bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pioglitazone Nanoparticle Deposited Biologically Active Substrate to Potentiate
Antidiabetic Activity
Authors: Gopalakrishna Murthy Talasila Eswara , Indira Sarihaddula , Sudheer Chowdary Bodepudi
Published: October 2023

Background::

Diabetes is one of the most escalating endocrine disorders around the global countries. Researchers are paying more attention towards herbal drugs
for treating these chronic ailments. As per the statistics, the incidence of diabetes is increasing not only in adults but also in neonates. Herbal plants
like Okra and Neem have been used in India since the ages to treat various kinds of ailments.

Methods::

The methodology includes the preparation of granules from the okra gum and neem extract, which is compressed into tablets. The nanoparticle
dispersion of Pioglitazone is prepared by using the 2% w/v polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) and 1% sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS), which are then
sprayed on the drug-free tablet substrate. This process enhances the area of the Pioglitazone particles and thereby increases the bioavailability of
the drug. The spraying of the nanoparticles on the surface of the substrate reduces the aggregation of the particles, which is a drawback of
nanoparticles.

Results::

The results show that the release rate is increased 2.14 times compared with the pure drug by depositing Pioglitazone nanoparticles on a tablet
substrate composed of the okra mucilage and alcoholic extract of Neem. It also shows that there is a remarkable reduction in the glucose levels in
vivo when compared with the product formulated by employing the traditional wet granulation technique.

Conclusion::

This study concluded that the addition of herbal antidiabetic molecules as excipients can improve the therapeutic effect significantly. Better
antidiabetic activity may be obtained with the deposition of hydrophobic antidiabetic drugs on herbal antidiabetic components.
A Review on Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: Neurotransmitters, Biomarkers
and Pharmacotherapy
Authors: Singh Manvi , Majhi Sagarika , Kataria RajKumari
Published: October 2023

Around 2.5% of persons will experience obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), which has a significant morbidity. About 70% of individuals might
have significant symptom relief with the correct medicine. Pharmacological therapy is based on a class of drugs called selective serotonin reuptake
inhibitors (SSRIs). They are frequently given in higher doses and for longer durations compared to depression. Unfortunately, remission is not
common. Second-line therapy that combines tricyclic clomipramine with low-dose neuroleptics is successful. For patients who are resistant to
effective therapies, several augmentation procedures have been investigated, although they have not yet received strong support from controlled
research. Psychotherapy and medication are frequently combined, however, thorough research has not shown that there are any synergistic benefits
for adult patients. According to neuropsychological research, the development of OCD and cognitions is influenced by an imbalance in activity
between the fronto-striatal circuitry's direct (excitatory) and indirect (inhibitory) pathways. A variety of anxiolytic qualities have been found in
substances derived from plants that have been tested for various mental diseases. We did a detailed analysis of the pharmacological and clinical
evidence of herbal medications and phytochemicals with anti-obsessive-compulsive properties using the electronic databases PubMed, Scopus, etc.
to find out the status of the relevant research. The review is focused to identify the neurotransmitters involved in OCD along with the diagnostic
biomarkers so as to identify the disease at an early stage and provide safe and effective pharmacotherapy. The findings showed that a number of
plant remedies, comprising Withania somnifera, Silybum marianum, Echium amoenum, Crocus sativus, and Hypericum perforatum, as well as a
number of natural compounds, including crocin, cannabidiol, and curcumin, have tentative low-quality evidence. The most important anti-OCD
mechanism, according to existing pre-clinical studies and the need for more research to confirm its efficacy, may include manipulating the
monoamine system, notably serotonin reuptake inhibition.
Effect of ER: YAG Laser Treatment on the Bond Strength of Self-adhesive Resin Cements on Contaminated and Non-contaminated Dentin Surface
Authors: Rafeie Niyousha , Rashidi Marie , Chiniforush Nasim , Valizadeh Sara , Omrani Ladan Ranjbar
Published: October 2023

Background:

Nowadays, lasers are used to modify the surface of dentin and enamel and improve the surface bond with resin cement while contamination weakens this bond.

Objective:

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of different contamination types on the microshear bond strength (μSBS) of two self-adhesive resin cements to dentin with/without laser treatment.

Methods:

One-hundred and twenty molar teeth were prepared and randomly divided into three groups: blood, saliva, and control. In the blood group, blood was applied to the samples for 10 seconds; in the saliva group, saliva was applied to the samples for 10 seconds; and in the control group, distilled water was applied to the samples. Each group was further divided into two subgroups; in one, the Er: YAG laser was applied to samples for 5 seconds, and in the other, no laser treatment was performed. Next, TheraCem and Embrace WetBond cements were placed on each sample. μSBS was measured using a universal testing machine.

Results:

In Embrace WetBond, μSBS was not affected by contamination type regardless of laser treatment. In TheraCem, μSBS was not affected by contamination type when the laser was not used. In contrast, with laser treatment, blood contamination decreased μSBS compared to control and saliva. After laser treatment in the presence of blood, μSBS of Embrace WetBond was significantly higher than that of TheraCem, while without laser treatment, no significant difference was observed between the two cements.

