bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development and validation of a scale to measure attitude of people toward men in nursing profession
Authors: Sharma Sharma K. , Mudgal Shiv Kumar
Published: February 2021

BACKGROUND:

Ancient history mentions the dominance of men in nursing; however, now nursing has a feminine image, and globally more than 90% of nursing workforce is females. Recently, more number of males are attracted to nursing, but there is a paucity of literature on the attitude of people about men in nursing may be because of a lack of measurement scales available for this purpose. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a new scale measuring attitude of people toward men in nursing.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

The present study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital and used an exploratory sequential design with an instrument development model. A total of 400 participants were selected using the simple random sampling technique. The reliability, content validity, face validity, and construct validity of this newly developed scale were computed. For data analyses SPSS AMOS version 23 was used for performing exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses.

RESULTS:

The new scale “AMnQ” consists of 15 items under three factors: (I) nursing is feministic and professionally low, (II) higher suitability of male nurses in technical and challenging situations, and (III) synonymy of empathy and care with a female. The final model with 15 items of AMnQ scale was validated by confirmatory factor analysis and showed a good fit to data. The Cronbach's α for the overall scale was 0.87, and for Factors I, II, and III, it was 0.80, 0.88, and 0.89, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS:

The “AMnQ” is a valid, reliable scale to assess the attitude of patients, nurses, physicians, and nursing students toward men in nursing. There is an assumption that nursing is a feminine profession; therefore, a valid and reliable scale to measure the attitude of people toward men in nursing will help to generate pieces of evidence on this subject, so that policymakers can make unbiased decisions on liberalizing entry of men in nursing.
Eliciting preferences of professors and medical group students for evaluation methods of theoretical courses
Authors: Kazemi Karyan Ali , Rezaei Satar , Etesami Shokooh , Pezhman Leyla , Matin Behzad Karami , Delavari Sajad
Published: February 2021

BACKGROUND:

Evaluation has become an inseparable part of education process which gives feedback to students and professors to improve education quality. This study aimed to elicit preferences of professors and students about attributes of evaluation methods in theoretical courses in Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Iran, in 2018.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

Discrete choice experiment (DCE) method used for eliciting preferences of participants of the study. A narrative literature review and interview with eight professors and ten students conducted to determine attributes and levels of evaluation methods in the university. Furthermore, experimental design used for making final choice sets of the evaluation methods. We included 213 students and 30 professors in the study. Conditional logistic regression model performed to data analysis.

RESULTS:

Most of the professors (36.67%) preferred to allocate up to 30% of evolution scores to midterm examination. However, the most percentage of students (30.45%) were agree to include midterm examination up to 15% of total scores. The majority of students prefer to examination questions compromise just presented materials, while 70% of professors prefer to include additional texts for evaluation examinations. In case of quiz examination, professors in comparison with students prefer that quiz should have higher proportion of total scores. DCE analysis indicated that professors and students preferred a mix of questions in examinations. In addition, additional resources beyond what is taught in class made utility for professors and disutility for students. Quiz, also, increased the utility of an evaluation package in professors.

CONCLUSION:

The findings showed that there is a gap between preferences of professors and students regarding some attributes of evaluation methods such as student's discipline, examination materials, and quiz. Further studies are needed to examining other attributes of evaluation methods in theatrical and practical courses in Iran and other contexts.
Impact of knowledge, attitude, and practices of Type 2 diabetic patients
Authors: Le Nghiep Ke , Turnbull Niruwan , Van Dam Cuong , Khiewkhern Santisith , Thiabrithi Surasak
Published: February 2021

BACKGROUND:

Disease knowledge, appropriate attitude, and proper practices play an important role in disease control and reduction of diabetes-related complications and deaths. This study aims to investigate the impact of knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAPs) of Type 2 diabetic patients' outcomes.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

A cross-sectional research was conducted on a group of 102 Type 2 diabetic participants in 17 communities in Tam Binh District, Vinh Long Province, Vietnam. The research tool employed the KAP questionnaire using IBM SPSS 22 to analyze the data.

RESULTS:

The participants' average age was 57.02 ± 6.323 years. The proportion of women was 76.5% (three times higher than men). The knowledge score of the participants was low (30.04 ± 12.823), the attitude toward score of diabetics was moderate (61.544 ± 29.99), and the practice of self-care score was low (50.59 ± 14.881). There were also some significant relationships between KAPs with ethnicity, marital status, diabetic duration, location, employment status, and treatment method. In addition, there were only significant differences between the self-care practice groups and patients' attitude toward Type 2 diabetes.

