bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Çok kanallı CNN mimarisi ile X-Ray görüntülerinden COVID-19 tanısı
Authors: YILMAZ Atınç
Published: August 2021

Yeni tip koronavirüs (Covid-19), hem insanlarda hem de hayvanlarda hastalığa sebep olan koronavirüs ailesinin bir üyesidir. Covid-19, Dünya Sağlık Örgütü tarafından pandemi olarak tanımlandırılan ve tüm dünyada salgınlaşarak insanlar için sonucu ölüme kadar gidebilecek riske sahiptir. Covid-19 tanısı konulabilmesi için şüpheli bireyden RT-PCR testi ile tanının doğrulanması gerekmektedir. Fakat bu testin sonuçlanması hem uzun zaman almakta hem de yanlış negatif sonuçlar ile çok sık karşılaşılabilmektedir. Covid-19 tanısı ne kadar erken ve doğru olursa, hayat kaybı risk oranı birey için o derece az olmaktadır. Derin öğrenme, özellikle tıp alanında son derece yüksek doğruluk ve hassasiyet gerektiren çeşitli karmaşık problemleri çözmek için çeşitli uygulamalarda yaygın olarak kullanılmıştır. Bu çalışmada, akciğer X-Ray görüntülerinden otomatik Covid-19 tanısı, önerilen çok kanallı CNN yöntemi kullanılarak yapılmaktadır. Hasta ve sağlıklı bireylerden elde edilen X-Ray görüntüleri çevrimiçi olarak üç ayrı veri tabanından elde edilmiştir. Sonuçları karşılaştırmak ve önerilen yöntemin verimliliğini ortaya koymak için tekrarlayan derin sinir ağları (SRN) mimarisi de aynı problem için uygulanmıştır. Ayrıca, çalışmanın performansını, doğruluğunu ve verimliliğini ortaya koymak için uygulanan yöntemler için doğruluk, hassasiyet analizi ve işlem sürelerinin ölçümleri yapılmıştır. Önerilen sistem ile PCR testi sonucu beklenmeden kısa sürede Covid-19 tanısı konarak, virüs vücutta etkisini ve hayati riski arttırmadan önlem alınması sağlanmaktadır. Bu çalışmada; tüm dünyada insan yaşamı için büyük bir risk olan Covid-19 ‘un erken tespiti için CNN'ye dayalı yeni bir yöntem önerilmektedir. Literatürdeki çalışmalardan farklı olarak, beş evrişim kanalına sahip olan çok kanallı CNN mimarisi sunumu ve bu kanalların ürettiği sonuçlar arasında en belirgin özellik filtrelerini seçmek için önerilen çok kanallı CNN mimarisinde kanal seçim formülü ortaya konmaktadır
Study of energy consumption of a hybrid vehicle in real-world conditions
Authors: Mamala Jarosław , Graba Mariusz , Bieniek Andrzej , Prażnowski Krzysztof , Augustynowicz Andrzej , Śmieja Michał
Published: August 2021

The paper presents an analysis of energy consumption in a Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) used in actual road conditions. Therefore, the paper features a comparison of the consumption of energy obtained from fuel and from energy taken from the vehicle’s batteries for each travel with a total distance of 5000 km. The instantaneous energy consumption per travelling kilometre in actual operating conditions for a combustion engine mode are within the range of 233 to 1170 Wh/km and for an electric motor mode are within the range of 135 to 420 Wh/km. The average values amount to 894 Wh/km for the combustion engine and 208 Wh/km for the electric motor. The experimental data was used to develop curves for the total energy consumption per 100km of road section travelled divided into particular engine types (combustion/electric), demonstrating a close correlation to actual operating conditions. These values were referred to the tested passenger vehicle’s approval data in a WLTP test, with the average values of 303 Wh/km and CO2 emission of 23 g/km.
Heuristics and medical errors. Part 2: How to make better medical decisions
Authors: Graber Mark A.
Published: August 2021

This publication is a continuation of the article published in the 4th issue of the journal Russian family doctor for 2020 Heuristics, language and medical errors, which described the ways of making medical decisions that can lead to errors in patient management tactics, in particular affect of heuristics / visceral bias, attribution error, frame of reference, availability bias, one-word-one-meaning-fallacy. This article discusses additional sources of diagnostic error, including diagnosis momentum, confirmation bias, representativeness, and premature closure also the conflict that arises from diagnostic uncertainty is discussed. All errors in the tactics and the diagnostic process are illustrated by clinical cases from the personal practice of the author of the article.
On the Comparison of Seismic Ground Motion Simulated by Physics-Based Dynamic Rupture and Predicted by Empirical Attenuation Equations
Authors: Xin Danhua , Zhang Zhenguo
Published: August 2021

The improvement of ground-motion prediction accuracy is crucial for seismic hazard and risk assessment and engineering practices. Empirically regressed ground-motion prediction equations (GMPEs) are widely used for such purposes in decades. However, the inherent drawbacks of GMPEs, such as the ergodic assumption, lack of near-source observation, and insufficiency to deal with the spatial correlation issue, have motivated geophysicists to find better alternatives. Recent studies on well-recorded earthquakes have illustrated that physics-based simulation (PBS) methods can provide predictions that are comparable to or ever superior to GMPE predictions. The increasing interests in applying PBSs also pose the need to statistically compare these simulations against GMPE predictions or actual observations. We notice the limitations in previous studies focusing on the predictive capability check of PBS. This article is to illustrate how more reasonable check of PBS should be conducted. We consider GMPE works in generally judging the reasonability of PBS, but PBS has the advantage in characterizing the heterogeneity of ground motion of a moderate-to-large earthquake, especially when considering the complexities in fault geometry, regional stress fields, rock properties, surface of the Earth, and site effects. We would rather recommend that, in the future, different GMPEs are only used to preliminarily judge the reasonability of PBS scenarios; then the ground motions simulated by those reasonable PBS scenarios (not limited to one) are further used for the following seismic hazard and risk assessment.
Coupling from single mode fiber to III-V semiconductor waveguide via intermediate polymer waveguide
Authors:   , Borges Ben-Hur Viana , Herczfeld Peter R
Published: August 2021

