bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Correlação entre avaliação de reação e de aprendizagem, em treinamento operacional
Authors: Pereira Gilberto Braga , Correa Joicy Mary Josep Silva , Heizer Ionara Houry , Melo Ana Beatriz , Silva Carlúcia Maria
Published: June 2021

Objetivou-se apurar o tipo de correlação existente entre os níveis reação e aprendizagem (Donald Kirkpatrick Kirkpatrick, J., 2006), em treinamento operacional. Metodologia quantitativa e descritiva, a partir do método documental. Universo de 600 empregados do setor operacional. Critério de amostragem probabilístico aleatório simples, selecionando-se resultados de 228 operadores de equipamentos de grande porte. Tratamento de dados a partir da análise estatística descritiva e inferencial (software SPSS versão 21.0 e Microsoft Excel versão 2013). Nos resultados comprovou-se a validade do instrumento de satisfação utilizado pela empresa pesquisada; o nível de reação demonstrou aceitação positiva das ações de treinamento, com altos níveis de favorabilidade. Quanto ao nível de aprendizagem (pré e pós-teste), obtiveram-se ganhos médios de 72%. A correlação de Spearman não encontrou índice significativo entre os níveis. Sugere-se, portanto, a necessidade de pesquisas aprofundadas que atestem ao relação de interdependência direta entre os níveis averiguados, a fim de que o modelo proposto confirme-se como válido para apurar a efetividade de sua aplicação.
Cadeia de valor da rede de sementes do Xingu: elaboração de direcionamento estratégico e gestão de riscos baseados nos requisitos da norma ISO 9001:2015 e ISO 3100:2018
Authors: Guimarães Valeria Santos , Zaidan Fernando Hadad
Published: June 2021

O objetivo principal deste estudo é elaborar o planejamento estratégico e a matriz de riscos para a Rede de Sementes do Xingu (RSX) baseados nos requisitos da NBR ISO 9001:2015 e ISO 31000:2018. O método exploratório e documental utilizado neste estudo justifica-se como o mais condizente, pois a investigação ocorreu sob uma ótica predominantemente abrangente e interpretativa, o que exigiu uma postura crítica no que tange à percepção e assimilação das várias óticas do problema central. As informações obtidas e suas relações não foram quantificáveis, entretanto, como resultado serão gerados documentos úteis para a implementação de uma rede de distribuição de sementes perene e eficaz.
Sistema para Controle de Velocidade de uma Esteira Transportadora Industrial
Authors: Fernandes Flávia Gonçalves , Santos Neto Erivan de Paula
Published: June 2021

Dentre as muitas atribuições de um engenheiro eletricista, o controle de sistemas é uma tarefa primordial para o sucesso de um negócio. Esse gerenciamento é fundamental para garantir o controle da produção,  reduzir custos, evitar prejuízos e visar lucros. No entanto, gerenciar sistemas de controle é um desafio que pode consumir muito tempo do gestor, inviabilizando outras ações de extrema importância para a produtividade e o crescimento da empresa. Para facilitar esse trabalho, o mercado tem desenvolvido e aperfeiçoado programas que possibilitam esse controle de forma mais simples e funcional. Nessa perspectiva, esse trabalho tem como objetivo utilizar fundamentos de sistemas de controle para ajustar a velocidade desejada de uma esteira transportadora industrial. Para isso, também foram inseridos controladores com ações independentes no sistema: do tipo proporcional (P), proporcional-integral (PI), proporcional-derivativo (PD) e proporcional-integral-derivativo (PID), apresentando os resultados obtidos a partir do desempenho do sistema para cada um dos casos, com suas respectivas discussões e conclusões.
Medical Education in Pathology: General Concepts and Strategies for Implementation
Authors: Koch Lisa K. , Chang Oliver H. , Dintzis Suzanne M.
Published: June 2021

Context.—

Pathology education must evolve as medical knowledge expands and disruptive technologies emerge. The evolution in pathology teaching practices accelerated as traditional teaching modalities were suspended in March 2020 during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Objectives.—

To provide pathologists an overview of established teaching paradigms and practical examples of how these paradigms may be applied to pathology education, emphasizing differences in graduate and undergraduate medical education as well as the challenges and promises of remote learning, as revealed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Data Sources.—

Selected peer-reviewed publications representing the field of educational social science.

Conclusions.—

Evidence-based methods described in education and social sciences can be effectively deployed in pathology education and especially remote learning, as necessitated by the current COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding established principles, such as cognitive load, competency-based learning, peer-assisted learning, and flipped classrooms may prove useful in developing effective, learner-centric content for pathology education.
Correlation of Chronic Histologic Changes on Preimplantation Frozen Section Biopsy With Transplant Outcomes After Deceased Donor Kidney Transplantation
Authors: Ninan Jacob , Smith Maxwell L. , Mathur Amit K. , Harbell Jack W. , Jadlowiec Caroline C. , Nair Sumi Sukumaran , Moss Adyr , Reddy Kunam S. , Heilman Raymond L.
Published: June 2021

Context.—

It is unclear if preimplantation frozen section biopsy correlates with outcomes after deceased donor kidney transplantation.

