bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The role of process re-engineering as a management accounting method in developing financial performance
Authors: Khzir Karzan Adnan , Mahmood Rafiq Faraj
Published: July 2020

This research aims to indicate the impact of reengineering process on the development of financial performance of the Human Development University. In order to do so, the research relies on qualitative approach and collects data based questionnaire distributed among faculty members and staff of the university. In addition, the research applies reengineering process and investigates the possibility of improving and developing it aiming to improve the efficiency and increase the effectiveness of the financial departments’ operations of the University of Human Development.

The findings of this study claim that reengineering process application has led to the creation of substantial amendments to the university systems. Furthermore, there is a strong correlation between the reengineering process and the development of financial performance. In conclusion, study suggests that the Human Development University need to improve its financial performance.
Semiotics of the fairy image of the Kurds in the Arab heritage
Authors: Saeed Shahoo
Published: July 2020

يقدم هذا البحث مقاربة سيميائية لحكايات وروايات خرافية عن الكورد وأصلهم ونسبهم، حسبما ورد في بعض الكتب المصنّفة ضمن التراث المكتوب باللغة العربية. ويهدف البحث الى استخلاص الدلالات الكامنة وراء تلك الصور المرسومة للكورد، بوصفها دوالاً وإشارات سيميائية وردت في أكثر من مناسبة، ومن قبل أكثر من مؤلف وكاتب. وبذلك، لا يحقق الباحث في القيمة التاريخية لتلك الروايات، بقدر ما يحاول استكناه المرجعيات الثقافية التي أنتجتها في سياقات تاريخية معينة. ويستهل الباحث هذه الدراسة بمدخل نظري، تليه قراءات سيميائية لأبرز الصور المرسومة للكورد، فيما يتعلق بخرافة السلالة والموطن والهوية.
Russian influence and its challenges in Central Asia
Authors: Saeed Nasser Duraid , Rahim Luqman Hakim
Published: July 2020

تعتبر منطقة اسيا الوسطى اول وأهم المناطق التي رست فيها سراميك النفوذ الروسي بعد سقوط الاتحاد السوفيتي مباشرة وبلا اي عوائق تذكر، لاسيما إذا ماتذكرنا الصراع الروسي المحتدم لاستعادة النفوذ السوفيتي في شرق اوربا سواء مع شعوب ونخب تلك المنطقة سياسياً او مع الغرب الاوربي والامريكي على حد سواء ((باستثناء بيلاروسيا التي انضوت ومازالت تحت خيمة موسكو وصربيا التي حاولت لفترة ان تستظل بموسكو هرباً بسجلها الجنائي الاجرامي مع بقية قوميات يوغسلافيا السابقة وبضعة احزاب شيوعية او اشتراكية او سلطوية في دول اوربا الشرقية السابقة تستقوي ايضاً بموسكو ضد الغرب مستفيدة في موجات النوستالجيا الشيوعية السابقة)). او الصراع الروسي الحالي لاستعادة نفوذها القديم في الشرق الاوسط (والمعمر بالدم وبكثير من الرفض سواء من قبل اكثرية شعوب المنطقة او من الغرب على حد سواء)، وهكذا انتقل النفوذ الروسي بنوع من السلاسة الواضحة من مرحلة موسكو الشيوعيه الى موسكو الغير شيوعية على اسيا الوسطى.
Shia armed groups in the Middle East And its impact on Iraq's political systems as a model
Authors: Kakarash Tareq , Rashid Kardo Kareem
Published: July 2020

معظم الآراء السياسة تقول أن السبب الرئيس لظهور المليشيات في العراق ،هو نظام الحكم فيه، الذي أعتمدعلى الطائفية في بناء مؤسسات الدولة، والتكتل السياسي، وإستيراد الأعراق المختلفة ودمجها بالشعب، وتلاحظ مثل هذه السياسة تاريخياً في نظام الحكم الإسلامي ،اذ أستقدم الأعراق المختلفة للحكم كالأتراك، وكذلك مجيء المماليك في حكم الدولة العباسية في العصر الثاني والثالث، وأصبحت الميليشيات سمة من سمات الدولة العراقية الحديثة سواء خلال عقود الهيمنة البريطانية، أوخلال الحكم الملكي، أو عبر عقود الإستقلال الوطني وإعلان الحكم  الجمهوري بعد ثورة 14 تموز 1958، وإلى يومنا هذا في ظل الإحتلال الأمريكي .
Detecting Mistranslations Based on Logical Judgement: The Case of English-Kurdish Translation Test at the University Level
Authors: Rasul Sabir Hasan
Published: July 2020

