bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Perfil clínico de pacientes con cáncer colorrectal de aparición temprana y tardía en un centro médico de referencia en Medellín, Colombia: Un análisis comparativo
Authors: Ruiz-Grajales Álvaro Esteban , Correa-Cote Juan Camilo , Pérez-García Yeimys Eliana , Palacios-Fuenmayor Luis José , Castrillón-Martínez Esteban
Published: July 2024

Introducción. La incidencia de cáncer colorrectal (CCR) de aparición temprana (CCR-ATem), definido como CCR en individuos menores de 50 años, está aumentando en todo el mundo. A pesar del incremento en la producción científica internacional sobre CCR-ATem, la investigación es limitada en Colombia. El objetivo de este estudio fue caracterizar clínicamente los adultos con CCR-ATem y CCR de aparición tardía (CCR-ATar, CCR en individuos ≥ 50 años).
Métodos. Estudio observacional, retrospectivo, transversal, en el que se incluyeron los adultos con CCR atendidos en un centro médico de Medellín, Colombia. Los datos se obtuvieron del Registro Institucional de Cáncer. Se establecieron dos grupos de análisis: CCR-ATem y CCR-ATar. Se aplicó la prueba de Chi cuadrado para comparar las variables de interés entre ambos grupos.
Resultados. La muestra incluyó 1,202 pacientes, 53.5 % fueron mujeres (N=643), y la mediana de edad fue de 65 años (rango intercuartil: 55-73). CCR-ATem representó el 15.9 % (N=192). CCR-ATar tuvo más casos de enfermedades cardiometabólicas y tabaquismo (p<0.001). El antecedente familiar de CCR fue proporcionalmente más frecuente en CCR-ATem (7.3 % vs. 3.8 %; p=0.028). Los tumores del colon derecho fueron más frecuentes en CCR-Atar (30.4 % vs. 21.9 %; p=0.041) y los del colon izquierdo en CCR-ATem (30.7 % vs. 23.2 %; p=0.041). Solo un paciente tuvo antecedente de enfermedad inflamatoria intestinal.
Conclusión. CCR-ATem es clínicamente distinto de CCR-ATar con respecto a antecedentes patológicos y toxicológicos, y localización tumoral. Nuestros hallazgos proporcionan información útil para mejorar la toma de decisiones clínicas, particularmente en relación con la edad de inicio en pacientes colombianos con CCR.
The “Stolen Revolution” and Hope: ‘Progressive’ and ‘Conservative’ Forces of the Contemporary Political Context of Kyrgyzstan
Authors: Ismailbekova Aksana
Published: July 2024

This article examines the role of the progressive forces in recent revolutions in Kyrgyzstan, and asks why their movements have not led to real political change in this Central Asian country. In Kyrgyzstan, the progressive forces are identified with such groups as young people, the educated middle class, lawyers, and journalists. Their discourses, such as demands for fair elections and the rule of law, have been central to the three revolutions that have taken place in Kyrgyzstan since 2005, as has their concept of Umut, or hope. The central thesis of this article is that, although these forces may have led recent revolutionary movements, they have proved unable to establish political dominance after the completion of revolutionary processes. Instead, after each revolutionary attempt, the rules of “local politics” have been consistently reasserted in Kyrgyzstan. These are rules based on the power of informal social and political networks governed by rules of reciprocity and the pursuit of self-interest. In spite of this recurring outcome, the progressive forces retain their commitment to hope, and it is the prism of hope which this paper uses to make sense of revolution’s failure. In this paper, a contribution to the anthropology of revolution, that idea of hope is deconstructed: this permits a greater focus on how and why the promises of revolution have, so far, been betrayed and unfulfilled in contemporary Kyrgyzstan, where the idea of hope plays a fundamental representational and political role.
Optimización bioclimática de parámetros de la envolvente de un Jardín de Infantes de tipología abierta, en clima muy cálido-húmedo
Authors: Boutet María Laura , Hernández Alejandro Luis
Published: July 2024

Considerando la importancia del aprovechamiento y control de la energía solar como recurso bioclimático potencial en la región Nordeste Argentina, se presenta el procedimiento de validación de una metodología de estimación de áreas vidriadas óptimas, en un prototipo de jardín de infantes de tipología abierta existente en la ciudad de Resistencia, Chaco. A partir de una propuesta genérica, se verifican las mejoras obtenidas mediante la combinación de variables no contempladas en la normativa vigente para el cálculo de vanos de iluminación por orientación, en un clima muy cálido – húmedo, conformando para ello, modelos de simulación dinámica calibrados con mediciones in situ. Se obtuvo una reducción de la temperatura máxima absoluta de hasta 3,5 °C, lo que repercutió en la reducción de las necesidades de refrigeración de hasta 41 % en noviembre. Esto, a su vez, permitió mejoras notables en la distribución espacial de la luz natural, conservando un promedio de 500 lx.
Valorización del suelo vacante con eficiencia energética edilicia: avances sobre la relación entre la expansión urbana y la calidad tecnológico-energética
Authors: Pagalday Iñaki , Rodríguez Lucas , Zapperi Paula
Published: July 2024