CONCLUSION:

There is a significant relationship between KAP with some participants' characteristics. The KAPs of the diabetic patients in Tam Binh district are still low. This result showed that although the patient's attitude towards disease was good, it was not enough for them to practice good self-control due to poor knowledge.
Social media effects among freshman medical students during COVID-19 lock-down
Authors: Gupta Ankit , Jagzape Arunita , Kumar Mahendra
Published: February 2021

BACKGROUND:

Lockdown was imposed as a preventive measure for coronavirus disease pandemic. Social media was the most common tool available for the masses, including the 1st year medical students during the lockdown. The objectives of the present study were to determine the extent of use of social media and the effects on mind-body and social distancing.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

It was mixed research conducted on 1st-year medical students using convenience sampling. The quantitative aspect of E-survey was administered through Google forms sent via E-mail, and structured telephonic interview was conducted as a qualitative aspect on randomly selected 10 students based on predecided interview questions. This study was reported as per the Checklist for Reporting Results of Internet E-Surveys. The analysis was performed using percentages and paired t-test with significance at P < 0.05, Chi-square test with Yate's correction. Qualitative responses were analyzed using coding and categorization.

RESULTS:

The response rate was 88%. Time spent on social media for >4 h increased from 1.1% to 47.72% during lockdown. Forty three (48.86%) of the students reported increased mood fluctuations. The relation between mood fluctuations and time spent on social media of >4 h was significant χ2= 6.41 with P < 0.05. Average hours of sleep after using social media before lockdown increased significantly from 6.68 h to 8.10 h during lockdown using paired t-test, where “t” was 6.84. There was a positive impact on communication with friends and family.

CONCLUSION:

Due to the increased extent of use of social media during lockdown, negative mind-body effects have surfaced but emerged as boon in terms of communication.
Predictive factors of quality of life among the elderly in Iran
Authors: Nazari Soghra , Kamali Koorosh , Hajimiri Khadijeh
Published: February 2021

BACKGROUND:

This study aimed to identify the quality of life (QoL) and its predictive factors based on the Andersen's behavioral model among the elderly in Iran.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted on 400 people aged 60+ resident in Zanjan, Iran, in 2019. Data were collected based on the Andersen's behavioral model constructs by the questionnaires. Path analysis was used to determine both direct and indirect effects of variables and also for estimating the values of coefficients in the underpinning linear model.

RESULTS:

In this study, 50% of the participants were female, and 83% were married. The participant's QoL was 37.4 (9.8). The results confirmed that financial level and physical activity were the most significant predictor of the elder's QoL. Chronic diseases and activities of daily living as need factors affect the QoL of participant indirectly.

CONCLUSION:

The results showed that the participant's QoL was at a moderate level. Utilizing of primary health-care services was the weakest predictors of QoL. Sex, marital status, and education level were not reliable predictors of QoL in elders. Other predisposing, enabling, and need factors should be investigated to find the main determinants to improve elder's QoL.
Translational cultural adaptation and psychometric study of the Persian version of pediatric inventory for parents
Authors: Khanjari Sedigheh , Tehrani Fereshteh Javaheri , Panahi Shabnam Shariat , Saidee Ahmad
Published: February 2021

BACKGROUND:

Cancer, as a life-threatening disease in children, poses several challenges for parents. It is necessary to have a tool that can comprehensively examine the stressful events for parents of children with cancer. The aim this present study was done with the aim of study the Persian version of pediatric inventory for parents (PIP).

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

The study was a conducted based on methodological research design. Four hundred and fifteen parents of children with cancer referring to Alia Asghar Children's Hospital and Children's Medical Centre in Tehran answered the Persian version of PIP questionnaire in 2019. a confirmatory factor analysis was carried out using LISREL (software version 8.8) to test the construct validity of PIP. The two tools of parental stress scale and state-trait anxiety inventory (STAI-Y) were used for concurrent validity purposes.

RESULTS:

The results showed that, the overall score of the questionnaire was higher than the average and related to emotional distress. The internal correlation coefficient (Cronbach's alpha) in both parts of the PIP was between 0.808 and 0.957 and acceptable. Concurrent validity analysis indicated positive and significant correlation of this tool in the difficulty section of the scale with both Parental Stress Scale and STAI-Y. The results of confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the factor loads of all items except three items in the frequency section were more than 0.3 and were appropriate.

CONCLUSION:

The Persian version of PIP can be available to health and family experts as a valid and reliable tool to assess stressful events of parents of children with cancer.
Students’ perspectives on the virtual teaching challenges in the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Mortazavi Forough , Salehabadi Raha , Sharifzadeh Masoume , Ghardashi Fatemeh
Published: February 2021

BACKGROUND:

The COVID-19 pandemic led to the closure of crowded places such as universities and replaced face-to-face learning with virtual education. The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the challenges of virtual learning from the students' perspectives.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

This qualitative descriptive study was conducted on students of Sabzevar University of Medical Sciences. Purposeful sampling was performed by semi-structured group interviews on the Internet in the WhatsApp social network. Fifty-two nursing, midwifery, hygiene, and paramedical students were interviewed. Every interview was started by asking the question “what is your experience about virtual teaching?” The data were analyzed using MAXQDA software version 2020. According to the steps of qualitative content analysis, content analysis was performed and the themes were extracted.

RESULTS:

Fifty-two students were interviewed in eight group sessions. Qualitative data analysis leads to the extraction of 23 codes, 7 categories, and the 2 main themes; dissatisfaction with virtual education with 4 categories (lack of feedback, communication channel problems, the unpreparedness of the message receiver, and weakness in educational content) and solutions to the modification of virtual teaching with three categories (possibility of receiving feedback, channel improvement, and strengthening educational content) were extracted. The highest frequency of code was related to the dissatisfaction with the uploaded contents.