Objective.—

To assess if chronic histologic changes on the preimplant frozen section correlates with graft loss and estimated glomerular filtration rate independently of kidney donor profile index (KDPI).

Design.—

Seven hundred three preimplantation biopsies were reviewed and a Banff sum score was calculated using glomerular sclerosis, interstitial fibrosis, vascular intimal thickening, and arteriolar hyalinosis. The posttransplant outcomes were compared for preimplantation biopsy Banff sum 0-1, 2-3, and 4-9. The cohort was also stratified by KDPI 85 or less versus more than 85.

Results.—

For the entire biopsy cohort, graft survival, estimated glomerular filtration rate at 1 year, and chronic changes on a 1-year posttransplant biopsy were superior in the group with preimplantation Banff sum 0-1. After stratifying by KDPI, the Banff sum no longer correlated with graft survival. In a univariate mode, using the Banff sum score as a continuous variable, a higher Banff sum score was significantly associated with graft failure (P = .03); however, after adjusting the KDPI, the Banff sum score no longer correlated with graft failure (P = .45). The 1-year estimated glomerular filtration rate and 1-year biopsy changes were superior in the group with Banff sum 0-1 only in the cohort with KDPI 85 or less.

Conclusions.—

In donor kidneys used for transplant, preimplantation biopsy chronic changes correlate with estimated glomerular filtration rate and biopsy findings at 1 year, but biopsies with mostly mild chronicity and Banff sum scores less than or equal to 5 did not impact graft survival beyond KDPI.
The impact of market orientation on the performance of MSMEs operating in technology parks: The role of market dynamism
Authors:   Full Professor, Faculty of Law and Social Science, The Jan Kochanowski University in Kielce, Uniwersytecka 15, 25-406 Kielce, Poland, e-mail: anna.wojcik-karpacz@ujk.edu.pl, Wójcik-Karpacz Anna , Karpacz Jarosław ,   Full Professor, Faculty of Law and Social Science, The Jan Kochanowski University in Kielce, Uniwersytecka 15, 25-406 Kielce, Poland, e-mail: jaroslaw.karpacz@ujk.edu.pl, Rudawska Joanna ,   Ph.D., Faculty of Law and Social Science, The Jan Kochanowski University in Kielce, Uniwersytecka 15, 25-406 Kielce, Poland, e-mail: joanna.rudawska@ujk.edu.pl
Published: June 2021

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to identify the role of market dynamism in the relationship between market orientation and the performance of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) operating in technology parks (TPs) in Poland. Methodology: The two methods used for performing the quantitative empirical research are CAWI and PAPI. The research sample included MSMEs operating in technology parks in Poland. The article is the answer to the needs for systematic research of models between market orientation and firm performance. Findings: The research findings provide an insight into the level of market orientation and performance of the analyzed MSMEs operating in technology parks in Poland. It was found that MSMEs in the research sample were not a homogeneous group in this respect. It has been proven that market orientation is a significant stimulant of firm performance, while market dynamism has not been classified as a moderator of the market orientation–firm performance relationship. Implications for theory and practice: This study contributes to strategic management by identifying the key role of market orientation for enterprises wishing to benefit from this type of strategic orientation. The important role of the predictor – market orientation in shaping the results of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises operating at TPs in Poland has been proven. In practice, this means that increasing the level of market orientation is conducive to increasing positively assessed financial performance. Originality and value: Our research carried out at MSMEs operating in technology parks in Poland enriches and supplements knowledge about market orientation as a phenomenon of universal character because it also applies to smaller sized business organizations.
Innovative activity of Polish enterprises – a strategic aspect. The similarity of NACE divisions
Authors:   Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Department of Strategic Analysis, Institute of Management, College of Management and Quality, Cracow University of Economics, Rakowicka 27, 31-510 Krakow, Poland, email: bielinse@uek.krakow.pl, Bielińska-Dusza Edyta , Hamerska Monika ,   Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of International Management, Institute of Management, College of Management and Quality, Cracow University of Economics, Rakowicka 27, 31-510 Krakow, Poland, e-mail: hamerskm@uek.krakow.pl
Published: June 2021

