bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
PROFITABILITY ANALYSIS OF BENISEED (SESAME) PRODUCTION IN LAFIA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF NASARAWA STATE, NIGERIA
Authors: D Bello , AO Agwale , DB Zaknayiba , S Moren , E Ndor
Published: November 2021

The research was designed to examine the profitability analysis of beniseed (Sesame) production in Lafia Local Government. Data collected was analysed using simple descriptive statistics such as mean, frequency count, percentage and gross margin analysis to satisfy all the objectives. From the data collected, it was deduced that majority of the respondents 94.2% that engaged in sesame production are male. Also, most of the respondents 37.5% are married men and women who participated in the production of beniseed in order to carter for their family needs. Most of the respondents have one form of education or the other but majorities of them 33.8% have primary education predominantly, people who engaged in the production of beniseed in the study area are the small-scale farmers. Most of the respondents have an average number of family 3 – 4 per household. Most of the respondents spend only few number of years 3 – 5 years in beniseed production, 66.67% of the respondents being small-scale farmers make use of their family as a source of labour. In terms of extension awareness, 70.8% of the respondents are aware of extension services while only few number 29.2% are not. In terms of access to credit facilities majority of the respondents 65.0% have no access to credit while only scanty number 35.0% have access to credit facilities majority of the respondents 46.7% have problem of inadequate fund as a source of capital.
EFFECT OF DROUGHT STRESS AND MANAGEMENT IN WHEAT - A REVIEW
Authors: Dhakal A.
Published: November 2021

Wheat is a major cereal crop in the world. However, drought stress causes a severe loss in the productivity of wheat in different growing regions worldwide. Water deficit at the critical stage of the wheat growth causes a significant loss in yield of wheat. Drought stress affects every aspect of wheat growth from germination to maturity. Drought stress hampers different metabolic processes in the plant. It reduces chlorophyll content and photosynthesis in the leaf. It increases the production and accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) which affects the various cellular mechanisms and also causes oxidative damage to RNA and DNA. Production of appropriate wheat genotype along with the adjustment of agronomic practices like efficient use of irrigation water, changing the sowing time and seed priming helps to minimize the effect of drought. Here in this review various effects of drought stress in wheat and its management options are discussed in brief.
ANALYSIS OF CARP VALUE CHAIN IN BARA DISTRICT, NEPAL
Authors: Bhandari Subash , Jha Dilip Kumar , Dhungana Purushottam , Sapkota Bina , Acharya Shreeram , Bhattarai Chandan , Pokhrel Subodh
Published: November 2021

Carp is the major fish produced under polyculture in Nepal. A study was conducted to analyze the value chain of carp in the Bara district from January to April 2020. A total of 120 respondents; 60 each from Simraungadh and Pachrauta municipality on an equal basis was sampled by using the cluster sampling technique. 60 respondents include; 45 carp producers, 10 traders (local collector, district collector, local wholesaler, processor, retailer), and 5 consumers from Simraungadh and Pachrauta municipality were sampled randomly. Data were entered and coded in SPSS 25 and analyzed using STATA 12.1. The study revealed a benefit-cost ratio was 1.76. The maximum share was contributed by the cost of feed (70%) to the total variable cost and cost of pond construction (80%) to the total fixed cost. The unit cost of production of carp under polyculture was NRs. 201.5. The key actors involved in the chains were producer, wholesaler, collector, processor, retailer, and consumer. The price spread was higher in the regional market chain i.e. NRs 66.73 as compared to the local market (NRs 40.38). The producer’s share was higher in the local market chain (87.5%) as compared to the producer’s share in the regional market chain (81.73%). The study revealed that the value chain of carp was dominated by the trader. Consumers kept the freshness of the carp under major consideration while purchasing. The major problem faced by the trader was identified as the unavailability of plastic crates. Carp production is a profitable enterprise, yet producers were not realizing potential benefits due to the involvement of middlemen and their dominant role while determining the price. Thus, carp enterprise could be bolstered through government stringent rules and proper policy to determine the price and to customize the efficient marketing channel.
Finding a Fale: A collaborative research project with the Tonga Leitis’ Association (TLA) exploring the causes of and solutions to housing insecurity for leiti.
Authors:   , Ballantyne Neill
Published: November 2021

This is a collaborative research project where I worked alongside the Tonga Leitis’ Association to conduct semi-structure interviews with 20 leiti into the causes of, and solutions to housing insecurity. I set out to follow a PAR (participatory action research) methodology but was constrained in fully implementing this due to constraints of the project timeline. This project draws on the principles of PAR as well as other indigenous research theories.

This project contributes to the academy’s understanding of the life and challenges experienced by leiti. It shows that housing insecurity cannot be viewed in isolation but is influenced by many aspects of people’s lives. This is especially true for ‘vulnerable’ minorities such as leiti. This project revealed that leiti experience marginalisation in many ways and showed that they are often survivors of significant levels of violence.

This study includes a range of recommendations which are driven from the participant interviews. These actions should create change which would ensure that Tongan society is more inclusive of leiti and would provide leiti with a safe space to reside if they experience violence or oppression.
"It's Beyond Water": Stories of Women’s Experience of Using Water for Labour and Birth
Authors:   , Maude Robyn
Published: November 2021

This study looks at stories of women’s experience of using water for labour and birth and has explored them to reveal the meaning women make of the experience.