This paper explores the possibility of detecting mistranslations based on logical judgement. The paper examines translations carried out from English into Kurdish by translation trainees at the university level. The importance of this method of translation assessment is that the target text (TT) alone is sufficient for the purpose of identifying mistranslations based on logical judgement, without any reference to the source text (ST). The logical judgement can be based on an established fact, general knowledge or common sense. This model of translation assessment is particularly important in translation settings where the process of translation revision is carried out on the translation product alone due to time constraints, such as in the case of journalistic translation. The model can be crucial for translation students and translation examiners alike. On the one hand, it will help translation students to avoid mistranslations that run against logic. On the other hand, it will help translation examiners to detect such mistranslations if and when they occur in an actual translation.
Insurance on the risks of the oil industry a comparative study between the Iraqi and Norwegian laws
Authors: Hussain Rewaz Fayaq
Published: July 2020

تعد الصناعة النفطية من الصناعات التي تتعرض لمخاطر استثنائية في جميع علياتها،وبما ان هذه المخاطر تتسبب في أضرار هائلة تستوجب الإصلاح والتعويض،فإن فرض الحماية التأمينية في القطاع النفطي من خلال التأمين على مخاطرها لدى شركات التأمين الوطنية أم الأجنبية أمر يستوجب الدراسة.
E-learning Competencies of the Lecturers at Koya University and its Relationship with Some Variables*
Authors: Abdul-Rahman Jabbar Ahmed , Abdullah Zhwan Dalshad
Published: July 2020

Knowing the ability and willingness of lecturers in using technology tasks is a key competency, necessary for learning and teaching.  This study aimed to explore the list of e-learning competencies that university lecturers should have, and identify the availability of e-learning competencies of Koya University lecturers. The results revealed that e-learning competencies achieved good level among Koya University teaching staff, and also found no statistically significant differences between male and female lecturers in their e-learning competencies. The faculty of Engineering outweighs both faculties of Humanities and Education, and the faculty of Science and Health outweigh the faculty of Humanities in their e-learning competencies. Additionally, there were no significant differences between lecturers according to academic ranks in their e-learning competencies.
The Reality of Ethics and the Ways of strengthening them to Prevent Corruption
Authors: Muhammad Farooq H , Mustafa Areean
Published: July 2020

This study highlights the concept of management ethics and its role in the prevention of corruption.  Generally, it is an attempt to put the approach to the management ethics and strengthen the moral culture that pious of corruption which had widespread within the developing countries since decades. In this study, the descriptive analysis methodology has been used. The data on the dimensions of the study is collected through a review of the relevant literature and previous studies. The research results showed that the individual morality building and ethics compliances have a vital role in preventing corruption rather than uncovering and exposing the involved persons too late. The bottom line is the construction of the ethics of the administration less costs than the demolition of corruption. Based on the results of the study, the researchers recommend a number of management ethics measures for the prevention of administrative corruption. The respondents preferred the implicit forms more than the explicit form. Among the best explicit forms that have been chosen, they prefer the training and education of ethics, the search for the causes of immoral acts and the crafting of codes of ethics respectively.

Overall recommendations call for an important point which can be named as institutionalizing for ethics through a number of implicit and explicit measures.
An Eco-Critical Inquiry of John Keats and William Wordsworth’s Selected Poems: A Comparative Study
Authors: Mohammed Saman Ali
Published: July 2020

Literature has uniquely played a fundamental role as a reproductive medium or stage where great theories are experientially shown from which one can gain better understanding of human place, its characteristics and human refinement in such a place. Eco-critically exploring the ways that these authors have depicted land and/or nature in their writing, this research argues that their works philosophically display a consciousness of the nature of man and the natural world and exhibit an ecological and environmental consciousness.
The romantic poets were deeply concerned about what nature is and what one can gain from it, and this research attempts at eco-critically discovering the very linkage these writers have portrayed between culture and nature. This research maintains that there are eco-critical characteristics in their approach to the relationship between human being and his natural surroundings. These poets’ concerns about the nature-human relationship tend to be an inquiry on the condition and the place of man. Portraying their understanding of the existence of the natural elements and their evaluation of human existence, culture, and the individuals’ lives are crucial aspects of their artistic legacy.
The Effect of Using a Learning JOURNAL in Teaching Semantics on the Tertiary Level Juniors’ Achievements
Authors: Muhammad Ghayda Ali
Published: July 2020

This research-paper was dedicated to investigate the effects of using a largely learner-centered approach (namely a learning JOURNAL) to teach semantics to tertiary level juniors.

An experiment was designed to involve the junior-learners at the Department of English-School of Languages-faculty of Humanities-University of Zakho as a research-sample during the academic-year 2014-2015.

The experimental design was based on dividing the research–sample into 2 groups; (experimental group) and (control group). The same approach in instruction was almost wholly used with both groups except that the experimental group learners, after every assignment’s representation made in the classroom, were asked to write down, whatever ideas elicited from the presentation, in a journal technically called by the study as a Learning JOURNAL. One of the aims of the study was to find out if the learners could develop learner-led syllabus by means of writing in the presumed Learning JOURNA, as well as to find out whether using such a JOURNAL would have an effect on the learners’ achievements in both, the formal tests and the summative tests. Then, in order to measure, on part of the learners, the benefits, the said approach in teaching semantics, a questionnaire was designed to get feedback from the learners.