Conclusion:

Dentin conditioning with an erbium laser can increase the cement bond strength to dentin if proper isolation is achievable. If proper isolation cannot be obtained, dentin conditioning with erbium laser followed by application of Embrace WetBond cement can increase the microshear bond strength of cement to dentin.
Successful Management of High-Risk Acute Pulmonary Embolism in Patients with Undetected Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Case Report
Authors: Hafiz Zunardi Lutfi , Martini Heny , Kurnianingsih Novi , Fuji Rahimah Anna
Published: October 2023

Background: Acute pulmonary embolism (PE) as the first sign of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is rare. It is a deadly disease with high morbidity and mortality. Despite the high prevalence of PE, the diagnosis is still challenging, mainly due to the unpredictability of symptoms. The stratification of acute pulmonary embolism is important because it determines the right steps in decision-making. Case Illustration: A 45-year-old man went to a private hospital's emergency room (ER) with sudden shortness of breath. He was desaturated and shocked. He was assessed as having an acute coronary syndrome (ACS), got loaded with dual antiplatelets, and was referred to our hospital. We rule out ACS because the patient's complaint is sudden shortness of breath and desaturation. Acute PE was diagnosed after bedside transthoracal echocardiography (TTE) in the ER revealed right ventricular (RV) dysfunction. We continued with the computed tomography pulmonary artery (CTPA) examination and found a thrombus in the pulmonary artery. We assessed patients with high-risk PE and performed thrombolysis. Initially, we suspected unprovoked PE because we did not find a clear trigger, such as malignancy, prolonged bedriddenness, recent surgery, or old age. We accidentally found HCC from the patient's CTPA evaluation, and HBsAg was reactive. Conclusion: Every case of dyspnea that shows up at an emergency room should have acute PE taken into consideration in the differential diagnosis. In patients with suspected PE without obvious risk factors, we can use CT to triple-rule out ACS, aortic dissection, and pulmonary embolism. Patients treated with thrombolytic therapy show rapid improvement, which may lead to a lower rate of mortality and morbidity. Keyword: Acute Coronary Syndrome, Acute Pulmonary Embolism, Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Thrombolysis, Unprovoked.
Hypokalemia Induced Ventricular Arrhythmia in Heart Failure Patient with Complete Revascularization: A Case Report
Authors: Dian Rochmawati Icmi , Rizal Ardian , Saifur Rohman Mohammad , Prasetya Indra
Published: October 2023

Background: Sudden mortality due to persistent VT or VF accounted for around half of all fatalities in these high-risk individuals. Myocardial ischemia, acute heart failure, electrolyte abnormalities, hypoxia, and drug-related arrhythmogenicity are all risk factors for electrical storms. The most common electrolyte imbalance is hypokalemia. Case Illustration: A 54-year-old man was readmitted to ER with palpitations and chest pain. The patient's heart rate was recorded as sinus bradycardia however, shortly the patient developed ventricular tachycardia of approximately 300 beats per minute (bpm) and unstable. Although multiple synchronized cardioversion dosage was administered, the VT reoccurred again. Complete revascularization was demonstrated at his most recent catheterization three months ago. His potassium in the serum was 2.88 mmol/L and corrected with drip KCl. The patient's potassium levels were then normalized stable for the remainder of their hospital stay. Conclusion: Careful medication reconciliation is critical for avoiding the potentially fatal cardiovascular effects of severe hypokalemia. Patients with CHF are more likely to have life-threatening hypokalemia and ventricular arrhythmias. The phenotypic expression of ventricular tachycardia in HF results from alterations in neurohormonal signaling, structural remodeling, and electrophysiology. Keyword: Heart Failure, Hypokalemia, Ventricular Arrhytmia.
Identifying Functional Status Impairment in People Living With Dementia Through Natural Language Processing of Clinical Documents: Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Laurentiev John , Kim Dae Hyun , Mahesri Mufaddal , Wang Kuan-Yuan , Bessette Lily G , York Cassandra , Zakoul Heidi , Lee Su Been , Zhou Li , Lin Kueiyu Joshua
Published: October 2023

Background

Assessment of activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental ADLs (iADLs) is key to determining the severity of dementia and care needs among older adults. However, such information is often only documented in free-text clinical notes within the electronic health record and can be challenging to find.

Objective

This study aims to develop and validate machine learning models to determine the status of ADL and iADL impairments based on clinical notes.

Methods

This cross-sectional study leveraged electronic health record clinical notes from Mass General Brigham’s Research Patient Data Repository linked with Medicare fee-for-service claims data from 2007 to 2017 to identify individuals aged 65 years or older with at least 1 diagnosis of dementia. Notes for encounters both 180 days before and after the first date of dementia diagnosis were randomly sampled. Models were trained and validated using note sentences filtered by expert-curated keywords (filtered cohort) and further evaluated using unfiltered sentences (unfiltered cohort). The model’s performance was compared using area under the receiver operating characteristic curve and area under the precision-recall curve (AUPRC).