Randomised controlled trials report that there are no statistically significant differences in the outcomes for women who use water when compared to those who do not. It has also established that there are no adverse effects on the mother and baby. However, most of the research to date largely ignores what women have to say about the use of water for labour and birth. This study employed an interpretive design using audio-taped conversations with women as the method of data collection, and a thematic analysis of the stories, to identify the meaning women make of their experiences. The research is informed by a feminist perspective, which honours the women’s voices and knowledge.

The women's stories reveal that the all-encompassing warmth associated with being enveloped in warm water cradles, supports, relaxes, comforts, soothes, shelters and protects the woman, creates a barrier and offers her a sense of privacy. Water can be used in any form, even the act of thinking about, preparing for and anticipating the water opens possibilities for women. Women use water to reduce their fear of pain and of childbirth itself. Women use water to cope with pain, not necessarily to remove or diminish pain and to maintain control over the process of birth. It is not necessary to actually give birth in the water to achieve these benefits.

Recommendations for midwifery practice include the need for midwives to reflect on their role as guardians of normal birth by examining their personal philosophy of birth, critically examining their outcomes and honouring women's knowledge.
User-Interface Metaphors in Theory and Practice
Authors:   , Barr Pippin
Published: November 2021

User-interface metaphors are a widely used, but poorly understood, technique employed in almost all graphical user-interfaces. Although considerable research has gone into the applications of the technique, little work has been performed on the analysis of the concept itself. In this thesis, user-interface metaphor is defined and classified in considerable detail so as to make it more understandable to those who use it. The theoretical approach is supported by practical exploration of the concepts developed.
Sharing the Burden of Strife in Chronic Illness: a Praxiological Study of Nursing Practice in a Community Context
Authors:   , Connor Margaret Jean
Published: November 2021

This inquiry is an in-depth exploration of one middle aged woman’s, Sarah, experience of strife in chronic illness and her nursing care involving four nurses (including myself) in a community context over a three-year period. The study is praxiological in that the understanding achieved is derived from practice within a ‘research as praxis’ methodology positioned in the disciplinary perspective of nursing as a practical human science. Five methodological premises inform the research processes: reflexivity, dialogue, moral comportment, re-presentation in narrative and critique. They emanate from an eclectic ontological praxiology based on the research framework constructed from Gadamerian philosophical hermeneutics, components of other philosophical praxiologies evolved from an exploration of the practical discourse in philosophy and my preferred health and nursing assumptions.

The research processes include researcher journalling; summaries of Sarah’s nursing record, dialogical meetings with Sarah and the nurse co-participants to collect the research material and then co-construct it into narrative form. The narrative is developed around what Sarah viewed as the overall nursing contribution to her care; the ‘sharing of her burden of illness’. This, she maintained, enabled her to live safely in the community. Finally there occurs a critique of the narrative within a discursive framework.

Three themes, embedded in particular discourses, emerged from the narrative both in Sarah’s and the nurses’ experience; paradox, moral meaning and metaphor. Sarah’s experience is interpreted as taking place in the ‘in-between space’ of the disease and health-illness discourses. Two main concepts which depict the tension experienced in this space are the ‘the ontological assault of illness’ and ‘entrapment in the disease discourse’. We, the nurses, ‘pushed the boundaries’ to create a space for the nursing as a caring practice discourse on the margins of nursing as a functional service discourse. Within the nursing as a caring practice space many ‘fine lines’ were walked with Sarah. Walking the ‘fine line’ of an ‘intense relationship’ was seen as advanced nursing practice. The research highlights important implications for a person and/or families who live with chronic illness and practice and educational issues for advanced nurse practitioners. Further, it promotes praxiological methodologies as advantageous for expanding nursing knowledge. This inquiry makes a twofold contribution to the discipline of nursing: it progresses the understanding of living with strife in chronic illness and it expands the practice of praxiological inquiry within nursing.
Nephrology Nursing: Early Intervention in Chronic Kidney Disease
Authors:   , McLaughlin Kay
Published: November 2021

The early diagnosis of a patient with chronic kidney failure presents enormous opportunities for the nephrology health care team. Current research has identified that appropriate and timely education and management during the early stages of kidney disease reduces health care risk to the patient and lowers associated cost.

This study explored the potential for extending the contribution nurses make in managing patients with chronic kidney disease as they progress to end stage kidney failure. In the context of a shortage of nephrologists and an escalating patient population suffering from kidney disease, the potential to include advanced nephrology nursing in early disease management was postulated. The literature was reviewed with regard to initiatives to reduce the progression of kidney failure and the prevention of associated complications. Local and international literature on advanced nursing practice and the nurse practitioner role was examined in relation to the management of chronic kidney disease.

The introduction of the nurse practitioner in New Zealand could provide an ideal framework for independent nephrology nursing. Well-established nursing practice in dialysis, transplantation and pre-dialysis provide distinct scopes of practice in these areas for independent nursing in the future. It seems likely that these sub-specialties in nephrology nursing will be the first to experience the value of the nurse practitioner.

The creation of early interventionalist nurse practitioners in nephrology health care would allow nurses to step outside these well-established sub-specialties, and provide new resources to help manage chronic kidney disease. A model of care was proposed that outlines how a nephrology nurse practitioner could work collaboratively with community health providers and the local nephrology health care team to manage the early stages of kidney disease.

