bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Empirical Comparison of t-GSC and ACO_TCSP Applied to Time Bound Test Selection
Authors: Jatana Nishtha , Suri Bharti
Published: April 2019

Background:

Test case selection is a highly researched and inevitable software testing activity.
Various kinds of optimization approaches are being used for solving the test selection and prioritization
problem. Greedy approach and search based techniques have already been applied to address test case selection.
A greedy approach to solve set cover problem is proposed to find a minimal test suite that is able to detect maximum
faults. Search based approximation technique - Ant Colony Optimization reduces and prioritizes the test
suite to form an optimized test suite. Time bound test case prioritization is an NP-complete problem. Mutation
testing is used to inculcate known faults into the programs under test to generate effective test cases.

Objective:

To empirically evaluate the performance of a greedy approach and a search based approach for
test case selection.

Methods:

This paper attempts to compare a search based approximation approach against a time sensitive
greedy approach for test suite optimization using mutation testing. The proposed greedy approach for
yielding optimized test suite within a time bound environment is implemented in Python. The two techniques
used, search based and greedy approach have also been empirically compared on 24 programs in
different languages (C, C#, and Java and Python).

Result:

The greedy approach has shown better complexity over the ACO approach and the same is validated
by experimentation using the actual run time of the algorithms. The time bound greedy approach
yielded best result for 16 out of the 24 programs. The ACO approach could find the best result 100% times
for 11 programs and at least 30-95% times for rest 13 programs by running ACO 10 times on each program.
Yet the percentage reductions achieved in the size and execution time of the resultant test suite were
almost similar in both the techniques.

Conclusion:

The results inspire the further use of both the techniques in software testing.
The Effect of Magnification Loupes on Spontaneous Posture Change of Dental Students During Preclinical Restorative Training
Authors: Carpentier Maxime , Aubeux Davy , Armengol Valérie , Pérez Fabienne , Prud'homme Tony , Gaudin Alexis
Published: April 2019

Scientific evidence validating the beneficial effect of loupes in preventing musculoskeletal disorders is very scarce. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of dental loupes on dental students' posture during a preclinical restorative dentistry course. Using a randomized crossover design, this study was conducted at the School of Dentistry, University of Nantes, France, in 2017. Forty students in their second year of dental study were randomly divided into two groups of 20 each: group A used loupes, whereas group B did not. The week after, students reversed configurations (each subject served as his or her own treatment and control group). Students were video‐recorded during cavity preparation. Trunk, head and neck, and upper arm positions were analyzed using continuous scores based on the modified Posture Assessment Instrument. Additionally, cavities were rated, and students completed a questionnaire on their perceptions of the loupes. On a scale on which lower scores indicated better posture, the results showed significantly higher posture ergonomic scores per minute for students without loupes (146.3±6.64 points/min) than with loupes (123.2±6.77 points/min; p<0.05). The majority of the students (32/39, 82%) showed improvements in ergonomic postures with the use of loupes. Trunk, head, and neck were positively impacted by the use of loupes, but not the upper arms. Cavity preparations were not improved by the use of loupes. The questionnaire revealed negative aspects (pain and difficulty adapting) but underlined the perceived positive impact on posture. This study documented the ergonomic advantages and challenges of introducing magnification near the beginning of the dental training program.
Dental Students' Use of Student‐Managed Google Docs and Other Technologies in Collaborative Learning
Authors: Roberts Bradley S. , Roberts Eugenia P. , Reynolds Steven , Stein Amy F.
Published: April 2019

Textbooks, once the standard of education, now have competition when students prefer the Internet and digital technology. The aim of this research study was to survey dental students at one dental school about their use of student‐managed Google Docs and other online technologies in collaborative e‐learning. All dental students in all four classes at Midwestern University College of Dental Medicine‐Arizona were invited to participate in online surveys in 2015 and 2017. The average class size was 140 (n=560 for all four years) for each survey. The 2015 survey focused on the emerging use of Google Docs in collaborative learning. The 2017 study asked not only about Google Docs but how students were using other e‐learning technologies and textbooks. In 2015, 282 students responded, for a 50.4% response rate; in 2017, 129 students responded, for a 23% response rate. The 2017 survey showed a 36% increase (p<0.0001) in the use of Google Docs in all dental classes over use in 2015, and a 67% increase (p<0.0001) in respondents' reporting they had used Google Docs during their undergraduate education. Google Docs, Blackboard, and collaboration with peers were the most popular study choices in 2017. The results showed a decline in respondents' reported use of hard copy textbooks from 24.5% in 2015 to 14.8% in 2017 (p=0.0405). Future studies are needed to increase dental educators' understanding of the ways their students are using collaborative technologies in learning and to define ways to overcome challenges posed by these technologies identified in our study.
An Interactive Mobile Phone App (SMART 5-A-DAY) for Increasing Knowledge of and Adherence to Fruit and Vegetable Recommendations: Development and Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial (Preprint)
Authors: Appleton Katherine Marie , Passmore David , Burn Isobel , Pidgeon Hanna , Nation Philippa , Boobyer Charlotte , Jiang Nan
Published: April 2019

BACKGROUND

Fruit and vegetable consumption is important for health, but many individuals fail to consume adequate amounts for health benefits. Although many individuals are aware of current fruit and vegetable consumption recommendations, research suggests that adherence to these is hampered by low knowledge of the details of these recommendations.

