bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Lesion left main coronary artery and / or multivessel coronary artery disease
Authors: Skybchyk V. A. , Melen Y. P.
Published: September 2021

The article describes the clinical and electrocardiograph|y features of the lesion left main coronary artery (LMCA). LMCA stenosis of more than 50% allows to classificated such patients as a high risk of sudden death, which occurs 3-4 times more often compared with coronary artery disease in other localizations. Another feature characteristic of this category of patients is the presence of multifocal atherosclerosis (MFA). In patients without carotid stenosis, LMCA lesions are detected in 5% of cases, while in patients with MFA (with lesions of the carotid arteries) - in 40%. Despite some clinical signs that allow the patient to suspect the presence of LMCA, the most informative and reliable method is invasive coronary angiography (CAG). Evaluation of CAG using fractional flow reserve (FFR) and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) help to improve the diagnosis of the degree of LMCA stenosis, assess the nature of the plaque, the true diameter of the vessel and is an important step towards early myocardial revascularization. The article also presents the clinical analysis of lectrocardiogram with lesions of LMCA and multivessel lesions of the coronary arteries (three vessels or more).
Hypertensive crises
Authors: Matuzok O. E. , Mishchuk N. E.
Published: September 2021

Hypertensive crises are the actual problem of the modern medicine. Different medical specialists work with them in their everyday clinical practice. Rational treatment can prevent complications or decrease their severity. The lecture contains the information regarding etiology and pathogenesis of hypertensive crisis, risk factors, clinics, diagnostic methods, general approaches to the treatment and schemes of drug prescription.
Activity of coagulation processes with comorbid hypertension and coronary heart disease
Authors: Pastushyna A. I.
Published: September 2021

Purpose – determine the characteristics of changes of procoagulant, anticoagulant and fibrinolytic links of the hemostatic system in patients with hypertension in combination with coronary heart disease.

Materials and methods. 127 people were examined - 14 healthy (control), 61 patients with stage II hypertension with concomitant coronary heart disease (group 2), 52 hypertensive patients with stage III with concomitant coronary heart disease (group 3). There were evaluated indicators of hemostasis system: thrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, prothrombin index, soluble fibrin monomer complex, fibrinogen, protein C, antithrombin III of, and the time of XII-dependent fibrinolysis.

Results. Patients on both study groups SFMC content significantly higher than the control group. SFMC content in patients with stage II hypertension with concomitant coronary heart disease exceed normative value of 3 times, and in the group of hypertensive patients with stage III with with concomitant coronary heart disease of 3.65 times. The content of fibrinogen in the third group of patients exceeded the indicators of the control group by 27.6%, the difference was significant (p<0,001). Also valid was the difference between the two comparable groups (p<0,001). The content of protein C in hypertensive patients stage III was lower than the control values at 28,7% (p<0,001). The difference between comparable groups also were significantly (p<0,001). At the same time, and XII-dependent fibrinolysis in patients with stage II hypertension in combination with coronary heart disease was 3.54 times longer than the standard values (p<0,001), and the combination of hypertension III stage with CAD - 4.7 times longer than the norm (p< 0.001).

Conclusions. Patients with hypertension stage II and III with concomitant coronary heart disease characterized by increased blood clotting activity in the background suppression of the anticoagulant and fibrinolytic components of hemostasis. The largest contribution to the formation of thrombophilic changes in patients of both treatment groups belongs to inhibition of fibrinolysis, which is more pronounced when hypertension stage III combined with coronary heart disease.
Ventricular disturbance of rhythm as a symptom of cardiovascular disease
Authors: Kozhucharova N. А.
Published: September 2021

The questions of the differential diagnosis of diseases accompanied by ventricular premature beats (ischemic heart disease, myocarditis, arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia) are thrusted into the spotlight.
Universal Relation between the Variances of Distortions of Gravitational Waves owing to Gravitational Lensing
Authors: Inamori Makoto , Suyama Teruaki
Published: September 2021

Gravitational waves from the distant sources are gravitationally lensed during their propagation through the intervening matter inhomogeneities before arriving at detectors. It has been proposed in the literature that the variance of the lensed waveform can be used to extract information of the matter power spectrum at very small scales and of low-mass dark halos. In this Letter, we show that the variance of the amplitude fluctuation and that of the phase fluctuation of the lensed waveform obey a simple relation irrespective of the shape of the matter power spectrum. We study conditions under which this relation can be violated and discuss some potential applications of the relation. This relation may be used to confirm the robustness of claimed observations of gravitational lensing of gravitational waves and the subsequent reconstruction of the matter power spectrum.
Benefits of Nigella sativa Extract Protecting Ovary Due to Cisplatin Chemotherapy
Authors: Sukatendel Khairani , Siregar M. Fidel Ganis , Natadisastra Muharam , Nasution Iqbal Pahlevi Adiputra , Ilyas Syafruddin , Tala M. Rhiza , Eyanoer Putri Chairani , Hasibuan Poppy Anjelisa Z.
Published: September 2021

BACKGROUND: Cisplatin (CIS) is an important chemotherapy agent which is widely used for the treatment of many types of solid tumors, which can cause decreased ovarian function. Nigella sativa has been shown to have an anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant activity that might protect the ovaries from damage due to CIS.