It is evident that early intervention and ongoing management of patients with chronic kidney disease is currently suboptimal. The development of the nephrology nurse practitioner is an innovative way to reach the nephrology community and meet health needs in a cost-effective manner.
IMPLEMENTASI INTERIOR NARATIF DALAM UPAYA MEMBANGUN NARASI ETNISITAS PADA MUSEUM NEGERI PROVINSI SUMATRA UTARA
Authors: Purba Minadiah , Adhitama Gregorius Prasetyo
Published: November 2021

Mewadahi delapan etnis kebudayaan dengan sejarah yang berbeda-beda, Provinsi Sumatera Utara menyimpan cerita sejarah budaya yang berlimpah, sehingga menjadi penting untuk dapat membangun narasi etnisitas di Museum Negeri Provinsi Sumatera Utara. Keberadaan tata ruang pamer yang masih berkonsep traditional museum, menjadikan narasi pada ruang pamer kebudayaan di museum ini belum terbangun. Padahal, narasi dapat membangun komunikasi dalam menciptakan pemahaman antara manusia dan koleksi dengan ide cerita yang disampaikan. Tujuan penelitian ini untuk dapat menerapkan interior ruang naratif melalui konteks, konten, skenario, pesan dan pengalaman pengunjung. Metode yang digunakan pada penelitian ini adalah metode kualitatif yang dirangkum dengan pendekatan Design Thinking. Data diperoleh dari studi Pustaka, wawancara, dan observasi langsung ke ruang pameran Museum Negeri Provinsi Sumatera Utara. Hasil dari penelitian ini adalah untuk menciptakan narasi yang maksimal pada ruang pameran, maka tidak akan terlepas dari penentuan Plot dan Pace, penerapan Dramatic Arc, dan aplikasi penyajiannya. Penyusunan plot cerita etnis di rangkum dalam beberapa fase kehidupan hingga kematian. Kemudian ditentukan alur cerita meliputi a beginning, a muddle, dan an end. Serta yang terakhir pengaplikasian elemen naratif, baik itu konsep penyajian konten, hingga pengaplikasian media naratifnya. Sehingga, dengan menerapkan elemen-elemen interior ruang naratif pada Museum Negeri Provinsi Sumatera Utara, penyajian narasi etnis lebih optimal serta menciptakan pengalaman berbeda dengan memainkan emosi pengunjung di setiap skenario pameran.
A SysML-based Holistic Variability Modelling of Software and Systems Product Lines
Authors: Ferchichi Olfa , Beltaifa Raoudha , Labed Jilani Lamia , Mazo Raúl
Published: November 2021

Software and Systems Product Line (SSPL) engineering has shown capabilities to reduce costs and time to market. This is thanks to the creation and management of a common platform dedicated to develop a family of products. These latters can be a family of mobile phones, a family of different brake systems variants for automative needs, etc. Recently, more and more large-scale companies start to implement SSPL engineering in their domains by adopting Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE). Systems Product Line (PL) engineering is much broader than software PL engineering. Therefore, various aspects of variability (e.g. functional and quality attributes variabilities) have to be considered in MBSE. However, variability integrated in MBSE is still limited to functional variability. This paper contributes to enhance the SSPL modelling based on SysML by extending the SysML language. The principle aim is to include various aspects of variability. In fact, a holistic variability model is proposed to define the SysML extensions by means of the UML profiling mechanism. This permits to express variability constructs in different SysML modelling artifacts. We also present an application example namely the brake systems family extracted from Splot repository. We in fact, show how our SysML extensions are concretely used.
Exploiting Joint Dependencies for Data-driven Inverse Kinematics with Neural Networks for High-DOF Robot Arms
Authors: Tsai Meng-Ting , King Chung-Ta , Ho Chi-Kai
Published: November 2021

Solving inverse kinematics (IK) has been an important problem in the field of robotics. In recent years, the solutions based on neural networks (NNs) are popular to handle the non-linearity of IK. However, the complexity of IK grows rapidly as the degree-of-freedom (DOF) of the robot arms increases. To address this problem, we exploit the dependencies among the joints of the robot arms, based on the observation that the movements of certain joints of a robot arm will affect the movements of other joints. We investigate the idea under a data-driven setting, i.e., the NN models are trained based on supervised learning through a given trajectory dataset. Several NN architectures are examined to exploit the joint dependencies of robot arms. A greedy algorithm is then presented to find a proper sequence of applying the joints to decrease the distance error. The experimental results on a 7-DOF robot arm show that the NN models using joint dependency can achieve the same accuracy as the single-MLP model but use fewer parameters.
A STEM Model to engage students in Environmental Sustainability Program through Collaborative Problem-solving Approach: A Case Study in Qatar
Authors: Aledamat Rania Mohammed , Abouhashem Azza , Ali Ruba , AlKhair Shahad , Bhadra Jolly , Al-Thani Noora Jabor
Published: November 2021