OBJECTIVE

This paper reports the development and details of a pilot randomized controlled test of a novel interactive mobile phone app for addressing low knowledge of the UK 5-a-day fruit and vegetable recommendations.

METHODS

Requirements for the app were first defined by researchers and potential end users and prioritized using the MoSCoW (Must have, Should have, Could have, Won’t have) method. Second, a prototype mobile phone app was developed using an agile approach. Third, the prototype app was tested in a randomized controlled pilot trial for impacts on knowledge and intake of fruit and vegetables. Volunteers were randomized to either receive (n=50) or not receive the app (n=44) for 2 or 4 weeks, and fruit and vegetable knowledge, intake, and behavior were assessed at the beginning of the study and after 1 and 2 weeks or after 2 and 4 weeks, respectively. App usage and qualitative feedback were also investigated. All findings then informed the development of a final app.

RESULTS

Low knowledge of consumption recommendations centered around portion sizes and the need for variety, and an interactive mobile phone app was considered a suitable tool for improving this knowledge in a practical manner that would be available both at time of consumption and outside of these times. The pilot test revealed improved behavior after 2 weeks compared with baseline in volunteers who received the app, but improvements in knowledge on fruit and vegetable recommendations were found in both groups, and no improvements in fruit and vegetable intakes were found in formal measures. Patterns of app usage and qualitative feedback also suggested a number of modifications. The resultant final app incorporates several behavior change techniques (goal-setting, self-monitoring, and personalized feedback) as well as aiming to improve knowledge.

CONCLUSIONS

A novel interactive mobile phone app was successfully developed based on requirements, and when tested in a pilot randomized controlled trial, this app was found to have some impacts on fruit and vegetable outcomes. Although benefits from the app were small, impacts will likely increase as a result of recent modifications. The final SMART 5-A-DAY app is available in the Google Play Store and now needs testing in the target population.

CLINICALTRIAL

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02779491; https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02779491
Effect of Molar Ratio on Structural and Size of ZnO/C Nanocomposite Synthesized Using a Colloidal Method at Low Temperature
Authors: Lhimr Siham , Bouhlassa Saidati , Bouhlassa Saidati , Bouhlassa Saidati , Ammary Bouchaib , Ammary Bouchaib , Ammary Bouchaib
Published: April 2019

In this paper we study the effects of different molar ratio R of Zn2+ to OH– (R= nOH–/nZn(II) of the precursor was investigated by varying the amount of NaOH. Samples have been synthesized by the colloidal method at room temperature using (ZnCl2), citric acid (C6H8O9·H2O) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH). The formation of ZnO/C composite was characterized by The X-ray diffraction patterns indicated a high crystallinity and nanocrystalline size of ZnO with hexagonal wurtzite structure. The morphologies of the particles have been studied with a scanning electronic microscopy (SEM). The existence of carbon into the composite was detected by FTIR and EDS. The optical band gap of various ZnO/C composite was calculated from UV-Visible absorption measurement varied in the range 3.301 to 3.282 eV according to R values.
Calidad de vida de los pacientes con asma seguidos en la consulta de neumología del Hospital Infantil Dr. Robert Reid Cabral durante el período abril-mayo 2018, Santo Domingo, República Dominicana
Authors: Elias Melgen Ricardo , Montilla Brito Noa
Published: April 2019

Antecedentes: la calidad de vida en pacientes asmáticos es de interés particular, y es uno de los aspectos que se ve afectado por la enfermedad. Los niños con asma no sólo padecen las consecuencias físicas de la enfermedad, sino también el impacto en la esfera social, emocional y educativa.

Objetivo: determinar la calidad de vida en pacientes con asma seguidos en la Consulta de neumología del Hospital Infantil Dr. Robert Reid Cabral, período abril –mayo 2018.

Método: estudio descriptivo para determinar la calidad de vida en pacientes con asma entre 6-17 años de edad seguidos en la consulta de neumología del Hospital Infantil Dr. Robert Reid Cabral, período abril –mayo 2018. Se utilizó el cuestionario PAQLQ por sus siglas en inglés (Pediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire)

Resultados: se evaluaron 43 pacientes, 59% masculinos; 93% entre edad de 7-12 años. 65% no practican deporte por molestias como tos (58%), aparición de episodio agudo (49%), falta de aire o silbido (39.5%) y sensación del “pecho apretado” en 37%. 77% sintió cansancio en algún momento de las actividades diarias, 60.4% sintió dificultad para respirar, 39.6% presentó falta de aire, 32.6% desesperación nocturna y 32.5% problemas para dormir. 56% se sintió incómodo en algún momento, 49% refirió algún grado de preocupación, 37% presentó mal humor, 30% enojo, 28% asustado y 11% refirió haber sentido algún grado de decepción.

Conclusión: se destaca un porcentaje significativo de pacientes con alguna alteración de la calidad de vida.
Conocimientos, aptitudes y prácticas acerca de la infección por el virus del Zika en los residentes de la Bahía de las Calderas, Provincia Peravia, República Dominicana, en el período febrero-abril 2016
Authors: López Emilton , Torres Dania , Corominas Díaz Anny V. , Guzmán Pérez Laura M. , López Martínez Luisa J.
Published: April 2019

Introducción: la infección del virus del Zika, si bien no es una enfermedad mortal, según la OMS se encuentra en la actualidad declarada como una emergencia sanitaria global. Su incidencia es variable según el país sin embargo, esta incrementa exponencialmente de acuerdo al clima. Este comportamiento se debe a que el principal vector transmisor de la enfermedad se reproduce en climas tropicales.