AIM: This study aims to understand the benefits of N. sativa protecting the ovaries due to CIS chemotherapy.

METHODS: Thirty-two female Rattus norvegicus aged 8 weeks weighing 160–200 g were divided into four groups: Negative control, Positive control, Treatment-1 (CIS 6 mg/KgBW and NS 500 mg/KgBW/day), and Treatment-2 (CIS 6 mg/KgBW and NS 1000 mg/kgBW/day) for 2 weeks. On the 14th day the rats were sacrificed, blood was drawn from the heart, followed by taking ovaries.

RESULTS: There was lower mortality and morbidity in CIS + NS 1000 and CIS + NS 500 mg group (p = 0.01 and 0.001). The mean estradiol levels, follicle-stimulating hormone levels, and anti-mullerian hormone levels were not statistically significant among the four groups. The highest number of primary, secondary, tertiary follicles are seen at the CIS + NS 500 mg and CIS + NS 1000 mg groups (p = 0.05). The lowest number of atretic follicles is seen at the CIS + NS 1000 mg group, and the highest number of atretic follicles was in CIS only.

CONCLUSION: There is a trend that N. sativa is beneficial in protecting the ovaries from damage caused by CIS.
Length–weight analysis of ten species (Actinopterygii) supporting subsistence fishery in Lakshadweep waters, southern Arabian Sea
Authors: Shahul Hameed Pentam Veli Pura , Muhsin Aliyyathumada Ishyyapura , Pookoya Pathummathada , Ranjeet Kutty
Published: September 2021

The length–weight relations of ten fish species representing eight genera and four families and that formed the backbone of the subsistence fishery in the Lakshadweep islands were estimated. These fishes which included four species of tuna [Katsuwonus pelamis (Linnaeus, 1758); Thunnus albacares (Bonnaterre, 1788); Auxis thazard (Lacepède, 1800); Euthynnus affinis (Cantor, 1849)], three species of needlefishes[Ablennes hians (Valenciennes, 1846); Tylosurus crocodilus (Péron et Leseur, 1821); Tylosurus acus melanotus (Bleeker, 1850)], two species of bait fishes [Spratelloides delicatulus (Bennett, 1832); Spratelloides gracilis (Temminck et Schlegel, 1846)], and one species of halfbeak (Hemiramphus archipelagicus Collette et Parin, 1978) contributed to 96% of the total fish landings. The samples were collected from fish landing centers of ten inhabited islands of Lakshadweep from 2015 to 2017. Katsuwonus pelamis showed isometric growth, S. delicatulus and S. gracilis exhibited positive allometry, while negative allometric growth was seen in other species. The coefficient a of the LWR ranged from 0.001 (A. hians) to 0.035 (T. albacares), while b ranged from 2.7 (T. acus melanotus) to 3.4 (S. delicatulus). The results of the presently reported study provide useful biological information on the stock of ten commercially important pelagic fish species supporting the traditional fisheries in Lakshadweep waters.
Grunts (Actinopterygii: Perciformes: Haemulidae) of Bangladesh with two new distributional records from the northern Bay of Bengal assessed by morphometric characters and DNA barcoding
Authors: Habib Kazi Ahsan , Islam Md Jayedul , Nahar Najmun , Rashed Mohammad , Neogi Amit Kumer , Russell Barry
Published: September 2021

Grunts (family Haemulidae) are among the most commercially important fish in Bangladesh. This paper provides brief diagnostic characters of five previously reported grunt species: Plectorhinchus pictus (Thunberg, 1792); Pomadasys andamanensis McKay et Satapoomin, 1994; Pomadasys argenteus (Forsskål, 1775); Pomadasys argyreus (Valenciennes, 1833); Pomadasys maculatus (Bloch, 1793) and two new distributional records: Pomadasys guoraca (Cuvier, 1829) and Plectorhinchus macrospilus Satapoomin et Randall, 2000. The fishes were collected from the Saint Martin’s Island coral reef-like ecosystem and the adjacent sea of the Sundarbans mangrove forest of Bangladesh. The examined specimens were identified and diagnosed based on their morphometric characters and DNA barcoding COI gene. The new records of Pomadasys guoraca and Plectorhinchus macrospilus from Bangladesh greatly extend their distributional range in the Bay of Bengal. An updated checklist of grunts of Bangladesh is provided.
Effect of dietary lipid levels on growth, body composition, and enzyme activities of larvae of butter catfish, Ompok bimaculatus (Actinopterygii: Siluriformes: Siluridae)
Authors: Paul Baidya Nath , Chowdhury Debnarayan , Das Arabinda , Mandal Rathindra Nath , Singh Puja , Adhikari Subhendu , Chakrabarti Partha Pratim , Giri Shiba Sankar , Ghosh Koushik
Published: September 2021

