bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
THE INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL INFLUENCE AND PEER INFLUENCE ON INTENTION TO PURCHASE IN E-COMMERCE
Authors: Gunawan Celine Miyuki , Rahmania Laili , Kenang Irantha Hendrika
Published: April 2023

The development of information technology increases the number of active users of mobile phones and several platforms in it, such as ecommerce. Social groups and peers influence determining consumer behavior to make purchasing decisions on e-commerce. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of social influence and peer influence on the intention to purchase on e-commerce which is supported by the theory of TPB (Theory of Planned Behavior) and TAM (Technology Acceptance Model). The data in the study were obtained from 338 students in Surabaya who had shopped through e-commerce. This study uses Confirmatory Factor Analysis to determine the validity and reliability of the construct and Partial Least Square in testing the relationship between the variables. The results of the analysis have proven that social influence and peer influence variables have a significant influence on attitudes towards using e-commerce and intention to purchase. Social and peer influence can influence behavior in making purchasing decisions among consumers, especially teenagers through trust, interaction, habits, recommendations, and information provided. This research is expected to provide knowledge to sellers in e-commerce for the development of marketing their products and services in the future.
LA GESTIÓN ESTRATÉGICA EMPRESARIAL COMO ALTERNATIVA PARA REDUCIR COSTOS Y AUMENTAR LAS UTILIDADES: CARACTERIZACIÓN Y DIAGNÓSTICO
Authors: Mamani Miguel Ángel Morales , Ponz Stephani Fabiana Vaca
Published: April 2023

La aplicación de una gestión estratégica determinará el rumbo de las acciones de generación de valor, una dirección correctamente establecida determinará el futuro de la empresa en diferentes aspectos y en diferentes niveles, por tanto, una planificación de las operaciones en la producción, las ventas y la administración serán cruciales para el funcionamiento de la empresa. El proyecto tiene como finalidad aplicar conceptos y prácticas de la gestión estratégica de empresas que serán aplicadas en la barraca JPV, para lo cual se realiza un análisis situacional del negocio utilizando herramientas de diagnóstico como; el análisis de fortalezas, oportunidades, debilidades y amenazas (FODA), encuestas y entrevistas. Esto con el objetivo de determinar aspectos externos como el macroambiente y aspectos internos como el microambiente de la empresa, de igual manera se identificará el alcance estratégico actual así como el económico donde se encuentran temas como; costos, cadena de valor, ingresos, indicadores de desempeño y estado de resultados. Finalmente con la información obtenida del diagnóstico empresarial interno como externo, se realizaron las estrategias que serán de gran importancia éntre los distintos niveles de la empresa, en la cadena de valor se plantearon estrategias de bajos costos en sectores como; la materia prima, la producción, el almacenamiento y las ventas a través del análisis del macroambiente, se procedió a segmentar el mercado y realizar estrategias que sirvan como guía para mejorar la comercialización de los productos a través del marketing mix utilizando estrategias genéricas de producción, plaza, precio y distribución que son las 4’Ps del marketing, con la composición de este documento se espera incrementar las utilidades de la empresa y mejorar el posicionamiento en el mercado.
The Athena++ Adaptive Mesh Refinement Framework: Multigrid Solvers for Self-gravity
Authors: Tomida Kengo , Stone James M.
Published: April 2023

We describe the implementation of multigrid solvers in the Athena++ adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) framework and their application to the solution of the Poisson equation for self-gravity. The new solvers are built on top of the AMR hierarchy and TaskList framework of Athena++ for efficient parallelization. We adopt a conservative formulation for the Laplacian operator that avoids artificial accelerations at level boundaries. Periodic, fixed, and zero-gradient boundary conditions are implemented, as well as open boundary conditions based on a multipole expansion. Hybrid parallelization using both Message Passing Interface and OpenMP is adopted, and we present results of tests demonstrating the accuracy and scaling of the methods. On a uniform grid, we show that multigrid significantly outperforms methods based on fast Fourier transforms, and requires only a small fraction of the computing time required by the (highly optimized) magnetohydrodynamic solver in Athena++. As a demonstration of the capabilities of the methods, we present the results of a test calculation of magnetized protostellar collapse on an adaptive mesh.
Nomenclature and typification in Verbascum (Scrophulariaceae) from North Africa
Authors: Khamar Hamid , Oualidi Jalal El , Touhami Amina Ouazzani , Civeyrel Laure
Published: April 2023

The progress of taxonomic work on native Verbascum L. taxa found in Morocco led to a search for reference specimens in various herbaria. This process was extended to the taxa found in the other four countries of North Africa (Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Egypt), which make up the southern shore of the Mediterranean basin. Numerous names were identified as needing typification or requiring corrections of their earlier lectotypifications in order to stabilize their nomenclature and provide a better definition of each taxon. As a result, lectotypes are now designated for 35 names, a neotype is proposed for V. ballii (Batt.) Hub.-Mor., and second-step lectotypes are proposed for V. faurei subsp. acanthifolium (Pau) Benedí & J.M.Monts. and V. pinnatisectum (Batt.) Benedí. Comments have been added for each typified name. Known isolectotypes are also mentioned whenever possible. Furthermore, some new combinations are proposed in this paper, namely V. longirostre var. antiatlantica (Emb.) Khamar, comb. nov., V. longirostre var. atlantica (Maire) Khamar, comb. nov., and V. longirostre var. hoggarica (Maire) Khamar, comb. nov.
Blocs de construction
Authors: Hiscock Shirley
Published: April 2023

