bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Room temperature sensing of volatile organic compounds using hybrid SnO nanoflower and Laser-Induced Graphitic carbon devices
Authors: Murray Richard , Muriqi Arbresha , Larrigy Cathal , Russo Alida , Tamiru Mintesinot , Iacopino Daniela , Nolan Michael , Quinn Aidan
Published: November 2023

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are a common risk to human health in industrial and domestic settings. VOCs are often present at concentrations that cannot be detected through human odor perception. VOC sensors are, therefore, urgently needed for home and workplace environmental monitoring, including wearable sensors for workers. However, current chemiresistive VOC sensors typically require high-energy fabrication processes with large environmental footprints, significant mass-loadings of critical raw materials and/or elevated operating temperatures, which hamper widespread, sustainable deployment. We demonstrate a simple, low-energy hybrid fabrication route for chemiresistive VOC sensors, comprising additively-produced laser-induced graphene (LIG) electrodes on plastic substrates, decorated with SnO nanoflowers. The SnO nanoflowers were synthesized below 100C at ambient pressure and offer a low-energy alternative to conventional SnO2 or other metal-oxide nanoparticle devices. These chemiresistive sensors can detect methanol vapor at room temperature (∼18C) and typical humidity levels (∼55% RH), with a limit of detection (170±40 ppm) below 8-hour worker safety exposure levels (200 ppm). The sensors also demonstrated stable DC resistance responses DeltaR/R = 9±2% to 710 ppm of methanol for over 21 days in ambient laboratory conditions. First principles density functional theory simulations are used to elucidate the origin of the performance of the LIG-SnO sensors. LIG-SnO hybrid sensors thus present a resource-efficient route to develop chemiresistive sensors for low-power applications, such as wearable worker safety or Internet of Things edge-sensing.
Characteristics of the Motivation of Educational Activities in Middle School Students Institutions with Different Educational Systems
Authors: Kharchenko A.O. , Gulyi Yu.I. , Nauchitel O.D.
Published: November 2023

Problem definition. The constant transformation of external motives, which is caused by frequent changes in society and changes in the education system, requires a corresponding modification of the internal regulation of the students' personality. The existence of institutions with mixed education systems requires a study of the peculiarities of the motivation of the educational activities of the students in them, which is especially important in adolescence. Problem analysis. In the scientific literature, two main groups of types of motives are distinguished in the structure of educational motivation: external and internal. External motives include: social approval, study prestige, communication, fear of punishment, extracurricular educational motivation; to internal ones: achievement motivation, cognitive interest, self-realization, awareness of social necessity. The purpose of the study. To reveal the peculiarities of the motivation of educational activity in middle school students of institutions with different education systems. The research methods. Methodology for diagnosing the type of school motivation in schoolchildren" (E. Lepeshva). For mathematical and statistical processing, we used: factor analysis by the Varimax principal components method and φ - Fisher's angular transformation. Description of the sample. The sample consisted of 84 respondents. These are students of the 6th grade (12 years old) of secondary schools of the Donetsk region. They were divided into three groups. The first two groups consisted, respectively, of girls (30) and boys (24), who studied in classes exclusively with peers of the same sex. The third group is mixed, which included 15 girls and boys each. Conclusions No significant differences were found in the educational motivation of middle school students studying in institutions with different education systems for all motives, except for "extracurricular educational motivation" and "self-realization". The group of internal motives is the most pronounced among representatives of all three groups. The factor structure of the motivation of educational activity was created for each of the groups of motives. In girls who study in mixed classes, the phenomenon of "transformation" of the structure of the motivation of educational activities according to the male type was revealed.
Tracing the Characteristics and Consequences of Luxury Through a Review of Literature
Authors: Devanathan Sangeeta
Published: November 2023

Purpose: The academic interest in ‘luxury’ as a concept may be traced to Veblen’s seminal work “Theory of the Leisure Class”, where he argues that wealthy individuals often consume luxury for purposes signalling status. This premise created numerous research work on answering questions such as – how does one identify a brand as luxury, what characteristics typify a luxury brand, how does a luxury marketer achieve these characteristics, what benefits do consumers seek from luxury, and finally, what are the consequences of luxury consumption for the consumer and to the society. This paper explores answers to these questions through an in-depth review of literature.
 
Theoretical Framework: The scoping for the review of literature was carried out by applying the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA).
 
Design Methodology and Approach: Keywords like ‘luxury management’, ‘luxury consumer’, ‘luxury definition’ and ‘luxury brand’ were searched on prominent databases (EBSCO, Emerald, JSTOR, ProQuest and Google Scholar). The relevant papers were reviewed and cross referred to ensure comprehensiveness of the review of literature. The arguments and evidences from over 50 research papers (primarily between 1995-2023) have been stitched to create the conceptual model proposed in the paper. The literature reviewed and were categorized as a) research which discuss and propose the typifying characteristics of luxury, b) research which examined the consequences of luxury consumption to the society and to the consumer and c) research expounding the distinct approach required for managing luxury brands. By connecting the evidences from extant literature, this paper proposes a model that traces the characteristics of luxury (and the antecedent or source of the characteristic) with its corresponding benefits and consequences. Finally, the specificities of luxury management that arise from the characteristics and consequences have been explored and discussed. 
 