The Indian butter catfish, Ompok bimaculatus (Bloch, 1794), is a high-value catfish that has gained immense consumer preference in South-East Asia. However, information on the nutritional requirements of this species is scanty. Hence, an experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of varying dietary lipid levels on growth, body composition, and activities of digestive and metabolic enzymes in larvae. Three isonitrogenous (40% crude protein) diets were formulated by supplementing fish and vegetable oil (1:1) at 4.5% (D1), 7% (D2), and 9.5% (D3) levels (containing crude lipid 5.7%, 8.0%, and 10.45%, respectively in diets D1–D3) to a fish meal- and oilcake-based formulated diet. Experimental diets were fed to butter catfish larvae (0.15 ± 0.01 g) in triplicate groups for a period of 42 days. Proximate compositions of the experimental diets, as well as fish carcass, were analyzed using standard procedures (AOAC 2005). Digestive and metabolic enzyme activities were analyzed at the completion of the experiment by standard methodology. Butter catfish larvae fed the diet D2 (8% crude lipid) resulted in the best performance in terms of weight gain (final weight 1.40 ± 0.07 g), net weight gain (1.31 ± 0.06 g), specific growth rate (5.50 ± 0.05% · day−1), and protein efficiency ratio (2.39 ± 0.17). The highest lipid deposition (2.90 ± 0.12%) in the carcass was also recorded in fish reared on diet D2. The final weight, net weight gain, protein efficiency ratio, and specific growth rate were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in D2 having 8% lipid. Moisture and lipid contents of the whole body were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in larvae fed diet D2. Amylase activity in fish significantly (P < 0.05) decreased with increasing dietary lipid levels. The maximum alkaline protease, pepsin, and lipase activities were noticed in the larvae fed diet D2. Progressive decrease in liver glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activities and significant increase (P < 0.05) in the activities of neoglucogenic enzymes (glucose-6-phosphatase and fructose-1,6-bis phosphatase) were noticed with an increase in dietary lipid levels. Significantly lower (P < 0.05) activities of LDH, ALT, and AST were recorded in the group fed diet D2. Results of the study indicated that 8% crude lipid in the diet could assure optimum growth and survival of butter catfish larvae during early development. An appraisal on growth, body composition, and digestive as well as metabolic function in the butter catfish larvae recorded in the study might provide some important information to consider application of formulated diets for the larviculture of Ompok bimaculatus.
Population characteristics of the non-indigenous round goby, Neogobius melanostomus (Actinopterygii: Perciformes: Gobiidae), in the eastern Gulf of Finland
Authors: Uspenskiy Anton , Yurtseva Anastasia , Bogdanov Dmitry
Published: September 2021

The round goby, Neogobius melanostomus (Pallas, 1814), is a fish of Ponto-Caspian origin that has been invading the Baltic Sea since the 1990s. Currently, it is abundant and commercially important in some areas of the sea. This species was first reported in the eastern Gulf of Finland (GoF) in 2012. Its occurrence increased thereafter, however it has remained largely unstudied in this region. The aim of this study was to investigate the population characteristics of the round goby in the eastern GoF to better understand its expansion trend and whether it will become abundant enough to be exploited by the local fishery. Fish were caught using multi-mesh gillnets (12–60 mm mesh) and a beach seine (0.5–10 mm mesh). Occurrence, density, catch per unit effort, biomass per unit effort, relative number and biomass in catches, as well as age, size and sex ratio were studied. The species regularly occurred in samplings along the southern coastline of the GoF, as well as some central areas and along the northern coast. Within 2012–2019, its occurrence in catches increased, with the highest frequency in 2015–2019 in shallow waters (<1.5 m) of Koporye Bay (70%) and in the deeper waters of Narva Bay (74%). Similarly, the highest density in the shallow waters was also observed in Koporye Bay (10.0 ind. ∙ 100 m−2), and offshore in Narva Bay. Relative abundance and biomass usually did not exceed 23%, although it reached 93% in Narva Bay. The oldest specimen was five years old. Young-of-the-year (YOY) juveniles predominated in the shallow waters (85%), while three-year-olds prevailed in deeper waters (75%). Among the fish older than two years, females were more predominant (mean ratio 3 to 1), and males were larger than females. Specimens in all life stages were found in the eastern GoF, and their abundance increased annually, suggesting that the round goby has successfully colonized this region of the Baltic Sea. However, compared to other areas of the Baltic Sea inhabited by longer-established populations, its population size is still relatively low.
Implementing GBIF Pipelines in the Atlas of Living Australia: The first step towards alignment and further collaboration
Authors: Molina Javier , Newman Peggy , Martin David , Ruiz Jurado Vicente
Published: September 2021

The Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and the Atlas of Living Australia (ALA) are two leading infrastructures serving the biodiversity community.

In 2020, the ALA’s occurrence records management systems reached end of life after more than 10 years of operation, and the ALA embarked on a project to replace them.

Significant overlap exists in the function of the ALA and GBIF data ingestion pipeline systems. Instead of the ALA developing new systems from scratch, we initiated a project to better align the two infrastructures. The collaboration brings benefits such as the improved reuse of modules and an overall reduction in development and operation costs.