Following the launch of Qatar’s National Vision 2030, environmental development was highlighted as one of the Vision’s four pillars, emphasizing the importance of developing people’s awareness of their duty in maintaining the country’s environment for future generations. In addition, environmental education can be combined with various approaches, such as STEM and problem-solving skills, making it an excellent way to engage students in a sustainable program. A distinctive E-STEM program titled “Problem-Solving” (PS) was developed in Qatar amid regular educational reforms to improve primary school pupils’ problem-solving abilities. During this study, 346 kids (202 females and 144 males) from 14 different public and private primary schools were involved in STEM workshops on environmental issues, encouraging them to develop solutions to the problem. The study used a mixed-method approach to measure program efficacy, with a statistical analysis performed using data collected from four separate workshops over two years from 2018 to 2019. This research and development project used pre and post-questionnaires and a qualitative method for evaluating student problem-solving skills. The outcomes of the SWOT analysis also provided an overview of the program’s efficacy in involving students by demonstrating their collaborative problem-solving skills about environmental issues.
استخدامات وسائل الاتصال الحديثة والتقليدية وتأثيراتها المحتملة: دراسة استكشافية على عينة عمدية من الجمهور العربي
Authors: الشامي عبد الرحمن محمد
Published: November 2021

سعت الدراسة إلى رصد مظاهر الاتصال والتواصل في عصر المعلومات اللحظية، والتأثيرات المتبادلة بين وسائل الاتصال الجديدة والقديمة، وذلك بالتطبيق على عينة بلغت 400 مستجيبا ومستجيبة من الجمهور العربي راوحت أعمارهم بين 20 وأكثر من 50 سنة. وقد استخدمت الاستبانة أداة رئيسية للدراسة. وشملت الاستمارة ثلاثة أجزاء: الأول تمثل في المعلومات والبيانات الأولية للمستجيب، والجزء الثاني جاء مكونا من 14 سؤالًا، توزعت على أربعة محاور؛ وهي: معدل استعمال شبكات التواصل الاجتماعي وكثافته، ونشاط المبحوثين، ومدى ثقتهم في المواد المنشورة على هذه الشبكات، وتأثيرها على مشاهدة التليفزيون، والجزء الثاني جاء مكونًا من مقياس تألف من 18 عبارة لمعرفة اتجاهات المبحوثين نحو شبكات التواصل الاجتماعي كوسيلة تواصل لحظي، وآثارها المحتملة في الجوانب: المعرفية، والوجدانية، والسلوكية. أدخلت البيانات وحللت بواسطة البرنامج الإحصائي SPSS (نسخة 23). ومن أهم ما توصلت إليه الدراسة: ارتفاع معدل وكثافة استعمال واتس آب، وفيس بوك على نحو منتظم، كما ارتفعت نسبة قراءة المواد المنشورة على فيس بوك وتويتر، ومن يقومون بإرسال رسائل بواسطة واتس آب، أو يشاهدون الرسائل والفيديوهات التي تصلهم بواسطة هذه الوسائل. وأكدت النتائج على نشاط المبحوثين، وتأثير استعمال شبكات التواصل الاجتماعي على تعرض الجمهور العربي للتليفزيون، وعبّر المبحوثون عن اتجاهات إيجابية إزاء هذه الشبكات، وبخاصة ما يتعلق بكونها وسيلة سريعة للتواصل بين الناس حول الموضوعات الهامة، وفي أوقات الكوارث والأزمات، كما تعتبر وسيلة سهلة وسريعة لتبادل المعلومات والأخبار بين مستخدميها، كما تتيح مشاركة المعلومات والخبرات على أوسع نطاق بينهم، بالإضافة إلى كونها وسيلة سريعة لمعرفة الأخبار بمجرد حدوثها. وخلصت الدراسة إلى أن شبكات التواصل الاجتماعي تحقق مفهوم الاتصال اللحظي للأفراد المستخدمين لهذه الشبكات، وبالرغم من أهمية هذه الشبكات على كافة الصعد الاتصالية؛ إلا أن ثقة المبحوثين فيما ينشر أو يبث على هذه المنصات لا يزال محدودًا.
العلاقة بين تصور مقترح لبرنامج علاجي معرفي سلوكي لأطفال ذوي الإعاقة والمشاركة الوالدية في المجتمع القطري
Authors: حسين إسراء
Published: November 2021

يهدف البحث الحالي إلى التعرف على العلاقة بين تصور مقترح لعلاج معرفي سلوكي لذوي الإعاقة وبين المشاركة الوالدية، وتم استخدام المنهج الوصفي الارتباطي، واستخدام مقياس التعاون والشراكة بين الأسرة والمدرسة كأداة للبحث، وتكونت العينة من عشرة أفراد في المجتمع القطري، خمسة من الذكور، وخمسة من الإناث. وأظهرت نتائج البحث وجود علاقة ترابطية طردية بين نجاح التصور المقترح لبرنامج علاجي معرفي سلوكي لدى ذوي الإعاقة وبين المشاركة الوالدية، كما أظهرت وجود تأثير إيجابي للبرنامج العلاجي المعرفي السلوكي في حل المشكلات لدى ذوي الإعاقة، أيضًا أشارت إلى وجود تعاون ما بين الأسرة والمدرسة في المجتمع القطري.
KEPADATAN DAN POLA SEBARAN RAJUNGAN Portunus pelagicus (Linnaeus, 1758) DI PERAIRAN PESISIR KECAMATAN BATU AMPAR, KABUPATEN KUBU RAYA
Authors: Putri Winda Eka , Setyawati Tri Rima , Rousdy Diah Wulandari
Published: November 2021

