bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Factors Influencing Survival Time in Patients Treated for Oesophageal Cancer with Palliative Intent in South Africa
Authors: Ferndale Lucien , Ayeni Oluwatosin A , Chen Wenlong Carl , Aldous Colleen
Published: November 2021

BackgroundMost patients presenting with oesophageal cancer to South African institutions present late with advanced disease and are eligible for palliative treatment only. The optimal management of these patients is dependent on their expected survival but factors affecting survival in our setting is unknown. MethodsWe assessed factors influencing survival in patients diagnosed with oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma at Grey's hospital in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Factors assessed for effect on prognosis included patient demographics, clinical and laboratory data and tumour factors. Patients were divided into two groups; those that survived for less than or equal to three months and those that survived for more than three months.Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine which factors significantly influenced whether patients survived for more than three months or not. ResultsA total of 384 patients were entered into the study. There were 218 males with a female to male ratio of 1:1.3. The median survival of the cohort was 3.7 months. One hundred and sixty-one (41.9%) patients survived three months or less, while 223 (58.1%) of patients survived more than three months. Factors that influenced survival on univariate and multivariate analysis were the area of residence, body mass index, serum albumin and performance status.ConclusionArea of residence, body mass index, serum albumin and performance status significantly affect survival in patients treated palliatively for advanced oesophageal cancer at our institution. This knowledge can be used to plan the optimal management algorithm for these patients.
The differential efficacy of systemic therapy: a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Braus Niels , von Oepen Rebecca , Immel Nina , Wichmann Johanna , Frankman Christian , Messner Eva-Maria , Zemp Martina , Hunger-Schoppe Christina
Published: November 2021

Background: Systemic therapy is a widespread evidence-based psychotherapy approach. Its main goal revolves around the concept of viewing mental symptoms within the context of social systems (e.g., families, couples). Systematic reviews and meta-analyses have confirmed that systemic therapy significantly reduces symptom severity of DSM- or ICD-diagnosed patients. This meta-analysis aims to investigate the differential efficacy of systemic therapy, taking into account moderators (e.g., allegiance, adherence) and outcomes (system functioning) not considered in previous meta-analytical investigations.Methods: To conduct a comprehensive literature search, we will optimize search strategies from previous systematic reviews on systemic therapy. The search strategy presented in this protocol has improved the precision and sensitivity by using an iterative validation and optimization process. We will conduct the literature search in multiple electronic databases (PsycInfo, Pubmed, Embase, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL)). We will include all randomized controlled trials that report quantitative outcomes for symptom change and/or system functioning. For the calculations, we will conduct a Bayesian meta-analysis for the outcomes based on a random-effects model, a Bayesian meta-regression for the moderators, and Bayesian subgroup analysis for disorder-specific differences.Discussion: Understanding the differential efficacy of systemic therapy is essential for the conceptualization, performance, and analysis of future research and therapeutic practice. This meta-analysis faces potential limitations associated with the definition of systemic therapy, as well as methodological problems in systemic therapy research.
A Comparison Survey of Paramedic Level of Confidence in Handling Paediatric Versus Adult Patients- Riyadh City
Authors: Alharthy Nesrin , Alfraih Ethar , Alenazi Atheer , Alaiban Reem , Alanazi Rahaf , Alsuwais Sara , Almutairi Mohammad
Published: November 2021

Background:Emergency Medical Services (EMS) is a national network of prehospital services coordinated to provide aid and medical assistance to pediatric and adult patients. Studies indicate that a paramedic’s level of confidence in handling an adult patient is higher than that in handling a paediatric patient. The study objective is to explore paramedics’ levels of confidence in handling pediatric patients as compared to that in handling adult patients in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Method:A cross-sectional study targeted paramedics in different institutions in the city of Riyadh after , a self-administered questionnaire were used to measure level of confidence in handling adult compared to pediatric in different given clinical scenarios using five point Likert scaleResults:A total of 144 participants completed the survey, with a response rate of 90%. Of these, 91.7% were male, 42.4% worked in pre-hospital care, and 43.8% worked in-hospital station. The sample was comprised of both paramedics who obtained their qualifications in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) (53.5%) and those who obtained their qualifications outside the KSA (46.5%). Across the sample, 97% were confident in handling adults, while 78.5% were confident in handling paediatric patients. The paramedics’ levels of confidence in handling adult and paediatric patients were compared in terms of ten specific conditions and skills using a five-point Likert scale, where a set score based on response of 10 was the minimum and 50 was the maximum. The difference in confidence level with paediatric (median = 36, IQR: 29,39) and adult (Median= 47, IQR: 42,50) patients was statistically significant, with a p-value of 0.001. Conclusions: The findings of this study are consistent with international studies showing that paramedics are more confident in handling adult patients than pediatric patients. This study recommends the dissemination of its findings to stakeholders for advanced training in paediatric.
One-Pot Synthesis of Quinazoline Derivatives Using Copper Nanocatalyst Stabilized on Graphene Oxide Functionalized by N1,N2-bis((Pyridine-2-yl)Methyl)Benzene-1,2-Diamine
Authors: Emami-Nori Alahyar , Karamshahi Zahra , Ghorbani-Vaghei Ramin
Published: November 2021

