bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clinico-epidemiological study of Lichen Planus and its association with Hepatitis C
Authors: Shrestha Rima , Shrestha Samir
Published: March 2023

Introduction: The relationship between lichen planus and hepatitis C virus (HCV) remains controversial. The aim of this study is to find out the incidence of lichen planus in different age and sex groups, occupation, seasonal variation and familial association. And to correlate any association between lichen planus and hepatitis C virus.

Methods: This case control study was conducted at National Academy of Medical Sciences, Bir hospital and Shree Birendra army hospital from July 2006 to Oct 2007. The study included 100 patients with typical feature of lichen planus of skin and mucous membrane.

Results: Out of hundred patients with lichen planus 51% were male and 49% were female, Koebner phenomenon was found in 69%. LP was more commonly found in the extremeties 81.9% in leg, 86.7% in forearms, 51.8% in thigh; followed by dorsa of hands 36.7%, arm 25%, and dorsa of feet 18.1%, Face & scalp were less involved with 15% & 4% only. Most of the LP were encountered during months may to august. Oral lichen planus (OLP) was seen in 7 cases. None of the patient with LP had concomittant HCV infection association.

Conclusion:Lichen planus is one of the common skin disorder encountered in the dermatological practice without association with hepatitis C virus infection in this part of the world.
Efficacy of rubber band ligation in third degree hemorrhoid
Authors: Shrestha S , Shah S , Shrestha J , Shah JN
Published: March 2023

Introduction: Rubber band ligation (RBL) is an effective treatment in symptomatic 1st and 2nd degree hemorrhoids. The aim of this study was to assess the outcome, effectiveness and complications RBL as out patient procedure for symptomatic 3rd degree hemorrhoids.

Method: Seventy one patients with symptomatic third degree hemorrhoids underwent rubber band ligation in the department of surgery at National Academy of Medical Sciences, Patan hospital and Shree Birendra Army hospital. Nine defaulters were excluded from the study and data on 62 patients were analysed. Outcome measures were symptomatic cure i.e. stoppage of bleeding and reduced mucosal prolapse. Complications were categorized as immediate (within 1 hour), early (within one week) and late (within 6 weeks).

Result: There was symptomatic improvement (stoppage of bleeding and reduced mucosal prolapse) in 47 (75.8%) patients. Four patients required repeat banding. In 15 (24.2%) patients hemorrhoidectomy was performed due to failure of RBL. Pain and bleeding was common immediate and intermediate complication respectively.

Conclusion: Rubber band ligation is an effective, outdoor procedure for symptomatic 3rd degree hemorrhoids with acceptable morbidity.
Spigelian hernia
Authors: Rajbhandari A , Shrestha ML
Published: March 2023

Spigelian hernia is a rare ventral hernia which occurs due to defect / weakness in the spigelian fascia. They are difficult to diagnose and have vague symptoms. We report a 62 year male who presented with a left lower abdominal lump after a fall. A diagnosis of left spigelian hernia was made after clinical examination and confirmed by ultrasound. He underwent mesh repair and had an uneventful post operative period.
Factors associated with adolescent pregnancy in selected rural municipalities of Lalitpur District: A mixed method study
Authors: Bhatta Kusumsheela , Bhandary Shital
Published: March 2023

In

Introduction: Adolescent pregnancy increases the vulnerability to life threatening consequences in terms of developmental, sexual and reproductive health. This study aimed to find factors associated with adolescent pregnancy in selected rural municipalities of Lalitpur district using mixed methods approach.

 

Method: Cross sectional study was conducted among 30 adolescent mothers, selected purposively, from Bagmati and Konjyosom Rural Municipality of Lalitpur district. 4 in-depth interviews and 2 key informant interviews were taken for qualitative study. Concurrent mixed-method triangulation design was used. Fisher’s exact test was used to find risk factors whereas Braun and Clarke’s six-step thematic analysis based on socio-ecological model themes was used to explore the reasons of adolescent pregnancy. Results from quantitative and qualitative findings were triangulated.

 

Result: Out of 30 participants, 15(50%) participants had adolescent pregnancy. Family type, marriage type, age at marriage and unplanned pregnancy were significantly associated with adolescent pregnancy. Many risk factors were identified at different socio-ecological level from qualitative analysis. The results from triangulation of findings identified early marriage, marriage by elopement, unplanned pregnancy and perception regarding contraceptives as convergent risk factor, ethnicity as divergent risk factors and health workers behavior, laws, marriage and pregnancy norms, family pressure, access to media and decision making level as expansion risk factors.

