bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
ASSESSMENT OF THE ROLE OF ACCOUNTING INFORMATION ON EFFECTIVE INVESTMENT DECISION - THE CASE OF BANQUE POPULAIRE DU RWANDA ATLASMARA
Authors: Hodari James
Published: September 2021

The purpose of this study is to assess the role of accounting information on effective investment decisions at Banque Populaire du Rwanda Atlasmara. The target population was 50 staff members. The study used a primary method that involved questionnaires. Secondary methods of data collection involved a desk review of relevant materials. Data collection was then analyzed by using SPSS software. The study indicated a significant correlation between accounting information and investment decisions and all rely on information for an investment decision. It was seen from the analysis of responses, 83% argued always use accounting information for investment. It was revealed that the quality of accounting information in terms of its accuracy, adequacy, reliability, and mode of disclosure is a pertinent element of efficiency of investment decision making. The study recommends that commercial banks should use accounting always to increase the accuracy of their investment decision-making. The study recommends that Banque Populaire du Rwanda should consult the accounting information before making investment decisions and all interested parties to accounting information should use necessary financial ratios analysis for an investment decision. The study concludes that there is a significant correlation between accounting information and investment decision.

JEL: M10; M41; R42

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EFFECT OF PUBLIC PARTICIPATION STRATEGIES ON ACHIEVEMENT OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN BARINGO COUNTY, KENYA
Authors: Kibet Amos Kiptui , Tarus Benjamin , Wanza Sr. Lucy
Published: September 2021

The participation of members of the public in government development programmes is enshrined in the Kenyan constitutions. The participation is not just mere appearance in project deliberations meetings but to be involved in all aspects of the project from initiation to completion. Poor achievement of sustainable development agenda in the county of Baringo has resulted to increased poverty level, increased illiteracy level, increased health risks challenges, insecurity, household income per day being below 1 USD, devastating natural occurrences (flooding of Lakes Baringo and Bogoria, famine, hunger) and poor road network access continues to be experienced. The aim of this paper was to determine the effect of public participation strategies towards achievement of sustainable development in Baringo County. The study was conducted in the six sub counties of Baringo involving sampled residents and sub county administrators. The study was anchored on concurrent triangulation design that allowed collection of quantitative and qualitative data. Data was collected through use of questionnaire and interview guide. Analysis of data has been done using descriptive, inferential statistics and thematic content analysis. The research found out that there was minimal participation of Baringo residents in development initiatives. The county government of Baringo at times shared (M=2.61, SD=1.25) information on socio-economic projects being implemented in the county on occasional basis. Correlation statistics computed showed a weak positive relationship (r=0.288) between public participation practices and sustainable development in Baringo County, Kenya. The paper concludes that public participation practices strategies were not regularly used, and this contributed to slow achievement of sustainable developmental targets in the study area. The paper recommends that if the county of Baringo is to realise its county integrated development plans goals, public participation should be the key strategy towards achievement. This means that public participation should be at the core of any sustainable development initiative and hence Baringo county government needs to be keen on this practice.

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THE EFFECT OF WORK ETHICS ON JOB SATISFACTION AND EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE IN NIGERIA
Authors: Nurudeen Bello Ahmed , Aluku Abigael Joy , Rahman Oladimeji Mustafa
Published: September 2021

It has been shown that the bad degradation of ethical conduct in the organization, continuous investigation of the asymmetry between productivity and worker commitment about employment have been satisfied. Results shown in practice could not improve employee performance in different work ethics. The effect of work ethics on employee performance has been explained when employee satisfaction is perceived as a mediator variable. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of unethical behavior on employee commitment and productivity in Nigeria. For the study, a descriptive survey research method was used, with fifty valid questionnaires distributed to employees from five cluster government establishments in Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria. Secondary data and documentation were also reviewed and used in the study.

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MENTAL TOUGHNESS OF PON ATHLETES OF SPECIAL REGION OF YOGYAKARTA, INDONESIA
Authors: Ardiansyah Anas , Dimyati D.
Published: September 2021

This research aims to determine: (1) differences in mental toughness of the PON athletes of Special Region of Yogyakarta based on each branch of sport, (2) differences in mental toughness of the PON athletes of Special Region of Yogyakarta based on the category of individual and team sports. The type of this research was a descriptive comparative study. The research population was the PON athletes of Special Region of Yogyakarta who would compete in the National Sports Week competition in Papua totaling 135 athletes from 23 branches of sports. The sampling technique used purposive sampling. The criteria in determining this sample included: (1) PON athletes of Special Region of Yogyakarta who would take part in the National Sports Week competition in Papua, (2) were willing to be a sample, and (3) fully filled out the instrument provided by the researcher. Based on this criteria, there were 100 athletes from 14 branches of sports. The instrument used Mental Toughness Questionaire (MTQ). The MTQ validity index was at 0.310-0.560 with a reliability coefficient at 0.862. The data analysis technique used One Way Anova and Independent Sample Test. The results show that: (1) there is a significant difference in the mental toughness of the PON athletes of Special Region of Yogyakarta based on each branch of sport, with p > 0.005. The mental toughness of pencak silat and gliding athletes is better than athletes from other sports. (2) There is a significant difference in the mental toughness of the PON athletes of Special Region of Yogyakarta based on the category of individual and team sports, with p > 0.005. The mental toughness of the athletes in individual sports is better than those in team sports.