Research, Practical and Social Implications: Elaborating on the features of luxury provides scholars and researchers with a basis for deriving operational definitions in future research. Moreover, by mapping the connection between the characteristics of luxury and their associated benefits and consequences, the research offers luxury marketers practical insights for effectively managing and cultivating robust luxury value.
 
Originality Value: The article consolidates existing literature to create a concise conceptual model, offering novel viewpoints on luxury and luxury marketing.
Research on the Development of Green Hotels in the Context of Low Carbon Tourism
Authors: Fan Ze Hui , Huang Fang , Li Jiang Tao
Published: November 2023

With the continuous implementation of national measures related to carbon neutrality strategy, the concept of a low-carbon economy has been deeply rooted in people’s hearts. Low-carbon tourism has gradually become an inevitable trend, and the tourism industry is also undergoing orderly transformation and upgrading. To promote the sustainable development of the tourism industry, the tourism and hotel industry should also shift towards a low-carbon and green model. Hotel activities can easily bring related environmental issues, such as energy consumption, garbage generation, ecological pollution, etc. Therefore, building a green hotel will bring huge social and economic benefits to the low-carbon tourism industry. This article will address the above issues and take a low-carbon economy as the starting point, proposing sustainable development strategies and suggestions for green hotels from both the internal and external environment of the hotel, creating a low-carbon management atmosphere, and promoting the low-carbon operation of the green hotel industry.
“Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic”: Genesis of Issue and Influence on the International Relations
Authors: Zvezdova Olesia
Published: November 2023

An important and urgent issue in the context of ensuring European and international security is the settlement of the Transnistrian conflict. Despite the considerable number of works on the Transnistrian issue, they are mainly devoted to the history and features of the conflict development. At the same time, problem of the present state of the territory and future forecasts are not explored properly. Therefore, the article aims to determine the historical background and stages of the conflict, to characterize the current state of the separatist region and to provide forecasts for the future situation. Methods used for the research include: content analysis, statistical, historical-genetic and the analytic-prognostic methods.

The article analyzes the basic historical prerequisites and causes of the Transnistrian conflict, which are divided into four blocks: historical, ethno-national, economic and geopolitical. The stages of conflict confrontation and the negotiation process in 5+2 format, the positions of the participating countries are explored. The process of conflict peaceful settlement began after the end of the armed confrontation phase in 1992. It is characterized by considerable activity of external actors, but has not led to significant consequences. A description of the current state of the so-called “Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic” is given. Particularly noteworthy is the ever-growing role of the Russian Federation, which traditionally views the territory as an area of its imperial national interests and uses this “frozen conflict” as a lever of influence over the pro-European Republic of Moldova. The main scenarios are highlighted: reintegration into the mother country; inclusion territory of the “de facto state” into patron state; achieving international recognition of sovereignty; maintaining the status quo.

It is concluded that federalization is the most possible forecast for the Transnistrian conflict, because Moldova already has similar experience in Gagauzia. But at the present stage we are observing the status quo.
The Position of Japan and South Korea Regarding the Russian-Ukrainian War
Authors: Habro Іryna , Shevchuk Оleksandr
Published: November 2023

The article reveals the position and actions of Japan and South Korea regarding the Russian-Ukrainian war after February 24, 2022. Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 prompted mostly symbolic sanctions from Japan and did not distract Tokyo from its aspiration to improve relations with Moscow. However, Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has caused tension in relations between Tokyo and Moscow. Japan is the center of support for Ukraine in the Asia-Pacific region, which is extremely important for our country, since this state belongs to the G7 and is one of the leading economies in the world.

In contrast, South Korea’s reaction was mixed. When the war broke out, Seoul’s response was vague and mixed, prompting a wave of international criticism that the government did not seem to understand or know how to respond to. The first response of the administration of South Korean President Moon Jae-in was fear for South Korean exports to Russia. For several days, it was unclear whether Seoul would support the sanctions regime. South Korea took action only when the US began threatening trade exclusions on goods needed by exporters.

Today, in the Asian context, South Korea and Japan are among the few countries that have provided the most comprehensive support to Ukraine and its partners after February 24, 2022. The Republic of Korea and Japan condemned Russia, imposed sanctions against Moscow, and provided Kyiv with aid and non-lethal military equipment. In addition, South Korea also transferred weapons to Ukraine to repel a Russian invasion, even if these transfers were made through third parties. South Korea and Japan’s pro-Ukrainian position and consequent anti-Russian stance is a result of their strong alliance with the United States and growing security ties with other Western countries, their need to prevent North Korea and China from contemplating similar actions, and their desire to inform that similar events in the region would be undesirable.
Anais de Cuidados Paliativos Hospital Universitário da Universidade Federal do Piauí Empresa Brasileira de Serviços Hospitalares
Authors: Dourado Danielle Pereira , Santos Giuliano André Silva , Moreira Glenda Maria Santos
Published: November 2023

