bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effectiveness of Risk Assessment Models in Business Decisions
Authors: Raghunath K. Madhu Kishore , Devi S L Tulasi
Published: August 2021

Survival being the rationale for every organisation, there are infinite dynamics which contribute to every organisations growth and survival. Weighing in all the dynamics available, if organisations have to contemplate on the one which acts as catalyst for ultimate survival it is business decision making process. Risk is an inherent ailment that exacerbates organisational decision making ever since the dawn of industrialization, with their reach proliferating ever since. In the present article, the authors articulate the effectiveness of risk assessment models on key business decisions to testify how risk models operate in isolation and when combined together. Authors also analyse the significant effect risk models have on business decision, which serves as justification for organisational efficiency.
Global Crisis and Financial Distress Likelihood of SMEs
Authors: Quintiliani Andrea
Published: August 2021

In the aftermath of the global financial crisis, this chapter sheds light on the determinants of the financial distress costs between Italian and German small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The authors propose an innovative formulation of the expected costs originated by financial distress expressed as the product of the expected financial distress likelihood times the total amount of the financial distress costs if insolvency does occur. The model is estimated using panel data methodology on samples from two European countries (Italy and Germany). The results indicate that the amount of ex-post costs depends on derivative financial instruments, intangible assets, and relation with local banks (small local banks rather than large banking groups).
Leadership and Sustainability
Authors: Ince Fatma
Published: August 2021

This chapter on leadership and sustainability from the first to the second generations of SME Ownership addresses both the leadership and sustainability from the perspective of different generations in family SMEs. Because, sustainable leadership is seen as a key factor of the competitiveness in a family enterprise. Without effective and efficient human capital, the SMEs cannot gain the goals such as growth, internationalization and increasing performance. Generational differences in SMEs may improve the creativity and innovation, providing that the established appropriate management system and strategy. From this viewpoint, this chapter provides an overview of generations, leadership, sustainability and competitiveness about SMEs
Understanding the Effect of Internet Addiction on Student Academic Engagement
Authors: Singh Anjali , Srivastava Dinesh Kumar
Published: August 2021

The aim of the study is to understand the effect of Internet addiction on student’s academic engagement. There are numerous studies explaining the negative relationship between Internet addiction and academic performance still very few studies could explain how the excessive use of the internet disrupts students’ academic engagement. This study focuses on two aspects, each of academic engagement viz, dedication, and vigor and Internet addiction viz, Emotional, and cognitive preoccupation with internet and Loss of control, and interference with daily life. Data was collected from 152 students in an Institute in India through questionnaires. The data was analyzed using Correlation and regression. The analysis showed that Internet addiction has a significant, negative impact on vigor and dedication. Interestingly, it was found that Emotional and cognitive preoccupation with the internet is not a significant predictor of Internet addiction as Loss of control.
Student Profile Modeling Using Boosting Algorithms
Authors: Hamim Touria , Benabbou Faouzia , Sael Nawal
Published: August 2021

The student profile has become an important component of education systems. Many systems objectives, as e-recommendation, e-orientation, e-recruitment and dropout prediction are essentially based on the profile for decision support. Machine learning plays an important role in this context and several studies have been carried out either for classification, prediction or clustering purpose. In this paper, the authors present a comparative study between different boosting algorithms which have been used successfully in many fields and for many purposes. In addition, the authors applied feature selection methods Fisher Score, Information Gain combined with Recursive Feature Elimination to enhance the preprocessing task and models’ performances. Using multi-label dataset predict the class of the student performance in mathematics, this article results show that the Light Gradient Boosting Machine (LightGBM) algorithm achieved the best performance when using Information gain with Recursive Feature Elimination method compared to the other boosting algorithms.
Neural Machine Translation Approach for Singlish to English Translation
Authors: Sandaruwan Dinidu , Sumathipala Sagara , Fernando Subha
Published: August 2021

Comprehension of “Singlish” (an alternative writing system for Sinhala language) texts by a machine had been a requirement for a long period. It has been a choice of many Sri Lankan’s writing style in casual conversations such as small talks, chats and social media comments. Finding a method to translate Singlish to Sinhala or English has been tried for a couple of years by the research community in Sri Lanka and many of the attempts were tried based on statistical language translation approaches due to the challenge of finding a large dataset to use Deep Learning approaches. This research addresses the challenge of preparing a data set to evaluate deep learning approach’s performance for the machine translation activity for Singlish to English language translation and to evaluate Seq2Seq Neural Machine Translation (NMT) model. The proposed seq2seq model is purely based on the attention mechanism, as it has been used to improve NMT by selectively focusing on parts of the source sentence during translation. The proposed approach can achieve 24.13 BLEU score on Singlish-English by seeing ~0.26 M parallel sentence pairs with 50 K+ word vocabulary.
Pyogenic granuloma arising within capillary malformations in children: A case report and literature review
Authors: Rancan Alessandra , Boscarelli Alessandro , Codrich Daniela , Berti Irene , Guida Edoardo , Schleef Jürgen
Published: August 2021

Pyogenic granuloma (PG) is an acquired benign vascular hyperplasia. Even though PG is not so rare, its etiology is still unclear. Assuredly, an association between vascular anomalies and PG is an extremely rare finding, and a proper management of these cases is not well standardized to date. Herein, we report our experience with a giant PG arising spontaneously within a port-wine stain of the thorax. Previous cases reported in the pediatric literature and strategies of treatment are also discussed.
Basal cell carcinoma developed from an epidermal cyst: A case report and review of the literature
Authors: Harada Tomoka , Fukumoto Takeshi , Shimizu Hideki , Nishigori Chikako
Published: August 2021