 

Conclusion: Preventing adolescent pregnancy calls for multifaceted measures at different socioecological level that are focused on the empowerment of girls with interventions tailed to particular subgroups especially the most vulnerable and marginalized ones.
Delayed Neurological Sequelae of Carbon Monoxide poisoning: - a case report
Authors: Sah Sunny Kumar , Regmi Shaswat
Published: March 2023

Delayed neurological sequelae of Carbon Monoxide poisoning is commonest neurological complication of CO poisoning. Presentation can be confusing with other differentials like stroke and delayed neuropathy of OP poisoning. Imaging like MRI head can be helpful for diagnosis. Different predicting tools are available for the development of DNS. Early detection and prompt management of CO poisoning with normobaric oxygen can prevent DNS. Some conditions requires Hyperbaric oxygen too.
Addressing Gender Based Violence (GBV) in rural Nepal with One Stop Crisis Management (OCMC) approach
Authors: Dangal Binod , Khadka Man Bahadur , Moktan Sunil , Khadka Sunil , Ghimire Rajesh , Dahal Rashmi , Tamang Dhanlal Dong , Kayastha Sanjita , Jirel Sunita , Bajagain Gopal
Published: March 2023

Introduction: Gender-Based Violence (GBV) is a global challenge and is affecting 1 in 3 women in their lifetime. GBV mainly includes physical and domestic violence, rape, mental torture, child marriage, and human trafficking. There are very few specific programs to address GBV in Nepal and the One-Stop Crisis Management (OCMC) approach started by the Nepal government since 2011, has promising support in addressing gender-based issues.

Method: Study was conducted at Charikot Hospital, Dolakha. Retrospectively collected data from Electronic Health Record (EHR) of Bahmini from 2016 September to 2021 August, were used and were verified using the OCMC register. The quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and presented in relevant tables and frequencies. The nature of the study was exploratory as a researcher had tried to explore the effectiveness of the program and its challenges. 

Result: Out of 750 cases over 5 years, 695(92.7%) were female, 272(36.2%) were sexual assault cases followed by 259 (34.5%) of physical assault, 73.6% of the victims were among 15-49 years of age and most commonly affected among Janajati (40%) and Brahmin/Chhetri (39.5%). Almost 15% of the total victims had some form of disability. Twenty-one women had difficulties finding safe homes and 7 women committed suicide and died.

Conclusion: Initiation of OCMC services at district level hospitals has formed the foundation to support GBV victims. A specific mental health approach is needed to prevent deaths due to suicide. Government should ensure infrastructure for safe homes and give priority to medicolegal cases. Awareness campaigns are necessary to report more cases of GBV.
Carbon monoxide poisoning
Authors: Shrestha Sitaram
Published: March 2023

Carbon monoxide poisoning may be suicidal, homicidal and in many cases it is accidental. Poisoning is due to formation of carboxyhaemoglobin, which interferes transfers of oxygen and leads to appearance of symptoms.1  Which are not specific and may similar to coved19. Symptoms depends upon concentration of CO in surroundings. Antidote of CO is oxygen. In severe cases, can use oxygen with pressure CO.
Prevalence of suicidality among the adolescents of a rural municipality of Eastern Terai of Nepal
Authors: Bhattarai Srijana , Thapa Bijay , Bhandary Shital
Published: March 2023

Introduction: Suicidality is a mental health condition that includes suicidal ideation, plan, and attempt. Prevalence of Suicidality from the pilot study conducted in 2018 in Nepal shows 8.7% among adolescents aged 13 to 17years. The study aimed to determine the prevalence of suicidality among adolescents of a rural municipality of eastern Terai of Nepal.

Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 443 adolescents from the randomly selected households of a rural municipality of Eastern Terai of Nepal. Validated self-administered tools; suicidal action and plan tools were used to assess the prevalence of suicidality.

Result: The study revealed that 30.93% of the adolescent's respondents had developed suicidal thought in the last one year. Similarly, 22.12% of them had made suicidal plan and 12.42% had attempted suicide.

Conclusion: High prevalence of suicidality among adolescents indicates need for scaling of mental health awareness programs and services in the rural municipality. Concerned authorities should take an intervention to decrease preventable death among adolescents.
Is SARS CoV 2 reinfection, a result of ineffective Antibody response?
Authors: Maharjan Kripa
Published: March 2023

This is a case report of two patient who developed symptoms and retested positive for SARS COV-2 after being recovered from the same infection one month back. Reinfections will increase the case burden and delay herd immunity. Reinfection is possibly due to poor antibody response of the first infection. Poor antibody response is possibly due to mild infection with low viral load.
Health Seeking Behaviour among Elderly in Nason Rural Municipality, Manang
Authors: Lama Tasi , Baskota Swechhya , Gurung Minani , Poudel Lisasha , Bhandari Niroj , Lama Sonam Dickey
Published: March 2023

Introduction: Health seeking behavior refers to the action taken by the individuals to maintain, attain, and regain good health and to prevent the illness. Despite increasing number of health care delivery system in our country still people are not utilizing health service properly. As the age advances, there is a high chance of having both physical and mental impairment. Thus, the objective of the study was to assess health seeking behavior among elderly and to find-out factors associated with it.

Method:  A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Nason Rural Municipality of Manang district among 115 elderly aged 60 or above. Semi-structured questionnaire was used for collecting the information. Data was entered and analyzed in SPSS version 23 by using Simple statistical methods. Uni-variate analysis was done and was presented through frequency and percentage whereas, bivariate analysis was done and presented through chi-square test.

Result: The main finding of the study showed that that all the participants (100%) were seeking help for health problem in which 90.6% seek  help from Modern medication and 9.4% seek help from Alternative medication. Ethnicity (0.024) and means of transportation (0.023) were only factors which was significantly associated with health seeking behavior

Conclusion:  Based on the study findings, most of the respondents had visited Modern health services and only few of respondents had visited Traditional health services. Thus, health seeking behavior among elderly was better than the comparative studies
Role of red cell distribution width in prognosis of patients of all age groups with sepsis- A narrative review
Authors: Ghimire Rajan
Published: March 2023

Introduction: Sepsis is life threatening emergency situation that is frequently encountered in every emergency department. Knowing the prognosis of such patient is crucial which is difficult in the busy emergency rooms. There are lots of prognostic tools in practice and red cell distribution width is newer tool that is under test to predict prognosis of patients with sepsis. In recent day different scientific papers are published over red cell distribution width (RDW) in association with sepsis. This article tried to review such articles and give the holistic view of RDW in association with sepsis.

