bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Strengthen the Impact of CSR Information on Investment Decisions: The Role of Good Corporate Governance in ASEAN Countries
Authors: Istianingsih Istianingsih , Rizal Putri Vidyana , Grace Haque Marissa
Published: May 2021

This research contributes to the development of theories regarding the relationship between Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and investment decisions. Acquisition of stock returns that exceed normal predictions depends on the successful implementation of Good Corporate Governance (GCG). This study aims to examine investors' reactions to information on CSR disclosure in several countries that are members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Furthermore, this study also examines the role of implementing GCG in strengthening the impact of CSR disclosure on investor relations as measured by abnormal stock returns. The sampling technique used was purposive Sampling. The research was conducted on Manufacturing Companies in countries that are members of ASEAN during 2017-2019. The estimation model used to analyze data is a multiple regression model. The results showed that CSR information was able to increase investors' positive reactions. Meanwhile, GCG practice is proven to strengthen the impact of CSR information on investment decisions. Other variables involved in this study, namely audit quality, company size, debt level, and sales growth, are not proven to influence abnormal stock returns.
Cropping up Crisis at the Nexus Between COVID-19 and AMR in Africa: A Scoping Review and Synthesis of Early Evidence
Authors: Gutema Girma , Homa Gadissa
Published: May 2021

Objective In this study, we aim to synthesize some evidence on the impacts that COVID-19 is having on the epidemiology of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) in Africa since it was declared global pandemic by WHO in March 2020. Methodology A scoping review was undertaken by collecting and curating relevant resources from peer-reviewed articles and also from the gray literature. Mixed approaches of extracting data (qualitative and quantitative) were employed in synthesizing evidence, as suggested by Health Evidence Network (HEN). Findings A model constructed based on the synthesis of early evidences available on the effects of factors linked to COVID-19 in impacting the evolution of AMR in Africa predicted that, in cumulative terms, those factors favoring the evolution of AMR outpace those disfavoring it by no less than three folds. Conclusion COVID-19 is fueling the evolution of AMR almost unhindered in Africa. Due recognition of this crisis, concerted efforts for resource mobilization and global cooperation are needed to tackle it.
Coupling Between Sequence-Mediated Nucleosome Organization and Genome Evolution
Authors: Barbier Jérémy , Vaillant Cédric , Volff Jean-Nicolas , Brunet Frédéric , Audit Benjamin
Published: May 2021

The nucleosome is a major modulator of DNA accessibility to other cellular factors. Nucleosome positioning has a critical importance in regulating cell processes such as transcription, replication, recombination or DNA repair. The DNA sequence is a major factor influencing the position of nucleosomes on genomes. Different sequence motifs can promote or inhibit the nucleosome formation, thus influencing the accessibility to the DNA. Sequence-encoded nucleosome positioning having functional consequences on cell processes can then be selected or counter-selected during evolution. We review the interplay between sequence evolution and nucleosome positioning evolution. We first focus on the different ways to encode nucleosome positions in the DNA sequence, and to which extent these mechanisms are responsible of genome-wide nucleosome positioning in vivo. Then, we discuss the findings about selection of sequences for their nucleosomal properties. Finally, we illustrate how the nucleosome can directly influence sequence evolution through its interactions with DNA damage and repair mechanisms. This review aims to provide an overview of the mutual influence of sequence evolution and nucleosome positioning evolution, possibly leading to complex evolutionary dynamics.
Fuel Cell Drive for Urban Freight Transport in Comparison to Diesel and Battery Electric Drives – a Case Study of the Food Retailing Industry in Berlin
Authors: Winkler John Kenneth , Grahle Alexander , Syré Anne Magdalene , Martins-Turner Kai , Göhlich Dietmar
Published: May 2021

The option of decarbonizing urban freight transport using Battery Electric Vehicle (BEV) seems promising.However, there is currently a strong debate whether Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) might be the bettersolution. The question arises as to how a fleet of FCEV influences the operating cost, the Greenhouse Gas(GHG) emissions and primary energy demand in comparison to BEVs and to Internal Combustion EngineVehicle (ICEV). To investigate this, we simulate the urban food retailing as a representative share of urbanfreight transport using a multi-agent transport simulation software. Synthetic routes as well as fleet size andcomposition are determined by solving a Vehicle Routing Problem (VRP). We compute the operating costsusing a total cost of ownership (Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)) analysis and the use phase emissions as wellas primary energy demand using the Well To Wheel (WTW) approach. While a change to BEV results in 17 -23% higher costs compared to ICEV, using FCEVs leads to 22 - 57% higher costs. Assuming today’s electricitymix, we show a GHG emission reduction of 25% compared to the ICEV base case when using BEV. Currenthydrogen production leads to a GHG reduction of 33% when using FCEV which however cannot be scaled tolarger fleets. Using current electricity in electrolysis will increase GHG emission by 60% compared to the basecase. Assuming 100% renewable electricity for charging and hydrogen production, the reduction from FCEVsrises to 73% and from BEV to 92%. The primary energy requirement for BEV is in all cases lower and forhigher compared to the base case. We conclude that while FCEV have a slightly higher GHG savings potentialwith current hydrogen, BEV are the favored technology for urban freight transport from an economic andecological point of view, considering the increasing shares of renewable energies in the grid mix.
Monitoring of the Environmental Corrosivity in Museums by RFID Sensors: Application to Pollution Emitted by Archeological Woods
Authors: Rioual S. , Lescop B. , Pellé J. , De Alkmim Radicchi G. , Chaumat G. , Bruni M.D. , Becker J. , Thierry D.
Published: May 2021