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HEALTH COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES EMPLOYED BY THE MEDIA DURING THE COVID-19 CRISIS: CASE OF ZIMBABWE BROADCASTING CORPORATION TELEVISION (ZBC –TV)
Authors: Muchetwa Kimberley Sarah , Maruta Ephraim , Jaka Hilda , Ruvado Joyman , Chazireni Evans
Published: September 2021

The paper reports findings from a study that explored health communication strategies employed by the media on the state of preparedness by the Zimbabwean government during the COVID 19 crisis by the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation Television (ZBC-TV). The study adopted secondary data analysis. Data were collected using secondary sources. The study was influenced by the framing theory. The study found out that ZBC-TV used songs, road shows, commercial ads, dramas, musical shows on reporting the pandemic. The archival documents also revealed that ZBC-TV have used periodical updates as health communication strategies to educate the public about COVID 19. ZBC-TV also used Facebook showing staff from the Office of the President and Cabinet receiving the Covid 19 vaccine at the same time applauding positive response from Harare Metropolitan Province as front line workers surpassed the target under the first phase of Covid-19 vaccine roll out plan. The study concluded that the health communication strategies employed by ZBC-TV have been effective in increasing the societal awareness about health issues. ZBC-TV managed to reach out to the masses using both the television and by making use of the new media communication technologies. However, press censorship has been a challenge in publishing information concerning COVID 19 as the media house is not allowed to publish anything that tarnishes the image of the government. It is based on such evidence that the study concludes that ZBC-TV at some point distorted information to paint the picture that the government is doing all it can to contain the spread of COVID 19 and ensuring the safety of the public. The study recommends that the ministry should ensure freedom of information publicity, in which media houses, including ZBC-TV is not controlled by any political party of government. The government should also privatise ZBC-TV so that it will be answerable to the public and not few government officials.

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A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE CUSTOMER ORIENTATION ATTITUDE OF SELECTED PRIVATE AND PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES IN GHANA
Authors: Osei-Boakye Dominic , Boakye Isaac
Published: September 2021

The overall objective of the study was to compare the customer orientation attitude of selected private and public Universities in Ghana. Besides, the study also examined the probability of private or public Universities being more customer oriented than the other. The study employed the use of the descriptive design. Data was collected from three private and public Universities in Ghana. The study used standardized questionnaires as the main source of data collection instrument. In terms of the analysis of data, the study employed the use of the statistical package for social sciences version 21. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used. The findings revealed that that there is a statistically significant difference in the customer orientation behaviour (t (420)= -1.049, p>.05) of private universities (M= 6.78, SD= 0.002) and public universities ((M= 7.02, SD= 0.82). Again, the predicted odds that a student from a public university is Exp(B) =0.303, however since the coefficient is (-1.192), that is negative, thus, a student from a public university is 30% less than likely to perceive themselves as customers compared with a student from a private university. Recommendations as well as areas for further study have been presented.

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estrutura literária da Carta aos Gálatas à luz da Análise Retórica Bíblica Semítica
Authors: Gonzaga Waldecir
Published: September 2021

A Carta aos Gálatas, pelo seu conteúdo, tem sido intitulada por vários autores como a Magna Charta Libertatis Christianae. Sempre foi objeto de muitos comentários. Trata-se de uma das cartas paulinas mais bem aceitas pelas diversas tradições cristãs. Inclusive, foi tomada como “modelo” para as demais cartas (Marcião) e chamada de “muito amada” (Lutero). Trata-se de uma carta aceita como autenticamente paulina por católicos, ortodoxos e protestantes, sobrevivendo, inclusive, às críticas da escola de Tubinga. O presente artigo objetiva delimitar a estrutura da Carta aos Gálatas, à luz da Análise Retórica Bíblica Semítica. Esta não é uma tarefa tão fácil. Pelo contrário, trata-se de uma tarefa desafiadora e bastante árdua. Já feita por muitos, e cada um com conclusões diferentes, a nossa, com certeza, não tem a pretensão de esgotar a temática, mas, sim, de oferecer uma colaboração no campo das estruturas dos textos bíblicos, escritos sem indicação de capítulos e versículos. Trata-se de estabelecer onde começa e onde termina cada perícope dentro de cada sequência e do inteiro livro. Para tanto, seguiremos as regras do Método da Análise Retórica Bíblica Semítica, identificando os níveis e figuras de composição de nossa carta.
The importance of coconut seedling production in Guyana
Authors: Kundun Jhaman , Thom Mitchroy , Roberts Cyril
Published: September 2021