Method: Articles were searched in Pubmed, Google scholar, The Cochrane Library, Scopus and Hinari. 26 articles were found and thorough revision of articles was done.

Result: Most of the articles point towards overwhelming efficacy of RDW in sepsis across all age group. It can also be used in septic patients with anemia and who received blood transfusions recently. Only few papers are published involving pediatric population and patients with anemia and recent blood transfusion history.

Conclusion: RDW is efficacious tool than currently practiced tools to predict prognosis of patient with sepsis across all ages. There are only few studies in pediatric population and patients with anemia and history of recent blood transfusion, so caution is advised while applying RDW among pediatric population and in patients with anemia and recent blood transfusion.
Risk Factors for COVID-19: A Quantitative Study Conducted at Padang City Center Hospital
Authors: Martini Rose Dinda , Dorisnita  , Hartati
Published: March 2023

Objective: This study sought to estimate the prevalence of COVID-19 infection among hospital staff according to various factors. Moreover, it sought to identify any factors that predicted a higher probability of infection in this population.

Methods: This descriptive research was conducted among medical and non-medical personnel at Padang City Center Hospital, Indonesia (n=129). A chi-square test analysis was used to determine the degree of interrelationship between the studied variables, while an odds ratio (OR) test was performed to identify more potential categories.

Results: Some 31.8% of respondents tested positive for COVID-19, although this finding was insignificant (p>0.05). In terms of the OR, the following probabilities were calculated: age (OR=1.0 [0.36–2.88]); medical history (OR=1.3 [0.23–2.0]); higher education (OR=1.9 [0.2–17.6]); wearing a good mask (OR=0.7 [0.07–7.02]); good hand washing (OR=1.8 [0.46–7.07]); good physical distancing (OR=1.8 [0.46–7.07]); good personal protective equipment (OR=0.7 [0.07–7.02]); normal depression, anxiety, and stress (OR<1.0); and comorbidity (OR=1,2 [0.46-3.06]).

Conclusion: No significant relationship was found between the studied factors and COVID-19 infection. However, there were more potential trends, especially for highly educated medical teams, not wearing a mask, smoking, engaging in strenuous activity, poor psychology, and comorbidity. These findings should prompt policymakers tasked with developing resources and interventions to pay more attention to the needs of medical and non-medical staff during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially the availability of masks.
The language of trustworthy AI :
Authors: Schwartz Reva , Fontana Peter C
Published: March 2023

The NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) glossary of terms related to trustworthy and responsible artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) intends to promote a common understanding and effective communication among individuals and organizations seeking to operationalize trustworthy and responsible AI through approaches such as the NIST AI Risk Management Framework (AI RMF). The glossary, like the AI RMF, is non-sector specific and use-case agnostic, designed to be flexible for all organizations and sectors of society to use. The continuing aim of the glossary is to provide a common language to improve discussions related to AI and to increase their effectiveness and efficiency.
Writing and Flamenco
Authors: Walther Bo Kampmann
Published: March 2023

This article asks how the art of music may contribute to the understanding of writing as a phenomenological act. More specifically, I will introduce parts of the vocabulary, theory, and practice of flamenco to investigate the musicality and notably rhythmic qualities of the handwritten, personal signature. The aim is to demonstrate how the introduction of flamenco per se to the qualitative field of writing studies may open a way of thinking of writing as an expressed as well as expressive musical practice. Besides analyzing in detail the flamenco traits of the personal signature the article also scrutinizes the signature-as-music through the phenomenological philosophies of Merleau-Ponty and Derrida. Ultimately the article demonstrates how writing can itself be theorized off the beaten track, following the untraditional clue of guitar play in the flamenco tradition. The portrait that the article paints of writing is thus itself to be considered off the beaten track qua unconventional, unorthodox and, perhaps for some, controversial.
Musical Participation in Studies of Creativity
Authors: Hvidtfeldt Dan
Published: March 2023

This article explores new ideas towards qualitatively exploring and writing about musical creative processes within different domains. The inspiration for the theoretical points made are from the world of music and the practices of musicians, but the analysis and conclusions of the article discusses musicality as a general phenomenon. It is part of an ongoing research project within cultural psychology, seeking to understand how creative processes develop in dialog with the physical, social and cultural surroundings. Using the example of the music performance and music festivals, the article specifically discusses how ephemeral, social, emergent phenomena depend on musicality in creative processes. The article describes, how both a technical, mathematical and an ambiguous, poetic language is relevant when describing and writing about musical creative processes. Further, it argues how written studies of musically emergent, creative processes demands a close, dialogical relationship to the specific domain, beyond e.g. the phenomenological interview approach - a relationship, enabling the researcher to speak and write freely about musicality within the studied field, actively participate and engage with the processes around the explored phenomena with intuition, engagement and, essentially, musicality.
Factors Influencing the Prices of Rice, Maize and Wheat Prices in Nigeria
Authors: Ogunmola Omotoso Oluseye , Verter Nahanga , Obayelu Abiodun Elijah
Published: March 2023