Having a biological property is just one of features of N-heterocycles. Another thing is to be dramatically well-designed. In other words, awe-inspiring combination of materials and the thing that really makes these materials just unique of its kind is nothing but its medical properties. That is why, majority of scientists are full of enthusiasm for synthesizing of these types of materials. ln this article, we have reported five effective methods for synthesizing quinazoline, which is a immensely important group of N-heterocycles with using copper nanocatalyst stabilized on graphene oxide functionalized by N1,N2-bis((pyridine-2-yl)methyl)benzene-1,2-diamine. Moreover, we have investigated the effects of substitutions connected to aldehydes, benzylamines and benzamides as a carbon source of quinazoline heterocyclic ring. Finally, we have assessed effects kinds of ammonium salts as a nitrogen source of quinazoline heterocyclic ring.
Galactooligosaccharides and Xylo-oligosaccharides Altering the Caecal Microbiome, Metabolome, and Transcriptome of Chickens Revealed by a Multi-Omics Analysis
Authors: Yang Chaowu , Qiu Mohan , Yu Chunlin , Peng Han , Song Xiaoyan , Yang Li , Xiong Xia , Hu Chenming , Zhang Zengrong , Chen Jialei , Xia Bo , Du Huarui , Li Qingyun , Jiang Xiaosong
Published: November 2021

Backgroud Studies have shown that prebiotics could affect meat quality, but the underlying mechanism are poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate whether prebiotics affect chicken’s meat quality through gut microbiome and metabolome. Methods The gut content were collected from chickens fed with or without prebiotics (galactooligosaccharides or xylo-oligosaccharides) and subjected to microbiome and metabolome analyses, and chicken breast was performed transcriptome sequencing. Results The prebiotics altered proportions of microbiota in gut contents at different levels, especially microbiota in the phylum of Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes, such as genus of Alistipes, Bacteroides, and Faecalibacterium. The prebiotics also altered contents of caecal metabolites such as lysophosphatidylcholine (lysoPC), intramuscular fat and flavor compound (Benzaldehyde and myristic acid). Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) induced by prebiotics were significantly involved in regulation of lipolysis inadipocytes and adipocytokine signaling pathway. Changes in gut microbiota and metabolites were remarkably correlated such as Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes was respectively positively and negatively correlated with lysoPC. DEGs were also interacted with caecal metabolites. Conclusion These findings integrated and incorporated link among gut microbiota, metabolites and transcriptome, which proposed prebiotics may affect meat quality and flavor of chickens.
The Development and Concurrent Validity of a Multi-sensor-based Frailty Toolkit for In-home Frailty Assessment
Authors: Bian Chao , Ye Bing , Mihailidis Alex
Published: November 2021

BackgroundEarly identification of frailty is crucial to prevent or reverse the syndrome but faces challenges due to frailty’s insidious onset. Monitoring behaviroal changes in real life may offer opportunities for early identifying frailty. Home-based technologies for assessing frailty have shown potentials. However, they are still in early stage of development with many types of technologies and behavioural and physical signs associated with frailty underexamined. This study presented a sensor-based system that used heterogeneous sensors and cloud technologies to monitor behavioural and physical signs of frailty from home settings. We aimed to validate the concurrent validity of the sensor system.MethodsThe sensor system consisted of motion, door, distance and mat sensors, a smart speaker, and a smart weight scale. The selection of these sensors was based on behavioural and physical signs found significantly associated with frailty. These signs included room-level physical activity, life space, sedentary behaviour, stair climbing, self-report exhaustion, and weight. Older adults’ voices were included in the system design. The sensor system prototype was tested in a simulated home lab environment with nine young, healthy participants. Cohen’s kappa and Bland-Altman Plot statistical methods evaluated the agreements between the sensor and ground truth measurements.ResultsExcellent concurrent validity was achieved for the smart speaker (100% agreement), the motion sensor (a kappa value of k=0.938), the door sensor (87.5% agreement, 100% if excluding outliers), the mat sensor (mean difference of -0.286, 95% limits of agreement) and the distance sensor (mean difference of 0.526, 95% limits of agreement). The smart weight scale and traditional weight scale had a significant difference in weight measurements. However, bivariate correlation showed a strong, positive correlation between the two measurements (r=0.942, n=24, p<0.001). ConclusionsOverall, FT is reliable for monitoring physical and behavioural signs of frailty in home settings. The ambient sensors and the smart speaker in FT showed excellent concurrent validity, while the smart weight scale needs further validation. This work laid the ground for the next step of the research to test the toolkit with frail and non-frail older adults to validate the system’s clinical effectiveness.
Regional Agricultural Drought Risk Assessment Method Based on Risk Transforming Process
Authors: WEI Yanqi , CUI Yi , JIN Juliang , ISHIDAIRA Hiroshi , LI Haichao , JIANG Shangming , ZHO Rongxing , ZHOU Liangguang
Published: November 2021