Cutaneous epidermal cysts are common benign cysts derived from the epidermis or epithelium of hair follicles, and malignancy originating from epidermal cysts is uncommon. When a cutaneous epidermal cyst turns malignant, it is mostly squamous cell carcinoma, and basal cell carcinoma is rare. We present the case of a 58-year-old man with basal cell carcinoma originating from an epidermal cyst on the buttocks. Histopathological analysis with hematoxylin- eosin (H&E) staining showed the presence of the cyst, the wall of which was partially replaced by a malignant tumor. Moreover, the cyst was filled with malignant tumor cells in some areas. The tumor cells were basaloid, and extended through the dermis down to the subcutaneous tissue in a solid pattern. Immunoperoxidase staining for Ber-EP4 was positive. To our knowledge, there are 11 reported cases of BCC originating from epidermal cysts in English, and we reviewed these reports and examined potential trends. We estimate that some longstanding epidermal cysts may have the potential of malignant transformation, and chronic and repeated irritation might trigger malignancy from epidermal cysts. We emphasize that benignlooking cystic lesions showing progressive growth should be examined histopathologically.
Glutathione (Gsh) and Superoxide Dismutase (Sod) Levels among Junior High School Students Induced by Indoor Particulate Matter 2.5 (Pm2.5) and Nitrogen Dioxide (No2) Exposure
Authors: Wispriyono Bambang , Jalaludin Juliana , Kusnoputranto Haryoto , Pakpahan Sasnila , Aryati Gita Permata , Pratama Satria , Librianty Nurfanida , Rozaliyani Anna , Taufik Feni Fitriani , Novirsa Randy
Published: August 2021

Background

Indoor air pollution has globally known as the risk factor of acute respiratory infection in young children. The exposure to indoor particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) at house or school can be a potential risk to children's health. This study aimed to examine the association between indoor PM2.5 and NO2 with oxidative stress markers in junior high school students.

Design and methods

This study was conducted using a cross sectional study with 75 students collected randomly from four junior high schools in Jakarta. PM2.5 and NO2 were measured in classrooms and school yards. The schools were categorized based on the exposure level of PM2.5 and NO2 in classrooms. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and reduced glutathione (GSH) were examined from the blood sample. All students were interviewed with questionnaires to determine upper respiratory tract infection, smoking family members, mosquito repellent usage, and dietary supplement consumption.

Results

Mean concentration of indoor PM2.5 and NO2 were 0.125±0.036 mg m−3 and 36.37±22.33 μg m−3, respectively. The schools which located near to highway showed lower PM2.5 and higher NO2 level indicated the emission of traffic activity. Mean activity of SOD was 96.36±50.94 U mL−1 and mean concentration of GSH was of 0.62±0.09 μg mL−1. Most of the students reported upper respiratory tract infection history, smoking family member, use mosquito repellent at home, and do not consume dietary supplement.

Conclusions

The level of oxidative stress markers and the exposure categories of classroom PM2.5 and NO2 was not significantly different, however there were significant correlation with cigarette smoke and mosquito repellent at home. Nevertheless, the exposure of indoor PM2.5 and NO2 increased the risk of the exposure to cigarette smoke and mosquito repellent at home. Further study on the air pollution at school and home is needed to affirm association towards student's health and to design strategic control efforts.
Serendipitous observation of a coronal mass ejection during the total solar eclipse of 14 December 2020
Authors: Abramson Guillermo
Published: August 2021

We report observations of the total solar eclipse of 14 December 2020, during which a coronal mass ejection was seen to propagate. A comprehensive set of photographs covering a high dynamic range of exposure enabled characterization of its dimensions. Displacement of the front can be seen during the few minutes of totality.
Forecasting Analysis of Covid-19 Cases with Wavelet Neural Network and Time Series Approach
Authors: Kaya Asli , Cemrek Fatih , Ozdemir Ozer
Published: August 2021

COVID-19 is a respiratory disease caused by a novel coronavirus first detected in December 2019. As the number of new cases increases rapidly, pandemic fatigue and public disinterest in different response strategies are creating new challenges for government officials in tackling the pandemic. Therefore, government officials need to fully understand the future dynamics of COVID-19 to develop strategic preparedness and flexible response planning. In the light of the above-mentioned conditions, in this study, autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) time series model and Wavelet Neural Networks (WNN) methods are used to predict the number of new cases and new deaths to draw possible future epidemic scenarios. These two methods were applied to publicly available data of the COVID-19 pandemic for Turkey, Italy, and the United Kingdom. In our analysis, excluding Turkey data, the WNN algorithm outperformed the ARIMA model in terms of forecasting consistency. Our work highlighted the promising validation of using wavelet neural networks when making predictions with very few features and a smaller amount of historical data.
Analysis of the Factors Affecting the Employment Quality of University Graduates by DEMATEL / ISM Method
Authors: Wang Wei , Liu Jian , Qiu Shubing
Published: August 2021