Objetivos: (1) establecer el nivel de conocimiento que poseen los residentes de La Bahía de Las Calderas acerca de la enfermedad por el virus del Zika. (2) Comparar los datos de acuerdo a si padeció o no la enfermedad y edad. (3) Identificar los medios de comunicación más utilizados para obtener este conocimiento.

Material y métodos: se aplicaron 214 cuestionarios donde diferentes variables fueron evaluadas con el fin de determinar el entendimiento general acerca de la enfermedad por el virus del Zika

Resultados: un 70.9% refirieron haber escuchado acerca de la infección por el virus del Zika, no obstante, al cuestionarse acerca de los síntomas y vía de transmisión los conocimientos resultaron ser pobres o confusos. Un 61.2% mencionó como síntoma rash máculo-papular. Haber padecido o no la enfermedad no influye en el grado de conocimientos. La fuente de información más común fue la televisión.

Conclusiones: aunque existe cierto grado de conocimiento acerca de la infección por el virus del Zika, se denota cierto grado de desinformación, debido quizás a la falta de campañas y/o que la fuente de información más utilizada no es la ideal. La mayoría de población pareció tener un buen conocimiento acerca de cuáles son las mejores medidas preventivas.
Creencias sobre las pruebas utilizadas para evaluar el aprendizaje del inglés
Authors: Araujo Noé Vicente
Published: April 2019

Este artículo se deriva de mi tesis doctoral titulada: “Las creencias sobrela evaluación del aprendizaje del inglés como lengua extranjera: hacia unaevaluación proactiva”. Bajo la dirección del Doctor Jesús Alirio Bastidas,el estudio se realizó en el Departamento de Lingüística e Idiomas de laUniversidad de Nariño y utilizó el método fenomenológico-hermenéutico;básicamente, se llevaron a cabo entrevistas en profundidad y se complementóla búsqueda con la aplicación de algunas encuestas y el análisis dediez pruebas de inglés a las cuales aplicaron los estudiantes. Los resultadosconstituyen una aproximación importante hacia las ideas ocultas detrásde los exámenes analizados dando lugar a una variedad interpretativa casiinagotable; la investigación sugiere la existencia de sentidos y creenciaseclécticas entre profesores y estudiantes sobre las pruebas utilizadas paraevaluar el aprendizaje del inglés como lengua extranjera.
RP-HPLC Method Development and Validation for Estimation of Acebrophylline
Authors: Sharma Bhavik, , Agarwal Sushil Kumar
Published: April 2019

Acebrophylline is an anti-inflammatory and airway mucus regulator. It had ambroxol and theophylline-7-acetic acid, the former facilitates the biosynthesis of pulmonary surfactant which raises blood levels of ambroxol, by stimulating surfactant production. Chemical structure of acebrophylline is 1, 2, 3, 6- tetrahydro-1, 3-dimethyl-2, 6-dioxo-7H-purine-7-aceticacidwithtrans-4-[(2-amino-3, 5 dibromophenyl) methyl] aminio] cyclohexanol. Survey revealed that various analytical methods like spectrophotometric, HPLC, and RP-HPLC, have been reported for the determination of Ambroxol HCl and Theophylline-7-acetic acid, individually and in combination with some other drugs. The aim of present study was to develop and validate stability indicating HPLC method for the analyses of acebrophylline. High performance liquid chromatographic method has been developed for the estimation of Acebrophylline. Reported methods also include RP-HPLC method for determination of Acebrophylline. The developed UV spectrophotometric method is simple and requires less time for the analysis. It is also rapid and economic method.
STRESS DEGRADATION STUDIES AND DEVELOPMENT OF STABILITY INDICATING ASSAY METHOD FOR SIMULTANEOUS ESTIMATION OF AMBROXOL HYDROCHLORIDE AND SALBUTAMOL SULPHATE IN BULK AND ITS FORMULATION
Authors: Gandhi Lokeshchandra R
Published: April 2019

Simple, rapid, precise, and accurate, reversed phase high performance liquid chromatographic method was developed and validated for simultaneous determination of Salbutamol Sulphate (SALB) and Ambroxol Hydrochloride (AMBR). The chromatographic separation was achieved on Grace 4.6 (id) x 250 mm column at detector wavelength of 224 nm, using an mobile phase consisting of phosphate buffer and acetonitrile in a ratio of 50:50 at pH 3.0 with a flow rate 1 ml/min. The retention time for Salbutamol Sulphate (SALB) and Ambroxol Hydrochloride (AMBR) were found to be 3.8 and 6.2 respectively. The method showed adequate precision with a relative standard deviation (RSD) smaller than 3%. The accuracy was analyzed by adding a standard drug and good recovery values were obtained for all drug concentration used. The HPLC method developed in this study showed specificity and selectivity with linearity in the working range and good precision and accuracy, making it very suitable for quantification of Salbutamol Sulphate and Ambroxol Hydrochloride in tablet dosage form. Degradation studies were carried out under conditions of Alkali Degradation, Acid Degradation, dry heat Degradation, Peroxide Degradation, and UV light and the drug substances were degraded in all conditions. Force degradation studies shows all the degradant peak obtained during degradation were well resolved from main peak of the drugs. The analytical procedure is reliable and offers not only advantages in terms of speed but also met the regulatory requirements for specificity, Linearity, LOD, LOQ, Precision, accuracy.
SCREENING PHYTOCHEMICAL AND ANTI-METHICILLIN RESISTANT (MRSA) ACTIVITY OF 70 % ETHANOLIC EXTRACT FROM THE STEM BARK OF ALBIZIA LEBBECK(L.) BENTH.(FABACEAE)
Authors: KANGA Yao , Djeneb CAMARA , Aubin KOUASSI Kouadio , Noël ZIRIHI Guédé
Published: April 2019