CONCLUSIONS:

Virtual education has created a negative experience among students for various reasons, including the lack of distance learning infrastructure and the lack of a standard for preparing quality content. Therefore, it is necessary for the officials of the Education Development Center to supervise the prepared contents and improve distance learning infrastructure.
Prevalence of self-reported anxiety and self-medication among upper and middle socioeconomic strata amidst COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Chopra Deepti , Bhandari Bharti , Sidhu Jaspreet Kaur , Jakhar Kiran , Jamil Fariza , Gupta Rakesh
Published: February 2021

BACKGROUND:

Amidst corona virus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, disruption to the usual ways of life can lead to anxiety and feeling of being unsafe, which may be associated with self-medication. The study was planned to investigate the prevalence of anxiety and self-medication during COVID-19 pandemic.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

In this cross-sectional study, data were collected through an anonymous online survey with questionnaire consisting of four sections: demographic data of the participants, validated COVID-19 Anxiety Inventory Items, Self-rating Anxiety Scale, and self-medication practices during COVID-19 pandemic. The data were organized and analyzed using Windows Microsoft excel and SPSS software (Version 21). Descriptive statistics were calculated for all patient characteristics and survey responses. Analytical analysis included relationship between various parameters using Chi-square test.

RESULTS:

A total of 1100 responses were received. Approximately half of the participants were worried about getting severely ill. Majority reported reduced social contact (71.3%, n = 784) and also communicated that the pandemic has influenced their use of safety measures (86.5%, n = 951). The prevalence of mild-to-moderate, moderate-to severe, and extremely severe anxiety cases were 23.1%, 4.7%, and 0.54%, respectively. One-fourth of the responders reported self-medication, out of which 60% were found to be anxious. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs were most commonly used.

CONCLUSIONS:

Rising to the present challenge will require integration across different sectors with the immediate aim of getting people safely through the pandemic. As the world focuses on containing and delaying the spread of the COVID-19, with burdened health-care systems, we should not miss out on people with anxiety disorders and self-medication problem, which may worsen with the pandemic.
The opportunities and challenges of using mobile health in elderly self-care
Authors: Shahbazi Masoumeh , Bagherian Hossein , Sattari Mohammad , Saghaeiannejad-Isfahani Sakineh
Published: February 2021

Population aging is a phenomenon expanding around the world and will be increase the incidence of chronic diseases and health costs. This study was conducted according to the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA). A comprehensive literature search was performed on 4 databases (Web of Science, PubMed, Science Direct, and ProQuest) for English language studies from January 1, 2000, to December 31, 2019. The keywords used to extract relevant contents were “e-health,” “Elderly care,” “Self-care,” “challenge,” “Opportunity” etc., The search strategy led to a total of 638 potentially relevant papers, of which 19 papers met the inclusion criteria. The results showed that the challenges of using mobile health in elderly self-care can be divided into technical, human and managerial challenges. The resulting opportunities include reducing health care costs; no need to visit verbal and remote access to elderly information. The use of mobile health in the elderly has advantages and disadvantages. One of the advantages of that is improving physical activity and reducing care costs, but it may break the privacy. The disadvantages of that can be resolved by educating the elder men.
COVID-19 and the “Stay at home” recommendation
Authors: Shojaei Amirahmad , Salari Pooneh
Published: February 2021

BACKGROUND:

Facing a devastating infectious outbreak like COVID-19, the command of “stay at home” was recommended by some officials as a self-voluntary quarantine strategy for controlling the outbreak, but the people perceived and act differently. In this study, we aimed at ethnographic evaluation of public response to this command.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

This research used ethnography for observing the public response to the recommendation of “stay at home” in the COVID-19 outbreak. Data were collected via observing public behavior and documentation; then, the data were qualitatively analyzed.

RESULTS:

Our findings showed 10 different ignored dimensions in this moral statement including lack of legal and administrative support, diverse perception and contradictory reactions of the people to the epidemiological forecasting and recommendations, different response to moral statements, various perceptions of the people about health and wellbeing, feeling exhausted of staying at home, not including justice and fairness in the moral statement, not clarifying the meaning of necessary matters, not considering the COVID-19 infected patients and their requirements, assigning the responsibility of government to the public, and halting other scientific activities and investigations in charge of COVID-19.

CONCLUSIONS:

Taken together, the officials should take an active role in implementing this moral statement by strict regulations, public education about the disease, its control, and the importance of quarantine, considering justice and fairness in implementation.
Serum levels of visfatin, sirtuin-1, and interleukin-6 in stable and acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Authors: Ghobadi Hassan , Mokhtari Sara , Aslani Mohammad Reza
Published: February 2021

Background:

Visfatin is an adipokine that increased under inflammatory conditions. Moreover, sirtuin-1 possesses regulatory effects on inflammatory factors. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the serum level of visfatin in patients with stable and acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AE-COPD).

