bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Rediscovery of a humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) feeding ground in the Straits of Magellan, Chile
Authors: Gibbons Jorge , Capella Juan J. , Valladares Carlos
Published: April 2023

New information is presented on the summer distribution of southeastern Pacific humpback whales along the Southern Chilean fjords. Sightings of 128 humpback whales observed between December and June from 1997-2001 were analysed. Sightings occurred between 48°50AS to 54°18AS and were concentrated in the waters surrounding Isla Carlos III in the Straits of Magellen (53°37AS, 72°21AW) and in the Canal Wide (49°36AS–5°S). To date, 23 individual whales have been identified from photographs of the ventral surface of the flukes. Throughout the austral summer, seven individuals were resighted near Isla Carlos III over periods between 2-5 months. Two individuals were observed in 1999 and 2000, and two individuals were previously recorded in 1997 in Canal Wide, about 365km north of Isla Carlos III. Historical records show the occurrence of whales in the area from the 16th to the 20th Century. From historic records, scattered whaling data, the small amount of scientific literature available, and the results of this study, it is suggested that the southwestern part of the Straits of Magellan, especially the waters surrounding Isla Carlos III, is the first known feeding ground for humpback whales along the Pacific coast of South America.
Limitations of hypothesis-testing in defining management units for continuously distributed species
Authors: Martien Karen K. , Taylor Barbara L.
Published: April 2023

Estimating the risk to wildlife populations resulting from human-induced mortality relies on adequately defining population structure. For marine populations, including cetaceans, identifying population boundaries is difficult because most species have large continuous distributions with no obvious barriers to dispersal. For many species, the extreme ends of the range differ in morphology, indicating that population structure exists. However, the lack of distributional hiatuses often makes this structure difficult to detect. A common method of defining structure in such situations is to use genetic differentiation as a proxy for limited movement between areas. Genetic analyses of population structure usually take the form of hypothesis testing, which requires the a priori definition of hypothesised units and testing for significant genetic differentiation between them. Simulations are used to examine the performance of hypothesis testing to correctly define population structure. Results show that hypothesis testing is likely to lead the researcher to define fewer management units than are necessary to adequately protect local populations from over-exploitation. The need for the development of new methods of defining management units and for rigorous performance testing of all methods applied in a management context is highlighted.
The abundance of blue whales on the Madagascar Plateau, December 1996
Authors: Best Peter B. , Rademeyer Rebecca A. , Burton Chris , Ljungblad Don , Sekiguchi Keiko , Shimada Hiroyuki , Thiele Deborah , Reeb Desray , Butterworth Douglas S.
Published: April 2023

As part of the International Whaling Commission’s SOWER blue whale research programme, two sighting vessels, the Shonan Maru and the Shonan Maru No.2, surveyed the Madagascar Plateau between 25° and 35°S, 40° and 45°E, in December 1996. A total of 95 sightings of 110 blue whales (assigned in the field as pygmy blue whales – see discussion), 14 sightings of 21 blue whales (subspecies undetermined) and 12 sightings of 13 ‘like blue’ whales was made in 23 days. In the first half of the survey, the whole research area was covered in a mainly pre-determined zigzag search pattern, and the associated sightings and effort have been used to derive density estimates for blue whales for the area. Sightings in the second half of the survey, where effort was directed at blue whale concentrations, have only been used to provide supplementary data for calculation of the effective search half-width and mean school size. The resulting population estimate is 424 (CV = 0.42), or 472 (CV = 0.48) whales when ‘like blue’ sightings are included. Dive times and surfacing behaviour recorded in just over 21h of monitoring suggest that the assumption that all groups on the trackline were seen (g(0) = 1) is reasonable. As the geographical extent of the survey area was substantially less than that of past catches of blue whales in the region in December, this estimate must refer to only a portion (possibly about one third) of the total population. Some evidence of feeding on euphausiids in the region was detected, possibly as a consequence of a localised upwelling cell at the southern tip of Madagascar.
Computer Aided Diagnosis of Gliomas Using Machine Learning Classification Algorithms
Authors: Singh Shreya
Published: April 2023

The application of machine learning approaches to diagnose gliomas from magnetic resonance image data is becoming increasingly common as machine learning algorithms are being refined and inexpensive, high power computing resources are readily available. Most current glioma detection techniques involve a biopsy which is invasive and often has several long-lasting negative impacts. Many different classification techniques have been tried for image classification of scans containing gliomas including traditional models such as K-nearest neighbors and Random Forest. Deep learning models, specifically convolutional neural networks and pre-built models, have also been applied to the situation. This study applied 2 traditional machine learning models, Support Vector Machine and logistic regression classifier, to a publicly available dataset containing over 1200 brain scans of healthy and diseased patients. After normalization, 854 images were used to train the two models and 367 images were used to test the models. They were then evaluated on the parameters of: area under the receiver operating characteristic curve and sensitivity to determine which model performed better. Both models had similar AUC scores, but the SVM model had much higher sensitivity. Considering the possibly fatal ramifications of incorrectly diagnosing a patient who has been infected with glioma, it was determined that the SVM was better equipped to handle the classification task. Computer aided diagnosis of the tumor will hopefully be able to increase the survival rate of people diagnosing with gliomas.
Warm Covid Vaccine
Authors: Rao Krish , Appavu Rajagopal
Published: April 2023