Finally, the study arrived at a variety of findings, which all mostly poured to the benefit of using the Learning JOURNAL as a tool in teaching, whether in the learners’ achievements or in the instruction process; all manifested by improvement in the achievements of the experimental group and its members’ ability to develop a learner-led syllabus to be sued as major reference in reviews for examination.
Wireless Control and Monitoring of Industrial Processes by AVR and LabVIEW
Authors: Fadhil Tamara Z.
Published: July 2020

This paper presents expansion, enhancement, design and implementation of wireless SCADA systems to control a variety of industrial processes from a master location which include authorizing vast monitoring for pipelines, natural gas, petroleum fields, water and transportation systems, chemical plants, utilities, oil refineries, power generation, electrical grid and an immense assortment of industrialization functionality. The control of environmental temperature, oil pressure, gases concentration, fuel tank level in power industrial plant had been collected and analyzed with a high power capacity 1 MW, based on Master terminal unit (MTU) design for data acquisition from Remote Terminal Unit (RTU) sensors and wireless data transfer  using 2.4 GHz RF module, makes sensors data collection come true.
Evaluation of inkurdish Machine Translation System
Authors: Kaka-Khan Kanaan Mikael , Taher Fatima Jalal
Published: July 2020

Lack of having a perfect machine translation for Kurdish language is a huge gap in Kurdish Language processing (KNLP). inkurdish is a first machine translation system for Kurdish language which is capable of translating English into Kurdish sentences. Building "inkurdish" machine translation system was a great point regarding Kurdish language processing, but like any other translation system has strengths as well as many shortcomings and issues. This paper tries to evaluate inkurdish machine translation system according to both linguistics and computational issues. It might help any other researchers interested in doing research in this field. It attempts to evaluate inKurdish from different perspectives, such as, giving un common words, sentences,  phrases and paragraphs in this machine to check whether it provides the correct translation or not. A general evaluation can be done after getting a valid sample with their translations from the machine and compared to the meanings of the words outside the machine.
The investment environment in the Kurdistan region of Iraq and its effect on attracting investment for the time period (2006-2016)
Authors: Haji Idrees Ramadhan
Published: July 2020

It kicks off search of a problem that it is in spite of the presence of some ingredients key to the economy of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and of the natural, human and financial resources, but there is a lack clear and real investments, whether it is domestic or foreign, so there is an urgent need to create and that are related to encouraging and attractive investment environment largely political, security and economic stability. From this point of research is to analyze the investment environment in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, as well as determine aspects of attracting domestic and foreign funds and economic sectors of the capital. To achieve this goal, the research on descriptive analysis and comparative analysis of the reality of the investment environment in the Kurdistan region of Iraq on the basis of the available data and information support. The most important findings of the research that the investment environment in the Kurdistan region of Iraq weak and need a lot of administrative and economic changes in the area of ​​creation of elements to attract local and foreign investment. And then propose a number of proposals from the most important need for government intervention to adopt a clear and appropriate strategies concerning the basic components of the investment environment by giving role and priority to the private sector alongside the public sector, and make some adjustments in the investment law for the benefit of investors on the one hand, and the specificity of the sectors in the Kurdistan Region of On the other hand.
The Influence of Arabic on the Kurdish Language Book (DOO Rashta) Model
Authors: Nasrualldeen Abduallah Adham
Published: July 2020

This paper studies the influence of the Arabic language on the Kurdish language, to what extent the Kurdish language is influenced by the Arabic language and the forms of this linguistic influence. It is well-known that the non-Arabic speaking Islamic peoples were much influenced by the language of the Holy Quran. This is so because they need to understand the teachings of Islam. The aim of the present study is to reveal the forms in which the Kurdish language is influenced by the Arabic language and the forms in which Arabic words are used in the Kurdish language. This influence is manifested in three issues:

The influence of Arabic on the Kurdish language by vocabularies which have retained their Arabic morphological and phonological structure.

Its influence on the Kurdish language by vocabularies which obey the grammar of the Kurdish language, i.e. they are attached to Kurdish pronouns and used in the negative and interrogative according to the rules of the Kurdish language.

Its influence on the Kurdish language by replacing some sounds in the Arabic words by other sounds consistent with the linguistic use of the Kurdish language. The reason behind that is the proximity or the sameness of the place of articulation.

