bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
PROBLEMS OF DEVIANT BEHAVIOR IN KAZAKHSTAN
Authors:   candidate of political science, Kazakh Academy of Sports and Tourism Almaty, Kazakhstan, Imanbayeva A.A. ,   e-mail: imanbayeva1804@mail.ru
Published: September 2021

The proposed scientific article analyzes the concept of deviant behavior, its types and common characteristics in modern society, as well as its social, biological and psychological factors. In addition, an overview of the ways of deviant behavior in the country is given, the types of deviant behavior are described. Problems that are considered normal in some societies and are not considered deviant behavior are analyzed. It is also recommended to consider measures to prevent deviant behavior that is harmful to society. The article also points out that deviant behavior is not age appropriate. The analysis of various factors that contribute to the criminal world is made. The difference in the nature and types of crimes is shown. At the same time, the article notes that there are other issues related to the relevance of the problem of deviant behavior in our country today.
THE NEED TO EXPLORE SACRED PLACES AND SPACES IN SOCIAL LIFE
Authors:   Department of sociology, Astana. Kazakhstan.        Phone:  +7 (7172)709-500 (int 33-411). janar_m@mail.ru, Makimbai Zh.
Published: September 2021

The article deals with the selection of the most appropriate methodology for the study of sacred spaces. The study of religious activities and sacred spaces has its own characteristics in relation to other studies in social geography. Its peculiarity is that it combines the use of methods of physical geography (in the study of sacred landscapes and sacred spaces) and social geography, psychology and philosophy (in the study of the geo-religious sphere). Sacred space can be studied in the process of studying as a phenomenon that has a territorial specificity and forms socio-cultural trends. In a general sense, a sacred space is a territory with special properties that performs a spiritual function. Properties can be religious, natural, or historical. Sacred spaces are most appropriate to study at the local level, within administrative districts or regions. In each city, district, or village, there are different religious sites or localities that people have given a mystical meaning to. It can be a lake, a mountain or a hill that stands out in the area, a forest with a special biocenosis, or just a part of a field or river that had a noticeable impact on the life of the local population. That is, both religious and natural and historical sacred spaces are best studied at the local level, the specific limits of which will be the boundaries of administrative districts.
EVOLUTION OF DEVELOPMENT OF THE ELECTION PROCESS OF THE REPUBLIC OF KAZAKHSTAN: POLITICAL ANALYSIS
Authors:   L. Gumilev Eurasian National University, Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, Amirzhanova А.М. ,   aigul_2010nur@mail.ru
Published: September 2021

The article provides a comparative analysis of the evolution features of the formation and development of representational bodies through the institution of elections, which is one of the most important and urgent issues in the context of democratization in modern Kazakhstan. The main purpose of the scientific article is to analyze the elections in the formation of representative authority in Kazakhstan from the standpoint of political science. This is related to the fact that the electoral process in the country is developing in accordance with the democratic regime, undergoing legislative reforms and difficulties in improving. Thus, the article examines the issues of the evolutionary development of elections by the methods of comparative analysis, cross-temporal comparison, and identifies the features of development. Also, the structure of a representative government formed on the basis of elections in independent Kazakhstan, the peculiarities of the participation of the electorate in elections, the proportion of women in the Mazhilis, the number of parties, and the average age were compared. Elections are one of the main indicators in the formation of representative power.
SOCIAL SERVICES AS A FACTOR OF SUCCESSFUL ADAPTATION OF ELDERLY PEOPLE IN NURSING HOMES
Authors:   Abai Kazakh National Pedagogical University, Almaty, Kazakhstan, e-mail: ktauenov@mail.ru, Tauenov K.Е.
Published: September 2021

The article is devoted to studying the issue of social services in nursing homes as a factor of successful adaptation of elderly people in new conditions. The main legal acts in the field of protection of the rights of the elderly and disabled people are considered today. The subject of the research is the living conditions of elderly people living in nursing homes, and the impact of social services provided to them on their socio-economic and psychological adaptation. In order to improve the quality of social services in the future, to facilitate the social adaptation of the elderly, to develop proposals to Supplement the legislation on social protection of the elderly in General. Thereby increasing the ability of older people to adapt to social homes.
Powieść jako krytyczna teoria homoseksualności. Na podstawie kilku tekstów francuskich z drugiej połowy XIX wieku
Authors: Szczur Przemysław
Published: September 2021