To analyze how to improve the employment quality of university graduates and clarify the internal logical relationship between the influencing factors in the employment quality of university students through analyzing of the influencing factors on the employment quality of university students Based on the integrated DEMATEL / ISM method. Commuters are assumed used DEMATEL method and Hierarchical structure model of influencing factors on employment quality of university graduates constructed by ISM for obtaining the influence degree. Describe the causal relationship of the factors affecting the employment quality of university graduates, hierarchical logical structure of factors affecting university graduate employment quality. The results show that the employment recommendation service and subsidy of government, cooperation of university and enterprise, vocational planning and education of university, employee Brand construction of enterprise, independent s employment willingness are the direct factors that effect the employment quality of college students, and should be given priority attention
A transformação do destacamento de saúde pára-quedista em companhia de saúde avançada pára-quedista: proposta doutrinária
Authors:   Escola de Saúde do Exército, O. A. B SOARES , Santos Pedro Ivo da Silveira
Published: August 2021

A Medicina Operacional do Exército Brasileiro, no âmbito da Brigada de Infantaria Pára-quedista vem sofrendo ao longo dos três últimos anos, uma mudança nos protocolos e modus operandi nas atividades desenvolvidas tanto pelo Destacamento de Saúde Pára-quedista quanto pela Companhia Logística de Saúde Paraquedista oriundo do Batalhão Logístico Pára-quedista, que são as unidades responsáveis por esse apoio de saúde nas unidades desta Brigada. Essa crescente atualização se fez necessário no período pré-intervenção Federal ocorrido em 2018, na qual a Brigada de Infantaria Pára-quedista foi atuar junto aos órgãos federais, municipais e estaduais do Rio de Janeiro como garantia da lei e da ordem no estado do Rio de Janeiro e a saúde operacional experimentada em todas as missões de apoio aos batalhões de infantaria desta brigada. No ano de 2017 foi criado um novo Manual Logístico no qual foram extintas as Companhias Logísticas de Saúde dos Batalhões Logísticos só que em 2018 devido às particularidades necessárias para o apoio de saúde as unidades Pára-quedistas foram retomadas as atividades dentro do Batalhão Logístico da Companhia logística de Saúde só que doutrinariamente com outras características. Junto a esses processos já está em vigor a doutrina dos Batalhões de Saúde, na qual cada Comando Militar de Área terá seu Batalhão de Saúde e este será responsável pelas missões que venham a surgir no âmbito deste grande comando. Mais uma vez surge o questionamento que para atender as demandas da Brigada de Infantaria Pára-quedista os elementos de saúde têm de estar aptos a essa especialidade. Aproveitando assim a proposta de término da Companhia Logística de Saúde do B Log e a nova proposta do Batalhão de Saúde estudamos essa proposta, de extinguir a Companhia Logística de Saúde do Blog e os elementos de saúde dessa companhia integrarem o Destacamento de Saúde da Brigada, seguindo a metodologia de planejamento baseado em capacidades, otimizando a gestão de pessoal e material de saúde, com toda a sua complexidade e por fim otimizando a atuação dos operadores de saúde dentro da Brigada de Infantaria Pára-quedista.
Implementación del presupuesto de ventas para la optimización de los ingresos de la empresa maderera "Don Junior" en Santo Domingo, Ecuador
Authors: Udeo Sofía Elizabeth Quiguirí , Ordoñez Maylee Lizbeth Salinas
Published: August 2021

RESUMEN

La mayor parte de las microempresas necesitan de un presupuesto de ventas para desenvolverse dentro de un mercado competitivo, por lo que la implementación es vital para su supervivencia a largo plazo. En este contexto el presente estudio tiene como objetivo determinar de qué manera la implementación de un presupuesto de ventas permitirá alcanzar la optimización de los ingresos de la empresa maderera “Don Junior” del cantón Puerto Quito, provincia de Pichicha, Ecuador. Para lo cual se llevó a cabo una investigación con enfoque mixto, de diseño no experimental longitudinal, de tipo descriptivo, exploratorio e histórico mediante encuestas aplicadas a los clientes fijos y entrevistas a los directivos generales. Los resultados reflejaron que el presupuesto de ventas debe ser implementado como una herramienta de gestión que le permita a la empresa un manejo adecuado de los gastos que vaya encaminado al crecimiento económico, ayudando a los directivos a la acertada toma de decisiones.

 

ABSTRACT

Most micro-businesses need a sales budget to function in a competitive market, so its implementation is vital for long-term survival. In this context, the present study aims to determine how the implementation of a sales budget will allow to achieve the optimization of the income of the timber company "Don Junior" of the canton "Puerto Quito", Pichincha province, Ecuador. For which a research was carried out with a mixed approach, of a longitudinal non-experimental design, of a descriptive, exploratory and historical type, through surveys applied to fixed clients and interviews with general managers. The results reflected that the sales budget should be implemented as a management tool that allows the company to properly manage expenses that are aimed at economic growth, helping managers to make the right decisions.
Pengaruh Sosialisasi Badan Amil Zakat Nasional terhadap Minat Muzaki Membayar Zakat
Authors: Putri Delvi Hamsiska , Siswanto Iwan , Siagian Seri Yanti
Published: August 2021

This study aimed to determine whether the socialization of BAZNAS affects the interest of Muzaki in distributing zakat through the National Amil Zakat Agency of Indragiri Hilir Regency. This research was quantitative. The data were analyzed using a simple linear regression method with the help of the Statistical Product and Service Solutions (SPSS) 23. The results of the data analysis showed the tcount was 20.985 so that, ttable 1.651 < tcount 20.985 with a significance of 0.000 under 0.05. Thus, it concluded that the socialization of BAZNAS on the interest of Muzaki in paying zakat through the National Amil Zakat Agency in Tembilahan City has a significant influence.
Participative Leadership Practice in Asia Context: A Literature Review
Authors:   Lecturer of Education Administration, Universitas Lampung, Bandar Lampung, Indonesia, Hariri Hasan
Published: August 2021

