bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Replications, Comparisons, Sampling and the Problem of Representativeness in Animal Cognition Research
Authors: Farrar Benjamin George , Voudouris Konstantinos , Clayton Nicola
Published: August 2020

Animal cognition research often involves small and idiosyncratic samples. This can constrain the generalizability and replicability of study’s results and prevent meaningful comparisons between samples. However, there is little consensus about what makes a strong replication or comparison in animal research. We apply a resampling definition of replication to answer these questions in Part 1 of this article, and, in Part 2, we focus on the problem of representativeness in animal research. Through a case study and a simulation study, we highlight how and when representativeness may be an issue in animal behavior and cognition research, and show how the representativeness problems can be viewed through the lenses of, i) replicability, ii) generalizability and external validity, iii) pseudoreplication and, iv) theory testing. Next, we discuss when and how researchers can improve their ability to learn from small sample research through, i) increasing heterogeneity in experimental design, ii) increasing homogeneity in experimental design, and, iii) statistically modeling variation. Finally, we describe how the strongest solutions will vary depending on the goals and resources of individual research programmes and discuss some barriers towards implementing them.
Talk to Me, Don't Text Me: Face to Face Communication Generates Greater Closeness Than Texting Among Generation Z in China
Authors: Dou Yanan , Pan Yuxuan , Jiang Shuer
Published: August 2020

Closeness exists between any group of individuals who feel heard, understood, and are able to share their feelings by talking openly with one another. The feeling of closeness is an essential dimension of relationships, having implications for how individuals communicate, accept, and trust each other. Different modes of communication have also been shown to generate varying levels of closeness. This study focuses on personal interactions in Chinese society, where communication between young people predominantly takes place online. This study aims to assess how communication methods impact the degree of closeness in relationships. Chinese participants aged 18-32 years old (N = 142; 105 females; 37 males) who had not met before were randomly assigned to interact with another participant either in a face-to-face (FtF) setting, or over the WeChat text messaging app. After interacting through structured prompts for 30 minutes, participants were then asked to rate their perceived interpersonal closeness with their conversation partner, which was quantified by the extent to which they enjoyed the conversation. A post-experiment survey investigated the degree of whether participants were positively surprised by their partner and the likelihood that they would be open to interacting with their partner again. Results indicate that participants in the FtF setting perceived greater degree of closeness with their partners, compared to those in text messaging groups. Participants who interacted in the FtF setting also reported a higher degree of enjoyment, felt more surprised by the conversation, and were more willing to give contact information to their partners than those in the text messaging group. Interestingly, the participants’ personality-type moderated the effect of condition on enjoyment parameter such that introverts enjoyed the text messaging conversations more than the FtF conversations, while extraverts were the opposite. Our findings hence suggest that even in a time when most young people interact with peers via social media and text messaging, authentic face-to-face interactions generate a stronger perception of closeness regardless of whether the person is an introvert or extravert. Despite the progress made by technology to close gaps and remove physical barriers in communication, face-to-face interaction remains the most reliable means of generating closeness among youth in China.
Sources of information, trust, and protective health behaviors during COVID-19 pandemic: A UAE cross-sectional study
Authors: Figueiras Maria J. , Ghorayeb Jihane , Coutinho Mariana , Marôco João , Thomas Justin
Published: August 2020

The present study has two aims (1) to identify the type of sources of information mostly used to obtain information about COVID-19 and the level of trust in those sources according to sociodemographic variables in the context of the COVID-19 in UAE and (2) to explore if the level of trust on sources of information, and citizenship are predictors of the adoption of protective behaviors to reduce the risk of being infected, considering age, gender and education as covariates. Participants (N = 1585) were recruited in April 2020 via announcements in the UAE media and through email networks. The findings indicated that the most used sources were Websites, social media, government sources, and family and friends. The sources considered more trustworthy were personal doctors, health care professionals, and government. There were differences in the use of sources and levels of trust according to age, gender, and education. Concerning the adoption of protective behaviors, there were no gender differences; however, age, education, and citizenship were significant, younger groups reported lower scores on protective behaviors, and higher educated participants reported higher adoption of protective behavior. National citizens reported lower scores on the adoption of protective behavior. The level of trust in sources of information and citizenship were predictors of the adoption of protective behavior. The use of sources of information and the level of trust vary from traditional to newly-developed sources, which can influence the adoption of protective behaviors for COVID-19. The findings suggest that the COVID-19-related contents need to be adjusted to different types of medium, considering the characteristics of the population and culture, to ensure that it is helping individuals to understand risks and develop their knowledge and skills to face the pandemic by adopting protective behaviors.
Associations between cognitive and affective empathy and internalizing symptoms in late childhood
Authors: Bray Katherine Olivia , Anderson Vicki , Pantelis Christos , Pozzi Elena , Schwartz Orli , Vijayakumar Nandita , Richmond Sally , Deane Camille , Allen Nicholas B. , Whittle Sarah
Published: August 2020