Over the past couple of years, Sars-CoV-2, also known as Covid-19, has gone rampant around the globe. Millions of people have gotten infected from it so far, and hundreds of thousands of people have succumbed to this virus. For this, scientists have created vaccines to solve this issue and to make sure that people who take the vaccine can build up the antibodies to protect themselves from Covid-19. The problem with this vaccine is that it is not very accessible. This is because of the storage requirements that must be met for this vaccine to remain effective. The demanding ultra-cold temperature makes it extremely hard to disperse the vaccine throughout the community. This makes it almost impossible in areas that are less fortunate and do not have the money to support the storage needed for this vaccine. So, that is why a warm vaccine is necessary to make sure that people who are in rural and less fortunate areas, still can protect themselves from the virus. Researchers and scientists all over the world are currently working to solve this issue and make sure an effective warm Covid-19 vaccine can be created.
Classifying Alzheimer’s Disease with Machine Learning via Wavelet Transform Subband Combinations
Authors: Bhattacharya Aalok , Cheng Xiangyi
Published: April 2023

The 3-D wavelet transform has been used with machine learning techniques to help identify Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Although this approach resulted in high accuracy, a large number of subband permutations were obtained due to the usage of the 3-D wavelet transform, which causes redundancy and computational inefficiency during classification. To address this issue, this study discovers the combination with the minimum subbands giving a comparable accuracy with the original approach that used all subbands. The Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) was used to gain de-identified MRI scans for classification with 75% training and 25% test scans. The scans were standardized by pre-processing through skull stripping, segmentation, and smoothing using the MATLAB toolboxes Statistical Parametric Mapping 12 (SPM 12) and Computation Anatomy Toolbox 12 (CAT 12). Feature extraction was then completed through different 3-D wavelet transform subband combinations. Support vector machine (SVM) classification was used with radial basis function kernels (RBF) to screen patients for AD, MCI, or cognitively normal (CN) status 3 times per subband combination. The mean and standard deviation of the test accuracy for each combination were recorded. Among the tested combinations, the maximum mean test accuracy was 95.3%. To prevent overfitting, five-fold cross-validation was performed on the top 40% subband combinations based on the mean test accuracy. The maximum cross-validation accuracy is 97.3%. Therefore, this study shows the potential of using less 3-D wavelet transform subbands to help screen patients for AD or MCI in the future.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Native and Nonnative English-Speaking Teachers
Authors: Zhang Qixin , Solarz Daniel
Published: April 2023

Extensive research has been conducted and numerous articles have been written about native English-speaking teachers (NESTs), nonnative English-speaking teachers (NNESTs), and the effectiveness of each in classroom teaching. This paper focuses on studies that concern language teacher ability. The advantages and disadvantages of both NESTs and NNESTs are discussed through consideration of structured student and teacher interviews, standardized test scores, and student essay content analysis.  The aforementioned sources of information were obtained through the research studies reviewed for this essay. Overall, although NNESTs’ proficiency in ESL students’ first language and their understanding of cultural norms allow for ease in communication, as well as the development of a close student-teacher relationship, ultimately NESTs better facilitate English language learning because of the following four reasons: (a) students’ negative stereotypes towards NNESTs can activate poor concentration and attitudes; (b) NESTs more capably elevate their students’ listening and speaking skills by creating an English-only environment and encouraging authentic pronunciation and intonation via use of their native accents; (c) writing lessons taught by NESTs are considered more academically and grammatically accurate as well as more original compared to those taught by their nonnative counterparts; and (d) NESTs’ style of teaching is more fun, relaxed, and flexible, creating a positive atmosphere that subsequently raises the engagement level. These reasons indicate that NESTs can better maximize productivity in the classroom (when compared to NNESTs) to ensure the path of student language learning is smooth.
Humanistic Pesantren: Systematic Literature Review and Bibliometric Visualization Analysis on Character, Moral, and Ethical Values
Authors: Puspitarini Dwi , Sudana Degeng I Nyoman , Praherdhiono Henry , Suryati Nunung
Published: April 2023