“Cuidados Paliativos consistem na assistência promovida por uma equipe multidisciplinar, que objetiva a melhoria da qualidade de vida do paciente e seus familiares, diante de uma doença que ameace a vida, por meio da prevenção e alívio do sofrimento, por meio de identificação precoce, avaliação impecável e tratamento de dor e demais sintomas físicos, sociais, psicológicos e espirituais” (WHO, 2002). De acordo com a International Association for Hospice & Palliative Care, 2020, “Cuidado Paliativo é o cuidado holístico de indivíduos de todas as idades, com sofrimento, relacionado a uma grave condição de saúde, especialmente em pacientes em fase final de vida. O cuidado paliativo tem o objetivo de melhorar a qualidade de vida dos pacientes, seus familiares e cuidadores". Neste contexto, o Dia Mundial de Cuidados Paliativos é celebrado, anualmente, no segundo sábado de outubro, promovido pelo Worldwide Hospice Palliative Care Alliance (WHPCA), organização não governamental internacional, que objetiva apoiar hospices e cuidados paliativos em todo o mundo.
Variabilidade do Vento no Estado da Paraíba para Eventos de Anomalia de TSM dos Oceanos Atlântico e Pacífico Tropicais
Authors: Lopes Renato Francisco Cândido , Cavalcanti Enilson Palmeira , Rodrigues Edgleidson Lima , Nóbrega Ranyére Silva , Correia Magaly de Fátima
Published: November 2023

O vento pode ser conceituado como o deslocamento do ar devido as variações da pressão atmosférica. Neste sentido, a Temperatura da Superfície do Mar (TSM) nos oceanos Pacífico e Atlântico Tropical influencia diretamente as condições climáticas ao redor do globo terrestre, assim como os fenômenos El Niño, La Niña, e o Dipolo do Atlântico. Sendo assim, a TSM dos oceanos Atlântico e Pacífico Tropicais associadas a eventos ENOS e de DIPOLO provocam alterações nas condições do vento à superfície na Paraíba/Nordeste do Brasil e neste caso acarretando impactos na prospecção de energia pela força do vento. Nesta pesquisa foram utilizados dados de reanálises do vento para as alturas de 10m e 100m, com resolução espacial 0,25° x 0,25°, durante os anos de 1981-2010. Como resultados, de maneira geral, tem-se que os menores valores da velocidade média do vento para os dois níveis foram obtidos na mesorregião do Sertão Paraibano. Todas as localidades analisadas possuem potencial eólico, com maior destaque em Juazeirinho. Em eventos de El Niño foi verificado as menores variações de velocidade do vento, já em casos de La Niña, e Dipolo/Gradiente negativo constata-se as maiores variabilidades de velocidade do vento. A direção predominante nas localidades analisadas é de Sudeste.
Investigation of an international water polo tournament in Czechia as a potential source for early introduction of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant into Belgium, Switzerland and Germany, November 2021
Authors: Rudin Christoph , Bollen Nena , Hong Samuel L , Wegner Fanny , Politi Lida , Mellou Kassiani , Geenen Caspar , Gorissen Sarah , Verhasselt Bruno , Durkin Keith , Henin Coralie , Logist Anne-Sophie , Dellicour Simon , Resa Tobias , Stadler Tanja , Maes Piet , Cuypers Lize , André Emmanuel , Egli Adrian , Baele Guy
Published: November 2023

Background

The earliest recognised infections by the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant (Pango lineage B.1.1.529) in Belgium and Switzerland suggested a connection to an international water polo tournament, held 12–14 November 2021 in Brno, Czechia.

Aim

To study the arrival and subsequent spread of the Omicron variant in Belgium and Switzerland, and understand the overall importance of this international sporting event on the number of infections in the two countries.

Methods

We performed intensive forward and backward contact tracing in both countries, supplemented by phylogenetic investigations using virus sequences of the suspected infection chain archived in public databases.

Results

Through contact tracing, we identified two and one infected athletes of the Belgian and Swiss water polo teams, respectively, and subsequently also three athletes from Germany. In Belgium and Switzerland, four and three secondary infections, and three and one confirmed tertiary infections were identified. Phylogenetic investigation demonstrated that this sporting event played a role as the source of infection, but without a direct link with infections from South Africa and not as a superspreading event; the virus was found to already be circulating at that time in the countries involved.

Conclusion

The SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant started to circulate in Europe several weeks before its identification in South Africa on 24 November 2021. Accordingly, it can be assumed that travel restrictions are usually implemented too late to prevent the spread of newly detected SARS-CoV-2 variants to other regions. Phylogenetic analysis may modify the perception of an apparently clear result of intensive contact tracing.
EDUCATIONAL IDEAS OF MARIA MONTESSORI ON THE PAGES OF FOREIGN PERIODICALS
Authors: Durdas Alla
Published: November 2023