The control of air quality in museums or storages is of fundamental interest for the conservation of historic artifacts. The present work reports an example of application of RFID sensors developed in the European project SensMat and dedicated to this issue. The sensors are based on the varia-tion of property of an RFID tag coupled to a sensitive silver thin film exposed to the environment. As it will be described in the paper, such low cost sensors are interrogated by a commercial reader and provide the environmental corrosivity index and thus the presence of pollutants. The selected case study concerns the monitoring of pollution by H2S in a building dedicated to conservation and restoration of archeological and historical woods. The ability of sensors to map spatially the corrosivity within buildings is highlighted.
A Review on Perovskite/Silicon Tandem Solar Cells
Authors: Chauhan Shivani , Singh Rachna
Published: May 2021

The tandem Solar cell has high power conversion efficiency (PCE), so they are taken as the next step in photovoltaic evolution. The tandem solar cell also overcome the limitations of Single-junction solar cells by reducing thermalization losses and also reduce the fabrication cost. The fabrication of tandem solar cells is highly efficient after the origination of halide perovskite absorber material, this material will shape the future of tandem solar cells. Researchers have already shown that this material can convert light more efficiently than standalone sub cell. Today, researchers around the world are keeping the configuration of a tandem solar cell as their agenda. A Tandem solar cell is a stacking of multiple layers having different bandgaps with specific maximum absorption and width. We reviewed perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells with different sub-module configurations. Move forward, we discuss the tandem module technology, sub cell of a tandem can be wired in several ways two terminals 2T monolithic and mechanically stacked, a four-terminal 4T mechanically stacked, and three-terminal 3T monolithic stack devices. This review paper provides a side-by-side comparison of theoretical efficiencies of multijunction solar cells. The highest efficiency has been evaluated at 39.4% for a three-level structure.
Risk Factors for Recurrent Aphthous Stomatitis: A Systematic Review
Authors: Rivera César , Muñoz Antonieta , Puentes Carolina , Aguayo Esteban
Published: May 2021

The cause and prevention of recurrent aphthous stomatitis (also called aphthous ulcers or canker sores) are still unknown. This may be due in part to ignorance of the risk factors present in susceptible people. In this systematic review (PROSPERO record #CRD42019122214), we show that most of the risk factors for the disease are single nucleotide genetic polymorphisms in genes related to the functioning of immune system (TLR4, MMP9, E-selectin, IL-1 beta and TNF-alpha). Single nucleotide genetic polymorphisms do not constitute a modifiable risk. This indicates that, at least in part, susceptibility to recurrent aphthous stomatitis is hereditary, and that these factors cannot be modified.
Smoking and Vaping During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study Among Healthcare Workers in a Low and Middle-Income Country
Authors: Amin Mahwish , Syed Javaria , Salman Hafiz Muhammad , Sarfraz Azza , Bokhari Syed Hashim Abbas Ali , Sarfraz Zouina , Bano Shehar , Cherrez-Ojeda Ivan
Published: May 2021

Objective: To investigate social, economic, and environmental contributors to quit or continue smoking and vaping during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A qualitative study design was adopted to identify smokers’ beliefs in a LMIC, using a small community sample. Results: 276 participants were primarily surveyed. Motivation to continue smoking included temporary pleasurable effects, working remotely, stress or anxiety, whereas a motivator to quit smoking was the overlap with COVID-19 symptomatology. There was a rise in social awareness regarding the potential harm of smoking and vaping during the pandemic yet those participants who were younger felt they were immune from its morbid complications. Conclusions: With paradoxical associations of COVID-19 with cigarette and vape usage, it is important to pay attention to biases in data in favor of educating its users of the increased risk of severe disease.
Probiotic Lactobacilli in Fermented Dairy Products: Selective Detection, Enumeration and Identification Scheme
Authors: Farahmand Nasim , Ouoba Labia Irene , Naghizadeh Raeesi Shahram , Sutherland Jane P , Ghoddusi Hamid B.
Published: May 2021

A selection of 36 commercial probiotic fermented dairy products from UK and Europe markets were evaluated for the numbers, types and viability of Lactobacillus strains against the stated information on their packages. A comparative study was carried out on selectivity of MRS-Clindamycin, MRS-Sorbitol and MRS-IM Maltose, to select the right medium for enumeration of probiotic Lactobacillus. Based on selectivity of medium for recovery of the targeted lactobacilli and also simplicity of preparation, MRS-Clindamycin was chosen as the best medium for enumeration of probiotic Lactobacillus in fermented milks. The results of enumeration of lactobacilli showed that 22 out of a total 36 tested products contained more than 106 colony forming units/g at the end of their shelf- life, which comply with the recommended minimum therapeutic level for probiotics. Rep-PCR using primer GTG-5 was applied for initial discrimination of isolated strains, and isolates, which presented different band profile, were placed in different groups. The isolated Lactobacillus spp. were identified mainly as Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus paracasei by analysis of partial sequences of the 16S ribosomal RNA and rpoA genes. In conclusion, it is unknown to recommend the adequate number of probiotic bacteria to be consumed to ensure the beneficial properties.
Data Integration in Logic-based Models of Biological Mechanisms
Authors: Hall Benjamin , Niarakis Anna
Published: May 2021