Purpose: The innovativeness of enterprises is dependent on many variables, including decisions regarding innovation, possessed resources and competences, and the sector of their activity. Therefore, it should be considered in a strategic dimension, both at the level of the enterprise’s strategic innovativeness and overall strategy. Strategic innovativeness, which is a long-term process that takes into account the interpenetration of various types of innovation together with strategic thinking, can be an effective tool for achieving high operating efficiency and maintaining a competitive advantage in the market. The analysis of literature on the subject, as well as observations, indicates that even within one industry, there are differences in this respect. A plethora of publications focusing on the problem of innovativeness in individual enterprises, sectors, industries, and regions were found. The authors aimed to divide industries classified by NACE (the Statistical Classification of Economic Activities in the European Community) divisions into homogeneous groups in terms of the innovative undertakings of said enterprises in a given industry. Methodology: The empirical part presents the results of own research using the cluster analysis method, while all calculations were performed with the use of R software. Findings: It can be concluded that industries can be grouped into homogeneous clusters in terms of the share of innovative enterprises. The authors can also conclude that clusters listed on the basis of the share of innovative companies that introduced new or improved products and clusters listed on the basis of the share of innovative companies that introduced new or improved business processes are very similar. Implications for theory and practice: The combined value of the considerations presented in the paper is the possibility of obtaining supplementary information about the homogeneity of innovative activities of said enterprises in an individual NACE division. These results can be used for further in-depth analysis of individual groups. Originality and value: However, there is no study presenting the similarity between industries and their division into homogeneous groups in terms of the share of innovative enterprises. Such a gap became an inspiration for the research, which allowed for the verification of this scientific problem.
Effects of base angle and wettability of nanostructures on droplet wetting behaviors
Authors: Li Wen , Ma Xiao-Jing , Xu Jin-Liang , Wang Yan , Lei Jun-Peng ,   Beijing Key Laboratory of Multiphase Flow and Heat Transfer for Low Grade Energy Utilization, North China Electric Power University, Beijing 102206, China,   Key Laboratory of Power Station Energy Transfer Conversion and System, Ministry of Education, North China Electric Power University, Beijing 102206, China
Published: June 2021

The wetting modes of droplet on nanostructure surface including Cassie, Partial Wenzel, and Wenzel are of great importance in enhancing the condensation heat transfer, surface self-cleaning and oil-water separation. Previous studies focused mainly on the behaviors of droplets on the surface of nano-pillar structures. In this work, the wetting behaviors of argon nanodroplet on platinum surface is investigated by the molecular dynamics simulations. The effects of nanostructure geometry parameters and characteristic contact angle θe on the wetting mode and the transition between different modes are investigated. The three-dimensional simulation box includes a bottom wall containing trapezoid wires (TWs) with different geometry parameters and other five surfaces. The TWs are populated on the wall based on the array arrangement. The periodic boundary conditions are imposed on the four side surfaces of the simulation box. The base angles of the side surface of TW with respect to horizontal plane are chosen as 60° (inverted TW), 90° (rectangular pin fin) and 120° (TW), respectively. For all the three base angles, the nanostructure surface can be completely wetted by liquid, behaving as the Wenzel mode when θe < 118°, under which the gaps of nanostructures are filled with liquid. However, when the characteristic contact angle θe is in a range of 118°–145°, the base angles of nanostructures have different effects on wetting modes. The surface with inverted TWs (60° base angle) is conducive to keeping droplet in Cassie mode, in which the liquid does not penetrate into any gap of nanostructures. The surface with rectangular pin fins behaves as either Partial Wenzel mode or Cassie mode. The transition between the two modes takes place at θe ～130°. The surface with TWs (120° base angle) keeps the droplet in Partial Wenzel mode, in which the gaps of nanostructures are partially wetted by liquid. For θe larger than 145°, the dewetting process takes place on the surface of the nanostructure, in which the droplet leaves the solid surface. We conclude that the wetting modes on nanostructured surface satisfy the minimum surface energy principle. Our work discloses a new finding that the surface with inverted TWs is easy to maintain Cassie mode, which is good for dropwise condensation applications.
Cytoplasmic mRNA decay represses RNA polymerase II transcription during early apoptosis
Authors: Duncan-Lewis Christopher , Hartenian Ella , King Valeria , Glaunsinger Britt A
Published: June 2021

RNA abundance is generally sensitive to perturbations in decay and synthesis rates, but crosstalk between RNA polymerase II transcription and cytoplasmic mRNA degradation often leads to compensatory changes in gene expression. Here, we reveal that widespread mRNA decay during early apoptosis represses RNAPII transcription, indicative of positive (rather than compensatory) feedback. This repression requires active cytoplasmic mRNA degradation, which leads to impaired recruitment of components of the transcription preinitiation complex to promoter DNA. Importin α/β-mediated nuclear import is critical for this feedback signaling, suggesting that proteins translocating between the cytoplasm and nucleus connect mRNA decay to transcription. We also show that an analogous pathway activated by viral nucleases similarly depends on nuclear protein import. Collectively, these data demonstrate that accelerated mRNA decay leads to the repression of mRNA transcription, thereby amplifying the shutdown of gene expression. This highlights a conserved gene regulatory mechanism by which cells respond to threats.
Cortical entrainment to hierarchical contextual rhythms recomposes dynamic attending in visual perception
Authors: Yuan Peijun , Hu Ruichen , Zhang Xue , Wang Ying , Jiang Yi
Published: June 2021

