bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dezvoltarea creativității în exprimarea orală a elevilor în urma aplicării unor tehnici creative la clasă
Authors:   Profesor învățământ primar, Școala Gimnazială Silvania, Șimleu Silvaniei, România. Email: floricalupau@yahoo.it., BODEA Florica
Published: December 2024

The Development of Creativity in the Oral Expression of the Students Following the Application of some Creative Techniques in the Classroom. By involving 4th grade students in a program to stimulate creativity in oral expression, we managed to increase the level of its development. Specifically, we applied 20 creative techniques initiated by Gianni Rodari in the Romanian language and literature lessons during one school year. Even if an important percentage of students obtained very good results also at the initial evaluation, from the analysis of the progress recorded, from the observation of the behavior, we found that the intervention program helped them a lot, increased their confidence and helped them to be aware of what it means to we creatively approach a requirement. I also showed that without systematic intervention, creativity does not develop by itself and as much. The results of the intervention are generally observed for all students in the class and in all subjects, as also found in the findings of the other teachers teaching the class.
Keywords: creativity, development, techniques, exercises, training, attitudes
Experimental Investigation of the Behavior of Reactive Powder Concrete Beams with and without Shear Reinforcement
Authors: Latief Hussein
Published: December 2024

Reactive powder concrete (The RPC) is a promising building material for the foreseeable future because of its benefits over other forms of concrete. However, neither the blending specifications neither the flexural members made from this material's mechanical strength is specified in any code. The goal of the current effort is to investigate the flexural, and shear strengths of RPC beams. Five groups of beams made with RPC are intended to investigate the maximum and service flexural and shear strengths. Three groups are designed to fail in flexure and two to fail in shear. According to experimental testing, it was found that experimental loads applied on beams were always higher than the theoretical load calculated using the equations of Japanese codes (20 – 30 %). It was also noted that the shear failure load was 5% to 22% higher than the theoretical load.
Review of using ceramic coatings to increase the performance of solar collectors with air brush spray method on stainless steel substrate
Authors: Hadi Saja
Published: December 2024

In recent decades, our world is exposed to many of economic crisis comes from high energy prices due to steadily increasing demand for it. However, the most important source of energy that widely consumed is extracted from fossil fuels. Moreover, these energy production processes making planet to be exposed to in terms of environmental pollution. Where, because of the emission of carbon dioxide and other gases, which lead to global warming and high air temperatures, this is considered a threat to the environment. On the other hand, the renewable and sustainable energies are available all over the world, which is clean, non-polluting. Consequently, the mineral types of materials suitable for coating process were studied to improve the use of solar energy in pure water production processes. However, the coating process presented to improve the insulation of type 316 stainless steel basin. Where, the glass cover of the solar water desalination system is clear to allow sunlight to pass through it. So, the heat conductive component and the insulating basin maintain a suitable water temperature to make still water to be evaporated and then condensation at the glass surface then collecting pure water. Since, ceramic materials have better thermal insulation than other insulating coating materials; their application concern for enhancing insulation. In this work, the materials that used for improving the insulation of steel absorber plat are mullite, titanium oxide and magnesium oxide, polymer components are added to the paint mixture without changing the properties of the coating in order to increase the uniformity and adhesion of the materials used. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and (EDS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), spectrophotometer-infrared (FTIR), thermal conductivity, adhesion strength, hardness, density, porosity, viscosity test Coating thickness, ultraviolet (UV), wettability, and abrasion. For investigate the feature of coating metals, some of the tests that are performed for their effectiveness.
Effect of Humic Acid, Seaweed Extracts and Organic Fertilizer on the Growth and Yield of Broccoli (Brassica Oleracea)
Authors: Ismael Salih
Published: December 2024

Two-successive greenhouse experiments were conducted at the protected cultivation department in Zakho Technical Institute, Dohuk Polytechnic University, Kurdistan region of Iraq during the seasons of 2021-2022 and 2021-2022 to inspect the growth and yield response of broccoli cultivar (Agassirz) to foliar application of humic acid and seaweed extract at concentration of 0, 2, and 4 ml.L-1 for the both and using of organic fertilizer (animal manure) at three levels 0, 5, and 10 ton.ha-1. The treatments were organized in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replicates. The obtained data revealed that the foliar application of humic acid and seaweed extract at concentration of 4 ml.L-1 and organic manure of 10 ton.donum-1 resulted in significant increase in vegetative traits of plant height (cm), number of leaves.plant-1, and number of head per plant and yield attributes of head weight (g), head dry matter (%), and yield (kg.m2), Whereas the humic and seaweed at concentration (2) ml.L-1 and organic manure applied at 10) ton.donum-1 importantly affected the fresh weight of vegetative growth. The topmost ever values were produced from the triple treatment; humic acid at (4) ml.L-1 ) + seaweed at (4) ml.L-1 + organic fertilizer at (10) ton.donum-1 in comparison with control and other doses.
A vulnerabilidade jurídica do consumidor perante cláusulas abusivas nos contratos de adesão
Authors: Vithoft Eduardo , Toporoski Elizeu Luiz
Published: December 2024