Materials and Methods:

In a case–control study, thirty patients with stable COPD (S-COPD), thirty patients with AE-COPD, and thirty control subjects were enrolled. Pulmonary function tests and blood sampling were performed on all participants. Serum visfatin, sirtuin-1, and interleukin (IL)-6 levels were measured using the sandwich ELISA method and assessed their association with study parameters.

Results:

The findings of the current study revealed that serum levels of visfatin in AE-COPD patients were higher than those of healthy controls and S-COPD (for healthy control; standardized mean difference [SMD] = 2.63, 95% confidence interval [CI] =1.31–2.83, P < 0.001, and for S-COPD; SMD = 1.53, 95% CI = 0.21–2.85, P < 0.05). On the other hand, the serum levels of sirtuin-1 were higher in healthy controls compared to the S-COPD and AE-COPD patients (for S-COPD; SMD = 1.56, 95% CI = 0.018–3.11, P < 0.05, for AE-COPD; SMD = 1.50, 95% CI = 0.048–3.04, P < 0.05).

Conclusion:

Elevated visfatin and IL-6 levels demonstrated their pro-inflammatory effects in patients with COPD, especially in AE-COPD patients. In addition, the negative association found between serum visfatin and sirtuin-1 levels suggested the pathophysiologic and therapeutic roles of these factors in COPD patients.
Comparison between Plusoptix A09 and gold standard cycloplegic refraction in preschool children and agreement to detect refractive amblyogenic risk factors
Authors: Thomas Jyothi , Rajashekar B. , Kamath Asha , Gogate Parikshit
Published: February 2021

BACKGROUND:

The preschool children hardly complain about their vision problems. It is of paramount importance to screen them with an objective tool and compare with the gold standard technique.

AIM:

To compare the values obtained with Plusoptix A09 and cycloplegic refraction in 3–6 years children and agreement to detect refractive amblyogenic risk factors.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS:

A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Outpatient Department of Ophthalmology in a tertiary care hospital. Informed consent from parents and verbal assent from children were obtained. Each subject had monocular vision assessment with Lea symbol chart, stereo acuity measurement with Frisby, refractive screening with Plusoptix A09, squint assessment, and anterior segment evaluation before administering Homatropine hydrobromide (homide) 2% eye drops. Cycloplegic refraction and posterior segment evaluation were performed for final diagnosis.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS:

Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data. Spearman correlation coefficient and kappa statistics were also employed.

RESULTS:

In total, data of 94 children were analyzed. The correlation values obtained between plusoptix and cyclorefraction values for spherical, cylindrical, spherical equivalent were 0.508 (P < 0.0001), 0.779 (P < 0.0001), and 0.407 (P < 0.0001), respectively. Refractive errors were seen in 32% and amblyopia in 17% of eyes. Kappa value was κ = 0.974 in detecting refractive amblyogenic risk factors.

CONCLUSION:

Good correlation was found between the plusoptix and cyclorefraction values. Cylindrical values showed a better correlation. Refractive errors and amblyopia were the major ocular disorders observed. There was significant agreement between the refractive techniques in detecting amblyogenic risk factors.
Comparison between two intravitreal injection techniques with respect to fluid reflux, intraocular pressure, and therapeutic effect
Authors: Tanwar Shashi , Sharma Arun Kumar , Srivastava Rajat Mohan , Katiyar Vishal , Agrawal Siddharth , Gupta Sanjiv Kumar
Published: February 2021

CONTEXT:

Effect of fluid reflux on intraocular pressure (IOP) and therapeutic benefits.

AIMS:

The aim of this study is to compare two intravitreal injection techniques in terms of fluid reflux, short-term IOP changes, and therapeutic effect.

SETTINGS AND DESIGN:

A prospective, double-blinded, randomized interventional study.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS:

Sixty eyes were randomly allocated to two groups (direct intravitreal injection technique and oblique intravitreal injection technique). IOP was measured before and immediately after the injection of 0.1 ml comprising of bevacizumab (1.25 mg/0.05 ml) and dexamethasone (0.2 mg/0.05 ml) and then at 30 min after the injection. Occurrence and amount of vitreous reflux were recorded. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central macular thickness (CMT) were assessed preinjection and 6 weeks postinjection.

RESULTS:

IOP (mmHg ± standard deviation) increased significantly immediately after injection to 24.30 ± 3.02 (direct intravitreal injection) and 31.50 ± 3.49 (oblique intravitreal injection). These pressure rise differed significantly between both groups (mean difference: 7.2, P < 0.0001). Thirty minutes after injection, there was no significant difference in IOP increase between the groups. Occurrence and amount of fluid reflux were significantly higher with direct intravitreal injection. There was no significant difference in BCVA and CMT outcome between both groups.