Temporal regularity is ubiquitous and essential to guiding attention and coordinating behavior within a dynamic environment. Previous researchers have modeled attention as an internal rhythm that may entrain to first-order regularity from rhythmic events to prioritize information selection at specific time points. Using the attentional blink paradigm, here we show that higher-order regularity based on rhythmic organization of contextual features (pitch, color, or motion) may serve as a temporal frame to recompose the dynamic profile of visual temporal attention. Critically, such attentional reframing effect is well predicted by cortical entrainment to the higher-order contextual structure at the delta band as well as its coupling with the stimulus-driven alpha power. These results suggest that the human brain involuntarily exploits multiscale regularities in rhythmic contexts to recompose dynamic attending in visual perception, and highlight neural entrainment as a central mechanism for optimizing our conscious experience of the world in the time dimension.
Differential dopaminergic modulation of spontaneous cortico–subthalamic activity in Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Sharma Abhinav , Vidaurre Diego , Vesper Jan , Schnitzler Alfons , Florin Esther
Published: June 2021

Pathological oscillations including elevated beta activity in the subthalamic nucleus (STN) and between STN and cortical areas are a hallmark of neural activity in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Oscillations also play an important role in normal physiological processes and serve distinct functional roles at different points in time. We characterised the effect of dopaminergic medication on oscillatory whole-brain networks in PD in a time-resolved manner by employing a hidden Markov model on combined STN local field potentials and magnetoencephalography (MEG) recordings from 17 PD patients. Dopaminergic medication led to coherence within the medial and orbitofrontal cortex in the delta/theta frequency range. This is in line with known side effects of dopamine treatment such as deteriorated executive functions in PD. In addition, dopamine caused the beta band activity to switch from an STN-mediated motor network to a frontoparietal-mediated one. In contrast, dopamine did not modify local STN–STN coherence in PD. STN–STN synchrony emerged both on and off medication. By providing electrophysiological evidence for the differential effects of dopaminergic medication on the discovered networks, our findings open further avenues for electrical and pharmacological interventions in PD.
In-text citation’s frequencies-based recommendations of relevant research papers
Authors: Shahid Abdul , Afzal Muhammad Tanvir , Alharbi Abdullah , Aljuaid Hanan , Al-Otaibi Shaha
Published: June 2021

From the past half of a century, identification of the relevant documents is deemed an active area of research due to the rapid increase of data on the web. The traditional models to retrieve relevant documents are based on bibliographic information such as Bibliographic coupling, Co-citations, and Direct citations. However, in the recent past, the scientific community has started to employ textual features to improve existing models’ accuracy. In our previous study, we found that analysis of citations at a deep level (i.e., content level) can play a paramount role in finding more relevant documents than surface level (i.e., just bibliography details). We found that cited and citing papers have a high degree of relevancy when in-text citations frequency of the cited paper is more than five times in the citing paper’s text. This paper is an extension of our previous study in terms of its evaluation of a comprehensive dataset. Moreover, the study results are also compared with other state-of-the-art approaches i.e., content, metadata, and bibliography. For evaluation, a user study is conducted on selected papers from 1,200 documents (comprise about 16,000 references) of an online journal, Journal of Computer Science (J.UCS). The evaluation results indicate that in-text citation frequency has attained higher precision in finding relevant papers than other state-of-the-art techniques such as content, bibliographic coupling, and metadata-based techniques. The use of in-text citation may help in enhancing the quality of existing information systems and digital libraries. Further, more sophisticated measure may be redefined be considering the use of in-text citations.
Electronic, magnetic and optical properties of XScO3 (X=Mo, W) perovskites
Authors: Ramanathan Amall Ahmed , Khalifeh Jamil Mahmoud
Published: June 2021

The density functional theory (DFT) full potential linearized augmented plane wave (FP-LAPW) method with the modified Becke–Johnson (mBJ) approximation is used to perform spin polarised calculations of the transition metal perovskites MoScO3 and WScO3. Both depict half metallic behaviour with semiconducting and metallic in the minority and majority spins respectively. MoScO3 and WScO3 have indirect R− Γ band gaps in the minority spin channels of 3.61 and 3.82 eV respectively. Moreover, they both show substantial integer magnetic moments of 3μB with 100% spin polarization typical to half metals. In addition, we calculate the dielectric function, optical conductivity and the optical constants, namely, the refractive index, the reflectivity, the extinction and absorption coefficients.
Coupling effects of phosphorus fertilization source and rate on growth and ion accumulation of common bean under salinity stress
Authors: Mohamed Heba I. , El-Sayed Adel A. , Rady Mostafa M. , Caruso Gianluca , Sekara Agnieszka , Abdelhamid Magdi T.
Published: June 2021