O presente trabalho tem por objetivo verificar a ocorrência da vulnerabilidade jurídica do consumidor nas relações contratuais, em especial nos contratos de adesão quando existam cláusulas abusivas. Tratando o aspecto legislativo se destaca o contido na Constituição Federal de 1988, em especial no art. 24, inciso VIII que trata acerca da responsabilidade aos danos causados ao consumidor e também na Lei Federal nº 8.078/1990 que versa sobre a temática, alcunhada de Código de Defesa do Consumidor. Adiante explanamos o conceito de vulnerabilidade e a origem do Direito do Consumidor, bem como as relações de consumo abrangendo sua natureza jurídica. Do mesmo modo abordando a aplicação prática da mencionada vulnerabilidade jurídica em casos reais de contratação mediante cláusulas abusivas nos contratos de adesão e quais os prejuízos causados em razão de tal negócio. Por fim, foi analisado o direito indenizatório para reparação dos danos praticados em face do consumidor por conta da sua vulnerabilidade, buscando-se delimitar o posicionamento deste direito frente à decisão do Tribunal de Justiça de Santa Catarina sobre a matéria. Este trabalho utiliza-se como base a metodologia dedutiva através da pesquisa bibliográfica e jurisprudencial. Adentro da proeminência jurídica, no estudo aqui apresentado, foi analisado a existência da vulnerabilidade jurídica do consumidor diante de situações abusivas cometidas em relação de consumo e também acerca da possibilidade de indenização diante do dano sofrido.
Towards a Macro-Level Theoretical Understanding of Police Services’ Acquisition of Risk Technologies
Authors: Hill Dallas , O'Connor Christopher
Published: December 2024

Most North American police services have rapidly acquired and implemented a range of emerging and disruptive technologies in recent years. This rapid adoption of technologies has left a significant gap in our theoretical understanding of how police make decisions about which technologies to acquire. While existing research has focused on technology’s impact at the organizational level, the macro-level context that shapes technological acquisition by the police is undertheorized. To address this gap in the literature, this article combines theorizing by Ericson and Haggerty (1997) on policing the risk society (PRS) and Zuboff (2019) on surveillance capitalism (SC) to develop a macro-level theoretical framework. We consider technologies acquired by the police to be risk technologies and argue that combining key elements of PRS and SC theorizing offers a macro-level understanding of police decision-making about which technologies to adopt that can complement meso-level organizational theories. While calling for additional empirical research, this article concludes by discussing the potential impacts associated with private-sector involvement in public-sector initiatives and providing directions for future research.
Why Synthetic Data Can Never Be Ethical: A Lesson from Media Ethics
Authors: Fitzgerald Andrew
Published: December 2024

This Dialogue paper argues that the use of synthetic data can never be “ethical.” My argument imports a normative stance from media ethics that “being-ethical-means-being-accountable” (Glasser and Ettema 2008). Building from discourse ethics, this stance positions such ethics as having “the facility to argue articulately and deliberate thoughtfully about moral dilemmas, which in the end means being able to justify, publicly and compellingly, their resolution” (Glasser and Ettema 2008: 512). Crucially, this approach is dialogical and social, necessitating a space open to all affected by relational practices and processes. While the use of synthetic data in commercial institutional contexts may offer workarounds to privacy concerns regarding personally identifiable information (PII) or unpaid user labor––or seem relatively innocuous, as in the case of training computer vision algorithms in video games––this facilitates, as others in this Dialogue section argue in their respective papers, a “fix” or “solutionist” framing that elides ethics and de-politicizes synthetic data. Synthetic data therefore intensifies a pre-existing lack of accountability inherent within automated systems more generally, and through this, entrenches and compounds surveillant practices. In some arenas, the stakes are quite literally life or death, such as in the development of medical AI, and more perniciously, the migration of models from commercial to state deployment in law enforcement and military contexts. Given the foreclosure of thoughtful, articulate, and reflexive inclusive deliberation on the significant moral implications of AI’s vast and ever-growing assemblages, and synthetic data’s role in further mystifying and legitimating its seemingly unbridled development and deployment, I argue that synthetic data can never meet the standard of “ethical” practice.
Synthetic Data and Reverse Image Search: Constructing New Surveillant Indexicalities
Authors: Ridgway Renée , Malevé Nicolas
Published: December 2024