The importance of participatory leadership practices in schools attracts researchers to research, and this article is used to test how participatory leadership practices in schools. The review process begins with a search engine, Google Scholar, to search for articles with keywords, participatory leadership. There are several articles on the review of participatory leadership practices especially in the Asian context, which can be found. The purpose of this review is to investigate participatory leadership practices at schools in the Asian context. Based on the results of literature reviews from various countries in Asia, we find that practice. Strong participatory leadership can create structures to facilitate the work of teachers by strengthening organizational belief systems and these factors together encourage student learning and leadership is carried out persuasively creating harmonious cooperation, fostering loyalty and participation of subordinates.
STEM Etkinliklerinin Okul Öncesi Öğretmenlerinin Yansıtıcı Düşünme Becerileri Üzerine Etkisi
Authors: SAMUR Esila , ALTUN YALÇIN Sema
Published: August 2021

Bu çalışmada, STEM etkinliklerinin okul öncesi öğretmenlerinin yansıtıcı düşünme becerileri üzerine etkisinin incelenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Araştırmada karma yöntem kullanılmıştır. Araştırmanın örneklemini STEM eğitimi programına katılan 35 okul öncesi öğretmeni oluşturmaktadır. Çalışmada nicel veriler “Yansıtıcı Düşünme Düzeyini Belirleme” ölçeği ile nitel veriler ise “yarı yapılandırılmış mülakat formu” ve “yansıtıcı günlükler” kullanılarak toplanmıştır. Mülakat formu toplamda 8 açık uçlu sorudan oluşmaktadır. Çalışmada 14 hafta süresince okul öncesi öğretmenlerine STEM eğitimi verilmiştir. Araştırma sonucunda elde edilen bulgularda; yansıtıcı düşünme becerilerinin geliştiği tespit edilmiştir. Araştırmada yansıtıcı düşünme becerileri ölçeğinin alt boyutları incelendiğinde alışkanlık ve kritik yansıtma alt boyutlarında anlamlı farklılık belirlenirken, yansıtma ve anlama alt boyutlarında anlamlı farklılık bulunamamıştır Ayrıca nitel verilerden elde edilen sonuçların da adaylar STEM etkinliklerinin günlük yaşamla bağ kurduklarını ve günlük yaşamda kullandığı her şeyde artık STEM aradıklarını belirterek alışkanlık alt boyutunu, etkinliklerin bir çok bilimsel alanın bir arada kullanılmaya çalışılması ile sentez yapma yollarının geliştiğini belirterek anlama alt boyutunu, fikirlerini sorgulayarak yeni fikirlerin oluşmasına yol açtığını belirterek yansıma alt boyutunu ve STEM etkinliklerinin oldukça keyifli, zihinsel olarak düşündürücü etkinlikleri olması ve çok yönlü düşünmeyi arttırdığını belirterek kritik yansıtma alt boyutunu nicel verileri destekler nitelikte olduğu tespit edilmiştir.
COMPUTATIONAL ANALYSIS OF PULVERIZED COAL CO-FIRING WITH BIOMASS IN 150MWe UNIT OF TUNCBILEK THERMAL POWER PLANT
Authors: DENIZ Cansu , BOKE Yakup , AYDIN Ozer , BENİM Ali
Published: August 2021

Pulverized coal and biomass co-firing in the 150MWe unit of Tuncbilek power plant is computationally investigated, within the scope of a preliminary feasibility study. The considered furnace, burning Turkish lignite, has totally eighteen burners, positioned at three different levels. First, the pulverized coal combustion in the furnace is calculated and the predicted temperatures in the boiler first pass are compared with the previous measurements. Subsequently, a co-firing scenario is computationally analyzed, where the burners of the lowest level that supply 43% of the total fuel mass are fed by biomass, instead of coal. Turkish red pine is assumed to be the source of the biomass. In replacing the coal by biomass, the mass flow rates of the biomass and the corresponding air are adjusted in such a way that the thermal load and the equivalence ratio remain unaltered. Due to the lack of more accurate data for the biomass, the rate constants for the pyrolysis and chemical conversion of biomass are assumed to be the same as those of coal, along with the assumption of the same particle size distribution for both fuels. It is observed that the resulting flame structure for the case of co-firing is very similar to that of coal combustion. This result is encouraging for the application of biomass co-firing in the considered furnace.
NODAL THERMODYNAMIC AND DYNAMIC ANALYSIS OF A FREE DISPLACER STIRLING ENGINE
Authors: CINAR Can , OZDEMIR Onur , KARABULUT Halit , DUZGUN Mesut
Published: August 2021

In this study, the dynamic and thermodynamic features of free displacer Stirling engines were investigated by preparing a simulation program. The dynamic component of the simulation program involves the movement equations of power piston, crankshaft and displacer. The thermodynamic component is a nodal analysis based on 24 nodal volumes. The study indicates that starting these engines requires an initial speed is required as the displacer system natural frequency. While the engine is running, the displacer exhibits some secondary vibrations (named as beatings) and causes irregularities in its work and power generation however, it can be minimized by changing some working parameters such as displacer mass, working fluid mass, external loading, spring constant etc. For each value of the working fluid charging pressure, a different spring is needed. While the spring constant is the same, the displacer mass can vary in a limited range. The thermal performance of the engine increases as the displacer mass is decreasing. For an engine working between 1000 K heater temperature, 356 K cooler temperature and 18 bar charging pressure, the effective thermal efficiency ranges between 21 and 26 %. An engine with a 3.5 liter total inner volume is capable of generating about 3.9 kW effective power and 4.7 kW indicated power. A strong relation is observed between engine performance and phase angle.
The Legal Implications of Korean Sports Violence
Authors: Ha Daesu , Kim Jisu , Kim Jaegyun , Ha Taemin
Published: August 2021