Cet article clinique explore comment des processus de libre association ont pu se produire, chez le patient comme chez l’analyste, processus qui semblent avoir contribué au développement observé chez Peter, un petit garçon de 6 ans diagnostiqué comme atteint d’autisme. Pour ce faire, le matériel clinique des trois premières années de psychothérapie est présenté en détail, en partant d’une époque où il ne pouvait guère parler ni jouer. La séance spéciale de la 4e année, dans laquelle il s’est mis à parler de son expérience, se situe au point culminant d’un intense travail thérapeutique dans lequel il se trouvait engagé. L’article comporte trois parties. D’abord un résumé des motifs de consultation et du contexte historique, ensuite la partie clinique principale qui va du début du traitement jusqu’à la troisième année, où l’on voit contre quelle terreur Peter se protégeait et la lutte qu’il menait contre le fait qu’on l’aide contre cette terreur, et ses succès dans cette lutte. L’article s’achève sur des remarques à propos du passage de Peter des « blocs de construction » à un contact par la construction d’une forme de contact avec son analyste et avec le monde, et sur le rôle de la psychothérapie psychanalytique parmi d’autres formes de traitement pour les enfants appartenant au spectre de l’autisme.
À la recherche de l’étoile polaire. Le voyage psychothérapeutique d’un enfant de cinq ans
Authors: M. G. Adamo Simonetta , Marasso Margherita
Published: April 2023

Cet article décrit la thérapie d’un enfant de 5 ans qui a duré deux ans et demi. La thérapie a été interrompue à cause de circonstances extérieures. Le patient a été vu trois fois par semaine. Les auteurs sont, respectivement, le superviseur et la psychothérapeute, qui a pris en charge la thérapie. Au début, le garçon était plongé dans un monde chaotique ; il semblait extrêmement persécuté par des sensations et des sentiments fragmentés et dérangeants, dont il essayait de se protéger, soit en tapant sa tête, soit en ayant recours à des défenses de type autistique. Son monde intérieur semblait désorganisé et caractérisé par un clivage défectueux entre bons et mauvais objets. Ses liens étaient faibles et fragiles ; sa dépendance, caractérisée par une qualité dévorante. Au fur et à mesure que le processus thérapeutique s’est développé, ces caractéristiques parurent provoquées plus par des circonstances externes que par une destructivité interne de l’enfant. Le monde externe de l’enfant était en effet plein de confusion à cause des conflits très intenses entre ses parents, qui étaient séparés et à la tendance de la mère à identifier son fils à son ex-mari et à charger la relation entre le fils et le père avec des soupçons et des accusations. Graduellement, toutefois, l’enfant a internalisé les fonctions d’un objet contenant, qui réunissait des caractéristiques soit maternelles, soit paternelles, capables d’accueillir et de métaboliser des sensations et ressentis, mais aussi d’introduire de l’ordre et de mettre des limites. Cet objet apparaissait doué à la fois de réceptivité, de fermeté et de solidité. Le patient est retombé souvent dans un monde miné par des sentiment primitifs et par des liens -K, mais son développement a toujours pu reprendre, grâce aussi à sa capacité croissante à faire un usage imaginatif du langage symbolique. Le processus de réparation de la fonction paternelle a pu se poursuivre et un couple créatif a pu s’instituer dans son monde intérieur et extérieur.
Le cadre et le processus chez Jose Bleger
Authors: Joly Fabien
Published: April 2023

Dans la dynamique de notre numéro thématisé sur la question du processus en analyse d’enfants, ce court article rappelle et synthétise les explorations et élaborations pionnières de José Bleger autour du cadre, et singulièrement de la tension dynamique entre cadre et processus, ainsi que des élaborations concomitantes sur les régimes archaïques de la vie psychique (entre symbiose et ambiguïté) convoqués par la question du processus analysant.
Réflexions sur la fonction de père pré-œdipien
Authors: Golse Bernard
Published: April 2023

Après avoir rappelé ce qu’il en est des composantes féminines et masculines des enveloppes (psychiques), ainsi que du concept d’imago au regard de la nécessaire décondensation du concept de présentation d’objet, l’auteur donne quelques exemples de situations triangulaires précoces (prégénitales ou préœdipiennes) tant dans le registre intrapsychique que dans le registre interpersonnel. Après quoi, c’est la co-construction du tiers par l’enfant et par l’adulte (la mère, le père, les caregivers ) qui est présentée et qui permet de proposer le concept de « tiers reliant », bien métaphorisé par la fonction dite de « Sainte-Anne ».
La construction d’un pont qui à la fois sépare et relie
Authors: Davis Linda
Published: April 2023

Dans cet article, le processus du traitement psychanalytique d’un enfant autiste est comparé à la construction d’un pont depuis le monde de l’illusion fusionnelle et de l’unidimensionnalité à celui de l’acceptation de la séparation et de l’expérience d’être deux. Ce pont permet la rencontre progressive avec un objet-contour, un objet-contenant, un objet-émotionné et avec le tiers qui maintien la séparation porteuse de liaison. Travail de liaison mais avant tout de lien tissé entre deux personnes, un espace et une expérience émotionnelle de partage et de profondeur des sentiments.
Mon père, ton père, notre père…
Authors: Joly Fabien
Published: April 2023