CONCLUSIONS:

Direct intravitreal injection technique has lower rise in IOP and higher incidence of fluid reflux than the oblique intravitreal technique. Fluid reflux does not cause a therapeutic compromise in terms of BCVA or CMT changes, so the reflux fluid must be the vitreous not the drug. Thus, direct injection technique seems to be the preferred technique.
DETERMINANTS OF CREDIT RISK
Authors: Riyazahmed K. , Baranwal Gunja
Published: February 2021

This study aims to empirically examine the impact of managerial effectiveness on the credit risk of the Indian public and private sector banks. We consider the return on assets as a proxy for managerial effectiveness and gross non-performing assets (GNPA) to total advances as a proxy for credit risk. The study uses fixed effects and dynamic panel data models to examine the impact. The econometric model estimations suggest a negative impact of return on assets on credit risk. Further, we analyze the impact of return on assets by the information of microeconomic and macro-economic variables in dynamic generalized methods of moments (GMM) approach. The results remain the same after using dynamic GMM modelled with lagged credit risk and lagged return on assets. Further, the effect of macroeconomic variables such as repo rate and reverse repo rate confirms the theory.  Heterogeneity checks at regions and sector levels substantiate the robustness of results.

JEL Classification Codes: G20, G21.
LEVERAGE INDUCED FINANCIAL DISTRESS OF MANUFACTURING FIRMS IN BANGLADESH: A COMPARISON BETWEEN LISTED MNCS AND DOMESTIC FIRMS BY APPLYING ALTMAN’S Z SCORE MODEL
Authors: Rahman Syed Mohammad Khaled , Islam Md. Khairul , Hossain Md. Mofazzal
Published: February 2021

Financial distress arises from excessive debt capital. The purpose of the study was to determine Altman's Z score and analyze as well as compare the effect of debt on Z scores of listed MNCs & domestic companies of Bangladesh over 24 years (1996-2019). The study was based on secondary data. Seven local companies and seven MNCs were selected as a sample from six manufacturing industrial sectors. It was found that on average one local firm was in the grey zone and the rest 13 firms were in the safe zone (Z scores>2.99). MNCs’ Z scores were significantly higher than that of domestic companies. The grand mean of the Z score of MNCs was 5.398 while that of domestic companies was 4.155. In the case of domestic companies, Z score changes by 0.01 or 0.24% for a 1% change of total debt in opposite direction. MNCs’ Z score decreases by 0.005 or 0.073% for a 1% increase of total debt. Domestic companies should increase Z score by redesigning the capital structure and improving basic earning power. The study has practical implications for corporate managers, policymakers, investors, and government because future strategy, policy, and business performance depend on the zone in which the firms are situated.

JEL Classification Codes: G30, G32, G39.
Simple motion pursuit differential game problem of many players with integral and geometric constraints on controls function.
Authors: Adamu Jamilu , B. M. Abdulhamid  , D. T. Gbande  , A. S. Halliru
Published: February 2021

We study a simple motion pursuit differential game of many pursuers and one evader in a Hilbert space $l_{2}$. The control functions of the pursuers and evader are subject to integral and geometric constraints respectively. Duration of the game is denoted by positive number $\theta $. Pursuit is said to be completed if there exist strategies $u_{j}$ of the pursuers $P_{j}$ such that for any admissible control $v(\cdot)$ of the evader $E$ the inequality $\|y(\tau)-x_{j}(\tau)\|\leq l_{j}$ is satisfied for some $ j\in \{1,2, \dots\}$ and some time $\tau$. In this paper, sufficient conditions for completion of pursuit were obtained. Consequently strategies of the pursuers that ensure completion of pursuit are constructed.
PAKISTAN’S ENERGY CHOICE: WHAT DETERMINES THE ECONOMIC GROWTH?
Authors:   KASBIT, Ansari Nayeem ul Hassan
Published: February 2021

Over a decade Pakistan has been facing severe electricity crisis. The electricity crises and load shedding of more than 10 hours in a day hampers all the economic activities both in rural & urban areas. The purpose of the study was to find out the association between Electricity generation resources (Energy Mix) and Economic growth. The study is quantitative in nature. Secondary data of energy generation of 46 years, from 1071 to 2016 has been taken from Economic survey of Pakistan for the statistical tests. ADF test was conducted to check the Stationery of the data. Later cointegaration test was conducted to check the association among variables. The key findings of the study were that in short term energy resources from Hydel & Thermal determine the Economic Growth. Whereas, in long run only energy generation from thermal sources has positive impact on Economic Growth. For a developing country like Pakistan, attainment of ideal energy mix is the key for energy crises. The current study is very much helpful for the policymakers for the decision of ideal energy mix for Electricity generation which is not only the economical one but also sustainable for the country.
OPINIONS OF TEACHER CANDIDATES ON DISTANCE EDUCATION IMPLEMENTED DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC PERIOD
Authors: Türkan Azmi , Leblebici Hatice , Önal Ipek
Published: February 2021

The learning environment, learning process and the opinions and suggestions for the problems concerning the process of students participating in distance education is thought to contribute to better planning and conducting distance education lessons. With this respect, the purpose of this study is to detect the reflections of the COVID-19 pandemic period on undergraduate education through opinions of teacher candidates. The qualitative internet research, which is one of the qualitative research models, was preferred for the study. The participant group was identified through the maximum sampling method. The participant group consisted of 27 teacher candidates studying in year 3. and year 4. The semi-structured interview form developed by the instructors was used as the data collection instrument. Content analysis was conducted through the Nvivo 11 software when analyzing the data. Positive-negative opinions of teacher candidates concerning distance education and the announcements made throughout the distance education process were collected for the study. In addition, the negative outcomes it caused on the participants, its reflections on the educational process, opinions-suggestions concerning assessment and evaluation and solution advices for the process were also identified.

