bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hybrid Machine learning algorithms at the service of student performance
Authors: Adil Korchi , Youness Manzali , Ahmed Abatal , Ahmed Elhamal
Published: July 2023

The ability to alter and improve a student's status in order to get the greatest performance out of them so that they pass their courses is an important component of today's educational landscape. This operation allows for the prediction of a student's performance in one or more disciplines.
This has become possible nowadays through the use of Machine Learning algorithms that mine educational data to predict student performance by training the models and testing them with the available data set while using different algorithms.
In this study, we compared 9 algorithms namely: ANN (Artificial neural network), DT (Decision tree), ELM based Model, KNN (K-nearest neighbour), LR (Logistic regression), LR 1 (Linear regression), NB (Naïve Bayes), RF (Random forest) and finally SVM (Support vector machine) in order to obtain the best models based on students’ performance in well-defined disciplines in order to improve their results and the success in their study.
We started with the data collection and then we carried out a preprocessing process, after which, we built models in order to compare and evaluate them.
Subsequently, we compared the results obtained and which were generated by the different algorithms in table 2 and which showed that the Random forest had the best ranking and this, in almost all the methods used (MAE , RMSE, ACC, AUC, RAE CSR) monitored by SVM which had satisfactory results.
Cultural Impacts on the Environmental Attitudes of Early Childhood Teachers: A Mixed-Method Study
Authors: LUO Hua , LI Wai Chin
Published: July 2023

This article prioritized the cultural impacts on the environmental attitudes of in-service early childhood teachers through a mixed-method study. Totally 832 valid responses were collected through online survey while 12 participants were involved in interviews. According to the outcomes of 2-MEV, participants showed a significantly more positive environmental attitude on conservation than that on utilization regardless of their educational levels, working years and workplaces. They embraced a moderate level of power distance, a low level of authority control and a relatively high level of collectivism. Participants with more emphasis on authority openness and collectivism would have a more positive attitude on environmental conservation while higher power distance and more collective concerns could predict a more positive attitude on environmental utilization. However, attention should also be given to other factors influencing their environmental attitudes such as the characteristics of female teachers, job satisfaction and teacher leadership.
LDL-C target-goal achievements in patients with acute and old cerebral infarction: a retrospective study
Authors: Chen Zhong , Jin Shijia , Zhang Yifan
Published: July 2023

Objective To investigate the baseline and six-month follow-up data of main lipid indexes and LDL-C target goal attainment regarding current guidelines among patients with acute and old cerebral infarction (ACI, OCI).Method A total of 1099 patients hospitalized in the Department of Neurology from January 2021 to December 2022 were consecutively enrolled and divided into ACI, OCI and control groups. General data (sex, age, body mass index (BMI), medications, smoking and disease history, etc. ), baseline and six-month follow-up laboratory data were collected and analyzed. Patients with ACI were divided into dyslipidemia and normal groups according to the lipid management guidelines of the European, American and Chinese populations. The chi-square test, Mann‒Whitney U test and logistic regression were used to screen possible predictors for dyslipidemia.Result TC and LDL-C levels among patients with ACI or OCI were significantly higher than those in the control group (all P < 0.05). Whether according to European (94.7% vs 89.0% vs 13.4%, P = 0.003), American (94.7% vs 67.7%% vs 45.9%, P < 0.001) or Chinese (85.1% vs 59.1% vs 18.6%, P < 0.001) standards, the proportion of dyslipidemia in patients with ACI was higher than that in patients with OCI and the control group. According to European and American standards, elevated BMI and eGFR were predictors for dyslipidemia in ACI patients. According to Chinese standards, elevated BMI, HbA1c and eGFR were independent predictors for dyslipidemia. The 6-month follow-up of the main lipid levels showed that among patients with ACI, the levels of TC, LDL-C, and TGs (4.86 vs 3.79, P < 0.001; 2.98 vs 2.01, P < 0.001; 1.46 vs 1.20, P < 0.001) and the proportion of dyslipidemia decreased significantly by European/American or Chinese standards (86.8% vs 64.6%, P = 0.015; 97.2% vs 84.7%, P = 0.012).Conclusion This study showed that lipid management was still not optimistic in patients with ACI. More attention should be given to patients with elevated BMI, eGFR and HbA1c. Although the main lipid levels decreased significantly 6 months after discharge with lipid-lowering therapy, there was still a long way to go to enable more patients to achieve the guideline-recommended lipid target goal.
Using Big Data to Analyze and Improve Emergency Department Efficiency: New Methods and Techniques
Authors: Ahmed Abatal , Adil Korchi
Published: July 2023

Efficiency is crucial, in Emergency Departments (EDs). It can be hindered by the number of patients. In this study we present a solution that utilizes the increasing amount of healthcare data and advancements in data analysis techniques. Our approach involves a combination of LSTM and Decision Tree models to enhance the accuracy of predicting volume, in EDs. The results indicate that our model outperforms existing methods suggesting its potential to improve ED efficiency.
Cellulose-Based Nanofibers Electrospun from Cuprammonium Solutions
Authors: Iqbal Danish , Zhao Renhai , Sarwar Muhammad Ilyas , Ning Xin
Published: July 2023