The ALA recently replaced its occurrence ingestion system with GBIF pipelines infrastructure and shared code. This is the first milestone of the broader ALA’s Core Infrastructure Project and some of the benefits from it are a more reliable, performant and scalable system, proven by the ability to ingest more and larger datasets while at the same time reducing infrastructure operational costs by more than 40% compared to the previous system. The new system is a key building block for an improved ingestion framework that is being developed within the ALA. The collaboration between the ALA and GBIF development teams will result in more consistent outputs from their respective processing pipelines. It will also allow the broader collective expertise of both infrastructure communities to inform future development and direction. The ALA’s adoption of GBIF pipelines will pave the way for the Living Atlases community to adopt GBIF systems and also contribute to them.

In this talk we will introduce the project, share insights on how both the teams from the GBIF and the ALA worked together and finally we will delve into details about the technical implementation and benefits.
De quoi parle-t-on quand on parle d’esclavage volontaire à Rome ?
Authors: Reduzzi Merola Francesca
Published: September 2021

Longtemps nié, le fait qu’un homme libre puisse chercher à devenir esclave a véritablement commencé à intéresser les juristes et les historiens romanistes à la suite de la publication de l’article de Paul Veyne et Jacques Ramin. Pourquoi chercher à devenir esclave quand on est libre ? Comment ce passage de la liberté à la servitude s’effectue-t-il ? Comment les juristes antiques et les modernes apprécient-ils ce changement de statut a priori dégradant ? L’auteur s’emploie dans ce texte à dresser le tableau des hypothèses en cours et à proposer de nouvelles pistes de compréhension d’un phénomène dont la nature et l’ampleur méritent un nouveau regard.
Smartphone-based technology for nanomolecular detection of aflatoxin B1 by aptamer-conjugated magnetic nanoparticles
Authors: Rafati A. , Dorosti N. , Gill P.
Published: September 2021

The need for a healthy market in the rapid and accurate screening of a variety of pathogenic agents and toxins in the environment and food has led to an increase in the development of new biosensors, which have ideal characteristics, such as high sensitivity and specificity with rapid detection and simple preparation of the sample. Among the food contaminants, mycotoxins have been identified as a major challenge for the food industry, and rapid and accurate detection has attracted the attention of food inspection and monitoring organisations. In this study, a nanomolecular detection method is described using aflatoxin B1 (AFB1)-specific aptamers attached to streptavidin-coated magnetic nanoparticles. A prominent feature of the AFB1-specific aptamers is a guanine-rich (G-rich) sequence with a G-quadruplex structure after capturing AFB1 molecules and mimicking peroxidase activity. The enzymatic reaction evaluated in the presence of chromogenic substrate and measurement is done by a smartphone-specific application for colorimetric measurement. The results indicated that the assay could measure AFB1 in rice, flour, seed, maize, and pistachio. In addition, the application of hybrid nanomaterial technology resulting from the binding of biotin-labelled aptamers to the surface of streptavidin-coated magnetic nanoparticles minimises preparation and treatment of samples, improves results, and consequently reduces false negative and positive responses in the detection field. This study may eventually lead to the design and development of a fast, sensitive, specific, and on-site AFB1-based nanomolecular colorimetric detection system via a smartphone-based application that can be readily accessible to all applicants, from professionals to manufacturers of foodstuffs.
Optimization of building model based on 5G virtual reality technology in computer vision software
Authors: Zhuang Ziyou ,   Department of Digital media technology, Dalian Neusoft University of Information, Dalian 116023, Liaoning, China
Published: September 2021

The 5G virtual reality system needs to interact with the user to draw the scene in real time. The contradiction between the complexity of the scene model and the real-time interaction is the main problem in the operation of the virtual reality system. The model optimization strategy of architectural scene in virtual reality design is studied, and the method of architectural scene model optimization is summarized. This article aims to study the optimization of computer vision software modeling through 5G virtual reality technology. In this paper, the optimization of the architectural model is studied by the method of image gray scale transformation, computer vision detection technology and virtual modeling technology. The four experiments are comprehensive evaluation and quantitative evaluation, comparison of channel estimation performance of different pilot structures, comparison of calculated and true values of external azimuth elements, and the effect of window-to-wall ratio on energy consumption per unit of residential building. The results show that hollow bricks of building materials have a great impact on the environment. The values of the three pixel coordinates X, Y, and Z calculated by the unit quaternion method are 1.27, 1.3, and -6.11, respectively, while the actual coordinate positions are 1.25, 1.37, and -6.22, respectively. It can be seen that the outer orientation element value calculated by the quaternion-based spatial rear intersection method is not much different from the actual value, and the correct result can be accurately calculated.
Accompagner la professionnalisation des artistes équestres : analyse du processus depuis un comité de pilotage
Authors: Maleyrot Éric
Published: September 2021

