bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mycobiota of the natural sanctuary "Grigorova ravine" (Volgograd region)
Authors: Kuragina N. S. , Sagalaev V. A. , Vorzheva V. V. , Dronova V. A.
Published: August 2021

For the first time, the systematic study of the mycobiota of the natural sanctuary «Grigorova ravine» of the Volgograd region was carried out. Mycological survey was conducted from April to November 2019-2020. During the research, 32 species of fungi were identified, belonging to 25 genera, 17 families, 7 orders and 2 divisions. According to a trophic analysis of all the species of fungi found, it can be said that bedding and humus saprotrophes prevail. There are 12 species. There are 10 species of saprotrophes on timber, and 4 species of parasites. Substrate analysis of wood-destroying fungi showed that the largest number of species is confined to the wood Quercus robur L. - 9 species, on Ulmuslaevis Pall. - 3 species. Two species of Ganodermalucidum (Curtis) P. Karst. and Battarreaphalloides (Dicks.) Pers. included in the regional Red Book of the Volgograd region.
Taxonomic analysis of the bryoflora of the Crimean pine forests
Authors: Plugatar Y. V. , Korzhenevskaya Y. V.
Published: August 2021

The work summarizes the literature data and new information about the flora of bryophytes in the pine forests of the Crimea. The features of the taxonomic structure of the bryophytes of this territory are considered. The bryoflora of the Crimean pine forests is represented by 133 species from 76 genera, 40 families, 13 orders, 4 classes and 2 divisions: 16 of them are liverworts and 117 are cormophytic bryophytes. The taxonomic features typical of the southern floras are revealed. The high sozological value of bryoflora is established - over 69% of species are included in the regional Red Books of the Russian Federation, in addition, 4 species are listed in the Red Book of the Republic of the Crimea, 1 species is included in the European Red List, 2 species - in the IUCN list.
ABORDAGEM DA FISIOTERAPIA NEONATAL EM UMA UNIDADE DE CUIDADO INTERMEDIÁRIO: RELATO DE EXPERIÊNCIA
Authors: Matos Jennifer da Silva , Silva Luanny Tavares da , Boulhosa Fabiano José da Silva
Published: August 2021

Objetivo: Relatar a abordagem da Fisioterapia Neonatal em uma Unidade de Cuidado Intermediário. Métodos: Trata-se de um relato de experiência do tipo descritivo, de caráter qualitativo, realizado em uma Unidade de Cuidado Intermediário (UCI), em um Hospital de referência Materno Infantil, na cidade de Belém/PA. A vivência foi realizada durante o Estágio Supervisionado Curricular em Neonatologia no período de abril a maio de 2021. Os atendimentos eram iniciados com uma avaliação fisioterapêutica, em que eram testados reflexos neurológicos, verificação da hemodinâmica, perfusão periférica, expansibilidade torácica, padrão respiratório, tônus, trofismo, ausculta pulmonar e cardíaca, posteriormente eram realizadas condutas respiratórias, de reexpansão pulmonar, drenagem autógena assistida, estímulo da tosse e estimulação diafragmática, gerenciamento do controle de O2 em cateter nasal, bem como, fisioterapia motora, com mobilizações, dissociações de cinturas escapular e pélvica, exercícios de alcance e rolamentos, estimulação sensório-motora e por fim, orientações e informações aos familiares. Resultados: Os recém-nascidos apresentaram melhora da capacidade cardiorrespiratória, sensorial e motora, além do aumento de ganho de peso, resultando em um número importante de altas na UCI. Conclusão: Destaca-se a importância dos Fisioterapeutas presentes em uma Unidade de Cuidado Intermediário ao cuidado neonatal, para prevenção de agravos e comprometimentos futuros, melhorando a capacidade motora do recém-nascido e sua funcionalidade, respeitando a particularidade de cada paciente.
AREA OF P-N JUNCTION WITH THE TUNNEL BREAKDOWN MECHANISM
AS A FACTOR IN THE DESIGN OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
Authors: Skornyakov S. P.
Published: August 2021

This article presents the results of an experimental study on the influence ofp-n junction area (Sp.„) on the breakdown voltage (Ubr) of low-voltage p-n structures with avalanche, mixed and tunnel breakdown mechanisms. The nature and behaviour of the experimentally obtained Ubr(Sp.„) curves fully correspond to the well-known distribution ofp-n junction curves by the type of an electric breakdown. 'For Ubr > 6.7 V, the avalanche breakdown voltage ofp-n junctions remains unchanged over a wide range ofSp.„ values. Below ~6. 7 V, in the region of mixed breakdown ~(6.7 - 4.7) V, Ubr decreases with an increase of Sp-n for fixed values ofpr. Moreover, for pr (0.007 ^ 0.001) Ohms cm, in the region of the tunnel breaksdown mechanism (Ubr <4.7 V), , Ubr(Sp.„J curve shows non-linear behaviou.
The effect of non-linear dependence between Ubr and (Sp.„.t) for p-n junctions with tunnel breakdown is used in the designs of low-voltage Zener diodes and voltage regidators with Ust7 Ubr less than 5 V.
The dependence between Ubr.t and (Sp-„.t) for p-n structures with tunnel breakdown can be used in designing novel voltage converters with negative resistance. In particidar, this article shows the implemented experimental design of a voltage converter based on two p+-n+junctions with breakdown voltages of ~4.3 V.cmd ~2.3 V. based on p-type silicon w ith a specific resistance of 20 Ohms cm, controlled by a MOSFET, system.
3-4,5 HHZ MMIC QUADRATURE COUPLER DESIGN
Authors: Nikolaenkov N. S. , Sarapulcev D. A.
Published: August 2021

