bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Study on Policies toward Hami during theEarly Ming Dynasty: Focused on the Boqtaq Bestowal
Authors:   The Korean Association for Mongolian Studies, Choi Soyoung
Published: March 2024

In the late period of the Yuan Dynasty, the region of Hami (哈密) was dominated by the descendants of Chagatai, the son of Chinggis Khan. Although the Ming Dynasty could not directly rule over Hami and its surrounding areas, they were able to expand their influence there following the military attack. Hami was a major thoroughfare connecting the Central Plains (中原) and the Western Regions (西域). After the Ming Dynasty successfully attacked Hami, they were overjoyed that merchants and travelers could now move freely.
The descendants of Chagatai continued to govern this region. The Ming Dynasty established a guard post in Hami, changing the royal titles of the Mongol princes in the area from Su Wang(肅王) to Zhongshun Wang(忠順王) and Zhongyi Wang(忠義王).
Noteworthy is the fact that the Ming Dynasty granted Mongolian women's headgear, known as 'boqtaq,' to Prince Zhongshun and Prince Zhongyi. This demonstrates, first and foremost, that the Ming Dynasty valued the former Yuan Dynasty's royal descendants who ruled Hami (哈密), a strategic gateway to the Western Regions (西域). Furthermore, the fact that the Ming did not only bestow ceremonial items upon the men of Hami but also gave special items to the women indicates the remarkably high status of women in Hami.
Therefore, we can discern that the Ming Dynasty sought to replicate the practices of the Mongol rulers by bestowing similar honors upon the remaining Mongol imperial members who adhered to their established norms.
The Effect Of Stress And Breast Care During The Covid-19 Pandemic On The Currency Of Post Partum Mom's Breast Milk (ASI) In Indramayu District
Authors: Nurohmat Nurohmat , Ruswadi Indra , Yulianingsih Nengsih
Published: March 2024

One of the psychological disorders that can occur in postpartum mothers is that mothers experience post-delivery stress, especially for primiparous mothers in other words, in normal situations postpartum mothers face various problems, plus during the COVID-19 pandemic, of course, it can cause stress so that it is feared to have an impact on the baby. because the milk is not smooth. The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of stress and breast care during the COVID-19 pandemic on the smoothness of postpartum mother's milk in Indramayu Regency with the associative method using descriptive and inferential statistical analysis approaches. Based on the results of research conducted from April to July 2021 in Indramayu Regency, the following conclusions can be drawn: 36.7% postpartum mothers during the covid 19 pandemic experienced moderate stress, 55.1% postpartum mothers during the covid 19 pandemic included the category not good. and 57.1% of postpartum mothers during the covid 19 pandemic in Indramayu Regency, their breast milk is in the substandard category.
Implementation of Early Detection of Mental Nursing in the Community
Authors: Pragholapati Andria , Nur Anna A , Ratna E Suci , Nompo Rifki Sakinah , Farkhah Laeli , Hadiansyah Tantan , Eryanto Bambang , Susanto Wigyo
Published: March 2024

Strengthening quality primary health care efforts, especially through increasing health insurance, increasing access and quality of basic and referral health services supported by strengthening the health system and increasing health financing. Policies related to early detection in public mental health preventive efforts are implied in the direction of Ministry of Health policies, namely Strengthening primary health care, Implementation of the Continuum of Care Approach, and Health Risk-Based Interventions.
Application Of Home Visit Recording And Reporting Systems For Vulnerable Family For Health Nurses In Indramayu Regency Public Health Centre
Authors: Yulianingsih Nengsih , Priyanto Priyanto , Nurohmat Nurohmat
Published: March 2024

The partner's problem discussed in the program community service is about less than the maximum recording and reporting of home visit activities for vulnerable families in the area of the Indramayu district health center area.. The problems that always happen are that there is No. enough time that causes no recording and report system effectiveness. In addition, there are not enough human resources. The rapid rotation and shifting of nurses' duties so that nurses' comprehension of health facilities has not been maximized cause an impact on attainment of the target of home visits for vulnerable families under the predetermined target.
Relationship of Competency of Community Health Nurse Coordinator (Perkesmas) and Level of Implementation of Perkesmas Activities at Public Health Center Work Area of Indramayu District Health Office
Authors: Yulianingsih Nengsih , Priyanto Priyanto , Nurohmat Nurohmat
Published: March 2024