The article refers to the tradition of analysing relations between literature and conceptual discourses, based on the assumption that a novel can be considered as a certain, specific type of theorizing. Using examples from several French novels of the second half of the 19th century, the author attempts an analysis of the novel genre indicators with regards to their critical potential. Owing to this potential, these novels enter into some polemics with scientific theories of homosexuality. However, in the course of this analysis the novel genre indicators reveal their anti-critical potential as well. The conclusion draws on Bakhtin's dialogism theory. The author believes that the novel accomplishes its critical potential when it makes homosexuality the subject of the dialogue. Their dialogic nature is what differentiates the novelistic theories from monologic scientific theories.
Od „wroga rodziny” do jednej z jej form. Rodziny z wyboru we współczesnym polskim dyskursie prasowym
Authors: Mizielińska Joanna , Stasińska Agata
Published: September 2021

In our article we present the results of the analysis of press discourse concerning families of choice in Poland. We make a comparison between two debates over two projects of same-sex partnership law (written, respectively, by senator Maria Szyszkowska in 2003-2004 and the Initiative Group for Same-Sex Partnership in 2011,) as well as between two debates regarding social campaigns: “Let Them See Us” (2003) and “Love Does Not Exclude” (2010-2011.) The aim of our analysis was to identify strategies that dominate in public discourse as well as to follow through the dynamics of their changes in an attempt to answer the question what/who generates these changes. In our article we point out how paradoxical/surprising the similarities can be between those who are against LGBT relationships and those who defend them. We reflect upon both the (un)effectiveness of some argumentation strategies and the dangers of using them.
Sprawstwo praktyk komunikacyjnych a kształtowanie się męskiego habitusu
w klasie szkolnej. Krytyczna analiza dyskursu
Authors: Grzechnik Sława
Published: September 2021

This article has explored and examined the ways of using the classroom language in primary school by Ethnography of communication (EC) and Critical discourse analysis (CDA). The classroom is a setting in which schoolboys and their social position are located. Causal force of the discursive space seems to be extremely effective in delimitation and incarceration of the mind. The position of every particular schoolboy (and schoolgirl) in this field is a result of the interaction between the specific rules of the field, language, interpretation and illusion. Masculine habitus is created not only by the way of using language and a spectrum of performative acts but also through the knowledge construction process during the learning practice. School is a special place where masculine habitus is produced and reproduced, day by day, according to the logic of the classroom field.
„Celem jest świat bez klatek”
Authors: Gąsiorowska Halina
Published: September 2021

According to anarchism, getting married or starting a civil partnership means subordinating one's intimate life to state and/or church. However, some anarchists happen to be wives and husbands, which does not make them less respected in their environment. Many people who identify with anarchism support legalization of civil partnerships. Such attitudes may seem to be inconsequential. The article attempts to explain reasons for them. It presents (post)anarchist approaches to marriage and civil partnerships (especially those created by the gay and lesbian community) in Poland. The author had the opportunity to come across the opinions as a participant of the anarchafeminist group A-fe, active in Warsaw in the years 2007-2009. The text explains differences between anarchism and anarchafeminism identifying the latter with postanarchism, as well as reveals relations between queer and anarchafeminism. Anarchists' plurality of opinion is made visible via the analysis of the discussion about Equality March [Marsz Równości] which was held in Wroclaw in the year of 2009 and was for the recognition of gay and lesbian (romantic) relationships by the law. The discussion took place on an anarchist information portal. Anarchafeminist points of view are portrayed on the basis of interviews with activists made in the ongoing year and two debates about same-sex partnerships. The first was organized during Kłir Szyft festival [Queer Shift festival] in 2008 while the second one took place at Syrena squat in 2011. The article discusses whether anarchistic critique of marriage is still valid now, when numerous types of family coexist and variety of lifestyles seems to be accessible. Because of that the author analyzes the role of marriage in the contemporary biopolitics. Anarchafeminist perspective on same-sex partnerships appears to be significantly similar to Judith Butler's point of view presented in her essay "Is Kinship Always Already Heterosexual”. Taking that similarity into consideration, the author wonders whether it is possible to include anarchafeminists supporting LGBT struggle for civil partnership into the continuum of LGBT and queer which, according to the theorist of queer and activist in "Let Them See Us" Campaign [kampania "Niech nas zobaczą"] Tomasz Basiuk, exists in Poland. The author also speculates about the (in)stability of the continuum.
Straight macho nationalism
Authors: Fischer Henning
Published: September 2021