The emergence of multi-drug resistant strains and limitations of present antimicrobial drugs have led to continuous search for natural products as curative agents for Anti-methicillin resistantinfections. The aim of this study was to evaluate antibacterial activity of an ethanolic extract from Albizia lebbeckstem bark against Anti-methicillin resistant. Methods and Results : The methods of dissemination swab on muller-hinton agar and double dilution were used to evaluate the antibacterial activity of 70 % ethanolic extract of stem bark of Albizia lebbeck.All multi-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus and the reference strain (ATCC 25923) were sensitive to 70 % ethanolic extract of the stem bark of Albizia lebbeck. The MBCvary from 0,49 mg/mL to 2mg/mL. Also, the phytochemical screening of this extract revealed the presence of  Polyphenols, Gallic tannins, Catechin tanninsand Flavonoids. These findings confirm that an 70 % ethanolic extract from Albizia lebbeck stem bark inhibited growth of Anti-methicillin resistant at low concentration and could be utilised as an alternative Anti-methicillin resistantagent.
Utilization of 4-Chloro-7-Nittobenzo-2-Oxa-1, 3-Diazol (NBD-CL) as Chromogenic Reagent for Determination of Metformin hydrochloride (MET) in Pharmaceutical Formulation
Authors: Elbashir Abdalla Ahmed , Abdallah alfaki Omnia Mohamed
Published: April 2019

A new, simple, selective, precise and accurate spectrophotometric method for the determination of metformin in pharmaceutical formulation was developed and validated. The method was based on the reaction between metformin and 4-chloro-7-nitrobenzo-2-oxa-1,3-diazole (NBD-Cl) at alkaline medium (pH 12.0) to form brown adduct.  Beer’s law was obeyed in the concentration range of 20-100 μg mL-1  of  metformin at maximum wave length 465 nm . Under the optimized reaction conditions, the linear regression equation of the calibration curve was found to be y=0.003x +0.156 with a linear correlation coefficient (r=0.999). The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) were found to be 5.8, 17.5 μg mL-1 respectively. The method is useful for routine analysis of metformin in quality control laboratories.
Screening of Selected Sri Lankan Seasonal Fruit Extracts for Total Antioxidant Activity in vitro
Authors: Fernando Amarosige Shanoli Kavindya , Attanayake Anoja Priyadarshani , Jayatilaka Kamani Ayoma Perera Wijewardena
Published: April 2019

The present study aimed to determine the total polyphenol content and total antioxidant activities of ten selected seasonal fruit extracts grown in Sri Lanka. The aqueous refluxed fruit extracts (4h) were used at the initial concentration of 0.05 g/mL. The total polyphenol content was determined according to the Folin-Ciocalteu method. The total antioxidant activity was evaluated by DPPH (2, 2-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl), FRAP (ferric reducing power) and TBA (thiobabituric acid assay) assays with L-ascorbic acid as the reference compound. The total polyphenol content of the fruit extracts varied from 0.81±0 to 17.54±0.50 mg GAE (gallic acid equivalents) per gram of dry weight. The antioxidant activities ranged in IC50 of 46.60±0.60 to 367.90 ± 4.90 μg/mL, 3.41±0.02 to 50.46±1.02 µM, 30.62±0.50 to 182.64±0.90 mg AAE (L-ascorbic acid equivalents) per gram of dry weight for DPPH, FRAP, TBA assays, respectively. All aqueous fruit extracts exert dose dependent in vitro antioxidant activities in different degrees. Among the selected fruit extracts S. carophylatum, P. zeylanica, A. comosus exert relatively high total antioxidant activity together with high total polyphenol content. Hence, the selected fruit extracts are deserved to be as potent sources for antioxidant lead compounds in the development of nutraceuticals using the above edible fruits.
FORMULATION AND EVALUATION OF NILAVEMBU KUDINEERCAPSULES
Authors: M Ramanathan , L Subramanian , T Poongodi , S Manish , E Muneeswari , P Pavithra , S Pugalendran
Published: April 2019

The herbal medicine Nilavembu Kudineer is very effective in viral fevers. The study was effort to prepare a Nilavembu Kudineerherbal capsule from Nilavembu Kudineer churnam. The task of this work is, to detainment of active biomolecules and ensure their biological activity. The Nilavembu Kudineerchurnamwas extracted by ethanol and water solvents, then the extract was dried. The resultant dried extract powder was screened by various chemical and microbiological tests for to ensure the potency.  The results confirms that both the extract haveactive biomolecules and possess their activity. Based on the microbiological activity NVK water extract was comparatively better than the ethanol using extract powder. The dried NVK water extract powder capsules complies with standards of capsule pre and post filling parameters such as angle of repose, bulk density, tapped density, carr’s index and hausner’s ratio. The filled NVK capsule complies the post filling evaluations of weight variation, disintegration. In future stability, dosage titrations and more number of microbial test need to conduct for their effectiveness of the formulation.
O Uso da Linguagem de Programação no Ensino de Matemática: Uma Experiência em Busca de uma Integração Multidisciplinar
Authors: Da Silva Maria Deusa Ferreira , Nunes Daniel Martins
Published: April 2019