Community Health Nursing Service (Perkesmas) is one of the efforts of the puskesmas that supports the improvement of public health status by combining nursing knowledge/practice with public health through the support of active community participation. Perkesmas service activities can be carried out inside and outside the Puskesmas building. Inside the building, nurses provide nursing care for individuals who come to the puskesmas; in contrast, outside the building, nurses can give family nursing care and nursing care for special/health-prone groups in the Perkesmas target area. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between the competence of the Community Health Coordinator at the Public Health Center and the implementation of Community Health Activities in the work area of the Indramayu District Health Office. This research used a quantitative and analytical correlation approach with a cross-sectional design. The analysis was carried out in Public Health Centers throughout Indramayu Regency. The sample is 49 nurses appointed as health care coordinators at the Puskesmas. Data was collected through questionnaires, observation, and field supervision. The analysis results showed no relationship between the competence of puskesmas nurses and the level of implementation of health care activities. However, from the effects of partial hypothesis testing, it is known that there is a relationship between knowledge and training with the level of implementation of community health activities.This study recommends increasing the competence of nurses through increasing knowledge and training in hato optimize the implementation of the health care program.
Implementation of Chest Physiotherapy and Effective Coughing on Respiratory Disorders In Patients With COVID-19: A Case Study
Authors: Sidiq Syarif Jafar , Sari Rina Puspita
Published: March 2024

COVID-19 can cause symptoms of acute respiratory disorders such as fever above 38°C, cough, and shortness of breath for humans. One of the nursing interventions that can be applied to clear the sputum in the airway is chest physiotherapy and effective coughing. The research design used an evaluative design is a case study with data analysis using descriptive-analytic. The case study was carried out on adults, 57 years old with Covid-19. Chest physiotherapy and cough intervention were given for 7 days. the results obtained after this action that the client does not complain of shortness of breath again and coughs are not felt again. These nursing actions can be taken to reduce the symptoms of respiratory disorders felt in patients with Covid-19
Health Promotion on Environmental Waste Management At Elementary School In Bandung
Authors: Mukarrahmah Laillah , Rahmawati Ade Ajeng
Published: March 2024

Background : Various activities in schools almost always produce waste. The waste generated from the school environment can be in the form of organic or inorganic waste. Accumulated waste can cause environmental pollution and can cause disease outbreaks. Garbage such as paper, leaves, or even leftover food from student supplies has not been managed properly by students. The garbage is still collected in the same trash can so that it can cause an unpleasant odor and interfere with the learning process. To reduce this, many approaches can be taken, such as more efficient waste management, recycling waste, and reducing waste use. Method: Health promotion activities are carried out using the extension method by providing material on good and correct waste segregation. The instrument used was a questionnaire to measure knowledge using frequency data distribution analysis. Result: Through this health promotion the level of students' knowledge about waste sorting has increased quite a bit. Conclusion: This health promotion can increase students' knowledge. It is hoped that this increase in knowledge will be followed by changes in the behavior of all school members. Schools should support this movement and facilitate the school community in sorting waste.
Vulnerabilidade social no contexto da pandemia de COVID-19: uma discussão bioética
Authors: Alves Priscila Dias , Seidl Eliane Maria Fleury
Published: March 2024

To analyze, from a bioethical perspective, social vulnerability in relation to health during the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Methods: The study included peer-reviewed publications from January 1st until December 31st 2020, identified in Pubmed, SciELO and LILACS data basis. Mesh terms were utilized for research in Pubmed as follows: “COVID-19” conjugated with the terms: “vulnerable population”, “population groups”, “social determinants of health”, “health equity”. Portuguese and Spanish equivalents DECS terms were used for searching in the other two databases. Results: a total of 132 articles were found. After applied inclusion and exclusion criteria, were 21 eligible articles. The most recurrent themes were: racial, ethnic and social-economics, gender, age, disability and chronic health conditions. Articles addressing more than one theme were observed, integrating different aspects of vulnerable populations. A bioethical discussion with focus in vulnerability based in the data retrieved took place and connections with discrimination and social determinants of health were made. Conclusion: Results point to the violation of rights explained in the Universal Declaration of Bioethics and Human Rights. By increasing the disparity in morbidity and mortality from COVID-19 of population groups already impacted by the social determination of health, there is a violation of the right to health, indicating that governments and societies fail to respect the vulnerability of social groups in the pandemic context.
Submission: 08/01/23| Review: 09/15/23| Approval: 09/18/23
Iterative method improving Newton's method with higher order
Authors: Ahmed Shno
Published: March 2024

In the present article, we have constructed and looked at improving two- and three-step iterative methods to locate simple roots of non-linear equations. It appears that the three-step iterative method converges to the eighth order. The whole aim of this research is to derive and present a new modified iterative method of higher order and to obtain less iteration than the classical Newton method for solving nonlinear equations of simple roots. The present technique has to evaluate three functions and two first derivatives in each iteration. The advantage of the proposed method has been observed to have at least better performance effective and more stability by comparing with the other methods for the same or less than order. Also, noted that our method gives better results in terms of the number of iterations. To demonstrate the efficacy and popularity, different numerical illustrations are provided for the recommended techniques.
Microfacies analysis and Depositional Basin Model of the Upper Cretaceous, Kurdistan Region, Northern Iraq
Authors: Gardy Zahid , Ahmed Sirwan , Baziany Mushir
Published: March 2024