This research presents a systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis of the studies on character education in Indonesian Islamic boarding schools from Scopus datasets from 2011 to 2020. With a determined flow diagram and interactive Vosviewer visualization, the urgent goals are to describe the important elements of the bibliography, i.e., publication trends, the collaboration of the authors (co-authorship), and the terms used in the title and abstract (co-occurrence). It also synthesizes applied methods and classifies noble moral values. The summary of the findings are (1) networks visualization shows detailed links for mapping the status of topics that have or have not been widely explored or discussed, (2) many names are grouped, which means that they are working together, (3) the co-occurrence visualization shows the most dominant keyword is “Islamic boarding school,” (4) the instilling methods are classified as role models (exemplary), habituation, media-assisted, and integrated daily activities, and (5) the humanitarian values are classified as religious, friendliness, communication, environmental and social awareness, also responsibility. This SLR and BA’s major contribution is an extensive summary of the systematic classification and mapping of character, moral, and ethical values, and methods, as well as of the relevant literature. The growth of these developing topics is a recommendation for researchers to integrate methods in multi-disciplines and for achieving typical positive values. Finally, this review provides ideas and recommendations for determining the direction of further research. By examining connected or disconnected networks, readers may independently research using online mapping to generate fresh study ideas.
Effects of Self-Explanation on the Expansion and Indulgent of Mathematics Teaching: Case of the Students of the University of Wachemo
Authors: Atisso Abdela , Kachine Dawit , Feyissa Dinku
Published: April 2023

The main goal of this study is to investigate the effects of self-explanation in improving proof comprehension in mathematics instruction: the case of Wachemo university undergraduate mathematics students of academic year 2020/2021. Moreover it is intended to find out interconnection between students achievement in mathematics and self-explanation in proof comprehension. To assess student’s self-explanation ability we applied self-explanation test and attitude test at the beginning and at the end to assess student’s character change to ward mathematics. In this study there are 48 students participated in both control and experimental groups. This study showed that the effectiveness of self-explanation in proof comprehension in mathematics courses. This also leading to recommend for curriculum developers to consider in self-explanation. One of the most strong findings of research is that conceptual indulgent is an important elements of expertise hence self-explanation is the tool to enhance students conceptual understanding, along with realistic knowledge and technical facility. The alliance of realistic knowledge, procedural expertise, and conceptual indulgent makes all three components operational in powerful ways. So that self-explanation has prominent effect in supporting students to achieve the intended objectives in proving theorems. Of these, two areas were measured quantitatively: student achievement in calculus and transformation geometry, and self-concept toward these courses. Those quantitative research findings are presented in chapter four with the details of the data collection procedures, the quantitative results, and an analysis of the outcomes.
Electricity Consumption using Big Data Analytics
Authors: Prof. Sandhya A. Awate  , Rahul Chaurasia  , Pratiksha Kirolkar  , Prerna Ingale  , Prerna Ingale
Published: April 2023

This paper focuses on using big data analytics to analyze the electricity consumption patterns of 500 consumers(residential) in a particular area over 24 months. The data was obtained from MESB and analyzed to understand the trends in consumption better. The analysis was used to create visualizations and graphs that helped to identify the consumption patterns of individual users as well as the overall trends in the area. Using the Power BI tool, a dashboard is created to showcase the results. The dashboard provides valuable information such as the top 10 consumers and average consumption values by user. This information can be used by utility companies to identify areas where consumption is high and to develop strategies to reduce overall electricity consumption. This study demonstrates the value of big data analytics in understanding complex patterns and identifying opportunities for energy savings
Automated Color-Making System for Dyeing Industry
Authors: T. Chinna Thambi  , Dr. S. Rathinavel
Published: April 2023

The mixing of dyes is a major technique in several industries such as textiles, paint, and leather. It can be done in improper proportions the result should be in vivid shades of color. So, the proposed method is used for the dyeing companion that works automatically with different dye ratios. The system will execute the color taking from the vessel using a syringe using a PIC microcontroller (PIC16F874A/877A). The syringe can be controlled by the keyboard and the values are displaced in LCD. The controller can give the choice of the user to choose parameters with a specific amount (green, red, and blue). The intensity of the color between 0 to 255 gives the values for each parameter. The specific amount of selected color is poured with empty vessels and mixed with a mixer at a suitable time. This method of design gives several periods of working involved in the color system mechanism toward a fully automated color-making system. This method is used to increase the productivity level and reduce the health problem faced by the workers.
The Relationship Between Concentration and Academic Achievement in Online Entrepreneurship Education Using Real-time Gaze Tracking: The Moderating Effect of Learners’ Postures
Authors:   The Korean Career·Entrepreneurship & Business Association, Koo Inhyouk
Published: April 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic has altered the educational landscape worldwide, including the widespread adoption of online learning. This study aims to define the concept of classroom engagement by examining the gaze behavior and posture of university students during online entrepreneurial education. In addition, this study examines the relationship between concentration and academic achievement. Drawing on the theory of stimulus-response compatibility(SRC), gaze behavior is measured using dwell time, while self -regulated learning is quantified based on students’ conscious effort and concentration. The study investigates the positive impact of concentration on academic performance and validates the moderating effect of proper posture on this relationship. By utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) technology, video data (comprising 3,360 hours) from 87 university students enrolled in online entrepreneurial education were analyzed. The study determined that high levels of concentration, as gauged by the combination of pupil gaze and posture, were positively associated with improved academic performance. Moreover, this study reveals that proper posture, as measured by the scapula's position, plays a significant moderating role in the relationship between concentration and academic performance. These findings underscore the importance of quantifying classroom behavior and engagement in online learning environments. Finally, this study suggests future research directions from an interdisciplinary perspective, including education, management, and AI technology.
Multiorgan Inflammatory Syndrome in Adults MIS-A Post SARS-CoV-2 Infection: A Novel Clinical Enigma
Authors: Gawas Ashwin , P Nevrekar Ramnath , V Khandeparkar Anar
Published: April 2023