The article deals with the educational ideas the famous Italian doctor and educator Maria Montessori, her many-sided personality, some aspects of the life, activities and methods highlighted on the pages of foreign periodicals. The relevance of the pedagogue’s ideas in the modern world has been stressed; the demand of the modern society for the education of a free individual, striving for independent active searches and self-realization, has been emphasized. The article reveals the personality of M. Montessori as one of the educators who was able to pose and solve a global problem in philosophical, psychological and pedagogical theory, as well as to implement her concept in practice, creating a pedagogical system named as «Montessori method». M. Montessori; as an educator who gave a new quality to the education development strategy, humanizing it, returning it to the person. The analysis of M. Montessori’s pedagogical activities, positions, views and her life paths, highlighted by foreign researches, have been presented in the article; her role as an architect of the «rediscovery» of the child has been stressed. The educator’s revolutionary ideas about childhood and education for life, rather than education based on obedience and immobility, have been noted as well as their development as a result of M. Montessori’s medical research has been admitted; her new visions of the school by designing strategies that would overcame the barriers to education, have been mentioned. The article also stresses the educator’s desire to show how to save humanity by means of pedagogy: starting with the child and human freedom and, in particular, freedom for women.
POLITICAL SCIENCE AS A UNESCO PROJECT. TO THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON “METHODS IN POLITICAL SCIENCE”
Authors:   Russian State University for the Humanities, Grachev Mikhail N.
Published: November 2023

The article analyzes the UNESCO activities in the implementation of the research project “Methods in political science” in the first years after the end of World War II. The project realization resulted in recognizing political science as an independent discipline by the world academic community. One of the key events during the work on the project was the holding of the international conference on “Methods in political science” in September 1948 in Paris. The participants of this conference reached a fundamental agreement on the content of the scope of the emerging discipline, while noting, however, that the list of subjects does not claim to be exhaustive completeness or strict logic. As shown by the reference to archival documents copies posted on the UNESCO website,subsequently the above list underwent certain adjustments, but, nevertheless, it became the basis for further fruitful cooperation between scientists and specialists from different countries involved in the study of various aspects of social and political reality. The conference also formed a Preparatory Committee to convene and organize the work of the Founding Conference of the International Political Science Association (IPSA), which took place exactly a year later, in September 1949.
POLITICAL SCIENCE AT RSUH. GENESIS AND DEVELOPMENT OF A SCIENTIFIC AND EDUCATIONAL PROJECT
Authors:   Russian State University for the Humanities, Borisov Nikolai A.
Published: November 2023

March 2023 has marked thirty years since the decision was made by the Academic Council of the RSUH to open a department of political science at the Institute of History and Archives of the RSUH. Over the years, a long way has been passed in the formation and development of educational programs in political science and scientific and pedagogical schools in the field of political science. The article analyzes the institutional and scientific grounds for the emergence and formation of political science programs at the Russian State University for the Humanities, the main directions of scientific research on the basis of documents of the Academic Council, archival documents and interviews. The specifics of the scientific and educational project genesis in the field of political science at RSUH in comparison with other universities, the main stages of its development, personnel composition, features of curricula, scientific and pedagogical personnel training, fields of graduates’ activity are determined. It is shown that the emergence of political science programs at RSUH was defined by the uniqueness of the conditions developed in the scientific and educational sphere in the early 1990s: during that period, Soviet norms in the field of education and science were no longer in effect, and new ones had not yet been formed. It gave the opportunity to launch experiments that allowed the university in general and political science programs in particular to acquire their face. The ideas of the founders of political science and political science education at RSUH, which were laid down in the early 1990s, have not lost their potential and relevance today, when the Russian higher school has once again entered the path of serious transformation
SYNTACTICS AND PRAGMATICS OF ANCIENT JAPANESE DIVINATION
Authors:   Kobe City University of Foreign Studies, Ermakova Liudmila M.
Published: November 2023

The study is devoted to the meaning and the main types of divinatory practices in the Japanese antiquity. The main objects of the study are the texts written in 8th c., such as two mythological and historic annals, “Records of Ancient Matters” (“Kojiki”) and “The Chronicles of Japan” (“Nihon shoki”), an anthology of the ancient Japanese poetry “Collection of Ten Thousand Leaves” (“Man’yōshū”) and “Records of Customs and Lands” (“Fudoki”), the last one representing some kind of ancient gazetteers. Remarkably, the rites of divination in these annals are mentioned beginning from the earliest stage of the Japanese cosmological history. First of all, the rite is performed when the pair of ancestors is going to give birth to the world between Heaven and Earth; the next two episodes are also highly important in the cultural history of Japan, one being the story concerning Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess, who concealed herself for a time in the Rocky Celestial Cave, and the second is connected with the descent of her grandchild from Heaven to Earth in order to rule Japan. We are also going to introduce and analyze the (“Newly compiled record of turtle omens” (“Shinsen kisōki”). This text, compiled presumably in 9th c., contains some myths of Urabe, the guild of official diviners. From it, for example, we learn the mythical explanation of the fact that divination with a deer blade (scapulimancy) was officially rejected at the state level in favor of divination with the turtle shell (plastromancy). The main object of the paper is also to present some suggestions about the peculiarities of the Japanese type of communication with the gods during the rite of divination.
Use of point-of-care ultrasound in abdominal pain diagnostics
in a paediatric patient
Authors: Szymak Katarzyna Anna , Bobrowicz Michał Edward , Puliński Michał Tomasz , Choiński Wojciech Michał , Hawryluk Natalia
Published: November 2023

Introduction

The use of ultrasonography (USG) is no longer restricted to the radiology department. It is becoming the equivalent of a stethoscope. Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is an USG examination method designed to answer specific clinical questions.