A novel approach for the coupling from a single mode fiber to a semiconductor waveguide is proposed in this thesis. The approach consists in utilizing a polymer waveguide with dimensions and refractive indices closely matching a single mode fiber. The objective is to reduce two major loss mechanisms that affect the coupling process, (1) Fresnel reflections, due to the index mismatch at the fiber and semiconductor interface, and (2) field mismatch, due to the geometrical contrast between fiber (cylindrical) and semiconductor (rectangular). The structure was analyzed theoretically by means of two distinct modeling techniques, namely, Alternating Direction Implicit (ADI) method, and coupled mode formulation. The first is a fully numerical approach that solves the Helmholtz wave equation in three-dimensions. This finite difference based technique provides a good insight with respect to field propagation and field confinement even for structures with lateral confinement (rib). The ADI technique, on the other hand, is not able to handle losses as required for a more realistic investigation of this problem. The second is a new analytical approach formulated in terms of the Lorentz reciprocity theorem and is valid for media with either gain or loss. This approach is exact since it utilizes the orthogonal modes of the compound structure. Three important loss mechanisms are also taken into account in this analysis, namely, the leakage of power towards the semiconductor substrate, the power lost to radiation modes (mode mismatching), and the grating radiation loss. Two different excitation conditions are investigated, (1) a single mode fiber butt coupled to the polymer waveguide, and (2) a semiconductor laser monolithically integrated with the semiconductor waveguide. In both cases the wavelength used is 1.3[mu]m. A sensitivity analysis is then performed on all parameters of the structure in the attempt to find an optimized configuration. The results obtained with the orthogonal coupled mode formulation predicted a maximum coupling efficiency of 11% for the first case, and 19% for the second.
Entrepreneurship, innovation, and internationalization: The moderating role of the institutions
Authors: Prada-Villamizar Stephanie , Sánchez-Peinado Esther
Published: August 2021

The favorable effects of innovation and internationalization on the development of the economies of countries have been prominent factors in multiple management studies. The objective of this document is to make a theoretical review of the studies contained in the ScienceDirect (Elsevier) and ResearchGate databases, to offer an integrating framework of those institutional factors in the countries that favor the positive spillover of these two strategic actions carried out by companies: innovation and internationalization. As a result, we observed that an institutional framework characterized by a simplification of bureaucratic administrative procedures to access the financial resources necessary to undertake growth and innovation in companies, a favorable climate for collaboration between companies and universities or an institutional commitment to favor transparency and technological support for companies, are institutional key elements to address growth strategies by companies.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ECONOMIC GROWTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION IN TURKEY
Authors: ALNOUR Mohammed
Published: August 2021

This study examines the relationship between economic growth and environmental pollution in Turkey. The research uses annual time series data from 1970 to 2017. Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) and Phillips-Perron (PP) unit root tests were used to test the stationarity of the series. In this the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model is used as an estimation technique. Furthermore, the classical additive decomposition method was used to forecast the pollution. The results indicate that economic growth has a positive significant effect on environmental pollution in the short-run and positive but insignificant effect in the long-run. When the long-run and short-run elasticities were compared it is found that the long-run elasticity is greater than the short-run elasticity which challenges the validity of the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis and provides evidence against its existence in Turkey. The paper suggests that robust and effective environmental policies should be strictly implemented and closely monitored to reduce the environmental pollution and to ensure the preservation of resources for future generations.
AMERİKAN HEGEMONYASI SAVUNUSU DOĞRULTUSUNDA SAMUEL HUNTİNGTON’DA SİYASAL DÜZEN TEORİSİ
Authors: ERKEN Baki
Published: August 2021

Dünyada bir düzen vardır. Dünya düzeni siyasal düzenin bir parçasıdır. Siyaset biliminde

düzene ilişkin teorilerin çatı kavramı olan siyasal düzen teorisi, dünya düzeninin ardındaki temel

teoridir. Aynı zamanda siyasal düzen teorisi dünya siyasetinin bütüncül bir şekilde anlaşılması için

önemli bakış açısı sunar. Siyasal düzen teorisinin bu kadar önemli olmasının nedeni, siyasal yapıların

hâkim bir anlayış doğrultusunda gelişen bir siyasal düzen içerisinde var olduğu gerçeğidir. Siyasal

düzen teorisi konusunda en kapsamlı bilimsel açıklamaları Samuel P. Huntington yapmıştır. Samuel

Huntington 20. yüzyılın en önemli siyasal düşünürleri ve siyaset bilimcileri arasındadır. Siyasal düzen

teorisinin ve Huntington’un bu önemine karşın, Huntington’da siyasal düzen teorisi literatürde

yeterince açıklanmamıştır. Bu makalenin amacı, Samuel Huntington’un siyasal teorilerinin ve

özellikle de siyasal düzen teorisinin bütüncül ve bilimsel bir şekilde açıklanmasına katkı sunmaktır.