Background: Empathy is a multidimensional construct, which includes cognitive and affective components. Studies in adults have demonstrated that both cognitive and affective empathy are associated with anxious and depressive symptoms. The aim of this study was to examine these associations in childhood.Methods: Participants were 127 9- and 10-year-old children, recruited from the community. Self-report measures of cognitive and affective empathy, and internalizing symptoms were administered, as well as a task-based measure of cognitive empathy.Results: Canonical correlation analysis demonstrated that components of affective empathy, specifically affective sharing and empathic distress, were associated with internalizing (particularly social anxiety) symptoms (Rc = 0.63, non-parametric p < .001). Cognitive empathy was not associated with internalizing symptoms. Limitations: Most of our findings were based around self-report measures of empathy, which may not accurately reflect empathy ability.Conclusions: Findings suggests that children who share each other’s emotions strongly are more likely to experience anxiety, particularly of a social nature.
Funny Selves: Development of the Humor Efficacy and Identity Short Scales (HEISS)
Authors: Silvia Paul , Rodriguez Rebekah , Karwowski Maciej
Published: August 2020

Although humor is a universal feature of human communication, people vary widely in how they create and use humor. Guided by a broader model of creative self-beliefs, we developed the Humor Efficacy and Identity Short Scales (HEISS), a pair of 4-item scales measuring humor self-efficacy (“I can” beliefs reflecting confidence about one’s ability to be funny) and humor identity (“I am” beliefs reflecting the centrality of humor ability to one’s self-concept). Using a large sample of English speakers (n = 1842), an item response theory analysis found a suitable range of item difficulty, good item discrimination, and essentially zero gender-based differential item functioning. Three follow-up samples with English (n = 304, n = 400) and Polish (n = 385) speakers found conceptually consistent relationships with humor backgrounds and experiences (e.g., taking classes and holding jobs involving humor), with Big 5 personality traits, and with humor styles and playfulness. Taken together, these scales show promise for research on people’s humor self-concepts and for studies of gendered aspects of humor use, creation, and appreciation.
Dimensions of Altruism: Do Evaluations of Prosocial Behavior Track Social Good or Personal Sacrifice?
Authors: Johnson Samuel Gregory Blane
Published: August 2020

Do we praise prosocial acts because they produce social benefits or because they entail a personal sacrifice? Seven studies demonstrate that people primarily rely on personal cost rather than social benefit when evaluating prosocial actors. This occurs because sacrifice, but not benefit, is taken as a signal of moral character and an input to reputational judgments (Studies 1 and 2), reflecting a “character = sacrifice” heuristic predicted by costly signaling theory. The studies test four possible boundary conditions, finding that the effects are similar for actions that benefit one’s own country versus foreigners (Study 3), but differ for donations of time (Study 4), when information about personal sacrifice is unavailable (Study 5), and when high-cost but ineffective acts are pitted directly against low-cost but effective acts in joint evaluation (Study 6). Inferences about the signaling value of donations differed sharply from intuitions about warm glow, which strongly favored more effective donations (Study 7). These results help to account for the ineffectiveness of many charitable activities but also suggest directions for incentivizing effective charity.
Considerations of the proximate mechanisms and ultimate functions of disgust will improve our understanding of cleansing effects
Authors: Tybur Joshua M. , Lieberman Debra
Published: August 2020

To understand the consequences of cleansing, Lee and Schwarz favor a grounded procedures perspective over recently-developed disgust theory. We believe that this position stems from three errors: (1) interpreting cleansing effects as broader than they are; (2) not detailing the proximate mechanisms underlying disgust; and (3) not detailing adaptive function versus system byproducts when developing the grounded procedures perspective.
Face-touching behavior as a possible correlate of mask-wearing: A video observational study of public place incidents during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Liebst Lasse Suonperä , Ejbye-Ernst Peter , de Bruin Marijn , Thomas Josephine , Lindegaard Marie Rosenkrantz
Published: August 2020

Most countries in the world have recommended or mandated face masks in some or all public places during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, mask-wearing has been thought to increase people’s face-touching frequency and, thus, the risk of self-inoculation. Across two studies, we video observed the face-touching behavior of members of the public in Amsterdam and Rotterdam (the Netherlands) during the first wave of the pandemic. Study 1 (n = 383) yielded evidence in favor of the absence of an association between mask-wearing and face-touching (defined as touches of face or mask), and Study 2 (n = 421) replicated this result. Secondary outcome analysis of the two studies—separately and with pooled datasets—found a robust negative association between mask-wearing and hand contacts with the face and t-zone (i.e., eyes, nose, and mouth). Our results alleviate the concern that mask-wearing has an adverse face-touching effect.
Benefits of Being Ambivalent: The Relationship between Trait Ambivalence and Attribution Biases
Authors: Schneider Iris K. , Novin Sheida , van Harreveld Frenk , Genschow Oliver
Published: August 2020

Ambivalence refers to the experience of having both positive and negative thoughts and feelings at the same time about the same object, person, or issue. Although ambivalence research has focused extensively on negative consequences, recently, scholars turned their lens to the positive effects of ambivalence, demonstrating beneficial effects on judgments and decision-making processes. So far, this work has focused on state ambivalence, which is ambivalence as a direct response to a specific stimulus. However, there are substantial individual differences in ambivalence: some people are just more ambivalent than others. Taking a first step in understanding how these individual differences relate to judgment and decision-making, we examine the relationship between trait ambivalence and cognitive bias in social judgments tasks. Specifically, we look at two of the most pervasive and consequential attribution biases in person perception: correspondence bias and self-serving bias. We find a negative relationship between trait ambivalence and correspondence bias. The higher individuals are in trait ambivalence, the smaller their bias towards attributing behavior to a person’s disposition (Study 1A and B). We find the same for self-serving bias (Study 2A and B). In sum, we show that trait ambivalence is negatively related to cognitive bias in person perception.
BUKU AJAR FUNGSI KHUSUS
Authors: Marlina Emas
Published: August 2020