Sont présentés des « instantanés » cliniques pris au décours d’une banale journée d’un psychanalyste ; des « vignettes » qui, d’une séance à l’autre, imposent la question (voire l’omniprésence) du père et des différents registres d’une fonction paternelle dans le matériel et le travail élaboratif de chacun. La juxtaposition et le déroulé de ces quelques séances témoignent autant de l’essentialité de cette problématique que de son aspect kaléidoscopique ; et appelle ainsi comme une ouverture réflexive à l’élaboration plus poussée de ladite fonction paternelle en théorie comme dans le transfert et le travail interprétatif. Quelques directions élaboratives sont proposées en conclusion de ce patchwork clinique.
Qu’en est-il aujourd’hui du « signe d’histoire » fait par un sentiment sublime ?
Authors: Prado Plínio W.
Published: April 2023

Il s’agit de revenir maintenant sur la portée historico-politique de l’Analytique du sentiment esthétique sublime. L’enjeu n’est pas exclusivement exégétique, mais vise notamment à évaluer ce qu’il en est du « progrès vers le mieux » dans le temps présent. L’essence de l’affect esthétique sublime réside dans un retournement  : la défaillance des formes sensibles de présentation, par leur défaut même, présente, négativement, une Idée de la raison (l’infini, la liberté), dont le sentiment est universellement partageable en principe. S’y révèle ainsi « notre destination supra-sensible » : témoigner de l’inconditionné, cultiver la « susceptibilité » aux Idées. Et cela à l’occasion des séquences historico-politiques tout aussi bien, y compris les conjonctures les plus « désolantes ». La désolation elle-même, si elle relève de cette esthétique de la présentation négative de l’Idée, peut faire « signe d’histoire », c’est-à-dire : être un indice probant que les humains dans leur histoire progressent dans la capacité au mieux. Tel fut le cas de l’affect d’ enthousiasme qui gagna les peuples européens lors de la Révolution en 1789. Mais il peut en aller de même pour le chagrin , voire pour le désespoir (en tout cas le « désespoir révolté », die entrüstete Verzweiflung ). 2. Il reste que le retournement de la défaillance des formes en sentiment sublime ne va pas sans quelques difficultés intrinsèques, liées à sa différence d’avec le beau : cette défaillance annonce un certain retrait de l’Idée de sens communis (gage, pourtant, de l’universalité sans concept à laquelle prétend le sentiment esthétique) ; et sa conversion en affection sublime exige la médiation d’une culture rendant les esprits plus sensibles aux Idées. Ne faut-il pas en conclure que, avec ce retrait du sens communautaire et le déclin de la culture (à l’ère de l’industrie culturelle multi-médiatique), il ne peut pas y avoir d’affection sublime, partageable publiquement et faisant « signe d’histoire », attestant qu’il y a progrès ? 3. Ce manque de signe esthétique, affectif, éclairerait comment une crise de l’histoire et du politique est-elle possible. Cette crise, n’est-elle pas ce qui s’installe désormais comme le trait constitutif fondamental de notre sort à présent ? En proie aux menaces de catastrophe globale qui pèsent aujourd’hui sur la planète et sur l’humanité, ce qui nous reste encore de « résistance » n’est-il pas dû davantage à l’angoisse de la survie , plutôt que tiré par le sens d’une Idée incommensurable qui, témoignant de notre destination supra-sensible, attesterait toujours que nous sommes en progrès vers le mieux ?
Imagining, experimenting, exploring The Kantian legacy in Emilio Garroni’s theory of creativity
Authors: Cecchi Dario
Published: April 2023

La Critique de la faculté de juger ne relève pas seulement d’une théorie esthétique, pour originelle qu’elle puisse être. Elle met surtout en œuvre un nouveau discours philosophique. La critique de la métaphysique y est reconsidérée d’une manière positive, comme une réflexion sur la donation de sens à la croisée entre principes généraux et expériences contingentes. Le philosophe italien Emilio Garroni a développé ce nouveau point de vue sur le troisième Critique , en soutenant que, dans cette Critique , Kant a formulé une nouvelle forme de « libre schématisme », et en même temps la primauté de ce schématisme par rapport au « schématisme objectif » de la Critique de la raison pure . De manière générale, il partage l’idée que le schématisme représente le lieu théorique où Kant développe implicitement sa théorie sémantique. Lisant, comme Garroni, Kant après Wittgenstein, nous posons alors la question : qu’est-ce qu’une forme de vie après le langage ?
Affectologie des atmosphères et transesthétique des espaces
Authors: Mons Alain
Published: April 2023