The 3-4,5 HHzMMIC quadrature coupler model ispresented. The designingprocess wasperformedat AWR Software1® Microwave Office. The resulting model includes the estimation of key electrical attributes: amplitude-frequency and standing wave ratio indicators. The model could be effectively used in trcmsmit-receive and measuring equipment.
Effect of anti-tuberculosis treatment on weight of tuberculous patients following up in Gulab Devi Hospital, Lahore
Authors: Rahman Usman Ali , Razzaq Anjum , Iftikhar Muhammad Adil , Changazi Shabbar Hussain , Bhatti Samiullah , Ahmad Qamar Ashfaq
Published: August 2021

Background: Tuberculosis is the most prevalent disease in Pakistan. Multiple studies have been conducted on disease pattern and anti-tuberculosis therapy however; there is sparse literature of anti-tuberculosis therapy on weight gain of patients. The objective of this study was to measure the effect of anti-tuberculosis treatment on weight of the patient.

Subjects and methods: It was a cross sectional study conducted for a period of 1 year at Pulmonology and Surgical OPD of Gulab Devi Chest Hospital Lahore. Interview of 400 patients were recorded and there record of weight and height was collected at start of the treatment, at 02 months and at 6 months of treatment.

Results: Mean weight change in 400 patients were 3.06 ± 3.97 Kg. Out of 400 patients 310 had weight gain, 50 patients had weight loss and in 40 patients weight remain unchanged. Mean weight gain in 310 patients was 4.53 ± 2.95 kg with maximum weight gain of 16 Kg. Mean weight loss in 50 patients was 3.67 ± 2.63 Kg with maximum weight loss of 14 Kg.

Conclusion: A significant weight gain was seen in patients undergoing anti tuberculosis treatment. Younger age group, treatment completion and drug compliance had positive association with weight gain of the patient. Diabetes mellitus was the only co morbidity found to have negative association with weight gain of the patient.
Neonatal outcomes of birth asphyxia in tertiary care hospital of low-income country
Authors: Siddiqui Muhammad Asif , Masood Sehrish , Butt Tayyaba Khawar , Tariq Shahla
Published: August 2021

Background: Pakistan has highest neonatal mortality in the region and birth asphyxia is one of the main preventable contributors to this. Objective of this study is to determine the frequency of different neonatal outcomes in neonates with birth asphyxia.

Subjects & Methods: It was descriptive case series study conducted in Department of Pediatrics Medicine, Services Hospital, Lahore in 6 months period during 6th Dec 2016 to 5th June 2017. 150 cases were included using non probability, consecutive sampling with 95% confidence level, 6% margin of error taking an expected percentage of neonate mortality as 15%. Data was analyzed with SPSS version 23. Categorical variables i.e., gender and neonatal outcomes in terms of neonatal mortality, discharge and neurological complications were expressed by frequency and percentage. Post stratification chi square test was applied. A p-value of <0.05 was taken as significant.

Results: The mean age of neonates was 3.09±0.8 hours. Outcomes of these neonates was seen in terms of mortality, discharge and neurological problems. Out of total 150 patients, 51 (34%) neonates expired and 99 (66%) neonates were survived. And neonates 69 (46%) neonates were diagnosed with neurological complications.

Conclusion: We found, birth asphyxia has significant association with neonatal mortality and neurological complications. Prevention of birth asphyxia with appropriate resuscitation at birth may be helpful in reduction of morbidity and mortality due to birth asphyxia.Neonates
Effect of Vitamin D Supplementation in Disease Activity, Activity-Related Markers, Inflammatory Marker and Serum Calcium of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Patiens: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Kambayana G , Sindhughosa Dwijo Anargha , Kurniari Pande Ketut , Gotera Wira , Kandarini Yenny
Published: August 2021

Background: Effect of additional supplementation of vitamin D toward Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) disease activity still differ in results obtained between studies being conducted. The current meta-analysis systematically analyzed the effect of vitamin D supplementation on SLE disease activity with updated literature, also its effect toward other parameters.

Material and Methods: Relevant literatures were obtained from PubMed database and Google Scholar. The obtained studies were analyzed using fixed effect model or random effect model.

Results: Five eligible studies with a total of 318 participants were included. Vitamin D supplementation did not affect the total SLEDAI score in SLE patients with pooled mean difference of -0.96 (p =0.09; 95% CI: -2.06 to 0.14). Serum vitamin D level increased after administration of vitamin D with pooled mean difference of 12.67 (p =0.001; 95% CI: 5.04 to 20.29). vitamin D supplementation increase serum calcium levels, with pooled difference of 0.07 (p = 0.006; 95% CI: 0.02 to 0.12). Pooled results from two studies obtained vitamin D supplementation did not affect ESR, C3 and C4.