Buku ajar Fungsi Khusus ini terdiri dari materi prasyaratyaitu Fungsi, Limit Fungsi, Turunan Fungsi, Integral dan materiinti yaitu Fungsi Gamma, Fungsi Beta, Deret Fourier, FungsiBessel, Fungsi Legendre, Fungsi Polinomial Hermite. Materi inimerupakan satu kesatuan materi yang dipelajari oleh mahasiswa secara menyeluruh dan tak terpisahkan selama satu semester karena merupakan satu kesatuan utuh dalam Capaian Kompetensi di Rencana Pembelajaran Semester.
TORSION ENHANCEMENT OF REINFORCED SELF-COMPACTING CONCRETE BOX BEAMS USING INTERNAL FRAMED STEEL STIFFENING RIBS
Authors: Hashim Muhammed Sabah , Hameed Aziz Ali
Published: August 2020

Researches concerning internal torsional strengthening of box beams are very little, since few researchers may study such method of strengthening. This research adopts employing of internal Framed Steel Stiffening Ribs (FSSRs) to strengthen reinforced Self-Compacting Concrete (SCC) box beams subjected to pure torsion. These FSSRs were fabricated to be fully bonded with SCC through using of bolts as shear connectors. Four specimens (the first was a reference one with no strengthening and the other three were strengthened with one, three and five FSSRs, respectively) of reinforced SCC were tested under effect of pure torsion up to failure. All specimens have the same dimensions and reinforcement. The effect of FSSRs presence and their number on torsional capacity was studied. Also, applied torque-angle of twist relation at end, quarter and mid span were studied. Test results show that the ultimate torsional capacity is increased by 45.7 %, 75.5 %, and 122.4 % for specimens strengthened with one, three and five FSSRs, respectively, as compared with reference specimen. Presence of FSSRs tends to reduce deformations where deformations decrease with increasing of FSSRs number. It is concluded that the torsional capacity of a reinforced SCC box beams can be enhanced using internal Transverse FSSRs. The number of used internal FSSRs have main effect on the amount of enhancement.
النزعة الذاتية في التوجهات الفكرية للعمارة واألزياء
Authors: باسم محمد صالح امنة
Published: August 2020

تدرس هذه الورقة البحثية دور الذاتية كأداة فعالة تعكس وجود علاقة قوية بين العمارة والازياء، فتعتبر النزعة الذاتية دائما إحدى أهم الادوات المهمة في تحديد الهوية الفردية. وبسبب هذه الاهمية،  يمكن تحديد مشكلة البحث وهي: ما هي مستويات الذاتية باعتبارها(حاجة انسانية) في العمارة والازياء تاريخيا وماهي مستوياتها في االتجاهات المعاصرة.
ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF SOME INDUSTRIAL FIRMS DUE TO ISO 14031 STANDARD
Authors: Ali Al-Anbari Mohammad , Obaid Kareem Nagham , Emad Al-Hashimi Hala
Published: August 2020

This research aims to evaluate six of Baghdad Industrial firms in different sectors in Baghdad due to ISO 14031 Standard in order to know the effects of factories on the environment, create a database for comparison with certain time periods, continuous improvement of environmental performance, and increasing environmental awareness. Environmental Performance Evaluation (EPE) includes two types of indicators, Environmental Performance Indicators (EPIs) and Environmental Conditions Indicators (ECIs). The research focus on (EPIs) which includes two types of indicators, Management Performance Indicators (MPIs) and Operation Performance Indicators (OPIs). (MPIs) includes performance and infrastructure Indicators and Training Indicators, and (OPIs) include Industrial and occupational safety indicators and an environmental control indicator. In this research, a questioner list with a five Likert Scale level was suggested. The questionnaire lists were answered by employees specializing in environmental aspects in the Middle Refineries Company, South Baghdad thermal power station, General Company for Textile and Leather, Battery Factory, General Company for Food Products, and The Cotton Factory. The data of questionnaire lists were converted to information by statistical equations, SPSS program used to calculate ANOVA table to compare averages of differences between indicators that have been subjected to different treatments in order to arrive at the indicator that makes average is different from other averages.
ROBUST HYBRID FEATURES BASED TEXT INDEPENDENT SPEAKER IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM OVER NOISY ADDITIVE CHANNEL
Authors: Muayad Jalil Ali , Sahib Hasan Fadhel , Adnan Alabbasi Hesham
Published: August 2020

Robustness of speaker identification systems over additive noise is crucial for real-world applications. In this paper, two robust features named Power Normalized Cepstral Coefficients (PNCC) and Gammatone Frequency Cepstral Coefficients (GFCC) are combined together to improve the robustness of speaker identification system over different types of noise. Universal Background Model Gaussian Mixture Model (UBM-GMM) is used as a feature matching and a classifier to identify the claim speakers. Evaluation results show that the proposed hybrid feature improves the performance of identification system when compared to conventional features over most types of noise and different signal-to-noise ratios.
COBib-Públicas: observatorio de las bibliotecas públicas en España durante la pandemia por Covid-19 basado en noticias digitales
Authors: Lázaro-Rodríguez Pedro
Published: August 2020