Bu doğrultuda yapılacak bir inceleme siyasal düzen olgusu ile teorisi arasındaki ilişkiyi ortaya

koymayı da hedeflemektedir. Huntington’un siyasal düzen teorisi Amerikan hegemonyası

savunusunun bir parçasıdır. Huntington yeni dünya düzeni döneminin teorisyenleri arasında yer alır.

Bu doğrultuda, bu makale Amerikan hegemonyası savunucularının önemli tezlerini de

açıklamaktadır. Huntington’un siyasal düzen teorisi dört başlıkta ele alınabilir: kurumsallaşma, ulusal

siyasal düzenin unsurları, değişim karşısında siyasal düzen ve yeni dünya düzeni teorisi. Siyasal

partiler, siyasal katılma ve siyasal kültür Huntington’a göre, ulusal siyasal düzenin temel unsurlarıdır.

Sonuçta, Huntington’un siyasal düzen teorisi, dünyada devam eden siyasal düzen olgusunun ardında

önemli bir teorik zemin olarak durmaktadır.
KENTSEL DİRENÇ PLANLAMASINDA İŞ BİRLİĞİ
Authors: ERSAVAŞ KAVANOZ Suna
Published: August 2021

Kent planlama anlayışı ve politikalarında geleneksel yöntemlerin, teknik yaklaşımların ve
merkeziyetçi anlayışın sonuç üretmedeki yetersizliği ve giderek karmaşıklaşan sorunlara çözüm
arayışları politika alanında iş birliğinin önemini artırmaktadır. Kent ile ilgili karar alma sürecinde
kentte yaşayanlar giderek daha az söz sahibi olmaktadır. Önceleri ekoloji alanı ile ilişkisel olarak
çevre konularında ve afet riskleri bağlamında ele alınan kent direnci kavramının giderek kent ile ilgili
daha fazla sorun alanını anlatmak için kullanılması planlama yaklaşımlarında ve kent politika
alanında kentsel direncin sağlanmasında nasıl bir yöntem izlenebileceği konusunun daha yakından
anlaşılmasını gerektirmektedir. Bu bağlamda çalışmanın amacı, kentlere direnç kazandırılması
yolunda uygulanacak planlama anlayışı ve politikalarda izlenecek yöntemde iş birliğinin önemini
ortaya koymaktır. Özellikle mekânın üretiminde etkili olan aktörlerin farklılığı ve sayısı göz önüne
alındığında söz konusu aktörlerin politika yapım ve uygulama sürecinde iş birliği içerisinde hareket
etmesi kentin dirençli olma düzeyini etkileyecektir. Çalışmanın önemi kentsel direnç çalışmalarının
ağırlıklı olarak teknik yaklaşımlarla değerlendirilmesinin yetersizliğini kent hakkı tartışmaları ile
ilişkilendirerek farklı aktörlerin birlikte hareket etmesinin önemini ortaya koymasıdır. Dirençli bir
kent yaratma politikaları aktörler arası iletişim ve iş birliği çerçevesinde kent yönetimleri odağında
geliştirilmesi gereken bir çerçeveye sahiptir.
ULUSLARARASI GÜVENLİK KAPSAMINDA RİSK TOPLUMU VE FONKSİYONALİST BAKIŞ AÇISI: COVİD-19 SALGINI VE DÜNYA SAĞLIK ÖRGÜTÜ ÖRNEĞİ
Authors: TORUN Abdullah , ŞATLI Onur
Published: August 2021

Özellikle modern dönemin getirisi olan risk toplumu kavramı, günümüz toplumunun da bir gerçeğidir. Risk toplumu karşısında ulus-devletler, artık tekil bireyler değillerdir. Bu kapsamda ulus-devletlerin karşılıklı eşgüdüm içerisinde ortaya çıkabilecek riskleri bertaraf edebilmeleri gerekmektedir. Bu duruma yönelik tarih boyunca çeşitli araştırmacılar tarafından bölgesel ve küresel ölçekte uygulanabilecek bütünleşme teorileri oluşturulmuştur. Bu yaklaşımlardan birisi olan fonksiyonalizm, İkinci Dünya Savaşı sonrası dönemde David Mitrany tarafından oluşturulmuştur. Mitrany, fonksiyonalizm olarak adlandırılan bu yaklaşım ile alanında uzmanlaşmış hükümetler arası fonksiyonel örgütler fikrinin esas alınarak uluslararası güvenlik ortamının sağlanabileceğini önermektedir. Bu çalışma, Mitrany ile özdeşleşmiş olan fonksiyonalizm kavramı ve Ulrich Beck ile özdeşleşmiş risk toplumu kavramları açıklanarak birbirleri ile ilişkisine değinilmek amacıyla yapılmıştır. Bu kapsamda çalışmanın ilk iki bölümünde her iki kavram detaylı olarak açıklanmıştır. Çalışmanın üçüncü bölümünde dünyanın halihazırda içinde bulunduğu Covid-19 salgını risk toplumuna, Dünya Sağlık Örgütü (DSÖ) ise hükümetler arası bir örgüt olması bakımından fonksiyonalizm yaklaşımına bir örnek olarak sunulmuştur. Covid-19 salgını ve DSÖ örnekleri ile bu iki yaklaşımın birbirleri ile olan ilişkisi çalışmanın ana odak noktasıdır. Çalışma boyunca detaylı bir

literatür taraması yapılarak ilgili kavramlar açıklanmış, betimsel araştırma tekniği ana yöntem olarak

seçilmiştir. Çalışma sonucunda, ulus-devletlerin ortaya çıkabilecek potansiyel riskler karşısında kendi ulusal güvenliklerini sağlamalarının tek başlarına yapılabilecek bir durum olmaktan çıktığı görülmüştür. Artık ulus-devletler birbirleri ile etkileşim içerisinde olmalı ve ortak eşgüdüm içerisinde uluslararası ve ulusal güvenliği sağlamalıdırlar. Netice itibari ile risk toplumunda ulusal güvenlik ile uluslararası güvenlik bütünleşmiş durumdadır.
Civil Engineering and Sustainable Development
Authors: Muntohar Agus Setyo
Published: August 2021

