop graduate students into scholars in their chosen fields of study by using the European model of a PhD program and the community of inquiry framework.
Why a Virtual Co-Op?
Authors: Hurst Deborah C. , Clapperton Robert , Dixon Richard J. , Morpurgo Mark T.
Published: May 2021

Athabasca University's Faculty of Business (AU-FB) has introduced a new virtual co-operative program to provide targeted work experience. The virtual co-op responds in part to the charge that new university graduates lack work-readiness and the needed professional soft skills to succeed in workplaces, as well as the reduction in onsite work placements as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The virtual co-op uses artificial intelligence in the form of natural language understanding, allowing students to engage with AI characters as they solve problems using disciplinary knowledge and practicing professional skills. They are provided with just-in-time coaching support when they fail and progress reports on how well they respond to challenges when interacting with others to solve workplace problems and complete projects. Work settings offered to students are either a financial service or a digital business transformation consulting organization setting.
Multidisciplinary Prototype for Citizen Practices in Social Center
Authors: Lidon Sara Mira , Reis Leonilde , Silveira Clara
Published: May 2021

Currently, social associations face a set of difficulties inherent to their activities in which financial scarcity is one of the most pronounced. It is considered that enhancing the use of ICT can bring added value. Thus, there is an urgent need for a comparative analysis of low code platforms available on the market to create a prototype that optimizes the information supporting the management activity. It is also considered that, given the problem under study, the concept of low code development allows to include the current challenges for software development, given the importance of digital transformation. The chapter focuses on the implementation of sustainability measures, functional analysis, and choice of technology where it will allow the development of the prototype. The prototype will demonstrate information to citizens in different domains where this information will be relevant for the social organization to understand citizen problems.
Workload and Burnout From a Gender Perspective
Authors: Yılmaz Nihan
Published: May 2021

Men and women are two words that describe whether an individual is biologically female or male, as well as whether she or he fits into the society's role system. Gender is a social phenomenon that is the institutionalized form of biological sex. People are born as either women or men and learn their gender roles as they grow up. While female workers face the same challenges as male workers in any workplace, they are also obliged to deal with a variety of issues that come with being a woman. Women employees, who are seen as alternatives to male employees with long working hours and low wages, do not apply the principle of equality in recruitment, prevent women from working as a result of work-family conflict, inequality in finding employment and promotion, and experience nursery problems for women with children in production conditions that do not require qualified workforce. All of these negative circumstances have an impact on women's workload and burnout. The aim of this research is to use gender to justify workload levels and burnout scenarios.
Social Concerns in Advertising
Authors: Cardoso Ana Sofia , Sousa Bruno Barbosa , Pedreiro Ana Teresa
Published: May 2021

Sexism is a complex construct since authors have different notions to present about the topic. Some of them state that sexism is the actions of prejudice based on gender. Therefore, to understand the evolution of sexism in advertising, we should focus on a niche that is provided by the emotional appeals: sexual appeal. The consequences of these stereotypes range from affecting female self-image to misogynistic teachings to which female, male, and child sex are exposed in the ads in question. In today's society, feminists, activists, consumers, and some media have been expressing concern about the sexist representation of women in advertising. In an exploratory and conceptual perspective, this chapter presents contributions for communication, marketing, and publicity around the phenomenon of sexism.
Psychological Effects of Dominant Responses to Early Warning Alerts
Authors: Huggins Thomas Jack , Yang Lili , Zhang Jin , Tan Marion Lara , Prasanna Raj
Published: May 2021

Earthquake-related behaviors in Mexico and Japan have highlighted the need to better understand responses to demanding alerting scenarios. Both countries appear to have benefitted from an established early earthquake warning system for several years. However, recent alert responses documented in these settings have been unlikely to protect residents from death or severe injury. This represents a gap between alerting system investments and effectiveness which, among other implications, could result in very large numbers of avoidable injuries and even deaths. To help better understand and address this gap, the current paper presents a theoretical explanation of why alerted residents have responded in the ways that they did. Behavioral and cognitive theories are discussed towards an integrated but simple model of alert response behavior that can be used to guide further research. Challenges and opportunities for this further research are also outlined.
A Fuzzy Logic-Based Method for Incorporating Ethics in the Internet of Things
Authors: Sholla Sahil , Mir Roohie Naaz , Chishti Mohammad Ahsan
Published: May 2021

IoT is expected to have far-reaching consequences on society due to a wide spectrum of applications like smart healthcare, smart transportation, smart agriculture, smart home, etc. However, ethical considerations of AI-enabled smart devices have not been duly considered from a design perspective. In this paper, the authors propose a novel fuzzy logic-based method to incorporate ethics within smart things of IoT. Ethical considerations relevant to a machine context are represented in terms of fuzzy ethics variables (FEVs) and ethics rules. For each ethics rule, a value called scaled ethics value (SEV) is used to indicate its ethical desirability. In order to model flexibility in ethical response, the authors employ the concept of ethics modes that selectively allow scenarios depending on the value of SEV. The method offers a viable mechanism for smart devices to imbue ethical sensitivity that can pave the way for a technology society amenable to human ethics. However, the method does not account for varying ethics, as such incorporating learning mechanisms represent a promising research direction.
A Visual Insight Into Tweeting Activity Before and During Natural Disasters
Authors: Maleki Shadi , Mohammadalizadehkorde Milad
Published: May 2021

Big data provided by social media has been increasingly used in various fields of research including disaster studies and emergency management. Effective data visualization plays a central role in generating meaningful insight from big data. However, big data visualization has been a challenge due to the high complexity and high dimensionality of it. The purpose of this study is to examine how the number and spatial distribution of tweets changed on the day Hurricane Harvey made landfall near Houston, Texas. For this purpose, this study analyzed the change in tweeting activity between the Friday of Hurricane Harvey and a typical Friday before the event.