The demand for coconut water and coconut oil is increasing thus there is interest in expanding coconut cultivation. Coconut is primarily planted on approximately 28,500 acres by more than 1,400 farmers along the Guyana coastline with the Atlantic Ocean and in the Pomeroon Riverain area. Tall types (e.g. Jamaica Tall) are planted for oil while Dwarf types (e.g. Malaysian Dwarf Green, Suriname Brown) are planted primarily for water. At least 50% of the Tall type population is more than 50 years old and needs to be replanted to increase productivity. Farmers traditionally collect seedlings growing from dropped nuts at the base of trees without attention to prolificacy. Since a coconut tree productive life is more than 50 years, the economic impact of this practice can be significant. Via training programs, CARDI is encouraging the structured production of coconut seedlings to increase yields. This project aims to enhance the supply of quality seedlings using local seed nuts. Mother palms that display prolific bearing habits, resistance to pest and diseases plus vigorous growth habit were geotagged and recorded in a database. Seed nuts were purchased from farmers who own these trees and subsequently distributed (in batches of 400) to ten selected (age, gender, location) lead farmers to establish coconut seedling nurseries. Each lead farmer was assisted by 10 second ring farmers in the establishment of their nurseries under CARDI supervision. Results to date show that weed control and irrigation were important nursery activities. Some nurseries needed to be fenced to counter damage by animals (cows, sheep, goats). Average germination of seed nuts was approximately 50%. Available seedlings are being distributed to second ring farmers and lead farmers. CARDI will continue the national survey to identify outstanding mother palms. Measures to increase average germination must also be implemented. Local coconut seedling nurseries should therefore be encouraged as their “success” will alleviate the pressure to import seed nuts thus avoiding the attendant risk of introducing exotic diseases (e.g. lethal yellowing disease) into Guyana. Further, given that a coconut palm will live 50 to 70 years, the importance of carefully selecting premium quality coconut seedlings as a bedrock to develop and grow the industry cannot be over emphasized.
Análisis del nivel de acatamiento de las corresponsabilidades exigidas por el Programa de Protección Social Tekoporã, Distrito de Repatriación año 2018
Authors: Grance Díaz Eliana Margarita , Villamayor Lucía Esther
Published: September 2021

Los programas de Transferencia Monetaria con Corresponsabilidad (TMC) tienen como propósito aliviar los efectos de la pobreza, por medio de un subsidio directo, con el cumplimiento de corresponsabilidades. En ese sentido, se identificó el nivel de acatamiento de las corresponsabilidades exigidas por el programa de protección social Tekoporã a las familias participantes. La metodología implementada fue la investigación evaluativa, como método vinculado con el paradigma pragmático o mixto. El diseño de esta investigación ha sido no experimental y el alcance fue descriptivo. Con este trabajo se constató que el aporte recibido se invierte en salud, alimentación y vestimenta, y que el beneficio más importante se traduce en la educación de los niños y adolescentes y en la mejora de la calidad de vida. El cumplimiento de las corresponsabilidades depende de la oferta de servicios públicos, la distancia entre los emplazamientos de los servicios y de cada uno de los contextos de las localidades estudiadas.
La revolución tecnológica y los desafíos para los trabajadores
Authors: Estigarribia Ángel
Published: September 2021

En el Paraguay, donde la mano de obra ocupada está mayoritariamente en la agricultura y los servicios, en pocos años pueden desaparecer más de la mitad de los empleos actuales. La irrupción de la revolución tecnológica está produciendo grandes cambios en todos los sectores y en estos dos citados en particular, a escala internacional. La perspectiva de la organización productiva actual es que puede prescindir de la mano de obra de manera acelerada, sobre todo de la poco calificada. La nueva situación emergente implica desafíos para las organizaciones campesinas y sindicatos de trabajadores, para los gobiernos y sus programas educativos, agrarios y para la planificación estratégica de la economía nacional. Los científicos sociales tienen ante sí la necesidad urgente de estudiar este proceso y de realizar pronósticos, prever consecuencias y orientar con recomendaciones.
Formación para el rendimiento (capital humano) y educación como herejía: Ciencias Sociales y biopolítica
Authors: Caballero Merlo Javier Numan
Published: September 2021

El problema analizado emerge como contracara de los diversos y complejos procesos sociales virulentos, disparados a partir de la actual pandemia como dato consumado. Instalándose políticas, discursos y prácticas en las que la ciudadanía solo se dejó llevar como por el cauce de un raudal, contestando a la impostura únicamente por reflejo a la misma. Establecido el precedente, se abre la puerta a la invocación recurrente a la pandemia, y al mismo tiempo, paranoicamente a otro virus futuro probable, de manera cíclica, como recordatorio y justificación (legitimidad) para conducir conductas (gobierno) utilizando un tema muy específico de salud; sin embargo, esparciéndose y afectando a todos los ámbitos de la sociedad. Como objetivos se hacen explícitos los efectos de saber-poder, causas y consecuencias de la aplicación de ciertos dispositivos que invaden y normalizan simultáneamente a la sociedad en su conjunto y a cada individuo. Así como, ante el miedo normal de la mayoría de la ciudadanía frente a la posibilidad de muerte, aunque esta sea limitada objetivamente como se verá, se avanza con desproporcionalidad en la invasión de la vida social tanto particular como colectiva, en una extensión de acciones de gobierno más allá de lo estrictamente sanitario. Se han considerado indicadores educativos intervinientes en el ejercicio de la ciudadanía y su empoderamiento cívico como clave de protección y garantía de los derechos fundamentales.
Deep Neural Network Concepts for Classification using Convolutional Neural Network: A Systematic Review and Evaluation
Authors: Galety Mohammad , Al Mukthar Firas Hussam , Maaroof Rebaz Jamal , Rofoo Fanar
Published: September 2021