Results

The study included 10,000 key-term–filtered sentences representing 441 people (n=283, 64.2% women; mean age 82.7, SD 7.9 years) and 1000 unfiltered sentences representing 80 people (n=56, 70% women; mean age 82.8, SD 7.5 years). Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was high for the best-performing ADL and iADL models on both cohorts (>0.97). For ADL impairment identification, the random forest model achieved the best AUPRC (0.89, 95% CI 0.86-0.91) on the filtered cohort; the support vector machine model achieved the highest AUPRC (0.82, 95% CI 0.75-0.89) for the unfiltered cohort. For iADL impairment, the Bio+Clinical bidirectional encoder representations from transformers (BERT) model had the highest AUPRC (filtered: 0.76, 95% CI 0.68-0.82; unfiltered: 0.58, 95% CI 0.001-1.0). Compared with a keyword-search approach on the unfiltered cohort, machine learning reduced false-positive rates from 4.5% to 0.2% for ADL and 1.8% to 0.1% for iADL.

Conclusions

In this study, we demonstrated the ability of machine learning models to accurately identify ADL and iADL impairment based on free-text clinical notes, which could be useful in determining the severity of dementia.
USE OF QUIZIZZ TO IMPROVE ENGLISH VOCABULARY MASTERY AMONG EFL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN SETU BABAKAN AREA
Authors: Fardhansyah Muhamad Dhion
Published: October 2023

This research analyzes whether or not the use of Quizizz is beneficial in expanding the vocabulary of elementary school students. In this inquiry, a quantitative approach to the pre-experiment phase is taken. The purpose of this research is to investigate whether or not the use of Quizizz as a learning aid to boost students' vocabulary is effective. The number of pupils from elementary schools in the area around the Betawi cultural hamlet who took part in the exciting activities that were planned for the course was used to determine the number of samples that were collected. There were a total of twenty children that took part in the activity known as the Fun Course. In order to evaluate the students' ability to respond appropriately to vocabulary questions, the researcher gave them both a pre-test and a post-test. The results of the post-test that were given to students in elementary school suggest that having access to Quizizz makes a substantial difference in improving their overall performance on the exam. On the pre-test, the average score was 69, whereas on the post-test, the average score was 89.8. On the basis of these differences, it is possible to draw the conclusion that the primary students' command of the English language has greatly improved.
Breeding biology and nesting ecology of the white-faced storm petrel (Pelagodroma marina eadesorum) colony in Laje Branca, Maio Island, Cabo Verde: Insights from experimental studies and medium-term field observations
Authors: Ratão Sara , Cardoso Isidoro , Fernandes Ailton , Adrião Andreia , Parente Mariana , Charles Gemma , Moreno Rocio , Patiño-Martinez Juan
Published: October 2023

Seabirds are considered key indicator species for the global health of
the marine environment. However, some populations are still poorly
known. Here we combine experimental studies with field observation over
three years (2019-2021) to determine the breeding biology and nesting
orientation preference of the white-faced storm petrel (Pelagodroma
marina eadesorum) colony in Laje Branca, Maio Island, Cabo Verde. We
estimated the size of this colony at 2,440 breeding individuals.
White-faced storm petrels showed an even distribution throughout the
sandy plateau on Laje Branca, with similar occupied burrow densities in
habitats close to the sea compared to the interior of the islet.
Experimental results indicate that there is no influence of burrow
orientation on burrow’s selection. The breeding season started in
mid-November and ended in mid-June, with most burrow occupancy occurring
between early February and April. There was an average occupancy rate of
59% in artificial burrows. The mean incubation period was 47 days
(±7.08 SD) and breeding success was 64%, being respectively the lower
and upper limits recorded for P. marina. We estimate a total of 1,220
occupied burrows (0.36 occupied burrows/m2) out of 3,162 burrows for the
islet (0.93 burrows/m2). Considering the general decline of seabird
populations worldwide and in Cabo Verde in recent centuries, the fact
that Laje Branca has no permanent human presence and has a relatively
high breeding success means that it is considered a site of national
importance for the reproduction of this species and for the global
conservation of the species.
Using hyperspectral imaging to quantify cadmium stress and predict uptake across different spinach genotypes
Authors: Berry Lily , Yang Yang , Oh Sungchan , Brummer Charles , Deynze Allen Van , Hogland Lori
Published: October 2023