Esse artigo traz um recorte da pesquisa de mestrado que visou apresentar uma proposta metodológica de integração entre as disciplinas curriculares do Curso Técnico em Informática Integrado ao Ensino Médio, do IFNMG – Campus Salinas, em específico a Programação de Computadores e a Matemática. Para tanto, fez-se uso do software Octave como ferramenta de apoio, observando que foi possível verificar como a linguagem de programação de computadores auxilia no processo de ensino-aprendizagem de tópicos da Matemática. Os resultados alcançados apontaram para a aprovação do método proposto, visto que os alunos conseguiram realizar as atividades propostas e puderam usar conhecimentos em Matemática e suas habilidades em construção de algoritmos. Além disso, as atividades desenvolvidas propiciaram maior envolvimento com a teoria matemática discutida. Portanto, acreditamos que a proposta promoveu a integração entre as disciplinas, bem como contribuiu para que os alunos observassem a relação intrínseca entre elas.
Corporate social responsibility in Islamic banking: Theory and practice
Authors: Ahmedin Lekpek
Published: April 2019

Democratization of the society and the strengthening of civic awareness in
many countries have brought the corporate social responsibility into the
focus of attention of the scientific, investment and general public, as well
as regulatory bodies. This has created a significant pressure on the
corporate sector to adapt its business to the interests of numerous
stakeholders. The issue of corporate social responsibility (CSR) is of
particular importance to Islamic banking, as the fastest growing sector of
the global financial market. Social responsibility is an integral element of
the doctrine of Islamic banking and economics. The Islamic model of social
responsibility is as old as Islam itself, so it is for centuries present in
Sharia-compliant business. The institutionalization of Islamic banking,
which began far later, raised the question of the role of social
responsibility in the Islamic banks? business practice. The strong pressure
from the competition, the business model insufficiently adapted to the
modern market environment and the desire to achieve business success and
strengthen the market position, have forced Islamic banks to face numerous
challenges and partly deviate from some of their stated goals. In this
article, we analyze the theoretical model of Islamic banking and the model
of man adapted to its principles - homo islamicus, as the carrier of that
system, the business practice of Islamic banks, the gap between expectations
and realities in the relationship of Islamic banks towards CSR, and
potential solutions for removing this gap. The aim is to examine the
potential of Islamic banking as socially responsible and ethical alternative
to, often criticized and, according to many, morally problematic
conventional banking.
Nationalism as a structural obstacle to democratization of Bosnia and Herzegovina society
Authors: Jankovic Aleksandar
Published: April 2019

The aim of this paper is to investigate the intensity and dispersion of
nationalism among young people in Bosnia and Herzegovina at two time points
- in the period of late socialism (1989) and in the period of consolidated
post-socialist transformation (2012). In addition, our intention is to
investigate the determinants of nationalism in the socialist and
post-socialist period and compare them to determine whether there are
different mechanisms of generating nationalism in two different systems of
social reproduction, or they are in fact active long-term factors lasting
longer than various social systems. The starting premise is that nationalism
was not widespread in the period of socialism, and that its expansion and
deep rooting started in the Post-Daytonian Bosnia and Herzegovina society.
This creates a structural obstacle to the transition from formal to higher
form of democracy (the so-called effective democracy). In the empirical part
of the research, we rely on instruments for measuring nationalism that have
been used on several occasions in empirical research in Serbia and Croatia.
The data we use was collected in the survey called ?Social Structure and
Quality of Life?, conducted in 1989 in all the republics of Yugoslavia, and
the ?Value Orientation and Attitude Towards Social Changes?, conducted in
2012 in the Doboj region of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Data in these two
surveys is completely comparable.
Las actitudes y creencias lingüísticas de estudiantes universitarios / Linguistic Beliefs and Attitudes of University Students
Authors: Muñoz Muñoz Mónica
Published: April 2019

El estudio de las actitudes y creencias lingüísticas toma fuerza en el contexto de la globalización. Por un lado, a partir de las actitudes y creencias se orienta el cambio lingüístico, se decide el aprendizaje de una segunda lengua y se ejerce la discriminación lingüística; por otro lado, el individuo trata de conciliar la defensa hacia la lengua materna y el concepto de éxito profesional basado en una lengua extranjera a través de actitudes y creencias que por naturaleza son subjetivas e insostenibles. Para dar la correcta dimensión a la preferencia de una lengua sobre otra, para eliminar los prejuicios lingüísticos que adulan una lengua denostando otra, para esclarecer y conocer las actitudes hacia la lengua materna, es indispensable conocer las creencias y actitudes lingüísticas. Este artículo presenta los resultados generales de las actitudes y creencias lingüísticas entre estudiantes de la Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas, específicamente de las licenciaturas en Médico General, Ingeniería Civil y Derecho, con el objetivo de apoyar las clases de lengua materna en el medio universitario. Enmarcado en la sociolingüística aplicada, este tema implica el conocimiento de las valoraciones hacia las lenguas y, por tanto, hacia los individuos que las hablan, puesto que las actitudes y creencias lingüísticas se fundamentan, más que en fenómenos lingüísticos específicos, en la empatía o antipatía hacia los hablantes y al sistema que estos representan.
DETERMINING A COMPLEX FACTOR OF TECHNICAL CONDITION OF THE OBJECT, USING A STABILIZING BLOCK OF CATALYTHIC REFORMING UNIT AS AN EXAMPLE
Authors: Seliverstova Alena Nikolaevna , Nemchinov Denis Valerievich , Raykova Elena Fedorovna
Published: April 2019