Discrete, logic-based models are increasingly used to describe biological mechanisms. Initially introduced to study gene regulation, these models evolved to cover various molecular mechanisms, such as signalling, transcription factor cooperativity, and even metabolic processes. The abstract nature and amenability of discrete models to robust mathematical analyses make them appropriate for addressing a wide range of complex biological problems. Recent technological breakthroughs have generated a wealth of high throughput data. Novel, literature-based representations of biological processes and emerging machine learning algorithms offer new opportunities for model construction. Here, we review recent efforts to incorporate omic data into logic-based models and discuss critical challenges in constructing and analysing integrative, large-scale, logic-based models of biological mechanisms.
Sedekah Kurikulum 2013: Sebuah Pendekatan Menanamkan Nilai-Nilai Luhur Pancasila Di Dunia Pendidikan Dengan Semangat Gotong Royong
Authors: Sahruddin Alphian
Published: May 2021

Sedekah Kurikulum 2013: Sebuah Pendekatan Menanamkan Nilai-Nilai Luhur Pancasila Di Dunia Pendidikan Dengan Semangat Gotong Royong
RANGKIANG BARISI (Rangkaian Kegiatan Pengembangan Budaya Literasi) Di SDIT H Djalaluddin
Authors: Habibi Gantino
Published: May 2021

RANGKIANG BARISI (Rangkaian Kegiatan Pengembangan Budaya Literasi) Di SDIT H Djalaluddin
Siklus 3M Meningkatkan Keprofesionalan Guru Dalam Pembelajaran Daring
Authors: Murniasih Murniasih
Published: May 2021

Siklus 3M Meningkatkan Keprofesionalan Guru Dalam Pembelajaran Daring
Digi Kreasi: Optimalisasi Digital Literasi dengan Pemanfaatan Keragaman Media dan Aplikasi
Authors: Agustiningsih Walisa Tri
Published: May 2021

Digi Kreasi: Optimalisasi Digital Literasi dengan Pemanfaatan Keragaman  Media dan Aplikasi
Economic Learning during The Covid-19 Pandemic in Indonesia: Problems and Solutions
Authors: Noviani Leny
Published: May 2021

The purpose of this study is to provide alternative solutions to problems in implementing economic learning during the Covid-19 pandemic in Indonesia. This research uses a descriptive approach. Data collection was conducted through a survey of 296 economics teachers who teach in senior high school. Data analysis using descriptive analysis. The results showed the main problems faced by economics teachers during the pandemic were: unstable internet network quality, difficulties in preparing media, teaching materials, and developing assessments. Activities undertaken by the teacher to overcome these problems include: using the WhatsApp application for teaching, searching for teaching materials and media from internet sources, using student worksheets in student handbooks. Alternative solutions to overcome the constraints of implementing economic learning during the pandemic are: 1) designing combined online learning using a digital platform that is easily accessible to students, 2) developing media, teaching materials and evaluations that are in accordance with real conditions so that learning remains meaningful for students and can equip students with life skills, 3) optimization of teacher working groups in schools to develop learning strategies, media, teaching materials and evaluation.
Implementation of Leadership Values in Pancasila Paradigm as Character Building Values
Authors: Putra Zulfikar , Wajdi Farid
Published: May 2021

The purpose of this study was to determine the implementation of leadership values in the Pancasila paradigm as a character-building value. This research uses descriptive qualitative type and literature study by applying the technique of observation, documentation, and interviews. The data analysis technique is done by categorizing and classifying based on the logical analysis, then interpreted in the context of the whole research problem. The findings of the research show that students of basic leadership training do not understand the values of leadership in an applicative manner, this can be seen by the incomplete understanding of leaders and leadership. This research is expected that students are able to implement leadership values in the context of the Pancasila paradigm through character building in everyday life.
Pancasila Values as Strengthening Character Building during the Covid -19 Pandemic
Authors: S Leo Agung
Published: May 2021

Pancasila values as the noble values of the Indonesian nation have existed since our ancestors. The divine precepts are related to animism and dynamism, which continued to develop during the Hindu Buddhist and Islamic kingdoms until now. During the Majapahit Empire, the religious values of Pancasila were strengthened by the existence of two Hindu-Buddhist kingdoms that lived peacefully side by side. The value of unity and oneness is explicitly written by Mpu Tantular in the Sotosoma Book, namely Bhinneka Tungal Ika. Furthermore, when Bung Karno on June 1 issued five principles as the basis for the state he would form, which was named Pancasila, and finally on August 18, 1945, Pancasila was established as the State Foundation. After this state is formed, it is necessary to have a character building so that every citizen has a sense of love for the nation and homeland. That is why it is necessary to develop character that is rooted in the values of Pancasila, namely religious values, compassion, self-control, cooperation, mutual respect / respect, responsibility, and persistence in handling Covid-19. Thus the values of Pancasila reinforce character building.
The Implementation of Elementary Student Character Values Among the Bajo Tribe through Pancasila Values as Character Building
Authors: Wajdi Farid , Putra Zulfikar
Published: May 2021