In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) has piqued the curiosity of researchers. Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) is a deep learning (DL) approach commonly utilized to solve problems. In standard machine learning tasks, biologically inspired computational models surpass prior types of artificial intelligence by a considerable margin. The Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) is one of the most stunning types of ANN architecture. The goal of this research is to provide information and expertise on many areas of CNN. Understanding the concepts, benefits, and limitations of CNN is critical for maximizing its potential to improve image categorization performance.  This article has integrated the usage of a mathematical object called covering arrays to construct the set of ideal parameters for neural network design due to the complexity of the tuning process for the correct selection of the parameters used for this form of neural network.
VALIDACIÓN DE INSTRUMENTOS PARA EL ABORDAJE SOBRE ADHERENCIA TERAPÉUTICA EN ADOLESCENTES DEPENDIENTE A LOS OPIÁCEOS
Authors: Morán Mora Marcos , Yaguache Guamán Katherine , Yaguache Guamán Katherine , Lecaro Ramírez María , Romero Holguer
Published: September 2021

Introducción: En los últimos años, el aumento de consumo de heroína “droga H” en los adolescentes ha sido una evidencia de interés mundial por todos losorganismos que están vinculadas con la salud pública y la prosperidad social. En el Ecuador el consumo de heroína, “droga H”, evidencia un comportamientodiferenciado respecto a otras sustancias, por la prevalencia en la utilización y en el grupo etario. Objetivo: Validar los instrumentos para el abordaje de la adherencia terapéutica en adolescentes dependiente a los opiáceos “droga H”. Metodología: Esta investigación es de campo, de corte transversal, tipo analíticoevaluativo, exploratoria y correlacional. La validación de los instrumentos se realizó mediante juicio de expertos, en la cual se utilizó una prueba piloto. Para el primer instrumento participaron 15 adolescentes de 10 a 19 años de edad y 15 familias y/o representantes, seleccionados de forma no aleatoria no probabilística, y para el segundo instrumento se utilizó a 1 adolescente y a una familia de 1 integrante. Resultados: En la calificación del primer instrumento de jueces expertos se obtiene una puntuación de confiabilidad de 96,01 para los adolescentes y 97,31 para las familias. En la cualitativa una calificación de 97,42 para los adolescentes y 98,06 para las familias. La percepción de los usuarios es que no es muy buena la atención y el buen trato que reciben en el establecimiento de salud. Conclusiones: Los instrumentos son aptos para aplicar a los adolescentes y a las familias participantes.
PREVALÊNCIA DE HELICOBACTER PYLORI EM PACIENTES DIAGNOSTICADOS COM ÚLCERA PÉPTICA
Authors: Faciulli Camila Chrystine Andrade , Banhos Isadora Oliveira , Castilho Milena Tadeia Tucci , Codignole Isabela Fonseca , Leite Eliza Freitas , Silva Roberta Bessa Veloso , Santos Gérsika Bitencourt
Published: September 2021

A úlcera péptica é uma causa importante de morte por doenças gástricas e, por isso, seu estudo se faz essencial. Como a bactéria Helicobacter pylori é uma das principais etiologias dessa patologia, esse trabalho se destina a verificar a prevalência dessa bactéria em pacientes diagnosticados com úlcera péptica em um Hospital Universitário no Sul de Minas Gerais de forma a contribuir com o direcionamento de políticas públicas que visem um melhor funcionamento do sistema de saúde no que diz respeito à prevenção da doença ulcerosa. Os resultados desse estudo mostram presença da bactéria em 25% dos pacientes analisados, com maior acometimento de idosos e maior número de pacientes homens infectados. O presente estudo conclui que a prevalência de Helicobacter pylori tem reduzido à medida que as condições básicas de saúde vêm melhorando no país.
PAPEL DA MADEIRA NO ENVELHECIMENTO DA CACHAÇA
Authors: Biagioni Maia Amazile
Published: September 2021

O  armazenamento prolongado em barris de madeira (envelhecimento) é uma etapa integrante da produção de inúmeras bebidas destiladas, e afeta acentuadamente suas características sensoriais. Entre outras alterações moleculares sabe-se que, nessa etapa, as bebidas absorvem compostos fenólicos, especialmente monômeros e dímeros bioativos presentes na fração referida como extrativos da madeira.  Esses fenólicos ocorrem em estruturas e proporções variáveis em cada tipo de madeira e tanto podem incorporar valor nutricional (especialmente pela função antioxidante) como efeitos potencialmente tóxicos à saúde. No Brasil, o envelhecimento da cachaça é opcional mas amplamente efetuado, sendo empregados inúmeros tipos diferentes de madeiras. Nesse artigo, reúnem-se dados selecionados da literatura recente, que apontam a necessidade de um aprofundamento específico, tanto no âmbito das pesquisas como da legislação vigente, viabilizando a inserção de critérios químicos apropriados para caracterização e certificação do envelhecimento das cachaças brasileiras.
The Impact of Government Efficiency, Corruption, and Inflation on Public Debt: Empirical Evidence from Advanced and Emerging Economies
Authors: Soh Wei Ni , Muhamad Haslinah , San Ong Tze
Published: September 2021