Fail-safety taken as a factor of completeness of using the resources of the production facility is important for characterizing the technological process. In most modern automated process control systems the above factor is implemented by means of the emergency protection system which allows to avoid the progressing emergency. However, such measures significantly increase the downtime of process equipment, since the possibility of developing pre-emergency and emergency situations when combining several permissible and close to emergency values of parameters is not taken into account. To solve the problem of reducing machinery downtime, a method for determining the object state indicator has been proposed. It takes into account all variants of the influence of technological parameters on each other as well as their combinations leading to the emergency progress. As well, the proposed solution helps to set the proximity of the operating mode of the production equipment to the threshold emergency, which greatly reduces the risk of emergency in situ, thereby reducing equipment downtime and economic losses. The method of determining the indicator of the state of the object is considered on the example of the stabilization block of hydrogenate catalytic reforming unit.
A Theory of Falling Growth and Rising Rents
Authors:   College de France, Aghion Philippe\ , Bergeaud Antonin ,   Banque de France, Boppart Timo ,   Institute for International Economic Studies, Klenow Peter J. ,   Stanford University, Li Huiyu ,   Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco
Published: April 2019

Growth has fallen in the U.S. amid a rise in firm concentration. Market share has shifted to low labor share firms, while within-firm labor shares have actually risen. We propose a theory linking these trends in which the driving force is falling overhead costs of spanning multiple products or a rising efficiency advantage of large firms. In response, the most efficient firms (with higher markups) spread into new product lines, thereby increasing concentration and generating a temporary burst of growth. Eventually, due to greater competition from efficient firms, within-firm markups and incentives to innovate fall. Thus our simple model can generate qualitative patterns in line with the observed trends.
HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT RANKING: A STUDY OF THE COUNTRIES AT THE IBEROAMERICAN REGION AND ITS CHALLENGES AHEAD
Authors: Brito Vieite Cristina Maria Alcântara de , Hoyos Guevara Arnoldo Jose de
Published: April 2019

This is an exploratory study of Health and Environment conditions concerning 132 countries in the world, that lead to produce a ranking among 21 Iberoamerican countries, based on World Bank Data (2015) and the guide for sustainable planning – GPS prepared by the Future Studies Center of PUC-SP (Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo) for the Observatory of the Iberoamerican Region - ORIBER. Through a mixture of Multivariate Statistical Analysis techniques this work came to a list of 10 most representative variables of Health and Environment development of the Latin American Region that help to build a rank and classified the region into levels of development, that may help for strategic planning, monitoring and control at a country and regional base
Effective Width Rule in the Analysis of Footing on Reinforced Sand Slope
Authors: Abdi Abdelmadjid , Abbeche Khelifa , Athmania Djamel , Bouassida Mounir
Published: April 2019

This paper presents the results obtained from an experimental programme and numerical investigations conducted on model tests of strip footing resting on reinforced and unreinforced sand slopes. The study focused on the determination of ultimate bearing capacity of strip footing subjected to eccentric load located either towards or opposite to the slope facing. Strip footing models were tested under different eccentricities of vertical load. The obtained results from tests conducted on unreinforced sand slope showed that the increase in eccentricity of applied load towards the slope facing decreases the ultimate bearing capacity of footing. Predictions of the ultimate bearing capacity obtained by the effective width rule are in good agreement with those proposed from the consideration of total width of footing subjected to eccentric load. The ultimate bearing capacity of an eccentrically loaded footing on a reinforced sand slope can be derived from that of axially loaded footing resting on horizontal sand ground when adopting the effective width rule and the coefficient of reduction due to the slope. When increasing the distance between the footing border to the slope crest, for unreinforced and reinforced ground slope by geogrids, the ultimate bearing capacity of footing is no more affected by the slope ground.
واقع البطالة في مدينة دهوك لعام 2012 – الأسباب والمعالجات دراسة ميدانية لعينة من الأسر
Authors: Ismael Ahmed M. , Abdullah Kovan T.
Published: April 2019

تعتبر البطالة واحدة من أهم المشكلات التي تمس الاقتصاد وتؤثر سلباً على مسيرة التنمية والتطور إذ أصبحت من القضايا الملحة والتي تتطلب إيجاد معالجات سريعة و جدية، كما أن مشكلة البطالة تشتد خطورة بشكل خاص في البلدان النامية كما هو الحال في العراق وبضمنه إقليم كوردستان حينما تغيب اعانات وتأميناتها، أو تكون محدودة، هنا يكون الشخص العاطل فعلياً مجرداً من أي مصدرٍ للدخل، مما يدفعه الى الفقر والسلوك غير السليم، هذا من جانب ومن جانب آخر فأن البطالة تشكل مشكلة اجتماعية كبيرة تستوجب تحليل اثارها ونتائجها في المجتمع والعمل على التقليص من حجم الضرر إلى أقل ما يمكن، عن طريق البحث المستمر عن الطرق الناجحة والملائمة اجتماعياً واقتصادياً وتربوياً من اجل معالجتها قبل أن تصل إلى مرحلة من القوة التي يصعب بعدها الحد منها، ولقد عانت ولازالت تعاني المجتمعات البشرية من مشكلة البطالة بين مدة وأخرى إلا أن نسب البطالة اختلفت من مجتمع إلى آخر كما أن كيفية التعامل مع المشكلة أخذت أساليب مختلفة. و بهذا و كنتية للتطور الاقتصادي الذي حدث في اقليم كوردستان فقد ادى الى بروز ظاهرة البطالة بشكل اوضح للعيان و من برز مخاطره التي من الممكن ان تتسبب فيها. ومن هنا تاتي اهية دراسة موضوع البطالة حيث أن وضع أي برامج وخطط لمواجهة مشكلة البطالة سواء في محافظة دهوك او الافليم بشكل عام ستكون عديمة الجدوى إذا لم يكن هناك تبلور علمي دقيق لمفهوم البطالة وبيان حجمها الحقيقي.
Análisis de la población con discapacidad en las instituciones educativas oficiales del distrito de Cartagena
Authors: Pava Urrutia Alba Luz , Sanes Pérez Iván , Baldiris Navarro Silvia , Baldiris Navarro Ildefonso
Published: April 2019