Drought risk management can effectively reduce drought losses and improve drought resistance capability, of which drought risk assessment is the core issue. This study evaluated the agricultural drought risk in Huaibei Plain of Anhui Province in China by the approach of constructing drought loss risk curves and risk distribution maps. The results showed that: 1) The drought events that occurred in northern regions (Huaibei and Suzhou) were with the characteristics of high-frequency and low-intensity, while in southern regions (Huainan and Bengbu), the occurring characteristics were low-frequency, high-intensity, and long-duration. 2) Without irrigation, Fuyang was the high-risk region with more than 80% potential yield loss rate, while Huainan was the relatively low-risk area with a potential yield loss of 50%. 3) Irrigation had a significant effect on reducing drought risk loss, while the efficiency was influenced by the spatio-temporal distribution of precipitation. The irrigation scheme in study area still remains to be optimized based on the characteristics of precipitation and crop growth. This study established and practiced a quantitative framework for regional drought risk assessment by creating drought risk curves and risk maps, which have significant value in improving the regional agricultural drought risk management level.
The Use of Intraoperative Radiation Therapy (IORT) in Multimodality Management of Cancer Patients. A Single Institution Experience.
Authors: Elashwah Ahmed , Alsuhaibani Abdullah , Azzam Ayman , Moftah Belal , Hussein Muhammed , ALramahi Shada , Amin Tarek , Mahmoud Rana , BREAKEIT Mohammed , Hassan Zeinab , Alzahrani Ali
Published: November 2021

Background Intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) is a highly conformal technique given in the operating room in many cancer sites for better tumor local control by increasing the tumor radiation dose without exceeding normal tissues tolerance doses.Purpose Assess the feasibility of Intra operative radiation therapy (IORT) and short-term toxicity in patients with different cancer sites treated with a multidisciplinary protocols including IORT.Patients & MethodsMedical records of cancer patients who received IORT at King Faisal Specialized Hospital and Research center(KFSHRC), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from 2013 until 2017 were retrospectively reviewed.ResultsTotal 188 patients with 212 IORT applications were analyzed. Twenty-four patients had more than one application.116 patients were males. Median age at time of diagnosis was 49.5years (19-77). Hundred thirty four patients had primary while 54 cases had recurrent disease. Gastro esophageal cancer and soft tissue sarcoma were the most frequent diagnosis in 49 patients followed by colorectal cancer in 35 patients. Major surgeries with curative intent done in 183 patients (97.3%) and 118 patients (62.8%) had hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) in addition to IORT. The 30days postoperative mortality rate was 3.2%. Fifty-three (28.2%) patients develop Grade III-IV complications according to Clavien-Dindo grading system. ConclusionThe data presented discussing treatment modalities for different malignant tumors which are treated and may benefit from using IORT technique as a part of multimodality treatment. IORT seems safe and feasible, however a longer follow-up is needed for proper evaluation and defining the role of IORT in tailored multimodality approach.
On Reducing Energy Cost Consumption in Heterogeneous Cellular Networks using Optimal Time Constraint Algorithm
Authors: Kalpana V , Mishra Divyendu Kumar , Chanthirasekaran K. , Haldorai Anandakumar , Nath Srigitha. S. , Saraswat Bal Krishna
Published: November 2021

The increasing data demand in recent years has resulted in a considerable rise in heterogeneous cellular network energy usage. Advances in heterogeneous cellular networks with renewable energy supplied from base stations offer the cellular communications sector interesting options. Rising energy consumption, fuelled by huge growth in user count as well as usage of data, has emerged as the most pressing challenge for operators in fulfilling cost-cutting and environmental-impact objectives. The use of minimum power relay stations or base stations in conventional microcells is intended to lower cellular network's total energy usage. We examine the reasons, difficulties, and techniques for addressing the energy cost reduction issue for such renewable heterogeneous networks in this paper. Because of the variety of renewable energy as well as mobile traffic, then the issue related to a reduction in energy cost necessitates both spatial and temporal resource allotment optimization. In this paper, we proposed a new technique for reducing the energy consumption cost using the optimal time constraint algorithmic approach. We demonstrate that the proposed method has time as well as space complexity. Experimental simulations on actual databases with synthetic costs are used to confirm the usefulness and efficacy of our method.
FrWCSO-DRN: Fractional Water Cycle Swarm Optimizer-based deep residual network for pulmonary abnormality detection from respiratory sound signal
Authors: DAR JAWAD AHMAD , srivast Kamal Kr , Lone Sajaad Ahmad
Published: November 2021