The field of civil engineering cannot be separated from the daily life of the people. The skyscrapers that can be seen everywhere, the thriving road traffic, the beautiful bridges and dams like sturdy fortresses, and tunnels and subsurface structures are an indispensable part of our lives. The global trend of sustainable development, Civil Engineering must eliminate or reduce environmental problems that may arise in the project. Starting from large-scale economic construction, so that development can provide benefits to mankind and make the environment get sustainable development and improvement. Therefore, the sustainable development of Civil Engineering is very worthy of discussion and study
GERENCIAMENTO DE RESÍDUOS SÓLIDOS EM INSTITUIÇÃO DE ENSINO: O CASO DA FATEC ITAPETININGA
Authors: Valério Jéssica De Moraes Pinto , Pereira Marcelo De Oliveira , Gomes Vinícius Teixeira , Beghelli Frederico Guilherme De Souza
Published: August 2021

Atualmente, a produção média mundial per capita de resíduos sólidos urbanos pode ser estimada em 1,2 kg/dia. Muitos desses resíduos não são biologicamente degradados e podem levar anos ou até séculos para serem decompostos. No Brasil, esse cenário pode ser agravado quando consideramos os baixos níveis de reciclagem e reaproveitamento. O presente trabalho descreve o caso da FATEC Itapetininga, SP, como ponto de partida para contribuir com a discussão sobre Gerenciamento de Resíduos Sólidos (GRS) em instituições de ensino. Nosso objetivo foi caracterizar resíduos gerados, identificar fatores culturais e comportamentais relevantes e contribuir para o desenvolvimento e implementação de um plano de GRS nessa instituição. Os resíduos sólidos foram caracterizados com relação à produção e composição gravimétrica. Variáveis comportamentais e de gestão foram levantadas por meio de entrevistas e questionários. Os resultados indicam uma geração anual de, aproximadamente, 11 toneladas de resíduos sólidos não perigosos na unidade. Destes, a maior parte foi constituída por rejeitos (57%) seguidos pela fração orgânica (24%). Os resíduos recicláveis compuseram 19% do total sendo papel e papelão seus principais constituintes. Com relação aos questionários, observou-se que a maioria dos entrevistados soube diferenciar rejeitos de resíduos, o que indica consciência da possibilidade de reutilização ou reciclagem de parte do material. Porém, os conhecimentos sobre legislação e destinação final dada pelos municípios são limitados.
Distillery decarbonisation and anaerobic digestion: balancing benefits and drawbacks using a compromise programming approach
Authors: O’Shea Richard , Lin Richen , Wall David M. , Browne James D. , Murphy Jerry D.
Published: August 2021

The anaerobic digestion (AD) of distillery by-products presents benefits such as greenhouse gas (GHG) emission savings and electricity savings, as well as drawbacks such as reduced animal feed and protein production and the potential import of animal feeds. This work balances these benefits and drawbacks using compromise programming (CP). The best combination of byproducts (from 9,261 scenarios) to use in AD was selected based on criteria chosen by management of a large distillery. The use of all by-products maximises benefits and drawbacks; the contrary also applies. When benefits and drawbacks are equally important, CP recommends using 50% of available draff, 50% of available thick stillage, and 55% of available thin stillage. The best combination when accounting for criteria weights chosen by distillery management is the use of 100% of available draff and 100% of available thick stillage. This could replace 48% of natural gas consumption at the distillery, reduce Scope 1 emissions by 45%, achieve a Scope 3 emissions savings of 22% of current Scope 1 emissions, and reduce electricity consumption in the feeds recovery plant of the distillery by 63%. Protein loss of 9,618 t could require the import of 19.59 kilo-tonne wet weight of material (ktwwt) of distillers grains and 9.15 ktwwt of soybean meal. If different criteria or criteria weights were used, a different result would be recommended. The methodology developed herein can aid in decarbonising the food and beverage industry by allowing decision-makers to balance the benefits and drawbacks of AD while accounting for subjective preferences.
Coupling hydrothermal carbonization with anaerobic digestion: an evaluation based on energy recovery and hydrochar utilization
Authors: Al Ramahi Mahmood , Keszthelyi-Szabó Gábor , Beszédes Sándor
Published: August 2021