El artículo presenta avances preliminares en el estudio exploratorio de la valorización del suelo vacante en Bahía Blanca vinculado al potencial de ahorro según las características tecnológico-energéticas de la edilicia (en el marco de la Ley 13.059/03 prov. de Buenos Aires). Metodológicamente, se propone un desarrollo descriptivo-hermenéutico, organizado en definiciones conceptuales, operativas e interpretativas. Como resultados, se describe la construcción de los núcleos conceptuales estructurantes; y el desarrollo del abordaje empírico, que expone la zonificación de uso, ocupación y subdivisión del suelo vigente, conjuntamente con el valor del suelo en las distintas áreas. Paralelamente, se sintetiza el análisis de la calidad térmica de la envolvente edilicia residencial, exponiendo valores menores a los mínimos exigidos. Como reflexiones finales, se destaca el potencial de mejorar la eficiencia energética, reduciendo el consumo (en el orden de 35 a 50%) y la demanda de infraestructura urbana, brindando beneficios para el sector público y privado.
Assessing the influence of partial canopy cover and temperature variability on late-season dehydration in grape berries
Authors: Teker Turcan , Soltekin Oguzhan , Toprak Özcan Ebru
Published: July 2024

Late-season dehydration (LSDN) is a physiological disorder affecting grape berry water content, resulting in dehydration. Vineyards in the Aegean Region of western Türkiye have experienced problems with LSDN, particularly during periods of high temperatures. This research examines how partial canopy covering materials affect temperature differentials inside and outside the canopy, including the determination of LSDN grape berries of Sultan 7 (Vitis vinifera L.). A partial shading net (PS) was employed to prevent LSDN in the grape berries, and shading net and polyethylene material (PSP) were deployed to assess the impact of increasing canopy temperatures on the occurrence of LSDN in grape berries. Although partial covering materials did not substantially affect grapevine yield, the control group produced the largest and the heaviest berries. In the second year, warmer conditions led to more clusters with LSDN-affected berries and increased sunburn damage on clusters. PS showed a high healthy cluster rate of 72.50%, while PSP and control showed lower rates of 63.60% and 58.10%, respectively. Throughout the study period, PS exhibited 9.02% LSDN berries, while the control and PSP showed 17.10% and 16.70% clusters with LSDN berries in the total harvested clusters, respectively. The study showed that PS treatment alleviated LSDN symptoms in clusters.
Adsorption of crystal violet dye with selenium nanoparticles obtained by green synthesis from cherry (Prunus avium L.) fruit stalk
Authors: Solmaz Alper , Turna Talip , Baran Ayşe
Published: July 2024

Crystal violet (CV) dye is a water-soluble, toxic, resistant organic dye that is quite dangerous for the ecosystem and causes environmental pollution. This study synthesized selenium nanoparticles (Se NPs) from agricultural Prunus avium L. (PaL.) wastes and removed crystal violet (CV) dye. In batch adsorption tests, the effects of pH, amount of adsorbent, time, initial concentration, and temperature were investigated. In this study, where 3 different kinetic and isotherm models were tested, it was determined that the most suitable kinetic and isotherm models for the removal of CV dye with PaL-Se NPs were Pseudo second order (R2:0.999) and Langmuir (R2:0.997), respectively. Additionally, the maximum adsorption capacity (qmax) was calculated as 142.61 mgCV/g PaL-Se NP. Accordingly, it can be said that low-cost PaL-Se NPs synthesized by environmentally friendly methods are a suitable alternative for the removal of CV dye.
Stilpon subnubilus Chvála new to France, with notes on its morphology (Diptera: Hybotidae)
Authors: Bree E.de , Hoekstra P.H.
Published: July 2024

Stilpon subnubilus Chvála, 1988, is here reported as new for the fauna of France. Wing polymorphy is known to occur in Stilpon graminum (Fallén, 1815). Here we describe wing-polymorphy for both Stilpon nubilus Collin, 1926, and S. subnubilus
Chvála, 1988. This changes the known diagnostic features of both species considerably. The distinguishing features given in the original description of S. subnubilus (concerning the size and coloration of the wing) are based on a micropterous S. nubilus and a macropterous
S. subnubilus. Also, the coloration of the hind metatarsus appears to be the same (slightly brown tinged) for both species. We present wing measurements, figures, and a key to illustrate our findings – raising a hypothesis for further study. In addition, we examine the known distribution
and habitat of S. subnubilus.
Feeding patterns of two sympatric species of Tortoise beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)
Authors: Tiwari Ruchita S. , Chaudhary Desh Deepak
Published: July 2024

During a pilot survey, the feeding patterns of Aspidomorpha miliaris (Fabricius), and A. sanctaecrucis (Fabricius) beetles were observed, compared and interpreted. Questions were raised for further study.
Understanding intelligence: An eco-evolutionary perspective.
Authors: Richardson Ken
Published: July 2024

In spite of its perceived importance the nature of intelligence remains scientifically poorly understood and the subject of many disagreements both biologically and psychologically. In particular, its key processes and the nature of its variation are obscure, and differences between human and other species remain theoretically unbridged. In consequence there is no unifying principle to explain the origins and evolution of intelligence. The main problem, it is suggested here, is an inadequate grasp of what, in its origins and evolution, intelligence is for - due, in turn, to an over-simple, idealized, view of the environmental challenges intelligence evolved to meet. Here, a description of real environmental complexity is advanced, on the basis of which it is argued that, far from making a late appearance, intelligence was the very basis of the origins of life. How intelligent systems became a common principle in the evolution of living things, is then illustrated, from single cell metabolism to human socio-cognition. The unifying perspective may help to gain for intelligence the scientific status it deserves.
The power of something new: The novelty effect on decreased engagement with artworks
Authors: Mikuni Jan , Specker Eva , Brielmann Aenne , Leder Helmut , Rosenberg Raphael , Kawabata Hideaki
Published: July 2024