Korean national laws may have limited application in the sports sector. Sports rules that restrain government intervention have allowed organizations to exercise power as autonomous and private sectors at the global level (Kim, 2011). Despite these constraints, certain issues, including criminal problems, economic interests, and bodily integrity in sports, sometimes call for intervention from judicial powers (Park, 2016). As it is impossible to completely avoid physical contact in team sports games, acts of violence that have high chances of harming others naturally take place during games and competitive events. Thus, this paper seeks to define whether violence in sports is subject to criminal prosecution. After a descriptive exploration of pre-existing studies through a systematic literature review, qualitative research was conducted to examine the precedents in accordance with legal transition and flow. Legal concepts in Korea were first established, and key points of previous works and studies were examined thoroughly (Sohn, 2011). It is critical to judge the intentionality of such actions for a legal interpretation to see whether they can be deemed offensive (Sohn, 2011). As the concept of violence is defined as a physical assault on bodies, illegally exercised physical coercion, and invasion of other people’s bodies, thus validating such action as a crime, the benefit and protection of law to be honored in such incidents are bodily integrity and its physiological functions (Oh, 2019). In order to decide criminality under penal law, each case consists of the “component validity-illegality-obligation” (Yeon et al., 2018).
Eating Behavior Psychoregulation As a Resource for Increasing the Achievements of Athletes
Authors: Vysochina Nadiia , Vysochin Filipp
Published: August 2021

The realities of today's sport indicate that the achievement of high sports results is not only due to high-quality technical-tactical preparation for the competitions but is also associated with a number of medical-biological character factors (Dmitriev & Gunina, 2020). For instance, one of the most important constituents of the training process in all sports events is a properly selected balanced diet, which takes into account the competitive activity specifics, the peculiarities of physical loads, the athlete individual physiological and psychological characteristics (Gunina et al., 2018; Malkina-Pykh, 2007).
Therefore, every year the attention of scientists in the field of sport is more and more focused on the issue of athlete eating behavior management as a factor of increasing the competitive activity efficiency, which determines the urgency of this research topic. Besides, in the scientific literature, the psychological components of nutritional support in sport have received almost no attention. Available publications have mainly addressed the peculiarities of athlete nutrition in certain sports events (Polievsky, 2015) almost neglecting external and internal factors that influence the athlete eating behavior, which makes the presented topic especially interesting for study. The purpose of this study was to identify the psychological factors that determine the peculiarities of nutrition and diet in sports, and to determine the degree of their influence and methods of psychoregulation.
Previous researchers have reported changing of CAL affect cycling power production (MacDermid & Edwards, 2010; Martin & Spirduso, 2001; Too & Landwer, 2000), lower limb joint angle, cadence (Barratt et al., 2011 & 2016; Candotti et al., 2007; Christiansen et al., 2013), pedal torque (Hull & Gonzalez, 1988), lower limb muscle activity (Watanabe, 2020), and V̇O2 (Ferrer-Roca et al., 2017; Morris & Londeree, 1997).
MATHEMATICAL MODELING OF WATER QUALITY WITH A DIFFERENT CHEMICAL STATE; NUTRIENTS AND ARID ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS, SIWA OASIS, EGYPT
Authors: Mohamed Mahmoud , Abou-Kota Mohamed , Ganzou Shimaa , Abdellatif Abdellatif
Published: August 2021

Purpose: A comprehensive monitoring and evaluation study was conducted on wells, water table and drainage water for water quality index. The study aimed to achieve a sustainable integrated management for water and soil at the study area.

Methodology: Assessment and evaluation of water samples were: Evaluate the physic- chemical properties; Discuss the Hydro chemical coefficient; Assessment of the appropriate use of water quality such as permeability index (PI) and Kelly's indicator (KI); Water quality identification and assessment through calculate of WQI;  It was conducted various assessments of the elements within the water, such as the contamination factor (CFi); geo-accumulation index (Igeo) and the potential ecological risk index (RI).  

Findings: The results shown that the dominance of Na+ cation and Cl- anions due to the influence of marine sediments on water elements which resulted in increased the mention  ions in drainage water> water table> wells. TDS values of wells, water tables and drainage water were no detected, 2374 to 9088 and 3641.6 to 13952mg L-1, respectively and RSC values of water samples were not significant. KI indicated that the well water is safe for drinking and the water table and drainage water are not acceptable for drinking. PI indicated that the suitability of water to be used in agriculture. WQI confirmed that the water is highly appropriated for Olive's tree and Palms cultivation. CFi indicated that the wells gave low to moderate contamination of Mn, Cu and B while, the Fe, Zn and Si concentrations were low. A very high degree of contamination by Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu and B were observed in water tables; however Si concentration was low to considerable degree. Generally, drainage water gave a very high degree of contamination with Mn, Cu, and B, whereas the concentration of Fe, Zn and Si were low, moderate and considerable degree. Analytical modeling proved that the Igeo values for Mn, Zn, Cu and Si were assigned to Class 0 for water sources at study area. RI indicated the wells and water table samples (exception of Cu was moderate to high) were slightly risk as well as the RI of drainage water samples was low risk.