Many agricultural regions in arid and semiarid climate zone need to deal with increased soil salinity. Legumes are classified as salt-sensitive crops. A field experiment was performed to examine the application of phosphorus (P) fertilizer source and rate on growth, chlorophylls and carotenoid content, DNA and RNA content and ion accumulation in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) cultivated under salinity stress. An experimental design was split-plot with three replicates. The main plots included two P sources, namely single superphosphate (SP) and urea phosphate (UP). The sub-plots covered four P rates, i.e., 0.0, 17.5, 35.0, and 52.5 kg P ha–1. All applied P fertilization rates, in both forms, increased plant height, leaf area, dry weight of shoots and roots per plant, and total dry weight (TDW) in t ha−1. The highest accumulation of N, P, K+, Mg2+, Mn2+, Zn2+, and Cu2+ was determined in the shoot and root of common bean, while 35 kg of P per ha−1 was used compared to the other levels of P fertilizer. The highest P rate (52.5 kg ha−1) resulted in a significant reduction in Na+ in shoot and root of common bean. The response curve of TDW (t ha–1) to different rates of P (kg ha–1) proved that the quadratic model fit better than the linear model for both P sources. Under SP, the expected TDW was 1.675 t ha–1 if P was applied at 51.5 kg ha–1, while under UP, the maximum expected TDW was 1.875 t ha–1 if P was supplied at 42.5 kg ha–1. In conclusion, the 35.0 kg P ha–1 could be considered the best effective P level imposed. The application of P fertilizer as urea phosphate is generally more effective than single superphosphate in enhancing plant growth and alleviating common bean plants against salinity stress.
Characteristics of the pediatric patients diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 infection in a Romanian children’s hospital: a retrospective study
Authors: Gavriliu Liana-Cătălina , Murariu Carmen , Potop Vladimir , Spătaru Radu
Published: June 2021

Background

To date, information on COVID-19 pediatric patients is still sparse. We aimed to highlight the epidemiological and clinical data regarding SARS-CoV-2 infection in children and adolescents to improve the understanding of the disease in this age group and inform physicians during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective, observational study in “Marie Curie” Emergency Children’s Hospital from Bucharest, Romania. We analyzed clinical and epidemiological characteristics of the patients confirmed with SARS-CoV-2 infection, between April 1, 2020–October 31, 2020.

Results

A total of 172 patients aged 0–18 years were included, 79 (45.93%) female and 93 (54.07%) male patients. 28 (16.28%) patients had co-morbidities (more often identified in asymptomatic group; p < 0.0001). 47 (27.32%) had exposure to an identified source. 30 (17.44%) patients were asymptomatic; 142 (85.56%) had mild or moderate disease. The most frequent symptoms were: pyrexia (78.87%), digestive symptoms (50%), cough (40.14%). Chest X-ray was performed in 50 patients and it was abnormal in half of them, all being symptomatic. About 2/3 of the evaluated patients had normal leukocytes. The most common hematological change was lymphopenia; monocytes tended to be higher in symptomatic patients. About 40% of the patients were admitted; none required admission to ICU. No significant differences were found between symptomatic and asymptomatic patients regarding gender, age distribution, and exposure to a source.

Conclusions

All the patients had asymptomatic, mild or moderate disease. Patients with comorbidities, classically considered high risk patients, presented the same pattern of disease.
The m6A-related gene signature for predicting the prognosis of breast cancer
Authors: Zhong Shanliang , Lin Zhenzhong , Chen Huanwen , Mao Ling , Feng Jifeng , Zhou Siying
Published: June 2021

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification has been shown to participate in tumorigenesis and metastasis of human cancers. The present study aimed to investigate the roles of m6A RNA methylation regulators in breast cancer. We used LASSO regression to identify m6A-related gene signature predicting breast cancer survival with the datasets downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). RNA-Seq data of 3409 breast cancer patients from GSE96058 and 1097 from TCGA were used in present study. A 10 m6A-related gene signature associated with prognosis was identified from 22 m6A RNA methylation regulators. The signature divided patients into low- and high-risk group. High-risk patients had a worse prognosis than the low-risk group. Further analyses indicated that IGF2BP1 may be a key m6A RNA methylation regulator in breast cancer. Survival analysis showed that IGF2BP1 is an independent prognostic factor of breast cancer, and higher expression level of IGF2BP1 is associated with shorter overall survival of breast cancer patients. In conclusion, we identified a 10 m6A-related gene signature associated with overall survival of breast cancer. IGF2BP1 may be a key m6A RNA methylation regulator in breast cancer.
Comparison of student satisfaction, perceived learning and outcome performance:
Authors: Taliaferro Steven L. , Harger Beverly L.
Published: June 2021

Objective

The goal of this study was to investigate whether blended online with laboratory instruction differs from traditional classroom lecture and laboratory with regard to student satisfaction and performance in a radiographic technique class teaching radiation health and physics.

Methods

Following institutional review board approval, 122 participants were randomly assigned to either an online or classroom environment for the lecture portion of the course. All participants attended weekly laboratory sessions in person. Anonymous surveys given during midterm and final exams assessed satisfaction with learning experience and expected grades. Linear models assessing differences between groups were adjusted for age, gender, prior online class experience, online class preference, self-reported computer skill, and time of year.

Results

Students in the blended cohort reported overall greater satisfaction (p < .03) and found the delivery method more enjoyable (p < .002) than did the traditional classroom cohort. No differences in exam scores between groups were observed.