Tous les espaces que nous traversons nous affectent autant que nous les affectons. Certains artistes visuels ou/et sonores, nous offrent des transmorphoses dans la façon de percevoir des atmosphères : images détournées, installations déstabilisantes. Tantôt il s’agit de création de bulles étranges, tantôt a contrario de lignes de fuite. Ces artistes ne font que tracer de façon fort singulière une cartographie des émotions dont nous faisons l’expérience ordinaire, dans des villes ou des lieux alternatifs. L’irruption des affects peut bouleverser la « société d’exposition » parfaite où les devenirs transgenres, ou autres potentialités multi-esthétiques, se déploient de façon incongrue. Une affectologie – ou anthropoétique – du contemporain est envisagée à travers l’enchâssement des métamorphoses de toute nature et le trouble des subjectivités à l’œuvre.
Les métempsychoses de l’ours Martin, ou les inconvénients de la célébrité
Authors: Vayron Olivier
Published: April 2023

Dès leur création en 1805, les fosses aux ours du Jardin des Plantes de Paris constituèrent l’une des grandes attractions parisiennes. Leur principale caractéristique fut d’abriter la plus grande vedette-animale de la capitale sur le long terme : Martin. Car il n’exista à la ménagerie qu’un seul Martin. La mort de l’ours Martin donna toujours lieu à sa substitution paraphysique, permettant de maintenir l’homonymie dynastique. Ce phénix du Jardin des Plantes fit l’objet de fréquentes chroniques retraçant ses petites habitudes, ses grands moments de gloires ou ses faits d’armes. Martin fut ainsi drolatique pour les périodiques satyriques, dramatique pour les quotidiens sérieux ; du reste, l’analyse de la presse révèle que Martin ne fut pas un ours, mais un personnage social.
Piecewise differential equations: theory, methods and applications
Authors: Atangana Abdon , İğret Araz Seda
Published: April 2023

Across many real-world problems, crossover tendencies are seen. Piecewise differential operators are constructed by using different kernels that exhibit behaviors arising in several real-world problems; thus, crossover behaviors could be well modeled using these differential and integral operators. Power-law processes, fading memory processes and processes that mimic the generalized Mittag-Leffler function are a few examples. However, the use of piecewise differential and integral operators cannot be applied to all processes involving crossovers. For instance, a considerable alteration eventually manifests when groundwater over-abstraction causes it to flow from confined to unconfined aquifers. The idea of piecewise differential equations, which can be thought of as an extension of piecewise functions to the framework of differential equations, is introduced in this work. While we concentrate on ordinary differential equations, it is important to note that partial differential equations can also be constructed with the same technique. For both integer and non-integer instances, piecewise differential equations have been introduced. We have explained the usage of the Laplace transform for the linear case and demonstrated how a new class of Bode diagrams could be produced. We have provided some examples of numerical solutions as well as conditions for the existence and uniqueness of their solutions. We discussed a few scenarios in which we used chaos and non-linear ordinary differential equations to produce novel varieties of chaos. We believe that this idea could lead to some significant conclusions in the future.
Age-dependent final size equation to anticipate mortality impact of COVID-19 in China
Authors: Amemiya Yuri , Li Tianwen , Nishiura Hiroshi
Published: April 2023

Before reopening society in December 2022, China had not achieved sufficiently high vaccination coverage among people aged 80 years and older, who are vulnerable to severe infection and death owing to COVID-19. Suddenly ending the zero-COVID policy was anticipated to lead to substantial mortality. To investigate the mortality impact of COVID-19, we devised an age-dependent transmission model to derive a final size equation, permitting calculation of the expected cumulative incidence. Using an age-specific contact matrix and published estimates of vaccine effectiveness, final size was computed as a function of the basic reproduction number, R0. We also examined hypothetical scenarios in which third-dose vaccination coverage was increased in advance of the epidemic, and also in which mRNA vaccine was used instead of inactivated vaccines. Without additional vaccination, the final size model indicated that a total of 1.4 million deaths (half of which were among people aged 80 years and older) were anticipated with an assumed R0 of 3.4. A 10% increase in third-dose coverage would prevent 30,948, 24,106, and 16,367 deaths, with an assumed second-dose effectiveness of 0%, 10%, and 20%, respectively. With mRNA vaccine, the mortality impact would have been reduced to 1.1 million deaths. The experience of reopening in China indicates the critical importance of balancing pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical interventions. Ensuring sufficiently high vaccination coverage is vital in advance of policy changes.
Semi-supervised regression with adaptive graph learning for EEG-based emotion recognition
Authors: Sha Tianhui , Zhang Yikai , Peng Yong , Kong Wanzeng
Published: April 2023

Electroencephalogram (EEG) signals are widely used in the field of emotion recognition since it is resistant to camouflage and contains abundant physiological information. However, EEG signals are non-stationary and have low signal-noise-ratio, making it more difficult to decode in comparison with data modalities such as facial expression and text. In this paper, we propose a model termed semi-supervised regression with adaptive graph learning (SRAGL) for cross-session EEG emotion recognition, which has two merits. On one hand, the emotional label information of unlabeled samples is jointly estimated with the other model variables by a semi-supervised regression in SRAGL. On the other hand, SRAGL adaptively learns a graph to depict the connections among EEG data samples which further facilitates the emotional label estimation process. From the experimental results on the SEED-IV data set, we have the following insights. 1) SRAGL achieves superior performance compared to some state-of-the-art algorithms. To be specific, the average accuracies are 78.18%, 80.55%, and 81.90% in the three cross-session emotion recognition tasks. 2) As the iteration number increases, SRAGL converges quickly and optimizes the emotion metric of EEG samples gradually, leading to a reliable similarity matrix finally. 3) Based on the learned regression projection matrix, we obtain the contribution of each EEG feature, which enables us to automatically identify critical frequency bands and brain regions in emotion recognition.
The Effect of Parental Social Status in Academia: Comparative Case of the Public/Private University in Morocco
Authors: Aamro El Hassan , Chafiq Nadia , Radid Mohamed , Talbi Mohammed
Published: April 2023