Contribution to theory, practice and policy: The results provided the relationships between the water resources assessment and water quality management, and to ensure their environmental reflections such as (contamination factor (CFi); geo-accumulation index (Igeo); the potential ecological risk (RI)), with the safe use of water based on its properties.

Keywords: Hydro chemical coefficient; permeability index (PI); Kelly's indicator (KI); water quality index (WQI); contamination factor (CFi); geo-accumulation index (Igeo); the potential ecological risk (RI).
Crude Oil Price Shock and the Nigerian Stock Market Performance in the Face of Covid-19 Pandemic Evidence from ARDL & Granger Causality Approach
Authors: Abubakar Hammayo , Tasiu Abdullahi Kamal
Published: August 2021

The study examined empirically the linear relationship between crude oil price shock and the Nigerian stock market performance, with the main objective of ascertaining the impact of the recent sharp decline in crude oil prices on stock market performance in the face of the global socio-economic challenge posed by COVID-19 pandemic. It used monthly time series data from the central bank of Nigeria (CBN) website (www.cbn.gov.ng) from 2017-2020 This period was chosen to capture the effects of changes in oil price on the performance of the Nigerian stock market within the context of the global economic challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The auto-regressive distributed lag ARDL approach has been applied in the model specification and data analysis for the study. The results of the ARDL in both the short and long run revealed that the recent crude oil price shock has a significant impact on stock market performance in Nigeria. The results of the granger causality test also reveal a unidirectional causality from crude oil price to stock market performance with a piece of evidence from the current decline of global crude oil prices from December 2019 to April 2020. The study, therefore, suggests the need for the Nigerian capital market to continue to pursue with vigor the implementation of the capital market master plan in the hope that a more developed capital market should be able to absorb external shocks such as those arising from crude oil price fluctuations.
The possible role of oxytocin in neuropsychiatric disorders
Authors: Marazziti Donatella , Della Vecchia Alessandra
Published: August 2021

Oxytocin (OT) is a peptide hormone unique to mammals, typically involved in activities characteristic of this vertebrate class, such as labour and lactation. Evidence suggests a role of OT even in most complex activities, including child attachment, maternal care, couple bonding, emotional and social behaviors. Furthermore, it seems to contribute to the modulation of stress responses, learning, and memory processes, as well as to the connection of social signals with cognition, behaviors and reward. For this reason, for years there has been a debate on the possible contribution of the OT system in the pathophysiology of different neuropsychiatric disorders, including autism spectrum disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, eating disorders, addiction, and schizophrenia. In this article, we describe the most relevant findings on OT system abnormalities in the aforementioned disorders, with a focus on possible therapeutic implications.
Clinicopathological Correlation between Depth of Tumor and Neck Node Metastasis in Oral (Tongue and Buccal Mucosa) Carcinoma
Authors: Shah Anuj H , Parikh Rupa P
Published: August 2021

Aims and objectives

(1) To study the depth of tumor invasion in an oral (tongue and buccal mucosa) carcinoma and its correlation with neck metastasis. (2) To know whether the increase in depth of tumor (depth of invasion) increases the chances of cervical nodal metastasis in the oral tongue and buccal mucosa carcinoma and derive cutoff value of depth of invasion at which the metastasis occurs.

Materials and methods

The study was carried out on 14 tongue and 22 buccal mucosa cases to know the correlation between the depth of tumor and neck node metastasis in the oral (tongue and buccal mucosa) carcinoma.

Results

Among 36 cases, 10 cases were pN+. Out of 10 cases, 7 (70%) were having depth ≥12 mm and 30% cases (pN+) having depth between 8 and <10. We found it statistically significant and so as the depth of tumor increases the chances of nodal metastasis increases. We found the cutoff for a depth of invasion in both tongue and buccal mucosa carcinomas as 8 out of 22 patients had DOI >10 mm and among them 4 were pN+ and among 14 tongue cases, 3 cases had DOI >8 mm and all of them were pN+.

Conclusion

For tongue 8 mm and for buccal mucosa, 10 mm of the depth of tumor invasion was calculated as the cutoff depth, above which the incidence of nodal metastasis increases to 75% and 66.66%, respectively.

Clinical significance

Depth of tumor is an important prognostic indicator in the tongue and buccal mucosa carcinoma to know the cervical nodal metastasis. Hence for an increase in depth of tumor cases, neck must be addressed along with primary tumor excision. Radiological investigations [ultrasonography (USG), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT) scan] play an important role in nodal metastasis detection hence should be considered in carcinoma of the oral tongue and buccal mucosa especially in clinically N0 neck.

How to cite this article

Shah AH, Parikh RP. Clinicopathological Correlation between Depth of Tumor and Neck Node Metastasis in Oral (Tongue and Buccal Mucosa) Carcinoma. Int J Head Neck Surg 2021;12(1):6–10.
Combined Technique for the Application of Micropulse Cyclophotocoagulation in Patients with Uncontrolled Glaucoma: Cyclo Mix
Authors: Waldo Loayza-Gamboa , Julio Herrera-Quiroz , Jennifer Chávez-Vallejos , Vanessa Valderrama-Albino , Luis Córdova-Crisanto , Rosa Alvarado-Villacorta , Alejandro Valera-Cornejo Diego
Published: August 2021

Purpose

To describe the outcomes of a combined technique (Cyclo Mix) in uncontrolled glaucoma cases.