Respiratory sounds disclose significant information regarding the lungs of patients. Numerous methods are developed for analyzing the lung sounds. However, clinical approaches require qualified pulmonologists to diagnose such kind of signals appropriately and are also time consuming. Hence, an efficient Fractional Water Cycle Swarm Optimizer-based Deep Residual Network (FrWCSO-based DRN) is developed in this research for detecting the pulmonary abnormalities using respiratory sounds signals. The proposed FrWCSO is newly designed by the incorporation of Fractional Calculus (FC) and Water Cycle Swarm Optimizer WCSO. Meanwhile, WCSO is the combination of Water Cycle Algorithm (WCA) with Competitive Swarm Optimizer (CSO). The respiratory input sound signals are pre-processed and the important features needed for the further processing are effectively extracted. With the extracted features, data augmentation is carried out for minimizing the over fitting issues for improving the overall detection performance. Once data augmentation is done, feature selection is performed using proposed FrWCSO algorithm. Finally, pulmonary abnormality detection is performed using DRN where the training procedure of DRN is performed using the developed FrWCSO algorithm. The developed method achieved superior performance by considering the evaluation measures, namely True Positive Rate (TPR), True Negative Rate (TNR) and testing accuracy with the values of 0.963, 0.932, and 0.948, respectively.
Validity as a Measure of Data Quality in Internet of Things Systems
Authors: Pandey Rishabh Deo , Snigdh Itu
Published: November 2021

Data quality became significant with the emergence of data warehouse systems. While accuracy is intrinsic data quality, validity of data presents a wider perspective, which is more representational and contextual in nature. Through our article we present a different perspective in data collection and collation. We focus on faults experienced in data sets and present validity as a function of allied parameters such as completeness, usability, availability and timeliness for determining the data quality. We also analyze the applicability of these metrics and apply modifications to make it conform to IoT applications. Another major focus of this article is to verify these metrics on aggregated data set instead of separate data values. This work focuses on using the different validation parameters for determining the quality of data generated in a pervasive environment. Analysis approach presented is simple and can be employed to test the validity of collected data, isolate faults in the data set and also measure the suitability of data before applying algorithms for analysis.
Orthogonal interlayer coupling in an all-antiferromagnetic junction
Authors: Zhou Yongjian , Liao Liyang , Guo Tingwen , Bai Hua , Zhao Mingkun , Wan Cai-Hua , Huang Lin , Han Lei , Chen Ruyi , Zhou Zhiyuan , Han Xiufeng , Pan Feng , Song Cheng
Published: November 2021

The interlayer coupling of two ferromagnetic layers results in found of giant magnetoresistance, which forms the foundation of spintronics and accelerates the development of information technology. Compared with ferromagnets, antiferromagnets (AFMs) possess huge potential in ultrafast and high-density data processing and information storage because of their terahertz spin dynamics and subtle stray field. The interlayer coupling in AFMs has long been neglected, because the collinear parallel and antiparallel arrangements of AFMs are indistinguishable. However, the noncollinear interlayer coupling in AFMs is detectable, and can be a potential candidate for practical antiferromagnetic spintronic devices. Here we demonstrate orthogonal interlayer coupling at room temperature in an all-antiferromagnetic junction Fe2O3/Cr2O3/Fe2O3, where the Néel vectors in the top and bottom functional materials Fe2O3 are strongly orthogonally coupled and the coupling strength of which is significantly affected by the thickness of the antiferromagnetic Cr2O3 spacer. From the energy and symmetry analysis, the direct coupling via uniform magnetic ordering is excluded. The coupling is proposed to be mediated by quasi-long range order in the spacer. Besides the fundamental significance, the strong coupling in an antiferromagnetic junction makes it a promising building block for practical antiferromagnetic spintronics with high-speed operation and ultrahigh-density integration.
Faecalibacterium predicts postprandial glucose control following potatoes in overweight females
Authors: Fong Joy Nolte , Miketinas Derek , Moore Linda W. , Nguyen Duc T. , Graviss Edward A. , Ajami Nadim , Patterson Mindy A.
Published: November 2021

Background: Individual glycemic responses following dietary intake result from complex physiological processes and can be influenced by physical properties of foods, such as increased resistant starch (RS) from retrogradation of starch upon cooling after cooking. Predictive equations are needed to provide personalized recommendations for those individuals most at risk for poor metabolic outcomes. Methods: Thirty overweight women with no comorbid conditions participated in this randomized crossover trial, in which the women consumed 250g of hot (9.2 g RS) or cold (13.7 g RS) potatoes. Baseline characteristics included demographics, 10-day dietary records, body composition, and the relative abundance (RA) and α-diversity of gut microbiota. Elastic net regression using 5-fold cross-validation predicted postprandial glucose response (PPGR; incremental AUC0-120min) following the potatoes. Results: Thirty participants (29.6 ± 6.0 yrs; BMI 32.8 ± 3.7 kg/m2) participated in this trial. Most women (70%) showed a favorable PPGR to the cold potato. The model explained 32.2% of the variance in iAUC0-120min glucose with the equation: 547.65 x (0 [if cold potato], x 1 [if hot potato]) + (BMI[kg/m2] x 40.66) - (insoluble fiber[g] x 49.35) + (Bacteroides[RA] x 8.69) - (Faecalibacterium[RA] x 73.49) - (Parabacteroides[RA] x 42.08) + (α-diversity x 110.87) + 292.52.Conclusion: This model improves understanding of baseline characteristics that explain interpersonal variation in PPGR following potato intake and offers a tool to optimize dietary recommendations for a commonly consumed food. Larger studies are warranted to expand generalizability and application of the equation. Trial Registration: The National Clinical Trials number is NCT03310476, and this study was registered with clinicaltrials.gov on Oct 16, 2017.
In Vitro Propagation And Rejuvenation of Senescent Maternal Plant of Ardisia Crenata Var. Bicolor (Primulaceae)
Authors: Ai Xingmei , Wen Yonghui , Wang Chao
Published: November 2021