Its influence on the Kurdish language by replacing some sounds in the Arabic words by other sounds consistent with the linguistic use of the Kurdish language due to the features of the sound.
The extent possibility of implementing balanced scorecard within manufacturing industries sector in Sulaymaneyah Governorate
Authors: Muhammad Farooq H
Published: July 2020

This research is part of a broader investigation into disclosing the reasons behind the impossibility of applying advanced management techniques and tools in developing countries. The aim of this research is to find out the availability of requirements and then obstacles in applying the balanced scorecard method in the manufacturing sector because of the importance of this sector in economic development. The importance of choosing the province of Sulaymaneyah as a research population place is due to according to the industrial indicators of the Kurdistan Region Statistics Authority and the Iraq's Central Statistics Organization; the province is considered a more developed model in the industrial sector in Iraq and contains high proportion of small, medium and large, miscellaneous enterprises. The research adopted an analytical descriptive method, where secondary data was collected through a comprehensive survey and access to what was written previously on relevant and then collecting primary data through conducting the questionnaire, in addition to field visits and access to the archive of information on these projects in the relevant directorates. Then the descriptive and inferential statistics were used to organize, display and analyze the data and to arrive at accurate results and realistic conclusions and so that the researcher formulated a set of recommendations according to the conclusions. The results showed that the financial perspective remains the highest priority among all other perspectives (Customers, Internal processes, learning and growth) perspective. And most of the firms lack strategic management and they do not have the basic requirements and there are actually a number of obstacles to the application of this tool. It is expected that the results and recommendations help the decision makers of industrial enterprises to adopt and move towards the implementation of the Balanced Scorecard more broadly.  The results of the research confirm some of the prevailing theoretical concepts and recommendations provide possible solutions or help for institutional changes to enhance performance management generally. Finally, the numbers of the future research were proposed.
Colour Semiotics in Sherko Bekas’s Poetry:	Rangdan Collection as an Example
Authors: Raouf Luqman
Published: July 2020

Semiotics is one of the modern critical methods of postmodernism in which through signs, it digs deep into the depth of a text.Sherko Bekas’s Rangdan collection is one of the collections in which signs are used abundantly because the poet uses colours 1219 times and many words are used as signs. The most used colours are blue, black, red and white. Each of these colours has its own meanings and implications in different cultures and texts; it has its role on people’s views, and it depicts roles of colours in relations to the lives of people. Hence, the use of Rangdan, which means the collection of colours, is not without purpose, but it has everything to do with environmental, psychological, intellectual and cultural aspects of life.
The legal interests between religious thoughts and economic requirements
Authors: Omer Saman Fawzi , Rashid Hunar Rahma
Published: July 2020

The current research as(The legal interests between religious thoughts and economic requirements)deals with a very complex and sensitive subject ,not in our time and country only ,but in almost all courses of the history and the countries as well .this could be explained by the fact that unless this subject is well-regulated by the law, the human greed and selfishness will inevitably lead to the needy man being badly exploited by the superior others who adhere to the” interests” so most ancient jurisprudence and religious thoughts had regulated the subject of “interests” once by the specification of the interests and once by strictly forbidding it. However and under the pressure of the new economic realistic needs and requirements, the most laws of world countries, including the Islamic states, the constitution of which stipulates that no anti-Islamic legislation could be passed and issued-have adapted the interest, allowing   the dealers to ask for it, but through its regulation by or irreversible ordering rules .so, our topic is important as  it deals with the” interest” in Iraqi civil law which was first issued before more than 65 years , in association with the commercial laws, comparing them with each others on one side, and to the laws of  countries other than Iraq, this is performed so that we can see how far the interest regulating harmonious and compatible with the economic requirements bearing in mind the new opinions and thoughts regarding the interests and their validity, as it achieve the aims of law, equity and the use of society.
Adverbial Infinitive in English and its Counterpart in Arabic with Reference to Translation
Authors: Sayer Inaad Mutlib
Published: July 2020

This paper tackles adverbial infinitive in English and its counterpart in Arabic with reference to translation. The aim of the paper is to highlight the points of similarity and diffirence between English and Arabic as far as adverbial infinitive is concerned. The paper also aims at giving suggestions for translating English adverbial infinitive into Arabic and vice versa. The procedure followed in the present paper is to directly compare between the uses of the English infinitive as adverbial and their Arabic equivalent uses to find out in what aspects they are similar and in what aspects they are different. Syntactically, the results show that infinitive in both English and Arabic can be used as adjunct; however, only in English the infinitive can be disjunct or conjunct. Semantically, the infinitive in both languages can express purpose, result, time, reason, condition, exception, and preference. However, there are differences in the details of the uses of the infinitive in each language. Yet, only English has infinitive as comparison, and only Arabic has infinitive as similarity. The study has provided suggestions for translating English adverbial infinitive into Arabic and for translating the Arabic counterpart of English adverbial infinitive into English.
Impacts of Syrian Crisis on Turkish-Iranian Relations: (Rojava Factor)
Authors: Ali Othman , Ismail Zhirwan A.
Published: July 2020

The Syrian crisis in general and the Northern Syria (Rojava) cantons have a profound impact on Turkish-Iranian relations.  We have a paradox here where the Kurdish factor seems to have initially driven Iran and Turkey a part and complicated the bilateral relations between the two countries.  However, the Rojava factor has recently forced the two countries to some form of regional cooperation and in the future the desire of Turkey and Iran to prevent the emergence of a Kurdish entity in Northern Syria will be a strengthening factor for the bilateral relations.  It is anticipated that Syrian and Iraqi regimes which share the same concern will join Turkey and Iran in this regional effort to contain or even destroy the Rojava experience.  Nevertheless, the success of this regional effort will be dependent on the future of Russian and American stand towards Rojava.