The purpose of this study was to determine the implementation of the character values of the Bajo tribe through the values of Pancasila as reinforcing character building in Bajo ethnic children, elementary school students. This type of qualitative research uses an ethnographic approach accompanied by data collection techniques through observation, interviews, and documentation. The data analysis technique in this study used the Spradley model. The findings of the research show that elementary school students on Masudu Island, most of whom have native Bajo ethnic backgrounds, have religious values, independence, discipline, social care, national spirit, mutual cooperation, and responsibility, as the implementation of Pancasila values and in accordance with character values. a nation that is seen in the daily lives of the children of the Bajo tribe who participate in studying at school, even though the school is located on one of the islands (in the sea).
The Revitalization Of Character Education Based On Pancasila In The Global Era
Authors: Blegur Margison A. W. B.
Published: May 2021

There is character degradation caused by rapid global progress and development and indirectly demands that humans be able to adapt to existing needs, while the purpose of writing this scientific paper is how the Indonesian people are more aware of and appreciate the importance of living up to existing values. the values contained in Pancasila. In writing this scientific paper the writer uses historical research methods. In this historical research method, the researcher uses several reference sources in the form of relevant journals and books that support this writing. The result is that there are several obstacles that often occur on the surface of everyday life, namely: first, a lack of mutual respect among others; second, the things of the World take top priority in terms of living together (the attitude of Individualism); third, decreased practice of the values that exist in Pancasila. An attitude of mutual respect and prioritizing togetherness is very important to be instilled back in the community so that these values are still upheld because they are part of the values of Pancasila and the NKRI slogan, namely Bhineka Tunggal Ika.
The Value of Pancasila on the Islamic Education Institution (Discourse Study of the Al-Imamah Book at SMA Al-Islam 1 Surakarta)
Authors: Pranata Galih
Published: May 2021

Pancasila has become the ideology of the Indonesian nation, including the Islamic Foundation which is often juxtaposed with a non-Pancasila stigma that demands a caliphate state and abandons the values of Pancasila. Islamic foundations have always been a sentiment in Indonesian society today, so it is necessary to further ascertain the teachings conveyed by the Islamic Foundation, more specifically from the perspective of education. This study aims to see the existence of Pancasila in the social interactions of the Islamic Education Foundation, especially in SMA Al-Islam 1 Surakarta. The method in this study uses a qualitative paradigm through an interview approach and participatory observation. The results of this study indicate that there is a special study for teachers and employees at SMA Al-Islam 1 Surakarta using the book Al-Imamah by Kiyai Haji Imam Ghazali. This book is a summary of K. H Imam Ghazali's intellectual activities in the journey and history of struggle to build Al-Islam college as outlined through his writings and analysis of the holy verses of the Koran and Hadith as the founding principles of the Al-Islam Foundation itself. There is an implicit emphasis on the values of Pancasila contained in the book of Al-Imamah and it is conveyed periodically with a frequency of once a week. This study is expected to provide provisions and instill the values of religiosity and personality in acting and behaving.
The Implementation of Javanese Local Wisdom Values as Strengthening the Practice of Pancasila
Authors: Sumardjoko Bambang , Subowo Arif
Published: May 2021

For the Indonesian people, Pancasila is the basis of the state and way of life, as well as the state ideology. In practice, it appears that the practice of Pancasila values is still weak and concerning. If this phenomenon is not handled seriously, it can become a threat to the existence of Pancasila in society, nation, and state. Indonesia is a country whose society is multicultural, consisting of various religions, races, tribes, cultures, and ethnicities, but has noble values that have been passed down from our ancestors to be preserved, namely Pancasila which unites the Indonesian nation. The Indonesian state consists of regions that have different local wisdom values. These values become guidelines and are cared for by all elements of society because they provide convenience in realizing national values. Even though each region has different local wisdom values, the Indonesian people remain united, namely ‘Bhineka Tunggal Ika’. There are many Javanese local wisdoms and for people who uphold the values of Javanese local wisdom, consciously or unconsciously, they have contributed significantly to the practice of Pancasila. The writing of this article is intended to describe the implementation of Javanese local wisdom values as a form of strengthening the practice of Pancasila. The main issues raised include the values of Javanese local wisdom, the practice of Pancasila values, and the implementation of Javanese local wisdom values as a form of strengthening the experience of Pancasila values. Materials and methods of writing articles use library research which is sourced from primary and secondary data, namely from expert informants, books, and relevant research journals. Finally, in this paper it is stated that the implementation of Javanese local wisdom values will be able to strengthen the practice of Pancasila values in the midst of a multicultural Indonesian society.
The Urgency of Pancasila Values as a Basis of Science and Environment Development
Authors: Pranoto Pranoto
Published: May 2021