This study focuses on the Upper Cretaceous system in the Zagros fold and thrust belt in the Kurdistan Region / Iraq. The impression of this study is created by the variety of formations, facies change, and age of the Cretaceous formations, as well as the different consequences of the contact situation between the formations, particularly the Qamchuqa-Bekhme and Kometan-Shiranish contacts formations. Through investigation, evaluation, and combination of results from Lithostratigraphy and Microfacies of seven sections in various locations of KRI/ Iraq, new paleogeography of the Late Cretaceous of Northern Iraq is constrained. The microfacies of entire Late Cretaceous formations in different sections outcome 16 sub-microfacies types demonstrating open marine deep shelf environment of Shiranish Formation, the entire reef (back-reef, fore-reef, reef body) environment of Bekhme Formation and pelagic open marine ramp depositional environment of Kometan Formation. The output results of stratigraphy and microfacies of Late Cretaceous depositional successions in the Kurdistan Region are paleogeography maps reconstruction. During the Turonian to Early Santonian periods, the Kurdistan Region and northern Iraq were pre-subduction basins due to the presence of open marine outer ramp carbonate of the Kometan Formation in the east (Sulaimaniyah province exceeding Hizop area) and inner shelf of Tanuma and Khasib formations in the center and west (Erbil province). Major regression and unconformities covered the West of the study region during the Middle-Late Santonian; the result of this regression degraded the entire inner shelf facies that deposited during Turonian-Early Santonian periods. During the Early-Middle Campanian, a foreland basin emerged in the extreme northeastern and the Kurdistan Region, which was covered by open marine of the Shiranish Formation and reef platform of the Bekhme Formation. The Kurdistan Region was an active foreland basin margin in the Upper Campanian-Maastrichtian, with a greatly expanded Tanjero Formation, an Aqra reef in the north, and an open marine Shiranish Formation in the center and west.
Knowledge of Obstetric Danger Signs during Pregnancy in Prime Gravida Women Attending Ali Kamal Health Center, Sulaimaniyah, Iraq
Authors: Saeed Mahabat
Published: March 2024

Background: Pregnant mothers experience a number of physical and psychological changes due to pregnancy, which are part of a normal process. However, vaginal bleeding, severe headaches, blurred vision, high fever, swollen hands or face, and decreased foetal activity can be warning indicators. These warning signs typically point to an obstetric problem that could develop during pregnancy. Understanding these warning signs can empower women to make informed decisions and seek medical attention.

 

Objective: The current study  aims to assess the knowledge of danger signs during pregnancy of primigravidal women attending the Ali Kamal Health Center in Sulaimaniyah City.

 

Materials and Methods: A non-probability, Purpousive sample of 126 pregnant women was used in this descriptive study. It was conducted at the Ali Kamal Health Center in Sulaimaniyah, Iraq from 16 January 2023 to 16 March 2023. A well-designed questionnaire was constructed, in which the first section focused on sociodemographic characteristics and the second section consisted of questions regarding obstetric characteristics. Ten questions about participants' knowledge of danger signs comprised the final section.

 

Results: The findings revealed that 61.1% of participants had no knowledge of danger signs during pregnancy, 26.6% of mothers had adequate knowledge, and just 12.7% of participants had good knowledge. Age and education level have statistically significant or positive relationships with maternal knowledge. However, no statistically significant or positive relationships exist between maternal knowledge and occupation, monthly income, or place of residence.

 

Conclusions: There was a lack of awareness of pregnancy danger signs among expectant mothers at the Ali Kamal Health Center. Pregnant women should be educated to be more aware of the warning indicators, as this will empower them to make informed decisions and seek the necessary medical attention.
Assessment of Colon Cancer Screening Programs in Sulaimaniyah Province, Iraq
Authors: Abdulrazaq Sivar , Sheikha Anwar
Published: March 2024

Background: The incidence and mortality of colorectal cancer (CRC) have increased over the last 25 years in young adults aged <50 years old. Early diagnosis, particularly through screening programs, is one of the major factors contributing to this welcome development.

 

Objectives: To assess the knowledge of the CRC screening program among people in the Sulaimaniyah province, Iraq, about their sociodemographics and levels of knowledge.

 

Patients and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 300 participants through an online questionnaire and interview. The collected data includes participants' sociodemographic data (age, gender, level of education, marital status, and occupation) and their knowledge of the CRC screening program.

 

Results: The mean age of participants was 50.5±5.8 years, ranging from 30 to >70 years. Most participants were males (51%), married (61.8%), governmental employees (58.7%), and graduated from University (28.7%). More participants (77.6%) had an acceptable level of knowledge related to the CRC screening program, 17.7% had a good level, and only 4.7% had a poor level. Knowledge of the CRC screening program was statistically significant with age, occupation and marital status (p=0.02, p<0.01, and p<0.01, respectively).