This study examines the impact of agricultural Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and imports on Nigeria’s food commodity prices using annual data from 1981 to 2018. Data obtained were analysed using the unit root test, cointegration test and Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model to evaluate the long-run and short-run effects of the hypothesized variables on the food commodity prices. The results reveal that maize import value and exchange rate significantly affect the price of maize in the short-run. In contrast, the lagged price of maize, maize output and the past value of maize imports are the factors that influenced the current price of maize within the review period. Also, the lagged price of rice, rice output and the lagged value of rice imported in the immediate year exerted significant influences on the price of rice in Nigeria. Furthermore, the study indicates that the lagged price of wheat, the import value of wheat and the lagged wheat import value were statistically significant in influencing wheat price in Nigeria. Hence, policies for flexibility in the harmonization of exchange rate movements strengthen domestic agricultural performance.
Consumers’ Preference and Future Consideration Toward Organic Instant Noodles: Evidence from Indonesia
Authors: Toiba Hery , Noor Arif Yustian Maulana , Rahman Moh Shadiqur , Hartono achman , Asmara Rosihan , Retnoningsih Dwi
Published: March 2023

The consumption of instant noodles in Indonesia is the second highest globally. However, people are now more aware of sustainable lifestyles and the health risks of consuming food additives, so some opt for more organic choices, including instant noodles. Research on customers’ preferences in this area remains lacking, so the current study aims to fill the gap. This study also analyses the relationship between the choices and consumers’ future considerations. Discrete Choice Experiment (DCE) method was used to reveal the perception of sustainable attributes in organic instant noodles. The future considerations were measured using the Future Consequences Consideration (FCC) scale. As many as 592 respondents participated in the study, selected using the convenience sampling method. Data were analyzed using conditional logit via package support.CEs on R software. The findings show that Indonesian consumers’ preferences are primarily based on the extrinsic attributes: organic labels and packaging materials, but they also consider the health claims. They will likely prefer instant noodles with organic characteristics for future considerations. The results of this study have implications for instant noodle product development. Young consumers take up a large portion of the market, and they are now more aware of sustainability and health. The current study can inform the product development and the approach to the targeted market. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study on consumer perception on sustainability attributes in organic instant noodles.
Evaluation of Cognitive Functions of Patients with Anemia
Authors: FELEK Duygu
Published: March 2023

Iron deficiency anemia is the most common anemia type in the population. It causes many systemic clinical symptoms, including the effects on cognitive functions. Therefore, this study aimed to observe individuals' cognitive changes resulting from iron deficiency, a preventable cause.

Method: Cognitive scores of 112 individuals (56 with iron deficiency anemia-test group and 56 healthy individuals-control group) from the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) were recorded. In addition, hemoglobin levels and recurrent anemia histories of individuals with iron deficiency anemia were also considered.

Results: Cognitive functions were lower in the test group (individuals with iron deficiency anemia) compared to the control group. The mean MoCA score of the test and control groups were 19.80±3.46 and 22.98±3.59, respectively, and the difference was significant (p
INDIVIDUAL IMPACT OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN A STATE OF UNCERTAINTY ON TRUST BASIS
Authors: ALACAHAN Osman
Published: March 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic is a rapidly spreading virus outbreak affecting the lives of people globally in terms of health, economy, social and psychological aspects. Governments have taken various measures to protect the functioning of societal life and individual health. To prevent the spread of the virus in society, measures such as lockdown, travel restrictions, ban on gatherings in enclosed spaces, closure of certain businesses, school closures and transition to remote learning were taken. In addition, on an individual level, measures such as wearing masks, practicing personal hygiene and maintaining physical distance were taken. The uncertainty of the situation has weakened people's sense of security. Health concerns, job losses, social isolation, financial turmoil and low morale have increased people's worries about the future. The long-term effects of the pandemic are still not fully understood, but it is known that the sense of security plays a significant role in both the quality and level of life of society and individuals. The sense of security of individuals is important in every aspect of life and the loss of this feeling can negatively impact their economic, physical, emotional, and social health. This study, conducted using a literature review method, aimed to identify the psycho-social and economic problems arising during the pandemic process. The results of the study indicated that the pandemic experienced globally caused serious problems for both individuals and society and that these problems are likely to have impacts in the "new normal" life after the pandemic.
A Multiple myeloma case with ascites
Authors: ÜNVER KOLUMAN Başak , ARSLAN Muhammet , BAŞARAN Enes , ESER Eylem Pınar , ÖZDOĞU Hakan
Published: March 2023

Ascites is an unusual finding of multiple myeloma. It is a sign of poor prognosis and can be seen not only at the initial diagnosis, but also at any stage of the disease. In this case report, we present the peritoneal involvement of a relapsed refractory multiple myeloma patient with Ig G lambda type. The patient was prescribed 2 cycles of lenalidomide (15 mg) and dexamethasone (20 mg). However, the patient did not respond to treatment.
The Effect of Pressure on Anisotropic Elastic Properties of SbSeI: DFT Calculation
Authors: ÖZER Tahsin
Published: March 2023