Conclusion

This study demonstrated that a blended format of instruction can improve learner satisfaction as compared with the traditional classroom method. Blended instruction implemented into a traditional educational program helps students balance schedules, has a positive impact on perceived learning, and provides exam success similar to that of the traditional classroom.
Does Gender Representation at Decision Making Levels Matter for Better Financial Performance of Local Licensed Commercial Banks in Sri Lanka?
Authors: Sandanayaka S. T. D. , Sumanasiri E. A. G.
Published: June 2021

Aim: Female representation in top corporate positions has been discussed widely around the world over the last decade, mainly due to the significant gap observed between the number of females with higher educational qualifications and the number of females in employment. Accordingly, this study aims to identify the relationship between the female presence within boardrooms and top management teams of local licensed commercial banks and the financial performance of those banks, which is a timely concern.

Place and Duration of Study: Amana Bank PLC, Commercial Bank of Ceylon PLC, DFCC Bank PLC, Hatton National Bank PLC, National Development Bank PLC, Nations Trust Bank PLC, Pan Asia Banking Corporation PLC, Sampath Bank PLC, Seylan Bank PLC, and Union Bank of Colombo PLC were studied during the time period 2011 to 2019.

Methodology: The time series data analysis method has been used for 10 local licensed commercial banks in Sri Lanka, excluding one bank which was not a PLC. The annual reports of the respective banks were used to gather the secondary data required for the study.

Results: The regression analysis explained that female presence within boardrooms is positive and significant with respect to ROE and positive and insignificant with respect to ROA, whereas females in top management has a positive but insignificant relationship to ROA and a negative but insignificant relationship to ROE. The percentage changes in ROE and ROA explained by the two independent variables are relatively low. Accordingly, no significant relationships between female presence within boardrooms and top management teams and firm financial performance were identified.

Conclusion: The insignificant relationships between the variables indicate that it is not necessary for these banks to employ females in order to prosper in their financial performance. However, the banks could still consider employing females in the boardroom to empower gender equality since such a presence does not have a negative impact on financial performance.
Forensic Medicine: A Synopsis of the Past, Present and a Glimpse into the Future Scenarios
Authors: Hulathduwa S. R.
Published: June 2021

Forensic medicine is the science (as well as the art) of applying medical knowledge, skills (and perhaps even the attitudes) to assist in the process of execution of justice. Forensic medicine is broadly divided into clinical forensic medicine and forensic pathology though the boundaries between the two are merging. Forensic pathology is not a pure science as it is nurtured by many other sciences, sociological/criminological disciplines and law. The principle role of forensic pathology today is to deal with numerous medico-legal issues pertaining to all forms of deaths. To achieve this, the principle approach of forensic pathology today in most of the institutions globally is conducting a standard autopsy. In this review article, we expect to discuss the  historical development of forensic pathology up to what it is today, its present role and scope as well as the predictable future of forensic pathology with the recent developments of technology.
Self-efficacy of Patient Centeredness among the Physical Therapists of Sindh, Pakistan
Authors: Bhutto Natasha , Ali Aadil Ameer , Lekhraj Shobha , Sheikh Naseebullah , Chughani Vikash , Khalfe Shazia Abdul Hamid
Published: June 2021

Aim: To assess the self-efficacy of patient centeredness and its implication rates among physical therapists of Sindh, Pakistan.

Study Design: A cross sectional study.

Place and Duration: The Study was conducted from August to December 2017. The data was collected from different hospitals of Sindh, Pakistan, Agha Khan Hospital, Liaquat National Hospital, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Rabia moon Hospital, Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Dow University of Health Sciences, Jijal Mauu Hospital.

Methodology: The Self-Efficacy in Patient Centeredness Questionnaire (SEPCQ-27) consisting of (1-27) scoring key, with total score of 108 was distributed among 377 physical therapists while 305 were filled and returned. The Data was analyzed using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 21.

Results: Most of the participants were from age group of 24-29 years (n=252, 82.6%) and were male (n=194, 63.6%). Most of the participants were having experience of 1-5 years (n=251, 82.3%), working in general hospital setting (n=133, 43.6). The working hours ranges between 4-8 hours (n=194, 63.6%). Most of the participants reported high degree (n=270, 88.5%) of patient centeredness. Minimum reported score on SEPCQ-27 was 41 while the maximum reported score was 108.

Conclusion: The study concludes that self-efficacy in patient centered care among physiotherapists of Sindh, Pakistan was high. The study also reported that physiotherapists implement patient centered care to higher degrees, It has positive influence on outcomes, patient satisfaction, patient-therapist relation, patients health related quality of life, adherence to treatment and physical and mental wellness.
Literature and Ethics
Authors: Crary Alice
Published: June 2021

Twentieth‐ and twenty‐first‐century conversations about “literature and ethics” have tended to focus not on general questions about ways in which literature is capable of enriching moral philosophy, but on the specific question of whether literature considered as literature can inform moral philosophy by directly contributing to moral understanding. This entry summarizes core concerns of these conversations and compares them with themes of several additional, related sets of discussions, namely, discussions in contemporary European philosophy about the relationship between literature and philosophy and discussions in aesthetics about the relationship between realism and modernism as well as about the possibility of “ethical criticism.”
Hume, David
Authors: Cohon Rachel
Published: June 2021