The recent evolution of algorithmic techniques (mining, filtering, modelling) makes people more transparent through sophisticated search interactions and online monitoring, heightening opportunities for surveillance. The advent of computer-generated “synthetic data” has created another twist in the techno-information revolution of generative “artificial intelligence.” Promoted by tech companies to circumvent privacy legislation and to develop cheaper monitoring technologies, synthetic data is touted as a solution to surveillance capitalism. This dialogue paper focuses on the use of synthetic data in the context of “fake” images and discriminatory technologies by first discussing the relation between representation and indexicality via the medium of (digital) photography and then via reverse image search. A digital ethnography by the authors uses artificially generated images of people “who do not exist” to query the reverse search engine PimEyes, which offers a biometric search for anyone wishing to find their faces on the internet. PimEyes finds faces similar to a person that doesn’t exist, provoking questions both about the generated image used as a query and the status of the search result. The results show the tensions inherent to the use of synthetic data: a dialectic between increasing precision and increasing scepticism. When visiting the offered, linked websites, the confusion increases as the user struggles to determine if the images PimEyes found are synthetic or real. In this context, reverse image search will likely stimulate future synthetic data development and simultaneously offer services that embed metadata into files, as well as forensics to secure indexicality, introducing yet other factors into the loop between representation and generation. Therefore, the matter of concern won’t be the ability to produce realistic representations through the use of synthetic data, but the demand of indexicality that their use triggers and the bureaucratic apparatuses of verification that emerge to contain it.
Gender differences in job satisfaction among anesthesiologists in Saudi Arabia; a cross-sectional study
Authors: Alzayer Zainab , Alhashim Zainab , Alharthi Yasser , Alwarthan Abdulaziz , Alquorain Ahmed , Alshehri Asim , Shukr Ammar , Alshehri Omar
Published: December 2024

Objective: This study aimed to assess the gender differences in job satisfaction among Saudi Arabian anesthesiologists.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted across Saudi Arabia using a modified version of the anesthesia practice satisfaction survey. A total of 350 participants participated in the survey, which focused on identifying how satisfied anesthesiologists were. The survey also included questions about leadership, teamwork, workload, work environment, pay, and career development prospects.
Results: The majority were male (65.4%) and between the ages of 25 and 35 (42%). Most were married (70.9%) and Saudi citizens (78.6%). 55.4% had less than 9 years of experience. Geographically, many people worked in the Central (37.4%) or Eastern (38.3%) regions. The most prevalent academic rank was senior registrar (15.4%), 62.9% of participants expressed satisfaction with their income, 50% said they had a good work-life balance, and the majority worked 40-59 hours a week. Around 95.1% of the participants (n = 333) were in the operating room (OR). Gender showed a significant discrepancy (p-value = 0.006), with male anesthesiologists at 67.2% satisfaction compared to 49.6% for females.
Conclusion: The findings showcase the need for interventions to address differences, improve well-being, and promote gender equity. Factors such as income, work-life balance, and teamwork play essential roles in satisfaction. By tackling these issues, healthcare organizations can increase anesthesiologists' satisfaction, which leads to better patient outcomes.
Integrating YOLOv7 with FixMatch for Enhancing Vehicle Detection Performance in Mixed Traffic Environments
Authors: Zaita Yandri , Saddami Khairun , Nasaruddin Nasaruddin
Published: December 2024

A major challenge in the development of object detection technology is the significant reliance on large labeled datasets, which requires substantial time and memory for manual annotation—especially in complex, mixed traffic environments with varied vehicle types, congestion levels, and unpredictable motion patterns. This study addresses this issue by integrating the semi-supervised learning technique, FixMatch, into the YOLOv7 object detection model, utilizing 4000 transportation-related datasets. The FixMatch technique enables the model to detect unlabeled objects effectively through strong and weak augmentation methods. In this study, the detected objects in the mixed traffic environment include public transportation, pedicabs, cars, motorcycles, and trucks. This study achieved an impressive 97.5% detection accuracy by leveraging unlabeled data, demonstrating the model's efficiency and effectiveness in identifying vehicles under diverse traffic conditions. Consequently, integrating the FixMatch method into YOLOv7 provides a practical and efficient solution for object detection in situations where collecting labeled data is challenging, such as in dynamic and highly variable traffic environments.
Unmanned-Aerial-Vehicle Online Trajectory Planning Using Confidence Bounds of Chance-Constrained Geofences
Authors: Du Bin , Chen Jun
Published: December 2024

This paper proposes an online algorithmic framework for solving the problem of unmanned-aerial-vehicle (UAV) trajectory planning while avoiding partially unknown geofences under an uncertain environment. The real-time perception of the environment is leveraged to enhance both safety and efficiency of the generation of UAV trajectories. More specifically, to tackle with uncertainties presented in the UAV’s real-time measurements, we utilize a novel notion of dummy upper confidence bound, which was proposed in our previous work. As a result, two remarkable features are guaranteed for our online trajectory planner: 1) it is guaranteed with high probability that the regions generated by the confidence bounds are larger than the actual geofences, and thus safety of the planned trajectories is naturally assured; and 2) the confidence regions shrink progressively as more perception information is acquired, which further improves the efficiency of the UAV’s trajectories. With these two features, both feasibility and (sub)optimality are theoretically ensured for our online trajectory planning algorithm. At last, two sets of numerical examples are provided to demonstrate all theoretical findings in the paper.
Critical Assessment of Quadratic Closures for Prediction of Corner Flow Separation
Authors: Prudenzano Laura Lidia , Gand Fabien , Deck Sébastien
Published: December 2024