 Article visualizations:
Separation of Radiated EMI Noise based on Joint Approximate Diagonalization Algorithm
Authors: Zhu Zhibo , Yan Wei , Zhao Yang , Liu Xingfa , Zhang Tao
Published: February 2021

Power electronic devices and electrical equipment produce a large quantity of radiated
electromagnetic interference (EMI) in the working process. Electromagnetic field analysis method of the near-field and far-field of the antenna can be employed to separate the radiated interference noises. However, the method has low separation accuracy and requires a lot of time. A novel method based on joint approximate diagonalization algorithm (JADA) to separate the radiated EMI noise is proposed in this paper. Compared
with the traditional independent component algorithm method, the accuracy is improved by 14% and the efficiency is increased by 30%. The common-differential mode mixed noise source is taken as the experimental object to demonstrate the
Compact ACS-Fed UWB MIMO Antenna with Dual Band Notches
Authors: Li Qin , Sun Yufa , Fang Hongyu
Published: February 2021

In order to improve the channel capacity of communication equipment and reduce the size of antenna, an asymmetric coplanar strip (ACS) fed four-element UWB MIMO antenna with dual band notches is proposed in this paper. The antenna has a simple structure and a compact size of 37×37 mm². The antenna consists of four modifled staircase-shaped radiation elements and four floor on the same side. The antenna elements are placed vertically without additional decoupling structure, and the isolation less than -15 dB
in the working bandwidth of 2.9-10.6 GHz can be obtained by using polarization diversity. In addition, the antenna has the notched characteristic of WiMAX and WLAN band. The antenna has good gain and low envelop correlation coefficient (ECC), and the simulation results agree with the measured results, which indicates that the antenna is suitable for UWB system.
Design of Dual Frequency Coupled Resonators Using DGS and Microstrip Resonators for Dual Band WPT Applications
Authors: Atallah Hany , Alzubi Musallam , Hussein Rasha , Abdlerhman Adel
Published: February 2021

This paper introduces a new design for a highly efficient and more compact size dual frequency wireless power transfer (WPT) system, which can operate at both 0.65 GHz and 1.56 GHz bands. The idea of the structure depends on designing a symmetrical system containing Tx and Rx. Each Tx and Rx has a feed line on the top layer with two stubs; each stub has different dimensions than the other one. The bottom layer contains two C-shaped defected ground structures (DGS). By changing the dimensions of one stub, the frequency resonance corresponds to this stub is changed without any change on the other resonance. The system has a size of 20 × 20 mm2. Further, the system achieves efficiencies of 72 % and 89 % at 0.65 GHz and 1.56 GHz, respectively with a transmission distance of 8 mm. The proposed dual frequency WPT is implemented and verified. Good concurrences among electromagnetic (EM) simulations and the measurements have been
attained. The system is suitable for recharging shortrange applications.
In Vitro Physical and Biological Evaluations of a 2.4 GHz Electromagnetic Exposure Setup
Authors: Wang Mengxi , Yang Guohui , Li Yu , Wu Qun
Published: February 2021

In this paper, a 2.4 GHz electromagnetic radiation system for cells in vitro was designed from the perspective of optimal energy coupling of cell samples. The validity of the design was verified by FDTD simulation, physical test and biological experiment. The
electromagnetic parameters of SAR (Specific Absorption Rate) and temperature rise were obtained by FDTD simulation. The validation of temperature simulation was confirmed by comparing the actual measurement data and the simulation data. The SAR relative uniformity between samples was tested by cell biological experiment, in which ROS (Reactive Oxygen Species), a typical and sensitive biological parameter reacting to electromagnetic radiation in cells, of different sample dishes induced by 2.4 GHz electromagnetic radiation with an incident power of 0.5 W was analyzed. We found that the size of cell dish affects the energy coupling intensity, the polarization characteristics of electromagnetic wave determines the distribution pattern of SAR, and the uniformity of sample energy absorption in this radiation system is good.
ANALISIS PENGUKURAN TINGKAT KESEHATAN PERBANKAN SYARIAH DENGAN MENGGUNAKAN METODE CAMEL PADA PT. BANK MANDIRI SYARIAH Tbk.
Authors: Prihatin Khristina Sri , Anjani Siti
Published: February 2021