This research investigates the empirical relationship of government efficiency, corruption, and inflation regarding public debt between advanced and emerging economies. Random effects estimation is used to analyse a sample of 40 countries. The analysis results show that corruption and inflation in advanced economies have a significant and positive effect on public debt. Corruption affects public debt to increase, but on the flip side, inflation affects public debt to decrease. In emerging economies, the results show a positive impact of government efficiency on public debt. Hence, government efficiency will be considered an obstacle when a policy initiated to reduce public debt. Meanwhile, policymakers should take note countries’ corruption and inflation rates when formulating policies to reduce public debt in advanced economies.
Online Learning during COVID-19 Pandemic. Are Malaysian High School Students Ready?
Authors: Annamalai Nagaletchimee
Published: September 2021

The online learning environment is an integral part of activities conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic in schools. This study explored the Malaysian high school students’ online learning perspectives using a mixed-methods study. The quantitative findings reported that students are not ready to go online. The qualitative analysis revealed several emerging themes related to students’ dissatisfaction with the online learning environment. The issues are related to repository-based teaching, cognitive overload, social presence, technology comfort, and discipline. Students suggested that teachers should implement the use of standardised applications, fixed schedules, and interactive sessions. The study concluded that interactions are lacking during the online learning environment. However, the researcher hopes that once teachers are back from the COVID-19 pandemic, they will have a comprehensive understanding of technology tools to consider in their pedagogical practices. It is hoped that the post-pandemic will change the way schools and teachers perceive online learning. The sudden teaching practices during the COVID-19 pandemic will undoubtedly drive improvements in the use of technology in schools.
Legal Literacy for Muslim Converts in Malaysia
Authors: Samuri Mohd Al Adib , Nabees Khan Azlan Shah
Published: September 2021

Many Muslim converts in Malaysia are not well-informed of their rights and the legal implications of conversion to Islam. Implementing legal pluralism, particularly the different sets of personal laws that apply to Muslims and non-Muslims, sends the converts, their non-Muslim families, and the religious authorities into bitter legal battles whenever an individual converts to Islam. Furthermore, as religious institutions currently offer no legal literacy program, some Muslim converts are unclear regarding the course of action they should take whenever legal issues are involved, especially from the aspects of identity change; civil marriage dissolution; matrimonial properties distribution; child custody and guardianship; determination of child’s and the deceased’s religion; and inheritance and derivative pension distribution. Therefore, this research explores Muslim converts’ perspectives on the need for and development of legal literacy regarding rights and legal implications of conversion to Islam. This study employed in-depth semi-structured interviews with 9 participants who were all Muslim converts. Each interview was transcribed verbatim, and the data were analysed with NVIVO software based on a thematic approach. The research found that all participants unanimously agreed to empower Muslim converts with legal literacy, considering many are not well-informed of the legal implications of conversion to Islam, despite it directly affecting their personal lives, family dynamic, and the multicultural society in Malaysia.
Socioeconomic Status and Mental Health among Low-income Employees: A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Kamalulil Errna Nadhirah , Panatik Siti Aisyah
Published: September 2021

Low-income employees are among the focus individuals whose socioeconomic status plays a major role in determining positive or negative mental health status. Mental health among low-income employees is a global issue that requires a comprehensive understanding of its determinant. The objective of this study is to systematically review scientific evidence on the impact of socioeconomic status on mental health among low-income employees. This systematic review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines, and data retrieval was done on 7th October 2020 using Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar. Based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria of this study, a total of 19 studies were included. Results indicate that the majority of the included studies revealed that socioeconomic status influences mental health, while two studies showed no influence. In conclusion, the findings from the review can provide guidelines to promote better mental health among low-income employees.
Mapping the Use of Boosters in Academic Writing by Malaysian First-Year Doctoral Students
Authors: Lo Yueh Yea , Othman Juliana , Lim Jia Wei
Published: September 2021

This article details an attempt to understand better how first-year doctoral students construct persuasive arguments in academic writing by exploring the patterns of boosters in drafts of doctoral research proposals. Eight Malaysian first-year ESL doctoral students produced 43 drafts of doctoral research proposals across four areas of study in education during their first year of doctoral studies. These drafts were analysed by coding the various linguistic items used to persuade readers of a text, and the analysis was based on Hyland’s (2005) model of metadiscourse. Results show that the (i) overall frequency of booster markers used is relatively low (n=158), reinforcing the argument that first-year doctoral students lack understanding about the interaction between booster markers and the context in a more complicated discussion in academic writing such as the doctoral research proposal. Then, the (ii) further analysis of booster marker sub-categories indicates that Malaysian first-year doctoral students struggle to make appropriate booster markers with different meanings and strengths in academic writing when used in context. Therefore, our study suggests that direct and explicit teaching of using various booster markers categories should be implemented in postgraduate writing courses to heightened the students’ perceptiveness regarding semantic features associated with creating convincing arguments in academic writing.
Using Online Platforms for Political Communication in Bahrain Election Campaigns
Authors: Elareshi Mokhtar , Habes Mohammed , Ali Sana , Ziani Abdulkrim
Published: September 2021