In ethics, David Hume is best known for four claims: (1) Reason alone cannot be a motive to the will, but rather is the “slave of the passions.” (2) Moral distinctions are not derived from reason. (3) Moral distinctions are derived from the moral sentiments. (4) While some virtues and vices are natural, others, including justice, are artificial. Hume supports the first claim, that reason is “inert,” with his account of motivation to action and three famous arguments, leading to the conclusion that reason alone cannot set or evaluate ends. The second claim, Hume's rejection of moral rationalism, is explained here, and its supporting arguments are laid out. Some conclude from these arguments that Hume is a non‐cognitivist about moral judgments, but there are strong reasons to deny this. After canvasing the main conflicting interpretations of Hume's famous “is–ought” passage, we consider different scholars’ accounts of what, for him, moral judgments consist of. We explain the origins of the moral sentiments, their roots in sympathy, and their adjustment from the common point of view. We explain the distinction Hume draws between the natural and the artificial virtues, recount his story of the origin of justice with regard to property, and examine a few of the virtues he classifies as natural. Finally, the differences between Hume's ethical views in theTreatise of Human Natureand theEnquiry concerning the Principles of Moralsare enumerated.
Suffering
Authors: Radden Jennifer
Published: June 2021

“Suffering,” “pain,” “hurt,” “distress,” “agony,” and like terms point to a category of profound moral significance. It encompasses in every casestates of consciousness, when these are the product of afflictions both felt as somatic and felt as psychological. We suffer when we are subject to painful ailments and injuries; we also suffer from bad luck and all the misery to which our relationships and situations make us prey. Our physical suffering is sometimes object as well as target of our suffering – not merely suffering the pain itself, we suffer over the presence of pain and its sequelae. Our nonsensory, emotional distress also effects, and affects, physical suffering.
Rawls, John
Authors: Reidy David A.
Published: June 2021

John Rawls was among the most important of the twentieth‐century moral and political philosophers working in the English language. This entry focuses on his three main books:
A Theory of Justice
,
Political Liberalism
, and
The Law of Peoples
. Rawls's contributions to moral and political philosophy range more widely, but these three books form the centerpiece of his legacy. Together, they aim to establish that it is reasonable for human beings to hope that somewhere on Earth they might together someday realize an independent and enduring just liberal democratic people stable for the right reasons. For Rawls, this reasonable hope is essential to any reconciliation with modernity.
Kantian Practical Ethics
Authors: Gressis Robert
Published: June 2021

This entry covers, not Kant's practical philosophy, but Kantian practical philosophy, which is Kant's practical philosophy as understood by its contemporary advocates. These advocates base their ethical theories on Kant's “Formula of Humanity,” which runs: “So act that you use humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of any other, always at the same time as an end, never merely as a means.” The Formula of Humanity raises two questions: first, what is “humanity”? Second, what does it mean to treat humanity as an end, as opposed to a mere means? Building on the work of Christine Korsgaard, modern‐day Kantians tend to understand humanity as the capacity to set ends, on the grounds that it is our having this capacity that gives value to any of our projects. Because humanity is the ground of all value, it follows that we should treat it as an end in itself – that is, we should never subordinate it to things of less value, such as the satisfaction of our contingent desires; doing so would be to treat humanity as a mere means. Consequently, taking humanity to be the basis of all value means that we should not use coercion or deception against others, and that we should not interfere with, and should even sometimes advance, the permissible projects of others. With this understanding in hand, the rest of the entry covers attempts by Kantians to make sense of obligations to animals and to the environment
Civil Rights
Authors: Shin Patrick S.
Published: June 2021

Civil rights are individual entitlements that protect a variety of interests and freedoms that have special significance in the context of civil society, such as antidiscrimination rights, rights of free speech and religious exercise, and rights of criminal due process. It has been said that civil rights are the rights that a person has in virtue of membership in society. This aphorism is helpful to an extent but fails to capture the concept of civil rights insofar as it represents a normative ideal. Civil rights are not reducible to the positive rights actually recognized by a state or implicit in its institutions. Civil rights are rights that protect the individual dignity of a society's members, guaranteeing equal access to its central institutions. Civil rights, properly conceived, are entitlements that collectively constitute free and equal membership in a civil society.
Plotinus
Authors: Remes Pauliina
Published: June 2021

One of the most influential philosophers of late antiquity, Plotinus (ca.ce204/5–270) is the founder of the so‐called Neoplatonic school of thought, a late ancient interpretation and further development of Platonic philosophy. Plotinus’ ethics is a somewhat uncompromising version of Platonic–Aristotelian eudaimonism. At the center are the ideas of character formation toward virtues and of happiness effected through rational activities invulnerable to chance. In Plotinus, these features are intimately connected: the former happens through attending to the best, rational parts of one's nature. The goal is self‐identification of oneself as pure intellectual ability, the most divine spark of our proper nature. This involves also a grasp of the unlimited and overflowing goodness of the transcendent principle, the One. Such self‐transformation has consequences both for the agent herself and her surroundings. Intellectual and ethical self‐realization renders the agent self‐determined and blessedly happy, with an impartial, or “cosmic,” view of other people and changing life situations. Plotinus is further famous for a doctrine, influential in late antiquity, of grades of virtue.
Contextualism in Ethics
Authors: Björnsson Gunnar
Published: June 2021