This study aims to determine the condition of the soundness of banks by way of assessment using the CAMEL method (Capital, Asset Quality, Management, Earning, and Liquidity). CAMEL analysis has five aspects, namely capital aspects using CAR (Capital Adequacy Ratio) ratio, asset quality aspects using KAP (Productive Asset Quality) ratio, management aspects using NPM (Net Profit Margin) ratio, profitability aspect uses ROA (Return on asset ratio) ) and BOPO (Operating Expenses to Operating Income), and Liquidity use the LDR (Loan to Deposit Ratio) ratio. This type of research was a type of quantitative research. Based on the characteristics of the problem raised by the researcher, this study was classified as a quantitative descriptive study. The data used in this study were secondary data obtained indirectly from Bank Syariah Mandiri. The data used were financial statement data (Financial Position Report and Income Statement) of PT. Bank Syariah Mandiri Tbk for three periods, namely 2016 to 2018. In addition, data were obtained from books, journals, internet or other media that support this research. Based on the results of research conducted at PT. Bank Syariah Mandiri Tbk shows that the value of the CAMEL in 2016 was 45.92 with the title NOT HEALTHY, in 2017 it was 45.92 with the NOT HEALTHY rating, and in 2018 was 47.68 with the NOT HEALTHY predicate.
Mengaplikasikan Kisah Para Rasul 2-6 bagi Pertumbuhan Gereja di GPdI Elohim Sentani, Papua
Authors: Manoach Sonny , Sutikto Sutikto
Published: February 2021

Church growth is the triune God's will. Embodied through the Lord Jesus Christ as the head of the Church. God wills the Growth of the Church as an implementation of the Great Commission of Jesus Christ. However, GPdI Elohm Sentani - Papua has not been maximally growing quantitatively. As the church strives to carry out its spiritual mandate so that all people bow down to worship God through Jesus Christ. The growth in question is related to spiritual growth, number and management, and outward expansion. The church growth in GPdI Elohim Sentani – Jayapura has not been maximized because it has many weaknesses. Weaknesses in the aspects of the mission of marturia, koinonia, and deaconess, as well as leadership. These aspects have not been implemented effectively in the past, so that at the same time through this research an evaluation is carried out. Thus, a relevant strategy is needed in order to grow according to God's will. This research approach is qualitative, the type of research is a theological phenomenological study. This research was conducted using library research methods and field research methods. Building on the theoretical basis of the exposition of the Book of Acts regarding the Church's growth strategy is supported by the opinion of practical theologians about Church growth. In addition, data were also obtained from the field through structured interviews, and administrative documents, observations of congregants involved in local church services at GPdI Elohim Sentani - Jayapura.
Kitab Mazmur: Inspirasinya Bagi Kehidupan Manusia Menyejarah
Authors: Widodo Priyantoro
Published: February 2021

The Psalms are part of The Holy Canon. This book has four synonym names. Why is that? Inn addition, this book indicates the form of poetry and so it is called Psalms number 1 to 150. This unity of 150 poetry has what meaning and importance to the life of the Christian faithful? Research on this is based on the Christian Canonical Scriptures in their final form. In order to answer the two research questions above, the researcher used the biblical library research method with the literary criticism approach. The research of Psalms biblical literature is valuable written literary data as it is owned and maintained by the community of users, so the research on it also pays attention to this phenomenon. Synonymization of the mention of the Holly Book of the Canon of the Psalms in several translations indicates the importance of the Scriptures to be revitalized by the, of faith in their lives. The Psalms are still relevant for the life of the faithful in motivating to live historically on this earth. The historical life that is meant to be true and wise with the considerations of the mind, and be firm in the decision to live in the guidance and enlightenment of the Law of God.
The Impact of Internal Marketing on Service Quality, Perceived Value, Consumer Satisfaction and Loyalty in the Service Sector
Authors:   Department of Business and Trade Management Engineering, Institut Supérieur de Technologie d’Antananarivo, Madagascar, Finaritra Rakotovao Manovosoa
Published: February 2021

This article proposes to integrate internal marketing, perceived quality, perceived value, satisfaction and behavioural intention in the same model. The study was conducted with 200 healthcare staff and 200 patients. First, the results indicate the influence of internal marketing dimensions on perceived quality and satisfaction. In a second step, it turns out that perceived quality influences satisfaction and perceived value, which in turn impacts satisfaction. Finally, there is a relationship between, on the one hand, satisfaction and behavioural intention and, on the other hand, the perceived value and behavioural intention of consumers.
THE IMPORTANCE OF TOLERANCE IN ISLAM THOUGHTS OF BAHAUDDIN NAQSHBAND
Authors:   Doctor of Pedagogy, Professor Department of General Education, Journalism and Mass Communication University of Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Uzbekistan, KILICHEVA KAROMAT
Published: February 2021

Tolerance in Islam is a complex act, based on two foundations, that is, the nature of reward and that of prophecy. Whilst it does not lead to indifference, it also rejects any retreatment from the main beliefs of Islam. On the other hand, it reconciles with the rule of commanding right and forbidding wrong which emphasises being responsible towards any true or wrong belief and any good or bad behaviour. Additionally, Sufism is a mystical form of Islam that has flourished in the Muslim world for centuries. The Sufi emphasis on love as a central attribute of a believer shifts the focus from institution and ritual to the diffusion of love for God and for others. Therefore, the Muslim path leads to a kind of openness to others that the institutional aspect of the faith cannot embrace. Thus, this article will discuss Islamic and Sufi teachings on the importance of religious tolerance and human perfection.
Assessing the efficacy of forum selection agreements in Commonwealth Africa
Authors: Coleman Theophilus Edwin
Published: February 2021