Background: Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in adults (MIS-A) is an emergent heterogenous clinical syndrome seen in the convalescent phase of COVID-19 infection. MIS in children (MIS-C) is a rare but severe post-COVID-19 illness that has been recognized by the WHO and the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It introduced a similar illness in adults based on multiple case series, identified as MIS-A. Objective: We present four rare cases of multiorgan inflammatory syndrome in adults (MI-A) presented in Goa Medical College (Tertiary Medical Institute). We would like to highlight the diversity of presentation of symptoms with a significant history of previous covid infection, laboratory abnormalities, the clinical course of the disease, treatment strategies, and response and follow-up findings. We seek to highlight the emergence of a serious clinical entity that can be fatal if not diagnosed or treated promptly. Materials and methods: This was a descriptive study conducted in Goa Medical College from June 2021 to November 2021. A systematic search in the Department of General Medicine, the Department of Medical Records, and data from ICU, ITU, and critical covid wards were collected. Results and conclusion: A total of four cases fulfilling the criteria for MIS-A as per MMWR (CDC 2020)were included, ranging from the age group of 29–70 years. All had features of severe systemic inflammatory response with multiple organ dysfunction and elevated proinflammatory markers. All four patients had a recent history of (mild) COVID-19 infection. Hence, in the current pandemic scenario, MIS-A should be considered as a possible diagnosis in patients with recent COVID infection presenting with MODS, when the obvious septic cause is excluded through thorough clinical, physical, serological, laboratory, and radiological investigations. However, the presence of a past covid infection may not be an absolute criterion due to mild symptoms of the primary covid infection which usually go unnoticed resulting in nontesting.
Liver Involvement in Individuals with Obesity: A Cross-sectional Study from Western India
Authors: Shastri Minal , M Rathod Vaishnavi , M Raval Darshankumar , Khan Shahin , Mallik Shashwat , L Solanki Dipakkumar
Published: April 2023

Background: Obesity is a largely neglected health problem in developing countries which leads to additional morbidities including nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), one of the most important causes of chronic liver disease. Central obesity is intricately related to the pathogenesis of the NAFLD, which over time could result in a fibrogenic response and end-stage liver disease. We have attempted to study the association of various risk factors and laboratory investigations with the incidence of liver involvement in obese individuals. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study of 210 patients was carried out in a tertiary care center in Western India. Patients above 18 years of age with either general or abdominal obesity were included and their history taking and general and systemic examination was done along with laboratory investigations and ultrasonography for visualize any liver involvement. Results: Age >50 years, female gender, postmenopausal state, sedentary lifestyle, high body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and neck circumference were all risk factors for liver involvement in obese individuals. Raised C-reactive protein (CRP), serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT), triglycerides, low density lipoprotein (LDL), cholesterol, fasting blood sugar (FBS), 2-hour postprandial blood sugar (PP2BS), and low high density lipoprotein (HDL), serum protein, and albumin were significantly associated with liver disease. Patients having high NAFLD fibrosis and BMI, aminotransferace ratio and diabetes (BARD) scores, or Metabolic syndrome (MS) was at a higher risk for liver disease. Conclusion: Advancing age, postmenopausal females, and lack of physical activity are risk factors for liver disease in obesity. Raised CRP and SGOT along with impaired lipid profile and glycemic control could be used as markers for fatty liver in obese individuals. MS greatly increases the risk of liver involvement in obese individuals.
Linking Sensory Integration and Processing With Mental Health in Autism: A Retrospective Review of Survey Data
Authors: Spielmann Virginia , Burke Hannah K. , McCulloch Sarah , Mason Alex , Lane Shelly J.
Published: April 2023

Importance: Although a central tenet of occupational therapy practice, evidence-based practice is at times overrepresented by research and can overlook the contributions of clinical expertise, the lived experience, and context. This survey affords the occupational therapy practitioner the opportunity to understand sensory integration and processing (SI/P) as experienced by autistic adults.

Objective: To explore the following research question through a retrospective analysis of an internet-based survey: What is the relationship between the SI/P differences and mental health concerns reported by autistic adults?

Design: Nonexperimental; retrospective analysis of data collected from September 2018 through June 2019. The analysis team joined the project after the survey had been launched.

Setting: The Grand Sensory Survey (GSS) was available internationally through the websites and social media accounts of the Autistic Empire and STAR Institute for Sensory Processing.

Participants: The sample included 440 total responses. Excluding responses from participants ages ≤18 yr (n = 24), 416 responses were included: n = 189 identified as autistic, n = 147 identified as nonautistic, and n = 80 did not provide a response to this query.

Outcomes and Measures: The GSS included questions about demographics, mental health, and sensory experiences.

Results: Both SI/P disruptions and sensory sensitivity predicted anxiety and depression (p < .001).