Cadmium (Cd) is a naturally occurring toxic heavy metal found in trace
concentrations in most soils. However, some soils have high levels of Cd
due to parent materials or anthropogenic factors such as industrial
waste and legacy fertilizers contaminated with Cd. Complications arise
when Cd bioaccumulates in soil and plant tissues with carcinogenic
effects in humans such as kidney and skeletal dysfunction. Leafy greens
including spinach and kale are especially susceptible to Cd accumulation
due to high translocation of the metal into the edible leaf tissues of
the crop. However, while high concentrations of Cd in soil are generally
toxic to plants, unlike other plant stresses, Cd toxicity has no
distinguishing visual features that indicate stress or uptake of the
metal in the plant, making it difficult to determine if remediation
strategies are effective. In this study, emergent plant sensing tools
such as Hyperspectral Imaging (HSI) and red-green-blue (RGB) wavelengths
were utilized as high-throughput screening techniques to quickly
distinguish wavelengths reflected by spinach plants grown in Cd
contaminated soil. Feature selection of the HSI and RGB bands were used
to identify regions of interest that exhibited significant differences
of Cd uptake within multiple spinach genotypes previously shown to vary
in Cd uptake. Applications of these technologies provide nondestructive
sampling of crops to identify wavelengths sensitive to Cd stress and
uptake, with potential applications using machine learning to provide a
framework to model these interactions, informing plant breeding
programs, and ultimately reducing human health risks.
Integrating hyperspectral reflectance and wavelength analysis to estimate tree responses under abiotic and biotic stress
Authors: Park Sylvia , Cotrozzi Lorenzo , Williams Geoffrey M , Ginzel Matthew D , Mickelbart Michael V , Jacobs Douglass F , Couture John J
Published: October 2023

Forest ecosystems are the largest terrestrial carbon sink and monitoring
them effectively, particularly in the context of global change, requires
rapid and accurate determination of tree functional traits that indicate
forest health. Hyperspectral reflectance has the capacity to predict
leaf traits non-destructively using multivariate statistical approaches.
The ability of hyperspectral data to estimate tree physiochemical
responses is affected by wavelength range selection and the influence of
wavelength on accuracy of trait estimation is not well known, especially
for more complex physiological processes. To bridge this knowledge gap,
this study examined chemical and physiological responses of one-year-old
black walnut (Juglans nigra L.) and northern red oak
(Quercus rubra L.) to a combination of biotic and abiotic stress
events, including pathogen inoculation, water stress, nutrient
deficiency, and salt deposition. Leaf photosynthetic-related,
water-related, and chemical traits were paired with hyperspectral
measurements spanning 350−2500 nm. A total of 100 different wavelength
ranges were evaluated using PLSR to determine the variation prediction
accuracy. Key findings indicated that incorporating short infrared
wavelength ranges (1300−2500 nm) significantly enhanced trait prediction
accuracy. In addition, this study also demonstrated that hyperspectral
data can detect tree stress responses at fine-scale chemical and
physiological levels that are in agreement with reference measurement
responses to the different stressors. We suggest that hyperspectral
reflectance can potentially offer a solution for monitoring forest
health in multi-stress environments with an increase in the accuracy of
trait estimations and an expansion of the classes of traits estimated.
Multisensor Field Phenotyping Pipeline Using Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) at the Indiana Corn and Soybean Innovation Center (ICSC) at Purdue University
Authors: Oh Sungchan , Adams Jason , Flatt Evan , Bechdol Matt , Yang Yang
Published: October 2023

Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) are now widely used in field phenotyping
by industry and academia because they are convenient, fast, and require
less labor than manual phenotyping methods. UAS-based phenotyping
requires significant effort in data collection, processing, and resource
management, as well as specialized expertise in flight operation and
remote sensing. The Indiana Corn and Soybean Innovation Center (ICSC) at
Purdue University operates multisensor platforms to provide reliable
field phenotyping services to many clients in academia and industry.
According to the experience with our multisensor platforms to date, we
present practical data collection and processing pipelines for (a)
creating geospatial datasets from RGB, hyperspectral, lidar, and thermal
sensors, (b) extracting plant phenotypes from the multisensor datasets,
and (c) combining the resultant datasheets with ground truth and
treatment information. While processing techniques may vary depending on
the vendor or sensing mechanisms, the general concept is up-to-date and
can be relevant to those who are currently operating or planning to
adopt UAS phenotyping systems in the near future.
Using hyperspectral data to detect spotted lanternfly infestation in host tree species
Authors: Joll Elisabeth , Hoover Kelli , Ginzel Matthew , Couture John
Published: October 2023

Invasive species have historically disrupted environments by
outcompeting, displacing, and extirpating native species, resulting in
significant environmental and economic damage. Developing approaches to
detect the presence of invasive species, favorable habitats for
establishment, and predicting potential spread are crucial for effective
management strategies to protect the environment and the economy.
Spotted lanternfly (SLF, Lycorma delicatula ) is a phloem-feeding
planthopper native to China that poses a severe threat to horticultural
and forest production in the United States. Current pest management
strategies are being explored to contain the spread and damage caused by
SLF, however, methods to rapidly detect novel infestations or
low-density populations are lacking. Using spectroscopy, we can detect
changes in leaf canopies associated with stress events relatively
quickly and potentially over large geographic areas. Here, we
hypothesize that SLF infestations change the spectral characteristics of
tree canopies. To test this hypothesis, we sampled silver maple
(Acer saccharinum ), red maple (Acer rubrum ), black
walnut (Juglans nigra), and tree of heaven (Ailanthus
altissima ) at a common garden in Berks County, Pennsylvania with
varying levels of SLF infestation enclosed on the trees. Composite
spectral profiles separated based on SLF infestation level, but the
magnitude of separation was different between species. We found multiple
regions related with SLF infestation densities in each species, but not
tree of heaven. By identifying changes in canopy spectral profiles in
response to SLF infestation, we can possibly detect SLF infestations
quickly and efficiently to help limit spread and better understand
drivers of SLF movement across landscapes.
Semi-Automatic Plot Extraction Using Image Segmentation
Authors: Kim Hansae , Jung Jinha
Published: October 2023