In the education system, the different parental resources of university students are linked to social inequality by distinct mechanisms, they are reproduced and legitimized.  The socio-economic status (SES) of students assumed to be indexed, by the level of education, parental occupation, or family income, is a predictor of educational outcomes.  The implementation of interventions that reduce the gap in the achievement of Socio-Economic Status (SES), can face significant ideological obstacles.  In a purely sociological approach, our comparative study analyzes through a questionnaire survey, the socio-economic and cultural environment of the students of two Moroccan universities, the Faculty of Sciences Ben M'Sick (FSBM) of Casablanca, a public institution, and a private institution located in the same city but geographically in an upscale neighborhood.  The results obtained attest that the social and cultural heritage of parents transmitted to students has effects on social reproduction, as well as the strong significant involvement of social origin in the learning process.
Physical, Mechanical and Thermal Insulation Properties of Foam Made from Natural Rubber Compounded with Ground Rice Husk
Authors: Tuampoemsab Surakit , Rattanapan Apaipan , Sapsrithong Pornsri , Sritapunya Thritima , Buranasean Longuey
Published: April 2023

This research attempted to prepare thermal insulation material made of naturally occurring products. Natural rubber (NR) foam comprised of ground rice husk as a filler was practically investigated. STR 5L played as a solid commercial NR was mixed with various chemicals on a two-roll mill. Dicumyl peroxide (DCP) and di-nitroso pentamethylene tetramine (Supercell DPT) were employed as curing and blowing agents, respectively. Physical, mechanical and thermal insulation properties of NR composite foams were studied with various particle sizes (mesh 40 and 60) and quantities (0-80 phr) of the ground rice husk. Cure characterization and preparation of all NR compounds were performed at 160 °C. As a result of tensile properties, the bigger particle size (mesh 40) and the highest amount of the ground rice husk at 80 phr resulted in the maximum tensile strength and elongation at break (%) of the NR composite foams. The thermal insulation property of the NR composite foams carried out by ASTM C177 revealed that the lowest thermal conductivity among three representative NR formulations was found to be 0.0862 W/m.K for the NR foam reinforced with the ground rice husk mesh 40 at 20 phr. Closed cell NR composite foam with a smaller amount of ground rice husk particles provides good compressive strength and heat insulation properties but not good tensile properties.
Feasibility Study of Bio-Composite Foam Preparation from Poly(Butylene Succinate) with Spent Coffee Grounds Using Compression Molding
Authors: Sritapunya Thritima , Rattanapan Apaipan , Sapsrithong Pornsri , Tuampoemsab Surakit , Suksompoom Pakaon , Lagjaroensakul Chadaporn , Dechsiri Patsaphon
Published: April 2023

Plastic foam is widely used in varying industries due to its light weight, high strength, and good heat insulation. However, most plastic foams are produced from petroleum-based polymers which cannot be naturally degraded and can release aromatic pollution to the environment when they are molten or burned. Therefore, poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) and KMnO4-treated spent coffee grounds (SCG), which are biopolymer and bio-filler, are used to prepare the bio-composite foam in this research by using azodicarbonamide (ACDA) as a chemical blowing agent. The 10, 20, and 30 phr of the treated SCG and the 6 and 10 wt% of blowing agent are compounded with PBS resin using a two-roll mill and foamed by compression molding machine to investigate the possibility of the batch foam production. All bio-composite foams are investigated for both physical and mechanical properties including morphology, compressive strength, abrasion resistance, bulk density, and water absorption. All foams were successfully prepared by a two-step technique in compression molding to melt the compounded PBS pellets first at 160°C, 90 bar and then decompose the ADCA blowing agent to generate foam cells at 200°C, 120 bar. The appearance and morphology of the obtained foams showed that the cells were smaller and more even distribution with the treated SCG addition. The compressive and abrasion resistant properties decreased as the treated SCG increasing, excepted the bio-composite foam with 30 phr of the treated SCG. whereas the addition of ADCA showed an ambiguous trend. Both filler and blowing agent contents caused a somewhat decrease bulk density and increase water absorption.
Preparation and Characterization of Natural Rubber Foam Filled with Bagasse Fiber
Authors: Rattanapan Apaipan , Sapsrithong Pornsri , Tuampoemsab Surakit , Sritapunya Thritima
Published: April 2023