La educación es un derecho universal consignado en la Declaración Universal de Derechos Humanos. Este trasciende razas, religiones, etc. y, sin embargo, la mayoría de las instituciones públicas y privadas ofrecen educación solo a personas que no tienen ningún tipo de discapacidad; excluyen a quienes no cumplen con los estándares establecidos. No obstante, en Colombia, el Ministerio de Educación Nacional reglamentó la Atención Educativa de la Población con Discapacidad mediante el Decreto 1421 de 29 de agosto de 2017 y Cartagena de Indias fue una de las ciudades donde inició la implementación de la norma en las 12 instituciones oficiales con mayor reporte de estudiantes con discapacidad en el Sistema de Matrícula SIMAT. El objetivo de este artículo es analizar la matrícula para la atención educativa de la población con discapacidad en las instituciones educativas oficiales en el marco del proyecto Escuela inclusiva, de la Secretaría de Educación Distrital. En este análisis, se evidenció que la mayor comunidad con discapacidad se da en la zona urbana, la mayor tipología de discapacidad encontrada fue la cognitiva y existe una gran población con alguna necesidad específica de apoyo pedagógico que aún no está determinada y se encuentra por fuera del sistema de información utilizado para la matrícula en el distrito.
Editorial
Authors: Mancera Laura
Published: April 2019

En los últimos años los sistemas educativos se han enfrentado con el reto de replantear, adaptar, integrar, crear e innovar nuevos escenarios de aprendizaje que respondan tanto a las necesidades actuales en temas pedagógicos, didácticos y de fuerza laboral, como a las ventajas de apropiar las Tecnologías de la Información y la Comunicación (TIC) en los diferentes procesos del sistema educativo. Ello, sumado a las necesidades actuales en cuanto a: formación en valores; cultura ambiental; relación universidad y sociedad; brecha digital entre profesores y estudiantes; entre otros, nos conducen a seguir trabajando continuamente en soluciones que nos ayuden a direccionar estos problemas, en la búsqueda siempre de una sociedad que responda a la diversidad de individuos y sus problemáticas.
Postawy duchowieństwa katolickiego wobec systemu komunistycznego w województwie opolskim w latach 1950–1956
Authors: Stefaniak Janusz
Published: April 2019

Publikacja dotyczy problemu postaw duchowieństwa katolickiego wobec komunizmu w odniesieniu do województwa opolskiego. Od początku zdobycia władzy przez komunistów w 1944 r. duchowni poddawani byli różnorodnym procesom tzw. lojalizacji ideowo-politycznej w kierunku współpracy z władzami państwowymi. W wyniku podjętych badań wydaje się, iż lansowany przez ówczesną propagandę pogląd, jakoby w szeregach duchownych dominowały postawy pozytywne, nie wydaje się jednoznaczny. W diecezji opolskiej przeważały zapewne postawy bierności, wstrzemięźliwości i wyczekiwania. Nie do rzadkości należały też zachowania nieprzychylne, a nawet wrogie wobec nowego ustroju, władzy państwowej, wydawanych dekretów i rozporządzeń. Postawy pozytywne należały do rzadkości. Rok 1956 częściowo tylko ograniczył represyjną politykę władz wobec duchowieństwa.
Paleoclimate, ecoregion size, and degree of isolation explain regional biodiversity differences among terrestrial vertebrates within the Congo Basin
Authors: Van de Perre Frederik , Leirs Herwig , Verheyen Erik
Published: April 2019

One of the most widely recognized patterns in ecology is the increase in species richness from poles to tropics. Literature suggests that the Congolian lowland rainforest does not follow this pattern: the Central Congolian forest (CCLF), south of the Congo River, is thought to harbor fewer vertebrate species and endemics than the Northeastern (NELF) and Northwestern lowland rainforests (NWLF) north of the Congo River. We used data from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) database on terrestrial vertebrates (mammals, birds, and reptiles), to test whether differences in sampling effort caused the irregular biodiversity pattern in this region. Our results show that even though the diversity within the Congolian lowland rainforests remains to be fully mapped, current differences in richness are unlikely to be caused by undersampling alone. We argue that the lower vertebrate richness in the CCLF is due to both its relatively small size and isolated position: Forest cover fluctuated throughout the history of the Congo Basin due to climatic variability, reducing speciation and increasing extinction, while immigration towards the CCLF is limited due to the barrier effect of the Congo River. The implications of these findings are discussed in the context of both fundamental ecology and conservation management.
Preliminary Insights on the Adoption of International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS) for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Pakistan
Authors: Mahmood Zeeshan , Khan Allah Bakhsh , Rehman Asad ur , Atta Samreen
Published: April 2019