Cette contribution présente une recherche collaborative, à partir des travaux d’un comité de pilotage chargé de mettre en œuvre un dispositif de formation innovante pour accompagner la professionnalisation des artistes équestres (AE). L’article analyse les échanges des cinq réunions de ce comité au regard du concept de professionnalisation et de la théorie de l’acteur-réseau. Les résultats montrent que le comité de pilotage constitue espace socio-scientifique pertinent pour étudier les deux dimensions heuristiques et praxéologiques de la recherche technologique. Celui-ci permet, sous condition éthique, non seulement la compréhension des enjeux institutionnels, politiques, sociaux, culturels et économiques du monde des AE mais également la co-construction d’un dispositif de formation pertinente et la production de résultats de nature épistémique sur le processus de professionnalisation des AE.
Enjeux de professionnalisation et rapport à la formation des artistes équestres : approche d’un objet « complexe » soutenue par deux niveaux d’analyse
Authors: Perez-Roux Thérèse
Published: September 2021

Les artistes équestres (AE), aux caractéristiques multiples, sont mal identifiés dans le monde du spectacle vivant. L’enjeu de professionnalisation du secteur n’est pas perçu de façon homogène par les acteurs concernés. La contribution se centre sur le rapport à la formation des AE et prend appui sur un recueil de données pluriel : entretiens semi-directifs (n=31), et entretiens réalisés sur la base de traces de l’activité dans une formation prototypique. Celle-ci, conçue par une équipe de chercheurs dans le cadre d’une recherche technologique, a été vécue en immersion totale durant une semaine (chercheurs et AE). L’approche inter-niveau permet de comprendre les modes d’apprentissage privilégiés dans le parcours des AE ; par ailleurs, elle ouvre sur l’expérience vécue par ces derniers, engagés, avec les chercheurs, dans une formation destinée à éprouver les propositions et à ajuster le projet de professionnalisation. Les résultats ouvrent une réflexion sur ce que cette recherche produit comme savoirs, et sur ce qu’elle engage/transforme au niveau collectif et individuel.
Articulation de deux approches, holiste et analytique, pour étudier le parcours professionnel de l’entrepreneur dirigeant d’entreprise
Authors: Ciobanu-Gout Varvara
Published: September 2021

L’entrepreneuriat est un objet d’étude très convoité et les champs de l’éducation et de la formation ne font pas exception. Cependant, les dernières modélisations du processus entrepreneurial s’accordent sur la complexité de cet objet d’étude. Étudier les processus de professionnalisation de l’entrepreneur, revient ainsi à interroger et réinventer les techniques d’enquête. Cette contribution s’attache à présenter sous un angle méthodologique, une recherche qui s’est donné comme objectif l’étude de la professionnalisation de l’entrepreneur dirigeant d’entreprise. Pour rendre compréhensibles les phénomènes relatifs à ce processus, cette étude articule deux cadres méthodo-théoriques issus du courant biographique : l’enquête ethnosociologique et l’approche biographique en éducation. Ce regard pluriel permet l’étude du processus de professionnalisation dans sa totalité : ancré dans un environnement particulier mais aussi dans un parcours de vie.
Capacidade Inovativa e os Desafios para Empresas Industriais
Authors: Vila Nova Silvânia Da Rocha Medeiros , Bitencourt Claudia Cristina , Müller Neto Hugo Fridolino , Cassia Adalberto Ramos
Published: September 2021

Este artigo examinou o impacto exercido pela capacidade inovativa sobre o desempenho em inovação, considerando a influência da orientação para o mercado em um quadro econômico de baixo crescimento. Utilizou amostra com 244 empresas industriais brasileiras e Modelagem de Equações Estruturais. Os resultados evidenciaram o impacto positivo da capacidade inovativa sobre o desempenho em inovação e o efeito negativo da orientação para o mercado sobre este impacto. O artigo contribui com a literatura ao identificar fatores que influenciam, simultaneamente, o desempenho em inovação em um contexto ambiental restritivo. Gestores de empresas podem utilizar os resultados aqui reportados em suas estratégias que viabilizem a aquisição de novos conhecimentos, utilizando a integração entre a capacidade inovativa e a orientação para o mercado como fatores direcionadores do desempenho em inovação.
Audits in Cybersecurity
Authors: Sabillon Regner
Published: September 2021

The objective of this chapter is to provision a comprehensive literature review of the most relevant approaches for conducting cybersecurity audits. The study includes auditing perspectives for specific scopes and the best practices that many leading organizations are providing for security and auditing professionals to follow. The chapter reviews relevant features for auditing approaches in the following order: ISO/IEC 27001:2013, ISO/IEC 27002:2013, Control Objectives for Information and Related Technology (COBIT) 2019, Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) 4, AICPA, ISACA, NIST SP 800-53, NIST CSF v1.1, IIA, PCI DSS, ITAF, COSO, ENISA, NERC CIP, and CSAM.
Raising Information Security Awareness in the Field of Urban and Regional Planning
Authors: Scholl Margit Christa
Published: September 2021