While both Polish mainstream and right-wing movement inherit aggressive homophobic discourses, gay mayors and even anti-homophobic Neo-Nazis seem to be evidence for a German paradise of (homo-)sexuality. The essay traces homophobic discourses in the imagery of the right-wing and the mainstream in post-'communist' Poland and compares them to the seemingly tolerant mainstream culture in Germany. The difference seems to be clear: in Poland homosexuality has become the ticket which stands for all the fears which are present in a rapidly changing (catholic) society; homosexuality in Germany is a commodity sold like everything else in capitalism - and has thus created space for sexual self-expression beyond heterosexism. Obviously, it's not that easy: homosexuality sells, but homophobia does, too. Besides other problems, the comparison highlights the danger of mistaking current capitalist cultural production for a emancipatory situation where multiple identities really could evolve without limits - may the latter be created by physical or epistemological violence or the coercions of the free market.
Female St. Sebastian: Parallel lines in the radical lesbian art of Gina Pane and Catherine Opie
Authors: Leszkowicz Paweł
Published: September 2021

This paper is a comparative analysis of works by two contemporary artists: Gina Pane, an Italian, and Catherine Opie, an American. Both use performance and autobiography and raise the subject of lesbian identity. Moreover, both share themes of suffering, pain and relationships between women. They were active in various cultural contexts, however. Pane worked in Western Europe during the moral revolution of the 1960s and '70s. Opie has been active in American art from the beginning of the '90s and she has been participating in political changes from the AIDS crisis and the radical queer movement to the present day assimilation of the LGBTQ community. The tradition and symbolism associated with St. Sebastian serves as the historical background the for the analysis in this paper, as both artists used the iconography of this male homoerotic idol in their subversive depictions of femininity and sexual dissimilarity. The works of the two artists are subjected to a comparative interpretation considering various contexts, similarities and differences, and evaluated in terms of contemporary artistic and political challenges of queer culture.
UFA IS TAO
Authors: Weseli Agnieszka
Published: September 2021

"What is this UFA?" The more the question comes up, the harder it is to answer. Once someone suggested that it should be answered by means of negations: "UFA is not a dog," "UFA is not cup of tea," "UFA is not a flat wrench"... Because the tao that can be defined is not the real tao.
Assessing urban methane emissions using column-observing portable Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometers and a novel Bayesian inversion framework
Authors: Jones Taylor S. , Franklin Jonathan E. , Chen Jia , Dietrich Florian , Hajny Kristian D. , Paetzold Johannes C. , Wenzel Adrian , Gately Conor , Gottlieb Elaine , Parker Harrison , Dubey Manvendra , Hase Frank , Shepson Paul B. , Mielke Levi H. , Wofsy Steven C.
Published: September 2021

Abstract. Cities represent a large and concentrated portion of global greenhouse gas emissions, including methane. Quantifying methane emissions from urban areas is difficult, and inventories made using bottom-up accounting methods often differ greatly from top-down estimates generated from atmospheric observations. Emissions from leaks in natural gas infrastructure are difficult to predict and are therefore poorly constrained in bottom-up inventories. Natural gas infrastructure leaks and emissions from end uses can be spread throughout the city, and this diffuse source can represent a significant fraction of a city's total emissions. We investigated diffuse methane emissions of the city of Indianapolis, USA, during a field campaign in May 2016. A network of five portable solar-tracking Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometers was deployed throughout the city. These instruments measure the mole fraction of methane in a total column of air, giving them sensitivity to larger areas of the city than in situ sensors at the surface. We present an innovative inversion method to link these total column concentrations to surface fluxes. This method combines a Lagrangian transport model with a Bayesian inversion framework to estimate surface emissions and their uncertainties, together with determining the concentrations of methane in the air flowing into the city. Variations exceeding 10 ppb were observed in the inflowing air on a typical day, which is somewhat larger than the enhancements due to urban emissions (<5 ppb downwind of the city). We found diffuse methane emissions of 73(±22) mol s−1, which is about 50 % of the urban total and 68 % higher than estimated from bottom-up methods, although it is somewhat smaller than estimates from studies using tower and aircraft observations. The measurement and model techniques developed here address many of the challenges present when quantifying urban greenhouse gas emissions and will help in the design of future measurement schemes in other cities.
A Systematic Re-evaluation of Methods for Quantification of Bulk Particle-phase Organic Nitrates Using Real-time Aerosol Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Day Douglas A. , Campuzano-Jost Pedro , Nault Benjamin A. , Palm Brett B. , Hu Weiwei , Guo Hongyu , Wooldridge Paul J. , Cohen Ronald C. , Docherty Kenneth S. , Huffman J. Alex , de Sá Suzane S. , Martin Scot T. , Jimenez Jose L.
Published: September 2021