The production of nanofibers based on cellulose has attracted considerable interest due to their remarkable biocompatibility and thermal and mechanical characteristics, rendering them increasingly popular for numerous biomass-based fibrous applications. The current research describes the electrospinning process of cellulose utilizing cuprammonium solutions. Polyethylene oxide (PEO) is also introduced to improve electrospinning and end material characteristics. The impact of the cellulose source, cellulose concentration, PEO molecular weight, and PEO concentration on spinnability and fiber morphology was systematically investigated. The analysis of membrane morphology and other associated characteristics was conducted through scanning electron microscopy with X-ray diffractometer and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy techniques. A direct relationship exists between cellulose concentration and PEO molecular weight, resulting in an observed enhancement in fiber diameter. The nanofiber membranes demonstrate notable antibacterial characteristics for Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) owing to copper nanoparticles due to cuprammonium solution. Hence, the nanofiber membranes exhibit promising potential for utilization in several domains, such as water treatment, food packaging, medical, and separation.
Analytical displacement-controlled solutions to bifurcation buckling and post-buckling of soft functional beams with constrained ends
Authors: Zeng Xiaguang
Published: July 2023

The soft functional beams in many modern devices usually have elastic bifurcation buckling under the end-displacement control, which is essential to their consequent functions. The concise and accurate analytical solutions for the buckling and post-buckling analysis are needed to fast design these beams. Here we derive some closed-form displacement-controlled solutions for the bifurcation buckling and post-buckling of such end-constrained beams via the precise consideration of the deformed configuration of the beams. The displacement-controlled solutions to the potential energy, structural deformation, internal forces and their critical results are obtained in concise form for the beams with six typical boundary conditions. We find that these beams have only one unique but universal normalized potential energy surface depending on only two dimensionless quantities. The valley bottom pathways on the potential energy surface show that the critical buckling state is not only a bifurcation point but also a valley-ridge inflection point, and the energy increases quadratically before the point and increases linearly with a slope of 2 beyond the point. The axial forces are gradually increasing during post-buckling, greater than the traditional prediction. Our theoretical expressions provide a direct description on the end-displacement-controlled bifurcation buckling and post-buckling of the soft beams with finite deformation, which would inspire the derivation of the analytical displacement-controlled solutions for some other elastic bifurcation buckling problems.
Genomic and proteomic investigation of the mechanism of antibiotic resistance in methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolated from clinical samples
Authors: Vijayan Karthikeyan , Purushothaman Bharathi , Sivalingam Sindhu , Kaliamoorthy Venugopal
Published: July 2023

The study was aimed at isolating methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus from clinical samples and elucidating the molecular mechanism behind antibiotic resistance. S. aureus was isolated from 249 clinical samples, including wound, blood, ear swabs, pus, nasal swabs, sputum, and HVS. Also, the isolates were tested for methicillin resistance by antibiotic sensitivity assay. All the 96 MRSA isolates were subjected to DNA isolation and screening for the presence of target genes such as mecA, norA and qacA. In addition, the proteins from MRSA were analysed by SDS PAGE, 2D gel electrophoresis, MALDI-TOF analysis and structural elucidation was done. The results revealed that a total of 130 samples tested positive for S. aureus among which 96 samples were found to be methicillin resistant. Genomic analysis suggests the presence of mecA gene in 90 MRSA isolates and norA gene in the remaining 6 MRSA isolates. It is to be noted that qacA gene expression wasn’t detected in any of the 96 MRSA isolates. Finally proteomic studies revealed the presence of two distinct proteins including the zinc finger protein that is involved in β-lactamase activity. The findings of our study thus shows that mecA and norA genes and zinc finger protein are present in the S. aureus isolates leading to methicillin resistance.
Elimination Disorders and Associated Factors among Children and Adolescents Age 5–14 Year-old attending Pediatric Outpatient Clinic at Wolaita Sodo University Comprehensive Specialized hospital, South Ethiopia
Authors: Berhanu Tamene , Abera Mubarek , Girma Shimelis , Tesfaye Yonas
Published: July 2023