In museums and art galleries, visitors become less engaged per object over time. This study, comprising a pre-study (N = 31) and a main study (N = 73) in both laboratory and online settings, explores habituation as a potential cause. The primary aim is to reveal the underlying mechanism and propose strategies for its mitigation. Two research questions were set: (1) Is habituation one of the mechanisms behind the decline in engagement? (2) Can inducing novelty into the presented stimulus sequence counteract this decline? In our experiments, we prepared two sequences of art presentations. In one sequence, artworks were presented in sequential blocks by art category, introducing novelty when a shift between blocks occurred. In the other sequence, different categories were presented successively, introducing novelty within blocks. Each sequence was set as the BC (high between-novelty condition) and the WC (high within-novelty condition). Participants were randomly assigned to either one of the conditions. Participants’ engagement level was evaluated via viewing time for each stimulus. We found (1) no evidence for habituation as an underlying mechanism and (2) a mixed impact of introducing novelty between the two studies. Limitations and future directions are discussed.
Addressing High Infection Rates after Surgeries in the Ablekuma South District
Authors: Ameyaw Samuel Arthur , Marfo Sophia Kissi
Published: July 2024

Infections are one of the most common aftermaths of a surgery which can easily occur if postsurgery precautions are not practiced properly. High infection rates refers to a situation where a large number of people are getting infected with a particular or diverse types of diseases. It could be due to various factors like a contagious virus, lack of preventive measures, or a high population density. The health and well-being of the people living in the Ablekuma South district are seriously threatened by the startling infection rates. This abstract explores the alarmingly high rate of infections in the region and emphasizes the pressing need for treatment. Numerous elements that lead to the elevated infection rates are examined, highlighting the consequences for both people and the larger community. This project proposes workable remedies in light of the findings; the installation of an autoclave machine is one noteworthy suggestion. The report's recommendation to sterilize equipment before using it attempts to lessen the negative effects of illnesses and foster a better atmosphere for Ablekuma South people.
Reward and Punishment Learning Across Common Forms of Psychopathology
Authors: Haynes Jeremy Matthew
Published: July 2024

Background: The Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) has been widely used to assess decision-making deficits in clinical populations. Previously used methods do not provide clear evidence whether associations between IGT performance and psychopathology are general across multiple forms of psychopathology or are specific to individual disorders. In this study, we examined IGT performance across anxiety, depression, and substance use disorder.Methods: We tested a sample of adults (N=293) on the play-or-pass version of the IGT. We characterized behavior using a hierarchical Bayesian computational model, formalizing parameters underlying task behavior: reward and punishment learning rates, win-frequency sensitivity, and response bias. With the model, we examined unique associations between IGT performance and lifetime diagnostic history of anxiety, depression, and substance use disorder.Results: Anxiety, but not depression or substance use, was associated with higher punishment learning rates, posterior mean β = 0.15, 95% CI [0.01,0.28]. In addition, women showed lower punishment learning rates, posterior mean β = -0.17, 95% CI [-0.30,-0.03], and lower response bias, posterior mean β = -0.30, 95% CI [-0.56,-0.05].Limitations: The relation between punishment learning rates and diagnostic history of anxiety was small; however, our findings were consistent with established findings in anxiety derived from self-report. In addition, only main effects of diagnostic status were examined; thus, future research should examine comorbidity between diagnoses on IGT performance.Conclusions: Findings are consistent with research showing that anxiety is associated with punishment avoidance. In addition, our behavioral findings with respect to gender are also consistent with previous research employing the IGT.
People are More Willing to Buy a Health Product if it References Neurotransmitters
Authors: Bechtold Jennifer , Bennett Elizabeth , McLaughlin Peter Joseph
Published: July 2024

Neuroscience information has a seductive allure among laypeople, such that scientific explanations are rated better if irrelevant brain facts are added. Despite the ubiquity of health messaging that invokes neurotransmitters (especially the DOSE neurotransmitters: dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphins), it is not known if they have the same effect. Furthermore, we investigated whether the allure of DOSE neurotransmitters can increase willingness to purchase a product that claimed psychological benefits. An initial experiment with a small (N = 207) sample of university students yielded no effects. However, in a second experiment, we added conditions to create doubt that the product could deliver on its claims, and used a larger (N = 1001), more representative American sample. In this experiment, people were more likely to buy the product, and willing to pay slightly more, compared with a version that used psychological terms. These effects were associated with feelings of greater understanding of how these benefits were produced, when given the DOSE neurotransmitter explanation. These results indicate that the seductive allure of neuroscience among the public applies to popular neurotransmitters, and that this may impact real-world purchasing decisions.
How transparent and reproducible are studies that use animal models of opioid addiction?
Authors: Blackwell Justine , Beitner Julia , Holcombe Alex O.
Published: July 2024

The reproducibility crisis in psychology has caused other fields to consider the reliability of their own findings. Many of the unfortunate aspects of research design that undermine reproducibility also threaten translation potential (Fergusson et al., 2019). In preclinical addiction research, rates of translation have been disappointing (Schulz et al., 2016). We tallied indices of transparency and accurate and thorough reporting in animal models of opioid addiction from 2019 to 2023. By examining the prevalence of these practices, we aimed to understand whether efforts to improve reproducibility are relevant to this field. For 255 articles, we report the prevalence of transparency measures such as preregistration, registered reports, open data, and open code, as well as compliance to the Animal Research: Reporting of In Vivo Experiments (ARRIVE) guidelines. We also report rates of bias minimization practices (randomization, masking, and data exclusion), sample size calculations, and multiple corrections adjustments. Lastly, we estimated the accuracy of test statistic reporting using statcheck. All the transparency measures and the ARRIVE guideline items had low prevalence, including no cases of study preregistration and no cases where authors shared their analysis code. Similarly, levels of bias minimization practices and sample size calculations were unsatisfactory. In contrast, adjustments for multiple comparisons were implemented in most articles (76.5%). Lastly, statcheck suggested that 11% contained statistical significance errors, and half contained more minor p-value inconsistencies. We recommend that researchers, journal editors, and others take steps to improve study reporting, to facilitate both replication and translation.
Ethnic group differences in patient satisfaction with GP services: Findings from the New Zealand Attitudes and Values Study
Authors: Lee Carol , Sibley Chris G
Published: July 2024