Conclusions: Current meta-analysis obtained no significant changes in SLEDAI scores due to vitamin D supplementation. In contrast, serum vitamin D and serum calcium levels were increased.
Indonesian Rheumatologist Association (IRA) Recommendations for Diagnosis and Management of Peripheral Spondyloarthritis 2021
Authors: Dewi Sumartini , Arief Nurudhin  , Ayu Paramaiswari  , R.M. Suryo Anggoro Kusumo Wibowo  , Yulyani Werdiningsih  , Surya Darma  , Lita Diah Rahmawati  , Rudy Hidayat  , Sumariyono
Published: August 2021

Objective. Spondyloarthritis recommendations are made to provide guidance in diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of peripheral spondyloarthritis cases.Method. Literature searches were conducted online. The drafting team determines the levels of evidence (LOE) and grades of recommendation (GOR). After conducting a discussion, each recommendation that has been agreed upon by the drafting team is then classified based on the levels of evidence and grades of recommendation. The final step in the preparation of these recommendations is to determine the level of agreement (LOA) on each recommendation carried out by a team of panelists who have been appointed by IRA.Result. Thirty five recommendations regarding peripheral spondyloarthritis were compiled. There are 6 strong recommendation or GOR A for psoriatic arthritis and 8 recommendations for enteropathic arthritis.Conclusion. These recommendations provide directions for clinicians to diagnose and to manage peripheral spondyloarthritis.
On Aspects of the Theory of Syntax
Authors: Di Sciullo Anna Maria
Published: August 2021

In the first essay for a new series on landmark texts, Anna Maria Di Sciullo revisits Noam Chomsky’s classic Aspects on the Theory of Syntax. Published in 1965, Aspects was a revelation, presenting linguists with what, at once, became the Standard Theory. It promoted linguistics into a science, one that accepted the methods and the standards of the hard sciences themselves.
Fournier gangrene, use of negative pressure wound therapy
Authors: Mirón Fernández I , León Díaz FJ , Pérez Reyes M , Santoyo Santoyo J
Published: August 2021

Los sistemas de terapia con presión negativa (TPN) han demostrado su eficacia en el manejo del cierre temporal del abdomen en casos de trauma grave, síndrome compartimental y sepsis. En la práctica clínica también se aplica su uso en el proceso de curación de heridas con gran carga infecciosa para acelerar su curación disminuyendo el débito del exudado. La gangrena perineal se define como una fulminante y progresiva infección de la región perineal, y/o genital. Su importancia radica en la elevada mortalidad que alcanza entre un 3 a 67%. Exponemos un caso de uso de la TPN en un paciente con una gangrena de Fournier.

Varón 65 años, hipertenso, diabético. Consulta por dolor anal y fiebre. A la exploración defecto a las 11h en posición de litotomía con drenaje espontáneo de absceso, importante celulitis y empastamiento. Se explora bajo anestesia encontrando celulitis perianal con necrosis extendida por ambas fosas isquiorectales, se realiza necrosectomía de toda la circunferencia anal (Figura 1). Tras varias curas, se confecciona colostomía temporal dada la severa afectación esfinteriana y la colocación de sistema de TPN (Figura 2). Se realizan varias curas con TPN acelerando la resolución de la infección. Tras 44 días de ingreso, el paciente es dado de alta pendiente de reconstrucción del tránsito.
Two-Pressure Model of Particle-Fluid Mixture Flow with Pressure-Dependent Viscosity in a Porous Medium
Authors: Dajani S. Jayyousi , Zaytoon M. S. Abu , Hamdan M. H.
Published: August 2021

Equations governing the flow of a fluid-particle mixture with variable viscosity through a porous structure are developed. Method of intrinsic volume averaging is used to average Saffman’s dusty gas equations. A modelling flexibility is offered in this work by introducing a dust-phase partial pressure in the governing equations, interpreted as the pressure necessary to maintain a uniform particle distribution in the flow field. Viscosity of the fluid-particle mixture is assumed to be variable, with variations in viscosity being due to fluid pressure. Particles are assumed spherical and Stokes’ coefficient of resistance is expressed in terms of the pressure-dependent fluid viscosity. Both Darcy resistance and the Forchheimer micro-inertial effects are accounted for in the developed model
Comprehensive review on ultrasound-responsive theranostic nanomaterials: mechanisms, structures and medical applications
Authors: Tehrani Fateh Sepand , Moradi Lida , Kohan Elmira , Hamblin Michael R , Shiralizadeh Dezfuli Amin
Published: August 2021