Aim

To encourage doctors to use POCUS in their everyday practice based on a presentation of its use in diagnostics of acute appendicitis in the paediatric patient.

Material and methods

A retrospective evaluation was performed of 95 cases of abdominal pain referred by a paediatrician for surgical assessment at emergency department between November 2021 and October 2022. The assessment included a clinical examination supplemented with POCUS.
Based on the assessment made by the emergency department doctor, the patients were divided into two groups – those who did not require hospitalisation in the paediatric surgery department (group 1) and those who did (group 2). Each group was subsequently divided into subgroup A, where no abdominal cavity USG was performed by a radiologist and subgroup B, where the patients were examined by a radiologist.

Results and discussion

The use of POCUS in the context of clinical symptoms allows for achieving the same degree of detectability as in an examination performed by a radiologist. A positive result of POCUS or clinical symptoms indicative of acute appendicitis requires continuing the diagnostic process.

Conclusions

The application of USG in abdominal pain diagnostics in a paediatric patient helps to reduce the time needed for the correct diagnosis and, in consequence, for the patient's treatment. Due to its availability, USG should be widely used to supplement clinical examination by each physician.
CHOICE OF LANGUAGE IN THE REPORTING OF ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS IN TAIFA LEO NEWSPAPER IN KENYA
Authors: Kitonga Nelly Nzula , Owala Silas Odhiambo , Ombati Jane Monyangi
Published: November 2023

Kiswahili is recognized by the Constitution of Kenya as the national language and also the official language alongside English. It is therefore the tool of communication in both official and non official contexts.For instance, Taifa Leo newspaper presents environmental information to readers in Kiswahili. This means that many people who can read have access to news on environment. The environment is a cross-cutting and sensitive issue nationally and internationally. Environment affects the life of every creature on a daily basis in one way or another. The print media, the Taifa Leo included, which has been tasked with informing the public about the world's environmental issues, ought to do so in a way that will enable people to understand the importance of the environment and thus interact with it in a positive way. This argument stems from the belief that a person values and cares for what he or she understands. This study therefore aims to determine whether the choice of language in conveying environmental information in the Taifa Leo newspaper contributes to how the audience understands the information and ultimately the behaviours generated by that understanding. This study analysed the language features selected by journalists in reporting on environmental news in the Taifa Leo newspaper to ascertain if the choice of language contributes to the reporting of intended environmental issues and finally to explain whether the choice of language elements has any relationship with the meaning of information emerging from the environmental news.This study was conducted in a library where environmental discourse was analysed. Taifa Leo newspapers published from January 2021 to March 2022 were selected purposively, by extracting texts from the selected newspaper that had environmental information. Data was analysed based on language used in presentation of environmental information in selected texts from Taifa Leo newspapers.
Pengaruh Model PBL terhadap Kemampuan Berpikir Kritis Siswa Kelas VIII SMPN 23 Mataram
Authors: Nurfahrani Nurfahrani , Hayati Laila , Lu’luilmaknun Ulfa , Kurniati Nani
Published: November 2023

Keinginan pemerintah menjadikan sekolah di Indonesia sebagai sekolah siswa yang siswanya mampu berpikir kritis seperti tercantum dalam Permendikbub Nomor 5 tahun 2022 pada kenyataannya belum tercapai. Salah satunya yaitu di sekolah SMPN 23 Mataram. Hal tersebut didasarkan pada hasil wawancara dengan guru Matematika beserta hasil observasi pemberian soal tes kemampuan berpikir kritis. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui apakah terdapat perbedaan kemampuan rata-rata berpikir kritis siswa kelas eksperimen yang menggunakan PBL dengan kelas kontrol yang menggunakan pembelajaran langsung. Juga unutk mengetahui pengaruh PBL terhadap kemampuan berpikir kritis siswa kelas VIII SMPN 23 Mataram. Metode yang digunakan adalah metode eksperimen. Populasi dan sampel yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini yaitu seluruh siswa kelas VIII SMPN 23 Mataram. Instrumen yang digunakan berupa tes kemampuan berpikir kritis dan lembar observasi kegiatan siswa dan guru. Analisis data yang digunakan berupa uji normalitas menggunakan uji Liliefors, uji homogenitas menggunakan uji Fisher dan uji t dengan Independent sample t-test. Hasil analisis data dengan uji t menunjukkan nilai . Hasil tersebut dipengaruhi oleh pelaksanaan tahap pembelajaran dengan model PBL yang belum maksimal dilaksanakan oleh siswa. Berdasarkan uji hipotesis yang sudah dilakukan, maka dapat disimpulkan bahwa tidak terdapat perbedaan rata-rata kemampuan berpikir kritis siswa antara kelas eksperimen dan kelas control.
Antimicrobial sensitivity of salmonella typhi in children- A single center study.
Authors: Ambreen Ahmad  , Islam Gul Afridi
Published: November 2023