Abstract. Organic nitrate (RONO2) formation in the atmosphere represents a sink of NOx (NOx = NO + NO2) and termination of the NOx/HOx (HOx = HO2 + OH) ozone formation and radical propagation cycles, can act as a NOx reservoir transporting reactive nitrogen, and contributes to secondary organic aerosol formation. While some fraction of RONO2 is thought to reside in the particle phase, particle-phase organic nitrates (pRONO2) are infrequently measured and thus poorly understood. There is an increasing prevalence of aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS) instruments, which have shown promise for determining quantitative total organic nitrate functional group contribution to aerosols. A simple approach that relies on the relative intensities of NO+ and NO2+ ions in the AMS spectrum, the calibrated NOx+ ratio for NH4NO3, and the inferred ratio for pRONO2 has been proposed as a way to apportion the total nitrate signal to NH4NO3 and pRONO2. This method is increasingly being applied to field and laboratory data. However, the methods applied have been largely inconsistent and poorly characterized, and therefore, a detailed evaluation is timely. Here, we compile an extensive survey of NOx+ ratios measured for various pRONO2 compounds and mixtures from multiple AMS instruments, groups, and laboratory and field measurements. We show that, in the absence of pRONO2 standards, the pRONO2 NOx+ ratio can be estimated using a ratio referenced to the calibrated NH4NO3 ratio, a so-called Ratio-of-Ratios method (RoR = 2.75 ± 0.41). We systematically explore the basis for quantifying pRONO2 (and NH4NO3) with the RoR method using ground and aircraft field measurements conducted over a large range of conditions. The method is compared to another AMS method (positive matrix factorization, PMF) and other pRONO2 and related (e.g., total gas + particle RONO2) measurements, generally showing good agreement/correlation. A broad survey of ground and aircraft AMS measurements shows a pervasive trend of higher fractional contribution of pRONO2 to total nitrate with lower total nitrate concentrations, which generally corresponds to shifts from urban-influenced to rural/remote regions. Compared to ground campaigns, observations from all aircraft campaigns showed substantially lower pRONO2 contributions at mid ranges of total nitrate (0.01–0.1 up to 2–5 μg m−3), suggesting that the balance of effects controlling NH4NO3 and pRONO2 formation and lifetimes — such as higher humidity, lower temperatures, greater dilution, different sources, higher particle acidity, and pRONO2 hydrolysis (possibly accelerated by particle acidity) — favors lower pRONO2 contributions for those environments and altitudes sampled.
Effects of soil water content on carbon sink strength in an alpine swamp meadow of the northeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau
Authors: Wei Junqi , Li Xiaoyan , Liu Lei , Christensen Torben Røjle , Jiang Zhiyun , Ma Yujun , Wu Xiuchen , Yao Hongyun , López-Blanco Efrén
Published: September 2021