Background: Elimination disorder occurs when a child aged five and above passes urine or, aged four and above, defecates feces in inappropriate locations, whether voluntary or involuntary. Pediatric elimination disorders are not well understood by parents, teachers, medical professionals, mental health practitioners, and researchers. Hence, this study aimed to assess the magnitude of elimination disorder and associated factors among children and Adolescents aged 5–14 years old at Wolaita Sodo University Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, South Ethiopia, in 2022.Method:A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted from September 22 to November 22, 2022, at Wolaita Sodo University Comprehensive Specialized Hospital. A systematic random sampling technique was employed to select 423 study subjects. The data were gathered using a structured, face-to-face interviewer-administered questionnaire. The development of the symptom score for dysfunctional elimination syndrome of Vancouver questionnaires was used to screen for elimination disorders. Logistic regression model was used to determine the association between the outcome and independent variables. A 95% CI and Odds ratio with corresponding p-value < 0.05 were used to determine the strength of association.Result:The overall magnitude of elimination disorder among children and Adolescents age 5–14 in this study was (n 70, 16.8%); in boys (n 47, 17.3%) and girls (n 23, 15.75%). The prevalence of enuresis was (n 64, 15.3%), encopresis (n 15, 3.6%), both enuresis and encopresis, or combined elimination disorder (n 9, 2.2%). Age 9–11 years (AOR=3.2, 95%CI:1.09, 9.43), family size (AOR=3.4, 95%CI:1.78, 6.56), family history of elimination disorder (AOR=3.9, 95%CI:2.12, 7.45), emotional problem (AOR=2.2, 95%CI:1.18, 4.05), hyperactive problem (AOR=3.8, 95%CI:1.83, 7.83), low toilet training skills (AOR=5.9, 95%CI:2.61, 13.33), bad parenting practices, were poor supervision (AOR=4.4, 95%CI:1.29, 14.69) were significantly associated with elimination disorder.Conclusion and Recommendation:In this study, approximately one in five children and adolescents had an elimination disorder. Younger age, large family size, positive family history of elimination disorder, presence of emotional and hyperactive problems, bad parenting practices, and low toilet training skills were factors associated with elimination disorders. Therefore, a holistic approach to early detection and management is important to reverse the impact of the problem.
Epitranscriptomic Regulation of Osteoblast Function: Unveiling the Role of METTL3 and the m6A/YTHDF3/SOX4 Signaling Axis
Authors: Feng Zhi-wei , Peng Bo , Wang Sheng-hong , Zhao Da-cheng , Yang Ao , Zhan Hong-wei , Wang Yao-bin , Sheng Xiao-yun , Xu Li-hu , Ren Xiao-jun , Liu Jin-min , Yang Fei , Tang Yu-chen , Geng Bin , Xia Ya-yi
Published: July 2023

Osteoblasts, the primary cells responsible for bone formation, play a crucial role in synthesizing the collagen matrix and mineralizing the bone matrix. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) has been closely associated with the osteogenic function of osteoblasts. This study focused on exploring the underlying mechanisms of osteogenesis influenced by methyltransferase like-3 (METTL3) and its target genes. The conditional knockout of METTL3 in osteoblasts hinders their proliferation and differentiation into bone-forming cells, as revealed by our findings. Through meRIP-seq and functional analyses, we confirm the involvement of the key transcription factor, SRY-box 4 (SOX4), in m6A-mediated regulation of cell proliferation and differentiation during osteogenesis. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the reader protein YTH N6-methyladenosine RNA binding protein 3 (YTHDF3) enhances the stability of SOX4 mRNA by recognizing the methylation modification catalyzed by METTL3. Moreover, the overexpression of SOX4 in mice protects against osteoporosis induced by estrogen deficiency. Mechanistically, we have identified the m6A/YTHDF3/SOX4 signaling axis as a pivotal downstream pathway responsible for regulating m6A in osteoblasts. Our results establish that METTL3 promotes osteoblast proliferation and differentiation through the m6A/YTHDF3/SOX4 signaling axis, revealing novel epitranscriptomic mechanisms relevant to skeletal health and diseases.
Effect of microalgal based diets on growth, proximate, fatty acid and amino acid composition of water flea (Daphnia magna)
Authors: Zeybek Yusuf Gufran , Sayar Merve , Eryalçın Kamil Mert
Published: July 2023

Water flea (Daphnia magna) is used as live prey for freshwater and marine aquaculture species. They are also utilized as protein source in formulated diets. The culture success of zooplankton production is mainly depend on diets. The nutritional value of Daphnia magna is very important for larval and juvenile fish nutrition and this affect the survival and growth of fish. In this study, two fresh microalgae Euglena gracilis (EG) and Pavlova lutheri (PL) and four commercial dried microalgae products Algome® (dried Schizochytrium sp.), Naturiga® (dried Spirulina platensis), ProteinPlus® (PP) and AlgomeGrow® (dried Chlorella sp.) were evaluated for Daphnia magna culture. Survival, growth, fatty acids, and amino acid contents of daphnia have been studied. Higher survival supported by ProteinPlus diet (68%) and growth performance improved by utilization of fresh microalgae Euglena gracilis. Crude lipid content was increased by Algome® (8.91%) and ProteinPlus® (8.77%) diet whereas highest crude protein was obtained by Naturiga® diet (55.66%). Daphnia fed Algome® showed the highest DHA accumulation in daphnia body whereas EPA level was enhanced by ProteinPlus diet and ARA level were only supported by Naturiga® diet. There was detected a strong correlation between certain fatty acid groups (Oleic acid, α-linolenic acid, Ʃ n-3, and Ʃ n-3 HUFAs) and diets. AlgomeGrow diet enhanced whole essential amino acid contents of daphnia at the end of the experiment.
Ensemble Adversarial Defense via Integration of Multiple Dispersed Low Curvature Models
Authors: Zhao Kaikang , Chen Xi , Yu Yin , Kong Xianglong , Zhang Fan , Huang Wei
Published: July 2023