Ardisia crenata var. bicolor is an ornamental shrub, owing to its declined wild population, recalcitrant seeds and few high-quality cuttings, the main objective of this study was to optimize an in vitro propagation protocol by using tip shoot and nodal segment as explants from senescent plant. Explants were sterilized and cultured on Muraghige and Skoog medium contained 1.0 mg·L-1 benzylaminopurine and 0.05 mg·L-1 1-naphthaleneacetic acid for shoot initiation. For shoot proliferation, explants were cultured on MS medium with 1.0 mg·L-1 BAP, 0.1 mg·L-1 NAA, and 0.5 mg·L-1 kinetin, and the proliferation coefficient were 3.1 and 2.5. Rooting was achieved by two explants in half-strength MS medium containing 0.5 mg·L-1 indole-3-butyric acid + 0.1 mg·L-1 or 0.2 mg·L-1 NAA, and 0.5 g·L-1 activated charcoal. The highest rooting rate were 72.7% and 65.1% with the highest mean number of roots (4.2 and 2.8, respectively). After acclimatization, 83.3% and 81.2% of plants were survived in the greenhouse. The plant can be rejuvenated via in vitro propagation and provide a reference for supplying the planting materials quickly with an uniform genotype.
DNA Methylation and SNPs of ABCA1 Gene Promoter Affect Gene Expression and Involve in the Pathological Mechanism of Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Li Zhihao , Wang Jun , Zhou Baixue , Liu Yang , Zhang Zhaojing , Yang Shangdong , Luan Yingying , Huang Yanyang , Peng Yue , Han Tianyi , Xu Yan , Jia Jing , Yang Dongzhi , Li Aifan , He Ying , Song Guoying , Zheng Hong
Published: November 2021

ATP binding cassette subfamily A1 (ABCA1) is a key protein in the formation of mature high density lipoprotein (HDL), which plays a crucial role in atherosclerosis. Accumulating evidence has shown that the expression levels of the ABCA1 gene are upregulated in ischemic stroke (IS) patients. However, the mechanism remains elusive. We hypothesized that DNA methylation and SNPs of ABCA1 gene promoter affect the expression levels of ABCA1 gene and involve in the pathological mechanism of IS. 100 patients with IS and 100 healthy controls were enrolled in the present study. Initially, the mRNA expression levels of ABCA1 gene were examined by qPCR and the methylation levels was detected by MethyTarget sequencing. Then, rs1800976, rs1800977, rs2246298, rs2437817, rs2740483, rs539621172 in promoter region of ABCA1 gene were selected for genotyping. Finally, the relationship between the methylation of ABCA1 gene and gene expression was verified by constructing THP-1 foam cell model. The mRNA expression levels of ABCA1 gene in the IS group were significantly higher than those in controls (P<0.05). 17 CpG sites in the promoter of ABCA1 gene were analyzed and the DNA methylation levels of CpG1, CpG7 and CpG15 sites in IS group was significantly lower than control group (P<0.05). Rs2740483, rs1800977 and rs2437817 were significantly correlated with CpG1. Rs1800977 was significantly correlated with CpG3. In summary, DNA methylation and rs2740483, rs1800977, rs2437817 of ABCA1 gene promoter affect the expression levels of ABCA1 gene, change the clearance rate of intracellular lipids, and participate in the pathogenesis of IS.
Research of multi-response optimization of milling process of hardened S50C steel using minimum quantity lubrication of Vietnamese peanut oil
Authors: Cong Nguyen Thanh , Thoa Pham Thi Thieu , Tien Dung Hoang
Published: November 2021

This study aims to build a regression model when surveying the milling process on S50C steel using Minimum Quantity Lubrication (MQL) of Vietnamese peanut oil-based on Response Surface Methodology. The paper analyses and evaluates the effect of cutting parameters, flow rates, and pressures in minimum quantity lubrication system on cutting force and surface roughness in the milling process of S50C carbon steel materials after heat treatment (reaching a hardness of 52 HRC). The Taguchi method, one of the most effective experimental planning methods nowadays, is used in this study. The statistical analysis software, namely Minitab 19, is utilized to build a regression model between parameters of the cutting process, flow rates and pressures of the minimum quantity lubrication system and the cutting force, surface roughness of the part when machining on a 5-axis CNC milling machine. Thereby analyzing and predicting the effect of cutting parameters and minimum quantity lubrication conditions on the surface roughness and cutting force during machining to determine the influence level them. In this work, the regression models of Ra and F were achieved by using the optimizer tool in Minitab 19. Moreover, the multi-response optimization problem was solved. The optimum cutting parameters and lubricating conditions are as follows: Cutting velocity Vc=190.909 m/min, feed rate fz=0.02 mm/tooth, axial depth of cut ap=0.1 and nozzle pressure P=5.596 MPa, flow rate Q=108.887 ml/h. The output parameters obtained from the above parameters are Ra=0.0586  and F=162.035 N, respectively. This result not only provides the foundation for future research but also contributes reference data for the machining process
Estrategias de resiliencia organizacional de las micro y pequeñas empresas turísticas de Pachuca de Soto, Hidalgo ante la COVID-19
Authors: Cruz Coria Erika
Published: November 2021