The field of theranostics has been rapidly growing in recent years and nanotechnology has played a major role in this growth. Nanomaterials can be constructed to respond to a variety of different stimuli which can be internal (enzyme activity, redox potential, pH changes, temperature changes) or external (light, heat, magnetic fields, ultrasound). Theranostic nanomaterials can respond by producing an imaging signal and/or a therapeutic effect, which frequently involves cell death. Since ultrasound (US) is already well established as a clinical imaging modality, it is attractive to combine it with rationally designed nanoparticles for theranostics. The mechanisms of US interactions include cavitation microbubbles (MBs), acoustic droplet vaporization, acoustic radiation force, localized thermal effects, reactive oxygen species generation, sonoluminescence, and sonoporation. These effects can result in the release of encapsulated drugs or genes at the site of interest as well as cell death and considerable image enhancement. The present review discusses US-responsive theranostic nanomaterials under the following categories: MBs, micelles, liposomes (conventional and echogenic), niosomes, nanoemulsions, polymeric nanoparticles, chitosan nanocapsules, dendrimers, hydrogels, nanogels, gold nanoparticles, titania nanostructures, carbon nanostructures, mesoporous silica nanoparticles, fuel-free nano/micromotors.
The Effect of Investment and Consumption on Economic Growth
Authors: Aldin Ather , Alneil Monjeed
Published: August 2021

The purpose of this research is to establish whether or not there is a relationship between investment and consumption levels and economic growth. This study employs quantitative methods, and the data is processed in accordance with the requirements of the model being utilized. Multiple linear regression is the method used in the data processing. The information utilized is secondary information derived from historical documents or reports that have been published or are in the process of being published. The findings revealed that the investment variable had a positive and statistically significant impact on economic growth. Conclusions While the variable level of consumption has a positive and substantial impact on economic development, the level of consumption is not constant. According to the results of the regression, the value of R-Squared (R2) is 0.726. Thus, the independent variable can explain 85.2 percent of the variance in economic growth, with the remaining 0.15 percent explained by factors outside the model, as shown in Figure 1. It is proposed to the government that it raise the proportion of development expenditures, with the expectation that these expenditures would be used toward improving development and public infrastructure in order to promote the smooth operation of economic activities
Biosynthesis of Silver Nanoparticles Using Juglans Regia Green Husk (Walnut) Water Extract and evaluation Antibacterial activity
Authors: Zahra Izadiyan  , Kamyar Shameli  , Zahra Maghareh Esfahan  , Siti Husnaa Mohd Taib  , Pooneh Kia
Published: August 2021

Biosynthesis of Ag-NPs at room temperature by using Juglans regia (J. regia) green husk extract which acts as reductant and stabilizer, simultaneously. The Ag/J. regia were characterized by using UV–visible, zeta potential, TEM, and AFM. Formation of Ag/ J. regia was determined by UV–vis spectroscopy, where absorption maxima surface plasmon at 400-460 nm. The zeta potential analysis indicated that J. regia green husk extract was negative and increasing in Ag/ J. regia. TEM images show the mean particle size was 31.37 nm with the standard deviation of 7.1 nm, where confirm by AFM measurements. The XRD study indicates the crystalline nature of the Ag-NPs. The antibacterial activity of Ag-NPs was investigated against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria by the disc diffusion method were found to have high antibacterial activity. These results show that Ag-NPs can be useful in different biologic research and biomedical applications.
Distribution dynamics of Fusarium spp. causing Fusarium head blight (FHB) in wheat at different geographical locations in India
Authors: Panwar Vipin , Aggarwal Ashok , Paul Surinder , Kumar Jitender , Saharan M. S.
Published: August 2021

Fusarium head blight (FHB) or head Scab is a very devastating fungal disease of wheat. Epidemics results with severe yield losses and overall seed quality reduction due to mycotoxins contaminated grains. Several species of Fusarium are found associated with the disease. But, incidence and severity of FHB and the composition of Fusarium species involved are reported to vary among geographical regions and years due to variations in climatic condi-tions and cropping practices. Climatic conditions, and even local variations in weather, can limit the range of species observed even if several are present, and influence their relative frequency of recovery. Our present study gives an idea about the distribution dynamics of FHB causing Fusarium spp. at three different locations in India. Most of the species can be found in much of geographical area affected but individual species dominate a specific re-gion. Analysis of the results of present study indicated that three Fusarium spp. i.e. F. graminearum, F. pallidoroseum and F. oxysporum were found as-sociated with FHB but F. graminearum was the dominant in all the location surveyed. Other two species are also associated with the disease but fre-quency was low. As these geographical locations represent different climatic conditions, the high relative distribution frequency of F. graminearum indi-cates its better adaptability to variable environmental conditions. Under-standing the pathogen distribution dynamics may also provide insights into the epidemiology and evolutionary potential of Fusarium spp. and could lead to improved management strategies under present climate change scenario.
Effect of temperature and pH on the growth of Fusarium spp. causing Fusarium head blight (FHB) in wheat
Authors: Panwar Vipin , Aggarwal Ashok , Paul Surinder , Singh Virender , Singh Pankaj K. , Sharma Davinder , Saharan M. S.
Published: August 2021

Fusarium head blight (FHB) or head scab is emerging as a destructive disease affecting the quantity and quality of wheat worldwide. Several Fusarium spe-cies have been associated with the disease but their composition varies among geographical regions and years. Climatic factors like temperature, pH and humidity influence the growth, survival and infestation of Fusarium species. In the present study, response of thirty six isolates of three Fusarium spp. viz F. graminearum, F. oxysporum and F. pallidoroseum (F. semitectum) to different temperature and pH was assessed by analysing their in vitro growth rate (mm/day) on potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium. We found that all the isolates responded differentially but interestingly isolates of F. graminearum showed better tolerance at broader range of temperature and pH. This attributes make F. graminearum a widely distributed and potent pathogen of wheat.
First Locality Record of Melanistic Oncilla (Leopardus tigrinus) in Monteverde, Costa Rica
Authors: Rogan Jordan E.
Published: August 2021