Aim: To identify key predictors of GP satisfaction and increase insight into the mechanisms behind ethnic health inequities in New Zealand.Method: Regression analyses were conducted using data from the 2019 New Zealand Attitudes and Values Study (N = 38, 465). Results: Initially, Māori and Asian peoples showed lower, and Pacific peoples showed no significant difference in GP satisfaction level relative to New Zealand (NZ) Europeans. However, after accounting for differences in patient-perceived GP cultural respect and GP ethnic similarity, Māori and Pacific peoples showed higher and Asian peoples showed no difference in GP satisfaction level relative to NZ Europeans. These effects continued to hold when adjusting for a range of demographic factors. Subsequent regression analyses were conducted to investigate the impact of GP perceptions, GP satisfaction and demographic factors on healthcare access satisfaction and health status across ethnic groups. For all ethnic groups, GP satisfaction was the strongest predictor of satisfaction with access to healthcare. Higher GP satisfaction was also a significant predictor of higher self-rated health and lower psychological distress.Conclusion: Lack of GP cultural respect is a key contributor to lower GP satisfaction among ethnic minorities, which can further exacerbate disproportionate health outcomes. GP provision of culturally respectful and safe healthcare may help reduce ethnic health inequities and improve population health.
Caregivers’ Perspectives on Playful Learning Activities: Benefits, Barriers, and Engagement
Authors: Tung Allie , Hoffman Mikka , Gibson Dominic
Published: July 2024

Caregivers serve an important role in guiding their children’s early playful learning experiences, which range widely from free play to direct instruction. How caregivers themselves approach these different activities and how to best encourage playful learning among families remains an underexplored area of research. Caregivers of 2-5 year old children (n = 177) completed an online survey about their perceptions and approach to different activities across the play spectrum. Participants came from diverse backgrounds in terms of race, income, education level, and gender identity. Caregivers saw a number of benefits to each caregiver/child activity, and likewise reported barriers that limited their ability to participate. Several caregiver perception variables were associated with the frequency of engaging in each activity. These findings provide insight into the motivating factors and limitations in caregiver-child play, offering implications for future research on caregiver play beliefs as well as possible areas for intervention.
Pharmacotherapy review and clinical, sub-clinical characteristics in limb-girdle muscular dystrophy
Authors: Tran Nam Chung ,   University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vietnam National University - Hanoi, 144 Xuan Thuy Street, Dich Vong Hau Ward, Cau Giay District, Hanoi, Vietnam, Dang Hong Hoa , Bui Son Nhat , Dang Chi Hieu , Nguyen Van Hung , Tran Van Khanh ,   Hanoi Medical University, 1 Ton That Tung Street, Trung Tu Ward, Dong Da District, Hanoi, Vietnam,   E Hospital, 89 Tran Cung Street, Nghia Tan Ward, Cau Giay District, Hanoi, Vietnam,   University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vietnam National University - Hanoi, 144 Xuan Thuy Street, Dich Vong Hau Ward, Cau Giay District, Hanoi, Vietnam,   University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vietnam National University - Hanoi, 144 Xuan Thuy Street, Dich Vong Hau Ward, Cau Giay District, Hanoi, Vietnam,   University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Vietnam National University - Hanoi, 144 Xuan Thuy Street, Dich Vong Hau Ward, Cau Giay District, Hanoi, Vietnam,   E Hospital, 89 Tran Cung Street, Nghia Tan Ward, Cau Giay District, Hanoi, Vietnam,   Hanoi Medical University, 1 Ton That Tung Street, Trung Tu Ward, Dong Da District, Hanoi, Vietnam,   Hanoi Medical University, 1 Ton That Tung Street, Trung Tu Ward, Dong Da District, Hanoi, Vietnam
Published: July 2024

Aims: Review pharmacotherapy in limb-girdle muscular dystrophy and describe clinical, and subclinical characteristics in patients of limb-girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD). Methods: A meta-analysis with data in PubMed, up to May 2023 on the pharmacotherapy of LGMD combined with a cross-sectional study. Patients were diagnosed with LGMD according to the European Neuromuscular Centre (ENMC) in 1995 at E and Bach Mai Hospitals, from December 2022 to May 2023. Results: 21 studies in pharmacotherapy were conducted, and treatment therapies (glucocorticoid, biological antibody, gene therapy) initially showed safety and some effectiveness in muscular strength. There are some potential gene therapies. The clinical characteristic of collected 15 patients with LGMD was high onset age (20.7±12.5 years), and prolonged diagnosis time (6.3±5.5 years). Most patients showed signs of muscle weakness and muscle atrophy (100 and 86.7%), waddling gait, and Gower’s sign (93.3%). 100% of patients had increased creatine kinase (CK) of 1648.5±2235.8 U/l. Most patients had normal inflammatory indexes. On muscular histopathology, the majority of patients had muscle fiber degeneration, hypertrophy, fibrous tissue invasion, and fat infiltration (86.7%). Conclusions: Treatment therapies in LGMD initially showed safety and some effectiveness in muscular strength; the gene therapies are promising. Clinically, all patients showed signs of muscle weakness in the limb-girdle, most of them showed muscle atrophy, waddling gait, Gowers’ sign, increased CK, negative inflammatory markers, and muscle fiber degeneration on histopathology.
A CRITICAL LEGAL STUDY RELATING TO THE PLAUSIBILITY OF A REGULATORY FRAMEWORK ON CRYPTOCURRENCY IN SRI LANKA
Authors: Samaradiwakara S.
Published: July 2024