 

Conclusions: The outcomes showed most participants had fair knowledge regarding the CRC screening program. Nurses must have a good role and play an important part in health education about CRC. Thus, early detection programs, regular screening, and lifestyle maintenance decrease the risk of CRC in the community.
Specificity of the musical interpretation of Arnold Böcklin's paintings by Max Reger
Authors:   Ukrainian National Tchaikovsky Academy of Music, Kyiv, Ukraine, Kirdeieva Maiia
Published: March 2024

The article analyses the interaction of arts on the example of the program work Four Tone Poems after Arnold Böcklin by Max Reger, written under the impression from the paintings by Arnold Böcklin, a Swiss symbolist painter. New perspectives were found in the study of the composer's individual style. The analysis of the composition Four Tone Poems after Arnold Böcklin (1913) gives the possibility to investigate M. Reger's views on works of fine art manifested in the specific features of the music piece as well as the role of visual impression and its place in the construction of musical images. Particular attention is paid to the analysis and use of means of musical expression. Using the cultural method for researching artist biographies, it was possible to determine the exact version of the painting Isle of the Dead by A. Böcklin, which served as a program for M. Reger on the basis of which he wrote the poem of the same name (third). This article reveals the composer's style orientation, which constitutes a synthesis of romantic emotionality with a strong reliance on constructiveness, clearness and intellectuality. The article analyzes directly opposite views on M. Reger's work and identifies the original essence of the composer's art. The study tracks the composer's connections with fine arts. An interdisciplinary approach allowed reconstructing the author's perception of the visual images of the paintings The Hermit, Playing in the Waves, Isle of the Dead and Bacchantenfest. The analysis proves that the composer chose plot motifs based on the criteria of duality, which means that each motive goes hand in hand with its antipode. M. Reger sees it as a life-death formula, which is vividly embodied in the Four Tone Poems after Arnold Böcklin, where parts one and three named the Hermit and Isle of the Dead represent death and the other two – Playing in the Waves and Bacchantenfest – is life in its vigorous manifestation.
Protection of cultural heritage: modern realities and experience of international cooperation
Authors:   Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv, Ukraine, Zhyvohliadova Daryna
Published: March 2024

In the context of the recent full-scale Russian aggression against Ukraine, a global tectonic shift is taking place in the system of political, economic and socio-cultural interaction. New coordinates of cooperation, mutual assistance and support in the international cultural space are being formed. The Russian war against Ukraine, the scale of its cruelty, influenced the world community's awareness of globality, mutual dependence and responsibility for the well-being of humanity as a whole. The creation of strategic alliances for the protection of cultural heritage ensures the stability of the joint path of unique communities, nations, and states to a successful future. The article is aimed at analyzing the modern realities of the protection of the cultural heritage of Ukraine in conditions of war and the experience of international organizations, their cooperation in supporting the uniqueness of Ukrainian culture, the activities of UNESCO and ALIPH as an integral part of a wider management system of international cooperation in supporting unique cultural resources, "unity in diversity".
Cultural diplomacy of the State Department as a tool of US foreign policy: the "Golden Age" (1953 – 1961 years)
Authors:   National Aviation University, Kyiv, Ukraine, Klynina Tetiana
Published: March 2024

The article is devoted to the consideration of the issue of the development of US cultural diplomacy in 1953-1961 as a tool for implementing foreign policy. In American historiography, it is customary to describe this period as the "golden age", since there was a significant breakthrough in the understanding of the importance of culture as one of the effective elements of the implementation of US foreign policy. The methodological basis of the article was the principle of historicism, a systematic approach, problem-chronological and descriptive methods. The purpose of the article is to analyze the main types of cultural diplomacy that the USA used to promote itself abroad in the context of the confrontation with the Soviet Union. The article emphasizes the problem of comparing the concepts of "cultural diplomacy" and "public diplomacy", which makes it difficult to understand their organizational histories. The author of the article starts from the position that "cultural diplomacy" is not separate from "public diplomacy" and is an integral part of it. It is emphasized that the development of the Cold War and the Soviet Union's representation of itself as a country with a great cultural heritage and potential posed the question of changing cultural policy before the US government. During the presidency of D. Eisenhower, dance tours, art exhibitions, cinematography, literature, musical performances, educational, scientific and cultural exchange programs were transformed from an element of exclusively American art into instruments of foreign policy. Not the last role in this transformation was played by the US State Department and, created later, the US Information Agency. Although at the same time, both institutions tried to avoid full responsibility for the results of cultural policy implementation. The basis for this attitude was the constant criticism of congressmen (among whom J. McCarthy played a significant and rather harmful role), as well as the focused attention of the American public on the appropriateness of using the money of American taxpayers. The article refutes the thesis that art in the United States was outside of politics and proves that culture has been in step with the US foreign policy course. Nevertheless, despite a number of obstacles and state control, the cultural diplomacy of D. Eisenhower's time appeared in other colors and really became its "golden period".
Development of organisational culture to ensure community security
Authors:   ", Zelenschi Angela ,   Ștefan cel Mare",   Academy, Chișinău, Republic of Moldova
Published: March 2024