The properties of natural rubber foam filled with bagasse fiber of varying content (0-50 phr) and different blowing agent content (5 and 8 phr) were investigated, with rubber compounds and vulcanized rubber also examined. Rubber compound properties included measurements of scorch time, cure time, minimum torque, maximum torque, density, and percentage of expansion in the mold. When bagasse fiber and blowing agent content increased, the maximum torque value of the compounded rubber increased. For rubber compound with blowing agent loading at 5 phr, cure time increased with an increasing bagasse fiber content of 40-50 phr, while scorch time and density of the rubber compound remained unchanged. The percentage of rubber compound expansion in the mold decreased with increasing bagasse fiber content. The cell size of natural rubber foams was inspected using an optical microscope. Small and homogeneous cell size was found in natural rubber foam with blowing agent content of 8 phr and higher bagasse fiber content. The incorporation of bagasse fiber enhanced the compressive strength of the natural rubber foam. Vulcanized rubber properties such as the modulus at 100% strain, tensile strength, and strain at break were also studied. The modulus increased, whereas stress at break and strain at break decreased with increasing bagasse fiber content. On the other hand, tensile strength and strain at break increased with increasing blowing agent loading.
Impact of the Xanthan Gum on Rheological and Mechanical Properties of Slip of Ceramic
Authors: Daouadji Souad Hassene , Larbi Hammadi , Hazzab Abdelkrim
Published: April 2023

The slips intended for the manufacture of ceramics must have rheological properties well-defined in order to bring together the qualities required for the casting step (good fluidity for feeding the molds easily settles while generating a regular settling of the dough and for the dehydration phase of the dough in the mold a setting time relatively short is required to have a sufficient refinement which allows demolding both easy and fast). Many additives have added in slip of ceramic in order to improve their rheological and mechanical properties. In this study, we investigated the impact of xanthan gum on rheological and mechanical properties of ceramic slip. The modified Cross model is used to fit the stationary flow curves of ceramic slip at different concentration of xanthan added. The addition of xanthan gum in a concentration range between 0 and 0.4 wt % in slip of ceramic induces the increase in the yield stress, zero shear rate viscosity and the infinite shear rate viscosity of the slip of ceramic. Generally speaking, the presence of xanthan gum modifies the rheological and mechanical properties of the slip. On the other hand, the study shows that an increase in flexural strength with the increase of the amount of xanthan gum in the ceramic slip. All the experimental results indicate an increasing tendency of the interactions between the particles of the raw materials with the highest concentration of xanthan gum.
Impact of Health Beliefs on Preventative and Coping Behaviours in Sri Lankans with Chronic Illness during Covid-19
Authors: Weerasinghe W. A. S. A. , Akuretiya S.
Published: April 2023

Non-adherence to health regulations during the Covid-19 pandemic has been associated with health beliefs. The present study investigates the impact of these health beliefs on preventative health behaviours and coping behaviours. The research followed an ex-post facto survey design and convenience sampling was used to recruit a sample of 100 Sri Lankans with chronic illnesses. Data collection was carried out online using the Health Beliefs and Preventative Behaviour questionnaire and the Brief Cope Inventory. The multiple regression analyses reveals that the regression model with health beliefs of perceived barriers, perceived self-efficacy, and cues to action was a significantly useful predictor explaining 50% of the variance in preventative health behaviours. The findings revealed no significant associations between perceived severity, susceptibility, and benefits with preventative health behaviours. Educational level and marital status moderate the relationship between self-efficacy, cues to action and preventative health behaviours. In fact, self-efficacy is positively and significantly correlated with adaptive coping but not significantly correlated with maladaptive coping behaviour. Overall, the findings highlight the utility of reducing barriers, enhancing self-efficacy, and promoting health literacy through education and provision of social support, especially spousal support, to foster adherence to preventative health behaviours.
Psychological Well-being among Primary Caregivers of Children with Invisible Disabilities in Sri Lanka
Authors: Mohamed F. W. , De Silva I. R. R.
Published: April 2023

Caring for a child with invisible disabilities such as Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder, speech impairments, and learning difficulties can be fulfilling whilst challenging the caregiver’s psychological well-being. As these children require special support and a diligent caregiving environment to thrive, primary caregivers have to take on additional roles to provide extra support for children with invisible disabilities while accommodating their professional and personal lives through the process. This research therefore analyzed psychological well-being related depression, anxiety, and stress between primary caregivers of children with invisible disabilities and primary caregivers of typically developing children in Sri Lanka. Data was gathered through an online survey of a sample of 75 primary caregivers between the ages of 23 – 56 years, which included 38 primary caregivers of children with invisible disabilities and 37 primary caregivers of typically developing children. The DASS-21 was administered to measure depression, anxiety, and stress. The independent sample t-test was used to compare the mean between the two groups of caregivers. The results confirmed that there is no significant difference in the levels of depression, anxiety and stress between primary caregivers of children with invisible disabilities and primary caregivers of typically developing children. The implications of this study suggest, with the right support and experience, anxiety may reduce in primary caregivers. The necessity to pay attention and provide more social and family support to enhance the psychological well-being of caregivers can improve their efficiency in caregiving.
Identifying Ordinal Nature Inherited Proteins Associated with a Certain Disease
Authors: Samarawickrama O. , Jayatillake R. , Amaratunga D.
Published: April 2023