The rise of SNS facilitated politicians with new opportunities to communicate directly with voters. Especially during election campaigns. Twitter provides female politicians with a space to exercise their political tasks beyond traditional media, especially in some Arab countries. Based on the framing theory, this study aims to identify how the female politicians in Bahrain utilised Twitter to present themselves for Parliamentary election campaigns in 2018. The researchers scrutinised the phenomenon using a thematic analysis of n = 263 tweets posted by two Bahraini female candidates. Results revealed that although politicians largely preferred Twitter in election campaigns to reinforce support and mobilisation for political engagement, two selected candidates lacked interaction with their supporters. Thus, the researchers concluded that the Bahraini female politicians have a long way to represent themselves in digital media politics as men widely benefit from personalisation more than females.
THE PROBLEM OF LEGAL BEHAVIOR MOTIVATION
Authors: Галиев Ф.Х.
Published: September 2021

Во все времена в обществе преобладало то количество людей, поведение которых не вызывало противоречий с действующим законодательством. Эта ситуация говорит о наличии в обществе своеобразного механизма обеспечения и поддержки правомерных моделей поведения и необходимости исследования особенностей мотивации правомерного поведения.

At all times, in a society dominated by the number of people whose behavior did not cause conflicts with current legislaments. This situation indicates the presence in society of a kind of mechanism for ensuring and supporting legitimate models of behavior and the need to study the features of the motivation of legitimate behavior.
EVENTOS CLIMÁTICOS EXTREMOS E SUA INFLUÊNCIA SOBRE OS MEIOS DE VIDA DA COMUNIDADE INDÍGENA Y´APY SANTA ISABEL DO PARAGUAI
Authors: Caballero Norma Beatriz , Barrios Luis Emilio
Published: September 2021

A comunidade Y´Apy Santa Isabel é uma comunidade indígena localizada no Departamento de San Pedro, Paraguai. Seus meios de subsistência dependem do que a natureza lhes fornece, o que os torna particularmente vulneráveis aos efeitos das mudanças climáticas e suscetíveis a eventos climáticos extremos que afetam suas atividades diárias. Eles têm uma percepção clara de que há mudanças no clima de acordo com as evidências registradas nos dados da Estação Meteorológica de San Estanislao (EMSE) que indicam que eventos extremos de precipitação, ondas de calor e frio estão aumentando na região. A análise estatística dos dados meteorológicos do EMSE foi conduzida e entrevistas foram conduzidas com as principais partes interessadas da comunidade para coletar dados sobre os meios de subsistência e capitais da comunidade. Nos últimos 10 anos, ocorreram 41 eventos extremos de precipitação, 22 eventos de ondas de frio e 13 eventos de ondas de calor que afetaram principalmente o capital físico e humano.
Factors Influencing the Fish Consumption Preferences: Understandings from the tribes of Wayanad, Kerala
Authors: Sajeev M. V. , Radhakrishnan Aparna , Mohanty A. K. , Joshy C. G. , Akber Ali V. P. , Gopika R. , Mathew Suseela , Ravishankar C. N.
Published: September 2021

Fish consumption preferences vary with communities. The study aims to study the socio personal and fish consumption profile of the seven major tribes of Wayanad, Kerala. Species preferences, factors affecting the fish purchase and consumption, health profile and symptoms of tribes in relation with iron deficiency anaemia, association between fish consumption and health of tribes were investigated. Data were gathered through a questionnaire completed by 200 tribal households from different socioeconomic backgrounds. Results indicate that Sardine was the most consumed and preferred fish and percapita fish consumption of tribes was far below the state average. In conclusion, the price of fish ranked as the first and foremost important factor affecting the fish purchase and consumption of the tribes surveyed, and the fish consumption variables were highly associated with health values. Increasing awareness about the health benefits of fish consumption and building capacity of tribes to prepare fish-based products based on their taste and preferences can aid improved fish consumption among Wayanad tribes. Therefore, to establish and adopt fish consumption guidelines for the tribes of Wayanad, the factors mentioned in the study need to be integrated into the projects and policies.
Realizzazione in urgenza di un P.O. Covid Hospital da un P.O. di Riabilitazione
Authors: De Paola Vincenzo
Published: September 2021