En este trabajo se presenta el proyecto COBib-Públicas: observatorio de las bibliotecas públicas en España durante la pandemia por Covid-19 basado en noticias digitales. Se ha implementado en forma de sitio web y aplicación digital incluyendo noticias digitales sobre bibliotecas públicas desde inicios de enero hasta finales de mayo de 2020. El proyecto se concibe como un punto al que acudir para obtener información sobre las bibliotecas públicas españolas durante la pandemia por Covid-19. Se ofrece una mirada general desde el observatorio con un análisis de la evolución del volumen de noticias y los medios digitales que las publican. También, se añade una mirada personal sobre el contenido según los períodos de tiempo considerados, resaltando el protagonismo de la dimensión de lo digital durante el confinamiento, subrayando también la idea de las bibliotecas como vacuna y algunos proyectos de construcción de nuevas bibliotecas. COBib-Públicas puede resultar de interés para las personas dedicadas a la investigación en biblioteconomía y documentación, a las profesionales del sector e igualmente a la población en general.
Desafíos jurídicos y políticos de la ENAREDD+ México: legalidad en la participación social y propiedad forestal
Authors: Ávalos Rodríguez Ma. Liliana , Borrego Armonía , Skutsch Margaret , Alvarado Flores José Juan
Published: August 2020

El objetivo del estudio es realizar una revisión del estado actual de la legalidad en la participación social y propiedad forestal reconocidas en la Estrategia Nacional para la Reducción de Emisiones por Deforestación y Degradación forestal (ENAREDD+), a fin de identificar los principales desafíos jurídicos y políticos que pudieran constituir áreas de oportunidad en el éxito de los principios de REDD+ en México. Se realizó una revisión de la literatura sobre el tema, de la ENAREDD+ y del marco jurídico asociados con la participación social y la propiedad forestal.
Los principales hallazgos muestran que existe un reconocimiento distinto de los actores en la participación social y los alcances de la propiedad forestal al interior de la ENAREDD+, así como en el marco jurídico vigente, que pudieran cuestionar la legalidad forestal en México.
ОZONETHERAPY INFLUENCE ON MORPHOLOGIC CHANGES OF LIVER IN PURULENT INFLAMMATION OF THE LUNGS IN THE EXPERIMENT
Authors: Alyavi A.L. , Sadуkova G.A. , Rakhmatullaev Kh.U. , Tadjikhodjaeva Yu. Kh. , Zalyalova Z.S.
Published: August 2020

Relevance. Ozone increases the oxygen transport function of the blood. The use of ozone therapy for pulmonary pathology is promising. The effect of ozone therapy is associated with the ability of ozone to eliminate hypoxemia and tissue hypoxia, which is always present in patients with pathology of the bronchopulmonary apparatus. Objective: to study morphofunctional changes in liver tissue, in the dynamics of the use of ozonized water in rats in an experimental model of chronic purulent pneumonia.Materials and methods. Three groups were formed from 30 male white rats (180-200 g). In group 1 (n = 10) healthy rats were injected intraperitoneally with 5 ml of ozonated (0.02 mg / L) 0.9% NaCl once a day for 10 minutes. Course 10 days. Animals of the 2 (n = 10) and 3 (n = 10) groups were first modeled for chronic pneumonia. For this, under local novocaine anesthesia, a 1.5-2.0 cm long incision was made on the animal's neck. A nylon thread with a diameter of 0.4 mm and a length of 10-12 cm was inserted into the lumen of the trachea, between its rings, on a thin piercing needle. The distal end of the thread was located in the lumen of the trachea, and its proximal end was fixed on the skin. The wound was sutured tightly in layers. After 45 days, the thread was removed without opening the trachea. Subsequently, animals of group 2 did not receive treatment. And rats of group 3 were injected once a day with 5 ml of ozonized (0.02 mg / l) 0.9% NaCl for 10 minutes. Course 10 days. The animals were removed from the experiment by instant decapitation. The taken pieces of the liver were fixed in formalin. Histological sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin. Microscopy was performed using an XS-213 light microscope and a Leica microscope. Results. With prolonged irritation of the respiratory tract, structural changes in the liver, characteristic of toxic hepatitis, were revealed. After treatment with ozonated saline, the morphological picture of the liver improved. In healthy rats, ozone therapy did not have a negative effect on the general condition and behavior of the animals. Conclusions. Treatment with ozonated saline improves the morphological picture of the liver of rats with chronic pneumonia.
THE EVOLUTION IN THE TREATMENT OF PEPTIC ULCER AND ITS COMPLICATIONS
Authors: Tutchenko M.I. , Vasylchuk O.V. , Piotrovich S.M. , Yaroshuk D.V. , Andriiets V.S.
Published: August 2020

Relevance. Duodenal ulcer is complicated by perforation in 5-15% of patients. The priority area of abdominal surgery is the introduction of minimally invasive methods. Laparoscopic surgeries are becoming an alternative to standard technologies.

Objective: to analyze the effectiveness of open and laparoscopic palliative and conditionally radical surgical interventions in patients with perforated duodenal ulcer in the early and late two-year periods.