Incredible innovations come with huge opportunities for the then existing practices and also with potential risks associated with them. Cryptocurrency is not an exception to this. Crypto is a constantly evolving topic and has gained momentum in both national and international forums. Having introduced ten years ago, the lack of unanimity in regulating and defining the crypto and associated mining process and the dilemma in associated jargon has created the lawmakers to have only three options available and they are to completely ban, regulate the mechanism, or completely ignore it and let the cryptocurrency to float on the hands of the owners. This paper intends to analyze the current legal positions in India and the European Union in regulating Virtual Currencies. It is an undisputable fact how the opportunity is exploited by the abusers to engage in illicit purposes in the absence of an effective legislative mechanism. The paper engages in justifying the necessity of a regulatory mechanism, which will be conducive to the thriving of the economy of the country amidst an economic crisis. The paper employs a black letter approach and an international and comparative one where the decided case laws and legislations are used as primary sources, and the scholarly articles and journal articles constitute secondary sources. The paper suggests that a complete ban will not be a panacea but a regulation to a certain extent is mandatory rather than ignoring the topic from the eyes of the legislature.
THE IMPACT OF ECONOMIC, POLITICAL, INSTITUTIONAL FACTORS ON EXCHANGE RATE REGIME CHOICE IN SRI LANKA
Authors: Siyara B.A.R.
Published: July 2024

This study investigates the impact of economic, political, and institutional factors on the choice of an exchange rate regime in Sri Lanka from 1972 to 2020. Since the exchange rate regime in Sri Lanka has recently been vulnerable due to the late 2021 and early 2022 economic and currency crises followed by economic, political, and institutional volatility, it is important to investigate the impact of such factors on the exchange rate regime. This study aimed to fill specific empirical and practice gaps, and it addresses the empirical gap by examining Sri Lanka and identifying certain contradictory results in the literature. There are conflicting results for the same variable in the literature because of the different economies being tested, which is obvious. This study addresses the practice gap by examining the recent economic and currency crisis in Sri Lanka, which led the researchers to conduct the study for Sri Lanka. The study's dependent variable is categorical and comprises three choices: pegged, intermediate, and floating. The thirteen independent variables were categorized under three main determinants: economic, political, and institutional. A multinomial logistic regression predicted the model. According to the study’s findings, all the economic variables are statistically significant except international reserves and globalization compared to an intermediate regime. None of the political stability variables are significant in Sri Lanka. Left-wing government (government ideology) is robust among the institutional quality determinants, although the result is ambiguous. According to the results, economic factors lead the way in determining the exchange rate regime in Sri Lanka.
THE EFFECTS OF SOCIAL MEDIA ADVERTISING ON CONSUMERS AYURVEDIC BEAUTY PRODUCTS PURCHASING DECISION OF GENERATION ‘Y’: SPECIAL REFERENCE TO KURUNEGALA DISTRICT IN SRI LANKA
Authors: Dissanayake D.M.T.D.
Published: July 2024

Technology enables consumers to examine product labeling and express critiques, among other capabilities. As a result, many businesses today have pages on social media networks to supplement the information held about products and services, which is held by consumer feedback about products and tends to relate more to a business after reading various reviews. There has been a noticeable increase in demand for cosmetics made with organic and natural components on a global basis. As a result, an increasing number of marketers are focusing on the Ayurvedic market sector, highlighting the importance of the cosmetic business as an essential and important part that demands serious attention in the modern environment. This study proposed the effects of social media advertising on consumer purchasing decisions of generation Y reference to Ayurvedic beauty products in Sri Lanka. The study is quantitative and descriptive in nature. The sample counted 384 respondents from generation Y using the purposive sampling technique. The results show that all the independent variables, credibility, entertainment, informativeness, and interactivity, have significant positive value and strong relationship with the dependent variable (consumer purchasing decision). This study provides a number of theoretical and practical guidelines on how ayurvedic beauty product manufacturers can effectively plan and implement their advertising campaigns over social media.
التوثيق التصويري ودوره في احياء التراث الافتراضي المعماري "دراسة للواجهة النهرية لنهر العشار للفترة 1930-1950"
Authors: سركيس خسروف ماركاريان ارمين
Published: July 2024