Objective: To determine the frequency of antibiotic sensitivity of Salmonella typhi in children. Study Design: Prospective Cross Sectional Study. Setting: Department of Pediatrics, Children B Unit, Hayatabad Medical Complex, Peshawar. Period: 1st April 2021 to 30th June 2022. Material & Methods: Pediatric patients admitted to Children B Unit, with blood culture proven enteric fever, were selected for the study. Verbal consent was obtained from the parents. Data was collected from blood culture report forms from microbiology laboratory of our hospital. Results were recorded on excel spreadsheet and analyzed for calculating percentages using MS Excel 2010. Results were presented in table 1. Results: This study was conducted on 32 female and 72 male children with blood culture proven enteric fever caused by Salmonella typhi. Sensitivity to Azithromycin was 56.73%, Meropenem 82.69%, Polymixin 86.53%, Colistin 68.26%, Ciprofloxacin 45.19%, Tigecycline98.07%, Imipenem 95.19%, Amikacin 90.38% and Gentamicin 77.88%. Conclusion: Salmonella typhi shows decreasing level of sensitivity to most antibiotics.
Outcome of diode laser vaporization for high risk patients with ‎benign prostatic hyperplasia.
Authors: Shahid Ali  , Saadat Hashmi  , Rabia Farooq  , Farooq Hameed
Published: November 2023

Objective: To determine the outcome of laser vaporization of prostate using diode at 980/1470 nm for the treatment of BPH among high risk patients. Study Design: Longitudinal Observational Study. Setting: Shalamar Hospital, Lahore. Period: June 2009 till June 2022. Material & Methods: Total of 500 patients with associated co-morbid illnesses and benign prostate hyperplasia not responding to medical therapy, failed trial without catheter, chronic urinary retention, refusal for TURP were assessed for eligibility to enter the study. Inclusion criteria were patients with refractory urinary retention, chronic urinary retention, failure of previous medical treatment. Exclusion criteria were patients with neurogenic bladder, carcinoma of prostate, carcinoma of bladder, abnormal digital rectal examination, known neurological disorder or history of spinal cord injury also were excluded from study. Results: The patients’ mean age ‎was 68.57 ± 7.98 years, Baseline mean maximum urinary flow rate was 5.57±‎2.44 mL/s, post void residual was 130.91‎±‎24.18 mL, and international prostate symptom score was 26.09 ‎±‎2.40 at preoperative. At 3 months follow-up, Qmax was 23.31±‎8.0, PVR was 22.43±5.21 and IPSS was 7.27‎±‎1.42. On the other hand, mean Qmax was 25.83‎±‎6.84 mL/s, PVR was 18.38‎±‎4.53 mL, and IPSS was 5.29 ±‎0.61 at 6 months follow-up. Conclusion:Treatment of BPH by 980/1470 nm diode laser have effective and safe clinical outcome for high risk patients as we found significant improvements in Qmax, IPSS, and PVR at 3 months and 6 months follow up.
Hepatitis C and B prevalence in Faisalabad and its correlation to gender distribution.
Authors: Hussain Tariq  , Mughees Athar  , Arfan Mahmood  , Umair Waheed  , Zaid Gul  , Zeeshan Javed  , Inam ul Haq  , Rana Muhammad Suhail Khan
Published: November 2023

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of hepatitis C and B in Faisalabad district with its association to gender difference. Study Design: Cross Sectional study. Setting: Department of Gastroenterology, General Hospital Ghulam-Muhammadabad, Faisalabad. Period: 01-08-2021 to 31-10-2021. Material & Methods: A sample size of 1827 population fulfilling the inclusion criteria was selected by using the probability sampling method. A blood sample of 5ml taken from each subject, centrifuged for 15 min according to manufacturer’s recommended speed (usually 1000-2000 RCF) and serum was stored at -20°C. The HBsAg kit (HBsAg2 from Abbott pharmaceuticals) for detection of HBsAg in serum and Hepatitis C kit (SD rapid test, SD BIOLINE. Data was analyzed with statistical analysis program (SPSS version 26). Results: Hepatitis C was found in 248 people (13.5%), while Hepatitis B was found in 95 people (5.1%). In a hepatitis gender study, we observed that a higher proportion of females were seropositive for hepatitis C. Conclusion: Hepatitis C is more common than hepatitis B in the Faisalabad district, but it's far less common than it was in earlier surveys, which may be because there are more facilities available.
Efficacy of propranolol versus carvedilol in prophylaxis of variceal bleeding: Randomized clinical trial.
Authors: Imran Zeb  , Fazal Rabbi  , Muhammad Ali  , Abdul Khalid  , Sheheryar Khan  , Sana Mukhtiar Khan
Published: November 2023