The persistence of the coat color polymorphism melanism has been reported for several tropical felids, but its evolutionary advantages remain an active area of research. Few publications have explored melanism in the elusive species, oncilla (Leopardus tigrinus) within the Neotropical part of their range in Costa Rica. Herein, I present the first record of a melanistic oncilla within the montane cloud forest of Monteverde, Costa Rica. Recent studies have found support for theories (e.g. Temporal Segregation Hypothesis and Gloger’s Rule) explaining the ecological advantages driving melanism in oncilla and tropical felid populations. However, it is unclear what is driving melanism in this Monteverde oncilla population due to the singular observation. Further research investigating whether melanism is occurring at a higher frequency in other individuals in the region is critical to better understanding the occurrence of melanism in local populations of this cryptic species. The montane cloud forest in Monteverde provides critical habitat to this vulnerable species within the small Neotropical part of their range. Melanistic individuals may be particularly threatened by land-use change and increasing human pressure if theories for the evolutionary advantages and ecological conditions motivating melanism are supported.
Éthique du dirigeant : levier d’influence ? Le cas de la performance des PME camerounaises
Authors: Boubakary Ben , Moskolaï Doumagay Donatienne
Published: August 2021

L’éthique est l’une des valeurs que beaucoup des dirigeants d’entreprises disent placer au centre de leurs priorités, mais en réalité ce n’est qu’une minorité d’entre eux qui en font usage. Pourtant, le respect des principes éthiques est source de performance. Nous avons voulu, à travers cette étude, montrer l’influence du comportement éthique du dirigeant sur la performance globale des petites et moyennes entreprises (PME) dans un contexte camerounais. Pour y parvenir, nous avons adopté une démarche quantitative basée sur un questionnaire administré auprès des dirigeants de PME. Il ressort de cette étude que, les dirigeants de PME camerounaises adoptent des pratiques éthiques compatibles avec leurs objectifs de recherche de profit. Par ailleurs, les résultats de cette recherche montrent que l’honnêteté et le respect d’autrui influencent positivement la performance des entreprises.
Les contrecoups de la dynamique des réseaux sur la compétitivité de la petite et moyenne entreprise : une étude à partir de l’expérience camerounaise
Authors: Wamba Henri , Bien A Ngon Jocelyne Emmanuelle
Published: August 2021

Cet article vise à expliquer le niveau de compétitivité des petites et moyennes entreprises camerounaises par le capital social relationnel de leurs dirigeants. Le modèle Tobit simple censuré a été utilisé pour les estimations économétriques et statistiques à partir des données collectées auprès de 149 petites et moyennes entreprises. Les résultats attestent que la mobilisation continue des réseaux relationnels du dirigeant est préjudiciable à la compétitivité de sa PME au fil des années. La nécessité de faire recours aux réseaux doit être fonction de la période du cycle de vie de l’entreprise.
Liouville-type theorem for higher-order Hardy-Hénon system
Authors: Li Kui , Zhang Zhitao
Published: August 2021

In this paper, we study higher-order Hardy-Hénon elliptic systems with weights. We first prove a new theorem on regularities of the positive solutions at the origin, then study equivalence between the higher-order Hardy-Hénon elliptic system and a proper integral system, and we obtain a new and interesting Liouville-type theorem by methods of moving planes and moving spheres for integral system. We also use this Liouville-type theorem to prove the Hénon-Lane-Emden conjecture for polyharmonic system under some conditions.
Beyond the implications of Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam filling policies
Authors: Yimere Abay ,   Addis Ababa University, College of Environment and Development Studies, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Assefa Engdawork ,   Research Affiliate, Center for International Environment and Resource Policy (CIERP), the Fletcher School at Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, United States
Published: August 2021

The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) in Ethiopia and High Aswan Dam (HAD) in Egypt both operate on the Nile River, independent of a governing international treaty or agreement. As a result, the construction of the GERD, the Earth's eighth largest dam, ignited a furious debate among Ethiopia, Sudan, and Egypt on its filling policies and long-term operation. Ethiopia and Egypt's stance on the Nile River's water resources, combined with a nationalistic policy debate on the GERD's filling policies and long-term operation, has severely affected progress toward reaching agreeable terms before the first round of GERD filling was completed. These three countries continue to debate on the terms of agreement for the second round of GERD filling, scheduled to start by July 2021. We examined the GERD filling strategy for five- and six-year terms using time series data for the periods 1979–1987 and 1987–1992 to combine analyses for dry and wet seasons and investigate the potential impacts of filling the GERD above the downstream HAD using four HAD starting water levels. A model calibrated using MIKE Hydro results shows that during both five- and six-year terms of future GERD filling, Egypt would not need to invoke the HAD's minimum operating level. We pursued a narrative approach that appeals to both a technical and non-technical readership, and our results show the urgent need for cooperation at both policy and technical levels to mitigate and adapt to future climate change through the development of climate-proof agreements. Moreover, the results call for the riparian countries to move away from the current nationalistic policy debate approach and pursue a more cooperative, economically beneficial, and climate adaptive approach.
Two-level optimization approach with accelerated proximal gradient for objective measures in sparse speech reconstruction
Authors: Dam Hai Huyen , Low Siow Yong , Nordholm Sven
Published: August 2021