This study aims to investigate the perceptions of accountants regarding the possible adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) for SMEs in Pakistan. IFRS for SMEs were issued by the IASB in 2009. The adoption of the IFRS for SMEs in Pakistan has been proposed by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan (ICAP) and in 2015 the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) has approved the adoption of the 'International Financial Reporting Standard for Small and Medium Sized Entities. We conducted seven semi-structured interviews with the chartered accountants based in Multan that were providing accounting and consultancy services to various SMEs. The findings of the research confirmed the reasonable level of awareness among chartered accountants regarding IFRS for SME. Our respondents perceive high-quality comparable financial information as the most significant advantage of applying IFRS for SMEs whereas cost burdens on firms and lack of trained personnel were perceived as major obstacles for the adoption decision. The findings also suggest that diligent IFRS awareness and training programs must be organized by all regulatory and professional bodies (like SECP and ICAP) on both country and firm level to achieve the true purpose of this adoption.
The Impact of Banking Sector Development on Capital Structure of Non-financial Sector Firms in Pakistan
Authors: Farooq Umar , Ahmed Malik Jaleel , Muhammad Lakhi
Published: April 2019

Objective: This study exemplifies how banking sector development influences capital structure of non-financial Sector firms. Methodology: In this study, deductive approach has been used and capital structure used as explained variable. Banking sector development used as explanatory variable and proxies by five key ratios. The six years data ranges from the year 2010 to 2015 used and fixed effect model applied for regression analysis. Findings: The statistical results indicate that first and 4th hypotheses partially accepted while second and third hypotheses fully rejected. The results of study recommend financing policy for finance mangers to consider banking sector development while deciding capital structure. Originality: This study may mark as first study in Pakistan which checks the regression among discussed variables and also the behavior of change.
The Relative Efficiency of Commercial Banks in Pakistan with Respect to Size and Ownership Structure During and After Global Financial Crisis
Authors: Khan Allah Bakhsh , Ali Shah Syed Zulfiqar , Abbas Muhammad , Khan Qaiser Maqbool
Published: April 2019

Purpose: This study has been carried out to find out the relative efficiency of the commercial banks in Pakistan over a five- year period from 2006 to year 2010 using Frontier Approach of efficiency. The commercial banks included in this research paper are public sector banks, privatized banks, domestic private banks, and foreign banks. In addition to overall efficiency comparison of the commercial banks, this study has also tested the effect of size and ownership structure of the commercial banks in Pakistan on their efficiency. 

Data/Design/Methodology/Approach: Out of 44 banks, 21 commercial banks have been chosen, which, in terms of deposits, account for about 94 percent of total deposits of the banking sector (Rs.5,124,308 million) as on December, 2010. Secondary data of the banking firms have been gathered from their audited financial statements. Intermediation approach has been used by employing Data Envelopment Analysis. The relative efficiency of the commercial banks has been investigated in context of intermediation approach which transforms labor and capital into advances/loans and investments.

Findings: Over all a very few commercial banks have achieved 100% efficiency. It is, however found that privatized and domestic private banks have shown better efficiency in terms of financial intermediation as compared to public sector and foreign banks. The size of the banks has a very slight effect on the relative efficiency of the banks. The global financial crisis has affected the efficiency of some of the commercial banks but for a small period of time.

Originality: This paper is an attempt to find out the relative efficiency of the commercial banks during the mentioned period which lies during the Global Financial Crisis. Its findings would be of great value for every stratum of society including bankers, business community, academicians, and government and of course, the investors.
Impact of Financial Literacy and Parental Socialization on the Saving Behavior of University Level Students
Authors: Afsar Junaid , Chaudhary Ghulam Mujtaba , Iqbal Zafar , Aamir Muhammad
Published: April 2019

This is an explanatory study on the impact of financial literacy and parental socialization on the saving behavior of university level students. Using primary data collection method, 400 questionnaires were distributed to the students of universities across Pakistan. Pearson correlation and multiple regression analysis are employed by using SPSS. Our results demonstrate that financial literacy and parental socialization positively influence the saving behavior of students. Our result revealed that the students who have financial literacy exhibit more saving behavior as compared to others who do not have financial knowledge. It is also concluded that the student willingness to save increased due to receiving financial education from their parents.
Determinants of Tax Haven: Overview of Past Studies
Authors: Ugochukwu Anuforo Peter , Ismail Mohamed Mohamed , Shiyanbade Najeemdeen Iliyasu , Taofik Abidemi Bello , Jonathan Jenson
Published: April 2019

In recent years the issue of tax haven has been subjected under rigorous scrutiny by both the policymakers and regulatory authorities, due to the extent of the effects it has on both the developed nation (beneficial country) and particularly the developing nation which are the targeted tax haven territory. This study aimed at providing insight into the main determinants of tax haven and their effects. The method employed in this study involved reviewing prior study on tax haven. Findings suggests that the main determinants of tax haven region is not only the ones enshrined in Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) criteria but others such governance index, institutional weakness, substantial amount of GDP from service industries etc. This study has also revealed that the conduit by which tax haven is being perpetrated is mainly via offshore financial centers (OFCs) which involve banks secrecy, transfer pricing (i.e. the devil in disguise) etc. This study recommends that stringent control measures and penalties for tax-resistant behaviors should be put in place by the international regulators like the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF).