bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
ARAP DİLİNDE MÜKESSER (DÜZENSİZ) ÇOĞULLARDA AZLIK VE ÇOKLUK OLGUSU
Authors: IŞKIN Gokhan Sebati
Published: December 2021

Arap gramerinde kıllet (azlık) ve kesret (çokluk) olgusu, mükesser(düzensiz) çoğulun alt iki kolu cemi kıllet ve cemi kesret olarak yer almaktadır. Arap gramercilerinin çoğunluğuna göre cemi kıllet, sayı değeri olarak “üç” ten başlar ve “on” da sona erer; cemi kesret ise “onbir” sayısından başlar ve sonsuza kadar gitmektedir. Arapçada kıllet ve kesret çoğulları kullanımda karşımıza üç şekilde çıkar: Her ikisi için yalnızca bir, biri kıllet ve diğeri de kesret için iki ve kıllet ve kesretin her birisi için birden fazla mükesser çoğul kelime. Bunlar konulmuş oldukları anlam çerçevesinde ya da birbirlerinin yerine hakikat, mecaz, niyabet bağlamında kullanılmıştır. Arap dilinin temel kaynaklarında yer alan ve ilim adamlarının çoğunluğunun kabul ettiği bu konuya birtakım itirazlar olmuştur. Çalışmamızda kıllet ve kesret çoğullarının kullanımı anlatılmış ve ilim adamlarının ortaya koymuş oldukları olumlu ya da olumsuz görüşlere yer verilerek konu tartışılmıştır.
HİSSE SENEDİ PİYASALARI EKONOMİK AKTİVİTEDEKİ DEĞİŞİMLERİN ÖNCÜ GÖSTERGELERİNDEN BİRİ MİDİR?
Authors: BÜBERKÖKÜ Önder , KIZILDERE Celal
Published: December 2021

Bu çalışmada Türkiye, Brezilya, G. Kore ve Hindistan’dan oluşan dört gelişen piyasa ekonomisi için hisse senedi piyasalarının ekonomik aktivitenin öncü göstergelerinden biri olup olmadığı incelenmiştir. Hisse senedi piyasalarını temsilen ilgili ülkelerin gösterge borsa endeksleri, ekonomik aktiviteyi temsilen sanayi üretim endeksleri kullanılmıştır. Analizlerde Toda-Yamamoto (1995) nedensellik testinin yanı sıra en küçük kareler yöntemi ile kantil regresyon (Quantile regression) yönteminden de yararlanılmıştır. Çalışma bulguları hisse senedi piyasalarının ekonomik aktivitedeki değişimlerin öncü göstergelerinden biri olabileceği sonucuna işaret etmektedir.
Managerial competences in family firms from the service and production sectors
Authors: Kęsy Izabella , Kęsy Marcin , Ślusarczyk Patrycja
Published: December 2021

In each organization an important aspect is to maintain balance in terms of resources, processes and systems. Lack of relationship between the various components of the company affects the reduction of efficiency in organization, which in turn affects the effectiveness of action. However, it is also important to maintain effectiveness in the implementation of tasks at the strategic or operational level, and this is particularly influenced by the leader of the organization or team respectively. In the case of family businesses decision- making can be reduced to the leader, who makes decisions independently, without obtaining data or information from the environment. Such actions carry a high level of randomness, which in consequence affects the lowering of economic profitability of the company.

In the publication, theoretical and empirical considerations were carried out, which served the authors of the publication, to a limited extent, in juxtaposing the paradigm of the family business functioning in the theory of the subject with the results of the primary study, which was carried out using two qualitative methods, interview and observation. For this purpose, the measurement tool, the interview questionnaire, was developed and the planes of cognitive analysis that was conducted in the studied business entities were identified. The study was conducted on 30 family businesses operating through Poland, the only criterion for qualification for the study was the fact that this was the opinion of the business owners, which is in accordance with the theory of family business proposed by Frishkoff according to which a family business is an enterprise in which the owner admits that it is a family business, i.e. in this case the most important thing is the awareness of being one of the occurring types of family business.
Role of tax incentives for increase in personal pensions saving
Authors: Dimitrov Stanislav
Published: December 2021

Personal pensions increase their role in the retirement savings in the European Union. The design of the personal pensions is of great importance for the success of the saving. In the European Union there is no common legislation on the taxation of pensions. In recent years, the personal responsibility of savers for making decisions to save for retirement has increased. The limited ability of public pension systems to guarantee an adequate and sustainable income after working age necessitates the search for opportunities to fill this "pension gap". That is why the market for long-term savings products is central to achieving adequate income replacement and maintaining the standard of living of the elderly. This is one of the reasons for the greater role of the tax treatment of the savings products. The paper is analyzing the role of tax incentives for the increase of the saving in personal pension products. The study is searching answer which are the most important steps for efficient tax policy of retirement savings products. The new product on the European Union market, the pan-European personal pension product, sheds extra light on the topic of the importance and the efficiency of the tax treatment of saving in personal pension products. The research finds out that favourable tax treatment for saving in personal pension products is a must but it has to be major part of the overall social welfare and tax policy of the member states.
Whistler-regulated Magnetohydrodynamics: Transport Equations for Electron Thermal Conduction in the High-β Intracluster Medium of Galaxy Clusters
Authors: Drake J. F. , Pfrommer C. , Reynolds C. S. , Ruszkowski M. , Swisdak M. , Einarsson A. , Thomas T. , Hassam A. B. , Roberg-Clark G. T.
Published: December 2021

Transport equations for electron thermal energy in the high-β

e
intracluster medium (ICM) are developed that include scattering from both classical collisions and self-generated whistler waves. The calculation employs an expansion of the kinetic electron equation along the ambient magnetic field in the limit of strong scattering and assumes whistler waves with low phase speeds V

w
∼ v

te
/β

e
≪ v

te
dominate the turbulent spectrum, with v

te
the electron thermal speed and β

e
≫ 1 the ratio of electron thermal to magnetic pressure. We find: (1) temperature-gradient-driven whistlers dominate classical scattering when L

c
> L/β

e
, with L

c
the classical electron mean free path and L the electron temperature scale length, and (2) in the whistler-dominated regime the electron thermal flux is controlled by both advection at V

w
and a comparable diffusive term. The findings suggest whistlers limit electron heat flux over large regions of the ICM, including locations unstable to isobaric condensation. Consequences include: (1) the Field length decreases, extending the domain of thermal instability to smaller length scales, (2) the heat flux temperature dependence changes from

T

e

7

/

2

/

L

to

V

w

nT

e

∼

T

e

1

/

2

, (3) the magneto-thermal- and heat-flux-driven buoyancy instabilities are impaired or completely inhibited, and (4) sound waves in the ICM propagate greater distances, as inferred from observations. This description of thermal transport can be used in macroscale ICM models.
VLA Observations of Nine Extended Green Objects in the Milky Way: Ubiquitous Weak, Compact Continuum Emission, and Multi-epoch Emission from Methanol, Water, and Ammonia Masers
Authors: Towner A. P. M. , Brogan C. L. , Hunter T. R. , Cyganowski C. J.
Published: December 2021

We have observed a sample of nine Extended Green Objects (EGOs) at 1.3 and 5 cm with the Very Large Array (VLA) with subarcsecond resolution and ∼7–14 μJy beam−1-sensitivities in order to characterize centimeter continuum emission as it first appears in these massive protoclusters. We find an EGO-associated continu um emission—within 1″ of the extended 4.5 μm emission—in every field, which is typically faint (order 101–102
μJy) and compact (unresolved at 0″.3–0″.5). The derived spectral indices of our 36 total detections are consistent with a wide array of physical processes, including both non-thermal (19% of detections) and thermal free–free processes (e.g., ionized jets and compact H ii regions, 78% of sample) and warm dust (1 source). We also find an EGO-associated 6.7 GHz CH3OH and 22 GHz H2O maser emission in 100% of the sample and a NH3 (3,3) masers in ∼45%; we do not detect any NH3 (6,6) masers at ∼5.6 mJy beam−1 sensitivity. We find statistically-significant correlations between L
radio and L
bol at two physical scales and three frequencies, consistent with thermal emission from ionized jets, but no correlation between

L

H

2

O

and L
radio for our sample. From these data, we conclude that EGOs likely host multiple different centimeter continuum-producing processes simultaneously. Additionally, at our ∼1000 au resolution, we find that all EGOs except G18.89−0.47 contain 1 ∼ 2 massive sources based on the presence of CH3OH maser groups, which is consistent with our previous work suggesting that these are typical massive protoclusters, in which only one to a few of the young stellar objects are massive.
Long and Short Fast Radio Bursts Are Different from Repeating and Nonrepeating Transients
Authors: Li X. J. , Dong X. F. , Zhang Z. B. , Li D.
Published: December 2021

We collect 133 fast radio bursts (FRBs), including 110 nonrepeating and 23 repeating ones, and systematically investigate their observational properties. To check the frequency dependence of FRB classifications, we define our samples with a central frequency below/above 1 GHz as subsample I/II. First, we find that there is a clear bimodal distribution of pulse width for subsample I. If we classify FRBs into short FRBs (sFRBs; <100 ms) and long FRBs (lFRBs; >100 ms) as done for short and long gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), the sFRBs at higher central frequency are commonly shorter than those at lower central frequency not only for nonrepeating but also repeating sFRBs. Second, we find that fluence and peak flux density are correlated with a power-law relation of

F
∝

S

p
,
obs

γ

for both sFRBs and lFRBs whose distributions are obviously different. Third, the lFRBs with isotropic energies ranging from 1042 to 1044 erg are more energetic than the sFRBs in the F–DM
EX plane, indicating that they are two representative types. Finally, it is interesting to note that the peak flux density behaves independently on the redshift when the distance of the FRBs becomes far enough, which is similar to the scenario of the peak flux evolving with redshift in the field of GRBs. We predict that fainter FRBs at a higher redshift of z > 2 can be successfully detected by FAST and the Square Kilometre Array in the near future.
Annihilation of Magnetic Islands at the Top of Solar Flare Loops
Authors: Wang Yulei , Cheng Xin , Ding Mingde , Lu Quanming
Published: December 2021

The dynamics of magnetic reconnection in the solar current sheet (CS) is studied by high-resolution 2.5-dimensional MHD simulation. With the commencing of magnetic reconnection, a number of magnetic islands are formed intermittently and move quickly upward and downward along the CS. Upon collision with the semi-closed flux of the flare loops, the downflow islands cause a second reconnection with a rate comparable with that in the main CS. Though the time-integrated magnetic energy release is still dominated by the reconnection in the main CS, the second reconnection can release substantial magnetic energy, annihilating the main islands and generating secondary islands with various scales at the flare loop top. The distribution function of the flux of the secondary islands is found to follow a power law varying from

f

ψ

∼

ψ

−
1

(small scale) to ψ
−2 (large scale), which seems to be independent to background plasma β and thermal conduction (TC). However, the spatial scale and the strength of the termination shocks driven by the main reconnection outflows or islands decrease if β increases or if TC is included. We suggest that the annihilation of magnetic islands at the flare loop top, which is not included in the standard flare model, plays a nonnegligible role in releasing magnetic energy to heat flare plasma and accelerate particles.
Correlation between Emotional Intelligence and Nurse Work Stress in Hospitalization Services, Undata Hospital
Authors: Napirah Muhammad Ryman , Untad Vidyanto , Alfani Siti
Published: December 2021

BACKGROUND: The high work demands on nurses in their work, the greater the possibility of a nurse experiencing work stress.
AIM: This study aimed to determine the relationship between self-awareness, self-regulation, self-motivation, empathy, and social skills with the work stress among nurses in the hospitalization services of Undata Hospital, Central Sulawesi Province.
METHOD: It was a quantitative research with a cross-sectional approach and using the accidental sampling method. Data were collected by a questionnaire with a Likert scale and the WHO DASS questionnaire toward 63 respondents and statistically analyzed using the Chi-square test.
RESULTS: A relationship between self-awareness (p = 0.034), self-management (p = 0.044), self-motivation (p = 0.012), empathy (p = 0.021), and social skills (p = 0.026) with work stress among nurses in hospitalization services of Undata Hospital, Central Sulawesi Province.
CONCLUSION: Emotional intelligence affects the nurses’ work stress in a hospital during work implementation.
A Survey Study of Public Health Nurses’ Knowledge in Disaster Management in Indonesia
Authors: Putra Ardia , Petpichetchian Wongchan , Maneewatt Khomapak
Published: December 2021

AIM: This descriptive survey study examines the level of public health nurses’ (PHNs) knowledge regarding disaster management. The knowledge was examined according to three disaster phases, including preparedness, response, and recovery phase.
MATERIALS & METHODS: A stratified proportionate random sampling method was employed to recruit 252 PHNs of Aceh Province, Indonesia. The data were collected during November and December of 2010 by using the questionnaire developed by the researchers. They were analyzed using frequencies, percentages, means, standard deviations, and minimum and maximum scores. Additional analyses were performed to identify potential contributing factors to the PHNs' knowledge using the Spearman rank correlation (rs) and the Mann-Whitney U test.
RESULTS: The finding showed that PHNs' knowledge in disaster management was moderate (M=70.73%, SD=8.41), and nearly half of the subjects (42.5%) were categorized in this level. The lowest mean score was found in the response phase (64.75%), and four items with the lowest percentage of correct answers were also found in this phase.
CONCLUSION: The low level of knowledge for the response phase can be used to flag health policymakers and public health centers (PHC) to develop appropriate educational training and disaster drills for PHNs in collaboration with stakeholders in the community.
Designing, Realizing, Running, and Evaluating Virtual Museum – a Survey on Innovative Concepts and Technologies
Authors: Baloian Nelson , Biella Daniel , Luther Wolfram , Pino José , Sacher Daniel
Published: December 2021

This paper presents a survey of innovative concepts and technologies involved in virtual museums (ViM) that shows their advantages and disadvantages in comparison with physical museums. We describe important lessons learned during the creation of three major virtual museums between 2010 and 2020 with partners at universities from Armenia, Germany, and Chile. Based on their categories and features, we distinguish between content-, communication- and collaboration-centric museums with a special focus on learning and co-curation. We give an overview of a generative approach to ViMs using the ViMCOX metadata format, the curator software suite ViMEDEAS, and a comprehensive validation and verification management. Theoretical considerations include exhibition design and new room concepts, positioning objects in their context, artwork authenticity, digital instances and rights management, distributed items, private museum and universal access, immersion, and tour and interaction design for people of all ages. As a result, this survey identifies different approaches and advocates for stakeholders’ collaboration throughout the life cycle in determining the ViM's direction and evolution, its concepts, collection type, and the technologies used with their requirements and evaluation methods. The paper ends with a brief perspective on the use of artificial intelligence in ViMs.
Combined Use of Virtual Reality and a Chatbot Reduces Emotional Stress More Than Using Them Separately
Authors: Matsumoto Atsuko , Kamita Takeshi , Tawaratsumida Yukari , Nakamura Ayako , Fukuchimoto Harumi , Mitamura Yuko , Suzuki Hiroko , Munakata Tsunetsugu , Inoue Tomoo
Published: December 2021

In recent years, various organizations, such as companies and governments, have been required to take measures for the mental health of their employees, and the importance of self-care for mental health by employees themselves has been increasing, as well as being supported by administrators, such as doctors and workplace managers. As a means of self-care of mental health that can be implemented by busy professionals during their workdays and daily lives, the Digital-SAT method has been developed to implement the stress-care process of the SAT method, a psychological counseling technique for resolving psychological stress problems, in a self-guided manner using digital media. To realize the Digital-SAT method, two issues need to be addressed: first, to obtain the same emotional stress reduction effect as the SAT method and, second, to ensure the continuous implementation of the Digital-SAT method. Previous studies have shown that applications (apps) using virtual reality are effective in solving the former issue, and an app using a chatbot can be effective in solving the latter. In this research, an intervention study was conducted to verify the effectiveness of combined use of the two apps to encourage continuous use, resulting in increased emotional stress reduction, with the aim of making it feasible in actual work environments. An intervention of four weeks of app use was conducted with 70 nurses working in two hospitals where measures for mental health due to emotional labour and overwork were required. The emotional stress reduction effects of the intervention were evaluated using psychological scales and blood pressure levels, and it was confirmed that combined use of apps was more effective than using them separately to practice the Digital-SAT method in an actual work environment.
Selling by clicks or leasing by bricks? A dynamic game for pricing durable products in a dual-channel supply chain
Authors: Kalantari Solaleh Sadat , Esmaeili Maryam , Taleizadeh Ata Allah
Published: December 2021

In this paper, we discuss if and which pricing policies by a manufacturer who sells its products online motivate a retailer as an independent part to enter the market to provide selling and leasing options through a brick store. Moreover, the impact of online shopping preferences and brand image on end-user behavior is examined, and different consumption patterns are considered. For this purpose, a dynamic game is applied to model a supply chain consisting of one manufacturer and one retailer. The model aims to specify the optimal pricing policies in the second-hand market and according to physical utility associated with depreciation, brand image, and online shopping preferences for different end-users in an infinite time horizon. Markov perfect equilibria are considered as the solution concept to predict the behavior of end-users in the long term. The results revealed that enriching brand image always benefits the manufacturer and the retailer, while it does not mean there is the same optimal brand image level for both manufacturer and retailer. Besides, the improvement of physical utility makes more demand for leasing products and motivates the retailer to be active in the market. Notably, online shopping preferences play a prominent role in market segmentation and retailer decision as a result. Also, growing production costs have a significant reverse effect on the profitability of both manufacturer and retailer. Therefore, the manufacturer must focus on economic production.
Weyl almost periodic solutions for quaternion-valued shunting inhibitory cellular neural networks with time-varying delays
Authors: Li Yongkun ,   Department of Mathematics, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan 650091, China, Huang Xiaoli , Wang Xiaohui
Published: December 2021

We consider the existence and stability of Weyl almost periodic solutions for a class of quaternion-valued shunting inhibitory cellular neural networks with time-varying delays. In order to overcome the incompleteness of the space composed of Weyl almost periodic functions, we first obtain the existence of a bounded continuous solution of the system under consideration by using the fixed point theorem, and then prove that the bounded solution is Weyl almost periodic by using a variant of Gronwall inequality. Then we study the global exponential stability of the Weyl almost periodic solution by using the inequality technique. Even when the system we consider degenerates into a real-valued one, our results are new. A numerical example is given to illustrate the feasibility of our results.
Online machine learning algorithms to optimize performances of complex wireless communication systems
Authors: Oshima Koji ,   Innovation Design Initiative, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, Koganei, Tokyo, Japan, Yamamoto Daisuke , Yumoto Atsuhiro , Kim Song-Ju , Ito Yusuke , Hasegawa Mikio ,   Department of Electrical Engineering, Tokyo University of Science, Katsushika, Tokyo, Japan,   SOBIN Institute LLC, Kawanishi, Hyogo, Japan
Published: December 2021

Data-driven and feedback cycle-based approaches are necessary to optimize the performance of modern complex wireless communication systems. Machine learning technologies can provide solutions for these requirements. This study shows a comprehensive framework of optimizing wireless communication systems and proposes two optimal decision schemes that have not been well-investigated in existing research. The first one is supervised learning modeling and optimal decision making by optimization, and the second is a simple and implementable reinforcement learning algorithm. The proposed schemes were verified through real-world experiments and computer simulations, which revealed the necessity and validity of this research.
An ancient Chinese algorithm for two-point boundary problems and its application to the Michaelis-Menten kinetics
Authors: He Ji-Huan , Kou Shuai-Jia , Sedighi Hamid M.
Published: December 2021

Taylor series method is simple, and an infinite series converges to the exact solution for initial condition problems. For the two-point boundary problems, the infinite series has to be truncated to incorporate the boundary conditions, making it restrictively applicable. Here is recommended an ancient Chinese algorithm called as Ying Buzu Shu, and a nonlinear reaction diffusion equation with a Michaelis-Menten potential is used as an example to show the solution process.
Linguistic variables of Comprehensibility, Accentedness and Fluency in L2 Spanish: Listener type and ability level differences
Authors: Santamaría Busto Enrique
Published: December 2021

The aim of this study is to identify which linguistic variables are most strongly related to comprehensibility, accentedness and fluency in Spanish as L2, and how the results may also vary according to the type of listener (expert or non-expert) and to the speakers’ level of ability in these three dimensions. To this end, 40 native English speakers of Spanish orally described picture narratives that were subsequently rated by four groups of raters using 9-point Likert scales. The first two groups were composed of 109 novice and 42 expert raters assessing comprehensibility, accentedness and fluency. The last two groups consisted of 35 phoneticians and 35 linguistic raters responsible for analyzing and scoring a total of 14 speech measures (7 per group) targeting pronunciation, disfluencies, lexis, grammar and discourse. The results reveal that comprehensibility is associated with a wide range of elements, while accentedness is determined especially by segmentals, and fluency by speech rate. Additionally, the impact of linguistic parameters varies according to the speakers’ level of performance, and there are differences between novice and expert raters, with the former being more affected by pronunciation and the experts by lexis and grammar.
Improvisation, Blankness and Mesmerism: Mike Leggett and Ian Breakwell’s Sheet and the Two Avant-Gardes
Authors: Devaney Kieran
Published: December 2021

This article examines Mike Leggett and Ian Breakwell’s short film Sheet. Though little scholarship exists on Sheet, the enigmatic quality of the film and the sheet that gives it its name has given rise to a number of contrasting interpretations. The article discusses two opposing accounts of the film, one which sees it as being a film haunted by the ghostly presence of the titular sheet, and which contains some form of narrative and resolution, and one which sees it as an example of structural film, characterised by repetition and formal concerns. I align these two interpretations with Peter Wollen’s article on the two avant-gardes in contemporary film and argue that Leggett and Breakwell’s work, through their improvisatory approach, triangulates Wollen’s distinction, and allows both interpretations to be simultaneously true. In addition, I discuss the way in which the film re-examines a theme found in filmmaking in the immediate post May ’68 moment, of characters moving from the urban to the rural. As such, the film can be seen as expressing the anxieties and concerns of that period, both political and artistic.
Avaliação da qualidade de vida dos fisioterapeutas que atuam em uma associação de reabilitação neurológica no noroeste do paraná
Authors:   Centro Universitário Ingá-UNINGA, Mistrello Maria Eduarda Bazanela , Baú Rafaella De Souza Baú , Dei Tos Débora , Fabiano Lilian Catarim
Published: December 2021

Os profissionais da saúde estão constantemente rodeados de fatores estressantes. A qualidade de vida está relacionada não apenas com as condições de saúde, mas com aspectos subjetivos. Devido as características de certas profissões, algumas se destacam por serem mais estressantes. A fisioterapia é uma profissão com ampla área de atuação e que exercem atividades assistenciais, lidando diretamente com um público diversificado, podendo ser considerada um campo de atuação estressante. Este estudo tem como objetivo avaliar a qualidade de vida dos fisioterapeutas que atuam em uma associação voltada para atendimentos neurológicos em uma cidade na região noroeste do Paraná. No presente estudo de caráter transversal, 13 fisioterapeutas que trabalham em uma associação de Reabilitação participaram voluntariamente do questionário, onde continham variáveis como sexo, idade, tempo de formação, horas trabalhadas semanais como fisioterapeuta, se possui mais de local de trabalho, quantidade de pacientes atendidos por dia e o questionário SF-36. O maior destaque foi para profissionais jovens até 30 anos, sexo feminino, com alta carga horaria. Analisando as variáveis do SF-36, demonstraram um bom domínio na maioria deles, obtiveram mais impacto em dor, estresse e esgotamento. Embora demonstraram um bom nível de qualidade de vida, e importante ressaltar medidas preventivas para aumentar a realização pessoal e minimizar o estresse, todavia é importante ressaltar a escassez de artigo sobre o tema, destacando a necessidade de mais estudos acerca deste assunto.
Managing Soil Health Towards Sustainable Agriculture
Authors: Amarasekara M. G. T. S.
Published: December 2021

Macro and microorganisms play a crucial role in improving soil health. Soil organisms decompose complex organic substances and release nutrients. Further, they involve in nutrient cycling and transformation process in the soil. Population dynamics of soil organisms depend on many external factors including human activities, climate change, contaminations and soil erosion. Hence, adverse conditions may create a tremendous pressure on soil biota leading to large-scale land degradation and loss of productivity in the long run. The positive effect of soil organic matter (SOM) on soil health is well documented. Soil organic matter serves as a source of nutrients for plant growth, enhances soil aggregation, retains soil moisture, increases infiltration and reduces the risk of soil erosion. Depletion of SOM pool specially in farmlands is a global issue. Therefore, it is essential to manage SOM pool above the threshold level (1.0 -1.5%) in order to reverse the process of soil degradation. In addition, quality and quantity of SOM pool is one of the crucial factors in order to strengthening resilience and reduce risk of soil degradation. It has been reported that, depletion of Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) pool is grater when essential nutrients are limited in the soil for microbial growth. Thus, application of organic manure with alternative nutrient sources could be a better option to increase SOC pool and soil health.
Impact of Adoption of Sustainable Agricultural Practices on Household Food Security in Small-scale Paddy-Cattle Farming Systems in Anuradhapura District, Sri Lanka
Authors: Dissanayake S. P. , Gunaratne L. H. P. , Sivanathewer T. , Ginigaddara G. A. S.
Published: December 2021

The Paddy-Cattle Integrated Farming System (PCIFS) is one of the dominant farming systems in the dry zone, Sri Lanka which contributes to the well-being of small-scale farmers. These systems are subjected to high risk and uncertainty uttered by poor productivity and food insecurity related issues. Hence, the study aimed at investigating the impacts of adoption for sustainable agricultural practices on household food security in PCIFS in Anuradhapura district. A survey was employed to gather data from 300 randomly selected paddy-cattle integrated farmers. Descriptive and regression analysis were used to analyze the data. Farming experience, age of respondents, income from milk, awareness on sustainable agricultural practices, training participation and gender were identified as the factors affecting the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices. Further, household income (p<0.1), age, farming experience, and adoption for sustainable agricultural practices significantly (p<0.05) affected on the Food Consumption Score while household size (p<0.1), access to credits, and adoption for sustainable agricultural practices significantly (p<0.05) influenced the Household Food Insecurity Access Score. The study concludes that the adoption for sustainable agricultural practices ensure sustainable and food secured farming systems in the Anuradhapura district. The results suggest the importance of promoting sustainable agricultural practices among the paddy-cattle integrated farmers.
Tax Avoidance Strategies of Multinational Companies: A Case Study of Apple Inc.
Authors: Perera U.
Published: December 2021

This study concentrates on the tax avoidance strategies of multinational companies using the case study of Apple Inc. Objectives of the analysis include identifying strategies that could be exploited by multinational companies to avoid taxes and to find improvements for the Sri Lankan tax system based on the loopholes that multinational companies could exploit. The methodology consists of a critical analysis based on literature and secondary data. Findings of the study include thin capitalization, manipulation of transfer prices and royalty payments, Double Irish Arrangement and Dutch Sandwich, tax inversion and cost sharing agreements as some of the tax avoiding strategies used by multinational companies. Recommendations of the study applicable for the Sri Lankan context include addressing the loopholes of the tax system by implementing country-by-country reporting at least for the companies headquartered in Sri Lanka, a common reporting standard for all the companies, formulate and implement Controlled Financial Corporation rules and to limit certain incentives including tightening of foreign dividend income regulations.
Antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects of lime (Citrus aurantifolia) peel extract in Balb/c mice infected by Salmonella typhi
Authors: Kasim Vivien Novarina , Hatta Mochammad , Natzir Rosdiana , Hadju Veni , Hala Yusminah , Budu  , Alam Gemini , As'ad Suryani , Febriza Ami , Idrus Hasta Handayani
Published: December 2021

Lime (Citrus aurantifolia) is a traditional plant that is widely used as antibacterial. This study proves the effect of Lime Peel Extract (LPE) on the colonization and growth, mediated by the activity of IL-6, of bacteria Salmonella typhi in Balb/c mice. Mice were divided into four groups; LPE 510 mg/kg body weight (bw), LPE 750 mg/kgbw, and positive and negative control. The examination was carried out 3 times, on the 5th day before the intervention, on the 10th day after the intervention and on the 30th day after maintenance. Intervention of LPE for 5 days can decrease the number of S. typhi colonies, even maintenance for 20 days after the intervention showed no bacterial growth. IL-6 pro-inflammatory cytokine activity increased on examination day 5 after S. typhi injection and decreased after intervention on day 10, it was significantly different between pre and post at all groups except for negative controls (p=0.15). The speed of decrease in IL-6 levels was the greatest at the LPE 750 mg/kgbw (velocity=-5.64%). LPE decreased serum levels of IL-6 and inhibited the growth of S. typhi colony in Balb/c mice. LPE has potential for antibacterial and anti-inflammatory.
Biological investigations on the role of hydrogel formulations containing bioactive natural agents against some common phytopathogens of Phaseolus vulgaris L. and seed germination
Authors: Elshafie Hazem Salaheldin , Nuzzaci Maria , Logozzo Giuseppina , Gioia Tania , Camele Ippolito
Published: December 2021

Recent scientific research have manipulated the use of hydrogel in seed coating technology based on synthetic and chemical additives. The current study has been carried out to evaluate the biological activity of new seed coating formulations containing hydrogel based on natural substances or beneficial microorganisms on seed germination and controlling some common diseases of Phaseolus vulgaris L. New formulations have been prepared as single mixtures of hydrogel with the following bioactive substances: i) oregano Essential Oil (org EO); ii) Ornithine Lipid (OL); and two microorganisms i) Burkholderia gladioli and ii) Trichoderma harzianum T22. Results revealed that, the hydrogel formulation based org EO showed the highest significant activity against the majority of tested phytopathogens in a dose dependent manner. Regarding the antagonistic microbial activity, results showed that hydrogel formulations based T. harzianum T22 and B. gladioli were able to significantly reduce the growth of the majority of tested phytopathogens. In addition, the highest significant percentage of seed germination has been achieved using the formulations of B. gladioli and org EO. Regarding the disease incidence suppression assay, results explicated that org EO and OL were able to significantly inhibit the fungal disease incidence on P. vulgaris seeds steadily depending on the tested concentrations. In conclusion, the use of natural bioactive substances in hydrogel formulation would greatly reduce dependence on chemical pesticides and hence decreasing the environmental pollution and eventual harmful effects on plant, animal and human health.
Shunt Implants – Past, Present and Future
Authors: Srinivas Dwarakanath , Tyagi Gaurav , Singh Gyani J
Published: December 2021