Compressive speech enhancement makes use of the sparseness of speech and the non-sparseness of noise in time-frequency representation to perform speech enhancement. However, reconstructing the sparsest output may not necessarily translate to a good enhanced speech signal as speech distortion may be at risk. This paper proposes a two level optimization approach to incorporate objective quality measures in compressive speech enhancement. The proposed method combines the accelerated proximal gradient approach and a global one dimensional optimization method to solve the sparse reconstruction. By incorporating objective quality measures in the optimization process, the reconstructed output is not only sparse but also maintains the highest objective quality score possible. In other words, the sparse speech reconstruction process is now quality sparse speech reconstruction. Experimental results in a compressive speech enhancement consistently show score improvement in objectives measures in different noisy environments compared to the non-optimized method. Additionally, the proposed optimization yields a higher convergence rate with a lower computational complexity compared to the existing methods.
Ideal theory on EQ-algebras
Authors: Shi Jie Qiong ,   School of Mathematics, Northwest University, Xi'an 710127, China, Xin Xiao Long ,   School of Science, Xi'an Polytechnic University, Xi'an 710048, China
Published: August 2021

In this article, we introduce ideals and other special ideals on EQ-algebras, such as implicative ideals, primary ideals, prime ideals and maximal ideals. At first, we give the notion of ideal and its related properties on EQ-algebras, and give its equivalent characterizations. We discuss the relations between ideals and filters, and study the generating formula of ideals on EQ-algebras. Moreover, we study the properties of implicative ideals, primary ideals, prime ideals and maximal ideals and their relations. For example, we prove that every maximal ideal is prime and if prime ideals are implicative, then they are maximal in the EQ-algebra with the condition $ (DNP) $. Finally, we introduce the topological properties of prime ideals. We get that the set of all prime ideals is a compact $ T_{0} $ topological space. Also, we transferred the spectrum of EQ-algebras to bounded distributive lattices and given the ideal reticulation of EQ-algebras.
Meromorphic solutions of three certain types of non-linear difference equations
Authors: Chen Min Feng ,   School of Mathematics and Statistics, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, Guangzhou, 510006, China, Huang Zhi Bo , Gao Zong Sheng ,   School of Mathematical Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China,   LMIB  &  School of Mathematical Sciences, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, China
Published: August 2021

In this paper, the representations of meromorphic solutions for three types of non-linear difference equations of form

   \begin{document}$ f^{n}(z)+P_{d}(z, f) = u(z)e^{v(z)}, $\end{document}

   \begin{document}$ f^{n}(z)+P_{d}(z, f) = p_{1}e^{\lambda z}+p_{2}e^{-\lambda z} $\end{document}

and

   \begin{document}$ f^{n}(z)+P_{d}(z, f) = p_{1}e^{\alpha_{1}z}+p_{2}e^{\alpha_{2}z} $\end{document}

are investigated, where $ n\geq 2 $ is an integer, $ P_{d}(z, f) $ is a difference polynomial in $ f $ of degree $ d\leq n-1 $ with small coefficients, $ u(z) $ is a non-zero polynomial, $ v(z) $ is a non-constant polynomial, $ \lambda, p_{j}, \alpha_{j}\; (j = 1, 2) $ are non-zero constants. Some examples are also presented to show our results are best in certain sense.
Evaluation of Teaching Performance in the Virtual Teaching-Learning Environment, from the Perspective of the Students of the Professional School of Mechanical Engineering
Authors: Chamorro-Atalaya Omar , Morales-Romero Guillermo , Trinidad-Loli Nicéforo , Caycho-Salas Beatriz , Gamarra-Mendoza Sofía , León-Velarde César
Published: August 2021

The objective of this article is to evaluate the effect that virtual teaching-learning generates in the evaluation of teaching performance, from the perspective of the students, of the professional mechanical engineering school. During the devel-opment of the research, it has been determined that the planning, communication and overall performance factors of the teaching performance have experienced a positive variation of 63.64%, increasing by 3.8%, when moving from the face-to-face environment to the virtual teaching-learning environment. While the didactic strategies, organization and subject mastery factors have experienced a positive variation of 59.09%, this increase represents 1.92%. Although a positive effect has been generated on teacher performance, it has been determined that, of the 6 factors, it is the Communication factor which has presented the greatest negative variation, being of the total of 22 teachers, 11 who have decreased their qualification.
Application of Computational Tools to Support Cooperative Learning in Bioreactor Design Course
Authors: Zainal Alam Muhd Nazrul Hisham , Zakaria Zaki Yamani
Published: August 2021