In this paper, the factor of non-state actors in the current situation of the Middle East has been explained.  The reasons of changing the traditional political map of the Middle East have been mentioned.  Then specifically while talking about the Syrian crisis, Turkey and Iran have been focused on while they have been working for implementing their own political agendas in Syria.  The impact of Syrian crisis in general on Turkish-Iranian relations has been explained.  We then have particularly mentioned the rise of Rojava (the North Western part of Syria) as the main reason that affected the regional policies of Turkey and Iran.  In the rise of Rojava, we have answered questions like who is supporting Rojava and why?  Then we have proceed to explain and analyze the different views with which Iran and Turkey initially had about the emergence of Rojava Regime.  Here in this stage, we have tried to give four main groups that have an effective role in the crisis.  When we understand the nature of these groups, their antagonists and their supporters, we will almost understand the goals and interests of each main actor that supporting them including Iran and Turkey.  Finally, we will reflect upon the Iranian ambitions and strategic goals in the region, taking Syria as an example, and why Turkey is trying to limit the hegemony of Ira
The Roles of French and English Characters in Dickens's Representation of the French Revolution; ‘A Tale of Two Cities’
Authors: Mohammed Jwan Adil
Published: July 2020

The novel, “A Tale of Two Cities” is the portrayal of dilemma of peasantry of France demoralised by the aristocracy of France in the year led to the revolution. The novel spotlights the unjust French culture against the fair English system that transforms the life of all characters (some belonging to England and others having their origin in France). The novel borrows the idea of French revolution to support the story.

This paper consists of three sections; the first section is the core that holds critical analysis, arguments and assessments of the characters and their roles such as Charles Darnay, Dr. Alexandre Manette and some others. Next the paper presents the relations among the characters; how the characters tie together through the events that launch in the story. This section spots the themes that can be drawn out of the whole plot and the significance of characters can be drawn from there – tying characters into commonalities and meaningfully assigning the weight that Dickens has intended to grant each character with. In addition, the last section will shed light on the critical analysis of Charles Dickens “A Tale of Two Cities” with Rousseau. Finally, the paper ends with a brief conclusion and a list of references.
The Impact of Rentier Economy on political system
Authors: Abdullah Kanaan Hamagharib , Abubakr Radwan
Published: July 2020

This study investigates the rentier economy and its impact on the political system. This study claims that the adoption of renter economy which leads to the emergence of political system which is not able to allow the accountability in any way. The inductive approach was employed to investigate the research argument. The research found that the state which relies on exporting natural resource to cover the public expenses tend to does not allow the accountability in government departments. In hence, the renter economy does not allow the political system to become democracy.
League of Arab States and the European Union (defects of the voting mechanism and its results)
Authors: Kakarash Tareq , Ismail Karwan
Published: July 2020

This study examines the League of Arabic States and the European Union (the shortcomings of the voting mechanism and its results a comparative study) how these regional organizations have emerged and the reasons for their emergence. These organizations have been formed to avoid conflicts and tensions in the regions that host member states of these regional organizations. Also Consolidate and enhance the relationships between these States by committing to the Constitution of the Organization. The main question in this research is whether these regional organizations have been able to achieve their main objectives, whether they have been able to prevent members from not violating the provisions of the Charter of the Organization, and on the other hand have they been able to solve the dilemma of voting and the commitment of members to the decisions they make. The research was able to answer these questions as well as to clarify the mechanism of voting and how members adhere to the decisions issued by the organization and the penalty of non-compliance, especially in the crucial decisions issued by the organization, and a comparison between the mechanism of voting in both organizations. This research was concluded after reaching a set of conclusions and recommendations.
Governance of Public Budget Legislation
Authors: Saeed Dana Abdul Karim , Abdulla Kardo Abubakr
Published: July 2020

Accommodating the basic principles of corporate governance comes from transparency, participation and accountability, through a system of laws, regulations and disciplinary decisions, to change the concept and content of state budget, from just legislation to legalize public revenue and public expenditures in its traditional numeric terms related to the traditional role of governments, to solid legislation that reflects the medium and long-term plans, programs and strategies, aiming at achieving political, economic, social and development goals, and the extent to which these programs can monitor the required progress and sustainable growth in the infrastructure and public services sectors of rational contemporary state.