Background:

The treatment of hydrocephalus has evolved over centuries from being an enigma to the use of complex bioprosthetics. Major developments have taken place in the past few decades in shunt hardware and technology, with the use of complex flow regulating valves and biomaterials such as medical-grade silicone having revolutionized the management of hydrocephalus.

Objective:

To discuss the evolution of shunts over the decades and how they will evolve in the future.

Material and Methods:

In this article, we mention an overview of the evolution of shunt technology and hardware from the prehistoric, pre-shunt era to the modern shunt and a brief insight into the future of hydrocephalus treatment. We review the history, development, and pioneers in shunt development and discuss the various types and parts of a shunt system.

Conclusions:

Shunts have been developed from the works of Galen and Hippocrates to the latest technologies using in vivo flow biosensors, computational analysis of flow dynamics, and use of artificial intelligence. This has led to an individualized and appropriate management that can be provided to even the most complex cases of hydrocephalus.
Hydrocephalus in Vein of Galen Malformations
Authors: Paramasivam Srinivasan
Published: December 2021

Vein of Galen malformation (VOGM) is a fistulous arteriovenous malformation presenting in the early childhood. Hydrocephalus with VOGM develops in one half of patients during the course of the disease. The concept of hydrodynamic disorders is the key to understand the development of hydrocephalus. VOGM results in venous hypertension that secondarily disturbs cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) absorption leading to hydrocephalus and occurs frequently in infants and young children. The medullary veins are thought to be the main pathway for absorption of CSF by the cerebrofugal gradient act as the driving force. In neonates, the cavernous sinus is poorly developed and brain does not use it for venous drainage along with poor jugular bulb maturation results in poor venous drainage reserve. The presence of high flow vascular malformation with poor venous drainage reserve leads to hydrodynamic disorder, poor CSF absorption, and hydrocephalus. Apart from this, hydrocephalus secondary to intraventricular hemorrhage and physical obstruction of the enlarged VOGM at the aqueduct has been proposed. The management strategy is to perform timely endovascular treatment to correct the hydrodynamic disorder and avoid ventricular shunting. Trans-arterial embolization is the effective way, as it decreases flow in the malformation, secondarily the venous hypertension, and thereby improving the clinical symptoms related to hydrodynamic disorder. Ventricular diversion procedure is indicated in symptomatic hydrocephalus after exhausting our effort to reduce hydrodynamic pressure by endovascular embolization.
Applications of Machine Learning in Pediatric Hydrocephalus
Authors: Pahwa Bhavya , Bali Ojasvini , Goyal Sarvesh , Kedia Shweta
Published: December 2021

Introduction:

Annually, hydrocephalus affects nearly 7 children per 10,000 live births around the world. It significantly impairs the quality of life of such children and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality The high cost of treatment and post-intervention complications add to the burden of disease. Deployment of machine learning (ML) models in actual clinical settings have led to improved outcomes.

Objective:

The aim of this systematic review is to analyze the utility as well as acknowledge the achievements of AI/ML in HCP decision making.

Methodology:

PubMed and Cochrane databases were used to perform a systematic search with proper terminology to include all the relevant articles up to May 2021.

Results:

Fifteen studies that described the use of ML models in the diagnosis, treatment, and prognostication of pediatric hydrocephalus were identified. The median accuracy of prediction by the ML model in various tasks listed above was found to be 0.88. ML models were most commonly employed for ventricular segmentation for diagnosis of hydrocephalus. The most frequently used model was neural networks. ML models attained faster processing speeds than their manual and non-ML-based automated counterparts.

Conclusion:

This study attempts to evaluate the important advances and applications of ML in pediatric hydrocephalus. These methods may be better suited for clinical use than manual methods alone due to faster automated processing and near-human accuracy. Future studies should evaluate whether the use of these models is feasible in the future for patient care and management in field settings.
Tectal Rosette-Forming Glioneuronal Tumor – A Case Report Focusing on a Possible Role for Radiotherapy in Inoperable Tumors
Authors: Nambirajan Aruna , Sharma Mehar C , Giridhar Prashanth , Khanna Gaurav , Garg Ajay , Sharma Rajeev , Mallick Supriya , Gupta Subhash , Suri Vaishali , Parambath Haresh
Published: December 2021

Background:

Rosette-forming glioneuronal tumor (RGNT) is a rare and distinctive glioneuronal tumor. Although surgical excision is considered the standard treatment for these slow growing WHO Grade I tumors, gross-total resection is achieved in less than 50% of RGNTs due to its localisation amidst vital structures. With very few cases with long term follow-up reported, there is limited knowledge of the natural clinical course and the role of radiotherapy in inoperable RGNTs.