Introducción: la propagación de la pandemia del SARS-CoV2 (COVID-19) a nivel mundial no sólo ha impactado los principales destinos turísticos del país, también los destinos locales se paralizaron debido al cierre de diversos establecimientos vinculados a la actividad. A pesar de las restricciones impuestas por las autoridades sanitarias con relación a los horarios de operación y protocolos para el servicio al cliente; las micro y pequeñas empresas (mypes) han encontrado una variedad de formas para ajustarse a la situación; es decir, han generado una serie de estrategias de Resiliencia Organizacional (RO) a través de las cuales han podido afrontar la crisis garantizando su permanencia en el mercado. El objetivo es describir las estrategias de RO adoptadas por las mypes turísticas de la Ciudad de Pachuca de Soto, Hidalgo durante la pandemia de la COVID-19, con la finalidad de destacar la capacidad de aprendizaje e innovación que les ha permitido, entre otras cosas, su permanencia en el mercado.
Método: esta investigación es un trabajo de tipo descriptivo, no experimental y de corte transversal. El diseño metodológico se compone de tres fases. En la primera, se elaboró una base de datos de las mypes turísticas ubicadas en el municipio de Pachuca de Soto debido a que las cifras oficiales no desglosan los datos ni por organizaciones según su tamaño ni por municipio. En la segunda fase se aplicó un cuestionario en línea a empresarios, administradores o gerentes de las mypes turísticas; el instrumento buscó identificar las estrategias de RO adoptadas por estas organizaciones durante la pandemia, enfocándose en las de tipo organizacional: capacidad de aprendizaje, asunción de riesgos, apertura al cambio, alianzas estratégicas y cambios laborales. Finalmente, la tercera fase consistió en el análisis de los datos recopilados a partir del cálculo de la proporción de las empresas que se manifestaron por las opciones presentadas y en la representación gráfica de las respuestas.
Resultados: el 74 % de las mypes consideradas en este estudio incorporaron nuevos métodos y formas de comercialización de sus productos y servicios turísticos para afrontar las restricciones impuestas sobre la venta al cliente en sus establecimientos; específicamente, son las empresas de alimentos y bebidas y las de hospedaje las que han adoptado en su mayoría estas estrategias. También se identificó que el uso de las tecnologías de la información (TIC), particularmente, el uso de las redes sociales es la estrategia que mejor refleja la capacidad de aprendizaje de las mypes turísticas de estudio durante la crisis sanitaria.
Discusión: Este trabajo de investigación destaca la capacidad de las mypes para el cambio y el aprendizaje, la conformación de alianzas y la asunción de riesgos como las principales estrategias de resiliencia desarrolladas por estas organizaciones durante la pandemia.
Scientific knowledge as a means and a prerequisite for discovering the essential powers of the individual
Authors: Itkulova Leisian , Lukyanov Arkadiy , Bikmetov Evgeniy , Pushkareva Marina , Valiullina Zaynab
Published: November 2021

Using historical-philosophical and historical-cultural material, the authors substantiate the idea that the heuristic potential of knowledge is enhanced by an in-depth analysis of its philosophical foundations. In the process of analysing knowledge in various philosophical traditions, the authors reach an activistic conception of knowledge, which includes freedom as a prerequisite for external and internal human activity. Knowledge doesn’t coincide with the absolute measurement of freedom and at the same time with the factuality of phenomenal being. It realizes itself at the point of unity of these considerations. By analyzing the sensual, empirical, and theoretical measurement of knowledge, the authors conclude that knowledge, as well as its structure, should be considered in a broad methodological and philosophical way, including the dialectic of knowledge and ignorance. Knowledge is related to the system of human activity. This system includes the object, subject, purpose and objectives of study. But the activity system also relates to nature of the operations performed. This nature is connected with the soul of a person, their inner world. The latter has to do with personal knowledge, latent knowledge. The purpose of the study is to analyze scientific knowledge as a prerequisite for discovering the essential powers of the individual.
Pensar Portugal - a modernidade de um país antigo
Authors: Martins Moisés de Lemos
Published: November 2021