The mechanical and elastic properties of SbSeI compound under hydrostatic pressure of 0-40 kBar were investigated for the first time. Quantum Espresso software (QE) was used for all calculations. Elastic constants (Cij) were calculated using the ElaStic package distributed with the QE software and using the energy calculation method in this package. According to the elastic constants obtained, the SbSeI compound was found to be mechanically stable. The results obtained at ambient pressure were found to be in perfect agreement with the literature data. Mechanical properties (bulk modulus, shear modulus, Young's modulus, and Poisson’s ratio), anisotropy, linear compressibility, Debye temperatures, Vickers hardness, and minimum thermal conductivity of the SbSeI compound were calculated using these constants. As a result of the calculations, it was seen that the SbSeI compound is a soft (Vickers hardness < 10 GPa) and anisotropic material.
Makine Öğrenmesi Yöntemleri ile Şehirlerin Hava Kalitesi Tahmini
Authors: ÖKLÜ Mehtap , CANBAY Pelin
Published: March 2023

Hava Kalite Endeksi (AQI), Avrupa standartları çerçevesinde yer alan beş temel kirletici unsur (CO, SO2, NO2, O3 ve PM10) göz önünde bulundurularak değerlendirilen bir endekstir. Bu endeks ile şehirlerdeki kirlilik miktarları hakkında bilgi elde edilebilmekte ve şehirlerin daha temiz şehirlere dönüşmesi için çalışmalar yapılabilmektedir. Günümüzde bu ölçümlere gerekli önem verilmemekle birlikte yeterli miktarda ve doğrulukta ölçümler yapılamamaktadır. Çalışmamızda, şehirlerin kirlilik oranına göre sınıflandırılabilmesi ve böylece kirlilik durumu kritik seviyede olan şehirlerin kısa sürede belirlenebilmesi amaçlanmıştır. Bu amaç doğrultusunda, hava kalitesi belirleyicileri olarak değerlendirilebilecek, şehirlerin hava kalitesine etkisi olan farklı parametreler toplanarak bir araya getirilmiş, AQI verileri ile birlikte veri seti olarak kullanılmıştır. Şehrin nüfusu, betonarme yapı sayısı, yeşil alan ve kullanılan ulaşım araç oranlarının da belirleyici olarak kullanıldığı çalışmamızda hava kalitesi 3 ve 5 sınıflı sınıflandırma problemi olarak ayrı ayrı ele alınmıştır. Çalışmamızda, AQI değerinin insan sağlığına etki oranları hesaplanarak sınıf atamaları yapılmıştır. Makine öğrenmesi yöntemlerini kullanarak sunduğumuz çözümlerde hava kalitesi tahmini 3 sınıflı modellerde %87 oranında, 5 sınıflı modellerde ise %82 oranında başarılı sonuçlar üretmiştir.
Dövme ve Eklemeli İmalat Yöntemiyle Üretilmiş Inconel 625 Alaşımların Termal Yöntemle Hızlı Delinmesinde Elektrot Aşınmasının İncelenmesi
Authors: CERİTBİNMEZ Ferhat , GÜNEN Ali , GÜROL Uğur , ÇAM Gürel
Published: March 2023

Üretildikleri 1950’li yıllardan beri havacılık, uzay, nükleer, biyomedikal endüstrisi gibi ileri mühendislik uygulamalarında sıklıkla tercih edilen Inconel grubu alaşımların daha maliyet etkenli bir yöntem olan eklemeli imalat yöntemiyle üretilebilirliği son 20 yılda yoğun olarak çalışılmaktadır. Ancak, süper alaşımlar işlenebilirliği zor malzemeler grubunda olup, iletkenlikleri zayıf olduğundan bu alaşımların delinmesinde kullanılan elektrotlarda ciddi hasarlar meydana gelmektedir. Dahası, eklemeli imalat yöntemiyle üretilen bu alaşımların delinebilirliğinde kullanılan elektrotlardaki aşınmayı inceleyen sınırlı sayıda çalışma vardır. Bu amaçla bu çalışmada, dövme ve eklemeli imalat tekniği ile üretilmiş Inconel 625 alaşımların, EDM ile hızlı delik delme yöntemi kullanılarak 3 mm çapında pirinç elektrotlarla delinmesi neticesinde aşınan elektrotlarda oluşan aşınma miktarları incelenmiştir. Elektrot aşınması; iş parçası üzerinden ölçülen delik çapları ve kerf açıları dikkate alınarak analitik olarak ve deneylerde aşınan elektrotların hassas terazilerle tartılması ile fiziksel olarak tespit edilmiştir. Daha tok ve kararlı bir yapıda olan dövme Inconel malzemeyi işleyen elektrodun eklemeli imalat Inconel alaşımı işleyen elektroda göre % 108,33 daha fazla aşındığı tespit edilmiştir. Buna ilaveten, dövme Inconel iş malzemesinde elektrot aşınmasından kaynaklı kerf açısının eklemeli imalat Inconel malzemeye göre % 80,06 daha fazla olduğu görülmüştür.
Numerical Optimization of Gas Cooler Geometry in Transcritical Refrigeration Cycles
Authors: URKUT Ahmet Furkan , KARCI Efe Oğuzhan , ÖZDEMİR Mehmed Rafet
Published: March 2023