Entering the era of the industrial revolution 4.0, the order of life refers to the world of the digital industry, as well as the fields of Science and the Environment. The industrial revolution 4.0 requires each individual to run fast to develop literacy skills in technology, data and human resources. These three things become the basic capital in developing various self-competencies for each individual. The development and progress of Science and the Environment today cannot be separated from the mastery of these three literacies. The development of Science and the Environment that is not balanced with the foundation of the nation's fundamental foundation, will in fact contribute more to negative than positive influences. Misuse of Science and the Environment will threaten the existence of human life in the future. Therefore, weapons are needed to ward off various negative possibilities for the development of Science and the environment, one of which is Pancasila. Pancasila powers are not only limited to being the basis of the state, guidelines for life, and unifying the Indonesian nation, but also as a guiding star in all aspects of life, including the development of Science and the Environment. The basic values contained in Pancasila must serve as basic guidelines in the development of Science and the Environment. Pancasila is used as the basis for the development of Science and the Environment and is expected to have a broad impact on the benefit of the life of the Indonesian nation. Science and the Environment may develop and advance, but must be balanced with maintaining and implementing the noble values of the nation's ideology in all aspects of the life of the nation and state.
A Culture Change in Geriatric Traumatology: Holistic and Patient-Tailored Care for Frail Patients with Fractures
Authors: Schuijt Henk Jan , Lehmann Lisa Soleymani , Javedan Houman , von Keudell Arvind G. , Weaver Michael John
Published: May 2021

Medical decision-making for frail geriatric trauma patients is complex, especially toward the end of life. The goal of this paper is to review aspects of end-of-life decision-making, such as frailty, cognitive impairment, quality of life, goals of care, and palliative care. Additionally, we make recommendations for composing a patient-tailored treatment plan. In doing so, we seek to initiate the much-needed discussion regarding end-of-life care for frail geriatric patients.
Remotely sensed habitat assessment of bottomland hardwood and swamp habitat : West Shore Lake Pontchartrain Hurricane Storm Damage Risk Reduction System potential impact area
Authors: Saltus Christina , Suir Glenn
Published: May 2021

This study used remote sensing techniques to identify and assess the current condition of bottomland hardwood (BLH) and swamp habitats within the West Shore Lake Pontchartrain (WSLP) hurricane storm-damage risk reduction system (HSDRRS) project area. This effort provides baseline knowledge of the location and quality of these habitats prior to the construction of the WSLP HSDRRS project. The resultant products will assist the USACE—New Orleans District (MVN) by informing ecosystem decision-making related to environmental assessments.
Orthogonal Learning-Based Gray Wolf Optimizer For Identifying The Uncertain Parameters of Various Photovoltaic Models
Authors: Xavier Felix Joseph , A.Pradeep  , A.Anbarasan  , C.Kumar
Published: May 2021

Determining the optimal parameters for the photovoltaic system (PV) model is essential during the design, evolution, development, estimation, and PV systems analysis. Therefore, it is crucial for the proper advancement of the best parameters of the PV models based on modern computational techniques. Thus, this work suggests a new Orthogonal-Learning-Based Gray Wolf Optimizer (OLBGWO) through a local exploration for estimating the unknown variables of PV cell models. The exploitation and exploration capability of the basic Gray Wolf Optimizer (GWO) is improved by the orthogonal-learning-based (OLB) approach, and this arrangement promotes a highly reliable equilibrium between the exploitation and exploration levels of the algorithm. In OLBGWO, the OLB strategy is used to find the best solution for the poor populations and directs the population to review the potential search area during the iterative process. Also, an exponential decay function is employed to decrease the value of vector a in GWO. The developed algorithm is directly applied to the parameter identification problem of the PV system. The proposed OLBGWO algorithm estimates the unknown parameters of the single-diode model (SDM), double-diode model (DDM), and PV module model. The performance of the OLBGWO is compared with other competitive algorithms to prove its superiority. The simulation results prove that the OLBGWO algorithm can achieve high solution accuracy with high convergence speed.
The use of Dredged Marine Sediment in the Formulation of Air-foamed Concrete
Authors: elmoueden hamza , Mouhamadou Mouhamadou , ZAMBON AGNES , ABRIAK NOUR EDINE , BENZERZOUR MAHFOUD
Published: May 2021

A large quantity of sediments is dredged continuously worldwide. They are generally dumped in landfill areas which ensue in the increasing cost of the dredging operations and in soil-groundwater pollution. The objective of this work is to study the beneficial reuse of dredged sediments in foam mortar and particularly by studying the influence of the substitution of sand by dredged sediments. Air foam mortars/concrtes is an alternative to ordinary concrete, which presents the advantages of lightweight and low thermal conductivity. In this study, the density required ranges from 1200kg/m3 to 1600kg/m3 to the development of foam concrete building blocks and slabs for load-bearing and non-load-bearing structures. Twenty foam mortar mixes were prepared. Sediments were introduced by replacing 15%, 30%, and 50% mass of the sand. The foam percentage was introduced from 0–100% volume of mortar. Workability, compressive strength, and flexural strength at the age of 7, 28, and 60 days were monitored. The size distribution of foam bubbles and the effect of sediments on their stability is also studied. The results demonstrate that sediment has a good general effect on foam concrete and this opens up very promising new types of concretes. However, for a high substitution rate, a decrease in performances is denoted.
Solution Processed Low Voltage Metal-Oxide transistor by using TiO2 /Li-Al2O3 stacked Gate Dielectric
Authors: Pal Nila , Pandey Utkarsh , Biring Sajal , Pal Bhola Nath
Published: May 2021