IT is being increasingly used in most areas of life. With the IoT, this technology is set to be in a state of continuous evolution in urban and regional settings. The ongoing development of digitalization processes also increases the possibilities of abuse—both at the technical and interpersonal level. Better information security (IS) awareness (ISA) and knowledge about the dangers that accompany digitalization and the corresponding protective measures are important in private and work life. However, ISA is often overlooked. Training the relevant awareness and skills should also be included in urban and regional planning for citizens. This article thus provides a review of the scientific literature of leading academic journals in the area of IS and the transfer of scientific knowledge for practical purposes. The article presents Serious Games as a way to achieve a deeper understanding of how to promote sustainable ISA using creative methods. Furthermore, ideas of how to apply the Fun Theory and its practice to integrate awareness into modern urban and regional planning will be discussed.
National Cybersecurity Strategies
Authors: Sabillon Regner
Published: September 2021

This chapter studies the phases to unify our national cybersecurity strategy model (NCSSM) in any nation cyber strategy that is either under development or improvement stages. This methodology consists of developing international cybersecurity strategies, alliances, and cooperation with different stakeholders at all possible levels. The research evaluated the best practices of 10 leading countries and five intergovernmental organizations in terms of developing effective cybersecurity strategies and policies. The authors also assessed a series of cybersecurity best practices that can be aligned with cyber governance and cyber law when countries wish to develop or enhance national cyber strategies. Furthermore, they propose guidelines to audit the national cyber strategies by utilizing their cybersecurity audit model (CSAM). CSAM could be considered for conducting cybersecurity audits in any nation state in pursuance of reviewing and measuring the cybersecurity assurance, maturity, and cyber readiness and to detect the needs to increase cyber awareness to defend and protect critical cyber assets.
AISAP Professional Pathways Innovations
Authors: Witham Peter , Schuermann Patrick , Crampton Janice
Published: September 2021

Over the past 5 years (2016-2021) the Association of Independent School Admission Professionals (AISAP) has engaged in a process of expanding their professional learning and credentialing opportunities for membership. Beginning in 2016, AISAP decided to leverage recent innovations in learning sciences, digital badging, and credentialing to greatly increase the professional learning and assessment experience of its membership. Thus, AISAP embarked upon a process of developing a robust micro-credentialing program and an online credentialing exam which are authentic, accurate, accessible, and add value to participants. This case study provides an overview of the institutional context and purpose of these solutions and then details the process of designing, implementing, and continuously improving these solutions. The case also includes a number of lessons learned and accompanying resources which may be relevant to other organizations considering, or in the midst of, developing similar solutions.
Military-to-Civilian Transition Through Credentials
Authors: Tschirhart Mary , Chen Huang
Published: September 2021

This chapter reviews the United States COOL programs' promotion of certification during military employment to support transition to civilian employment and the CareerOneStop platform which profiles certifications. Some certifications on CareerOneStop have a designation from COOL indicating relevance to military workers. The chapter presents analyses showing that certain types of certifications are more likely to have a military designation than others. In brief, the designation is more likely for accredited and industry-recognized certifications and those tied to occupations with lower annual median wages and predictions of decrease and increase in employment versus a more stable trajectory. Some occupations also significantly differ in the likelihood of a military designation for certifications tied to it. The authors close with a discussion of recommendations including additional questions for consideration.
Business Education Trends in Japan and America
Authors: Fujimori Yutaro
Published: September 2021

This chapter shares the author's academic and career experiences in Japan and America and its influence on his perception towards business education, specifically MBA programs, in America. By sharing his experience, he will compare the business education in Japan and America and its differing perception of entrepreneurism. Comparing these two countries would highlight the current obstacles and future improvement for business education. Compared to business education in Japan, business education in America emphasizes the importance of entrepreneurship within its curriculum.
The Intersection of Confucianism and Western Teaching in Taiwanese Adult Education
Authors: Wang Viktor , Torrisi-Steele Geraldine , Li Shuyan , Han Pi-Chi
Published: September 2021

Adult education is a significant feature of the Taiwanese education landscape and is recognized as significantly contributing to national economic development. Given the importance of adult education in Taiwan, an investigation of teaching approaches and an understanding of interplay of teaching approaches with Taiwanese culture is worthwhile because such investigations provide a platform for reflection and subsequent evolution of teaching approaches. In the present article, the authors delve into the heritage of Taiwan to explore teaching practices from the standpoint of the teachings of Confucius and Western teaching approaches. Data were collected via survey of 39 randomly selected adult educators from premium universities in Tapai along with interviews. The results point to the persistent dominance of Confucian instructional methods despite some use of Western teaching approaches.
Using the Viable System Model to Understand the Roles of Non-Human Actors in Online Communities
Authors: Clancy Zachary M. , Ku Heng-Yu
Published: September 2021