Rajungan (Portunus pelagicus) merupakan biota akuatik yang memiliki komoditas ekonomi dan dimanfaatkan oleh masyarakat pesisir mangrove Kecamatan Batu Ampar, sehingga perlu mendapat pengawasan keberadaannya di alam. Tujuan kegiatan pengabdian ini adalah mengetahui kepadatan, pola sebaran, dan mengetahui korelasi karakteristik habitat rajungan dengan kepadatan. Penelitian ini dilaksanakan selama bulan Desember 2019-Februari 2020.  Pengambilan sampel dilakukan pada 3 stasiun penelitian menggunakan gill net berukuran 4 inchi. Data yang diperoleh kemudian dianalisis meliputi kepadatan dan pola sebaran. Korelasi karakteristik habitat dianalisis menggunakan Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Pengaruh stasiun dan waktu penangkapan dianalisis menggunakan Anova dua jalur. Kepadatan rajungan berkisar 222-2581 ind/km2 dan berbeda selama bulan Desember-Februari. Pola Sebaran pada bulan Desember dan Januari termasuk seragam dan mengelompok, bulan Februari memiliki sebaran seragam dan acak. Stasiun penelitian tidak berpengaruh terhadap kepadatan rajungan, sedangkan waktu penelitian di Pesisir Batu Ampar memberikan pengaruh. Kepadatan populasi rajungan dan pola sebaran rajungan berkorelasi positif terhadap kedalaman, kecerahan, salinitas, pH air, kecepatan arus air, kecepatan angin, suhu air, DO, dan CO2 bebas.
The profiles of first and second SARS-CoV-2 waves in the top ten COVID-19 affected countries
Authors: Chhibber-Goel Jyoti , Malhotra Sumit , Krishnan N.M. Anoop , Sharma Amit
Published: November 2021

In March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) acknowledged the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) as a “public health emergency of international concern.” Within a month, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was declared a pandemic. As of 21 July 2021, 192.8 million cases and 4.13 million deaths have been attributed to COVID-19 worldwide. Here we discuss the data from top ten COVID-19 affected countries, with an emphasis on the average strolling period of 6 to 8 months between first and second wave in these nations. Our study ascertains that analysis of the data from countries temporally ahead of others during the pandemic gives policymakers the chance to strategize and postpone or mitigate subsequent COVID-19 waves. With governments throughout the globe continuing their immunisation efforts, a study of the key indicators of COVID-19 waves from the top ten countries is critical to preparing the healthcare system to save millions of lives.
Addressing community barriers to immunization in Rajanpur district, Pakistan: an implementation research
Authors: Qayyum Kanwal , Rehan N , Khalid Faraz , Younas Muhammad
Published: November 2021

Background

The Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) of Punjab province faced an implementation challenge of the lowest immunization coverage in one of the districts, Rajanpur. In the Rajanpur district, low acceptance of immunization for poor communities of tribals, Kacha, and rural areas is unknown. Implementation research was carried out to explore the reasons for low acceptability for routine immunization, appropriateness, and relevance of social mobilization activities.

Methods

To understand the low acceptability of immunization we used ‘exploratory qualitative inquiry’ to explore community perception of immunization services, appropriateness, and relevance of EPI social mobilization activities. With purposive sampling technique, trained interviewers conducted 24 in-depth interviews and 7 focus group discussions with community members/ caregivers and health care providers in the communities of Kacha, Rural and Tribal areas of the Rajanpur district. The data was collected in Urdu and Siraiki languages, which were transcribed in Urdu and translated into English for content analysis purposes.

Results

Level of acceptability for routine immunization varies among poor communities of rural, Kacha and tribal areas, from complete refusal to drop out. Factors related to health system for EPI that is influencing the demand at the community level are the insufficient deployment of female staff, the capacity gap of the current field staff, provision of need-based transportation and funding to field staff, and lack of community engagement in EPI planning for service delivery. These factors are resulting in low coverage of immunization in the Rajanpur district. The support of the tribal chief was identified as a factor that appeared to facilitate the EPI Rajanpur by mobilizing communities for immunization services. Lack of community engagement has implications for an integrated social mobilization strategy into EPI planning.

Conclusions

Immunization communication in general and social mobilization, in particular, is unsatisfactorily given the least priority by policymakers in creating demand for immunization in the Rajanpur district. Health system barriers for EPI need to overcome to increase demand among poor communities of rural, Kacha, and tribal areas of the Rajanpur district.
Удосконалення сучасних бортових засобів об’єктивного контролю повітряних суден
Authors: Кривонос В.М. , Білий В.В. , Хахалкіна О.А. , Хахалкіна В.А.
Published: November 2021

Пропонується декілька напрямків вдосконалення сучасних бортових пристроїв реєстрації польотних даних та засобів об’єктивного контролю для підвищення оперативності виконання підготовки до повторного польоту та після польотної підготовки, шляхом використання дистанційно передавального пристрою у системі бортового пристрою реєстрації польотних даних. Пропонується розглянути можливість використання вже існуючих систем передавання даних, які разом із бортовим пристроєм реєстрації польотних даних здійснюють передачу інформації про політ. Застосування даного пристрою сприятиме зменшенню залученого особового складу інженерно-авіаційної служби в умовах великої інтенсивності польотів.
A Comparative Study on Working Capital Management of Tata Motors Limited and Maruti Suzuki India Limited
Authors: Dr. Sudip Chakraborty  , Shilpi Kumari
Published: November 2021