Plot extraction for field trials plays a foundational role in supporting
various research and development related to agricultural applications,
including the classification of crop types, estimation of crop yields,
and monitoring the health of crops. Traditional methods employed to
define these plots have a trade-off between the substantial human labor
involved and the precision of the delineated plots. In our research, we
introduce a semi-automatic framework for plot extraction that requires
only two essential inputs: the width and height of the plot. Our
framework leverages the Segment Anything Model (SAM) for image
segmentation, producing masks that are subsequently converted into
polygons. These generated polygons are then filtered based on the user
input. We refine the positions and orientations of these polygons by
maximizing their overlap with the actual plot field. Experiment results
were evaluated by comparing the extracted boundaries with manually
digitized ground truth data. The results of our study demonstrate the
successful extraction of individual plots across various fields
characterized by diverse crop types. It is our expectation that this
framework will significantly reduce the manual labor required for
precise plot extraction, thus enhancing the ease and efficiency of this
critical prerequisite task.
Enhancement of tensile performance of concrete by using synthetic polypropylene fibers
Authors: Jienmaneechotchai Thunyawee , Foytong Piyawat , Khunkitti Pirat , Sata Vanchai , Chindaprasirt Prinya
Published: October 2023

The research attempted to investigate the effect of polypropylene fibers (PP fibers) on the mechanical characteristics of concrete. According to ASTM C39/C39M and ASTM C 1609/C1609M, standard testing methods were used to examine the concrete compressive and flexural strength, post-cracking behavior, and toughness. The mechanical properties were evaluated at different ages of concrete curing, namely 1 day, 7 days, and 28 days, and for different quantities of fiber volume portions, specifically 0.0%, 0.5%, and 1.0%. The results demonstrate that a fiber volume of 0.5% is the most effective in obtaining the highest compressive strength. The recorded values at the related testing ages were 31.07 MPa, 41.51 MPa, and 46.68 MPa. Additionally, the utilization of 0.5% and 1.0% volume of PP fiber in concrete resulted in improved flexural strength and post-cracking performance. The toughness values for these mixes were 2.0 and 2.6 times higher than those for the plain concrete. Upon analyzing the fracture surface, there was a homogeneous distribution of fibers, which played a significant role in enhancing the overall functionality of the concrete. The research validated that the inclusion of polypropylene fibers substantially enhanced the mechanical characteristics of concrete, emphasizing the potential of fiber reinforcement in concrete-based implementations.
A DFT study of the chemical bonding properties, aromaticity indexes and molecular docking study of some phenylureas herbicides
Authors: Laib Souhila , Bouchekioua Saad , Menacer Rafik
Published: October 2023

Herbicides have imposed disastrous consequences towards the environment and human health. This practice urges scientists to investigate the physical, chemical and biological properties of these substances to avoid the use of the most harmful pesticides. For this purpose, the molecular structure and chemical bonding properties of phenylurea herbicides namely: fenuron (L1), monuron (L2), diuron (L3) and chlorotoluron (L4), were calculated in water, using density functional theory (DFT). The energy decomposition analysis (EDA) and the extended transition state natural orbitals for chemical valence (ETS-NOCV) reveal the dominant ionic character in carbon?nitrogen bond between dimethylurea fragment and benzene ring. Besides, the interaction of these herbicides with the human serum albumin (HSA) was undertaken by molecular modeling. The calculation of HOMA and FLU indexes indicate that the electronic delocalization is stronger in diuron than the other compounds, mainly caused by the two chloro substituents effects on benzene. Good correlations are found between the calculated parameters such as structural parameters, Mulliken atomic charge, topological and bonding properties and aromaticity indexes. The Vinardo molecular docking results suggest that the binding energies of the complexes formed between HSA target and investigated compounds have the following order: L3 (?27.57 kJ/mol) < L2 (?25.56 kJ/mol) < < L4 (?24.94 kJ/mol) < L1 (?24.10 kJ/mol), which confirmed that the Fenuron is the less harmful option between the studied herbicides especially against HSA.
Relationship Between Group Culture and Athletic Performance among Sportsmen and Sportswomen at Kenyatta University in Nairobi City County, Kenya: Relationship Between Peer Pressure And Athletic Performance
Authors: Kashamba Grace Buyanzi , Olaly Wilfrida H. A.
Published: October 2023