Integrating an ensemble of deep learning models have been extensively explored to defend adversarial attack. By promoting diversity between sub-models, the adversarial robustness can be improved, since the attack cost is increased for deceiving the majority of the sub-models in the ensemble. The existing works mainly focus on increasing diversity of feature representations or dispersion of first-order gradient with respect to input. However, the low correction between these diversity metrics and adversarial robustness limit the performance of ensemble adversarial defence and its applications. In this work, we attempt to promote the ensemble diversity through the perspective of reducing attack transferability. We identify that second-order gradients depict the loss curvature and is the key factor to the adversarial robustness. Computing the Hessian matrix, which is involved in second-order gradients, is computationally expensive. To address this issue, we approximate the Hessian-vector product by using differential approximation. Given that low curvature provides better robustness, our ensemble model takes into account the influence of curvature among different sub-models. We design a novel regularizer to train multiple more diverse low-curvature network models. Extensive experiments on different datasets show that our ensemble model exhibits better robustness against various attacks, which can demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach
A size and taxonomic assessment of non-lethal DNA sampling of gastropods using Flinders Technology Associates (FTA) cards
Authors: Leung Kelley
Published: July 2023

Sampling the DNA of rare animal species should have minimal impacts on individual health. This can be accomplished through non-lethal/non-invasive sampling. Few of these methods have been developed for invertebrates, including the Mollusca, which are in global decline. Tissue clipping the foot is a common non-lethal method for gastropods. However, it causes permanent damage and is inappropriate for smaller snails. This study used Flinders Technology Associates (FTA) cards to sample DNA from snail mucus for species of different sizes and habitat types, and across evolutionarily distant lineages. In a survival assay, the death rate of individuals sampled with FTA cards (12.1%) was greater than in the controls (3.7%), but the difference was not significant. Of 224 individuals representing 27 snail species (17 Hawaiian native, ten non-native) sampled using both FTA cards and tissue clipping, 80.4% of FTA samples and 91.6% of tissue samples amplified for COI, a significant difference. COI sequencing success did not differ significantly between the two methods. For individuals that failed to produce a COI sequence, an attempt was made to sequence 16S. For 16S, amplification and sequencing rates did not differ significantly between FTA and tissue samples. Habitat type and shell size did not affect FTA sampling success. Phylogenetically basal taxa exhibited lower success rates, but this may have been because of difficulty in sampling operculate taxa, and not because of identity. These results indicate that the FTA sampling is a viable non-lethal alternative to tissue clipping and can be used for diverse gastropods.
PR-YOLO: Improved YOLO for fast protozoa classification and segmentation
Authors: YANG WUJIAN , CHEN SUNYANG , CHEN GUANLIN , SHI QIHAO
Published: July 2023

Protozoa, such as Ceratium and Paramecium, play a fundamental role in establishing sustainable ecosystems. The distribution and classification of certain protozoa and their species are informative indicators to evaluate environmental quality. However, protozoa analysis is traditionally performed by molecular biological (DNA, RNA) or morphological methods, which are time-consuming and require an experienced laboratory operator. In this work, we adopt a deep learning-based network to solve the protozoa classification task. This method utilizes microscope images to help researchers analyse the protozoa population and species, reducing the cost of experimental sample storage and relieving the burden on laboratory operators. However, the shape and size of protozoa vary greatly, which places a great burden on the optimization of DCNN feature distillation. It is a great challenge to build a fast and precise protozoa analysis image. We present a new version of YOLO-v5 with better performance and extend it with instance segmentation called PR-YOLO. Building on the original YOLOv5, we added two extra parallel branches to PR-YOLO, which perform different segmentation subtasks: (1) a branch generates a set of prototype masks (images); (2) the other branch predicts a set of mask coefficients corresponding to prototype masks for each instance mask generation. Then, to improve the classification accuracy, we introduced transformer encoding blocks and lightweight Convolution Block Attention Modules (CBAMs) to explore the prediction potential with a self-attention mechanism. To quantitatively evaluate the performance of PR-YOLO, a comprehensive experiment was carried out on the hand-segmented microscopic protozoa images. Our model obtained the best results, with average classification accuracy of 96.83% and mean Average Precision(mAP) of 86.92% with a speed of 25.2 fps, which proves that the method has high robustness in this application field.
Precise certification of a qubit space
Authors: Białecki Tomasz , Rybotycki Tomasz , Batle Josep , Tworzydło Jakub , Bednorz Adam
Published: July 2023

We demonstrate an implementation of the precise test of dimension on the qubit, using the public IBM quantum computer,using the determinant dimension witness.The accuracy is below 10-3 comparing to maximal possible value of the witness in higher dimension.The test involving minimal independent sets of preparation and measurement operations (gates) is applied both for specific configurations andparametric ones. The test is be robust against nonidealities such as incoherent leakage and erroneous gate execution.Two of the IBM devices failed the test by more than 5 standard deviations, which has no simple explanation.
Safety, performance and user satisfaction study of the new ABLE lower-limb exoskeleton for individuals with SCI: the result of a co-creation process with clinicians and patients
Authors: Porras-Martínez Erika , López-Matas Helena , Lobo-Prat Joan , Kreamer-Tonin Katlin , Carnicero-Carmona Alfons , Tolrà-Campanyà Mariona , Pérez-Cañabate Florentina , Estay-Girardi José , Samitier-Pastor Beatriz
Published: July 2023