ان دراسة وتسجيل المباني التراثية له أهمية كبيرة لما تمثله من قيمة معمارية وحضرية, وقد تعرضت العديد من الابنية التراثية الى الزوال والاندثار نتيجة لعوامل متعددة, اذ ان اغلب هذه المباني توثق ويتم تسجيل عناصرها لغرض اجراء عميلات الحفاظ عليها وامكانية صيانتها او لغرض توثيقها, اذ لوحظ نوعين من الابنية التراثية احدهما مندثرة (غير موجوده في الواقع) اذ يمكن الرجوع إليها عن طريق وثائق مختلفة سواء اكانت تصويري او كتابية وصفية, والاخر لا يزال موجود في اغلب مواقع المدن,  وقد ظهرت تقنيات متعددة في مجال الحاسب الألى وامكانية متطورة في مجال توثيق وتسجيل واحياء التراث المعماري تساهم بشكل كبير في الحفاظ على المباني ذات القيمة في المدن التي تتواجد فيها.
عرفت مدينة البصرة (ببندقية الشرق) وذلك لكثرة تواجد الأنهر والقنوات في نسيج المدينة الحضري وما لهذه الانهر والقنوات من تأثير في مستويات متعددة وما تمثله من محاور النمو العمراني والحضري, وكذلك  تشكيل الواجهات النهرية  وما لها من معالجات خاصة سواء معمارية او إنشائية ونظرا لأهمية الواجهة النهرية وبالأخص نهر العشار الذي يمثل الشريان الرئيسي للمدينة البصرة اختص هذا البحث في دراسة وتوثيق الأبنية غير الموجودة (المندثرة او المزالة) بواسطة التوثيق الصوري (الصورة) لغرض إحياء هذه الأبنية, اذ من خلال التطرق الى الدارسات والطروحات المعمارية العامة والخاصة  لوحظ وجود نقص معرفي والمتمثل بعدم وجود دراسة متخصصة  لتوثيق للواجهة النهرية لنهر العشار للفترة ما بين (1930-1950) لما تمثله هذه الواجهة من أهمية معمارية والعمل على إحيائها, وبذلك تمثل هدف البحث العمل على استعادة الواجهة النهرية المزالة او المندثرة بواسطة التقنيات المتاحة باستخدام الحاسب الألى والطرق التقليدية لتحقيق أهداف البحث.
High Performance PCC-DMT System Based on Hybrid Multi-Wavelet Functions
Authors: Abdel Mohicin Kazem Hussein
Published: July 2024

In this paper a scheme is proposed to improve the Bit Error Rate (BER) performance for Discrete Multi-Tone (DMT) system in wireless channel. The conventional DMT system is based on Fast Fourier Transform (FFT). The proposed system is based on Hybrid Multi-Wavelet Transform (HMWT). The HMWT is mixed between FFT and Multi-Wavelet Transform (MWT). The Inter-Carrier Interference (ICI) in DMT system due to Doppler spread is reduced by using Polynomial Cancellation Coding (PCC). Simulation results are done in three different types of channels: Additive White Gaussian Noise (AWGN) channel, flat fading channel and selective fading channel. The results show that the PCC-DMT system based on HMWT achieves better performance than the PCC-DMT system based on FFT and the PCC-DMT system based on MWT in all channels types.
Environmental impact assessment of domestic effluents on water quality of Tigris River discharged from Wasit Thermal Power Plant
Authors: Ali N. Hello  , Ali J. Jaeel
Published: July 2024

Present study was conducted at Tigris river, near Wasit Thermal Power Plant (WTPP) in Al Zubiadiyah city to evaluate the impact of discharging domestic sewage during construction period(2010-2016) on water quality of the river; to assess the level at which effluents discharged from WTPP affect the quality of Tigris river water; and to compare the quantity of pollutants in the water with the acceptable limits of Iraqi Standards. Observation recorded during the three months study depicted that the river is polluted in certain areas downstream the river as comparatively higher values of biological oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) were recorded. The level of total dissolved solids (TDS), dissolved oxygen (DO), chemical oxygen demand (COD), biological oxygen demand (BOD), total hardness, sodium ion, and sulfates (SO4) in the water sample were quite high. With the exception of pH, all other physical-chemical parameters measured are between 100% and 180% higher and have exceeded the maximum permissible limit given by the permissible Iraqi standards. The domestic wastewater is discharged directly to river without any treatment during this period (construction period), there is tendency of these pollutants to persist in the water and its uptake may cause long term health problems when the water is used as drinking water, especially in areas near the point of discharge, since there is an intake of a water compact unit 1 km downstream from the point of discharge (Al-Bokhauder village ), as well as the adverse effects on plants when the contaminated water used for plant irrigation .
The Heat Treatment Effect on Microstructure for Arc Welding of Dissimilar Steel to copper
Authors: عبد الكريم سعدون محسن
Published: July 2024

The purpose of this paper is to be familiarize with the microscopic structure of the welding specimen, before and after heat treatment in which the pure copper ( OFHC ) has been welded to the low carbon steel ( ASTMA36 ) by the method of fusion welding ( Arc Welding ) using covered welding electrode (SMAW) .A 12mm thick plates of the two metals were used.The plate have been prepared (Single Butt Joint ) where the dissimilar plates copper to steel were welded using ( Ecusu8 ) electrodes . The heat treatment has been carried out to the specimen at 600Co,700Co then cooled down in the oven . The microscopic test for the welded specimen has been carried out before and after the heat treatment .Before heat treatment It was clear that there exist a separating limit from the steel side with zigzag indicating that interaction was happened giving a ( Non-epitaxial ) structure with opening windows accompanied by diffusion of masses from the base metal inside the added metal ,while after heat treatment, it is found that more zigzag and opening cracks in the steel side filled with the added metal by the process of ( Brazing ) and excess clearness of diffusion process with diffused metal taking a tree shapes , While from the copper side, it showed ( Epitaxial Growth ) No existence to any cracks was noticed , but there was a granulated growth especially when heated up to 700Co  
 

 
 

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Effect of Coolant Jet Holes Direction on Film Cooling Performance
Authors: Yousif,.Amer H. , Al-Dabaghand M. , Sh. Alwan Muwafag
Published: July 2024