Materials and methods. The efficacy of open and laparoscopic palliative and conditionally radical surgical interventions was studied in 181 patients with perforated duodenal ulcer in the early and late two-year periods. The patients were divided into two groups: 92 patients who underwent laparoscopic surgery and 89 patients who underwent open surgery. The groups are comparable in age, time from the onset of the disease, and the diameter of the ulcer. After the operation, the intensity of pain was assessed in points using a visual analog scale, the rate of healing. Complications in the early postoperative period were analyzed (wound suppuration, pneumonia, extrasystole, atrial fibrillation, abscesses, suture failure). Analyzed the development of peritonitis and its characteristics (serous-fibrinous, fibrinous-purulent; local, general).

Results. Laparoscopic operations take less time than open ones. In the first four days after surgery, the average pain score was significantly lower (p<0.05) in patients after minimally invasive surgery. There was a tendency towards earlier activation of patients in the group of laparoscopic operations. The duration of hospital stay after laparoscopic operations averaged 5.11±0.08 days (from 3 to 7 days) and was significantly less (p<0.05) for that in patients who underwent open surgery. The two-year cumulative incidence of ulcer recurrence in the group of laparoscopic operations was 16.3% (15 patients), in the group of open operations - 19.1% (17 patients).

Conclusions. Laparoscopic palliative and conditionally radical surgeries in patients with perforated ulcers have advantages in the early postoperative period, which is associated with minor pain syndrome and earlier activation of patients and, as a consequence, a decrease in the length of hospital stay. In the long-term two-year postoperative period, the results of palliative and conditionally radical operations in the laparoscopic and open versions did not differ significantly.
Security Awareness as a Panacea for Effective Management of Safe Schools Initiative and Students Academic Achievement in Unity Schools in Nigeria
Authors: Chibuike Ugbor Cletus , Onyemaechi Nweke Prince , Stephen Uwakwe Iro , Bashir Isiaku Wada , Nnenna Opara Felicia , Chidiebere Isilebo Nwamara , Vivian Madu Chioma
Published: August 2020

The study examined security awareness as a panacea for effective management of safe school Initiative and students’ academic achievement in unity schools in Nigeria. Three research questions guided the study. The study adopted descriptive survey design. The population of the study comprises 104 principals of unity schools in Nigeria. There was no sampling technique adopted since the entire population was manageable. The instrument for data collection was structured questions developed by the researchers titled: “Safe School Initiative Questionnaire (SSIQ)”. The instrument was validated by three experts, two from the Department of Educational Foundations and one in the Department of Science Education (Measurement and Evaluation Unit), all from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. The reliability yielded a co-efficient of 0.83 using Cronbach Alpha techniques. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions. The findings of the study revealed that the rationale for launching safe school initiative was to protect Nigeria students in school from being attacks, to reduce the dropout rate, to enable the students to be conscious of security situation in schools, prevent future attacks on schools, and general protection of education sector in Nigeria. The findings of the study also revealed that school based management strategies can be adopted for safe school initiative implementation in unity schools in Nigeria. Based on the findings of the study, the following recommendation were made, among other that, federal government should provide safety facilities especially perimeter fencing in unity school in Nigeria.
Representations of Europe in Japanese anime: An overview of case studies and theoretical frameworks
Authors: García Aranda Oscar
Published: August 2020

Europe, as a cluster of cultural elements related to nations, cities, and historical periods, has experienced different representations and recreations in Japanese animated series and films (anime) in the form of European (or European-like) settings. The following article discusses the creation, aesthetic appeal, and uses of these contents. First, tracing a theoretical retrospective that displays the different concepts and conceptions used to understand these contents, to then focus our study in reviewing the European settings of some of the main anime productions that contain this kind of contents: the 1970s sh?jo manga and anime series (comics and tv anime series addressed to girls), the Nippon Animation-originated so-called “Meisaku” group of series, and more “singular” cases, such as Miyazaki Hayao’s films. The review carried out shows the use of different sources and intense fieldwork by Japanese creators to recreate particular visions of European (or European-like) settings and the narrative and communicative strategies or even commercial implications of these settings according to the genre, demographics, and media specificity of each project.
Wali Nanggroe Institution: The Role, Function, and Strategy for Resolving Conflicts in Aceh after the Peace
Authors: Ibrahim Zulham
Published: August 2020

Wali Nanggroe Institution is an institution of cultural authority as the unifier of the people that is independent, authoritative, and has the authority to develop and oversee the implementation of the life, adat (custom), language, the award of titles and honors, and adat rites. This research was conducted in Banda Aceh city using a qualitative method. The concept used was Wali Nanggroe, the theories of strategy, conflict resolution, and political communication theories to resolve local conflicts and analyze Wali Nanggroe neutrality in resolving conflicts in Aceh. The data were obtained by observation technique and interview (questionnaires and voice records). The results found that the Wali Nanggroe Institution does not implement a strategy in resolving conflicts both local conflicts and other conflicts in local institutions. Also, Wali Nanggroe does not hold political communication to resolve the conflicts. Besides, as a mediator, Wali Nanggroe is unfair to resolve the conflicts among local institutions due to some causes; emotional attachment between Wali Nanggroe and Members of Parliament at Aceh Provincial House of Representatives (DPRA) from Aceh Party Faction, tend to maintain the reign of Wali Nanggroe, and procedural problems in Wali Nanggroe election.
Meat bone meal as an alternative animal feed: a brief review
Authors: Yanuartono Yanuartono -
Published: August 2020