The work proposed in this paper aims at improving the physical understanding and modeling of junction flows by conducting an analysis of several quadratic constitutive relations (QCRs) applied to corner vortices. Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes computations are performed on two academic configurations for verification purposes and on a technical application of wing–body juncture featuring corner flows to achieve a better comprehension of the QCR variants’ ability to reproduce turbulent stress combinations relevant to secondary flows generation. This addresses the more theoretical interest of analyzing the onset of corner separation (at an angle of attack [Formula: see text]) and the role of corner flow vortices. Linear eddy viscosity model and the extended QCR failed to detect these vortical structures; the latter encountered numerical stability difficulties. On the other hand, QCR2000, QCR2020, and QCR(r) showed behavior consistent with a simulation using the Reynolds Stress Model, experiments, and literature results. This better prediction was found to be related to the ability of these models to accurately predict the stress-induced vortex that acts in delaying and reducing the size of the corner separation. Notably, the more recent QCR(r) and QCR2020 have enhanced the estimation of the normal stress combination [Formula: see text] compared to the more widespread QCR2000, demonstrating their validity as alternative models.
Considerations for Use of Three-Hole Probes for Turbomachinery Applications
Authors: Bond Evan H. , Key Nicole L.
Published: December 2024

Three-hole probes are frequently employed to characterize the flow field upstream, within, and downstream of turbomachines. From three pressure measurements, the static pressure, total pressure, Mach number, and a single axis flow angle can be resolved. Despite this utility, there are induced errors related to the use of these probes that are particularly pertinent to use in turbomachines. Small passages cause end-wall proximity effects, the rotor induces flow unsteadiness, and complex flow three-dimensional flow structures are developed. These effects are considered in this effort by contrasting experimental inlet distortion data from an auxiliary power unit inlet of a centrifugal compressor with computational inlet-only models. The aerodynamic interface plane was measured using a rotatable rake assembly with trapezoidal three-hole probes and fast response pressure transducers. Two computational models are presented, one with and one without the aerodynamic interface plane instrumentation used in the experiment. The measurements from the simulated traverse are compared to the inlet-only computational model and experimental results. End-wall effects were the dominant error driver for the static pressure measurements. Swirl was predominantly altered by perpendicular flow angle magnitudes above 10 deg. Indicated total pressure was impacted by radial flow angle and unsteadiness that were highly coupled.
Bronchiectasis in African children: Prevalence, etiology, and clinical spectrum at a pediatric tertiary hospital in Cape Town, South Africa
Authors: Mapani Muntanga K. , Githinji Leah , Vanker Aneesa , Verwey Charl , Masekela Refiloe , Goga Ameena , Gray Diane
Published: December 2024

Objectives:

The objective of the study was to describe the disease burden, etiology, and clinical spectrum of bronchiectasis in children attending a tertiary hospital in Cape Town, South Africa.

Materials and Methods:

Data were collected by chart review of all patients aged 3 months to 15 years attending the respiratory clinic at Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital between January 2019 and December 2019. We included children who had a diagnosis of bronchiectasis based on a history of a recurrent (>3 episodes/year) or persistent (>4 weeks) wet or productive cough and a clinical phenotype characterized by any of the following: Exertion dyspnea, recurrent chest infections, growth failure, finger clubbing, and chest deformity associated with radiographic features of bronchiectasis on chest radiograph or chest tomography reported by a pediatric radiologist. Patients with cystic fibrosis were excluded from the study.

Results:

Of 337 children seen at the respiratory clinic during the study period, 58 (17.2%) had bronchiectasis that was diagnosed at a mean age of 34 months (standard deviation 26), and 32 (55.0%) were female. The most common causes of bronchiectasis were post-infectious 25 (43.1%), and underlying immunodeficiencies 19 (32.8%), including 16/58 (27.6%) who were living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and 3 (5.1%) with primary immunodeficiency. Other causes included aspiration syndrome 8 (13.8%) and anatomical abnormalities 4 (6.9%). Of the participants with post-infectious bronchiectasis, tuberculosis (TB) was the most common organism isolated 16 (64.0%), and most common in children living with HIV (11/16, 68.8%). Cough was common in 48 (82.8%), with wet cough being predominant in 41 (85.4%), course crepitations were found in 37 (63.8%), hyperinflation in 24 (41.4%), finger clubbing in 21 (36.2%), wheeze in 16 (29.3%), and exertional dyspnea in 7 (12.0%).