The film cooling effectiveness and local heat transfer coefficient for coolant jet holes direction (orientation angle), have been investigated. Experimental investigations were done on a flat plate by using a single test transient IR thermograph technique.Evaluation of the cooling performance is obtained by estimated both film cooling effectiveness and heat flux ratios. Three models of coolant jet holes are investigated,each model consists of two rows of holes arranged in a staggered way with different orientation angles. Model (1) downstream row with acute angle and the upstream row with obtuse angle; model (2) both rows with obtuse angles, while model (3) both rows with acute angles. The holes diameter is 4mm, the longitudinal distance between the upstream and downstream rows (X/D) is 4D, and the span distance between two neighboring holes (S/D) is 3D. Three blowing ratios of (BR= 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5) were used in the investigation program.In order to predict the flow behavior numerically for the cases under investigation CFD code is introduced.The numerical investigation shows two large vortices, pair of counter rotating vortex and horseshoe vortices,both vortices have major effects on cooling performance.The experimental results showed that the film cooling effectiveness increases as blowing ratio increases for models (1 and 2), while decreases for model (3), and model (1) provide better performance than the others a thigh blowing ratios.
Wear Behavior of An Aluminum Alloys Using Nd:YAG Laser Treatment
Authors: Dr. Khansaa Dwood Salman  , Dr. Muhannad Zedain Khalifa
Published: July 2024

This research aims to study the effect of laser surface treatment on wear resistance of different aluminum alloys (5086H32,6061-T).The specimens were hardened by using pulse Nd:YAG laser with wave length 1064 nm and pulse duration 100 ns with constant energy 1J and spot size1–5mm .Wear behavior of the specimens as –received and specimens treated by laser being studied by using pin-on-disc technique under dry sliding wear conditions at different applied loads and different sliding speeds.This study shows that the wear rate increases by increasing values of applied loads and decreases with increasing sliding speed, and wear rate for 6061-T6 alloy is less than 5086-H32 alloy. Also the results show that the micro hardness decreases by increasing hardening depth and the micro hardness values for 6061-T6 alloy more than 5086-H32 alloy at the same depth.
Numerical Simulation to Study the Effect of Combination Vertical Load and Lateral Load on Pile Performance in Cohesionless Soil
Authors: Hussein A. Shaia
Published: July 2024

Pile foundation is widely subjected to both vertical and lateral loads. The available design procedure assumes that the effect of these two loads is independent of each other and hence the pile design is carried out separately for vertical and lateral loads. The traditional methods for analysis of piles according to sub-grade reaction methods also do not consider the effect of interaction between the different load directions. The effect of combination vertical loads and lateral on pile performance that installed in cohesionlesssoils is considered in this paper through three-dimensional finite element analyses. In the numerical model, the pile was treated as a linear elastic material and the soil was idealized using the Mohr-Coloumb constitutive model. The results from the analysis of single piles under combined vertical and lateral loads are studied in this paper. The influences of related parameters such as shear strength (angle of internal friction and dilatation angle) of soil in term of loose and dense sands and pile/soil interface friction coefficient have also been studied in this work.The results have shown that the combination vertical load and lateral has a significant effect on the pile performance that installed in cohesionless soil.
FINITE ELEMENT MESH SIZE IN FATIGUE LIFE EFFECT
Authors: Hamed Mosa Muhanad
Published: July 2024

Pipe elbows are consequential parts in a piping system. When a thin-wall elbow is exposed to variable amplitude loading as internal cyclic pressure, piping elbows are vulnerable to crack at the crown. This paper presents a technique to predict the fatigue life of elbows with the application of variable amplitude loadings  (VAL). For this goal, the finite element analysis technique was being used for the modeling and simulation. The fatigue life prognostication was carried out using the finite element based fatigue analysis codes. Numerical life prognostication results of three types of elbows (135o ,45o and curved ) under VAL are presented and discussed. Varying elbows shows different fatigue life behavior, the curved one gives better life. The two types of elements (Tet4 and Tet10) were investigated with optimum mesh size to get the maximum principle stress. The simulation results showed that more studies on the piping elbows necessity to be performed in order to obtain more delicate fatigue life
Numerical and Experimental study of the indoor environmental Conditions of a large Athletic hall (wrestling hall) using ansys 15
Authors: R.K.Alsheekh Mohammed , A.Monem Ali , Abdullah Emad
Published: July 2024

This study investigates numerically and experimentally the environmental conditions prevailing in a large mechanically ventilated athletic hall, with the aid of the computational fluid dynamics by ANSYS 15 program. The indoor space of the building was simulated in the ANSYS 15 program environment and the model results were validated against experimental data collected during a 7-day campaign in the hall. The measurements included airflow characteristics at different locations of the indoor space, as well as surface temperatures of the indoor materials. Having obtained good agreement between experimental and numerical results, different scenarios were applied in the model to investigate the environmental conditions prevailing in the hall under different ventilation and occupational conditions. These regard air-conditioning and cooling modes, as well as empty and full hall during an athletic event. The velocity, temperature and relative humidity were studied and results revealed dynamic behavior of the fields, significantly altering with the different considered cases.
الاستدامة واعمار مدن ما بعد الحرب دراسة دور الاستدامة في اعمار المدن التقليدية التراثية
Authors: هاشم حميد العقابي احمد
Published: July 2024