This development copes with, in the content and objectives of the public budget (state budget), the evolution of administrative and financial systems, concepts of strategic planning, efficiency in performance, quality and discrimination measurement, and the citizen’s role in political life due to their continuous access to accessible information and data, and thus an increased oversight role in supervision and accountability about the optimal use of funds and resources, achieving social justice, eliminating financial and administrative corruption and holding those responsible accountable.
Effectiveness of a Transdiagnostic Guided Internet-Delivered Protocol for Emotional Disorders Versus Treatment as Usual in Specialized Care: Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: González-Robles Alberto , Díaz-García Amanda , García-Palacios Azucena , Roca Pablo , Ramos-Quiroga Josep Antoni , Botella Cristina
Published: July 2020

Background

Anxiety disorders and depression (emotional disorders) are highly prevalent mental disorders. Extensive empirical evidence supports the efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for the treatment of these disorders. However, there are still some barriers related to their dissemination and implementation, which make it difficult for patients to receive these treatments, especially in public health care settings where resources are limited. Recent advances in improving CBT dissemination encompass different perspectives. One is the transdiagnostic approach, which offers treatment protocols that can be used for a range of emotional disorders. Another approach is the use of the internet to reach a larger number of people who could benefit from CBT.

Objective

This study aimed to analyze the effectiveness and acceptability of a transdiagnostic internet-delivered protocol (EmotionRegulation) with human and automated guidance in patients from public specialized mental health care settings.

Methods

A 2-armed randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted to compare the effectiveness of EmotionRegulation with treatment as usual (TAU) in specialized mental health care. In all, 214 participants were randomly assigned to receive either EmotionRegulation (n=106) or TAU (n=108). Measurement assessments were conducted at pre- and postintervention and at a 3-month follow-up.

Results

The results revealed the superiority of EmotionRegulation over TAU on measures of depression (d=0.41), anxiety (d=0.35), and health-related quality of life (d=−0.45) at posttreatment, and these gains were maintained at the 3-month follow-up. Furthermore, the results for expectations and opinions showed that EmotionRegulation was well accepted by participants.

Conclusions

EmotionRegulation was more effective than TAU for the treatment of emotional disorders in the Spanish public mental health system. The implications of this RCT, limitations, and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02345668; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02345668
Management and Treatment of Concussions via Tele-Concussion in a Pediatric Setting: Methodological Approach and Descriptive Analysis
Authors: Caze II Todd , Knell Gregory P , Abt John , Burkhart Scott O
Published: July 2020

Background

Approximately 2 million children in the United States sustain a concussion annually, resulting in an economic impact as high as US $20 billion. Patients who receive treatment at concussion specialty clinics, versus primary care, experience faster recovery, thereby reducing patient burden and subsequent medical-related costs. Accessibility to specialty clinics is typically limited by the availability of in-office visits. This is particularly relevant in light of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 pandemic and subsequent guidance to eliminate all non–medically necessary in-clinic visits. Telehealth has been used to effectively deliver in-clinic care across several disciplines including psychiatry, psychology, and neuropsychology. However, a model of telehealth delivered concussion assessment, treatment, and management has not been established.

Objective

The purposes of this paper are to describe a pediatric concussion specialty clinic’s experiences in delivering telehealth concussion services and to provide preliminary descriptive data on a sample of pediatric telehealth patients with concussions.

Methods

The specialty pediatric concussion clinic described here began providing telehealth services in 2019 and is part of the largest and fastest-growing telehealth hospital network in the United States. The clinical care process will be described, including accessing the telehealth platform, assessment during the initial appointment, injury management including communication with relevant patient stakeholders (eg, parent or guardians, athletic trainers), dissemination of rehabilitation exercises, and nature of follow-up visits. Descriptive data will include patient demographics, the radius of care, the time between the date of injury and initial visit, the average number of follow-up visits, and days until medically cleared for return-to-learn and return-to-play.

Results

The analytic sample included 18 patients with concussions who were seen for all of their visits via telehealth between August 2019 and April 2020. The mean age of the sample was 14.5 (SD 2.5) years. The radius of care was a median of 17 (IQR 11.0-31.0) miles from the clinic with a median time between injury and the first visit of 21 (IQR 6.0-41.5) days. The mean number of visits was 2.2 (SD 0.8) with a median days between visits of 5.4 (IQR 3.0-9.3) to manage and treat the concussion. Of the 18 patients, 55.6% (n=10) were medically cleared for return-to-learn or -play in a median of 15.5 (IQR 11.0-29.0) days.

Conclusions

Limited access to health care is a well-understood barrier for receiving quality care. Subsequently, there are increasing demands for flexibility in delivering concussion services remotely and in-clinic. This is the first paper to provide a clinically relevant framework for the assessment, management, and treatment of acute concussion via telehealth in a pediatric population.
Mobile Apps to Support Family Caregivers of People With Alzheimer Disease and Related Dementias in Managing Disruptive Behaviors: Qualitative Study With Users Embedded in a Scoping Review (Preprint)
Authors: Désormeaux-Moreau Marjorie , Michel Charlie-Maude , Vallières Mélanie , Racine Maryse , Poulin-Paquet Myriame , Lacasse Delphine , Gionet Pascale , Genereux Melissa , Lachiheb Wael , Provencher Véronique
Published: July 2020

BACKGROUND

People with Alzheimer disease and related dementias often display disruptive behaviors (eg, aggression, wandering, and restlessness), which increase family caregivers’ burden of care. However, there are few tools currently available to help these caregivers manage disruptive behaviors. Mobile apps could meet this need, but to date little is known about them.