Conclusion:

Bronchiectasis is common in South African children, usually resulting from previous pneumonia episodes, with TB being the most common infective cause. The importance of early diagnosis and treatment of underlying causes, especially infectious diseases in low-middle-income settings, to prevent bronchiectasis is highlighted.
Assessment of physicochemical properties among petroleum contaminated and normal soil: A multivariate statistical analysis
Authors: Mangla Himanshi , Dave Saurabh , Jain Smita , Pathak Hardik
Published: December 2024

Soil surveying and mapping are vital operations in soil science. They contribute to the evaluation of changes in soil quality between various geographical regions. This study intended to investigate the effect of geographic variability on soil properties gathered from different geographical areas of the Rajasthan State of north-western India, using conventional analytical methods. Normal and petroleum-contaminated soils were collected from four diversified regions of Rajasthan: namely, hyper saline wetland (Sambhar), arid desert region (Jaisalmer), semi-arid region (Ganganagar) and humid irrigated plains (Banswara).

The correlations between normal and contaminated soil for these four stations were investigated using multivariate analyses, principal component analysis (PCA) and statistical quality control. The one-way ANOVA test is applied to determine the statistical significance between different sampling stations for both normal and contaminated soil. Since the p-value in both cases is less than 0.05, it reflects a significant difference in physical properties among all four stations. The PCA analysis suggests that the first three components have Eigen values greater than one that can describe 100% of the total variability in soil properties. Heavy metals (Lead, Nickel and Copper) are the primary measures of variability between sample points for contaminated soil. In contrast, physicochemical properties (pH, Conductivity and Sodium) are the primary measures of variability between sample sites for normal soil.
Synthesis, DFT and Anti-microbial study of 2-amino-2-phenoxypropane-1,3-diol
Authors: Bhaskar T. , Mithina R. , Banumathi N. , Vijaya P.
Published: December 2024

The compound 2-amino-2-phenoxypropane-1,3-diol was synthesised from bronopol reduced compound 2-amino-2-bromo propane-1,3-diol with sodium phenoxide in ethanol. The compound was characterised by FTIR, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR spectroscopy and structure was confirmed by proposed mechanism. The compound was also studied for the antimicrobial activity of the three samples against three pathogenic bacterial strains. The computational DFT analysis was also carried out for the synthesised compound.
Analysis of Chemical composition of Tecoma stans Linn. pod through GCMS and HPTLC
Authors: Thawani Richa , Sharma Sapna , Menghani Ekta
Published: December 2024

The primary aim of this research work was to examine the phytochemical constituents found in the methanolic extract of pod of Tecoma stans Linn. using GC-MS and HPTLC analytical techniques. 46 bioactive compounds were detected when GCMS study of methanolic extract of air dried pods of Tecoma stans Linn. was conducted. Out of them, 43 bioactive phytochemical compounds were recognised and tecomine was a notable natural compound present in all the Tecoma species. In this research work, in methanolic extract of T. stans, 15 compounds (Clorius, Mexiletine, Neodol 5, Cetane, Pterolactum, Beta-skytanthine,2-Undecanone, Adapromine, Ortoxine, n-Octylcyclohexane, Limonene diepoxide, Caprylone, Eicosane, 9-Octadecanone, Linolenic acid ethyl ester) were recognised with prominent peaks in the GC-MS analysis in T. stans.

The compounds have potentiality to treat many diseases like bronchial asthma, viral fever and diabetes. Clorius, a natural compound can be used in making perfumes. Thus, T. stans plant can be a good source for the segregation of novel bioactive phytochemical compounds which may serve as potential drugs for treating various fatal diseases in the future.
Synthesis of 1, 4-Dihydropyridines using Different Nanocatalyst Systems
Authors: Phasage Deepak Babasaheb , Sharma Sanjay K. , Srivastava Sonia Chahar
Published: December 2024

1, 4-dihydropyridine (1, 4-DHP) is an important class of heterocyclic scaffold which possesses a wide variety of applications in biological and pharmacological field. In this review, we discuss the synthesis of 1, 4-dihydropyridine by using various nanocatalytic systems since 2010. Nanocatalyst provided efficient and green approach for the synthesis of 1, 4-DHP.
Formulation and evaluation of Nevirapine sustained release tablets using various polymers by liquid-solid compact method
Authors: K V Swathi Krishna , Priyanka Sai
Published: December 2024

This present research aims to formulate and evaluate the Nevirapine sustained release tablets using various polymers using a liquid-solid compact method. The current study's methodology involved comparing the two polymers, argum, and xanthumgum, and evaluating the impact of the active components' physicochemical makeup on the drug release profile utilizing the liquid solid compact method using Tween 80 and propylene glycol.The formulation is appropriate for wet granulation, according to the sieve analysis results, compressibility index, and angle of repose.According to this study, Nevirapine can be administered via an extended-release drug delivery system because its formulation prolongs its duration of action within the therapeutic range without causing toxicity as with conventional dose forms. These dosage forms provide the capacity to increase and decrease the frequency of doses.
HORTICULTURE TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES; A GUIDE FOR GARDENERS
Authors: kumar manoj
Published: December 2024

HORTICULTURE TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES; A GUIDE FOR GARDENERS
Üniversite Öğrencilerinin Toplumsal Cinsiyet Rol Tutumları, Romantik İlişki Kalıpyargıları ve Romantik İlişki Doyumlarının İncelenmesi (Investigation of University Students Gender Role Attitudes, Romantic Relationship Stereotypes and Romantic Relationship Satisfaction)
Authors: Yaman Melike , Subaşı Harmancı Bingül
Published: December 2024