Objective: To compare the efficacy of carvedilol and propranolol for prophylaxis of variceal bleeding in cirrhotic patients. Study Design: Randomized Controlled Trial. Setting: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, PIMS, Islamabad. Period: 1st January 2022 to 31st of December 2022. Material & Methods: A total of 260 patients reporting at the department suffering from liver cirrhosis with medium or large esophageal varices and had never reported for variceal bleeding previously. The patients were randomized in to 2 equal groups of 130 each through computer generated randomization. Patients in Group-A were started on dose of carvedilol 6.25mg once daily initially for 1 week, subsequently titrated to twice daily 6.25mg and titrated up if needed to maximum of 25mg twice daily. Patients in Group-B received a dosage of propranolol 20 mg BID which then escalated weekly in 20 mg steps if needed and doses were adjusted as per targeted heart rate and systolic BP. Patients were followed up over 1 year for any event of variceal bleeding. Results: Mean overall age in this study was 42.13±10 years. The ratio of male patients was higher than female patients (60% VS 40%). Carvedilol prevented variceal bleeding in 86.15% of the patients while propranolol was effective in preventing variceal bleeding in 75.38% of the patients. Hence carvedilol was significantly more effective than propranolol in preventing variceal bleeding (p=0.02). Conclusion: Carvedilol is significantly more effective in prophylaxis of variceal bleeding than propranolol in patients with medium or large esophageal varices.
Treatment outcomes on growth of children diagnosed with glycogen storage disease presenting to national institute of child health, Karachi, Pakistan.
Authors: Sasui Anam  , Arit Parakash  , Ayesha Merchant
Published: November 2023

Objective: To determine the treatment outcomes on growth of children diagnosed with glycogen storage disease (GSD) presenting to National Institute of Child Health (NICH), Karachi, Pakistan. Study Design: Descriptive Longitudinal study. Setting: Department of Hepatology and Gastroenterology, NICH, Karachi, Pakistan. Period: March 2021 to September 2022. Material & Methods: Children of either gender aged above 1 year diagnosed with GSD were enrolled. Demographic details and disease details of all children were included and necessary biochemical and laboratory investigations were assessed. Children were treated with uncooked corn starch (corn flour) and dietary restrictions were also advised. Growth outcomes in terms of height, weight and liver size were measured for the period of 6-months and compared with the baseline data. Results: In a total of 36 children with GSD, 20 (55.6%) were male. The mean age was 2.81±1.80 years (ranging between 1 to 6 years). At the time of presentation, abdominal distension and hepatomegaly were observed in 36 (100%) children each. Significant improvements were found in terms of height gain among children aged 1-3 years (p<0.0001) and 4-6 years (p=0.0039) after 6-months of treatment. Although, children between 1-3 years and 4-6 years gained weight after 6 months of treatment but the difference was insignificant (p>0.05). Reduction in liver size was observed among children between 1-3 years (p=0.0073) and 4-6 years (p=0.0376) after 6-months of treatment. Conclusion: Treatment with uncooked corn starch (corn flour) and dietary restriction resulted in significant improvement on the growth of children diagnosed with GSD presenting to National Institute of Child Health, Karachi, Pakistan.
Uso de sensoría remota para la determinación del Kc del cultivo de higo
Authors: Martínez-Macias Karla Janeth , Márquez-Guerrero Selenne Yuridia , Orozco-Vidal Jorge Arnaldo , Reyes-González Arturo
Published: November 2023

El cultivo de higo se ha introducido como una alternativa frutícola potencial en nuestro país. Sin embargo, existe poca información referente al manejo eficiente del cultivo de higo, como el coeficiente del cultivo, el cuál es de gran importancia para la programación del riego eficiente; a través, de láminas de riego que proporcionen al cultivo el requerimiento de agua para su producción. A través, de imágenes de satélite, el índice de vegetación de diferencia normalizada y el coeficiente del cultivo de referencia, se determinó una ecuación de coeficiente del cultivo para el cultivo de higo con facultad de aportar información técnica para los programas de riego.
Rainfall in the Ceded Districts
Authors:   Assitant Meteorology, Coimbatore, K. R Sai RAMASWAMY , C SRI  BALASUBRAMANIAN ,   Agricultural Meteorologist Coimbatore
Published: November 2023

The districts of Anantapur, Bellary, Cuddapah and Kurnool form the zone known as the "Ceded Districts" in the Madras State. This zone is a typical dry-farming tract. Barring a few pockets of garden-lands, the major portion of the aren under cultivation in these four districts is rainfed. Hence the nature of precipitation decides the success or failure of farming in this tract. The tract is situated between longitude 3º 4 to 16° 25 and latitude 75° 40' to 70° 33' and at an altitude that varies from 500 to 2500 feet. Bellary and Anantapur form the northern and North-Eastern extremity of the Mysore plateau and Kurnool, and. Cuddapah touch the Enst coast districts of Nellore and Guntur.
Peculiarities of Viticultural Practices in Madurai District (South India)
Authors:   Assitant Fruit Specialist Coimbatore, V.S RANGACHARLU
Published: November 2023

The district of Madurai in Madras Stato produces heavy crops of grapes in two clearly marked seasons of the year, a feature rather uncommon in other viticultural areas of temperate zone. It is known that grape is essentially a temperate region fruit. However the growers in Madura district have proved that in suitable situations and under intelligent culture, it is possible to produce grapes in large quantities evon under tropical conditions. According to somo estimates, the annual acre-yields in some of the well kept vineyards amount to more than 50.000 lb., as against the average yields of 7,380 lb. for the whole country and 7,678 lb. for an advanced grape growing region like California.
A Review of the Rural Economic Conditions of the Coimbatore District as Revealed in the Eeconomic Surveys of Some Villages in the District
Authors:   Lecturer Agricultural Economics ,Coimbatore  641 003, S.V DURAISWAMI , V.S NARASIMHAN ,   Assitant Economics ,Coimbatore  641 003
Published: November 2023