ABSTRAKMeat bone meal (MBM) dapat dianggap sebagai limbah pemotongan hewan utama, karena proporsi bahan dan residu terbesar tidak dapat digunakan sebagai bahan pangan manusia sehingga digunakan untuk memproduksi MBM. Meat bone meal tidak hanya lebih murah, tetapi juga sumber protein kasar, mulai dari 35 hingga 55% serta kandungan kalsium dan fosfor yang tinggi, sehingga menjadikannya bahan pakan penting untuk ternak dan hewan kesayangan. Larangan penggunaan MBM sebagai bahan pakan ternak disebabkan oleh munculnya wabah bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) yang disebut juga penyakit sapi gila. Meat bone meal terbukti menjadi vektor yang sangat potensial untuk BSE dan dapat dianggap sebagai penyebab utama penyebaran penyakit tersebut.Tujuan dari ulasan ini adalah untuk memberikan informasi mengenai manfaat dan risiko menggunakan MBM dalam industri peternakan.
Peforma Burung Puyuh (Coturnix coturnix japonica) Periode Grower yang Diberi Pakan Berbahan Tepung Daun Ubi Kayu
Authors: Harahap Anwar Efendi
Published: August 2020

ABSTRAKPeforma burung puyuh yang baik membutuhkan pakan dan manajemen pakan yang baik. Penelitian ini bertujuan  mengetahui performa burung puyuh periode grower yang diberi pakan berbahan tepung daun ubi kayu meliputi konsumsi ransum, pertambahan bobot badan, konversi ransum dan nilai IOFC (Income over feed cost). Rancangan percobaan yang digunakan adalah Rancangan Acak Lengkap (RAL) dengan 4 Perlakuan (T0 = Ransum tanpa penambahan tepung daun ubi kayu, T1= 3% penambahan tepung daun ubi kayu, T2= 6% penambahan tepung daun ubi kayu dan T3= 9% penambahan tepung daun ubi kayu) dan 4 ulangan. Penelitian menunjukkan bahwa penambahan tepung daun ubi kayu dengan level 0%, 3%, 6% dan 9% berpengaruh nyata (P<0,05) terhadap konsumsi ransum puyuh, sedangkan penggunaan tepung daun ubi kayu dalam ransum puyuh tidak berpengaruh nyata (P>0,05) terhadap pertambahan bobot badan dan konversi ransum puyuh. Kesimpulan dari penelitian ini adalah penambahan tepung daun ubi kayu hingga level 9% mampu meningkatkan konsumsi ransum, tetapi belum mampu meningkatkan pertambahan bobot badan, nilai IOFC (Income over feed cost) dan menurunkan konversi ransum.
Comparison of laparoscopic appendectomy versus open appendectomy in acute appendicitis in obese diabetic patients
Authors: Mohammuddunnobi - , Jahan Tasnuva , Amin Abdullah Al
Published: August 2020

Background: Acute appendicitis (AC) is a common surgical problem requiring emergency hospitalization for urgent appendectomy. In case of diabetic patients, the incidence of developing acute appendicitis including its complications like abscess, gangrene and perforation is higher than non-diabetic. Day by day, laparoscopic appendectomy is having an improved outcome in non-diabetic and non-obese patients. The aim of this study was to compare the outcomes of laparoscopic appendectomy versus open appendectomy in acute appendicitis of obese diabetic patients.

Methods: A comparative study was carried out in a tertiary care hospital in Dhaka City. Hospitalized obese diabetic patients with a diagnosis of acute appendicitis, who underwent appendectomy, were considered as study population. Obesity was defined as body mass index (BMI) greater than 30 kg/m2 according to World Health Organization and American Obesity Association guidelines. Patients were divided into two groups according to type of appendectomy; 50 patients by laparoscopic appendectomy as group LA and 50 patients by open appendectomy as group OA.

Results: Most patients were obese I (30.0-34.9 kg/m2) in group LA and OA (92.0% and 86.0%, respectively, p<0.05). Uncontrolled diabetes mellitus was detected in most of the patients of both group LA (96.0%) and OA (98.0%). Mean operation time, mean duration of post-operation ileus, mean hospital stay and post-operation complications were less in group LA than group OA which is statistically significant (p< 0.05). No patient developed wound infection after laparoscopic appendectomy; whereas, 8.0% patients had wound infection in open appendectomy (p<0.05).

Conclusion: In this study, laparoscopic appendectomy had good outcome over its open counterpart regarding shorter operating time, hospital stay, less wound infection, postoperative pain and time to return to usual activities.

Birdem Med J 2020; 10(3): 145-148
Different type 2 diabetes risk assessments predict dissimilar numbers at risk: a cross-sectional analysis of diabetes risk-assessment tools
Authors: Akter Nazma
Published: August 2020

Background: Use of a validated risk-assessment tool to identify individuals at high risk of developing type2 diabetes is currently recommended. It is under-reported, however, whether a different risk tool alters the predicted risk of an individual. This study explored any differences between two commonly used validated risk-assessment tools for type2 diabetes.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted between July 2018 and June 2019 in the medicine outpatient department of a tertiary care hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Total 518 subjects, aged ranging from 22 to 68 years was included in the study. Randomly sampled non- diabetic subjects, and those who had previous history of high blood glucose during pregnancy or other health examination (i.e. impaired fasting glucose, impaired glucose tolerance or gestational diabetes mellitus) were included for the study. With written informed consent, both the Indian Diabetes Risk Score (IDRS) and the Finnish Diabetes Risk Score (FINDRISC) questionnaire were used to collect the data including demographic characteristics and different risk factors of an individual subject, and to calculate total risk score for predictors the risk of developing T2DM within 10 years.