Conventional method of teaching Bioreactor Design course are mostly conducted in a teacher-centred manner. This method is inefficient solution for education as compared to more active learning styles which is proven to be more effective in ensuring students to fully comprehend a particular subject. The work presents the use of various computational tools to support the implementation of coopera-tive learning (CL) methods in Analysis and Design of Bioreactor course. This subject is offered to 3rd year students of Chemical-Bioprocess Engineering pro-gram in Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. The CL method was implemented to im-prove student cognitive skills attainment in each of the course learning outcomes. Achievements of student cognitive skills were assessed quantitatively where else effectiveness of the CL method applied were evaluated qualitatively. Results showed that the student performance and attainment of their cognitive skills at thinking level of ‘application’ has improved at least by 30-40%. Reflection analy-sis from students indicated that the proposed student-centred teaching method managed to not only increase students understanding on the subject but also nurtured students creativity and enhances their computational skills.
Conceptual Model of Learning Computational Thinking Through Educational Robotic
Authors: Jamal Nurul Nazihah , Abang Jawawi Dayang Norhayati , Hassan Rohayanti , Mamat Rosbi
Published: August 2021

Computational thinking (CT) is useful in the daily problem-solving process while educational robotic (ER) is well known as a pedagogical tool in attracting students to learn more in problem-solving activities. Both subjects are widely used for formal learning and informal learning regardless of the age and gender of the learners. However, there is a lack of studies in integrating CT into ER and both have big dimensions in learning and teaching. Thus, nurturing CT through ER remains a challenge. This study focuses on designing a conceptual model of the integration between CT and ER. Qualitative analysis is done for this research where grounded theory analysis (GTA) is used to analyze CT and ER from various sources such as literature, book, and survey to make the model more relevant and fit to the education. The finding represents a final conceptual model which has been evaluated by the expert. The final conceptual model detailed the relationship between CT and ER besides giving benefits to the community who are planning, designing, or re-vising a new framework or platform in nurturing CT through ER.
Innovation of Art Design Education in the New Era
Authors: Zhang Xiaohui
Published: August 2021

Art design is a major driver of the development of culture and art, modern science and technology, and social economy. As a result, art design education has been greatly valued and attached great importance. However, art design education in China falls behind the development of social economy and art design. To solve the problem, this paper attempts to innovate art design education in China in the new era. Firstly, the authors investigated the current situation of art design education in China, and discovered a few problems: the chaotic teaching mode, the unreasonable curriculum setting, the mismatch between graduate capabilities and social requirements, and the undiversified teaching evaluation method. In response to these problems, art design education was renovated from the aspects of curriculum system setting, teaching mode, and teaching evaluation. On this basis, the authors proposed to set the curriculum system based on professional ability, and designed a topic-based and workplace-oriented teaching mode with art design studio as the platform. Finally, the innovation methods for teaching evaluation were discussed in terms of evaluation subject, evaluation standard, and evaluation method. The research findings provide a theoretical and practical reference for the innovation of art design education.
Examining Users’ Concerns while Using Mobile Learning Apps
Authors: Okuboyejo Senanu , Koyejo Ooreofe
Published: August 2021

Mobile learning applications (apps) are increasingly and widely adopted for learning purposes and educational content delivery globally, especially with the massive means of accessing the internet done majorly on mobile handheld devices. Users often submit their feedback on use, experience and general satisfaction via the reviews and ratings given in the digital distribution platforms. With this massive information given through the reviews, it presents an opportunity to derives valuable insights which can be utilized for various reasons and by different stakeholders of these mobile learning apps. This large volume of online reviews creates significant information overload which presents a time-consuming task to read through all reviews. By combining text mining techniques of topic modeling using Latent Dirichlet Algorithm (LDA) and sentiment analysis using Linguistic Inquiry Word Count (LIWC), we analyze these user reviews. These techniques identify inherent topics in the reviews and identifies variables of user satisfaction of mobile learning apps. The thematic analysis done reveals different keywords which guide classification into the topics identified. Conclusively, the topics derived are important to app stakeholders for further modifications and evolution tasks.
Image Denoising Using Multiwavelet Transform with Different Filters and Rules
Authors: Majeed Laftah Muna
Published: August 2021

Image denoising is a technique for removing unwanted signals called the noise, which coupling with the original signal when transmitting them; to remove the noise from the original signal, many denoising methods are used. In this paper, the Multiwavelet Transform (MWT) is used to denoise the corrupted image by Choosing the HH coefficient for processing based on two different filters Tri-State Median filter and Switching Median filter. With each filter, various rules are used, such as Normal Shrink, Sure Shrink, Visu Shrink, and Bivariate Shrink. The proposed algorithm is applied Salt& pepper noise with different levels for grayscale test images. The quality of the denoised image is evaluated by using Peak Signal to Noise Ratio (PSNR). Depend on the value of PSNR that explained in the result section; we conclude that the (Tri-State Median filter) is better than (Switching Median filter) in denoising image quality, according to the results of applying rules the result of the Shrinking rule for each filter shows that the best result using first the Bivariate Shrink.
Dynamic Forces of Amplifying Employee Change Supportive Behavior
Authors: Islam M. Nazmul , Idris Aida , Furuoka Fumitaka
Published: August 2021