Materials and methods

Retrospective study. The Supra 810 nm subliminal laser (Quantel Medical, Cournon d'Auvergne, France) was used. A combined technique was performed using the subliminal mode (Subcyclo) in one hemifield (power of 2,000 mW, a duty cycle of 35%, and 80–150 seconds), and the continuous wave mode (Thermo Cyclo) on the other hemifield (power of 1,000 mW, exposure time of 2 seconds per spot). The primary endpoint was the probability of surgical failure. Mean intraocular pressure (IOP) change, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), number of glaucoma eye drops, and complications at 6 months postoperatively were secondary outcomes.

Results

Twenty-three eyes from 13 patients were included. Mean age was 61.4 ± 16.7 (range: 18–78 years), and 69% were female, with a baseline IOP of 20.3 ± 5.9 (range: 13–38 mm Hg). The cumulative probability of failure was 18 and 22% on days 90 and 180, respectively. Mean IOP reduction was −25.6 ± 20.9% at 6 months. The number of glaucoma eye drops was reduced to 1.2 ± 1 (p = 0.0024) at 6 months. No statistically significant change in the mean BCVA compared with baseline at 6 months was found (p = 0.84), and no severe complications were reported.

Conclusion

Cyclo Mix seems to be a safe therapy that effectively reduces the IOP and glaucoma medications in eyes with uncontrolled open-angle glaucoma for up to 6 months.

How to cite this article

Waldo L-G, Julio H-Q, Jennifer C-V, et al. Combined Technique for the Application of Micropulse Cyclophotocoagulation in Patients with Uncontrolled Glaucoma: Cyclo Mix. J Curr Glaucoma Pract 2020;14(3):93–97.
Upaya Pencegahan Anemia Pada Remaja Putri Melalui Konsumsi Tablet Tambah Darah
Authors: Fitria Aida , Aisyah Siti , Sari Tarigan Jita
Published: August 2021

Ketidakpatuhan remaja putri mengkonsumsi Tablet Tambah Darah (TTD) menjadi penghambat pencapaian program pemerintah pemberian TTD. Sumatera Utara menduduki peringkat ke 4 terendah untuk cakupan pemberian TTD sebesar 19,96%, sedangkan target cakupan pemberian TTD sebesar 25%. Pemerintah mengharapkan melalui program pemberian Tablet Tambah Darah (TTD) pada remaja putri dapat menekan angka remaja putri yang mengalami anemia. Bahkan, masih banyak remaja putri yang tidak patuh mengkonsumsi Tablet Tambah Darah (TTD) karena beberapa faktor, yaitu pengetahuan. Manfaat kegiatan pengabdian kepada masyarakat ini dapat memberikan informasi secara umum tentang anemia pada remaja putri serta pentingnya mengkonsumsi Tablet Tambah Darah guna pencegahan anemia pada remaja. Metode pelaksanaan kegiatan PKM ini menggunakan metode ceramah, tanya jawab dan pemberian tablet zat besi pada remaja yang dilaksanakan pada tanggal 25 Mei 2021 di Yayasan Perguruan Budi Agung Medan. Hasil kegiatan PKM berupa penyuluhan ini mendapatkan apresiasi yang kuat, peserta terlihat semangat mengikuti dan mendengarkan ceramah dan ada tanya jawab dari para peserta. Peserta penyuluhan juga antusias menerima Tablet Tambah Darah yang diberikan dan bersedia meminumnya di rumah. Oleh karena itu, diharapkan peserta dapat mengkonsumsi TTD yang diberikan secara berkelanjutan agar angka anemia pada remaja putri dapat menurun.
Sosialisasi Produk Industri Rumah Tangga (PIRT) Bagi UMKM Pisang Salee
Authors: Malia Anna , Wahyuni Sri , Ernawita Ernawita , Maritalia Dewi
Published: August 2021

Kota Panton Labu Kabupaten Aceh Utara merupakan salah satu daerah penghasil pisang salee yang cukup terkenal dan sering dikunjungi masyarakat untuk membeli pisang salee. Namun, produk pisang salee yang dihasilkan oleh UMKM di Panton Labu masih banyak yang belum memiliki surat izin PIRT. PIRT merupakan bentuk jaminan dari pemerintah mengenai makanan yang diproduksi aman untuk dikonsumsi oleh konsumen. Kegiatan PKM ini bertujuan untuk meningkatkan pengetahuan dan pemahaman pelaku usaha pisang salee/UMKM tentang pentingnya PIRT bagi suatu produk makanan. Metode yang digunakan dalam pelaksanaan kegiatan PKM ini adalah dengan melakukan sosialisasi tentang PIRT dan prosedur mendapatkan PIRT pada  beberapa UMKM pisang salee yang ada di Kota Panton Labu Kabupaten Aceh Utara. Alat dan bahan yang digunakan dalam sosialisasi tersebut adalah beberapa contoh produk makanan dari UMKM yang sudah memiliki PIRT dan sudah dikemas dengan baik. Setelah mendapatkan sosialisasi tentang PIRT disertai beberapa contoh produk makanan, terlihat bahwa pelaku usaha pisang salee/UMKM tertarik dan antusias untuk mendapatkan PIRT bagi produknya. Oleh karena itu, kegiatan PKM ini perlu ditindaklanjuti dalam bentuk pendampingan pada UMKM pisang salee di Kota Panton Labu dalam mendapatan PIRT dan kemasan produk yang lebih baik.
Comparison of the efficacy of lotrafilcon B and comfilcon A silicone hydrogel bandage contact lenses after transepithelial photorefractive keratectomy
Authors: Lotfy Nancy M. , Alasbali Tariq , Alsharif Abdulrahman M. , Al- Gehedan Saeed M , Jastaneiah Sabah , Al-Hazaimeh Ashraf , Ali Hiba , Khandekar Rajiv
Published: August 2021

Background: At completion of transepithelial photorefractive keratectomy (t-PRK) surgery, the eye is usually fitted with a bandage contact lens to reduce discomfort and promote epithelial healing. This study aimed to compare the outcomes of eyes fitted with lotrafilcon B versus comfilcon A, silicone hydrogel bandage contact lenses after t-PRK for the correction of low to moderate myopia, with or without astigmatism.