A solution processed top-contact bottom gated SnO2 thin-film transistor (TFT) has been fabricated by using a TiO2/ Li-Al2O3 bilayer stacked gate dielectric that show operating voltage of this TFT within 2.0 V. It is observed that the bilayer dielectric has much higher areal capacitance with lower leakage current density that significantly improve the overall device performance of TFT. The TFT with bilayer gate dielectric shows an effective carrier mobility (µsat) of 9.2 cm2V− 1s− 1 with an on/off ratio of 7.1x103 which are significantly higher with respect to the TFT with a single layer Li-Al2O3 gate dielectric. The origin of this improvement is due to the Schottky junction between the highly doped silicon (p++-Si) and TiO2 of bilayer stacked dielectric that induced electrons to the channel which reduces the dielectric/semiconductor interface trap state. This investigation opens a new path to develop TFT device performance using a suitable bilayer stack of gate-dielectric.
Rice Yield Responses in Bangladesh to Large-scale Atmospheric Oscillation Using Multifactorial Model
Authors: Ghose Bonosri , I Abu Reza Md. Towfiqul , Salam Roquia , Shahid Shamsuddin , Kamruzzaman Md. , Das Samiran , Elbeltagi Ahmed , Salam Mohammed Abdus
Published: May 2021

This paper intends to explore rice yield fluctuations to large-scale atmospheric circulation indices (LACIs) in Bangladesh. The annual dataset of climate-derived yield index (CDYI), estimated using principal component analysis of Aus rice yield data of 23 districts, and five LACIs for the period 1980-2017 were used for this purpose. The key outcomes of the study were as follows: (1) three sub-regions of Bangladesh, northern, northwestern, and northeastern, showed different kinds of CDYI anomalies; (2) the CDYI time series in northern and northeastern regions exhibited a substantial 6-year fluctuation, whereas a 2.75 to 3-year fluctuation predominated the northwestern region; (3) rice yield showed the highest sensitivity of LACIs in the northern region; (4) Indian Ocean dipole (IOD) and East Central Tropical Pacific SST (Nino 3.4) in July, and IOD index in March provide the best yield forecasting signals for northern, northwestern, and northeastern regions, respectively; (5) wavelet coherence study demonstrated noteworthy in-phase and out-phases coherences between key climatic variables (KCVs) and CDYI anomalies at various time-frequencies in three sub-regions; (6) the random forest (RF) model revealed the IOD as the vital contributing factor of rice yield fluctuations in the country; (6) the multi-factorial model with different LACIs and year as predictors can predict rice yield, with the mean relative error (MRE) in the range of 4.82 to 5.51% only. The generated knowledge can be used for an early assessment of rice yield and recommend policy directives to ensure food security.
A Step towards Environment Degradation Mitigation in the Manufacturing Sector of Pakistan: Do Energy Consumption, Foreign Direct Investment, and Financial Development Matter? Evidence from Symmetric and Asymmetric ARDL Approach
Authors: Tanveer Arsalan , Song Huaming , Faheem Muhammad , Daud Abdul , Naseer Saira
Published: May 2021

The manufacturing sector is the backbone for the development of an economy. Numerous studies investigate the impact of aggregative energy consumption on environmental degradation by using typical econometric techniques. To correct this gap our study uses energy consumption and environmental degradation only in the manufacturing sector of Pakistan for the period 1985 to 2018. Our study also demonstrates the symmetric and asymmetric behaviour of energy consumption with carbon emissions by using a recently developed methodology byShin et al. (2014).The linearARDL result shows energy consumption and financial development intensifies environmental degradation. While FDI and globalization mitigate environmental sustainability also the results validate pollution halo hypotheses in Pakistan. However, nonlinear ARDL results confirm theasymmetric behaviour of energy consumption with co2 emission. This study employs implications for policymakers in Pakistan to consider asymmetric behavior of energy consumption as well as the installation of renewable energy sources and technological improvements in the industrial sector need to mitigate environmental sustainability. Further, there is a need to enhance globalization and FDI for Pakistan to achieve its environmental targets.
Effect of the vacancy on the electrical transport properties of boron nitride nanosheets
Authors: Sadeghi Reza , Yaghobi Mojtaba , Niazian Mohammad Reza , Ramzanpour Mohammad ali
Published: May 2021