Traditional halocarbon – based refrigerants tend to considerably increase global warming and ozone depletion factors. Therefore, CO2 is fast becoming a key instrument as a natural refrigerant which was widely applied and attracted the consideration of the research community. The gas cooler is an important component in the CO2 transcritical refrigeration system and plays a key role in the performance due to the determination of operating pressure consequently power consumption. In this research, the performance characteristics of a CO2 gas cooler having wavy fin geometry, which is currently used in industries such as air conditioning, automotive and aviation, was determined experimentally in a calorimetric test room. The experimental results was used as benchmark data to validate the three – dimensional numerical model. Laminar model and realizable k - ɛ turbulent model were employed for analyses. Moreover, the second order upwind scheme was considered to discretize momentum and energy equations. Accordingly, a multi-objective optimization process has been performed employing Response Surface Method (RSM) to determine the optimum wavy fin geometry in CO2 transcritical refrigeration system. Four geometrical parameters namely longitudinal pitch, half transverse pitch, tube outer diameter, and fin pitch of the gas cooler were optimized. According to results, the new optimized CO2 gas cooler exhibited lesser pressure drop and higher heat transfer capacity in comparison with the tested gas cooler geometry used in the industry. It was found that the overall heat transfer coefficient enhancement is between 5.4 – 12.2 % while pressure drop decreases about 175.08 – 188.58 % for three different inlet velocities.
Yerel Elektrik Santral Büyüklüğünün ve Konumunun Dağıtım Şebekesine Etkisi
Authors: GÖZEL Tuba
Published: March 2023

Yenilenebilir enerji kaynaklarının artırılması için alınan kararlar ve teşvikler ile dağıtım sistemindeki yerel elektrik santraller (YES) artmaktadır. Artan YES’lerden daha çok faydalanmak için enerji depolama sistemlerinin kullanılması kaçınılmaz hale gelmektedir. Ancak yüksek yatırım maliyetleri nedeniyle enerji depolama sistemleri kurulumundaki gecikmeye rağmen YES’ler artmaya devam etmektedir. Dağıtım sistemi planlayıcıları, YES’in olumlu etkisinin hangi büyüklükten sonra dağıtım sistemini olumsuz etkilemeye başlayacağını kestiremediğinden dolayı dağıtım sistemine belli oranda YES yerleştirirler. Bu da sisteminde daha büyük oranlarda YES barındırmayı engeller. Bu çalışmada; enerji depolama sistemi olmadan, dağıtım sisteminin mevcut durumunu koruyarak veya iyileştirerek ne kadar YES yerleştirilebileceği araştırılmaktadır. YES'in dağıtım sistemindeki güç kayıplarını ve bara gerilimlerini nasıl etkilediği incelenmektedir. Bu incelemede dağıtım sisteminin mevcut aktif güç kaybını koruyan ve aktif güç kaybını azaltan iki farklı YES büyüklüğü elde edilir. Ayrıca, dağıtım sisteminin mevcut gerilim profilini koruyan ve gerilim profilini iyileştiren iki farklı YES büyüklüğü daha elde edilir. Başka bir deyişle, aktif güç kaybı ve gerilim profili için maksimum ve optimal YES büyüklükleri elde edilmekte ve tartışılmaktadır. Bu çalışma ile YES’in dağıtım sistemi üzerindeki olumlu etkisinin; YES büyüklüğüne, konumuna ve dağıtım sistemi yapısına göre değiştiğini gösterilmektedir. Dağıtım sistemi planlayıcılarına, dağıtım sistemine göre maksimum YES kapasitesi belirlenebileceği fikri sunulmaktadır.
Improving the Performance of Sentiment Analysis by Ensemble Hybrid Learning Algorithm With NLP And Cascaded Feature Extraction
Authors: ALTINEL GİRGİN Ayşe Berna , ŞAHİN Sema
Published: March 2023

Sentiment analysis is a challenging problem in Natural Language Processing since every language has its own character within several difficulties such as ambiguity, synonymy, negative suffixes…etc. Since words with ambiguity can have different sentiment scores depending on the meaning they have in their corresponding context, we accomplished a study on Turkish language to determine whether the polarity scores of these polysemous words may differ according to their meaning. For a word with ambiguity, we first made a polarity calculation module to calculate its polarity score. This way, we calculated the polarity scores of 100 Turkish polysemous words. Then, since negation directly affects the correct meaning of the word in the sentiment analysis, a negation handler module is also implemented. After that, we prepared a sentiment polarity corpus which consists of 159,876 Turkish words including 100 Turkish polysemous words. Actually, the main purpose of this study is to detect sentiment polarity of Turkish texts by considering and building a specialized module for polysemous words. In short, we built a system for Turkish sentiment polarity detection task including these modules: 1) Pre-processing, 2) Polarity Calculation Module, 3) Negation Handling Module, 4) Feature Generation Module, and 5) Classification Module. According to our knowledge, this is the first study which includes all of these modules in one Turkish sentiment analysis task. Finally, we conducted this corpus using an ensemble hybrid regularized learning algorithm on two self-collected Twitter-datasets. Experimental results show that the suggested approach improves the classification performance on Turkish sentiment analysis task.
A Study on Frequency Response Functions in Pavement Engineering
Authors: Pratico Filippo G. , Pellicano Gianfranco , Bolognese Matteo , Licitra Gaetano
Published: March 2023