This article explores the concept of organisational culture as a strategic tool that can be used by leaders to undertake the organisational changes necessary to ensure community security. Managers' actions are primarily geared toward the functioning of the organization as an entity, towards increasing employee engagement in achieving organizational goals, and secondly, actions are externally oriented, being focused on establishing a network of relationships with community stakeholders to achieve goals and promote organizational causes. Theoretical research on the phenomenon of organizational culture is carried out, using the method of examining the correlations between the elements of organizational management – organizational culture and organizational leadership, organizational culture and external networks, organizational culture, and effective habits of employees. The author addresses the problem of developing organisational culture within the police with the aim of improving the management system. The outcomes achieved by the author can be applied in theoretical research on organizational culture, in the managerial process of police structures, and in the training process of young specialists in the field of security and public order.
On Almost C(α)-Manifold Satisfying Certain Curvature Conditions
Authors: Mert Tuğba , Atçeken Mehmet , Uygun Pakize
Published: March 2024

This research article is about the geometry of the almost C(α)- manifold. Some important properties of the almost C(α)- manifold with respect to the W_3- curvature tensor, such as W_3-flat and W_3- semi-symmetry, are investigated. The relationship of W_3- curvature tensor with Riemann, Ricci, projective, concircular and quasi-conformal curvature tensor is discussed on the almost C(α)- manifold and many important results are obtained. In addition, W_3- pseudo symmetry and W_3- Ricci pseudo symmetry are investigated for the almost C(α)- manifold. The results obtained are interesting and give an idea about the geometry of the almost C(α)- manifold.
Evaluation of the Central Copper Contact Pin Effect in High-Energy Region in Gamma-ray Spectrometry
Authors: Uyar Esra
Published: March 2024

The detector must be modeled in the most accurate way when Monte Carlo simulation method is used for efficiency calculation in gamma-ray spectrometric studies. This study aims to investigate the effect of the copper contact pin inside the detector on the efficiency of the HPGe detector for high gamma-ray energies. Simulated efficiencies were determined for 6 different energies in the energy range of 1460.8 keV up to 2614.5 keV in point and cylindrical source geometry. According to the modeling using PHITS Monte Carlo simulation code, the presence of copper contact pin at high gamma-ray energies caused a decrease of up to 6% in detector efficiency. It was emphasized that this ignored parameter should be included in the modeling like all other geometric parameters used in detector modeling, by showing the effect on the efficiency.
Machine Learning Based Classification of the Halos in Light Nuclei Region
Authors: Akkoyun Serkan
Published: March 2024

Experimental and theoretical studies on halo nuclei, whose nucleon binding energies are extremely weak, are among the most interesting topics of nuclear physics studies. By better defining and understanding this unusual behavior of these nuclei, our understanding of nuclear structure can be further improved. Although there are already a few experimentally proven halo nuclei in the literature, many others have found their place in the literature as candidate halo nuclei. In this study, the classification of halo nuclei was carried out using an artificial neural network approach. In the light nuclei region, the properties of nuclei, including halo nuclei, were discussed and the existing halo nuclei were classified. The success of the obtained results indicates that machine learning methods can be used for identifying halo nuclei. Thus, these methods are considered as one of the alternative tools to confirm the existence of new or candidate halo nuclei.
Ideology of Inadmissibility of the Suspect’s Testimony
Authors: Zashlyapin L. A.
Published: March 2024

The following rule is axiomatic: «in the course of investigative actions, violation of the rule of law is unacceptable.» Compliance of procedural procedures with this principle is an imperative condition of criminal proceedings. Legality determines the order of investigative actions. Legality and order set the standard procedural form of obtaining evidence that in the adversarial and investigative types of the process entails differing procedural content. This defines the differences in the rules used to evaluate personal evidence due to the ideological attitudes embedded in the construction of the law.