While myriad studies have explored the role of humans in online social media-based communities, fewer studies have examined the roles of non-human actors in those online places. This study uses the actor-network theory and the viable system model to analyze the roles of hashtags communities to gain a better understanding of the larger cybernetic ecosystem in which non-human actors operate. Actor-network theory provides the theoretical understanding that frames this study. The viable system model is a five-tier system based on methods of communication and control in both living and non-living entities. Data sources included fieldnotes, social media profiles, blogs, personal websites, personal communications, interviews, and demographic surveys. Findings suggest that non-human actors have an ability to affect change within the ecosystem, but non-human actors cannot be viewed as viable standalone systems. Viability is only possible when humans participate within the ecosystem at large.
Cloud-Based Fuzzy Keyword Search Scheme Over Encrypted Documents
Authors: Abdallah Hanya M. , Taha Ahmed , Selim Mazen M.
Published: September 2021

With the rapid growth and adoption of cloud computing, more sensitive information is centralized onto the cloud every day. For protecting this sensitive information, it must be encrypted before being outsourced. Current search schemes allow the user to query encrypted data using keywords, but these schemes do not guarantee the privacy of queries (i.e., when the user hits query more than once with the same keywords, the server can capture information about the data). This paper focuses on the secure storage and retrieval of ciphered data with preserving query privacy. The proposed scheme deploys the sparse vector space model to represent each query, which focuses on reducing the storage and representation overheads. And the proposed scheme adds a random number to each query vector. Hence, the cloud server cannot distinguish between queries with the same keywords, which ensures the privacy of the query. Experimental results show that the proposed scheme outperforms other relevant state-of-the-art schemes.
The intention of South Africans to engage in collaborative consumption: The case of Uber
Authors: Berndt Adele , Pretorius Anmar , Blaauw Derick
Published: September 2021

Orientation: The idea of collaborative consumption is developing among consumers, where underutilised or excess resources, skills and money are shared among peers for compensation. Collaborative consumption involves sharing, and as such, Uber, an app-based transport service enables those with spare vehicle capacity to provide a fee-based transport solution.Research purpose: This study investigates the intention to use this service in a South African context, specifically through the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) because of the suitability of these models in this context. Differences between regular and seldom users are also examined.Motivation for the study: With the widespread use of Uber in South Africa, understanding the factors contributing to the intention to use Uber requires examination.Research design, approach and method: Data were collected using a quantitative survey among panel respondents of South Africans, using electronic data collection. The research instrument comprised pre-existing items measured on a 6-point Likert scale. A total of 367 usable responses were received. Data analysis included testing for differences in means (t-test, Satterthwaite-Welch t-test, Anova F-test, Welch F-test) as well as regression analysis (by means of multiple regressions and two-stage least squares).Main findings: The findings indicate that South Africans intend to use the service largely due to their positive attitude towards the service, the perceived usefulness (PU) of the app and perceived behavioural (PB) control associated with the service. The value of the app has been highlighted in this research, and the importance of its functioning is evident.Practical/managerial implications: The importance of providing a positive service experience impacts the intention to use the service in the future. This emphasises the importance of the service itself and the functioning of the app.Contribution/value-add: Understanding the intention to use this service enables further development of this app and associated services.
Theology and culture in dialogue towards harmonious multi-religious and multi-cultural South Africa
Authors: Resane Kelebogile T.
Published: September 2021

South Africa is the country of many cultures and many religions. This diversity had not created or led to significant internal strife, especially after 1994 when South Africa entered the era of democracy from the shackles of colonialism and apartheid. The previous regimes marginalised cultures as tools of unity, but preferred to use them as tools of separation, segregation, and isolation. This context calls for some dialogue between theology and cultures within South African multi-cultural and multi-religious context. Social divisions perpetuate discrimination based on culture and religion. The scope of this article is to demonstrate that when theology and culture have a dialogue with each other, an understanding of each other is heightened and harmony becomes inevitable. Through literature on history, sociology, theology, and current events, the hypothesis was made that there is a gap between culture and theology. This has created divisions in societies. Conclusions are based on theological findings that when dialogue is used, people of different cultures and religions come to understand each other. Dialogue is a biblical and theological tool to unite diverse people. It brings mutual understanding and promote cooperation and coexistence. South Africa can be a united diversified society living in peace if dialogue is given a chance. As much as there can be understanding and acceptance of people of other cultures and religions, there can be some resistance due to the historical legacy of separateness and societal isolation. Openness to others and dialoguing with them, however, breaks down walls of hostility.Contribution: This article demonstrates the importance of theo-cultural interaction within a multi-cultural and multi-religious society. It points out the importance of the theology of dialogue engaging culture and theology to build a harmonious coexistence in a diverse society such as South Africa.
Retail pharmacy prescription medicines’ availability, prices and affordability in Eswatini
Authors: Shambira Garikai , Suleman Fatima
Published: September 2021