Pensar Portugal – A modernidade de um país antigo é um livro de pequenos ensaios de Ciências Sociais e Humanas, que apresentam e discutem assuntos e problemas relativos a Portugal. São ensaios que constituem estudos de caso, embora tenham a forma de crónicas. O meu ponto de vista não é propriamente filosófico, nem estético, nem político. Faço um exercício de compreensão do mundo contemporâneo, tendo as Ciências Sociais e Humanas como enquadramento teórico. E tenho em conta o trabalho de ensaístas, filósofos e escritores. Estes ensaios não se inscrevem no tradicional regime das funções logocêntricas, fundacionistas e representacionistas da linguagem, um regime que de modo geral tem alimentado o pensamento ocidental (Foucault, 1966a; Bougnoux, 2006). Filiam-se antes no reconhecimento de um pensamento da prática, e também no reconhecimento da importância do imaginário em toda a estruturação social.
THE REVIEW FOR THE USE OF URBAN CLIMATIC MAP IN THE LAND USE PLAN FOR URBAN PLANNING
Authors: Ibrahim Illyani , Abu Samah Azizan , Fauzi Rosmadi
Published: November 2021

Urbanization leads to positive and negative impacts on the society. While it accelerates economic growth, it also brings negative impact to the environment and peopleâ€˜s health. The growth of urbanization is unavoidable; therefore, sustainability needs to be maintained to preserve the liveability of urban dwellers. The intention of this study is to review the use of climatic information in planning future developments in the local land use map. The studies of content and interview method were done in order to understand the real situation of this environmental mitigation. In further, the identification of the gaps of e study. The findings of this study were used to propose the climate indicators for the existing land use map. Future studies may focus on conducting preliminary experiments to apply the urban climatic map in the local context.
TOWN PLANNERS PERCEPTIONS OF SPORTS FACILITIES AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT: A CASE STUDY OF 13 STATES MAIN SPORTS FACILITIES IN MALAYSIA
Authors: Barghchi Maassoumeh , Omar Dasimah
Published: November 2021

Sport is defined as recreation and is considered as the symbol of developed degree of a country and economic development. However, globalisation and dramatic growth of urbanisation highlight the importance of sport and sports facilities in cities. On the other hand, there is a recent trend in some countries to build sports facilities not only for their intended sporting purpose but also for the twin aim of stimulating urban areas. In Malaysia, sports and sports facilities have improved rapidly over the past years. There is also currently tremendous interest in sports and a wave of sports investment. This research aims to examine town plannersâ€Ÿ perceptions of sports facilities and urban development focusing on the main sports facilities at State level in Malaysia. It is based on quantitative research via postal questionnaire survey and key informant interviews. The research reveals new trend of sports investment and sports facilities construction started in the mid-1990s. The findings of this research elaborate new considerations for town planners to determine the type of local environment for a new sports facility. Further, it may assist to review and provide specific guidelines and principles for sports facilities in Malaysia to follow the global trend in the future.
INTEGRATING CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION AND ADAPTATION INTO SPATIAL PLANNING: DEVELOPING CRITERIA FOR SPATIAL PLAN EVALUATION IN THE SELANGOR RIVER BASIN
Authors: Ping Ngang Chee , Pereira Joy Jacqueline , Hashim Halimaton Saadiah
Published: November 2021

Spatial planning practice in Malaysia has given greater prominence to environmental matters since the amendment of the Town and Country Planning Act 1976 in 1995, in which sustainable development has become the core emphasis of all planning policies and plans. However, elements of climate change, which require being addressed in strategic planning, have not been explicitly incorporated into spatial plans that cover urban and rural areas at both state and local levels. This study presents a framework for the evaluation of the content of spatial plans in response to climate change adaptation and mitigation in the case of the Selangor River Basin, which may be considered the life support for the Kuala Lumpur Conurbation, the largest urban mega region in Malaysia. A content analysis of national, state and local level spatial plans reveals that the overall quality of plans is higher at the national level, but gradually declines towards lower tier plans, and that generally an equal emphasis has been paid to both climate change mitigation and adaptation. The findings support the argument that spatial planning provides a platform for coordinating mitigation and adaptation responses through its sustainable development policies, however, there is a need to reframe the scope of sustainable development in the country for this purpose.
CARBON SEQUESTRATION THROUGH URBAN GREEN RESERVE AND OPEN SPACE
Authors: Misni Alamah , Jamaluddin Sakurah , Kamaruddin Siti Mazwin
Published: November 2021

The world is experiencing rapid development and urbanisation of urban areas that cause an increase in the carbon emission which contributes to greenhouse gasses and global warming. The environment has been declining for the past few years while extreme weather has impacted some urban areas in Malaysia. In 2009, the Malaysian government pledged to achieve up to 40% voluntary reduction in carbon emission intensity by 2020. Now it is time to move forward by proposing the green and low-carbon way to offset carbon emission from both planning and landscaping perspectives. This research demonstrates how urban green reserves, being a vital land use component in the urban area, is effective in carbon sequestration to absorb and store carbon emission for an extended term. Through the natural process of photosynthesis, mature trees planted in urban green reserve and open space can act as a carbon sink. This research computes the volume of carbon sequestration of trees planted in urban green reserve and the open space within the study area. Through this study, the accurate allometric relationship for the total above-ground biomass with the tree diameter and height was developed to estimate the rate of carbon sequestration in Pasir Gudang. The results based on mature trees inventory revealed that the total amount of carbon sequestration contributed by both urban green reserve and open space were 2,238.183 tons of carbon per year. Within the design parameters of the case study area, the total contribution of carbon reduction was merely 3.15% per year compared to the target of 10% carbon reduction via carbon sequestration. The total balance of carbon reduction that needs to be offset via carbon sequestration is 6.85%. Therefore, there is a need to provide smart planning and consolidating of low carbon initiatives to increase the contribution of carbon sequestration for a healthier environment in the urban area.
MANAGING URBANISATION AND URBAN SPRAWL IN MALAYSIA BY USING REMOTE SENSING AND GIS APPLICATIONS
Authors: Rosni Nur Aulia , Mohd Noor Noorzailawati , Abdullah Alias
Published: November 2021