In Soviet law, the form of interrogation was associated with the goal of achieving the truth, which determines the activities of almost all participants in the proceedings. Consequently, undifferentiated actions of the main participants in court proceedings were acceptable to achieve the truth, and the evidence obtained was admissable. The aim of the investigator’s pursuit of the truth assumed that it was permissible for him to use questions of accusatory etymology when receiving the testimony of a suspect. The adversarial principle is implemented in modern law. In this case, the legal order is formed by two parties with the defense initiating questions to the suspect, which is an element of the proper form of obtaining the testimony of the suspect used in their assessment. The formation of evidence is completed by their examination according to the criterion of admissibility in court proceedings. Until the moment of rebuttal of the presumption of innocence, all evidence presented by the prosecution is inadmissible. By proving guilt, the prosecutor proves the quality of the evidence presented by the prosecution. Thus, the quality of admissibility of evidence is acquired simultaneously with the entry into force of the presumption of the validity of the verdict.
Diagnosis and Treatment of Tuberculous Meningoencephalitis and Toxoplasma Encephalitis in Positive HIV Patient: Case Report
Authors: Septa Della , Imran Yudhisman , Pragono Ronny Yoesyanto
Published: March 2024

Background
Tuberculous meningoencephalitis (TBME) and toxoplasma encephalitis (TE) are the most frequent cerebral opportunistic infections in positive HIV patients in developed countries. This study aims to determine a presumptive diagnosis of TBME and TE based only on clinical, CD4-count, and radiology features and to attend suitable early treatment for better patient outcomes.
Case Description
A 40-year-old presented to the emergency unit of dr. Mintohardjo Naval Hospital with decreased consciousness. History of positive HIV status, pulmonary tuberculosis for six months and anti-tubercular-treatment (ATT) drop-out. The GCS was E2M5V2, lung crackles, nuchal rigidity, positive Babinski reflex, and duplex hemiparesis. CD4-count: 4 cells/mm3. Multiple hypodense lesions, “finger-like-oedema”, featured on non-contrast head CT-scan. A lumbar puncture was not performed. Treatment of TBME included an ATT regimen, pyridoxine, cotrimoxazole, anti-oedema, and TE treatment included clindamycin and pyrimethamine. Based on the clinical and radiological diagnosis of TBME (nuchal rigidity, history of ATT drop-out, multiple hypodense lesions on CT-scan) and TE (altered mental status, duplex hemiparesis, CD4-count, “finger-like-oedema” projections on CT-scan), ATT and TE treatment were given for ten days. There were significant clinical improvements by GCS E4M6V3, negative nuchal rigidity after being treated early by ATT and TE treatment.
Conclusions
Presumptive Diagnosis of TBME and TE in HIV patients can be determined only based on clinical, CD4-count, and radiology examination. However, there are significant clinical improvements in giving ATT along with TE treatment immediately in positive HIV patients.
Fusion-Based 2.5D Face Recognition System
Authors: Teo Min-Er , Chong Lee-Ying , Chong Siew-Chin
Published: March 2024

Face recognition is the dominant biometrics system used to authenticate an individual’s identity in various applications. Most commercial face recognition systems rely on 2D face images, but the changes in the environment lighting and a person's posture affect the accuracy of the 2D face recognition systems. Hence, the 2.5D face recognition system arises as the solution to eliminate the drawbacks of the 2D face recognition system. The depth feature in the 2.5D data (depth image) provides additional information that can help to improve the accuracy and robustness of 2.5D face recognition systems, particularly in challenging scenarios. This paper proposes a fusion-based approach for the 2.5D face recognition system to enhance the system’s performance, where feature fusion involves the combination of features extracted from the depth image. Gabor-based Region Covariance Matrices (GRCMs) that serve as face identifiers combine the depth and texture images in the structure of a covariance matrix. Several experiments on different fusions have been conducted in the Face Recognition Grand Challenge version 2 (FRGC v2.0) database. This paper shows that the max-min fusion applied to the surface normal (y-direction) and the mean curvature has achieved the best accuracy rate of 93.66% among the other fusion approaches used.
Determinant Factors of Islamic Financial Technology Acceptance
Authors: Rahayu Rita , Ali Syahril , Hidayah Raudhatul , Nabila Sinta
Published: March 2024

The rapid development of the Islamic-based financial industry in Indonesia has not been followed by the development of Islamic Financial Technology (iFinTech). This certainly raises questions about what factors affect iFinTech acceptance in Indonesia. In this study, the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was applied to identify the determinant factors of iFinTech acceptance. In this regard, five factors were identified as the determinant factors of iFinTech acceptance, namely perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, subjective norm, self-efficacy, and customer innovativeness. Using an online questionnaire, this study gathered 526 responses from people who lived in various areas of Indonesia. Data were analyzed by a Structural Equation Model, and it was found that, among the five variables investigated, four variables, which are perceived usefulness, subjective norm, self-efficacy, and customer innovativeness, have significant influence on iFinTech acceptance; while perceive ease of use was found have no effect on iFinTech acceptance. This result is expected to be an input for related parties, such as iFinTech providers and the government, in making policies to encourage the development of the iFinTech industry in Indonesia.
Technology Transformation, Innovation, and Digital Economy Development in Developing Countries
Authors: Budiarto Dekeng Setyo , Nordin Norraini
Published: March 2024