The automobile industry in India is one of the speedily growing industry. Working Capital Management is important in this industry due to increasing demand and huge investment in this sector requires proper management. Working Capital Management perform a vital role in the success and failure of a business due to its effect on the performance and liquidity. Thereby this study has been undertaken to Comparative analyse working capital management of Tata Motors Limited and Maruti Suzuki India Limited for the period of seven years from 2013-14 to 2019-20.  In this study three objectives are set for research. The first one was to assess the impact of working capital on sales, second was to assess the impact of working capital on profitability and third was to evaluate the working capital performance of the companies under study through the use of various financial ratios. The study reflects that the efficiency of working capital management of the companies is influenced by the Liquidity Ratios, Debtor Turnover Ratio, Inventory Turnover Ratio and profitability Ratio.
A Study of Different Algorithms used to Predict the Stock Price
Authors: Aditya Singh Rajpurohit  , Shravani Prakash Ahirrao  , Pradnya Sangitbabu Gaikwad  , Nutan Bhairu Dhamale
Published: November 2021

A stock market is a place where we can purchase the stocks of various companies(part of the company), which makes it volatile, and predicting it becomes a tedious task. So we need various algorithms and methodologies to predict the stock prices. We cannot depend on one type of algorithm because each algorithm has its own pros and cons and also it depends on the style of the trader on how he trades stocks. This paper will deal with different aspects like quantitative aspect- LSTM, RNN, ARIMA, and qualitative with sentiment analysis for predicting the stock prices, in an efficient manner.
The Path where our Lifestyle is Taking us: Shift in Onset of Non-Communicable Diseases
Authors: Bhatt, Y.  , Kulshrestha, K.
Published: November 2021

Globally, the burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is rising. To assess the trends in the age of occurrence of non-communicable, age-related diseases this study was performed in the three districts of Uttarakhand, in both rural and the urban settings. The study comprised of both male and female subjects between the age group of 15 years to 55 onwards. The respondents were categorized into three age groups range as- 15-35 years, 36-55 years, and above 56 years. Starting from the age of 5 years, each age group is also categorized decade-wise e.g. age group of 56 years and above was divided into six decades starting from the age of five years.  The present study showed that the occurrence of age-related diseases, among the age group 56 years and above, was seen during their 40s while in the other two age groups, occurrence was recorded in the 30s itself. Comparing the third decade, i.e., the 30s of all the three age groups, none of the subjects was suffering from age-related disease among 56 years and above while among 36-55 years of age, 0.57 percent and among 15-35 years of age, 1.35 percent of subjects suffered from hypertension. The occurrence of these diseases was more in the urban areas as compared to rural areas. These results throw an insight onto the necessity for government bodies to focus on key factors leading to this trend, improving health care quality, and emphasis on a healthy lifestyle.
A Study to Explore the Relationship between Mindfulness and OCB in IT sector: An Indian Perspective
Authors: Soni Yashika , Dwivedi Ramya
Published: November 2021

Background: Mindfulness can positively influence organization citizenship behavior, however work-place stress can negatively impact their relationship. Objective: The present study aims at finding the relationship between mindfulness and organization citizenship behavior and also explore the moderating effect of work-place stress on their relationship. Method: The present study surveyed 116 IT sector employees in India. Correlation and regression analysis are used to analyze the data. Results: The results states that there is an insignificant relation between mindfulness and OCB and workplace stress does not have a moderating effect on the relationship between OCB and mindfulness. Conclusion: Mindfulness has no significant impact on OCB which means that weather or not an employee is mindful he/she will indulge in pro-social behavior.
Transformer-Based Deep Neural Language Modeling for Construct-Specific Automatic Item Generation
Authors: Hommel Björn Erik , Wollang Franz-Josef , Kotova Veronika , Zacher Hannes , Schmukle Stefan C.
Published: November 2021

Algorithmic automatic item generation can be used to obtain large quantities of cognitive items in the domains of knowledge and aptitude testing. However, conventional item models used by template-based automatic item generation techniques are not ideal for the creation of items for non-cognitive constructs. Progress in this area has been made recently by employing long short-term memory recurrent neural networks to produce word sequences that syntactically resemble items typically found in personality questionnaires. To date, such items have been produced unconditionally, without the possibility of selectively targeting personality domains. In this article, we offer a brief synopsis on past developments in natural language processing and explain why the automatic generation of construct-specific items has become attainable only due to recent technological progress. We propose that pre-trained causal transformer models can be fine-tuned to achieve this task using implicit parameterization in conjunction with conditional generation. We demonstrate this method in a tutorial-like fashion and finally compare aspects of validity in human- and machine-authored items using empirical data. Our study finds that approximately two-thirds of the automatically generated items show good psychometric properties (factor loadings above .40) and that one-third even have properties equivalent to established and highly curated human-authored items. Our work thus demonstrates the practical use of deep neural networks for non-cognitive automatic item generation.
Bahrain’s Environmental Legal Tools for Giving Effect to Sustainable Development Goals: An Assessment
Authors: Rashed Abdulkarim Hasan
Published: November 2021