In the global era, more than half of the world population live in urban area. With rapid urbanisation growth where the highest percentage concentrates in Asia, a relevant approach is needed to eliminate the possible threat that occurs after urbanisation took place; the urban sprawl. Urban sprawl is a popular term in academic discourse and has a long history but until these days, the concrete definition of this term is not yet configured. Many studies of sprawl have rooted back in non-Asian countries making the solution for sprawl is not suitable to be implemented in term of theories and practice. This research attempts to study the measurement of sprawl by using these geospatial indexes with Remote Sensing and GIS approach. The SPOT-5 images with 2.5 meters resolution were used to analyse the growth of sprawl in Kuala Lumpur metropolitan due to its high urbanisation rate. The findings show that Kuala Lumpur is a sprawling city. It is anticipated that this research will provide a new direction in urban sprawl studies and represent a robust analytic approach for characterizing urban development on the city scale at once as well as promoting a city via Remote Sensing and GIS technology.
EVALUATING SIGNIFICANT FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE PUBLIC TRANSPORT USAGE IN KERMAN, IRAN
Authors: Bahreini Azin , Mirzan Hamed , Moeinaddini Mehdi , Asadi-Shekari Zohreh , Shah Muhammad Zaly , Sultan Zahid
Published: November 2021

Although public transport is recommended to develop a sustainable transport system, the percentage of daily trips by public transport in Iran specifically in medium sized cities such as Kerman is very low. Currently, efforts are being made to indicate significant factors that prevent public transport usage in developed countries but few studies have been conducted in developing countries. Only a few studies have considered public transport usage in Iranian megacities and medium sized cities such as Kerman require more attention. Therefore, this study tries to identify effective factors that influence public transport usage in urban areas in developing countries like Iran and in medium sized cities like Kerman. In addition, this study tries to investigate various ways to increase public transport ridership. The people awareness regarding benefits of public transport usage is also tested in this study. This study uses questionnaire and observation to collect data. The descriptive analysis based on the collected data shows that most of the people are aware of public transport benefits. These benefits include environment protection, reduction in parking demand and traffic congestion, lower travel cost (compare with private vehicle), fewer mental stresses, more safety, and being more convenient. Although people are aware of public transport benefits, there are some issues that prevent them to use public transport properly. Insufficient information about public transport schedules, lack of attractive facilities and suitable waiting stations and inadequate reliability are examples of issues that discourage people to use public transport. The results show that some improvements such as providing suitable information about public transport schedules, considering comfortable facilities to increase attractiveness, improving waiting facilities and reliability can encourage people to use public transport.
INFLUENCES OF HOUSING SETTINGS AND DESIGNS IN FULFILLING THE MALAY RESIDENTSâ€™ SOCIAL CULTURES
Authors: Samsudin Noor Aimran , Abidin Idid Syed Zainol
Published: November 2021

This study discusses on the influence of settlement settings and an ideal housing design that can shape a good society and excel in behaviour, the value of life and lifestyle daily. Living environment affects its inhabitants, including the opportunity for the Malay community to practice their norm and values based on Islamic teachings. There are two housing categories in Malaysia, namely as an unplanned settlement (kampongs) and planned settlement (urban housing). Nowadays, majority of the Urban-Malay community are living in modern housing estates in urban areas where the living sphere is different from a traditional settlement such as kampong in rural area. The living environment setting such as the kampongs encourage Malay residents to practice their social cultures. The Malay socio-cultural aspect is established slowly and evolves through time based on values required by religion and inherited from one generation to another. Malays have to comply with all the teachings and practice the values required by Islam. This paper suggests that, to meet such Malay residentsâ€™ need, a certain physical design attributes from the kampongs should be applied in the modern housing environment at two different levels, called as the micro (house unit) and macro (settlement or neighbourhood) level. Based on the various literature sources, the requirement of optimum living space, the social activities, the family relationship, the neighbourhood concepts and preservation of the privacy element within Malay settlement have been discussed. As a comparison, the existing of linked housing setting has been reviewed in order to compare between the modern and traditional living environments. This paper proposed that the Muslim-Malay resident social cultures are a basis of Malay lifestyle and should be taken into account during the design of a settlement as a whole living environment setting.