Bu araştırmada, üniversite öğrencilerinin romantik ilişki doyumları, toplumsal cinsiyet rol tutumları ve romantik ilişki kalıpyargılarının incelenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Araştırmanın yürütülme hedefine uygun olarak nicel araştırma yöntemlerinden, tarama modeli kullanılmıştır. Araştırmaya, amaçsal örnekleme yöntemi ile KKTC’nde öğrenim gören üniversite öğrencilerinden 18 yaş ve üzeri 459 romantik ilişkisi olan üniversite öğrencisi dahil edilmiştir. Araştırma bulguları arasındaöğrencilerin toplumsal cinsiyet rol tutumları alt boyutu olan erkek cinsiyet rol tutumlarının, ilişki doyumlarını anlamlı ve pozitif yönde yordadığı tespit edilmiştir. Öğrencilerin romantik ilişkilerle ilgili kalıpyargılara ilişkin tutumları alt boyutu olan erkeğin girişkenliği tutumunun öğrencilerin ilişki doyumlarının negatif yordayıcısı olduğu saptanmıştır. Bu çalışmanın sonuçları, toplum içerisinde kadın ve erkeğe atfedilen rollerin ve kişilerin toplumsal cinsiyet rollerine ilişkin tutumları hakkında bilgi edinilmesi ve anlaşılması, romantik ilişkileri anlama noktasında bilgi ve katkı sağlayabileceği düşünülmüştür. Bu konuda, üniversite döneminde ilişki doyumukonusunda bireylerin kendilerini geliştirebilmeleri, sağlıklı iletişim becerileri kazanabilmeleri için eğitim programları hazırlanması bireysel terapi ve danışmanlık hizmetleri sunulması önerilir.
Electrochemical Oxidation of Formic Acid on Polycrystalline Platinum Surfaces
Authors:   , Summers Hannah
Published: December 2024

Decreasing carbon emissions remains a global goal and is essential for the sustainability of current and future energy demands. Using electrochemical methods, formic acid can be oxidised and the energy from this reaction utilised in fuel cells which is a promising step towards carbon neutrality. However, the electrochemical conversion of formic acid is limited by the efficiency and selectivity of the electrocatalysts on which the reaction happens. Platinum has been researched extensively for this application, although it has limitations due to surface poisoning by carbon monoxide during formic acid oxidation. Here we quantify the relationship between electrochemical formic acid oxidation and the structure of platinum surfaces across a polycrystalline platinum surface comprising different crystal grains and grain boundaries. We identify distinct differences between grains and grain boundaries. The boundaries generally heighten the activity of formic acid oxidation, compared to the surrounding grains. The grains themselves also display a difference in activity across the crystal orientations with Pt(100) proving to be the most active for formic acid oxidation.
SlowFast-TCN: A Deep Learning Approach for Visual Speech Recognition
Authors: Ha Nicole Yah Yie , Ong Lee-Yeng , Leow Meng-Chew
Published: December 2024

Visual Speech Recognition (VSR), commonly referred to as automated lip-reading, is an emerging technology that interprets speech by visually analyzing lip movements. A challenge in VSR where visually distinct words produce similar lip movements is known as homopheme problem. Visemes are the basic visual units of speech that are produced by the lip movements and positions. Furthermore, visemes are typically having shorter durations than words. Consequently, there is less temporal information for distinguishing between different viseme classes, leading to increased visual ambiguity during classification. To address this challenge, viseme classification must not only extract lip image spatial features, but also to handle visemes of varying durations and temporal features. Therefore, this study proposed a new deep learning approach SlowFast-TCN. SlowFast network is used as the frontend architecture to extract the spatio-temporal features of the slow and fast pathways. Temporal Convolutional Network (TCN) is used as the backend architecture to learn the features from the frontend to perform the classification. A comparative ablation analysis to dissect each component of the proposed SlowFast-TCN is performed to evaluate the impact of each component. This study utilizes a benchmark dataset, Lip Reading in Wild (LRW), that focuses on English language. Two subsets of the LRW dataset, comprising of homopheme words and unique words, represent the homophemic and non-homophemic dataset, respectively. The proposed approach is evaluated on varying lighting conditions to assess its performance in real-world scenarios. It was found that illumination can significantly affect the visual data. Key performance metrics, such as accuracy and loss are used to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed approach. The proposed approach outperforms traditional baseline models in accuracy while maintaining competitive execution time. Its dual-pathway architecture effectively captures both long-term dependencies and short-term motions, leading to better performance in both homophemic and non-homophemic datasets. However, it is less robust when dealing with non-ideal lighting scenarios, indicating the need for further enhancements to handle diverse lighting scenarios. Doi: 10.28991/ESJ-2024-08-06-024 Full Text: PDF
Effective Forecasting of Insurer Capital Requirements: ARMA-GARCH, ARMA-GARCH-EVT, and DCC-GARCH Approaches
Authors: Chaiyawat Thitivadee , Guayjarernpanishk Pannarat
Published: December 2024