Sustainable development in Bahrain is considered one of the national core objectives in the Government Action Plan. Bahrain has enacted environmental legislation and adopted the National Environment Strategy. This study examines the appropriateness of the current environmental legislations in the context of SDGs. To achieve this goal; a scoping review was conducted to assess their compatibility. The study revealed that the successful integration of SDGs with the current environmental legislations can be carried out by recognising the challenges highlighted in the 2030 Agenda. This study suggests the quick-updating of the current environmental legislations in line with SDGs. There is still room for improvement, and more comprehensive and sustainable approaches need to be developed in the environment dimension to stay on track to reach the SDGs. The policies should factor in the possible linkage opportunities to develop a holistic management approach in the implementation, considering the international conventions’ obligations. The study can be deemed as the first attempt to examine the consistency of the SDGs with the national environmental legal framework, which can be employed to enhance the sustainable practices. Moreover, the study develops a simple framework that can assist in reviewing, keeping the legislations and strategy consistent with the SDGs.
Algorithm Selection for Machine Learning Classification: An Application of the MELCHIOR Multicriteria Method
Authors: Costa Igor Pinheiro de Araújo , Basílio Marcio Pereira , Maêda Sérgio Mitihiro do Nascimento , Rodrigues Marcus Vinícius Gonçalves , Moreira Miguel Ângelo Lellis , Gomes Carlos Francisco Simões , dos Santos Marcos
Published: November 2021

This paper aims to select an algorithm for the Machine Learning (ML) classification task. For the proposed analysis, the Multi-criteria Decision Aid (MCDA) Méthode d’ELimination et de CHoix Includent les relations d’ORdre (MELCHIOR) method was applied. The experiment considered the following criteria as relevant: Accuracy, sensitivity, and processing time of the algorithms. The data used refers to the intention of buying on the Internet and the purpose is to predict whether the customer will finalize a particular purchase. Among various MCDA techniques available, MELCHIOR was chosen to support the decision-making process because this method provides the evaluation of alternatives without the need to elicit the weights of the criteria. As a result, the Gradient Boosting Decision Tree algorithm has been selected as the most suitable for the ML classification task.
Investments in Times of Pandemics: An Approach by the SAPEVO-M-NC Method
Authors: Maêda Sérgio Mitihiro do Nascimento , Basílio Marcio Pereira , Costa Igor Pinheiro de Araújo , Moreira Miguel Ângelo Lellis , dos Santos Marcos , Gomes Carlos Francisco Simões , de Almeida Isaque David Pereira , Costa Arthur Pinheiro de Araújo
Published: November 2021

The consequences of the pandemic caused by the new coronavirus in the most diverse sectors of the Brazilian economy, are overwhelming, and its effects are still difficult to measure completely. There are several possible scenarios being considered, such as prolonged depression, “U” or “V” recovery. Due to such volatility, risks and uncertainties, the investor, before investing, must carefully analyze the alternatives available in the market. Given the above, this article aims to propose different ways of distributing a financial portfolio, considering five investment funds, which were evaluated in the light of five criteria, by two investors who work in the financial market. Therefore, the SAPEVO-M-NC multicriteria decision aid method was used to evaluate the alternatives, as well as their composition in the investment portfolios. The adoption of the methodology made it possible to carry out the distribution of the portfolio in a clear and consistent way, showing itself as an efficient practical tool for the proposed approach.
Interdisciplinary Framework: A Building Information Modeling Using Structural Equation Analysis in Lean Construction Project Management
Authors: Silva Dante , De Jesus Kevin Lawrence , Villaverde Bernard , Enciso Andrea Isabelle , Mecija Amanda Nicole , Mendoza Justin Owen
Published: November 2021

The construction process and construction management are highly reliant on the interaction between the triple constraints of project management of quality: scope, time, and cost. The industry has incorporated certain principles and technology, such as lean-based construction principles and Building Information Modeling (BIM), to maximize the time, quality, and cost-efficiency of various construction projects. Analysis and assessment of the factors and functionalities are needed to show their synergic relationships and determine their significant impact on the construction project using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). To gather information, a survey was conducted on the different construction companies in the Philippines. The results generated a model interrelating the triple constraints of project management and how they are affected by incorporating BIM and lean construction principles. The models created established a significant relationship towards all the tripe constraints considering both individual and combined functionalities and factors. An interdisciplinary framework incorporating both BIM and lean principles is conformed to optimize construction stages based on the triple constraints of project management.
Associations Between Air Pollution Exposure and Empirically Derived Profiles of Cognitive Performance in Older Women
Authors: Petkus Andrew J. , Younan Diana , Wang Xinhui , Beavers Daniel P. , Espeland Mark A. , Gatz Margaret , Gruenewald Tara , Kaufman Joel D. , Chui Helena C. , Millstein Joshua , Rapp Stephen R. , Manson JoAnn E. , Resnick Susan M. , Wellenius Gregory A. , Whitsel Eric A. , Widaman Keith , Chen Jiu-Chiuan
Published: November 2021