OBJECTIVE

The aims of our study were to identify existing mobile apps designed to support family caregivers of people with Alzheimer disease and related dementias in managing disruptive behaviors; explore whether family caregivers view these mobile apps as relevant to meeting their needs and as useful in managing disruptive behaviors; and document the types of mobile apps that are of interest and appeal to most family caregivers (with regard to format, ergonomics, and clarity).

METHODS

A review of mobile apps initially conducted in February 2018 was updated in March 2019 with 2 platforms (App Store [Apple Inc.] and Google Play [Google]). The selected apps were first analyzed independently by 3 raters (2 students and 1 researcher) for each of the platforms. A focus group discussion was then held with 4 family caregivers to explore their perceptions of the apps according to their needs and interests. The content of the discussion was analyzed.

RESULTS

Initially, 7 of 118 apps identified met the inclusion criteria. An eighth app, recommended by one of the knowledge users, was added later. Four family caregivers (women aged between 58 and 78 years) participated in the discussion. Participants expressed a preference for easy-to-understand apps that provide concrete intervention strategies. They reported being most inclined to use two apps, Dementia Advisor and DTA Behaviours.

CONCLUSIONS

Few mobile apps on the market meet the needs of family caregivers in terms of content and usability. Our results could help to address this gap by identifying what family caregivers deem relevant in a mobile app to help them manage disruptive behaviors.
A Uniquely Targeted, Mobile App-Based HIV Prevention Intervention for Young Transgender Women: Adaptation and Usability Study (Preprint)
Authors: Kuhns Lisa M , Hereth Jane , Garofalo Robert , Hidalgo Marco , Johnson Amy K , Schnall Rebecca , Reisner Sari L , Belzer Marvin , Mimiaga Matthew J
Published: July 2020

BACKGROUND

Young transgender women (YTW) are a key population for HIV-related risk reduction, yet very few interventions have been developed to meet their needs. Mobile health interventions with the potential for both efficacy and wide reach are a promising strategy to reduce HIV risk among YTW.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to adapt an efficacious group-based intervention to a mobile app, Project LifeSkills, to reduce HIV risk among YTW, and to test its acceptability and usability.

METHODS

The group-based intervention was adapted to a mobile app, LifeSkills Mobile, with input from an expert advisory group and feedback from YTW collected during user-centered design sessions. A beta version of the app was then tested in a usability evaluation using a think-aloud protocol with debriefing interviews, recordings of screen activity, and assessments of usability via the Post-Study System Usability Questionnaire (PSSUQ) and the Health Information Technology Usability Evaluation Scale (Health-ITUES).

RESULTS

YTW (n=8; age: mean 24 years, SD 3 years; racial or ethnic minority: 7/8, 88%) provided feedback on the app prototype in design sessions and then tested a beta version of the app in a usability trial (n=10; age: mean 24 years, SD 3 years; racial or ethnic minority: 8/10, 80%). Both usability ratings (Health-ITUES: mean 4.59, SD 0.86; scale range: 1-5) and ratings for satisfaction and accessibility (PSSUQ: mean 4.64, SD 0.90; scale range 1-5) were in the good to excellent range. No functional bugs were identified, and all mobile activities were deployed as expected. Participant feedback from the usability interviews indicated very good salience of the intervention content among the focal population. Participants’ suggestions to further increase app engagement included adding animation, adding audio, and reducing the amount text.

CONCLUSIONS

We conclude that the LifeSkills Mobile app is a highly usable and engaging mobile app for HIV prevention among YTW.
Systematic Evaluation of Research Progress on telemedicine nursing from 2003 to 2019: Bibliometric Study on Web of Science (Preprint)
Authors: Lin Yan , Zhang Caifeng , Li Lin , Shi Hui , Hu Xiaoyin
Published: July 2020

BACKGROUND

The telemedicine has become an advancing phenomenon in the center-patients healthcare system of modern societies, but its application in nursing research has faced many challenges. Over the past 15 years, more and more researches on telemedicine nursing have been introduced or is in progress. However, the actual trends and visibility of the existing research publication landscape of telemedicine nursing to comprehensively quantify are still scarce.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to conduct a bibliographic-bibliometric analysis to visualize and reveal research hotspots and promising future trends in telemedicine nursing.

METHODS

All published studies on telemedicine nursing research in English between 2003 and 2019 were retrieved from the Science Citation Index Expanded of the Web of Science. The necessary information, such as annual output, countries, institutions, journals, authors, citations, references, and keywords, was extracted from the abstract of publications. Excel, VOSviewer, and bibliometric.com were utilized to perform a bibliographic-bibliometric analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 640 articles obtained during initial screening, and 368 articles after manual screening were eligible. The annual number of articles increased every year, with a relatively significant growth after 2014. Of the top 5 productive countries, the USA issued the most articles in this field, accounting for 48.64%(179/368), followed by Australia(8.15%,30/368) and Sweden(6.25%,23/368), and China was the only developing country(4.08%,15/368). The main categories of diseases related to telemedicine nursing were cardiovascular disease (24.43%,55/211 ) with heart failure accounting for 54.55% (30/55), cancer (14.03%,31/221),diabetes (14.03%,31/221) and mental health(13.57%,30/221).And the publications of disease research on mHealth accounted for 13.86% (51/368),primarily focused on technology (19.61%,10/51), quality-of-life (15.69%,8/51) and self-management (19.61%,10/51) in 2018.