Proteomic studies are studies of protein expression levels. They are growing swiftly with the steady improvement in technology and knowledge of cell biology. Since differentially expressed proteins have an influence on overall cell functionality, this improves discrimination between healthy and diseased states. Identifying prime proteins offers prospective insights for developing optimized and targeted treatments. This research involves analyzing data from an early-stage study of which the main purpose was to identify differentially expressed proteins. There are three progressively serious disease states (healthy to mild to severe) in this study. The analysis can be categorized into 2 stages as univariate and multi-protein analysis. The approach of the univariate analysis was to implement continuation ratio modeling considering one protein at a time to pick those that exhibit potential ordinality. Penalized continuation ratio modeling using lasso regularization incorporated with bootstrapping proteins was performed as the next stage to identify protein combinations that perform well together. Combining results of the univariate and multi-protein analyses identified 20 proteins that join forces to discriminate disease severity with an ordinal setting and 21 proteins that are effective each on its own.
In Vitro Evaluation of Antibacterial Activity of Copper and Sulfur Nanoparticles for Controlling Bacterial Blight Caused by Xanthomonas sp. in Anthurium andraeanum Lind
Authors: Peiris S. E. , Seneviratne K. L. , Shashikala R. P. A. , Peiris Colin N. , Imalka M. I. , Piumika Y. P.
Published: April 2023

Bacterial blight in Anthurium andraeanum Lind. which is caused by Xanthomonas sp. is regarded as the most threatening disease in the anthurium industry worldwide. Therefore, the current study was carried out to determine whether the application of copper nano particles (CuNPs) and sulfur nanoparticles (SNPs) is a possible solution to control the bacterial blight in anthurium. The bacterium Xanthomonas sp. was isolated using standard methods and a single bacterial colony was grown in nutrient agar (NA). The colonies produced in cultures were identified as Xanthomonas sp. as they were Gram-negative, motile rods with yellow colour due to production of xanthin. The symptoms appeared in the pathogenicity test which was carried out by injecting purified Xanthomonas sp. into disease free anthurium plants confirmed the identification of the bacterial strain. Concentrations of 5, 15 and 25mg/100ml CuNPs and 50, 75 and 1000 mg in 100ml SNPs were mixed separately with isolated Xanthomonas sp. to investigate the behavior of two types of nano particles in destroying the bacterium. All three concentrations (5, 15 and 25 mg/100ml) of copper nanoparticles used in suspensions of the bacterium Xanthomonas sp. did not support any bacterial growth. In contrast, all three concentrations of SNPs in Xanthomonas sp. showed bacterial growth though it was less in 1000 mg /in 100ml compared to the control treatment. Hence it can be concluded that 5 mg/100 ml CuNPs is capable of destroying in vitro growth of Xanthomonas sp. bacterium which causes bacterial blight in Anthurium andraeanum.
Modeling the ICT Teachers’ Perspective Towards Teaching of Computer Programming at Secondary School Level Using Interactive Qualitative Analysis (IQA)
Authors: Perera K. G. S. K.
Published: April 2023

Computer programming is viewed and experienced as a subject cognitively challenging to students as well as teachers. The aim of this study was to determine the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) teachers’ perspective towards teaching computer programming in order to comprehend how ICT teachers perceive teaching computer programming and factors that influence their work. Forty-seven ICT teachers participated in this qualitative study. The research method used was an analytical framework known as Interactive Qualitative Analysis to model the ICT teachers’ perspective. The perspective was modelled in terms of affinities (factors) such as the programming curriculum, ICT resources, time, programming language, evaluation, students’ performance, teachers’ programming skills, teachers’ pedagogical programming knowledge, student and professional development programs. Further, the interaction among these affinities was also modelled. Programming curriculum was found to be the most influential affinity which should be revised to decrease the cognitive load on students. Teacher’s ICT knowledge was the most influenced(or influential???) affinity which can be improved by ICT resources, professional development programs and evaluation policy on students. Increase in computer: student ratio is also a contributing factor to students’ achievement.
Thicker than blood: political parties, partisanship, and the indigenous identity movement in Nepal
Authors: Gharti Isha
Published: April 2023

The Nepalese indigenous identity movement took the nation by storm during the tremulous politics of the 2000s and toppled the status quo, paving way for a series of legal changes in favour of Nepal’s many minority communities. However, the movement has suffered setbacks since 2010 as various minority communities have denounced many of its objectives, including its most prominent demand for ethnic/identity-based federalism. The study draws on empirical observations and in-depth interviews with 21 participants to examine these setbacks. The findings reveal that partisanship has played a significant role in discouraging the indigenous movement. Partisanship has an inimitable presence in many Nepalese people’s lives, as it provides emotional, ideological, and instrumental support and is a powerful source of self-esteem and self-identification. The indigenous movement, therefore, began to lose momentum when it pitched a strongly resistant partisan identity in direct opposition to the newly discovered/recovered indigenous identities.
Early childhood language development: a case study of a Sri Lankan Tamil child’s progress in language acquisition
Authors: Gnanaseelan Jeyaseelan
Published: April 2023