This work evaluates the effect of hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) as a pretreatment and post-treatment technique to anaerobic digestion (AD) of dairy sludge. HTC's effect on AD was evaluated based on energy recovery, nutrient transformation, and hydrochar utilization. The first approach was executed by performing HTC under a range of temperatures before mesophilic AD. HTC optimal pretreatment temperature was 210 °C for 30 min residence time. HTC pretreatment significantly increased the methane yield potential by 192%, the chemical oxygen demand removal by 18%, and the sludge biodegradability during AD by 30%. On the other hand, the application of HTC after AD (post-treatment) increased the total energy production, i.e., in addition to methane, a hydrochar with a caloric value of 10.2 MJ/kg was also obtained. Moreover, HTC post-treatment improved the steam gasification performance of the AD digestate. From the fertilizer quality point of view, HTC implementation generally boosted the concentrations of macro, micro, and secondary nutrients, suggesting its suitability for use as a liquid fertilizer. Overall, the findings of the present study indicate that if bioenergy production were the main target, HTC post-treatment following AD would lead to the most promising outcomes.
New species of the ground sloth Parocnus from the late Pleistocene-early Holocene of Hispaniola
Authors: McAfee Robert , Beery Sophia , Rimoli Renato , Almonte Juan , Lehman Phillip , Cooke Siobhan
Published: August 2021

Parocnus dominicanus sp. nov. represents a new species of megalonychid ground sloth from theAltagracia Province of southeastern Dominican Republic. Specimens of multiple individuals, including oneassociated partial skeleton, were recovered from two separate underwater caves in the Parque Nacional delEste through collaborations with museums and cave divers between 2009–2013. Parocnus dominicanus sp.nov. is distinguished by its small size compared to that of P. serus, with percent differences in limb elementlengths ranging from 13−24%. Numerous cranial and post-cranial elements also exhibit morphological characterstates that are not attributable to size variations. The recovery of multiple individuals within each localitydemonstrates a size dimorphism, possibly sexual, which parallels patterns exhibited by P. serus. The twospecies are also geographically distinct, with no examples of co-occurrence at any localities to date. Parocnusdominicanus sp. nov. and P. serus share character states that are distinct from those of the Cuban species, P.browni, and which suggest differential usage of the forelimb. The exact age of the specimens described here isunknown, however, Parocnus has been dated to the Holocene in Haiti.http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:12E495D3-E261-4522-9854-D3B4C2D5FFB8
Emergency Evacuation of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) During Disasters: A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Mousavipour Sayedeh-Somayyeh , Sohrabizadeh Sanaz
Published: August 2021

The evacuation of hospitals has special complications and sensitivities in terms of the presence of patients. Since infants are the youngest and most vulnerable patients in the hospital, the readiness of the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) to respond appropriately and evacuate at the time of disasters is very important. This article examines the emergency evacuation of neonatal intensive care units during disasters. The present systematic review was done based on the PRISMA guidelines for systematic review studies. Accordingly, all English-language articles published in this field were extracted by the end of January 2020, through searching Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and Science Direct, as well as Google Scholar Web Search. The search and screen of the articles were conducted independently by the research team members, and the content of included articles was analyzed thematically. After the final evaluation, 11 articles were subjected to content analysis, which was divided into seven thematic categories: command, training and maneuver, manpower, communication, equipment, transportation, support. Considering that infants are the most vulnerable preparing the staff of the (NICU) along with providing them with specialized and technical support is suggested. By preparing and implementing response and preparedness plans, it is possible to prevent high complications and mortality among infants admitted to the hospital pre-disasters.
Association Between Human Leukocyte Antigen and COVID-19 Severity
Authors: Hajebi Reza , Ajam Ali , Karbalai Saleh Shahrokh , Ashraf Haleh , Ostadali Dehaghi Mohammadreza , Moradi Tabriz Hedieh , Pazoki Marzieh , Khalili Fatemeh
Published: August 2021

In the last days of 2019, a new coronavirus emerged in Wuhan, China, and less than three months its disease, now called COVID-19, was announced a global pandemic by WHO. COVID-19 usually causes respiratory symptoms and can lead to more severe conditions like ARDS. HLA has a crucial role in regulating the immune system; thus, different HLA allele types can be a protective or risk factor for some diseases, so we aimed to find such associations to determine whether some alleles can predict susceptibility or resistibility to COVID-19 and finally facilitate vaccine development. In this case-control study, 15 admitted COVID-19 cases with severe symptoms and ten individuals with mild COVID-19 symptoms were enrolled in the case and control groups, respectively. They were genotyped for HLA A/B/DR loci using a low-resolution HLA typing test. These alleles were more prevalent in case (severe COVID-19) group: A*24 (53.33% vs 10%), B*50 (20% vs 10%), B*55 (20% vs 10%), DRB1*04 (40% vs 20%) and DRB1*11 (53.33% vs 30%) but the difference was only statically significant in A*24 allele (P=0.027; odd ratio=10.286). A*24 was also more prevalent in all patients than the general population in Iran. A*24 was the only allele more prevalent in severe COVID-19 cases with statistical significance. This allele was reported to be a risk factor for such autoimmune diseases as type 1 diabetes, myasthenia gravis, and systemic lupus erythematosus, which may be related to reported immune system hyperresponsiveness in severe COVID-19 cases.
Risk Factors for Germinal Matrix Haemorrhage-Intraventricular Haemorrhage in Very Low Birth Weight Infants
Authors: Dehvari Abdollah , Imani Mahmoud , Abdollahi Ebrahim , Behmadi Reza
Published: August 2021