La pandemia da Covid-19 ha assunto in brevissimo tempo le caratteristiche di un problema pericoloso, ignoto e mal definibile, a rapidissima insorgenza, sottoponendo il sistema sanitario, non solo italiano, a forte stress e facendo emergere l’inadeguatezza dell’infrastruttura sanitaria, aprendo filoni di ricerca inesplorati nel campo della progettazione ospedaliera e, soprattutto, richiedendo risposte tempestive ed il più possibile efficaci nel trovare soluzioni ad un’emergenza mai affrontata prima. L’incremento dei casi di infezione da Covid 19 e la rapida occupazione dei posti letto nei reparti Covid ha portato l’Unità di Crisi Regionale ad introdurre numerose misure per fronteggiare l’emergenza epidemiologica, provvedendo a definire un potenziamento dell’offerta di posti letto della rete Covid pubblica e privata. Premesso che con nota n. 2720 del 24.09.2020 l’Unità di Crisi Regionale aveva disposto il passaggio al livello operativo della fase C come da Delibera Regionale n. 378 del 23.07.2020 e con nota n. 2725 del 30.09.2020 dell’Unità di Crisi, avente ad oggetto “misure di contenimento del contagio da Coronavirus-19 fase C: ulteriori disposizioni“ è fatto obbligo ai Direttori Generali di trasmettere un piano operativo contenente le misure riguardanti il potenziamento della rete ospedaliera Covid-19; facendo seguito alle suddette note e alla circolare emanata dal ministero della Salute: “Ogni Regione deve identificare prioritariamente una o più strutture/stabilimenti da dedicare alla gestione esclusiva del paziente affetto da Covid‐19 (Covid Hospital) in relazione alle dinamiche epidemiologiche” l’AOU “San Giovanni di Dio e Ruggi d’Aragona” di Salerno ha messo immediatamente in atto le procedure per la rapida attivazione del Plesso “Da Procida” come Covid Hospital.
COVID-19 and Pulmonary Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Coinfection
Authors: Al Lawati Redha , Al Busaidi Nasser , Al Umairi Rashid , Al Busaidy Merah , Al Naabi Hanan Hamed , Khamis Faryal
Published: September 2021

The Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) outbreak was classified as a global pandemic by the World Health Organization on 11 March 2020. It is caused by the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. The virus affects mainly the human respiratory system. Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB) is another respiratory infection known to affect humans and may share joint clinical presentations and risk factors with COVID-19 infection. Therefore, clinicians must have a high index of suspicion that the two infections might coexist so that there is no delay in diagnosis and starting the appropriate treatment. There are few case reports about TB and COVID-19 coinfection. The first case report ever was from China and there have been a few others around the world. Here, we report two cases of coexisting COVID-19 and newly diagnosed pulmonary TB infection in Oman.
Encountering American higher education: First-year academic transition of international undergraduate students in the United States
Authors: Krsmanovic Masha
Published: September 2021

This study explored how international undergraduate students perceive their academic transition into American higher education. Schlossberg’s (1984) 4S Transition Theory served as the framework for exploring what academic challenges, if any, international students experience during their first year of undergraduate studies in a new cultural and educational setting. The findings revealed that students’ academic transition into the U.S. higher education was characterized by difficulties in understanding the academic system of their new environment; overcoming educational, instructional and pedagogical differences; building social relationships with domestic students; and receiving the support necessary from the appropriate institutional services.
National culture dimensions as predictors of innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship
Authors: Jourdan Louis , Smith Michael
Published: September 2021

The purposes of this study were twofold. The first was to encourage other investigators to examine more closely three indices related to economic growth, specifically innovation, entrepreneurship, and creativity. The second was to encourage further investigation of Hofstede’s national culture as explanatory variables. This investigation addressed this research gap by examining the relationships among indices of nations’ creativity, entrepreneurship, and innovation, and their relationships with Hofstede’s (2015) national culture dimensions. No previous research was identified which examined countries’ creativity, entrepreneurship, and innovation in the same study. The relationships among four measures associated with economic development—the Global Innovation Index (GII), the Global Entrepreneurship Index (GEI), the Global Creativity Index (GCI), and Bloomberg 50 most innovative countries (B50) were studied. Two rarely investigated indices (B50 and GCI) were included in this research. Results indicated that all four indices were highly correlated. The factor structure of Hofstede’s six cultural dimensions was reduced to three major factors: heteronomy-autonomy, gratification, and competition-altruism. Using multiple regression analysis, heteronomy-autonomy and gratification predicted GII. Gratification predicted the remaining three criteria. This study addressed this research gap of criterion development by examining the relationships among these variables, their relationships with national culture, and their predictability from different national culture dimensions. Practical implications of these findings for decision-makers and policymakers who want to increase their country’s economic growth through the support of creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship were discussed.
The perceived impact of COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare cost in Bangladesh
Authors: Islam Hasibul , Johora Fatema , Abbasy Asma , Rana Masud , Antoine Niyungeko
Published: September 2021