Vacancies occur naturally in all crystalline materials. A vacancy is a point defect in a crystal in which an atom is removed at one of the lattice sites. The defect could be imported during the synthesis of the material or be added by defect engineering. In this paper by employing the density functional theory as well as the non-equilibrium Green’s function approach, the structure and electronic properties of the perfect and defected BN nanosheet would be obtained and compared. Besides, the influence of the vacancy defect position is evaluated. For this purpose, the defect is considered at the center, left, and right hand sides of the nanosheet. It is seen that the electric current changes by changing the position of the vacancy defect, which is related to the electronic structures of BN nanosheets. In addition, the transmission and conductance for BN nanosheets with vacancy continuously change by changing the bias voltage. The obtained results can benefit the design and implementation of BN nanosheets in nanoelectronic systems and devices.
Abundance And Characteristics of Microplastics Contaminating The Surface Water of The Inner Gulf of Thailand
Authors: Vibhatabandhu Pathompong , Srithongout Sarawut
Published: May 2021

Microplastics are pollutants with uncertain behaviors; they have mysterious impacts on marine environments. In the present study, surface water samples from 25 different locations in the Inner Gulf of Thailand were collected to assess the distribution of microplastic contamination. Microplastics were visually counted and identified by Fourier-transform infrared microscopy. The results revealed that the average total abundance of microplastics (125–5000 µm) was 9.97 pieces/L (1.55 ng/L). Microplastics sized 125–300 µm were most abundant at all the sampling sites, accounting for 68% of the total microplastics. Fiber (35%) and fragment (34%) were the predominant microplastic shapes in the surface water. Polyethylene, polypropylene, and poly(ethylene propylene) accounted for the most prevalent polymer types. The present findings revealed that the Inner Gulf of Thailand is moderately polluted by microplastics of different sizes, shapes, and types, which may pose a potential risk to coastal ecosystems.
Psychosocial Distress Among Cancer Patients: A single Institution Experience at the State of Qatar
Authors: Hassan Azza Adel , Saleem Azar Naveen , Eziada Saad Jobran , Bashir Abdelsadiq , Gameil Amna , Elmalik Hind , Allam Ayman
Published: May 2021

Introduction The prevalence of psychosocial distress is up to 45% among cancer patients. It is crucial to identify and treat distress. The aim of the study is to report on the prevalence of distress among cancer patients, analyze the variable causes of distress and to study the effect of the disease stage using the Distress Thermometer. Methods We studied distress among 3 groups, each consisting of 100 patients: those initially diagnosed, patients undergoing treatment, and patients who were referred to the palliative team. Different variables such as time of screening, sex, age, nationality, and tumor type were analyzed.Results There was an overall distress incidence of 62% (level ≥ 4) and out of that 17% of the patients had severe distress (level >7). Similarly, there was 75% of distress among patients who were referred to palliative care, compared to 56% of patients at initial diagnosis and 54% for those undergoing cancer treatments. In addition, women (69%) had more distress (53%). Expatriates had high distress, compared to Qataris (64.3% versus 51%). Breast (69%) and lung (70%) cancer patients had the highest level of distress. Physical causes of distress were the most common followed by emotional causes.Conclusion There is a substantially higher overall incidence of distress among cancer patients in Qatar. Distress should be assessed in patients at cancer diagnosis and at the time of disease progression. Screening alone isn’t enough, the different causes of distress should be identified and addressed by the appropriate interventions.
A wrap-gate CNT-MOSFET based SRAM bit-cell with asymmetrical ground gating and built-in read-assist schemes for limited-energy environments application
Authors: Darabi Abdolreza , Salehi Mohammad Reza , Abiri Ebrahim
Published: May 2021

Today, designing low-power single-bit SRAM structures with the ability to operate regularly at low supply voltages and with high immunity against standard radiation particles impact is challenging for designers. In the present article, a novel design of a low-power radiation-hardened single-ended SRAM bit-cell (UPRHSE) based on gate-diffusion input (GDI) method using gate-all-around carbon nano-tube (CNT) MOSFETs (GAA CNT-MOSFETs) along with dual-chirality/multiple-diameter technique for CNTs with an asymmetric virtual ground gating and built-in read-assist schemes with inherent single-node event upset (SEU) preventive and self-correction capabilities and a high degree of robustness against multiple-node event upsets (MEUs) in the presence of more consumption area storage has been proposed. In order to investigate single/double upset injection circuit model using the structure of the T-connected pseudo resistors (TPRs) has been proposed. Also, based on the analytical-compact model, an equation for calculating the data-retention voltage (VDR) metric for the suggested bit-cell structure and an algorithm for facile estimate of VDR for other bit-cell architectures is presented. The results of extensive Monte-Carlo (MC) simulations to evaluate the proposed bit-cell indicate larger noise margins, acceptable yield, less sensitivity to process, voltage and temperature (PVT) variations, higher critical charge and consequence more robustness to soft errors with high reliability of data storage in standby mode in the presence of voltage conditions lower than the nominal power supply, and better results in other comprehensive figure of merits (FoMs) criteria compared to nanotechnology-based state-of-the-art radiation-hardened (rad-hard) bit-cell circuits with the same number of transistors in the 16 nm technology node. So, the proposed UPRHSE design can be a reasonable choice for applications that demands high stability, impact resistance to radiation particles and extremely low power in a radiation abundant environment with limited-energy sources. Finally, in order to use the suggested UPRHSE bit-cell in a real application with secure data transfer approach, the suggested structure is employed for storing. The results show the better performance of UPRHSE in terms of other comprehensive FoMs based on PSNR and MSSIM metric to evaluate the appropriate accuracy in pixel-by-pixel image compared to other well-known counterpart designs.
Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic effects of crocin against doxorubicin-induced myocardial toxicity in rats
Authors: ALJUMAILY Sara Asaad ABDULKAREEM , Demir Mehmet , Elbe Hulya , Yigitturk Gurkan , Bicer Yasemin , Altinoz Eyup
Published: May 2021