Background: This study assessed the safety, performance and user satisfaction of a new version of the ABLE Exoskeleton for gait training in people with spinal cord injury (SCI). This new hip-knee powered version of the exoskeleton ABLEhipknee has been developed taking into account the results of clinical trials with the previous knee powered version ABLEknee and feedback from clinicians and patients.
Methods: In this quasi-experimental study, a 10-session training program with the ABLEhipknee version was conducted on five participants with chronic, thoracic motor-complete SCI. Safety (device-related adverse events) and performance outcomes (level of assistance, donning/doffing time, therapy metrics) were recorded at every session. Standard clinical tests including 6MWT, 10MWT and TUG were carried out in the last session. The results from the present study were compared against the results obtained by a similar subset of participants from previous clinical trials with the ABLEknee version.
Results: The participants achieved a significantly better performance (higher walking time, number of steps, and distance walked, p<0.001) and experienced fewer device-related adverse events than participants from previous clinical trials where the ABLEknee was used. Participants of the present study also required lower levels of assistance to complete the therapy activities and achieved a significantly higher walking distance during the 6MWT compared to the previous clinical trials. The time to don/doff the ABLEhipknee took on average 3 minutes more than the ABLEknee with comparable levels of assistance. Regarding user satisfaction, the ABLEhipknee presented on average higher scores than the ABLEknee.
Conclusions: This study shows that, after the design changes performed on the ABLE Exoskeleton, the device continues to be safe for gait rehabilitation in people with SCI in a hospital setting. Moreover, the ABLEhipknee proved to be superior in terms of performance, with higher satisfaction scores as rated by participants and therapists. Overall, the results highlight the importance of co-creation to develop meaningful rehabilitation technology, engaging with people living with SCI and therapists as part of the team, to integrate their feedback into the design and better address their needs.
Trial registration: NCT05590065
Quantum Clock Synchronization Under Decoherence Effect
Authors: Noorbakhsh Bagher , Soltanmanesh Ali , Aslinezhad Mehdi
Published: July 2023

In this paper, we study a quantum clock synchronization for a three observer locating system, using entangled qubits and discuss the effect of the environmental noise on the phase of the system using decoherence theory. We will show that the error on the final result of the clock synchronization can be less than the current classical synchronizations, under suitable circumstances. Finally, with an appropriate modelling of the environment we can correct the error of the synchronization for a more accurate locating.
Decoding single and paired phonemes using 7T functional MRI
Authors: Vitória Maria Araújo , Fernandes Francisco Guerreiro , Boom Max van den , Ramsey Nick , Raemaekers Mathijs
Published: July 2023

Several studies have shown that mouth movements related to the pronunciation of individual phonemes are represented in the sensorimotor cortex. This would theoretically allow for brain computer interfaces that are capable of decoding continuous speech by training classifiers based on the activity in the sensorimotor cortex related to the production of individual phonemes. To address this, we investigated the decodability of trials with individual and paired phonemes (pronounced consecutively with one second interval) using activity in the sensorimotor cortex. Fifteen participants pronounced 3 different phonemes and 3 combinations of two of the same phonemes in a 7T functional MRI experiment. We confirmed that support vector machine (SVM) classification of single and paired phonemes was possible. Importantly, by combining classifiers trained on single phonemes, we were able to classify paired phonemes with an accuracy of 53% (33% chance level), demonstrating that activity of isolated phonemes is present and distinguishable in combined phonemes. A SVM searchlight analysis showed that the phoneme representations are widely distributed in the ventral sensorimotor cortex. These findings provide insights about the neural representations of single and paired phonemes. Furthermore, it supports the notion that speech BCI may be feasible based on machine learning algorithms trained on individual phonemes using intracranial electrode grids.
Occluded Face Recognition with a Novel Model Incorporating Block Diagonal Structure and Feature Consistency
Authors: Guo Junbo , Ma Xiang , Huo Shiteng
Published: July 2023

The nuclear norm matrix regression method is effective for continuous occlusion in face recognition. However, the existing method only considers low-rank structural information and ignores correlation between sample image representations. To effectively solve these issues, we propose a novel occluded face recognition model. The model enhances differences between categories using a strict 0–1 block diagonal structure. It also improves feature representation consistency within the same category with a local preservation term. The introduction of these two terms enables the model to obtain more discriminative representation coefficients. The experimental results on the Extended Yale B, AR, and LFW databases demonstrate that the proposed method has better recognition performance for occluded face recognition than comparative methods.
Assessing Pregnant Women's Exposure to Toxic Metals via Indoor Dust and Biological Monitoring in Urine
Authors: Moradnia Maryam , Darvishmotevalli Mohammad , Attar Hoessin Movahedian , Hajizadeh Yaghoub
Published: July 2023