The study showed the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare expenses including the price of medicines, protective equipment, medical devices, healthcare facilities, and food. A self-administered questionnaire was used as the data collection tool and 400 people from different Bangladesh divisions (Dhaka, Chittagong, Barisal, Khulna, Mymensingh, Rajshahi, and Sylhet) participated in this study. Multiple regression analysis was used to estimate the impact of independent variables on dependent variables. R programming environment was used to perform the statistical analysis. Cronbach’s alpha was used for determination of reliability and found acceptable internal consistency. The price of protective equipment (POPE), the price of a healthcare facilities (POHCF), the consequences of rising prices (CRP), and COVID-19 were independent variables. COVID-19 (CRP) was a dependent variable that measured COVID-19’s impact (IC). The results of the regression analysis indicated a positive and significant impact of POPE, POHCF, and CRP on IC. However, the variance explained was still low (54.4%). Bangladesh should control the prices of all goods and services because of their influence on the impact of COVID-19. Future research should be conducted to discover other variables that affect the impact of COVID-19.
SmartBark: An Automated Dog Barking Detection and Monitoring System using AI and Deep Learning
Authors: Liu Xiangjian , Zou Yishan , Sun Yu
Published: September 2021

Dogs have the tendency to bark at loud noises that they perceive as an intruder or a threat, and the hostile barking can often last up to hours depending on the duration of such noise. These barking sessions are unnecessary and negatively impact the quality of life of the others in your community, causing annoyance to your neighbors [1]. Having the rights to file noise complaints to the Home Owners Association, potentially resulting in fines or even the removal of the pet [2]. In this paper, we will discuss the development of an algorithm that takes in audio inputs through a microphone, then processes the audio and identifies that the audio clip is dog barks through machine learning, and ultimately sends the notification to the user. By implementing our application to the everyday life of dog owners, it allows them to accurately determine the status of their dog in real-time with minimal false reports.
Baby Cry Classifications using Deep Learning
Authors: Grayson Shane , Zhu Wilson
Published: September 2021

New parents are frequently awakened by the cries of their newborn babies. Attempts to stop these cries sometimes result in increasingly louder cries. By first transforming these cries into waveforms, and then into sound spectrograms, the efficiencies and accuracies of different computer learning modules were tested: a support vector machine, a 2-layer neural network, and a long short-term memory model. Finally, an automatic sorter that categorizes each cry was developed. Using this method, it is possible to eliminate error and time wastage when trying to calm a baby. The results of testing the programs demonstrate a high accuracy rate for determining the source of a baby’s cries. This program will enable parents to calm their crying babies in a shorter amount of time, giving them more peace of mind, and perhaps allowing them to get more sleep.
High-Frequency Cryptocurrency Trading Strategy using Tweet Sentiment Analysis
Authors: Chen Zhijun
Published: September 2021

Sentiments are extracted from tweets with the hashtag of cryptocurrencies to predict the price and sentiment prediction model generates the parameters for optimization procedure to make decision and re-allocate the portfolio in the further step. Moreover, after the process of prediction, the evaluation, which is conducted with RMSE, MAE and R2, select the KNN and CART model for the prediction of Bitcoin and Ethereum respectively. During the process of portfolio optimization, this project is trying to use predictive prescription to robust the uncertainty and meanwhile take full advantages of auxiliary data such as sentiments. For the outcome of optimization, the portfolio allocation and returns fluctuate acutely as the illustration of figure.
Subtractive Mountain Clustering Algorithm Applied to a Chatbot to Assist Elderly People in Medication Intake
Authors: Claro Neuza , A. Salgado Paulo , Perdicoulis T-P Azevedo
Published: September 2021

Errors in medication intake among elderly people are very common. One of the main causes for this is their loss of ability to retain information. The high amount of medicine intake required by the advanced age is another limiting factor. Thence, the design of an interactive aid system, preferably using natural language, to help the older population with medication is in demand. A chatbot based on a subtractive cluster algorithm, included in unsupervised learned models, is the chosen solution since the processing of natural languages is a necessary step in view to construct a chatbot able to answer questions that older people may pose upon themselves concerning a particular drug. In this work, the subtractive mountain clustering algorithm has been adapted to the problem of natural languages processing. This algorithm version allows for the association of a set of words into clusters. After finding the centre of every cluster — the most relevant word, all the others are aggregated according to a defined metric adapted to the language processing realm. All the relevant stored information is processed, as well as the questions, by the algorithm. The correct processing of the text enables the chatbot to produce answers that relate to the posed queries. To validate the method, we use the package insert of a drug as the available information and formulate associated questions.
Tipping the Scales: A Corpus-Based Reconstruction of Adjective Scales in the McGill Pain Questionnaire
Authors: Stern Miriam
Published: September 2021

Modern medical diagnosis relies on precise pain assessment tools in translating clinical information from patient to physician. The McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ) is a clinical pain assessment technique that utilizes 78 adjectives of different intensities in 20 categories to quantify a patient’s pain. The questionnaire’s efficacy depends on a predictable pattern of adjective use by patients experiencing pain. In this study, I recreate the MPQ’s adjective intensity orderings using data gathered from patient forums and modern NLP techniques. I extract adjective intensity relationships by searching for key linguistic contexts, and then combine the relationship information to form robust adjective scales. Of 17 adjective relationships predicted by this research, 10 show agreement with the MPQ, which is statistically significant at the .5 alpha level. The results suggest predictable patterns of adjective use by people experiencing pain, but call into question the MPQ’s categories for grouping adjectives.