In more than one way, context matters in ethics. Uncontroversially, the ethical status of an action might depend on context: though it is typically wrong not to keep a promise, some contexts make it permissible. More controversially, some have suggested that the meaning or truth‐conditions of a moral judgment or moral assertion depend not only on the properties of the act it concerns and the context in which it would be performed, but also on features of the context in which the judgment or assertion is made, such as the standards endorsed by the moral judge. If this view – “metaethical contextualism” – is correct, it might be that when two people both judge that abortions must be banned, one judge might be correct whereas the other is mistaken, because they accept different fundamental norms. This would undermine the idea that there are unique correct answers to moral questions. Sections in this entry discuss the context dependence of “good” and “ought,” how such context dependence might support metaethical contextualism, and the prospects for a contextualist account of the categoricality of moral judgments, their connection to moral motivation, and disagreement between judges who accept different fundamental norms
Hate Speech
Authors: Brison Susan J.
Published: June 2021

A common definition of “hate speech” is speech that vilifies, intimidates, or incites hatred toward an individual or group on the basis of a perceived social identity such as race, ethnicity, religion, gender, or sexual orientation. The word “speech” here refers not only to verbal inscriptions and utterances, but also to pictorial representations and symbols, such as swastikas and Ku Klux Klan masks, and expressive acts, such as cross‐burning and the defacing of mosques. While most people acknowledge that hate speech is often offensive and sometimes harmful, there is considerable debate about whether it is so harmful that it should be legally restricted. In the United States, hate speech is generally considered protected speech, under the First Amendment of the US Constitution, and most Anglo‐American philosophical writing about hate speech has discussed whether – and, if so, why – this position is justified. Although the right to freedom of expression, including the right to engage in hate speech, is widely considered in the United States to be a fundamental human right of virtually paramount value, in other countries, free speech is constrained by other rights, such as the rights to dignity, respect, and equality. With globalization and the increasing use of online media, one can no longer take an isolationist or parochial approach to policies concerning hate speech, and, in the digital age, the most pressing issue, in much of the world, is not what governments should do about hate speech, but, rather, what online platforms should do.
Civility
Authors: S. Mower Deborah
Published: June 2021

Given the complexity of individual life, law, and public policy, we each hold a multiplicity of values, conceptions of what the good life is and should be, beliefs about factual matters, and views about what the best course of action would be. How should we address such moral and religious pluralism and how should we interact with particular persons who espouse views that differ from our own? At the most basic level of description, civility prescribes norms for actions and speech when interacting with others. In this entry, we first examine the history of the concept of civility, followed by an analysis of current theoretical work. We examine three separate approaches based on how they explain why civility is important, what its norms and standards are, and the conditions under which it is required. Each of the approaches to civility – the moral, the political, and the epistemological – deepen our understanding of its essential role within public and private life.
Pediatric Organ Transplantation
Authors: Wilkinson Dominic
Published: June 2021

Organ transplantation raises a host of complex ethical issues. Transplantation often occurs in patients who are seriously ill and may die without the therapy. It frequently takes place in the setting of scarcity, where the demand for transplanted organs outstrips supply. Decisions about who can donate organs (including the definition of death), have implications for the availability of organs for transplantation. In some circumstances, there can be a trade‐off between the interests of donors and recipients. Ethical questions relating to pediatric organ transplantation largely overlap with those in adults. In this entry, I will focus on the most distinctive ethical questions relating to children as donors or as recipients of transplanted solid organs. I concentrate on young children, since the ethical considerations in competent adolescents or older children are very similar to those in adult transplantation.
Habit
Authors: Matthews Steve
Published: June 2021

Accounts of habit in ethics face a problem: habits make agency seem absurd – “ridiculous” to use Kant's word – yet habits are indispensable to diachronically based rational control of virtuous behavior, and to character. The apparent absurdity of habit is evident from the way in which habit‐based behavior sidelines moral self‐knowledge, obscuring what is good about an action (including the rational content of its doing) from the person engaged in it. On the other hand, morally reliable agents must answer to a counterfactual condition – the possession of moral character depends on the possession of dispositions to act well in varying circumstances. Moreover, moral development, in which proto‐habits mold the agent appropriately, generating a fluency of effectiveness, would appear to do so correlated with dulling of the moral senses in respect to the very thing the habit is supposed to improve. The tension between absurdity and indispensability arises in the analysis partly because certain usages of the English word “habit” connote a shallow, mechanistic automaticity, in which agents are seen to be bound through “force of habit.” However, a more sophisticated moral psychology from the neo‐Aristotelean tradition places habit firmly within the orbit of rationality. On this conception, reason and habit may cohabit, leading to
habitus
, a state of an agent shaped by habit and disposed toward reason.