This cross-sectional study investigated heavy metal concentrations in the indoor dust of pregnant women's homes in Isfahan City, Iran. It aimed to explore the relationship between metal concentrations in indoor dust and urine, as well as their correlation with the Air Quality Index (AQI) and relevant factors. A total of 80 indoor dust samples were collected from vacuum cleaners in different locations of Isfahan City over a three-month period (January to March) in 2020-2021. Additionally, 80 urine samples were obtained. Metal concentrations, including Chromium (Cr), Lead (Pb), Mercury (Hg), and Nickel (Ni), were analyzed using ICP-OES. The AQI value was derived from the maximum 8-hour daily PM2.5 levels provided by the Isfahan Department of Environment and calculated following EPA guidelines. Standard questionnaires captured information regarding residential location, house age, floor level, floor cover, smoking habits, distance living place and green spaces, use of air conditioner usage, type of window, window opening direction, and presence of houseplants. The mean concentrations of metals in indoor dust and urine samples were determined, with non-detectable levels of Hg. Significant differences in Pb concentration were observed across various living locations, house ages, and smoking habits (p-value < 0.05). Pb and Ni concentrations varied significantly based on floor levels and the direction of opening the window (p-value < 0.05). Differences were also noted in floor cover types and the presence of houseplants with respect to Cr and Pb concentrations in indoor dust (p-value < 0.05). Notably, a significant positive correlation existed between indoor dust Pb and AQI (r= 0.53, p <0.001). The high levels of Pb, Cr, and Ni in indoor dust highlight poor indoor air quality in the homes of the pregnant women studied. It is crucial to implement measures to raise awareness about the factors contributing to heavy metal pollution among communities.
Ključni aspekti promišljanja o odgoju u filozofiji Johna Deweya
Authors: Subotić Matea , Golubović Aleksandra
Published: July 2023

Pitanje odgoja staro je koliko i život sâm, a njegovi ključni elementi zaokupljaju i dalje misli brojnih pedagoga, psihologa, filozofa, sociologa itd. Mnogo je stručnjaka različitih profila koji se bave temom odgoja, no jedno se ime posebno ističe, ime uz koje se veže pojam suvremenog odgoja i reforme obrazovanja – John Dewey. Cilj ovog rada je prikazati u glavnim crtama njegovu teoriju i primjenu teorije u domeni filozofije odgoja, ističući važnost odgoja kao društvene funkcije u službi civilizacijskog opstanka i napretka. Upravo je društveni i tehnološki napredak potaknuo Deweyja na ideju reforme obrazovanja, u čijem je središtu bio praktični rad i eksperimentalna metoda, s ciljem postizanja ravnoteže između znanja i vještina. Značajan dio Deweyjeve filozofije odgoja posvećen je odgoju i obrazovanju, a uz taj aspekt bit će prikazana i opća promišljanja o odgoju, njegovim ciljevima, svrsi i definiciji, te moralu kao iznimno značajnom odgojno-obrazovnom aspektu.
Stripozofija za djecu
Authors: Cerić Haris , Cerić Elmana
Published: July 2023

Cilj ovoga rada je predočiti kako se jednim inovativnim pristupom nastavi filozofije može učinkovito odgovoriti zahtjevima propisanog kurikuluma, odnosno doprinijeti ostvarivanju očekivanih ishoda poučavanja, međupredmetne povezanosti, formativnom praćenju i vrednovanju učeničkih postignuća, kako bi se dosegnuli odgojno-obrazovni ciljevi predmeta. U ovome radu autori, razmatrajući strip kao svojevrstan nastavni medij, odnosno primjenu stripovne metode u nastavi, na primjeru jednog razrađenog scenarija za nastavni sat filozofije u gimnaziji pokazuju kako je moguće kombinirati stripozofski pristup nastavi filozofije s pristupom filozofije za djecu, koji imenuju »stripozofijom za djecu«. Filozofija za djecu kao i stripozofski pristup nastavi filozofije izrazito su komplementarni (imaju skandalonski i dijaloški karakter, potiču intelektualnu znatiželju učenika, razvijaju kritičko i kreativno mišljenje, stvaraju pozitivno i poticajno okružje za učenje), što omogućuje njihovo učinkovito kombiniranje.
The influence of soil and climatic conditions on the manifestation of economically valuable traits in different varieties of Helianthus annuus L.
Authors: Smulska I. V. , Topchii O. V. , Mykhailyk S. M. , Khomenko T. M. , Shcherbynina N. P. , Skubii O. A.
Published: July 2023

Purpose. To carry out a comprehensive study and evaluation of new varieties of the common sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) according to the main economically valuable traits, in particular yield, disease resistance, oil and protein content.
Methods. The following methods were used: field, laboratory, comparison and mathematical statistics. The qualification examination of sunflower varieties on suita­bility for distribution in Ukraine (SVD) was carried out in the Steppe and Forest-Steppe soil-climatic zones. In the research process, the “Methodology for the qualification examination of plant varieties on suitability for distribution in Ukraine (general part)” and the “Methodology for the examination of technical and fodder plant varieties on suitability for distribution in Ukraine” were used.
Results. The varietal potential of the common sunflower in terms of yield, protein and oil content and hulliness was analysed. At the same time, economically valuable traits of new varieties (‘MAS 804G’, ‘LG58390’, ‘LG50550 CLP’, ‘SY THEOS’, ‘LG50549 SX’, ‘LG58630’, ‘P64LL164’, ‘P64LL455’), included in the State Register of Plant Varieties Suitable for Distribution in Ukraine, were evaluated. In all years of testing, the yield in the Forest-Steppe zone was higher than in the Steppe (‘MAS 804G’ – by 49%, ‘LG50550 CLP’ – by 38%, ‘SY THEOS’ – by 28.9%, ‘LG50549 SX’ – by 21.9%, ‘LG58630’ – 19.5%, ‘P64LL455’ – 12.6%, ‘P64LL164’ – 10.3%) and the highest values were characterised for the varieties ‘LG50550 CLP’ (2.58–4.54 t/ha) and ‘MAS 804G’ (2.79–4.26 t/ha). With regard to quality indicators, in particular the oil content in seeds, ‘P64LL164’ and ‘SY THEOS’ were dominant, while the protein content was 17.7–17.5% in ‘LG58630’ and 16.7–17.1% in ‘LG58390’. Conclusions. According to the results of the qualification examination on the suitability of the variety for distribution, the investigated varieties are recommended for cultivation in the Steppe and Forest-Steppe zones. The varieties with the highest oil content in seeds were identified as ‘SY THEOS’ (Steppe – 51.4%, Forest-Steppe – 51.6%) and ‘P64LL164’ (Steppe – 50.9%, Forest-Steppe – 52.1%). The highest protein accumulation was observed in variety ‘LG5863’ (Steppe – 17.7%, Forest-Step­pe – 17.5%).
In-group and out-group behavior in Indian multinational corporations: An analysis of its implications on organizational performance
Authors: Kumar Vivek , Mishra Paritosh , Bhan Yadav Suraj , Kumar Gupta Sandeep
Published: July 2023