Results: Among 518 subjects, 48.1% were male and 51.9% were female. Differences between the risk-assessment tools were apparent following cross-sectional analysis of individuals. IDRS (Indian Diabetes Risk Score) categorized 37.8 % (male vs. female: 14.8 % vs. 23.0%) of individuals at high risk. Whereas, 8.3% (male vs. female: 1.9% vs. 6.4%) were at high risk according to FINDRISC (Finish Diabetes Risk Score) system.

Conclusions: The results indicate that the prevalence of participants at risk for developing type 2 diabetes varies considerably according to the scoring system used. To adequately prevent type2 diabetes, risk scoring systems must be validated for each population considered.

Birdem Med J 2020; 10(3): 159-167
Clinical profile of 550 cases of surgical and natural menopause
Authors: Mahjabeen Nusrat , Nasreen Shaikh Zinnat Ara
Published: August 2020

Background: Menopause represents the permanent cessation of menstrual periods and the loss of fertility due to the loss of ovarian function. It can occur spontaneously (natural menopause) or it can be surgically induced. They are different entirely. One is a natural stage of life that all women experience, the other is the result of surgery, that is, bilateral oophorectomy. Surgical menopause is when surgery, rather than the natural aging process, causes a woman to go through menopause. The ovaries are the main source of estrogen production in the female body. Their removal triggers immediate menopause, despite the age of the person having surgery. While surgery to remove the ovaries can operate as a stand-alone procedure, it is sometimes performed in addition to hysterectomy to reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases. This study was designed to compare the effects of the natural and the surgical menopause.

Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of Z. H. Sikder Women’s Medical College & Hospital, Dhaka from January 2016 to December 2018. During the study period a total of 275 patients with surgical menopause (total abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy was done in all cases) and 275 patients with natural menopause were enrolled. After taking written consent detailed information about the patients was collected in a predesigned data collection sheet for each patient.

Results: Age of most of the patients in surgical menopause group was within 41 to 50 years and most patients were >50 years old in natural menopause group. Most of the patients were illiterate in both groups and maximum patients were in poor socio-economic condition in both groups. Hot flush (48.0% vs 28.0%), palpitation (28.0% vs 4.0%) and dryness of vagina (12.0% vs 0.0%) were higher and body ache (32.0% vs 48.0%), tiredness (8.0% vs 36.0%), insomnia (8.0% vs 28.0%), depression (4.0% vs 16.0%), lack of concentration (0.0% vs 4.0%), loss of memory (0.0% vs 16.0%) and irritability (4.0% vs 8.0%) were found significantly lower in surgical menopause than natural menopause group. Dyspareunia (72.0% vs 28.0%), dysuria (92.0% vs 40.0%) and increased frequency of urination (68.0% vs 36.0%) were significantly higher in surgical menopause than natural menopause group. Urgency, hesitancy and incontinence of urination were significantly lower in surgical menopause than natural menopause group.

Conclusion: Ovaries were removed in all of the surgical menopause cases, which may be the reason of more deleterious effects in surgical menopause than natural menopause. So, it is highly recommended to preserve ovaries in hysterectomies due to benign indications.

Birdem Med J 2020; 10(3): 168-171
Serum ferritin and red blood cell indices in infants of diabetic mothers
Authors: Baki Md Abdul , Akhter Shahida , Nahar Jebun , Mohsin Fauzia , Khan Shareen
Published: August 2020

Background: Fetal iron stores are affected by maternal diabetes and it is lower at birth in infants of diabetic mothers (IDMs). Risks for developing iron deficiency and neurocognitive impairment are reported in IDMs. This study was done to assess serum ferritin and red cell indices in IDMs and to compare the values with infants born to mothers without diabetes mellitus.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out at BIRDEM General Hospital from March to October, 2018. Total 102 full term neonates were included in this study. Among them 70 neonates were IDMs and 32 were infants born to mother without diabetes mellitus. Serum ferritin and red cell indices like hemoglobin (Hb), packed cell volume (PCV), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), red cell distribution width (RDW) were measured within 48 hours of birth. Comparison of red cell indices and serum ferritin level were done between IDMs and infants of non-diabetes mothers. Statistical analysis was performed by using Epi info, and p value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results: IDMs had significantly higher value of Hb% (19.00 vs 17.47 g/dl), PCV (57.60 vs 52.67 %) and RDW (20.09 vs17.77 %) than infant of non-diabetic mother (p <0.05). But there was no significant difference regarding the values of MCV, MCH and MCHC between IDMs and infants of non-diabetic mothers (p >0.05). Serum ferritin level was found significantly low in IDMs (94.51 vs 307.50 ng/ml, p <0.001).