Germinal matrix hemorrhage-intraventricular hemorrhage (GMH-IVH) mainly occurs in preterm neonates and is an important cause of brain injury in them. In this retrospective cross-sectional study from march 2017 to march 2018 in our teaching hospitals, we investigated 250 newborns who were admitted to NICU with a birth weight under 1500 grams with ultrasonographic study for presence and grade of GMH-IVH in their first week of life. Risk factors for GMH-IVH were collected from their records and results been analyzed with SPSS software. From 250 neonates who had inclusion criteria of the study, 22 cases had GMH-IVH in ultrasonographic evaluation. 37.6% of all cases and 31.8% of newborns with GMH-IVH had a 5-minute APGAR score of less than six. 91 cases (39.9%) of the control group and 15 cases (68.1%) of the GMH-IVH group need resuscitation at birth. Of 250 cases 54 (21.6%) died, that 14 cases (63.6%) had GMH-IVH. Our study shows significant differences for birth weight, 5 minute APGAR score, and the need for resuscitation at birth as risk factors for the development of GMH-IVH in very low birth weight neonates, but we do not find a significant difference group in terms of gestational age, gender, route of delivery, fetal presentation, maternal parity, CBC parameters, sepsis, RDS, endotracheal tube suctioning and multiple pregnancies for them. In our study, the protective value for antenatal steroid therapy depends on the completion of the course of treatment for mothers.
A Competency-Based Approach to Pass/Fail Decisions: An Observational Study
Authors: Alkhateeb Nazdar E. , Al-Dabbagh Ali , Mohammed Yaseen , Ibrahim Mohammed
Published: August 2021

Any high-stakes assessment that leads to an important decision requires careful consideration in determining whether a student passes or fails. Despite the implementation of many standard-setting methods in clinical examinations, concerns remain about the reliability of pass/fail decisions in high stakes assessment, especially clinical assessment. This observational study proposes a defensible pass/fail decision based on the number of failed competencies. In the study conducted in Erbil, Iraq, in June 2018, results were obtained for 150 medical students on their final objective structured clinical examination. Cutoff scores and pass/fail decisions were calculated using the modified Angoff, borderline, borderline-regression, and holistic methods. The results were compared with each other and with a new competency method using Cohen’s kappa. Rasch analysis was used to compare the consistency of competency data with Rasch model estimates. The competency method resulted in 40 (26.7%) students failing, compared with 76 (50.6%), 37 (24.6%), 35 (23.3%), and 13 (8%) for the modified Angoff, borderline, borderline regression, and holistic methods, respectively. The competency method demonstrated a sufficient degree of fit to the Rasch model (mean outfit and infit statistics of 0.961 and 0.960, respectively). In conclusion, the competency method was more stringent in determining pass/fail, compared with other standard-setting methods, except for the modified Angoff method. The fit of competency data to the Rasch model provides evidence for the validity and reliability of pass/fail decisions.
Development of a Biomimetic Peptide-Based Nanoformulation Against the Breast Cancer
Authors: Hassanzadeh Parichehr , Arbabi Elham , Rostami Fatemeh
Published: August 2021

Nanotechnology has enabled the preparation of various materials for overcoming the rapid clearance of drugs, nonspecific uptake or actions, and poor tumor penetration. Based on the significance of using biomimetic substances, silk fibroin nanoparticles (SF-NPs) have been increasingly prepared for the delivery of therapeutics. Meanwhile, aggregation and low stability in the biological medium may negatively affect their efficiency. This prompted us to coat SF-NPs with polydopamine (PDA), and for efficient accumulation and increasing therapeutic efficiency against breast cancer, paclitaxel (PTX)-loaded PDA-coated SF-NPs were conjugated with targeting peptide, iRGD (iRGD-PDA-PTX-SF-NPs). The peptide impacts on the cellular uptake, cytotoxicity, tumor penetrability of NPs, and their antitumor effects were evaluated. iRGD-PDA-PTX-SF-NPs with suitable physicochemical characteristics and drug loading released PTX in a controlled manner, and efficient cellular uptake was observed. Improved pharmacological profile of PTX was revealed by increased anticancer effects in vitro and in tumor-bearing Balb/c mice, including the delayed growth of the tumor and enhanced rate of survival. The prepared NPs showed no toxic effects against the healthy tissues indicating the histocompatibility and safety of these biomimetic and long-circulating nanoplatforms. The peptide-based SF-NPs could be considered as promising biomimetic nanoformulation against breast cancer.
Odgovornost Zdravniške zbornice Slovenije do zdravnikov, zdravstvenega sistema in družbe
Authors:   President of Medical Chamber of Slovenia (2017 – 2021 (18 February)., Čebašek Travnik Zdenka
Published: August 2021

The responsibility of the Medical Chamber of Slovenia (Chamber) is reflected in the attitude towards the membership that goes through the mission, which is to represent and promote the professional, economic and social interests of doctors, care for the high professional competence and ethics of the conduct of doctors, the reputation and honor of the medical profession, ensuring the fulfillment of medical duties, promoting the rights of doctors, and the professional and safe treatment of patients. The Chamber's responsibility to the health care system lies primarily in proposals for its improvement and elimination of errors, which are recognized by the Chamber in monitoring its operations as well as through controls within the public authority. Responsibility to the company is manifested by the fact that the general public also informs and directs them to find better conditions for the functioning of the system and to help in crisis management. An example of the Chamber's work in the face of the SARS-CoV 2 pandemic causing COVID-19 is given.
Physicians Working Conditions Under Brazilian Labor and Employment
Authors: Pereira Ramos Seidl Mylene ,   Hardthausen am Kocher, Germany
Published: August 2021