The purpose of this study is to investigate in-group and out-group dynamics within multinational corporations in India and their influence on organizational performance. The paper uses concurrent triangulation. Primary data were gathered via a purposive sample of 500 employees across various demographic backgrounds, ensuring diversity. Respondents participated in an online survey and a few in-depth interviews, administered in-person or online, capturing their experiences of group dynamics. Survey data were analyzed using R, SPSS, and SAS, while thematic analysis was applied to in-depth interview transcripts using NVivo software. The study also employed descriptive statistics, ANOVA, MANOVA for the survey and thematic analysis for interviews, revealing the depth and complexity of in-group favoritism. In-group members have reported significantly higher levels of communication, trust, cooperation, conflict management, and innovation, indicating the impact of group dynamics on organizational performance. The outcome of the multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) demonstrates a substantial impact of in-group/out-group categorization on the amalgamated dependent variables (evidenced by a Wilks’ Lambda value of 0.68, F (5,94) = 4.17, p < .001). This suggests a noteworthy influence of in-group/out-group affinities on overall team efficacy. The insights offer concrete strategies to enhance inclusivity amid diversity within multinational corporations, thereby mitigating group bias and promoting organizational performance. This study not only expands the understanding of group dynamics in Indian multinational corporations but also offers valuable guidance for managerial practices.
Associated Comorbidities in Children under 5 Years with Severe Acute Malnutrition Attending Magumeri General Hospital: Retrospective Hospital-Based Study
Authors: Obani Kenneth Onyedikachi
Published: July 2023

Malnutrition is a global health challenge essentially because of its role as a preventable cause of several morbidities and mortality around the globe, especially in children under 5 years. Associated comorbidities and types of morbidity common in children admitted with severe acute malnutrition in Magumeri General Hospital were investigated. This was a retrospective quantitative hospital-based study. Hospital records, ward admission and discharge registers, and patient cards were reviewed focusing on demographic, clinical, and mortality data extracted on all children under 5 years admitted to the Hospital. Data during the period of December 2018 to March 2020 was collected and analyzed using Microsoft Excel 2013 and SPSS version 17.0. 367 children under 5 years with complicated SAM were identified from the reviewed total hospital admissions of 537. 217 cases were male (59.1%) while 150 were female (40.9%). Marasmus was the most common type of severe acute malnutrition (75.2%) while diarrhea, respiratory tract infection, and malaria were the top three comorbidities, majority of the cases were managed successfully with 79.6 % reported to have fully recovered and were discharged, while 17 (4.1%) died. Magumeri is a locality disproportional affected by various insecurities due to the Boko Haram insurgency, resulting in the high prevalence of severe acute malnutrition among children under 5 years, representing 68.3% of total hospital admissions in the same age group, while 81.2 % had at least more than one comorbidity with a significant association between prolonged hospital stay and treatment (p < 0.001). Keywords: Admission, Magumeri, Morbidity, Severe acute malnutrition, and Under 5 children.
The Impact of Covid-19 on the Social and Emotional Wellbeing among School-Aged Children in Minnesota, USA
Authors: Asambang Dieudonne Achunche
Published: July 2023

This research study investigated the impact of Covid-19 on the social and emotional wellbeing of school aged children in Minnesota, USA. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design in which school-aged children completed a questionnaire enquiring about the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on their social and emotional wellbeing during the period. A sample of 400 school-aged children were randomized from a population of 955,000 school-aged children in the Minnesota metropolis. The first stage involved the population being stratified into male and female, public and private schools before a sample of 400 school aged children were randomly selected. Two instruments were utilized: The Social Well-Being Scale (SWBS) and The Emotional Well-Being Scale (EWBS). The result revealed a significant difference (β = .223, t = 3.667, p < .05) leading to the conclusion that there was a significant impact of Covid-19 on emotional wellbeing among school-aged children in Minnesota, USA. Also, there is a significant impact of Covid-19 on social wellbeing among school-aged children in Minnesota, USA (β = .607, t = 12.301, p < .05). Lastly, there was a significant positive relationships between Covid-19 and social wellbeing (r = .607, p < .05), Covid-19 and emotional wellbeing (r = .223, p < .05), and social wellbeing and emotional wellbeing (r = .230, p < .05). The following recommendation was made. School authorities and stakeholders should develop targeted interventions on promoting social connections, providing mental health support, and fostering resilience among children. Governments should implement preventive measures to ensure access to remote learning resources, promote health education and prioritize mental health and wellbeing as integral components of the education system. Keywords: Covid-19- Pandemic, Social Wellbeing, Emotional Wellbeing, School-Aged Children.
Erotics of War and Sovereignty in Iris Murdoch’s The Red and the Green
Authors: HATİPOĞLU Gülden
Published: July 2023