The concept of group culture has been integrated in sports, where it allows sports women and sports men to bond creating a norm of behaviour and routine that directly influence how the team functions and performs. Kenyatta University is a recognized sports hub, producing talent who compete at both local, regional, and global levels. This study researched on the influence of group culture on the athletic performance of sports men and sports women at Kenyatta University. Consistently, one major construct of group culture, which is peer pressure, was studied. The research resulted in the formulation of a model that would be utilized to understand how to enhance the performance of sports men and women at Kenyatta University through group culture. The theory that was used for this study was operant conditioning by B. F Skinner. The behavioural approach considers that to maintain being a good performer in sports, one has to learn skills and unlearn the ones with a negative outcome. The research employed a correlational design. The independent variable was the group culture (peer pressure) while the dependent variable was athletic performance. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 26.0 was utilized to analyze the data. The study was conducted at Kenyatta University, the main campus in Nairobi City County, Kenya, since this is where the sportsmen and sportswomen were easily found, considering the institution offers grounds where they come for training daily. The target population was the sportsmen and sportswomen who actively participate in the games and represent Kenyatta University in various league matches. The target population was approximately 606 athletes. The sample consisted of 241 sports men and sports women from the different games at Kenyatta University. The sampling technique used was simple random sampling, whereas questionnaires were used to collect data. The data analysis used in this study is quantitative analysis to investigate the relationship between group culture and athletic performance among sportsmen and sportswomen at Kenyatta University in Nairobi City County, Kenya. The outcome from this study revealed that higher levels of peer pressure were linked to decreased athletic performance, while greater implementation of group culture interventions was associated with improved athletic performance. The research resulted in measures that will form a model expected to assist the coaches in knowing how to enhance the group culture of their sportsmen and sportswomen, which may, in turn, improve their athletic performance.
Presión antrópica y su relación con la susceptibilidad del Santuario Nacional los Manglares de Tumbes, 2000 – 2020
Authors: Martinez Cabrera Ruben
Published: October 2023

El presente estudio tuvo como objetivo analizar la presión antrópica y su relación con la susceptibilidad del Santuario Nacional los Manglares de Tumbes, 2000-2020, así como los procesos de presión antrópica que afectan en la complejidad espacial y ambiental de la diversidad biológica, el cálculo de la salud de la diversidad biológica y determinar si existe una relación entre los factores culturales y sociales en la presión antrópica que afecte la complejidad espacial y ambiental. Se realizó la medición de salud de la biodiversidad (The Nature Conservancy – TNC), y el análisis espacial del vigor de la cobertura vegetal a través del índice de diferencia normalizada - NVDI, además de una encuesta, sobre una población conformada por el bosque del manglar como área natural protegida y su zona de amortiguamiento y la muestra solo fue considerada el área protegida conocida como Santuario Nacional los Manglares de Tumbes. Los resultados de la investigación determinan que las especies representativas del ecosistema manglar han tenido serias disminuciones en sus poblaciones, la alteración de la configuración de los procesos biológicos ha sido intensiva, el manglar muestra una baja vigorosidad de su cobertura vegetal desde el año 2014. El santuario presenta modificaciones en sus componentes con la disminución de especies, su estructura y las alteraciones en la dinámica en sus funciones por la alteración de las cadenas tróficas y disminución de la cobertura vegetal de 44.18 hectáreas entre los años 2000 y 2020.
Examining Positive Teacher Characteristics in Terms of Career Adaptability and Happiness Increasing Strategies
Authors: ERYILMAZ Ali , UZUN Abdullah Ensar
Published: October 2023

Purpose: It was aimed to examine the relationship between positive teacher characteristics and teachers' career adaptability and the strategies they use to increase happiness.
Design/Methodology/Approach: In the study, the relationships between the variables were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis and multiple regression analysis techniques. The research was conducted with teachers working in various public secondary education institutions. The gender of the teachers participating in the study is 180 female and 58 male. The ages of the teachers are between 24 and 50. Their average age is 32.07. The study's data were collected through the "Positive Teacher Scale, Career Adaptability Scale and Happiness Increasing Strategies Scale."
Findings: According to the results of the research, it was seen that positive teacher characteristics were positively related to career exploration, responding positively to the environment, and using mental control strategies.
Highlights: On the other hand, there is a negative relationship between positive teacher characteristics and the increased happiness strategy of resting the body. In order to develop positive teacher qualities, specific happiness-increasing strategies and career exploration might be used.
EFEKTIVITAS PENGGUNAAN MEDIA VIDEO ANIMASI TERHADAP HASIL BELAJAR DAN AKTIVITAS SISWA PADA MATERI VIRUS DI SMAN 01 KUBU KALIMANTAN BARAT
Authors: Sari Wita Kusuma , Rahayu Hanum Mukti , Sunandar Ari
Published: October 2023