Conclusion: Iron stores of IDMs were found significantly lower at birth despite higher hemoglobin content, as indicated by lower serum ferritin level. Further studies and long-term follow up are needed to determine whether these infants are at risk for developing iron deficiency anemia or iron-deficient neurocognitive disorder

Birdem Med J 2020; 10(3): 182-186
Relationship between anemia and biochemical parameters of mineral bone disorders in chronic kidney disease stages 3-5 pre-dialysis patients
Authors: Saha Shudhanshu Kumar , Islam Rafi Nazrul , Rahim Muhammad Abdur , Iqbal Sarwar
Published: August 2020

Background: Anemia and mineral bone disorders (MBD) accompany chronic kidney disease (CKD) and worsen as CKD progresses. Different biochemical parameters of CKD-MBD have been associated with anemia of CKD but are less well evaluated in low resource settings. In this study, we evaluated the role CKD-MBD disorders as a cause of anemia in CKD non-dialysis patients.

Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited 115 patients with CKD who attended outpatient department (OPD) of Nephrology in BIRDEM General Hospital between January and June 2019. Patients, who were on iron, erythropoietin, calcium or vitamin D therapy in any form within the preceding 3 months and patients with known parathyroid disorders, metabolic bone diseases or anemia with definite etiology were excluded. Each patient’s demographic, clinical and biochemical parameters were recorded. Associations between anemia and serum levels of calcium (corrected), phosphate, parathyroid hormone (PTH), 25-hydroxy vitamin D [25(OH)D] and alkaline phosphatase were evaluated.

Results: Total patients were 115 including 71 (61.7%) females. Mean age was 57.8 years. Most patients were in CKD stage 4 (43, 37.4%) and 5 (45, 39.1%). Mean duration of diabetes and hypertension were 12.7 and 7.2 years respectively. Mean serum creatinine (mg/dL), hemoglobin (gm/dL), calcium (mg/dL), albumin (gm/L), phosphate (mg/dL), alkaline phosphatase (U/L), PTH (pg/mL) and 25(OH)D (ng/mL) were 3.1, 10.5, 8.7, 37.9, 4.0, 119.1, 211.1 and 15.1 respectively. Hemoglobin in CKD stages 3-5 pre-dialysis patients had positive correlation with calcium and 25(OH)D and negative correlation with phosphate, alkaline phosphatase and PTH. Among these parameters of CKD-MBD, correlation with alkaline phosphatase was significant (r=-0.352, p=0.001)

Conclusion: Anemia in CKD patients is multifactorial and this study concludes that CKD-MBD is yet another entity contributing to anemia in such pre-dialysis patients.

Birdem Med J 2020; 10(3): 187-191
Twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome: an obstetric catastrophe
Authors: Chowdhury Tanzeem S , Mahtab Naushaba Tarannum , Mahmud Syeda Rifat , Chowdhury TA
Published: August 2020

Twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) is an obstetric condition with high perinatal mortality, which develops when blood flows disproportionately from one fetus to another in a monochorionic twin pregnancy. Approximately 1 in 7 monochorionic pregnancies are affected with TTTS. The donor twin develops oligohydramnios and poor fetal growth, while the recipient twin develops polyhydramnios, heart failure and hydrops. Here we report two cases of severe TTTS in BIRDEM General Hospital 2 within a period of two years. It has been observed in different studies that, the mortality rate of both twins can be as high as 80% in TTTS depending on the stage of diagnosis and progression of the condition if untreated. In both our cases, the outcome was poor due to delayed diagnosis and lack of intrauterine therapies. So, there is an urgent need for timely diagnosis and appropriate management of this rare but complex condition which prompted us to report these two cases.

Birdem Med J 2020; 10(3): 207-211
Recurrent urinary tract infection as presenting feature of genito-urinary tuberculosis: reports of two cases
Authors: Rahim Muhammad Abdur , Hossain Mostaque , Zaman Shahana , Uddin Khwaja Nazim
Published: August 2020

Genito-urinary tract is one of the most common extra-pulmonary sites of involvement by tuberculosis. Genitourinary tuberculosis poses significant diagnostic difficulty; not only because of non-specific symptoms, but also because of lack of diagnostic facility, specially, in resource constrain settings. We report two cases of genito-urinary tuberculosis occurring among Bangladeshi adult females, who presented with recurrent urinary tract infection. Along with other supportive tests, acid fast bacilli were identified on urine examinations.

Birdem Med J 2020; 10(3): 212-214
Norwegian scabies: a rare case with rare presentation
Authors: Ahsan Mohammad Kamrul , Ahmed Jamal Uddin , Islam Md Jubaidul
Published: August 2020

Norwegian scabies is characterized by hyperkeratotic, heavily scaling, crusted lesions rarely presents as exfoliative dermatitis (erythroderma). This term applies when 90% or more of the skin surface is involved by scabies. A 75-year-old woman having uncontrolled diabetes mellitus and hypertension was admitted in BIRDEM general hospital with generalized erythroderma for 6 months and high fever along with vomiting for 4 days. Clinical and laboratory findings were suggestive of severe sepsis with septic shock, which were being managed by supportive medications. Microscopic examination of scales and crusts dissolved in 10% KOH revealed fields teeming with scabies mites and eggs. A skin biopsy was planned but could not be done due to critical condition of the patient. Despite of all supportive measures, patient expired due to septic shock before starting definitive treatment of Norwegian scabies.

Birdem Med J 2020; 10(3): 215-217