In The Red and the Green the Irish writer Iris Murdoch creates a narrative universe that focuses on the Easter Rising of 1916, one of the most tumultuous turns in twentieth century Irish history, and introduces a rich web of moral conflicts and dilemmas experienced by members of an Anglo-Irish community in Dublin. The main concern of this article is to introduce a reading of Murdoch’s The Red and the Green in the context of the mythopoetic discourse of the Easter Rising of 1916, which predominantly reflected the nationalist rhetoric of the Irish Revivalist Movement, and to show how Murdoch revisualizes recent Irish history through her own cultural origins. The argument is grounded on the premise that Millie features in the novel as the embodiment of the feminine archetype and symbolic representation of the Erotic in stark contrast to the war rhetoric of the Easter Rising that relies heavily on the desexualized, romanticized and idealized versions of the feminine in Celtic mythic imagination. Millie’s feminine archetypal image and her symbolic representation of Eros distorts and shakes the masculine rhetoric of the Rising. As a response to the desexualized, sterile, and therefore displaced representations of the Sovereignty Goddess in the literature of the Irish Revival, Murdoch introduces a critical ethos in the novel by restoring the essence of this feminine element in the portrayal of Millie, the central character around whom the plot largely revolves.
Turkey's Green Economy Initiative: An Experimental Evaluation of Hydrogen Energy
Authors: EKİNCİ Fırat , MERT Mehmet Erman
Published: July 2023

Green economy is a concept that aims to achieve sustainable economic growth without harming the environment. Reducing carbon footprint is an important tool for the green economy. The contribution of reducing carbon footprint to the green economy is to measure the impact of economic activities on the environment and guide the development of green economy practices. Through green economy practices, carbon footprint can be reduced, environmentally friendly production and consumption habits can be promoted, and natural resources can be used more efficiently. Turkey is in a moderate position in terms of carbon footprint worldwide. As of 2019, Turkey's carbon footprint was calculated as 370 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent. The energy sector, industrial activities, transportation and agriculture sectors are among the largest sources of carbon footprint in Turkey. In this study, the evaluation of hydrogen gas production for reducing carbon footprint during Turkey's transition to the green economy is discussed. The production and evaluation of the cathode electrode used in hydrogen gas production with the alkaline electrolysis system were conducted. For this purpose, a novel, cheap and accessible cathode material containing transition metal was used for the first time in the literature, which was produced by a triple coating of nickel (Ni), iron (Fe), and molybdenum (Mo) on a nickel foam electrode surface at different potentials (2.1 V - 3 V) and different times (5-30 minutes) with two electrode techniques to produce hydrogen gas. According to the results, the amount of hydrogen gas produced per unit surface area (m2) of the electrode during a 30-minute period was approximately 516 L, and the energy value determined by the Lower Heating Value (LHV) was 5533.2 kJ/kg H2.
Addressing sustainable urban flood risk: reviewing the role and scope of theoretical models and policies
Authors: Oneto Gabriele , Canepa Maria
Published: July 2023

Contemporary adaptation to urban flooding is based on risk management. Urban planners have both an active role in studying cities and a supportive role in helping to define policies. From 33 case studies, this review tries to give insight into how flood risk management fares in confronting international directives on disaster reduction and sustainability, by defining seven sustainability performance criteria. Most studies try to maximize the acceptability and feasibility of implementing solutions in cities (63.6%) and the revision of existing building codes and plans (51.5%), while fewer try to test existing urban practices for weak points (27.3%). Analyses do not fully consider urban habitats as holistic and complex systems, as citizen awareness (27.3%), costs (21.2%), and biodiversity (24.2%) are some of the least recurring and intersecting themes. The main findings should help planners define new lines of action on urban flooding and consider alternative aspects in their frameworks.
La autonomía de la voluntad de los cónyuges para convenir la compensación económica
Authors: Bustos Carrasco Claudia Daniela
Published: July 2023

El presente artículo examina la naturaleza de la compensación económica para resolver el alcan-ce que tiene la autonomía de voluntad en el pacto de compensación económica, en particular si puede pac-tarse modalidades de pago de la compensación como una renta vitalicia en favor del beneficiario. En el artí-culo se defiende la hipótesis de que, en tanto la com-pensación económica es una institución sui generis, vela por finalidades propias que hacen incompatible que la autonomía de la voluntad pueda acordar moda-lidades en términos absolutos, debiendo el juez velar por el resguardo del cónyuge más débil.