The COVID-19 pandemic is a gateway for businesses to develop technology and embrace digitalization to remain competitive. Various results stated the important role of innovation and technology transformation as potent weapons for survival in this evolving landscape. This research analyzes the role of technology and innovation, especially in developing countries, with few articles researching this field. A systematic literature review that examined 84 articles from reputable international journals was used, with a particular emphasis on developing countries. This research aimed to conduct a comprehensive analysis of existing literature by using the keywords “technology”, “innovation”, and “digital economy” to identify gaps and generate fresh insights. The articles were collected from ProQuest, Google Scholar, and Scopus search engines and imported into Mendeley software for analysis using VOSviewer. The visualization results showed that SMEs were the most frequently mentioned keyword with 41 occurrences. This research contributed by providing opportunities in the form of new paths and variables rarely used for further analysis. There were also implications for organizational management, both in profit and non-profit organizations, to enhance technological capabilities, thereby improving business efficiency and sustainability.
Addressing Digital Transformation in Universities
Authors: Maltese Vincenzo
Published: March 2024

In facing digital transformation challenges, universities need to set up their data governance strategies. They include effective solutions to trace and value data about key assets (such as researchers, publications, courses, research projects) scattered across multiple legacy IT systems. As part of an overall solution to deal with the unavoidable data fragmentation and diversity, we provide the complete code of a simple and very efficient framework that can be employed by universities to develop their own knowledge graph, offering a comprehensive picture of the strategic data of the university, such that it can be consistently exploited by different digital services.
Barriers to Digital Transformation
Authors: Mahboub Houda , Sadok Hicham
Published: March 2024

Digital transformation, combining advanced technologies and innovative processes, represents a major revolution in the managerial landscape of companies, likely to stimulate growth and efficiency. However, the obstacles to this transformation are numerous and interrelated. The objective of this article is to shed light on the nature of these obstacles in the Moroccan context. Based on a survey of 312 Moroccan companies and 74 interviews, this study made it possible to determine the major obstacles to digital transformation. The major barriers to digital transformation are essentially the lack of internal resources and skills, resistance to change and lack of leadership, insufficient return on investment, the strategic and procedural complexity of the project, security problems, and the inconsistency of the transformation project to be carried out. These results confirm those obtained by other studies under other skies, thus making it possible to conclude that the nature of the obstacles to digital transformation remains practically the same in the different countries covered by similar research, but only the degree of their prevalence changes. Having an idea of the significant barriers will help managers increase their digital and organizational performance.
How Important is Mobile Broadband Latency for Total Factor Productivity Growth?
Authors: Edquist Harald
Published: March 2024

This paper investigates the relationship between the log change in mobile broadband latency and total factor productivity (TFP) growth based on data for 130 countries. It finds that there is a strong negative correlation between TFP growth and one year lag of latency growth in OECD countries. The interpretation of the findings is that a 10 percentage points decrease in the growth of latency in period t-1 is associated with an increase of 0.3 percentage points in TFP growth. The findings are in accordance with the framework of General Purpose Technologies that suggests that the impact of new technologies often appear with a lag. Moreover, no relationship is found for the total sample or for non-OECD countries. One possible explanation could be that OECD countries have reached a higher maturity in digitalisation and automation in production processes and thus are able to take advantage of the benefits of lower latency.
Implementation of a Cross-Platform Development Board for Embedded Internet-of-Things Systems
Authors: Herrera Rubio Jorge Enrique , Florez Prieto Steven Antonio
Published: March 2024

A prototype of a printed circuit board (PCB) with radio frequency electromagnetic compatibility specifications is designed using the top-down methodology for the two-layer Internet of Things with free open-source hardware and software, using the following techniques: requirements, analysis, modular design, schematics, manufacturing and functional testing. The study of the influence of the design parameters is carried out applying the standards of the Printed Circuit Institute and the characteristics of the technological production process for a free multiplatform for wireless networks. Finally, functional tests of the universal asynchronous transmit and receive (UART) communication with the microcontroller, the radio modules, the general-purpose input and output pins, and the over-the-air (OTA) configuration are performed to program the board wirelessly, without the need of a universal serial bus (USB) interface.
Editorial: A Special Issue
Authors: Campbell Leith H.
Published: March 2024

This editorial introduces the March issue, which includes a main Special Issue section on Emerging Technologies and Innovation for Digital Economy and Transformation, as well as papers from the general submissions. The popular reprint from the Telecommunication Journal of Australia is back.
Simulation of Energy Transfer Processes in Mesogenic Binuclear Complexes of Lanthanides(III)
Authors: Romanova Kseniya A. , Galyametdinov Yuriy G.
Published: March 2024