This research paper presents a comprehensive analysis of three prominent volatility and dependence models for financial time series: ARMA-GARCH, GARCH-EVT, and DCC-GARCH. These models are employed to assess and forecast capital requirements for life and non-life insurer investments. This study evaluates the models' performance in forecasting Value-at-Risk, using daily data on key Thai financial indicators (representing permissible insurer investment assets) from March 2009 to March 2024. Specifically, 1-day and 10-day VaR forecasts are generated using the ARMA-GARCH and DCC-GARCH models, while the ARMA-GARCH-EVT model is employed for 1-day VaR forecasting. Our findings indicate that the ARMA-GARCH model effectively captures time-varying volatility, while the GARCH-EVT approach enhances tail risk estimation, particularly relevant for stress testing. Additionally, the DCC-GARCH model allows for the examination of dynamic conditional correlations between assets, providing insights into portfolio diversification benefits. Rigorous backtesting procedures, employing Kupiec and Christoffersen tests with a rolling window of 1,000 out-of-sample observations, confirm that the majority of models accurately forecast VaR at their respective horizons, with only a very small subset of 10-day VaR models exhibiting limitations. These results highlight that ARMA-GARCH, ARMA-GARCH-EVT, and DCC-GARCH models offer insurers robust tools for estimating minimum capital requirements, forecasting investment risk, and guiding strategic asset allocation decisions. This research underscores the effectiveness of these models for practical application in the insurance industry while also emphasizing the importance of continued model validation, particularly for extended forecasting horizons. Doi: 10.28991/ESJ-2024-08-06-03 Full Text: PDF
Managerial Recommendations for Enhancing Green Consumption Behavior and Sustainable Consumption
Authors: Nga Lu Phi , Tam Phan Thanh
Published: December 2024

The green consumerism movement is gaining steam in emerging nations with middle-income or higher populations, such as Vietnam, and is particularly well-liked in affluent countries. In addition, the importance of green consumerism is gaining significant traction, alongside efforts to promote ecologically friendly production and consumption. As the economy progressed, people's living standards improved, leading to a growing need for high-quality, safe products and services. This is particularly true for items that directly serve people and contribute to their everyday lives. Therefore, the article aims to evaluate the factors affecting green consumer behavior and sustainable consumption based on the structural equation model with the least squares method to test their hypotheses. The data were applied in the study through a survey of 360 consumers in 04 big cities in Vietnam. Research results showed that seven factors impact green consumption behavior, including (1) environmental awareness, (2) green product characteristics, (3) green marketing, (4) perceptions about green product prices, (5) social influence, (6) environmental policy, and (7) green consumption policy with significance 0.01. The finding explores green consumption behavior influencing sustainable consumption with a significance of 0.01. The practical implication helps managers, policymakers, and manufacturers consider applications to improve humanity and behavior green consumption in the global context of moving towards sustainable green development. The theory implication is to change behavior to improve greening production, reduce pollution and greenhouse emissions, and move towards sustainable development, bringing many practical economic and social benefits and intangible value for businesses. Simultaneously, the novelty of the study aids enterprises in staying abreast of this trend, enabling them to seize possibilities for fast growth, extend their market presence, and capitalize on governmental backing for businesses. Doi: 10.28991/ESJ-2024-08-06-07 Full Text: PDF
CULTURAL HYBRIDITY AND IDENTITY FORMATION IN ANITA NAIR’S WORKS
Authors: S. Mahesh
Published: December 2024

Indian English Literature is well-known for Indian Writers’ cultural thought, mythology, cultural hybridity and provoking ideas. Anita Nair is one of the prominent writers in India forexpressing the social norms and value in her writings. She involves the characters in various transformations of gender, cultural hegemony and insight of human feelings. In her writings, she portrayed the South Indian social norms with livelihood characters and sensitive themes likeculture, struggles of women and social norms. She has challenged the restricted social norms and complex identity prescribed by the forefathers. Her writings prioritized the complexities ofcultural hybridity, human identity in social expectation. She created the characters that showed tensions, conflicts and harmony in the diverse cultural influence. Overall, Anita Nair’s works provide the chance to the readers of contemporary Indian society to know the multifaceted nature of identity and cultural norms.Overall, Anita Nair's novels offer insightful explorations of cultural hybridity, shedding light on the multifaceted nature of identity and the ever-evolving dynamics of contemporary Indian society. She has earned a global readership for her works.
UNVEILING SELF: IDENTITY IN AMY TAN’S THE CHINESE SIAMESE CAT
Authors: P. Vasanthi , R. Ajith
Published: December 2024