In Brazil, Physician employment is regulated by several federal laws. However, it is common to find physicians working in hospitals under contracts signed with individual companies. In such cases, there are no restrictions to maximum working hours. In addition, in 2017, Brazilian Labor and Employment laws passed through deep flexibility, making it easier for employers to decrease the protection of workers against the power of the capital, which worsened the health conditions of both physicians and patients. In 2018, right before the presidential elections, voters pointed out that violence and health are the worse problems in Brazil. One year after that, most Brazilians, who answered a new survey, indicated that health was the country’s worse problem. In this article, I will analyze the relationship between physicians' working conditions and the situation of the Brazilian health system.
Normiranje dela zdravnikov in zagotavljanje kakovostne obravnave bolnikov
Authors: Flis Smaka Ivica ,   Zdravstveni center Flis d.o.o., Maribor, Slovenija.
Published: August 2021

The fundamental responsibility of providing health care services falls to the doctor, who must always act impartially and thus act to protect the medical profession's reputation, as he exercises his rights and freedoms and fulfills his duties. As per the law, a doctor may, independently from the state, provide medical services that abide by the requirements and regulations of the labor laws and the Medical Practitioners Act. The Health Services Act governs the content and performance of health care services, the public medical service, and the connection of organizations and individuals within healthcare. There are no rules or obligations in any official laws or directives that would regulate and decree a doctor's standardized work.
Doping v športu - pravni vidiki v Republiki Sloveniji
Authors: Šepec Miha ,   University of Maribor, Faculty of Law, Maribor, Slovenia
Published: August 2021

In the article, the authoress deals with the problem of liability for damages in the health care sector. In Slovenia and comparative law the s. c. classic system still prevails. That is a fault-based compensation system, which is used in all cases of determining liability for damages and therefore does not apply only to health care. However, in some countries, due to the problems caused by the aforementioned systems, they have decided to introduce the s. c. no-guilt damages system. An essential feature of such compensation schemes is the payment of (major) medical damage to the patient, even in cases where the physician's fault is not precisely established. It is mainly about enforcing the principle of protecting the rights of the weaker party (a patient), when interfering with one of his greatest goods (his/her health). This trend is also increasingly present in classic compensation systems: primarily, the rules of civil litigation are being softened.
Športniki in delodajalec: odgovornost za zdravje in šport na “Štukljevi univerzi”
Authors: Tancer Verboten Mojca ,   University of Maribor, Faculty of Law, Maribor, Slovenia
Published: August 2021

Sports have great potential to bring people together and reach everyone regardless of age or social background. In most sports activities, people engage in amateur sports while to some people sport may also be a profession. Sports can be an important activity for the employer. It enriches the content of the work process, influences in better working relations, creates a positive environment in the context of the employment relationship, especially at a time when the work process is changing. The field of individual sports is especially popularized by individual outstanding athletes or sports teams that achieve results, visible and recognized beyond the territory of each country. The institutions these athletes work with or act in, in different roles, are particularly proud of such individuals. Universities can also act as employers of athletes and the paper analyses the possibilities of such cooperation. Universities have a responsibility to provide a safe and healthy working environment.
Obveze i odgovornosti pacijenata u hrvatskom pravu
Authors: Čizmić Jozo ,   University of Split, Faculty of Law, Split, Croatia
Published: August 2021

When talking about responsibility in health care, first of all, it refers to the responsibility of health care institutions and health care workers, in regards to the harm they have caused their patients through malpractice, as well as to the insurance against liability of health care workers for any mistakes in their work. An equally important area of responsibility is responsibilities of patients for their actions or omissions. In the paper, the author has classified these through four segments: patient responsibility for their health; patient responsibility to other patients; patient responsibility to healthcare professionals; and patient responsibility to the community. Patients’ rights in the Republic of Croatia are regulated by the Law on the Protection of Patients' Rights and the Law on Health Care, in a way, in which they prescribe only the rights of patients and, above all, the obligations and responsibilities of patients. Therefore, house rules of hospitals are the only regulations that systematically regulate patients' obligations and responsibilities, most of all or only those who are hospitalized in stationary healthcare institution.
Effect of Seasons on Physiological Responses in Sahiwal and Crossbred Cows
Authors: Prasanna J. Sai , Rao S.T. Viroji , Prakash M. Gnana , Rathod Suresh , Kalyani P. , Reddy B. Rajith
Published: August 2021

Background: Growing demand for improving milk production and rising temperatures due to global warming has increased the thermal load on dairy animals. Physiological parameters such as respiration rate and body temperature mainly determine the adaptability of animals to climate stress. During genetic adaptation, Bos indicus cattle have acquired thermo tolerant genes and when exposed to heat stress conditions, the Bos indicus cattle have lower respiration rates and rectal temperatures than Bos taurus animals. The present study was aimed to study the effect of seasons on the physiological responses in Sahiwal and crossbred cows. Methods: A total of 50 crossbred cows maintained at Military dairy Farm, Secunderabad and 50 Sahiwal cows maintained at Livestock Farm Complex, College of Veterinary Science, Rajendranagar, PVNRTVU were utilized for the present investigation. The study was conducted during summer (THI = 83.71±0.01), rainy (THI = 71.37±0.01) and winter (THI = 66.69±0.01) seasons. Changes in respiration rate (RR), rectal temperature (RT) and heat tolerance coefficient (HTC) were observed in different seasons in Sahiwal and crossbred cows. Result: RR (breaths/ min) in Sahiwal cows during summer, rainy and winter were 28.56±0.38, 23.38±0.38 and 20.54±0.38 respectively whereas RR (breaths/ min) in crossbred cows were 44.58±0.38, 25.94±0.38 and 21.90±0.38 respectively. In Sahiwal cows RT (°C) during summer, rainy and winter were 38.52±0.03, 38.23±0.03 and 38.13±0.03 respectively whereas RT (°C) in crossbred cows were 39.22±0.02, 38.72±0.03 and 37.80±0.03 respectively. The magnitude of increase in RR, RT and HTC were found to be higher during summer compared to other seasons in both Sahiwal and crossbred cows. It was observed that Sahiwal cows are less sensitive to heat stress and are better able to regulate their body temperature than crossbred cows when environmental temperature increases during summer. The HTC values were lower in Sahiwal cows in all the seasons studied indicating better thermo tolerance when compared to the crossbred cows.
The Impact of Understanding Economic Literacy and Lifestyle on Entrepreneurial Intention of Students in Higher Education
Authors: Setiawan Ananda , Soetjipto Budi Eko , Rudijanto Ery Tri Djatmika
Published: August 2021