Mechanical impedance (MI) defines the ability of a system to vibrate as a consequence of force application. In the recent years, the correlation of this parameter with tire-road noise and other characteristics has gained certain attention. Nevertheless, the information about this topic is still insufficient. Usually, the force is set through an impulse hammer as a master and the acceleration is measured through an accelerometer as a response in order to measure the corresponding Frequency Response Function (FRF). The objectives of the study presented in this paper are i) to analyse the differences between the axial mechanical impedance (complex ratio of force and velocity referred to the same point, named driving-point impedance) and the non-axial mechanical impedance (complex ratio of the force at the point i and velocity at the point j, named transfer impedance); ii) to analyse the effect of adding crumb rubber (2% by mixture weight) and of the percentage of bitumen on the mechanical impedance for the bituminous samples. Therefore, laboratory tests on asphalt concrete specimens have been performed, using an instrumentation system composed of i) an impact hammer reporting the impact force value; ii) an impedance head measuring the direct impact force and the direct acceleration at the hitting point location; iii) a piezoelectric accelerometer measuring the transfer acceleration at a certain distance from the hitting point location. Results demonstrate that the ratio between the repeatability and the average is quite constant, while for heights higher than 10 cm, also MI tends to be independent on the height. A number of recommendations have been made based on the results of the present research.
Antibiotic Resistance of Heterotrophic Bacteria Isolated from Drinking Water – from the Water Source to the Consumers’ Taps
Authors:   Laboratory of Ecology of Pathogenic Bacteria, Department of Infectious Microbiology, The Stephan Angeloff Institute of Microbiology, Bulgaria, Tsvetanova Zvezdimira , Najdenski Hristo ,   Laboratory of Bacterial Virulence, Resistance and New Antimicrobial Agents, Department of Infectious Microbiology, The Stephan Angeloff Institute of Microbiology, Bulgaria
Published: March 2023

The aim of this study was to determine the antibiotic resistance (ABR) phenotype of heterotrophic bacteria isolated from a Bulgarian drinking water supply system. The disc diffusion method of Kirby-Bauer was used in the bacterial isolates susceptibility testing toward 13 antibiotics from 7 classes. The ABR phenotype of 233 bacterial strains was determined and the influence of drinking water treatment and its transportation in the water supply network on the ABR prevalence was assessed. Among the isolates, the ABR incidence was low or medium, only tetracycline resistance was very rare, and no gentamicin resistance was detected; 42% of the isolates were resistant to one class of antibiotics, and 11% exhibited multiple resistance. Water chlorination has led to restructuring of the aquatic community and changes of the predominant ABR phenotypes. The ABR phenotype of the isolates differed depending on the drinking water sampling point demonstrating the local influence of the water supply network. Although there is no regulation of the ABR of drinking water, the data demonstrated prevalence of bacterial resistance to different antibiotics and need of a greater concern the microbiological water quality.
InterCriteria Analysis applied to the Turkish Health and Social Protection datasets
Authors:   Laboratory of Intelligent Systems, “Prof. Dr. Assen Zlatarov” University, Yordanov Zlatko , Bureva Veselina ,   Laboratory of Intelligent Systems, “Prof. Dr. Assen Zlatarov” University, Kahraman Cengiz ,   Istanbul Technical University, Department of Industrial Engineering
Published: March 2023

In the current investigation InterCriteria Analysis is applied to the main diseases declared by individuals in 15-and-over age group in the last 12 months. The information is downloaded from the website of TurkStat – Turkish Statistical Institute. The received outcomes present dependencies between the distribution of the health problems in Turkey and their frequency in the years.
Every corona is not a virus
Authors: Uwen God'sgift Ogban
Published: March 2023

This study is a visual semiotics analysis of Coronavirus memetic humour, aimed at ascertaining the implied meanings of selected Covid-19 related Facebook memes that stimulated virtual discourse among Nigerian netizens during the pandemic. The study adopts Visual Semiotics Theory and Encryption Theory of Humour to account for meanings derived from the presuppositional assumptions and shared sociocultural knowledge which serve as the decrypting ‘key’ to meaning. The ‘key’ activates the appropriate disambiguation and interpretation of the significations in the semiotic resources conveyed in the humorous memes. Nineteen Facebook Covid-19 related memes were selected as a representative sample for a descriptive and qualitative analysis. The analysis is coded into 11 discourse domains based on the related semiotic contents of the memes which include: preventive protocol, media reportage, religious beliefs, health sector, sociopolitical domain, socioeconomic domain, security, science, transportation, relationship and lifestyle to account for the differentials in perceptions by Nigerian netizens. Findings show that Nigerians created Coronavirus memetic humour to stimulate laughter in the rather consequential circumstances generated by the pandemic derived from the humorous contents of the image macros. In the Nigerian social context, the Coronavirus memes humorously instantiate the apprehension and helplessness of a people, and thrive to express protest, insecurity, corruption, religiosity, economic hardship and a poor health system. These, altogether combine as a myriad of the challenges facing a people who consolably devised coping strategies to trivialise the pandemic, while yearning for an inclusive government that prioritises the welfare of its citizens.
The tsifteteli of irony and the dance of the ignorant Lilipuans
Authors: Giampoura Aikaterini
Published: March 2023