Case Description:

A previously well 26-year old male, presented with long standing headache, increasing gait instability and fainting episodes. Imaging revealed a tectal plate mass with hydrocephalous. An endoscopic third ventriculostomy and biopsy was done, revealing RGNT. He received radiotherapy with a curative intent. The patient remained neurologically stable for 4 years. Follow-up imaging done after 4 years showed decrease in tumor size.

Conclusions:

The current case highlights a role for radiotherapy in RGNTs occurring in surgically challenging sites.
The Cognitive Characteristics of PNE Children with Different Genders
Authors: Jiang Kaihua , Yi Yang , Ding Li , Li Hongxin , Li Lin , Zheng Aibin
Published: December 2021

Objectives:

To study the brain mechanism and behavioral performance of cognitive functional differences between children with primary nocturnal enuresis (PNE) of different genders by resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) and attention behavior research.

Methods:

All the children participating the test were 5–11 years old including 32 PNE children (15 boys and 17 girls) and 35 normal children (16 boys and 19 girls). They respectively went through MRI scan and the data were analyzed by the method of amplitude of low frequency fluctuation (ALFF). Then continuous performance test (CPT) was done and the correct number and reaction time were recorded. The between-group variance was analyzed by two sample t-test.

Results:

1. fMRI: There were no obviously different brain regions of ALFF between normal boys and girls. The brain regions which had obvious differences of ALFF between PNE boys and girls were right middle frontal gyrus, left inferior parietal lobule and right posterior cerbellar lobe. And the group of PNE boys were higher than PNE girls on all the three regions (P < 0.05). 2. CPT: The reaction time of PNE and normal boys was both lower than those of girls, but there were no obvious differences on the correct number.

Conclusion:

This study found that girls with PNE performed more obvious damages on attention, executive function and working memory than boys which might be related to the fact that girls were more likely to suffer from confidence impairment due to enuresis leading to cognitive dysfunctions. The method of ALFF based on resting-state fMRI provided a new approach for studying the cognitive characteristics of PNE children.
MRI-Negative Occipital Lobe Epilepsy Presenting as Gelastic Seizures
Authors: Hu Lingli , Ding Fang , Wang Shan , Wang Shuang
Published: December 2021

Although gelastic seizures (GSs) with extrahypothalamic epileptogenic zones such as the frontal, temporal, or parietal lobes have been previously reported, reports of GSs arising from the occipital region are rare. Herein, we describe the seizure propagation pattern of mirthless GSs confirmed by intracranial EEG in a case of MRI-negative occipital lobe epilepsy. In this patient, EEG onset was localized to the right occipital lobe while the onset of laughter coincided with seizure propagation to the right basal temporal region. This finding suggested that the symptomatogenic area for GSs in the occipital lobe may reside in the basal temporal region, and the basal temporal region may play a role in laughing behaviors. This case demonstrated that an elaborate analysis of electroclinical features combined with imaging findings may lead to successful seizure localization.
Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Augment Regeneration of Intervertebral Disc in a Reproducible and Validated Mouse Intervertebral Disc Degeneration Model
Authors: Baldia Manish , Mani Sunithi , Walter Noel , Kumar Sanjay , Srivastava Alok , Prabhu Krishna
Published: December 2021

Background:

Back pain and radicular pain due to disc degeneration are probably the most common problems encountered in neurosurgical practice. The experience and results of stem cell therapy in animal disc degeneration model will help us while doing clinical trials.

Objective:

To study the effect of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells in an established mouse disc degeneration model.

Methods:

An easily reproducible mouse coccygeal (Co) 4-5 disc degenerated model by CT-guided percutaneous needle injury was established. The mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were cultured from mouse bone marrow and validated. By an established technique, 24 mice disc degenerative models were generated and divided equally into 3 groups (test, placebo, and control). The test group received MSCs with fibrin glue scaffold and placebo group received only scaffold after 6 weeks of degeneration. The control group did not receive any injection. The effects of MSCs were analyzed 8 weeks post injection.

Results:

The test group showed a significant change in disc height index (%) in micro CT, whereas in the placebo and control groups, there was no change. The Safranin O staining showed an increase in glycosaminoglycan content and the polarized imaging of picrosirius red staining showed restoration of the collagen fibers in annulus fibrosus, which was statistically significant.

Conclusion:

Intradiscal MSC injection restored disc height and promoted regeneration in the discs at the end of 8 weeks. MSC's niche depends on the microenvironment of the host tissue. These findings will be helpful for clinical trials.
Persistent Bradycardia in Post-COVID-19
Authors: Handayani Olivia
Published: December 2021

The impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection is immeasurable. As we continue to learn about the presentation and complications of this infection, we begin to understand that COVID-19 is associated with multiorgan involvement. Bradycardia is one of cardiac complications that occur frequently in patients with COVID-19 infection. This clinical case is one approach to further understand the mechanism of COVID-19–induced dysautonomia causing bradycardia, through overstimulation of parasympathetic nervous system. Routine physical rehabilitation had improved the symptoms.