Managing organizational change is one of the difficult tasks for every organization. Researchers and practitioners around the world indicated that due to the uncertainty and complexity associated with organizational change, an employee feels fear and cynicism to involve in the organizational change process which causes failure in the majority of the organizational change initiatives. Contemporary literature highlighted the effectiveness of employee championing behavior for managing organizational change successfully. Therefore, this study collected data from 379 employees working in Bangladesh’s banking sector to explore the different dynamics forces such as transformational leadership, trust in leadership, organizational alignment and work engagement to enhance employee championing behavior in the context of organizational change. The outcome of this study shows that all dynamic forces significantly affected the employee championing behavior during organizational change.
How Blockchain Technology Changes Government
Authors: Alexopoulos Charalampos , Charalabidis Yannis , Loutsaris Michalis Avgerinos , Lachana Zoi
Published: August 2021

It is widely argued that Blockchain Technology (BCT) is one of the most promising trends nowadays. The most prominent characteristic of this technology is the improved sense of trust to the shared information provided by BCT applications as well as the ubiquitous access to the data ledger. At the same time governments pursue amplified trust from their citizens increasing transparency through shared information and open data. Since BCT supports this strategic goal of governments worldwide, numerous governments try to capitalize on the advances of this technology through testing the results of pilot applications in different vertical governmental sectors. Even though there are several implementations in the Government sector, there is no comprehensive study towards the analysis of the major characteristics of these developments. This paper moves towards the fulfillment of this gap by conducting a thorough analysis of e-Government pilot applications of BCT at a European level providing information to policymakers and practitioners about the grey areas of this technology.
User Activity Classification and Domain-Wise Ranking Through Social Interactions
Authors: Singh Ravindra Kumar , Verma Harsh Kumar
Published: August 2021

Twitter has gained a significant prevalence among the users across the numerous domains, in the majority of the countries, and among different age groups. It servers a real-time micro-blogging service for communication and opinion sharing. Twitter is sharing its data for research and study purposes by exposing open APIs that make it the most suitable source of data for social media analytics. Applying data mining and machine learning techniques on tweets is gaining more and more interest. The most prominent enigma in social media analytics is to automatically identify and rank influencers. This research is aimed to detect the user's topics of interest in social media and rank them based on specific topics, domains, etc. Few hybrid parameters are also distinguished in this research based on the post's content, post’s metadata, user’s profile, and user's network feature to capture different aspects of being influential and used in the ranking algorithm. Results concluded that the proposed approach is well effective in both the classification and ranking of individuals in a cluster.
Promoting Sustainability Through Corporate Social Responsibility
Authors: Dawar Gaurav , Singh Seema
Published: August 2021

The current study aims to explore if effective corporate social responsibility leads to corporate sustainability in medium-sized manufacturing enterprises. Using the factors, an exploratory examination was performed to assess their suitability in Indian context and data was collected from 121 manufacturing companies using a structured questionnaire based on pretested scale and the proposed relationships were tested through partial least square structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). The results show overall model fit, and empirical examinations support causal relationships between effective corporate social responsibility and corporate sustainability (CS). The results indicated that effective CSR mediated the relationships between corporate sustainability and integration of CSR into corporate policy and priority of the board towards CSR. The results of this study are useful for medium-sized enterprises to establish a formal approach towards CSR and meet the needs of business and society in the twenty-first century.
Enlightened Self-Interest and Globalizing India Through Social Entrepreneurship
Authors: Pandey Nisha Ashish
Published: August 2021

Economists believe that companies exist solely to generate maximum profits for shareholders using all legal and ethical means. However, philosophers and various theories of Ethics talks about that companies have a responsibility to other stakeholders, including their employees, suppliers, customers, and the communities within which they operate. Enlightened self-interest recognizes that a company's prime purpose is to not only making profits, but also this goal can be achieved by fulfilling its social and environmental responsibilities. Collective consciousness view considers the intersubjective realm to understand the enlightened self-interest to maximize the welfare of society. Companies use charitable donations to influence public opinion in their favour and long term wellbeing of society. Social Entrepreneurship promotes both wellbeing of society and creative solution for long-term growth and can earn a profit with goodness.
Trust Repair Efforts and Repurchase Intention after Negative Publicity of Milk Powder in Sri Lanka
Authors: Ranasinghe Thilini T. , Shamil Mohamed M.
Published: August 2021

This paper aimed to examine the impact of trust repair efforts on consumers repurchase intention of milk powder products affected by negative publicity in Sri Lanka. Consumer response to business entity’s effort to mitigate negative information are understudied in developing economies including Sri Lanka. A quantitative survey design was opted for this study. Data was collected from 140 consumers residing in the western province of Sri Lanka employing a questionnaire during the pandemic. The proposed hypotheses were analyzed using an OLS regression. Our findings revealed that functional repair efforts, affective repair efforts, and informational repair efforts have a significant and positive impact on repurchase intention. Among the three trust repair efforts, informational repair efforts were found to be the most important trust repair efforts that influence the repurchase intention. Based on the findings, milk powder producers in Sri Lanka should pay attention to strengthening ties with the consumers and consider trust repairing efforts to negate negative campaigns. The main limitation of the study is that data collection had to be limited among the urban consumers and collecting data randomly was challenging due to the pandemic. Nevertheless, our study contributes to the growing body of literature on trust repairing and trust theory from an under-explored economic and socio-cultural context.