Conclusions and Relevance: Differences in SI/P are significant factors in mental health for autistic adults.

What This Article Adds: We implicate multiple aspects of SI/P and their influence on mental health among autistic adults. The autistic-led design of the survey ensures representation of issues that are pivotal to the autistic community, broadening the template for aspects of SI/P that should be considered when looking at client factors in autism and influence on function and participation.

Positionality Statement: The authors deliberately use identity first language in keeping with requests from the autistic community (see https://autisticadvocacy.org/about-asan/identity-first-language/). This language is favored by autistic communities and self-advocates and has been adopted by health care professionals and researchers (Bottema-Beutel et al., 2021; Kenny et al., 2016). This article is written from the perspective of the social model of disability and a neurodiversity affirming frame of reference. Three of the five authors are autistic.
Occupational Therapy Interventions After a Sports-Related Concussion
Authors: Li Kitsum
Published: April 2023

Evidence Connection articles provide a clinical application of systematic reviews developed in conjunction with the American Occupational Therapy Association’s Evidence-Based Practice Project and illustrate how the research evidence from the reviews can be used to inform and guide clinical decision making. Each article in this series summarizes the evidence from published reviews on a given topic and presents an application of the evidence to a related clinical case. This Evidence Connection article presents a case report of a college student receiving occupational therapy services after sustaining repeated sports-related concussions. The occupational therapy evaluation and intervention process is described. Systematic review briefs on interventions for people with traumatic brain injury were published in Vol. 76 (Suppl. 2) of the American Journal of Occupational Therapy.
Stereokomplex-PLA-Blend als Basis für umweltfreundliche und nachhaltige Seile
Authors: Herrmann Axel S. , Marx Boris , Bostan Lars
Published: April 2023

Am Faserinstitut Bremen ist es erstmals gelungen, ein Blend mit Stereokomplex-Kristallstruktur aus dem Biopolymer Polylactid (PLA) im Technikumsmaßstab herzustellen. Die einfache Überführung in den Industriemaßstab erlaubt eine ausreichende Materialverfügbarkeit, wodurch das Potenzial geschaffen wurde, technische PLA-Garne mit Festigkeiten von mehr als 50 cN/tex zu entwickeln. Folglich kann das Anwendungsfeld erweitert und herkömmliche Kunststoffe, die u.a. für Seile verwendet werden, können substituiert und Ressourcen und Umwelt entsprechend geschont werden.
Globus strafft E-Commerce-Aktivitäten
Authors: Tewes Werner , Klug Denise
Published: April 2023

Globus arbeitet an einer neuen strategischen Linie für den E-Commerce. In Deutschland hat das Unternehmen dabei Expansionspläne für den Bereich Click & Collect kassiert. Auch im Liefergeschäft justiert der Großflächenbetreiber offenbar nach.
„Wir wollen unsere Marktführerschaft weiter ausbauen“
Authors: Brück Mario
Published: April 2023

Julien Hemard, Deutschland- und Westeuropa-Chef Pernod Ricard, über Eigenheiten des deutschen Marktes und verändertes Konsumverhalten.
Ein Triathlon für die Milchbranche
Authors: Lenders Dirk , Kühn Iki
Published: April 2023

Die Milchindustrie verfügt über gute Konzepte, um sich zukunftsfähig aufzustellen. Im Vordergrund stehen dabei Tierwohl und Klimaschutz, aber auch alternative Proteine.
ClimatePartner setzt nun auf ein anderes Logo
Authors: Falker Gerrit-Milena , Herberg Ruth
Published: April 2023

ClimatePartner hat ein neues Klimaschutzlabel eingeführt. Laut dem Siegel-Anbieter stellt es höhere Anforderungen als das bisherige „Klimaneutral“-Logo, das nun nach einer Übergangsphase ausläuft.
Lidl digitalisiert Rechnungsverkehr europaweit mit Comarch
Authors: Rode Jörg
Published: April 2023

Lidl will in Zukunft europaweit einen Teil der elektronischen Rechnungen über den IT-Dienstleister Comarch abwickeln. Das erlaubt vereinfachtes E-Invoicing vor allem gegenüber Finanzbehörden und kleinen Firmen.
dm will Express-Lieferung weiter ausbauen
Authors: Bökamp Lena
Published: April 2023

Knapp zwei Jahre nach dem Start baut dm-Drogeriemarkt seinen Express-Lieferservice immer weiter aus. Mittlerweile können sich Kunden in sechs deutschen Städten ihre Bestellungen taggleich nach Hause liefern lassen. Weitere Städte und Konzepte für den ländlichen Raum sollen folgen.
Community Detection and Mining in Social Media
Authors: Birma Aishatu Ibrahim , Valentine Vandi Musa
Published: April 2023

Participating networks and social media have emerged by mobilizing people in many creative ways over the last decade. Millions of users are activating, identifying, working and socializing on the Internet, expressing new types of cooperation, communication and intelligence that have not been imagined much earlier. Social Media do impact ideas and emotions, as well as lot of fake news and rumours. With some of the characteristics mentioned above are my reasons for choosing this topic in other to have a clear understanding on how SNA are used to analyse massive amount of data.
An Autochess Game Designed to Improve the Critical Thinking Skills of its Players
Authors: Wu Yinjie , Sun Yu
Published: April 2023