Quantum-chemical simulation of the molecular structure and excited state energies of some mesogenic binuclear complexes of lanthanides(III) with substituted β-diketones and Lewis bases have been performed. Correlations between geometric parameters, structural features of the complexes' coordination polyhedra, potential liquid-crystalline properties, and luminescence efficiency were analyzed. According to the calculated values of the lowest singlet and triplet excited states of the ligands, energy level diagrams were constructed and the main channels of intramolecular energy transfer between the excited levels of the ligands and lanthanide(III) ions were defined. The process of interionic energy transfer was elucidated and the ligand environment for the creation of mesogenic binuclear lanthanide(III) complexes with intense luminescence was proposed.
Effect of Nanostructured Additive Based on Graphene Oxide and Lignosulphonate on Water Absorption and Thermal Conductivity of Non-Autoclaved Aerated Concrete
Authors: Aljaboobi D. Z. M. , Burakova I. V. , Burakov A. E. , Sldozian R. J. , Tkachev A. G.
Published: March 2024

The assessment of the effect of various modifiers introduced into the composition of non-autoclaved aerated concrete (NAC) was made. The modifiers were graphene oxide (GO) in the form of an aqueous suspension, lignosulfonate (LS) and a complex GO/LS additive. The samples of gas blocks containing GO – 0.0001, 0.0002, 0.003 wt. %; LS – 0.032, 0.16, 0.32 wt. % by weight of cement and their various combinations were molded. Thermal conductivity and water absorption tests were carried out on the samples of standard and modified NAC aged for 28 days. The research results confirmed the positive effect of reducing thermal conductivity and water absorption, which varied depending on the amount and type of additive. After the addition of LS, GO and GO/LS (0.0002/0.16 wt. %) modifiers, there was a corresponding reduction in water absorption by 12–34 %, 30–50 % and 63 %, respectively, and a decrease in the thermal conductivity coefficient by 6–12 %, 14–18 %, and 29 %, respectively. It is assumed that the introduction of the complex nanomodifier GO/LS increases the degree of crystallinity and homogeneity, as well as changes the composition and size of mineral neoformations of cement stone. Consequently, by changing the structure of silicate matrix through the addition of a modifyer developed by the authors, an improvement in the performance properties of thermal insulating cellular concrete was achieved.
Photoinduced Transformation of the Orientational Structure of a Chiral Nematic under Planar-Conical Anchoring
Authors: Abdullaev Abylgazy S. , Krakhalev Mikhail N. , Zyryanov Victor Ya.
Published: March 2024

The photo-induced change in the orientation structure of the chiral nematic based on LN-396 doped with chiral dopants S811 and cChD has been investigated. It is shown that the use of planar-conical boundary conditions makes it possible to realise a smooth variation of the structure twist angle by changing the helix pitch. It is shown that the twisting of the structure of the studied chiral nematic to an angle of more than 240° leads to undulations when the conical anchoring is specified by the PiBMA polymer. The PtBMA polymer, on the other hand, specifies tangential boundary conditions for the chiral nematic under study, allowing the director to rotate easily in the plane of the sample. The results presented may be promising for the development of liquid crystal systems with finely tunable polar and azimuthal angles of the director.
Acute appendicitis in pregnancy, is there a role for conservative management?
Authors: Tian Jane , Altai Tabark , Bhatia Shubham , Mourad Youssef , Miele Andrew , Robitsek R. Jonathan , Mckenzie Katherine , Louis Martine A. , Mandava Nageswara R.
Published: March 2024

Background: Although rare, acute appendicitis is the most common general surgery problem encountered in pregnancy. A chief concern is timely and accurate diagnosis. Traditionally, delayed diagnosis of appendicitis in pregnant patients can quickly lead to appendiceal rupture associated with miscarriage, premature delivery, or even fetal loss. Hence, appendectomy has been the gold standard. However, emerging evidence suggests conservative management may be more effective than previously thought, after accounting for maternal and fetal characteristics.
Methods: This retrospective study included a sample of pregnant women diagnosed with acute appendicitis presenting for treatment to two hospitals in Queens, NY, between Jan 2012 and Dec 2021. The characteristics, presentation, and outcomes of conservatively versus surgically treated patients were compared.
Results: The cumulative incidence of acute appendicitis was 0.11% (n=44/28,000). Forty were treated surgically: 78% underwent laparoscopic appendectomy, 15% open appendectomy, and 8% underwent an initial laparoscopy which was converted to an open appendectomy. Four (14%) patients were managed conservatively with IV antibiotics. Eight percent of patients treated surgically had postoperative complications. Neither surgical nor conservatively treated groups reported any instance of mortality or fetal demise.
Conclusions: Our study adds to the literature on treatment decisions for pregnant patients with acute appendicitis. Although surgical intervention remains the gold standard, it carries the potential risk of peri- and postoperative complications. These findings suggest conservative management with antibiotics can sometimes be used without a negative impact on maternal or fetal outcomes.