Amy Tan’s The Chinese Siamese Cat examines the exploration of identity. Through the narrative of a Siamese cat explaining the changing colour of her kittens’fur as they age, Tan delves into themes of self-recognition and cultural identity. The story, set against the backdrop of a classic Chinese folktale, serves as an allegory for broader socio-cultural dynamics. This analysis highlights how Tan uses the Siamese cat’s journey to reflect on issues of ethnic, gender, and cultural identity, aligning with Marxist perspectives on class struggle and social categorization. The examination reveals how the quest for personal identity intertwines with societal structures, offering insights into the challenges of self-definition amidst varying social expectations and power dynamics.
REASONS AND POLICIES FOR MIGRATION IN INDIA
Authors: Rana Sachi , Lohia Shivani
Published: December 2024

Migration is a significant phenomenon shaping India's demographic, social, and economic landscape. This paper explores the reasons driving migration in India, focusing on both push and pull factors influencing internal and international movement. Key drivers include economic disparities, rural underdevelopment, environmental challenges, and the pursuit of better employment, education, and living standards. Social factors such as marriage and kinship ties, alongside climate-induced displacement, also play a critical role in migration patterns. In response to these dynamics, the Indian government has implemented several policies and programmes, including MGNREGA, NRLM, and PURA, aimed at improving rural livelihoods and reducing migration pressure on urban centers. While these initiatives address some structural issues, challenges persist in effectively managing migration and ensuring balanced regional development. This paper emphasizes the need for comprehensive, inclusive policies that address the root causes of migration, enhance rural-urban linkages, and promote sustainable development. By analyzing the reasons and policies for migration, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of its complexities and offers insights for policymakers to maximize its benefits while mitigating its challenges.
Checklist of wood-inhabiting fungi from Hyrcanian forests, northern Iran – a biodiversity hotspot
Authors: Ranjbar Zahra , Goltapeh Ebrahim Mohammadi , Zamani Seyedeh Masoomeh , Farashiani Mohammad Ebrahim , Pedram Majid , Arefipour Mohammad Reza , Kazerani Farzane , Fleckenstein Lena , Heilmann-Clausen Jacob , Müller Jörg , Bässler Claus
Published: December 2024

It is well-known that over-harvesting of timber threatens saproxylic fungal diversity. However, quantifying species loss is difficult due to the lack of spatial explicit baseline studies and related continuous temporal investigations. The first step to achieve basic information are systematic inventories in a given area. The Hyrcanian forest is among the most important forest biodiversity hotspots in Iran, which has been added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2019. Therefore, we collected 193 samples of wood-inhabiting fungi based on systematic surveys considering all seasons in Hyrcanian old-growth forests during five years (2016-2021). Species collected belonged to the fungal phylum Basidiomycota (169 species, 99 genera, 48 family and 1 incertae sedis family, 11 orders and 3 classes) and Ascomycota (24 species, 17 genera, 12 family, 6 orders and 4 classes). One collected species fall within the kingdom Protozoa, Lycogala epidendrum. 58 species and 16 genera were new for the Iranian funga; 11 and seven species were new for Gilan and Mazandaran province respectively; 20 species and one genus were new for Golestan province and one genus was a new record for the Hyrcanian forests funga. Our inventory highlights the need for documenting saproxylic fungi and to quantify the diversity in hotspot regions. This inventory might serve as a baseline for further studies to track diversity change due to forest management and climate change and to provide concepts to prevent fungal diversity from future loss.
TRACE ELEMENT COMPOSITION OF RAW MATERIALS TAKEN FROM GENUS PULMONARIA PLANTS TO SUBSTANTIATE ITS ANTIANEMIC ACTION
Authors: Kruglov D.S. , Velichko V.V.
Published: December 2024

Introduction. Total extracts taken from generative shoots of genus Pulmonaria plants have antianemic activity. At the same time, extracts obtained from vegetative leaves of these plants do not have similar action. Nowadays, there is no algorithm for determining authenticity and quality of herb raw material with using biogenic elements. Creating such algorithm for diagnosing raw materials by microelement composition is an urgent task. Materials and methods. The research objects were generative shoots and vegetative leaves of such plants as: P. officinalis L., P. obscura Dum. and P. mollis Wulf. ex Horn. and mixtures of both types of raw materials. Quantitative determination of elements was carried out by mass spectrometry with inductively coupled plasma. Analyzing obtained results was made using the method of hierarchical clustering. Results. It was established the division into clusters considering all trace elements confirm the species-specificity of the trace element status plants. At the same time raw materials with impurities form clusters different from the cluster formed by hematopoietic complex trace elements contained in the generative shoots of the studied plants. The discovered regularity allows us to consider the cluster, which included the generative shoots as a ref-erence cluster. This reference cluster makes it possible to form an algorithm for checking the raw materials, and its quality Conclusions. As a result of the work, the possibility of using the trace element composition of plants for the standardizing herb raw materials was es-tablished. In addition, the algorithm has been proposed that allows using the content of hematopoietic complex trace elements to determine the au-thenticity and quality of the herb raw material "Pulmonaria herba"