CONCLUSIONS

The mHealth has become the mainstream in telemedicine nursing research on disease care, focusing on technology,quality-of-life, and self-management since 2018. Future studies could focus on expanding disease area range in use of telemedicine nursing, exploring the theories, and tailoring mHealth interventions based on the patient-center needs.
Efficacy and Safety of Drug Combinations for Chronic Pelvic Pain: Protocol for a Systematic Review (Preprint)
Authors: Mohiuddin Mohammed , Park Rex , Wesselmann Ursula , Pukall Caroline , Jarvi Keith , Nickel Curtis , Doiron Christopher , Gilron Ian
Published: July 2020

BACKGROUND

Chronic pelvic pain with various etiologies and mechanisms affects men and women and is a major challenge. Monotherapy is often unsuccessful for chronic pelvic pain, and combinations of different classes of medications are frequently prescribed, with the expectation of improved outcomes. Although a number of combination trials for chronic pelvic pain have been reported, we are not aware of any systematic reviews of the available evidence on combination drug therapy for chronic pelvic pain.

OBJECTIVE

We have developed a protocol for a systematic review to evaluate available evidence of the efficacy and safety of drug combinations for chronic pelvic pain.

METHODS

This systematic review will involve a detailed search of randomized controlled trials investigating drug combinations to treat chronic pelvic pain in adults. The databases searched will include the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE, and EMBASE from their inception until the date the searches are run to identify relevant studies. The primary outcome will be pain relief measured using validated scoring tools. Secondary outcomes, where reported, will include the following: adverse events, serious adverse events, sexual function, quality of life, and depression and anxiety. Methodological quality of each included study will be assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool.

RESULTS

The systematic review defined by this protocol is expected to synthesize available good quality evidence on combination drug therapy in chronic pelvic pain, which may help guide future research and treatment choices for patients and their health care providers.

CONCLUSIONS

This review will provide a clearer understanding of the efficacy and safety of combination pharmacological therapy for chronic pelvic pain.

CLINICALTRIAL

PROSPERO International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews CRD42020192231; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=192231

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT

PRR1-10.2196/21909
Effects of the Active Choices Program on Self-Managed Physical Activity and Social Connectedness in Australian Defence Force Veterans: Protocol for a Cluster-Randomized Trial (Preprint)
Authors: Gilson Nicholas D , Papinczak Zoe E , Mielke Gregore Iven , Haslam Catherine , Fooken Jonas , McKenna Jim , Brown Wendy J
Published: July 2020

BACKGROUND

A stepped-down program is one in which clients transition from the care of a health professional to self-managed care. Very little is known about the effectiveness of stepped-down physical activity (PA) programs for military service veterans.

OBJECTIVE

This study will test Active Choices, a stepped-down behavioral support program designed to help Australian Defence Force veterans and their dependents who are clients of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, transition from treatment by an exercise physiologist or physiotherapist to self-managed PA.

METHODS

The study is a parallel-group, randomized trial, with city-based exercise physiology or physiotherapy practices that recruit eligible Department of Veterans’ Affairs clients assigned to Active Choices or a comparison program. The study aims to recruit 52 participants (26 in each group). The Active Choices program will consist of 2 face-to-face (Weeks 1, 12) and 2 telephone (Weeks 4 and 8) consultations. During these sessions, the participant and Active Choices consultant will utilize an evidence-based resource booklet to review the key benefits of an active lifestyle, build an action plan for PA preferences, set and review goals, self-monitor progress relative to set goals, and discuss strategies to overcome PA barriers. Linking participants to local PA communities to overcome social isolation will be a program priority. The comparison program will consist of 2 consultations (Weeks 1 and 12) and use fewer behavioral support strategies (education, self-monitoring, and action planning only) than Active Choices. Outcome measures will be administered at baseline, end-intervention (12 weeks), and follow-up (24 weeks) to assess changes in moderate intensity self-managed PA, psychological well-being, and social connectedness. We will also measure health service utilization and costs as well as PA choices across the intervention period. End-intervention interviews will capture participant experiences.

RESULTS

Due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on human research activities in Australia, participant recruitment will commence when it is safe and feasible to do so.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings will provide valuable pilot data to support up-scaling of the program and larger effectiveness trials with regional and rural as well as city-based Australian Defence Force veterans and their dependents.

CLINICALTRIAL

Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR): ACTRN12620000559910; https://www.anzctr.org.au/ACTRN12620000559910.aspx

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT

PRR1-10.2196/21911