Any international commercial agreement has the potential to be the subject of a dispute. In resolving international commercial disputes, parties to a contract are at liberty to choose any dispute resolution mechanism that best serves and meets their commercial interests. Generally, parties to an international commercial contract may resort to courtroom litigation or choose an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mechanism as a method of resolving their transnational disputes. Underlying almost every international commercial contract, therefore, is a very primary question about where, by whom and how the parties prefer their disputes to be litigated. The response to this question depends on whether parties prefer traditional courtroom litigation, or an ADR mechanism. In most instances, countries put in place dispute resolution regimes that seek to afford contracting parties the liberty to submit their disputes to a foreign forum or an arbitral tribunal for legal redress and/or a remedy. However, while the efficacy of resolving international disputes through arbitration has garnered immense international and domestic support, the submission of disputes by parties to a foreign forum through a forum selection agreement is regarded with much ambivalence in most countries. This article assesses the efficacy of forum selection agreements in Commonwealth Africa. It appraises the judicial approach of courts in Commonwealth African countries relative to the essence and effect of forum selection agreements. This article argues and calls for a higher degree of judicial commitment to the juridical choices of private individuals who are party to an international commercial contract, especially with regard to forum selection agreements.
Revisiting the role of the judiciary in enforcing the state’s duty to provide access to the minimum core content of socio-economic rights in South Africa and Kenya
Authors: Mavedzenge Justice Alfred
Published: February 2021

Although the realisation of the full scope of each socio-economic right is meant to be achieved progressively, Kenya and South Africa have an international obligation to immediately provide vulnerable persons with access to the minimum core of each of these rights. As revealed (again) by the COVID-19 pandemic, the two states are in violation of this obligation as millions of people in both countries are living in abject poverty, without access to the bare necessities. Attempts to enforce the government’s minimum core obligations have failed at least three times in South Africa, and the Court of Appeal in Kenya has hesitated to enforce these obligations. Relying on the doctrinal review of jurisprudence from both countries and international law, this article proposes that, in order to enforce the minimum core obligations without violating the separation of powers doctrine, the judiciary must be perceived to have a primary role and a secondary role. The primary role of the court must be to enforce meaningful engagement between the state and the rights bearers in determining the quantitative aspects of the minimum core content of each right. Once the state has developed this core content, the court can review its reasonableness by measuring it against the qualitative minimum standards imposed by the right. In circumstances of urgent need, where the state has failed to develop a reasonable quantitative minimum core content and rights bearers are in danger of suffering irreparable harm, the court should invoke its secondary role which entails setting the quantitative minimum core content to be provided by the state as a temporary measure.
The International Seabed Authority and the Enterprise: How Africa is reinvigorating the principle of the common heritage of mankind
Authors: Remaoun Mehdi
Published: February 2021

This article focuses primarily on a submission made by the African Group of States to the International Seabed Authority (ISA) on the operationalisation of the Enterprise. The latter is one of the organs established under Part XI of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (LOSC) and guided by the principle of the common heritage of mankind (CHM). Following several years of the status quo remaining unchanged, the start of the development of the exploitation regulations for deep seabed mining has led to louder calls to operationalise the Enterprise. This article first outlines the origins and legal foundations of the concept ‘Enterprise’. This is followed by discussions on the status of this organ prior to the African Group’s submission, the main elements contained in the submission as well as the reactions to, and the impact of, the submission. Beyond the issue of the Enterprise, this article also considers other attempts of the African Group to give full effect to the CHM principle in the ISA as well as the Group’s attempts to enshrine the CHM principle in a potential third LOSC implementing agreement on marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction. It concludes with critical observations that put the various aspects discussed into perspective.
SCORE FUSION OF FINGER VEIN AND FACE FOR HUMAN RECOGNITION BASED ON CONVOLUTIONAL NEURAL NETWORK MODEL
Authors: Cherrat El Mehdi , Alaoui Rachid , Bouzahir Hassane
Published: February 2021

In the last decade, the biometrics refers to automatic recognition of persons using their physiological or behavioral characteristics. The combination of multiple biometrics or, multimodal biometrics have higher accuracy to verify the person and ensure that its information or data is safer compared to system based on single biometrics modality. In this regard, this paper introduces a scheme for multimodal biometric recognition system based on the fusion of finger-vein and face images using Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) and different classifiers. The pre-processed finger-vein image using Adaptive Histogram Equalization (AHE) is input into a CNN model. Then, Random Forest (RF) classifier performs as a recognizer. In addition, a hybrid CNN-Linear Support Vector Machine (SVM) model is used for recognizing face images. After this process, the score level fusion of bimodal biometric based on the weighted concatenation is applied to identify the identity of the individual. Experimental results on publicly available VERA Fingervein database, Color Feret and Ar face database have shown significant capability of identification biometric system. The proposed system provides high recognition accuracy rate by 99,98% compared with other classical methods and traditional techniques based on normal recognition or CNN architectures.