Animated video media can make students interested in learning. The objectives of this research are, 1) To determine the differences in learning outcomes and learning activities of class class X student activities between classes that use animated video media and classes that use powerpoint media. The research sample was all students in class X Mia 1 and Mia 2. Data were collected using the test method in the form of multiple-choice questions and observation sheets. Data analysis uses quantitative descriptive analysis techniques. Based on the research results, it was obtained using the t-test there was a significant difference in student activity in class of 0.048, and in learning outcomes there was a significant difference of 0.000. Based on the Effect Size results, activity results were obtained at 0.51 and student learning outcomes at 0.50, including in the medium category.
HASIL BELAJAR PESERTA DIDIK KELAS XI MIPA SMAN 4 BANJARMASIN PADA PEMBELAJARAN KONSEP SISTEM KOORDINASI PADA MANUSIA
Authors: Anshari Muhammad Ridha , Noorhidayati Noorhidayati , Amintarti Sri
Published: October 2023

The application of the Problem-Based Learning (PBL) model in biology learning is relevant to the goals of 21st-century learning. The concept of Coordinating Systems in Humans must be known and understood by everyone, especially students. This study aims to describe the effect of applying the PBL model to the learning of the Coordinating System concept on the learning outcomes of students in class XI MIPA at Senior hight school  4 Banjarmasin. This study used a quasi-experimental method with the nonequivalent control group research design. The research sample was class XI MIPA 2 as the experimental class and class XI MIPA 4 as the control class for 2 meetings. The research data were obtained from the results of the pretest and posttest, LKPD. Data analysis used the Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test at α = 0.05. The results showed (1) the application of the PBL learning model to learning the Coordination System concept in Humans had a significant effect on the learning outcomes of class XI MIPA 4 SMAN 4 Banjarmasin (2) Cognitive learning outcomes were in a good category (3) Affective learning outcomes of character behavior and social behavior are included in the good to very good category (4) psychomotor learning outcomes are good to very good category.
Bibliometric Analysis on EFL Publication Trends in 2011-2021 Using VOSviewer
Authors: Ikramunnisa Erica , Mahardika Surya , Afandi Afandi , Rezeki Yanti Sri
Published: October 2023

This study provides a comprehensive overview of current publication patterns in the field of English as a Foreign Language (EFL). In this research, the trends investigated are publication and citation growth, researcher’s productivity, and the most impactful publications. In addition to the publication trends, network visualizations of the terms co-occurrence and co-authorship are also presented in this research. A quantitative descriptive method with bibliometric analysis is employed as the research design of this research. The data analyzed are 6333 journal articles related to EFL published in 2011-2021. All of the data are obtained from the Scopus database. From the analysis using Scopus and Microsoft Excel, it was found that the highest publication growth in percent is in 2012 with a 98,6% of publication increase, and the highest publication growth in number is in 2020 with a total of 310 more publications compared to the previous year. Using the same tools, the researchers also found that the most productive author is Karim Sadeghi with 10 publications, and the most cited publication is an article titled 'English achievement and student motivation in CLIL and EFL settings' by David Lasagabaster. Meanwhile, from the network visualizations using VOSviewer, the researchers concluded that there are two major research themes in EFL, namely pedagogy and affective factors in learning, and the most collaborative author based on the co-authorship analysis is Ehsan Namaziandost.
Village’s Women Participation in Sustainable Waste Management
Authors: Rahmawati Emma , Sukarno Taufan Daniarta , Purwanto Anang Dwi
Published: October 2023

Sustainable development requires the community’s active involvement, as well as other development inside the village. One of the most crucial dimensions of development in recent years is the environmental issues, especially waste problems, where there is  a lot of unhandled waste in rural areas. Fortunately, now there are villages that have succeeded in managing their waste in a sustainable manner with the support of village women's participation. The aim of this study was to determine the participation of village women in sustainable waste management. The research method uses descriptive qualitative data collection through in-depth interviews, Focus Group Discussion (FGD), observation, and documentation. The results showed that the participation of village women in the flow of sustainable waste management has various forms of participation, which contained in each stage activities of management, sorting, transporting, processing, and utilizing the results of waste processing. Factors that encouraged the participation of village women in village waste management development were the community’s own willingness, ability to perform, and the opportunity to be actively involved. The village women proved that they were the largest producers of household waste, but at the same time were the ones that helped solve the waste problem. Through their services to their community, they have also increased the family's economic income through their involvement in waste management.
Strategies to combat Gram-negative bacterial resistance to conventional antibacterial drugs: a review
Authors: Bhowmik Priyanka , Modi Barkha , Roy Parijat , Chowdhury Antarika
Published: October 2023

The emergence of antimicrobial resistance raises the fear of untreatable diseases. Antimicrobial resistance is a multifaceted and dynamic phenomenon that is the cumulative result of different factors. While Gram-positive pathogens, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Clostridium difficile, were previously the most concerning issues in the field of public health, Gram-negative pathogens are now of prime importance. The World Health Organization’s priority list of pathogens mostly includes multidrug-resistant Gram-negative organisms particularly carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales, carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and extensively drug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii. The spread of Gram-negative bacterial resistance is a global issue, involving a variety of mechanisms. Several strategies have been proposed to control resistant Gram-negative bacteria, such as the development of antimicrobial auxiliary agents and research into chemical compounds with new modes of action. Another emerging trend is the development of naturally derived antibacterial compounds that aim for targets novel areas, including engineered bacteriophages, probiotics, metal-based antibacterial agents, odilorhabdins, quorum sensing inhibitors, and microbiome-modifying agents. This review focuses on the current status of alternative treatment regimens against multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria, aiming to provide a snapshot of the situation and some information on the broader context.
Design and implementation of a smart learning environment for teaching computer networking
Authors: Woolcott Geoff , Bui Vinh
Published: October 2023