The subject of Agricultural Economies has been given a status equal to other subjects like Agriculture, Chemistry or Botany for the n. se., (Ag.) examination at the Agricultural College from the year 1946-1947. On the practical side the subject includes Rural Economie studies to bo undertaken by the students independently as well as directly under the guidance of the Lecturer. Every student is expected to do one survey of n village and submit the same at the University examination, for valuation. It has been decided to publish a brief review of the more interesting aspects of rural economic conditions as revealed in selected surveys done by students, portaining to the district of Coimbatore.
The Occurrence of Barren Tillers in a Heterozygous Rice
Authors:   Assitant Cytogeneticits ,Coimbatore  641 003, P CHANDRASEKHARAN
Published: November 2023

The formation and emergence of panicles is a season bound character in some varieties of rice. However, there is some evidence that it is also genetically controlled. Anandan and Krishna. swamy (1934) have recorded the occurrence of earless or Barren-Sterile' type of plants occurring as a segregant in a culture of Muthusamba. They found that one of their cultures was heterozygous and that in a population, the number of plants without panicles was nearly one-fourth of the total representing an approximate 3:1 ratio. In confirmation, they found that some of the apparently normal looking plants segregated similarly in the next generation. Therefore there is a probability of a single mendalian factor being concerned, the heterozygous normal being phenotypically indistinguishable from the homozygous normal plants. This type of inheritance in rice has not been recorded elsewhere and is of extreme interest. Therefore the segregating culture was kept alive at the Paddy Breeding Station, Coimbatore and study continued. The pre- sent paper deals with some new observation made in the course of study.
The Blackheaded Caterpillar of Coconut (Nephantis serinopa) Biological Control through utilisation of its Natüral Enemies - Eulophids
Authors:   Crop and Plant Protection Officer Bapatla, V THIRUMALA RAO , A PERRAJU ,   Entomology Assitant, Narasapur
Published: November 2023

Chalcid Ichneumonid, Tachinid fly and Eulophid. It is possible by utilising these parasites to control this pest of coconut trees hy introducing the parasites in areas where they are not found now and by breeding and multiplying some of the parasites in the laboratory and liberating them against the pest for strengthening the ranks of its enemies in nature. For the latter purpose, it is only those that are suitable for laboratory rearing that can be taken up. Amongst the natural enemies of Nephantis serinopa that can be bred and multiplied in the laboratory, Eulophid (Trichospilus pupivora) is important on account of (1) its suitability to laboratory rearing (2) its adaptability to alternate hosts like Plubia, Sylepta, Prodenia, etc., when Nephantis scrinopa pupe become scarce in the area and cannot be easily collected; the short duration of the life-cycle enables a large number of generations to be reared in the year: (4) its high fecundity; (5) its capacity to spread to considerable distances when released in nature on account of its active habits; (6) absence of any natural enemies of its own; (7) very high rate of as much as 50% parasitisation of the pest pupe.
Strategic Planning for Equitable RWIS Implementation: A Comprehensive Study Incorporating a Multi-variable Semivariogram Model
Authors: Biswas Simita , Kwon Tae J.
Published: November 2023

This paper extends the previously developed method of optimizing Road Weather Information Systems (RWIS) station placement by unveiling a sophisticated multi-variable semivariogram model that concurrently considers multiple vital road weather variables. Previous research primarily centered on single-variable analysis focusing on road surface temperature (RST). The study bridges this oversight by introducing a framework that integrates multiple critical weather variables into the RWIS location allocation framework. This novel approach ensures balanced and equitable RWIS distribution across zones and aligns the network with areas both prone to traffic accidents and areas of high uncertainty. To demonstrate the effectiveness of this refinement, the authors applied the framework to Maine’s existing RWIS network, conducted a gap analysis through varying planning scenarios and generated optimal solutions using a heuristic optimization algorithm. The analysis identified areas that would benefit most from additional RWIS stations and guided optimal resource utilization across different road types and priority locations. A sensitivity analysis was also performed to evaluate the effect of different weightings for weather and traffic factors on the selection of optimal locations. The location solutions generated have been adopted by MaineDOT for future implementations, attesting to the model’s practicality and signifying an important advancement for more effective management of road weather conditions.
Construction of suffix tree using key phrases for document using down-top incremental conceptual hierarchical text clustering approach
Authors: Balaji Dhashanamoorthi
Published: November 2023

With development of technologies in the World Wide Web, usage of document increases day by day. In order to access the document easily, document clustering technique is introduced. In the field of data mining, document clustering plays a vital role. Organizing the unstructured and unlabeled document is one of the major problems and it is ever growing and complex. Handling of such unorganized documents causes more expensive. Hence, challenges raised by the continuing growth of unstructured and unlabeled documents are handled in this proposed work. Document clustering is one of the most powerful methods to solve the problem of organizing unstructured documents. There are numerous clustering methods available. In this we were proposed phrase-based clustering algorithm, which is based on the applications of suffix tree document clustering model. The proposed algorithm is designed to use the suffix tree document clustering (STDC) model for accurate representation of document and similarity measurement of the similar documents. This proposed algorithm gives more than 90% accuracy.