Background: Limited availability of medicines in public facilities and unaffordable prices in the private sector act as barriers to medicines’ access. Patients in Eswatini may be forced to buy medicine from the private sector resulting from chronic medicines’ shortages in public health facilities. The extent to which they can afford to do so is unknown.Aim: To determine the availability, price and affordability of medicines in the retail pharmacies in Eswatini, and to compare the results regionally and internationally.Setting: Retail pharmacy sector in the four administrative regions of Eswatini.Methods: Data on availability, price and affordability to patients for 50 medicines in the originator brand (OB) and the lowest priced generic (LPG) equivalent, were collated using the standardised World Health Organization/Health Action International methodology from 32 retail pharmacies in the four regions of Eswatini. Prices were then compared with selected countries.Results: The overall mean availability of all medicines in selected retail pharmacies was 38.5%; standard deviation [s.d.] = 20.4% for OBs and 80.9%; s.d. = 19.0% for LPGs. The overall median price ratio (MPR) in the surveyed pharmacies was 18.61 for the OBs and 4.67 for LPGs. Most standard treatments with LPGs cost less than a day’s wages whilst for OBs cost more than a day’s wages. The differences between Eswatini and South African prices were statistically significant.Conclusion: Drug pricing policies and price monitoring tools are needed for the whole pharmaceutical chain in Eswatini to monitor availability, affordability and accessibility of medicines to the general populace.
Mini-Workshop: Nonlocal Analysis and the Geometry of Embeddings
Authors: Blatt Simon , Reiter Philipp , Schikorra Armin
Published: September 2021

Both self-avoidance and self-contact of geometric objects can be modeled using repulsive energies that separate isotopy classes. Giving rise to nonlocal operators, they are interesting objects in their own right. Moreover, their analytical structure allows for devising numerical schemes enjoying robust features such as energy stability. This workshop aimed at discussing recent trends in this matter, including potential applications to modeling.
History of Mathematics: A Global Cultural Approach
Authors: Bullynck Maarten , Montelle Clemency , Remmert Volker , Rowe David E.
Published: September 2021

The primary purpose of this workshop was to take account of progress on an ongoing six-volume cultural history of mathematics from antiquity to the present. This project is led by nine editors working with a large team of authors. Since the workshop had to be held remotely, it took the form of various group meetings held throughout the week. The final session involved assessments by editors of the six volumes with an eye toward completing the project by the end of 2021. The abstracts below summarize the contents of the individual chapters in the entire project, which will be published in Bloomsbury’s cultural history series.
Combined Impact of Positive Screen for Sarcopenia and Frailty on Physical Function, Cognition and Nutrition in the Community Dwelling Older Adult
Authors: Lee Hsien Xiong , Yeo Audrey , Tan Cai Ning , Yew Suzanne , Tay Laura , Ding Yew Yoong , Lim Wee Shiong
Published: September 2021

Background: While sarcopenia and frailty independently contribute to functional impairment and disability, the combined impact resulting from their interplay is unclear. We investigated if functional, physical, cognitive, and nutritional measures were more adversely affected in community-dwelling older adults who were screened positive for both frailty and sarcopenia.Methods: Using the FRAIL (≥1) and SARC-F (Strength, Assistance with walking, Rising from a chair, Climbing stairs, and Falls) (≥1) scales for screening, we categorized 200 participants (age, 67.9±7.9 years) as combined (both positive, 12.5%), intermediate (either positive, 25.5%), or robust (both negative, 62%). Results: Comparisons of the three groups showed that the combined group had significantly worse functional ability (Frenchay Activities Index and Modified Barthel Index), physical performance (knee extension, gait speed, and Short Physical Performance Battery score), cognition/mood (Chinese Mini-Mental State Examination [CMMSE] score and Geriatric Depression Scale), and nutrition (Mini Nutritional Assessment [MNA] score) (p<0.05, one-way analysis of variance). Post-hoc comparisons revealed similar findings between the combined and robust groups, except for knee extension and CMMSE scores. Only MNA scores were significantly lower between the intermediate and robust groups. Conclusion: Functional ability, physical performance, and nutrition were more adversely affected in our study population of community-dwelling older adults who screened positive for both frailty and sarcopenia than in those who screened positive for either or neither, supporting the use of community screening for early detection and intervention for both frailty and sarcopenia as opposed to either alone.
Racing Toward Zero: The Untold Story of Driving Green
Authors:   Convergent Science, Inc., Senecal Kelly , Leach Felix ,   Associate Professor of Engineering Science at the University of Oxford
Published: September 2021

In Racing Toward Zero, the authors explore the issues inherent in developing sustainable transportation. They review the types of propulsion systems and vehicle options, discuss low-carbon fuels and alternative energy sources, and examine the role of regulation in curbing emissions. All technologies have an impact on the environment, from internal combustion engine vehicles to battery electric vehicles, fuel cell electric vehicles, and hybrids-there is no silver bullet. The battery electric vehicle may seem the obvious path to a sustainable, carbon-free transportation future, but it's not the only, nor necessarily the best, path forward. The vast majority of vehicles today use the internal combustion engine (ICE), and this is unlikely to change anytime soon. Improving the ICE and its fuels-entering a new ICE age-must be a main route on the road to zero emissions. How do we go green? The future requires a balanced approach to transportation. It's not a matter of choosing between combustion or electrification; it's combustion and electrification. As the authors say, "The future is eclectic." By harnessing the best qualities of both technologies, we will be in the best position to address our transportation future as quickly as possible.