The transition to fully online delivery in the COVID-19 pandemic has added to already existing and significant challenges in subjects and programs that require a component of practicum, on-site experience or hands-on laboratory work. This article presents initial results from a study that responds to challenges arising in moving to a fully online version of an advanced-level computer networking subject within a postgraduate computing degree. Specifically, the study addresses challenges related to a lack of effective teaching approaches combined with a lack of integrated technologies for conducting hands-on laboratory work in online learning environments. The findings presented are from a case study comparison of face-to-face delivery with a newly developed ‘smart learning environment’. Findings indicate that student results and satisfaction levels from the two modes of delivery were comparable. Findings support the purpose-designed instructional strategy, integrated technologies and practical assessments, set within sequenced and scaffolded activities. Further research is being undertaken to confirm the effectiveness of the changes, including case studies of students’ performance data from subsequent offerings of the subject and the inclusion of pre-test post-test protocols and randomised trials.
Professionalism in action – Music teachers on an assessment journey
Authors: Nyberg Johan
Published: October 2023

The points of departure in this article are questions regarding assessment in music education. These are related to issues of professional responsibility and accountability as well as a holistic view on education as conceptualized in Deweyean pragmatism and concern the risk of criteria compliance. A participatory action research project in a Swedish Upper secondary school focusing on assessment of music is presented, where the purpose of the research was to develop knowledge about music teachers’ experience and conceptualizations regarding assessment practices within the frame of the National Arts Programme. This is enabled by asking the following research questions: In what ways do teachers conceptualize musical knowledge and learning and educational communication in relation to assessment? What qualities appear within the teachers’ conceptualizations regarding knowledge, learning, communication and assessment of students’ knowledge? Aims from the field of praxis were integrated in the project, with focus on equivalent assessment and legal certainty. Results from the research project show the music teachers’ ability to shift between atomistic and holistic perspectives but at the same time keep their holistic view of assessment and learning. Equivalence is according to the teachers something different than uniformity, and is only possible through reflection and collaboration, internally as well as externally with other practitioners.
Political and Cultural Boundaries in the Conflict between Indonesia and China in the South China Sea
Authors: Lutfi Khoirur Rizal
Published: October 2023

China's unilateral claim to an area in the South China Sea, which it calls the nine-dash line, the traditional fishing ground, has triggered boundary conflicts in border countries. In this context, Indonesia calls the area that intersects the North Natuna Sea based on the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). This difference in perception is alarming to the international relations between the two countries. This paper aims to analyze how international law views the position of political and cultural boundaries as the basis for claims to an area. This way, dispute resolution with a win-win solution perspective can be formulated in the South China Sea case. The analysis results show that political and cultural boundaries have justification and legitimacy based on international law. Political boundaries emphasize the State's commitment to translating agreements into international treaties bilaterally, regionally, or universally. In contrast, cultural boundaries still require an inventory of the evidence that China's claim is based on, whose legitimacy process must be based on a decision-making institution. However, any legal process will be challenging if the cultural approach is not completed. Apart from that, the essential thing in resolving the South China Sea conflict is the commitment of the State's compliance to international agreements made, decisions of dispute resolution institutions, and settlement steps through a cultural approach.
Letters of a Siberian soldier - a source on the history of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945
Authors: Savenko Elena Nal'evna , Troyak Irina Sergeevna , Minakov Aleksandr Grigor'evich
Published: October 2023

The subject of the study is 1941-1944 letters of participant of the Great Patriotic War, Novosibirsk historian Fyodor Sergeyevich Merkuryev. The object of research is frontline letters as a historical source. The purpose of the work is to determine the scientific and cognitive value of F. S. Merkuryev's letters as a source on the history of the Great Patriotic War. In the course of the research, the comparative historical method, the method of causal analysis between events, as well as the method of source studies were used. The informational component of F. S. Merkuryev's letters was determined using the method of textual analysis, and the problem-chronological method allowed to identify the features of letters depending on the time of their writing. As a result of the analysis of almost 300 front-line letters that were not previously introduced into scientific circulation, valuable information was obtained that reveals various aspects of life at the front and in the rear, as well as allowing to trace the combat path of the 49th Cavalry Division formed in Siberia, as well as to get an idea of the specifics of military field living conditions and other details of front-line everyday life. Conclusions are drawn about the significant informational value of the presented epistolary source for the study of certain aspects of the history of the Great Patriotic War, as well as the need for further work on the introduction of such ego documents into scientific circulation.