ركزت الطروحات المعرفيه العامة على دراسة الاطر المعرفيه العامه لمفاهيم حقل العماره والتجارب الخاصه باعمار مدن ما بعد الحرب ووضحت طبيعه ونوعيه واهميه كل توجه وتجربه بحسب الواقع والظروف المحيطه والمتوفره. وهذا بدوره افرز اهميه دراسه الموضوع بتاثير مفاهيم معاصره اخرى مهمه ومؤثره ضمن حقل العماره وحقول اخرى وهي مفهوم الاستدامه وماله من تاثير ممكن وواضح في مجال اعمار مدن ما بعد الحرب ضمن الاطار المعرفي النظري العام لهما.
             يهدف هذا البحث لتعريف الأسس العامة للرؤيه المعرفيه لموضوع اعمار مدن ما بعد الحرب بتاثير مؤثرات ومحددات مفهوم الاستدامه في العماره بتحديد الطرح المعرفي العام عنهما ضمن اطر نظريه ومفردات محدده ومن ثم التوجه لتطبيق تلك الاطر على نتاج معماري محدد (تمثل بحاله مدينه برلين واعاده اعمارها بعد الحرب) وتحليل نتائج هذا التطبيق واستكشاف وتوضيح حالات التحقق لمؤشرات تلك الاطر النظريه مع طرح الاستنتاجات النهائيه والتوصيات.
Design and Implementation of Unmanned Autonomous Armed Cart Used for Military Purposes
Authors: T. Salem Haider , F. Khazaal Hassan , T. Abbas Abdul Amer
Published: July 2024

the save of soldier’s life in battlefield is an important thing in any battle plan. One of the solutions to economize the numbers of losses of soldiers’ life’s, is to use unmanned autonomous cart to perform some deadly functions in place of soldiers. This research proposes unmanned armed cart to support Iraqi army operations and to protect the soldiers from the snipers deadly shooting and from the explosion of mines. The proposed cart is armored and moving on four wheels. It is armed with machine gun and supplied with camera. All the commands of operations were performed using Programmable Logic Controller "PLC". The experimental performance passed successfully by the use of remote control.
تشويه البيئة العمرانية في المدن العراقية من خلال عشوائية وضع الاعلانات التجارية بشوارعها الرئيسية (شارع 14 رمضان في مدينة بغداد حالة دراسية)
Authors: عباس احمد مظهر
Published: July 2024

ان التشوه الذي احدثته لوحات الاعلان التجاري في البيئة العمرانية في المدن العراقية في الاونة الاخيرة والتي نشاهدها، قد انتشرت في الشوارع وعلى واجهات المباني بشكل عشوائي مخالفة للضوابط التي تنظم وضع هذه الاعلانات، و أصبحت احدى سمات المدينة في العراق، وقد أحدثت تلوثا بصريا في البيئه العمرانيه، ويهدف بحثنا هذا الى تسليط الضوء على هذه الظاهرة، والتي احدثت تلوثا بصريا للبيئات العمرانية لمدننا العراقية، حيث يهدف هذا البحث إلى محددات التوافق البصري والانسجام إلى البيئة العمرانية عن طريق تنظيم عرض لوحات الاعلانات التجارية، وسوف يتطرق البحث بشكل مباشر ومركز الى البيئة العمرانية واهمية التوافق والانسجام البصري فيها، وكذلك الى النواحي الجمالية، ومفاهيم التوافق البصري، ثم الى تنظيم الاعلانات التجارية وبعض الجوانب القانونية بهذا الخصوص، و مشكلة البحث تبرز عن طريق أن هذه الظاهره لها أثر سلبي على البيئة العمرانيه في المدينه العراقية، بوصفها قد شكلت تلوثاً بصرياً كبيرا ينبغي اتخاذ الاجراءات اللازمة لمعالجته. ومن ثم الوصول الى الاستنتاجات والتوصيات لكيفية استخدام اللوحات الاعلانيه بشكل فاعل وكوسيلة للاتصال، موجه للفئات المستهدفه، وفي نفس الوقت الحفاظ على التوافق البصري والانسجام في البيئة العمرانية والابتعاد عن التشويه والعشوائية بهذا الجانب.
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DESEMPENHO PRODUTIVO DE GENÓTIPOS DE FEIJÃO-CAUPI EM FUNÇÃO DA APLICAÇÃO DE FÓSFORO
Authors: Soares Ferreira Maria Beatriz , De Santana Douglas Martins , Leite Wallace de Sousa
Published: July 2024

O feijão-caupi é um dos principais componentes da alimentação urbana e rural, cultivado predominantemente nas regiões Norte e Nordeste, por pequenos produtores. Por apresentar um ciclo curto, o retorno econômico ocorre de forma muito rápida, fazendo com que sua produção seja mais favorável para geração de renda na agricultura familiar. O presente trabalho objetivou avaliar a influência da adubação fosfatada no desempenho produtivo de genótipos de feijãocaupi, de ciclo precoce, quanto a eficiência de adubação fosfatada no sulco, em condições de sequeiro. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi em blocos ao acaso em esquema de parcelas subdivididas 2 x 4, com quatro repetições. As parcelas foram compostas por duas doses de fósforo: 0 (baixo) e 84 kg ha -1 P2O5, aplicado em sulco, durante a semeadura e, as subparcelas, constituídas por 4 genótipos de feijão-caupi. Cada subparcela foi formada com quatro linhas de 5 metros, sendo levadas em consideração somente as duas linhas centrais desprezando as duas linhas laterais e 0,5 m das extremidades. Foram realizadas todas as etapas de preparo do solo, sendo elas: arração, adubação. As sementes foram tratadas com inseticida e fungicida, as variáveis analisadas foram número de trifólios, massa seca da parte aérea, altura de planta, ciclo, número de vargens por planta, número de grãos por planta, massa de mil grãos e produtividade. O desempenho agronômico do feijão-caupi variou de acordo com a interação da dosagem de fósforo e genótipo. Ademais, todos os genótipos apresentaram melhor altura, número de vagens por planta com a aplicação fosfatada. O genótipo BRS Xiquexique teve melhor desempenho produtivo em condição de alto fósforo