Providing critical thinking skills to people in an exciting and engaging manner is an issue that can hopefully beresolved with the introduction of a newly created autochess game [1][2]. Because this game only allows playerinteraction to occur before the battle starts in the preparation phase, the game encourages the player to think aheadand predict how the player's team can defeat the enemy team based on which cards are selected to be added. Totest the ef ectiveness of the game at improving the critical thinking skills of its players, an experiment was conductedinwhich five example questions from the Watson-Glaser test were provided to the participants of the survey to answer, then the participants would play through all three levels of the game [3]. Then, the participants would try the samefive questions from the Watson-Glaser test again [4]. The results of the survey indicate that the game only provideda slight improvement in critical thinking skills.
The art of portraiture. Introductory conversation with students
Authors: Levchenkov Aleksandr Mihajlovich
Published: April 2023

The author of the article, shares unique materials for teaching portraiture, which are grounded in his family history and include previously unpublished archival documents. They belong to the family of Y. I. Skorikov (1924–1994), Merited Artist of the RSFSR, creative director of Artist House under the Union of Artists located in the city of Goryachy Klyuch, Krasnodar region. There Skorikov read a 300-hour lecture course on the theory of painting and held numerous workshops. Great number of artists from different parts of the USSR had the opportunity to attend these lectures. Owing to Skorikov efforts, Goryachy Klyuch has become a kind of Barbizon for artists of the Kuban region.

Artworks produced by the realistic school of painting in the south of Russia are to this day distinguished by its high quality. However, there have not been published any thorough studies devoted to the original theoretical concepts of Y. I. Skorikov, which still have not lost its relevance in this day and age. The present article, therefore, bridges that gap, significantly enriching our perception of the Russian Soviet school of painting in the second half of the 20th century. The artistic principles of Y. I. Skorikov have been successfully applied by the author of the article in his teaching of portraiture at the Sergey Andriaka Academy of Watercolor and Fine Arts. He combines the aforementioned practices and ideas of Skorikov with the knowledge previously obtained at the Ilya Glazunov Russian Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, in addition to his personal creative and pedagogical experience.
Study of thyroid profile among patients with major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder in a tertiary care center
Authors: Tokpam Donald , R. K. Vidyabati Devi , T. Rajen Singh  , Panthoi Chanu Wahengbam
Published: April 2023

Introduction and Aim: Depressive disorder is a prevalent psychiatric disorder worldwide. Thyroid disorders have symptoms like major depressive disorder (MDD). Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent psychiatric disorders. Thyroid dysfunction is associated with increasing anxiety in generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). This study aimed to evaluate thyroid status in major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder.
 
Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in a 17-months period. Diagnosis was made using DSM 5 (The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition Criteria). Estimation of serum free thyroxine (FT4), free triiodothyronine (FT3) and ultrasensitive thyroid stimulating hormone (U-TSH) was done by ELISA. The study included 126 patients, 66 GAD and 60 MDD patients.
 
Results: In both GAD and MDD, females outnumbered males. Age-group and disorder-type had significant association.  In GAD and MDD, the mean values of FT3, FT4 and U-TSH were all within normal range. Among GAD patients, maximum were euthyroids followed by hyperthyroids and hypothyroids. In MDD patients, maximum were euthyroids followed by hypothyroids and hyperthyroids. The percentage of abnormal thyroid status in GAD and MDD were 21.2% and 23.3 % respectively.
 
Conclusion: Abnormal thyroid status is prevalent in both GAD and MDD patients with differences in thyroid response. Thyroid profile may play and important role in proper management of the diseases.
Evaluation of antimycotic activity of grapefruit leaf extract on Candida species - An in vitro study
Authors: Prasad D. Anupama , Prasad D. Krishna , Shetty A. Veena , Ashwin Shenoy Shilpa
Published: April 2023

Introduction and Aim: Candidiasis is one of the most common pathological conditions affecting the oral mucosa. Synthetic antifungals are being eliminated from the market due to the burden of environmental residues and carcinogenesis. Bioactive phytochemicals such as alkaloids, terpenoids, polyacetylenes, unsaturated isobutylamides, and phenolics are considered safer than synthetic products. The medical field is continuously exploring plant products against the increasing number of antibiotic-resistant organisms. Leaves of grapefruits were selected for the study because citrus species are well known for their antibacterial and antifungal properties. 
 
Materials and Methods: Volatile oils extracted from grapefruit leaves by hydro distillation were tested for antifungal activity by agar diffusion method against various ATCC strains of Candida. MIC/MFC and ZOI were recorded, and a cytotoxicity test was carried out on human gingival fibroblasts.
 
Results: Leaf extract not only produced a larger zone of inhibition against test pathogens but was also less cytotoxic than Amphotericin B and Fluconazole.
 