The importance of understanding economic literacy, controlling lifestyle, and enhancing student entrepreneurial intentions should not be overlooked. This study aimed to determine the impact of understanding economic literacy and lifestyle on student entrepreneurial intentions. This research is included in a quantitative descriptive study using multiple regression analysis techniques. This study's population were all students of economic education at Lambung Mangkurat University, as many as 267 students. The sample size taken was 157 people by random sampling. The data collection technique used a questionnaire. This study's results indicate that students' economic literacy has a positive and significant impact on entrepreneurial intentions, lifestyle has a positive and significant impact on students' entrepreneurial intentions, and simultaneously economic literacy and lifestyle have a positive and significant impact on entrepreneurial intentions. The coefficient of determination of economic literacy and lifestyle on entrepreneurial intentions is 38%. From these results, it can be concluded that economic literacy and lifestyle positively and positively impact entrepreneurial intentions.
Factors Affecting Employee Engagement: A Case of ABC Company, Indonesia
Authors: Angelina Sylvia , Bernarto Innocentius , Meilani Yohana, F. Cahya Palupi
Published: August 2021

This study aims to examine factors affecting employee engagement at ABC company. This study was done in a quantitative manner. There were five variables used, including goal setting, job autonomy, strategic attention, role benefit, and employee engagement. The data was collected by using a questionnaire distributed to all 100 employees at ABC company (census). The questionnaire also covered the respondents’ profile including their gender, age, educational background, and length of work. The data was analyzed by using PLS-SEM in SmartPls program. The results conclude that goal setting, job autonomy, strategic attention, and role benefit were positively influenced employee engagement at  ABC company. The contribution of this study is to give input for managerial  ABC company and other oil companies in maintaining employee engagement.
Moderating Effect of Business Environment on the Relationship Between Foreign Direct Investment and Local Firm’s Performance
Authors: D. Wanjere M. , M. Kinoti , N. Irai X. , M. Ogutu
Published: August 2021

This paper focuses on investigating the moderating role of business environment on the relationship between FDI and the performance of manufacturing firms in Kenya. Little information is documented on the role of business environment on the relationship between FDI and the performance of firms. The study population comprised of 100 companies registered with KAM as at the time of data collection in 2019, with 10 percent or more foreign ownership. The research used a structured questionnaire to collect primary data. To analyze data, descriptive and inferential statistics was used. The results revealed that there was a statistically significant moderating effect on the relationship between FDI and firm performance. This implies that an incremental change in the interaction between FDI and business environment would generate growth in company’s performance. In Kenya and other SubSahara African countries, the government needs to come up with polices geared towards improving their business environment to spur the growth of the key sectors of the economy.
Quality Enhancement through Incorporating Studentcentered Learning Methods in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs)
Authors: Khabeishvili Guranda , Tvaltchrelidze Nino
Published: August 2021

One of the main tasks of higher education institutions is to attract their customers with its quality education. To improve education practices and to meet the challenges of an ever-changing environment, it is vital to introduce a paradigm shift in education. Hence, what we teach to our students is not enough, the way we teach them is what matters the most. There are several factors, which can serve as indicators of quality education. The demands, needs, expectations of the learners have changed. Accordingly, the primary goal of education is to provide the quality that ensures contemporary students not only with subject knowledge but also with the key skills needed for the 21st century world. Although the concept of student-centeredness is not new, challenges still exist concerning incorporating all characteristics and elements of the student-centered learning approach in Higher Education Institutions in Georgia. According to the previous studies, it is noticeable that the lack of resources and staff training are some of the hindering factors to create and maintain student-centeredness in HEIs (Tvalchrelidze & Alkesidze, 2019). The paper sheds light on the significance of making the classroom environment student-centered, as it can boost and maintain the quality of education for all students (Harris, Spina, Ehrich & Smeed, 2013; Vavrus, Thomas, Bartlett, 2011). The primary objective of this paper is to identify teachers’ perceptions of student-centered learning, along with the current instructional practices and challenges in the case of Higher Education Institutions in Georgia. Hence, it examines the level of integration of studentcentered strategies in the classrooms. For this reason, the quantitative paradigm was applied, as the methodology for the research. The research was carried out among lecturers from three different universities. The results depict that there is still a gap between the practical application of the student-centered learning methods and the perception of the concept, which can have an impact on ensuring quality education. Based on the gained data, it could be seen that less than 40% of lecturers from three different universities fully integrate student-centered learning methods. Furthermore, the research reveals some barriers that hinder the process of promoting the student-centered learning environment. Consequently, based on the findings the conclusions and recommendations were made. To deal with the hindering factors that were identified through this research, it is vital to modify and enhance institutionallevel approaches.