The paper presents a case study of early childhood language development focused on a Tamil child from Sri Lanka. The research study aims to analyse the progress a Tamil child from Sri Lanka achieves in language development at the five levels: phonological, morphological, syntactical, semantic, and pragmatic. The methodology involves a five-fold linguistic analysis of some utterances extracted from a conversation between the researcher and the subject, who is a six-year-old Sri Lankan Tamil child, based on a story presented in the form of a monologue. It reveals that the child had acquired the necessary language skills in Tamil to communicate his thoughts in advance of the conversation. Also, his speech is equal to that of an adult, if not for some interlanguage expressions and discourse markers. The findings reveal that the child has managed to internalise the structure of the Tamil language, which is his mother tongue. The child possesses a considerable fund of ‘language universals’ that are required in the narration of his story. Although the story is not his own creation but heard from his teachers or parents, the utterances he makes are similar to those used by an adult. Most of the sentences he utters represent a high level of competence. So, this paper identifies the child’s language output under Chomsky’s mentalist approach to language and transformational generative language acquisition. It is perceived that his innate language faculties help him utter sentences, in addition to his exposure to the use of language by the adults in the environment.
Assessing visitor preferences and willingness to pay for Marine National Park Hikkaduwa: application of choice experiment method
Authors: Jayaratne Chamathi , Gunawardena U. A. D. P. , Edirisinghe Jagath , Dissanayake Sahan , Rajapaksha Darshana
Published: April 2023

Eco-tourism all over the world is threatened by the fact that the coral reefs and associated ecosystems are in a process of disappearing at an accelerated rate due to several natural and anthropogenic causes. In this context, the Marine National Park Hikkaduwa (MNPH), one of the four marine national parks in Sri Lanka, that features a fringing coral reef with a high degree of biodiversity, reports a decreasing trend in visitation mainly due to a condition of coral bleaching caused by an El Nino effect. Unfortunately, the regeneration of the corals is found to be slowed by continuous anthropogenic activities. Against this background, the research focuses on investigating how visitor behaviour changes with the degraded situation and what avenues are available to attract more visitors to ensure benefit flows. In this concern, visitor preferences regarding the quality of the habitats and other facilities and their significance were analysed under a conditional logistic regression model. Further, a choice experiment was carried out with a randomly selected group of 200 visitors to diagnose their response to the present condition of the coral reef, the beach, and the facilities provided. Under a conditional logistic model, it was discovered that the condition of the coral reef is an important attribute that answers the question of why visitors are not willing to pay if the corals are bleached and broken. It was also discovered that the visitors are willing to pay LKR 322.52 if they are provided with new boats and new safety jackets. The results indicate that benefit flows could be enhanced with the restoration of coral ecosystems and the improvement of the physical infrastructure. Overall, the research attempts to establish that the standard maintenance of the coral reef along with high-quality visitor welfare facilities to match visitor preferences will positively impact all types of payment compliance issues with regard to the visitors.
A cross-cultural approach to issues of male dominance and domestic violence
Authors: Gunawardena Tehani , De Zoysa Piyanjali , Jinadasa Kamani , Thurairajah Kiruthika , Cruez Nishadi
Published: April 2023

Harmful masculine norms, attitudes, and behaviours are considered the cause of most cases of gender-based violence against women and girls in most parts of the world. This premise applies to the patriarchal society of Sri Lanka as well. Regarding various policy-level efforts made to reduce the frequency of gender-based violence in Sri Lanka, this paper explores the efficacy of adapting a cross-cultural evidence-based approach to gender relations tried under the Parivartan programme in India in an effort to improve masculinity-based gender norms in Sri Lanka. The programme’s content and consensual validities are assessed by using the Delbecq technique which involves experts from a variety of relevant fields. At the onset of the programme, each expert independently rates the relevant concepts and teaching techniques that are generally used by cricket coaches on male cricketers of 12-14 years. Towards the end, after a group discussion by experts, a second rating is made of the same concepts and teaching techniques. The two ratings are compared, and the programme is revised to suit Sri Lankan society. The Sri Lankan experience of the cross-cultural evidence-based approach to gender relations inspired by the Parivartan programme in India shows satisfactory content and consensual validities. Therefore, this paper argues that the Delbecq technique is a useful tool to devise in improving masculinity-based gender norms in the society of Sri Lanka.
Community acceptability of public health measures during the coronavirus pandemic in Malawi: a cross-sectional survey of knowledge, attitudes, and practices
Authors: Chitatanga Ronald , Twabi Hussein H. , Sambani Clara , Mitambo Collins
Published: April 2023

Background. The knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of people during the coronavirus pandemic are pivotal to the uptake of recommended preventative strategies.Objective. This paper describes the Malawian KAP related to coronavirus and associated public health measures.Methods. This was a multi-site cross-sectional survey where data was collected through personal one-on-one interviews in nine Malawian districts over 3 weeks (5-25 October 2020). 521 participants (18 years) were enrolled to answer a questionnaire.Results. We found that all respondents were aware of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic with the majority using the Radio. 75% of participants displayed knowledge of all key symptoms of coronavirus disease (cough, fever, and shortness of breath) and additionally, the majority of participants (97%) knew enough to take some sort of intervention (calling a hotline or visiting the nearest hospital) if they developed symptoms. Participants also demonstrated a high perception of the risk of coronavirus, where 60% believed to be susceptible to the coronavirus under the current preventative measures, and 50% believed they would die from the infection. Communities displayed a high perceived effectiveness of all preventative measures, with “hand hygiene using soap and water” being perceived as effective by the majority of respondents. Although the majority of the participants (80%) were willing to self-isolate at home, various barriers to home isolation were raised which would ultimately influence their ability to do so.Conclusions. Baseline community psychosocial and behavioral information which influence the adoption of public health measures in Malawi has been highlighted alongside recommendations for best practices.