This paper studies the old Greek children’s radio show Edo Lilipoupoli transmitted from December 1977 to May 1980 by the Third Program of the Greek State Radio. The considerations of this paper result from the examination of the content of the radio show regarding its cultural and social parameters and correlations as a collective media project. The insight gained from this endeavour is significant, particularly due to the common claim among the broadcast listeners and contributors that the children’s radio program Edo Lilipoupoli functioned as a “mirror” of Greek society. The broadcast can be therefore understood as a kind of social snapshot depicting the ideological and identity conflict between the conservative and the progressive voices prevailing in society during that time.
The analytical interest focuses on one specific song, very popular in the context of the radio show, with the title “We are not Zulu”. This approach will include an analysis of the lyrics in connection to their setting, i.e. morphology, harmony, instrumentation as well as the singer’s performance. Within the framework of this music-aesthetic and linguistic analytical point of view, I will try to identify the role and function of humour in the song and pursue an interpretive approach in the context of its sociocultural implications. The conclusions will form an attempt to bring out the point of view of the show’s contributors.
Winning battles with a joke
Authors: Bhowmick Sumagna , R Vijaya
Published: March 2023

Humour in military organizations can be antithetical given the rigid hierarchy, high degrees of work formalization, and obedience to hierarchy. This paper explores how humour is initiated, propagated and maintained in the Indian Army. We conducted twelve in-depth interviews with retired army professionals and used Braun and Clarke’s (2006) thematic analysis to capture the study's main findings. Three major themes emerged – organizational humour, leader humour, and team humour. We found humour is essential in combating stress, increasing social cohesion, facilitating newcomer assimilation, and promoting a positive work environment. We also found evidence of subversive humour used in forms of resistance to challenge the hierarchical structure subtly. We have provided a three-part schema of workplace humour which sheds interesting insights on workplace humour. Our findings will contribute to understanding how military humour helps to maneuver challenges of a stressful work situation.
Automatic differentiation of uncertainties: an interval computational differentiation for first and higher derivatives with implementation
Authors: Dawood Hend , Megahed Nefertiti
Published: March 2023

Acquiring reliable knowledge amidst uncertainty is a topical issue of modern science. Interval mathematics has proved to be of central importance in coping with uncertainty and imprecision. Algorithmic differentiation, being superior to both numeric and symbolic differentiation, is nowadays one of the most celebrated techniques in the field of computational mathematics. In this connexion, laying out a concrete theory of interval differentiation arithmetic, combining subtlety of ordinary algorithmic differentiation with power and reliability of interval mathematics, can extend real differentiation arithmetic so markedly both in method and objective, and can so far surpass it in power as well as applicability. This article is intended to lay out a systematic theory of dyadic interval differentiation numbers that wholly addresses first and higher order automatic derivatives under uncertainty. We begin by axiomatizing a differential interval algebra and then we present the notion of an interval extension of a family of real functions, together with some analytic notions of interval functions. Next, we put forward an axiomatic theory of interval differentiation arithmetic, as a two-sorted extension of the theory of a differential interval algebra, and provide the proofs for its categoricity and consistency. Thereupon, we investigate the ensuing structure and show that it constitutes a multiplicatively non-associative S-semiring in which multiplication is subalternative and flexible. Finally, we show how to computationally realize interval automatic differentiation. Many examples are given, illustrating automatic differentiation of interval functions and families of real functions.
Accuracy of Lung Ultrasonography versus Chest Radiography for the Diagnosis of Community Acquired Pneumonia in Children: A Cross-sectional Study
Authors: Daniel Elizabeth , Ramachandran Archana
Published: March 2023

Introduction: Pneumonia is one of the most common causes of childhood morbidity and mortality, which warrants a proper diagnosis and adequate treatment. Early diagnosis of Community Acquired Pneumonia (CAP) is essential to reduce the total burden of this disease. Aim: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of Lung Ultrasound (LUS) in CAP in children as compared to Chest Radiograph (CXR). Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study involving 91 subjects with clinically suspected pneumonia, who underwent US examination in the Department of Radiodiagnosis, Government Medical College, Thrissur, Kerala, India from December 2018 to December 2019. LUS was done to obtain information regarding different patterns of presentation of pneumonia. Although Computed Tomography (CT) is considered the gold standard imaging for pneumonia, it is used only for complicated pneumonia and is not routinely performed in the paediatric age group as radiation exposure will be more than that of the CXR. Hence, a CXR was taken as a reference standard in this study, and findings of LUS were compared. The data was managed using Microsoft Excel 2016 and statistical analysis was done with International Business Machines (IBM) Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 27.0. The sensitivity, specificity, Positive Predictive Value (PPV), Negative Predictive Value (NPV), and accuracy were calculated. Results: Overall, LUS had a sensitivity of 95.83%, a specificity of 93.02%, a PPV of 93.88%, a NPV of 95.24%, and an accuracy of 94.5% (p<0.001) as compared to CXR which had a sensitivity of 93.8%, specificity of 95.23%, the PPV of 95.80%, the NPV of 93.0% and accuracy of 95%. Substantial agreement between LUS and a CXR was found, for diagnosing specific patterns of CAP with Cohen’s Kappa value of 0.74. Conclusion: LUS offers an important contribution to the diagnosis of pneumonia in children as compared with a CXR. With its high NPV, it can replace CXR in order to exclude lung consolidation in children, thus reducing radiation exposure in this population.