Conclusion: Grapefruit leaf volatile oil extract had an antifungal effect on selected strains of candida and was less toxic than Amphotericin B and Fluconazole to the human gingival fibroblasts in vitro.
Polymorphism within the 5’UTR genomic region of hepatitis G virus (HGV) isolated from beta-thalassemia population in Iraq
Authors: S. Ibrahim Maryam , A. Fatal Ghassan , N. Rasheed Marrib
Published: April 2023

Introduction and Aim: Beta-thalassemia patients develop chronic infections due to the hepatitis G virus (HGV), due to frequent blood transfusions. This study aimed to isolate these viruses from beta-thalassemia Iraqi patients and investigate into the 5'UTR genomic region of the virus to investigate the prevalent genotypes in this region.
 
Materials and Methods: The study included 154 beta-thalassemia patients. Blood samples were collected from each individual participating in this study. Genomic RNA was isolated and subjected to cDNA synthesis. The 5' untranslated region (5' UTR) of the DNA was amplified by polymerase chain reaction using specific HGV primers and sent for sequencing. The sequences were genotyped using bioinformatics tools.  
 
Results: The results showed hepatitis G virus infection to be prevalent in 18.2% of the beta-thalassemia patients. Sequencing and alignment of the HGV 5'UTR sequences showed several nucleotide variations. A phylogenetic analysis revealed the following HGV genotypes to infect beta-thalassemia patients genotype 4(58.3%), genotype 2b (33.3%) and genotype 1b (8.3%).
 
Conclusion: Genotyping of the 5'UTR region of the HGV gene showed the genotypes 1b, 2b and 4 to be prevalent among beta-thalassemia patients in Iraq.
Generation Z Young Consumers’ Sustainable Purchasing Behaviors and Intent to Purchase Recyclable Products: A Comprehensive Study in Turkey using SEM
Authors: Armutcu Barış , Tan Muhammed Furkan
Published: April 2023

Although consumers generally hold a favorable attitude towards recycled products, the purchase of such products has not reached the desired level. Therefore, this study aims to shed light on the limited existing literature and identify the factors that influence consumers' purchasing behavior of recyclable products. Specifically, there is a paucity of research investigating the purchasing behavior of Generation Z consumers concerning sustainable consumption behaviors. Consequently, this study explores the factors that affect the recyclable product purchasing behavior of Generation Z consumers in Turkey. The study employs the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to evaluate the applicability of this model in explaining recyclable product purchasing behavior. Furthermore, the study extends the original framework of the TPB model to include a new factor, Receptivity to Green Advertising. The data were collected from 171 participants through a questionnaire method and analyzed using Smart PLS-SEM 4.0 and IBM SPSS 26 programs. The findings indicate that among all the structural elements of the TPB, attitude and perceived behavioral control significantly contributed to the recyclable product purchasing behavior of Generation Z consumers, while subjective norms did not significantly influence their behavior. Moreover, the study found that Receptivity to Green Advertising had a positive and significant impact on the recyclable product purchasing behavior of Generation Z consumers. Therefore, increasing Generation Z consumers' receptivity to green advertising could potentially enhance the market success of recyclable products by encouraging them to purchase more of these products.
Retos del régimen de la prueba en el proceso social y sus recursos, en especial ante la transformación digital
Authors: De la Casa Quesada Susana
Published: April 2023

El Parlamento español está tramitando un «paquete» de reformas legales para que haya una Administración de Justicia más digital, también en el ámbito de la prueba procesal. Sin embargo, la jurisdicción social viene mostrando muchas resistencias a este progreso, porque considera que contradice los principios básicos del proceso social. Asimismo, en la práctica judicial tienen una creciente presencia las pruebas basadas en conversaciones realizadas mediante tecnologías de la información y la comunicación (correo electrónico, redes sociales, WhatsApp, etc.). El Tribunal Supremo español solo atribuye el valor de prueba documental al correo electrónico, mientras que el WhatsApp no ha accedido aún al recurso de casación para la unificación de doctrina. En esta situación, no hay unidad de criterio en las doctrinas de suplicación social en torno a cómo deben calificarse. Este trabajo defiende que, como regla, todas las pruebas deben poder realizarse de forma telemática, desde luego la de ratificación pericial, salvo que, por sus características, su práctica telemática pudiera perjudicar a algunos de los intereses en juego o no reunir las garantías debidas. Asimismo, las pruebas digitales que gocen de las debidas garantías de autenticidad deberían tenerse como documentales y, en consecuencia, abrir la revisión de hechos en suplicación (y casación).
A review of outcomes of laser photocoagulation for Goldberg stage 3 proliferative sickle cell retinopathy
Authors: Oderinlo Olufemi , Bulus Stanley Sano , Umeh Victor , Oshunkoya Lateefat , Hassan Adekunle
Published: April 2023