Methods: In this comparative, prospective study, patients with myopia < -6 D with or without astigmatism (< 1.75 D), who underwent t-PRK between January and June 2018, were randomly allocated to the lotrafilcon B and comfilcon A groups. Preoperative characteristics, including age, sex, eye treated, uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA), best-corrected visual acuity, mesopic pupil size, central corneal thickness, and refractive error were recorded. Postoperatively, pain score, UCVA, and corneal epithelial defect size on days 1, 4, and 7 were compared between the two groups.

Results: Twenty-nine eyes were included in each group. Demographic characteristics and preoperative measurements were similar between the two groups. UCVA was significantly improved on day 7 as compared to day 1 in the comfilcon A group (P = 0.03), but remained the same in the lotrafilcon B group (P = 0.70) as on day 1 postoperatively. There was no significant difference in UCVA between the two groups at any follow-up visits (all P > 0.05). The pain score on the first postoperative day was significantly higher in the lotrafilcon B-fitted eyes than in the comfilcon A group (P < 0.001), but was significantly reduced in both groups compared to day 1 (both P < 0.001). The epithelial defect in the comfilcon A group was significantly greater than in the lotrafilcon B group (P < 0.001) at day 1 postoperatively, with significant improvement in both groups (both P < 0.001).

Conclusions: Healing responses were better with lotrafilcon B than with comfilcon A bandage contact lenses. The patients had a greater mean pain score with lotrafilcon B than with comfilcon A lenses on the first postoperative day, yet the final outcome was comparable between the two groups. We did not encounter any postoperative complications related to contact lens wear.

How to cite this article: Lotfy NM, Alasbali T, Alsharif AM, Al-Gehedan SM, Jastaneiah S, Al-Hazaimeh A, Ali H, Khandekar R. Comparison of the efficacy of lotrafilcon B and comfilcon A silicone hydrogel bandage contact lenses after transepithelial photorefractive keratectomy. Med Hypothesis Discov Innov Ophthalmol. 2021 Summer; 10(2): 1-7. https://doi.org/10.51329/mehdiophthal1420
Nutritional, physico-chemical and sensory characteristics of a pearl millet-based instant beverage powder
Authors:   , Obilana Anthony Olusegun
Published: August 2021

A pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) based instant beverage powder (PMIBP) was prepared from two different varieties of pearl millet (Agrigreen (AgG) and Babala (Ba)) by a combination of malting and extrusion cooking. The millet grains were germinated (30oC and 98% RH for 36 h), kilned (50oC for 48 h), cooled to room temperature, ground and stored in a chiller at 5oC until used. The raw and malted pearl millet grains were extruded under different parameters to accommodate the types of pre-treatment applied to the pearl millets. Combination processing of the pearl millet grain was achieved by extrusion of malted pearl millet of both varieties individually, and as a mixture of raw and malted pearl millet (50:50). The effect of the processing methods on the physical, functional, nutritional and biochemical properties of the raw and processed pearl millets varieties were evaluated. Combination processing led to a significant (p ≤ 0.05) decrease in total fat and total dietary fibre (TDF) (3.85 and 22.99 g/100 g, respectively) content of AgriGreen (AgG) extruded malted pearl millet (EMPM); a decrease in TDF (18.12 g/100 g) content of AgG extruded raw pearl millet-malted pearl millet mix (ERPMMPM). Combination processing led to a decrease in ash, total fat, total dietary fibre, Fe and Zn (1.76, 3.48, 14.26 g/100 g, 7.78 and 4.74 mg/100 g, respectively) content of Babala (Ba) EMPM. It also led to a significant (p ≤ 0.05) decrease in ash, total fat, TDF, Fe and Zn (1.88, 4.22, 21.71 g/100 g, 7.24 and 4.14 mg/100 g, respectively) content of Ba ERPMMPM. Regardless of the pearl millet variety, malting led to a significant (p ≤ 0.05) decrease in moisture, total, saturated, mono- and polyunsaturated fats, total dietary fibre iron, zinc and protein digestibility; a significant (p ≤ 0.05) increase in total carbohydrates, total phenolic content, antioxidant activity (TEAC) and water solubility index. Extrusion however, led to a significant (p ≤ 0.05) decrease in total dietary fibre, zinc, total phenolic content and protein digestibility; a significant (p ≤ 0.05) increase in ash, total, saturated and monounsaturated fats, total carbohydrates, iron, starch digestibility water absorption index (WAI) and water solubility index (WSI). The beverages of 10% total solids (8% pearl millet + 2% sugar for taste) prepared from the processed pearl millet were offered to an untrained consumer panel consisting of students and staff of the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, under similar sets of conditions in a sensory evaluation room at the Food Technology Department. The following characteristics of the products were rated and scored on a 9-point hedonic scale (1 – like extremely and 9 – dislike extremely): appearance, colour, aroma, flavour, mouth-feel and overall acceptability. In general, Ba RPM was rated 4 - like slightly, and AgG malted pearl millet (MPM) was rated 6 - dislike slightly and all other pearl millet samples from both varieties were rated 5 - neither like nor dislike.