Background: Elucidating associations between exposures to ambient air pollutants and profiles of cognitive performance may provide insight into neurotoxic effects on the aging brain. Objective: We examined associations between empirically derived profiles of cognitive performance and residential concentrations of particulate matter of aerodynamic diameter < 2.5 (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in older women. Method: Women (N = 2,142) from the Women’s Health Initiative Study of Cognitive Aging completed a neuropsychological assessment measuring attention, visuospatial, language, and episodic memory abilities. Average yearly concentrations of PM2.5 and NO2 were estimated at the participant’s addresses for the 3 years prior to the assessment. Latent profile structural equation models identified subgroups of women exhibiting similar profiles across tests. Multinomial regressions examined associations between exposures and latent profile classification, controlling for covariates. Result: Five latent profiles were identified: low performance across multiple domains (poor multi-domain; n = 282;13%), relatively poor verbal episodic memory (poor memory; n = 216; 10%), average performance across all domains (average multi-domain; n = 974; 45%), superior memory (n = 381; 18%), and superior attention (n = 332; 15%). Using women with average cognitive ability as the referent, higher PM2.5 (per interquartile range [IQR] = 3.64μg/m3) was associated with greater odds of being classified in the poor memory (OR = 1.29; 95% Confidence Interval [CI] = 1.10–1.52) or superior attention (OR = 1.30; 95% CI = 1.10–1.53) profiles. NO2 (per IQR = 9.86 ppb) was associated with higher odds of being classified in the poor memory (OR = 1.38; 95% CI = 1.17–1.63) and lower odds of being classified with superior memory (OR = 0.81; 95% CI = 0.67–0.97). Conclusion: Exposure to PM2.5 and NO2 are associated with patterns of cognitive performance characterized by worse verbal episodic memory relative to performance in other domains.
Artificial intelligence in periodontics: A dip in the future
Authors: Sachdeva Shivani , Mani Amit , Vora Hiral , Saluja Harish , Mani Shubhangi , Manka Nishant
Published: November 2021

BACKGROUND: Artificial intelligence is a relatively newer technology in the field of medical world. This science uses the machine – learning algorithm and computer software to aid in the diagnostics in medical and dental fields. It is a huge talking point in the field of technology which is spreading it’s wings in all possible sectors at a great speed. This field covers solutions from coaching solutions to diagnostics in medical field covering under the umbrella of all what can be achieved by machine and deep learning. CONTENT: In dentistry, artificial intelligence is creating a revolution in all sections from collection of data, creating algorithms for orthodontic procedures, diagnostic records in the aspect of radiographic data, three dimensional scans and cone beam computed tomography, CAD CAM systems for restorative and prosthetic purposes. Similarly continuous research is being done in the field of periodontics in terms of measuring bone loss, amount of plaque present and much more. CONCLUSION: The field of artificial technology with its varied applications will change the face of dentistry in the upcoming times. Artificial intelligence with its application of machine learning will change the face of dentistry in future.
FMAGAN:Fusing multiple attention and generative adversarial network to enhance underwater image
Authors: Hou Long , Yu Long , Tian Shengwei , Zhang Yanhan
Published: November 2021

Underwater image enhancement has always been a hot spot in underwater vision research. However, due to complicated underwater environment, a lot of problems such as the color distortion and low brightness of underwater raw images are very likely to occur. In response to the above situation, we proposed a generative adversarial network that integrated multiple attention to enhance underwater images. In the generator, we introduced multi-layer dense connections and CSAM modules, of which the former could capture more detailed features and make use of previous features, while the latter could improve the utilization of the feature map. Meanwhile, we improved the enhancement effect of the generated image by combining VGG19 content loss function and SmoothL1 loss function. Finally, we verified the effectiveness of the proposed model through qualitative and quantitative experiments, and compared the results with the performance of several latest models. The results show that the methods proposed in this paper are superior to the existing methods.
Recruitment for Remote Decentralized Studies in Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Myers Taylor L. ,   23andMe Research Team, Augustine Erika F. , Baloga Elizabeth , Daeschler Margaret , Cannon Paul , Rowbotham Helen , Chanoff Eli , Jensen-Roberts Stella , Soto Julia , Holloway Robert G. , Marras Connie , Tanner Caroline M. , Dorsey E. Ray , Schneider Ruth B.
Published: November 2021

Background: Traditional in-person Parkinson’s disease (PD) research studies are often slow to recruit and place unnecessary burden on participants. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has added new impetus to the development of new research models. Objective: To compare recruitment processes and outcomes of three remote decentralized observational PD studies with video visits. Methods: We examined the number of participants recruited, speed of recruitment, geographic distribution of participants, and strategies used to enhance recruitment in FIVE, a cross-sectional study of Fox Insight participants with and without PD (n = 203); VALOR-PD, a longitudinal study of 23andMe, Inc. research participants carrying the LRRK2 G2019S variant with and without PD (n = 277); and AT-HOME PD, a longitudinal study of former phase III clinical trial participants with PD (n = 226). Results: Across the three studies, 706 participants from 45 U.S. states and Canada enrolled at a mean per study rate of 4.9 participants per week over an average of 51 weeks. The cohorts were demographically homogenous with regard to race (over 95%white) and level of education (over 90%with more than a high school education). The number of participants living in primary care Health Professional Shortage Areas in each study ranged from 30.3–42.9%. Participants reported interest in future observational (98.5–99.6%) and interventional (76.1–87.6%) research studies with remote video visits. Conclusion: Recruitment of large, geographically dispersed remote cohorts from a single location is feasible. Interest in participation in future remote decentralized PD studies is high. More work is needed to identify best practices for recruitment, particularly of diverse participants.