Topic: A review of outcomes of laser photocoagulation for Goldberg stage 3 proliferative sickle cell retinopathy (PSR) in a Eye Foundation Hospital.
Aims and objectives: To report regression of retina neovascularization and visual outcomes after prophylactic scatter retina laser photocoagulation for Goldberg stage 3 PSR in a tertiary private hospital in sub-Saharan Africa.
Methods: A retrospective review of case files of patients who were treated with prophylactic scatter retina laser photocoagulation between January 2017 and June 2022 following a diagnosis of PSR in a Eye Foundation Hospital, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria, was done.
Results: A total of 124 eyes of 62 patients with PSR were seen within the period under consideration. A majority of patients (49 (79.0%)) had hemoglobin (Hb) genotype SC, while 13 patients (21%) were Hb genotype SS. At presentation, 29 eyes (23.3%) had Goldberg stage 2 PSR, 55 eyes (44.4%) had Goldberg stage 3 PSR, 27 eyes (21.8%) had stage 4 PSR, while 13 eyes (10.5%) had stage 5 PSR. All 55 eyes (49.2%) with stage 3 PSR were treated with prophylactic retina laser photocoagulation. At the patients’ last clinic visit, 34 eyes (61.8%) had the same visual acuity (VA) as at presentation, 11 eyes (20%) had improvements in VA, while 10 eyes (18.2%) had worse VA. Laser treatment success (regression of seafan neovascularization) was seen in 50 eyes (90.9%), while five eyes (8.1%) had unsuccessful laser treatment.
Conclusion: A high percentage (90.9%) of resolution of retina neovascularization secondary to PSR at stage 3 of Goldberg’s classification was seen after prophylactic scatter retina laser photocoagulation in our group of evaluated patients. Most patients (81.8%) maintained or had improvements in their visual acuities over the period of follow-up. More clinical research is required to further evaluate outcomes of laser photocoagulation for PSR.
Development of cultural speaking skills of students on the basis of the English language subject through feature films and information technologies
Authors:   Abai Kazakh National Pedagogical University, Kassymova G. ,   Suleyman Demirel University, Shayakhmetkyzy A. ,   Suleyman Demirel University, Okenova B. ,   Turan University, Palmanova A. ,   Suleyman Demirel University, Ussenova Zh. ,   Yogyakarta State University
Published: April 2023

Language is a tool that determines the history and culture of every nation and is an integral part of its education, as the worldview and beliefs of a person are formed and developed through language. Language shapes the nation identity and cultural featurues. Moreover, one of the requirements that is rapidly developing today is the knowledge of a foreign language at a decent level. Teaching a foreign language is a doundting and challaging task for language teachers; this article offers ideas to use the advanced information technolgies in a proper way. Hence, the effectiveness of the old methods of language teaching in the modern era of digitalization that were established in the absence of information technology is questionable. Currently, one of the most important principles of learning and teaching languages is introducing intercultural competence along with the structure of the language. Furthermore, the authors of the article discussed about one of the ways of learning English in a more captivating and contemporary way: watching feature films and actively using information technology. These relatively new methods aid students develop creative and critical skills using authentic materials through interactive games, discussions, information and innovative technologies. As part of the study, the article studied and presented samples and types of practical exercises using these methods.
Influence of Human Resource Capacity on Public Health Service Delivery in County Governments in Western Kenya Region
Authors: Juma Leonard Momos , Umulkher Ali , Ayub Shitseswa E.
Published: April 2023

Poor health service delivery has been linked to the devolution of health services, with some health workers walking off the job due to inadequate pay and unsafe working conditions. This research aimed at determining the influence of human resource capacity on public health service delivery by county governments in the Western Kenya region. The study was anchored on human capital theory. Descriptive survey and causal-comparative research designs were adopted with a target population of 966 personnel consisting of the CECMs, Chief Officers, Directors and County Nursing Officer for Health, Medical Superintendents, Hospital Administrator, Human Resource Officer, Head of Pharmacy, Head of Nursing, Health Records Information Officer, Head of Laboratory, Head of Clinical Services and number of patients admitted, treated and discharged drawn from four Counties of Bungoma, Busia, Kakamega and Vihiga. Primary data was collected using structured questionnaires and interview schedules. Content analysis was used for qualitative data while quantitative data was analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The SPSS Software version 26 was used for statistical analysis. The hypothesis tested for significance of the study at 5% significance level. From the results the beta value for human resource capacity from the regression model was 0.690 at p< 0.05. Human resource capacity explains 47.6% (R2 =0.476) of variance in public health service delivery, thus hypothesis was rejected. Consultation is a necessary part of the decision making process. In this regard, as many of the perspectives of workers who are directly affected by the decision as feasible should be considered.
ESD Ideas: Translating historical extreme weather events into a warmer world
Authors: Hawkins Ed , Compo Gilbert P. , Sardeshmukh Prashant D.
Published: April 2023

Abstract. A new reanalysis-based approach is proposed to examine how extreme weather events differ in a warmer or cooler counter-factual world. This approach offers a novel way to develop plausible storylines for some types of extreme event that other methods may not be suitable for. As a proof-of-concept, a reanalysis of a severe windstorm that occurred in February 1903 is translated into a warmer world where it produces higher wind speeds and increased rainfall, suggesting that this storm would be more damaging if it occurred today rather than 120 years ago.