Doxorubicin (DOX) is a well-known chemotherapeutic drug for most malgnencies including breast cancer and leukemia whilst the usage of DOX is limited owing to its cardiotoxicity. The present study analyzed the effects of crocin on doxorubicin’s cardiotoxic efect in rat myocardium and searched their mechanistic interaction in the pathogenesis of DOX-induced myocardial toxicity. Forty rats were divided into four groups; (a) control (received normal saline as a dose of 1 ml/kg by ip for 15 days), (b) Crocin (received crocin as a dose of 40 mg/kg/24h by ip for 15 days), (c) DOX (received DOX as a dose of 2 mg/kg/48h by ip in six injection, cumulative dose 12 mg/kg), and (d) DOX + Crocin (received DOX as a dose of 2 mg/kg/48h by ip in six injection and crocin as a dose of 40 mg/kg/24h ip for 15 days). According to the present study, DOX administration caused significant increases in lipid indices (triglyseride, low-dencity lipoproteins and very low-dencity lipoproteins) as well as cardiac markers (Creatine kinase-muscle/brain and Cardiac Troponin I). Morever, DOX caused significant increases in oxidative stress parameters (malondialdehyde and total oxidant status) as well as decreases in antioxidant defense systems (glutathione, superoxide dismutase, catalase and total antioxidant status). The present study also demonstrated that co-administration of crocin with DOX significantly ameliorated the lipid profile and biochemical parameters in rats receiving DOX. The results were supported by histopathological and immunohistochemical evaluations. Taken together, our results reveal that crocin might be a cardioprotective agent in DOX treated patients for cancer.
Bromuconazole caused genotoxicity, hepatic and renal failure via oxidative stress process in Wistar rats
Authors: RJIBA Karima , Hamdi Hiba , M’nassri Asma , Guedri Yosra , Mokni Moncef , Abid Salwa
Published: May 2021

Bromuconazole is a triazole pesticide used to protect vegetables and fruits against diverse fungi pathologies. However, its utilization may be accompanied by diverse tissues injuries. For this, we tried to examine bromuconazole effects in liver and kidney tissues by the evaluation of biochemical and histopathological modifications also by genotoxic and oxidative stress analysis. Adult male Wistar rats were divided into four groups, each consisting of 6 animals. The control group received daily a corn oil (vehicle) orally. Three oral Bromuconazole doses were tested (1, 5 and 10 % of LD50) daily for 28 days. Bromuconazole increased the plasma activities of transaminases (AST, ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), creatinine and uric acid levels. histopathological check showed that Bromuconazole caused organs failure. This study make known that Bromuconazole caused conspicuous DNA damage either in hepatic and kidney tissues, with a significant increase in malondialdehyde and protein carbonyl levels followed by the increase in the enzymatic activity of catalase and superoxide dismutase in a dose dependent manner. Glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and peroxidase (GPx) activities were also recorded. Our results highlight that bromuconazole exposure induced genotoxic damage and organs failure that may be caused by the disturbances of oxidative stress statue in liver and kidney tissues.
Classifying Patient and Professional Voice in Social Media Health Posts
Authors: Alex Beatrice , Whyte Donald , Duma Daniel , Owen Roma English , Fairley Elizabeth A.L.
Published: May 2021

Background: Patient-based analysis of social media is a growing research field with the aim of delivering precision medicine but it requires accurate classification of posts relating to patients’ experiences. We motivate the need for this type of classification as a pre-processing step for further analysis of socialmedia data in the context of related work in this area. In this paper we present experiments for a three-way document classification by patient voice, professional voice or other. We present results for a Convolutional Neural Network classifier trained on English data from two different data sources (Reddit and Twitter) and two domains (cardiovascular and skin diseases). Results: We found that document classification by patient voice, professional voice or other can be done consistently manually (0.92 accuracy). Annotators agreedroughly equally for each domain (cardiovascular and skin) but they agreed more when annotating Reddit posts compared to Twitter posts. Best classification performance was obtained when training two separate classifiers for each data source, one for Reddit and one for Twitter posts, when evaluating on in-source test data for both test sets combined with an overall accuracy of 0.95 (and macro-average F1 of 0.92) and an F1-score of 0.95 for patient voice only.Conclusion: The main conclusion resulting from this work is that using more data for training a classifier does not necessarily result in best possible performance. In the context of classifying social media posts by patient and professional voice, we showed that it is best to train separate models per data source (Reddit andTwitter) instead of a model using the combined training data from both sources. We also found that it is preferable to train separate models per domain (cardiovascular and skin) while showing that the difference to the combined model is only minor (0.01 accuracy). Our highest overall F1-score (0.95) obtained for classifying posts as patient voice is a very good starting point for further analysis of social media data reflecting the experience of patients.