Abstract. Predicted intensified climate warming will likely alter the ecosystem net carbon (C) uptake of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP). Variations in C sink/source responses to climate warming have been linked to water availability; however, the mechanisms by which net C uptake responds to soil water content in water-saturated swamp meadow ecosystems remain unclear. To explore how soil moisture and other environmental drivers modulate net C uptake in the QTP, field measurements were conducted using the eddy covariance technique in 2014, 2015, 2017, and 2018. The alpine swamp meadow presented in this study was a consistent and strong C sink of CO2 (−168.0 ± −62.5 gC m−2 y−1, average ± standard deviation) across the entire 4-year study period. A random forest machine-learning analysis suggests that the diurnal, seasonal, and annual variations of net ecosystem exchange (NEE) and gross primary productivity (GPP) were controlled by temperature and solar radiation. Ecosystem respiration (Re), however, was found mainly regulated by the variability of soil water content (SWC) at different temporal aggregations followed by temperature, the second contributing driver. We further explored how Re is controlled by nearly saturated soil moisture and temperature comparing two different periods featuring identical temperatures and significantly differences on SWC and vice versa. Our data suggest that, despite the relatively abundant water supply, periods with a substantial decrease of SWC or increase of temperature produced higher Re lowering the C sink strength. Our results reveal that nearly saturated soil conditions during the warm seasons can help to maintain lower ecosystem respiration rates and thus enhance the overall C sequestration capacity in this alpine swamp meadow. We argue that changes in soil hydrological conditions induced by a warming climate near permafrost (or seasonal frozen layers) may affect the C sink magnitude of wet and cold ecosystems through changes in soil hydrology and the subsequent effect on respiration losses.
Detecting hydrological connectivity using causal inference from time-series: synthetic and real karstic study cases
Authors: Delforge Damien , de Viron Olivier , Vanclooster Marnik , Van Camp Michel , Watlet Arnaud
Published: September 2021

Abstract. We investigate the potential of causal inference methods (CIMs) to reveal hydrological connections from time-series. Four CIMs are selected from two criteria, linear or nonlinear, and bivariate or multivariate. A priori, multivariate and nonlinear CIMs are best suited for revealing hydrological connections because they suit nonlinear processes and deal with confounding factors such as rainfall, evapotranspiration, or seasonality. The four methods are applied to a synthetic case and a real karstic study case. The synthetic experiment indicates that, unlike the other methods, the multivariate nonlinear framework has a low false-positive rate and allows for ruling out a connection between two disconnected reservoirs forced with similar effective precipitation. However, the multivariate nonlinear method appears unstable when it comes to real cases, making the overall meaning of the causal links uncertain. Nevertheless, all CIMs bring valuable insights into the system’s dynamics, making them a cost-effective and recommendable tool for exploring data. Still, causal inference remains attached to subjective choices and operational constraints while building the dataset or constraining the analysis. As a result, the robustness of the conclusions that the CIMs can draw deserves to be questioned, especially with real and imperfect data. Therefore, alongside research perspectives, we encourage a flexible, informed, and limit-aware use of CIMs, without omitting any other approach that aims at the causal understanding of a system.
From hydraulic root architecture models to macroscopic representations of root hydraulics in soil water flow and land surface models
Authors: Vanderborght Jan , Couvreur Valentin , Meunier Felicien , Schnepf Andrea , Vereecken Harry , Bouda Martin , Javaux Mathieu
Published: September 2021

Abstract. Root water uptake is an important process in the terrestrial water cycle. How this process depends on soil water content, root distributions, and root properties is a soil–root hydraulic problem. We compare different approaches to implement root hydraulics in macroscopic soil water flow and land surface models. By upscaling a three-dimensional hydraulic root architecture model, we derived an exact macroscopic root hydraulic model. The macroscopic model uses the following three characteristics: the root system conductance, Krs, the standard uptake fraction, SUF,
which represents the uptake from a soil profile with a uniform hydraulic
head, and a compensatory matrix that describes the redistribution of water
uptake in a non-uniform hydraulic head profile. The two characteristics, Krs and SUF, are sufficient to describe the total uptake as a function of the collar and soil water potential, and water uptake redistribution does not depend on the total uptake or collar water potential. We compared the exact model with two hydraulic root models that make a priori simplifications of the hydraulic root architecture, i.e., the
parallel and big root model. The parallel root model uses only two
characteristics, Krs and SUF, which can be calculated directly following a bottom-up approach from the 3D hydraulic root architecture. The big root model uses more parameters than the parallel root model, but these parameters cannot be obtained straightforwardly with a bottom-up approach. The big root model was parameterized using a top-down approach, i.e., directly from root segment hydraulic properties, assuming a priori a single big root architecture. This simplification of the hydraulic root architecture led to less accurate descriptions of root water uptake than by the parallel root model. To compute root water uptake in macroscopic soil water flow and land surface models, we recommend the use of the parallel root model with Krs and SUF computed in a bottom-up approach from a known 3D root hydraulic architecture.
Predictors of Cerebral Arteriovenous Malformation Mortality: A Single-center, Five-year Retrospective Study
Authors: Garcia-Espinosa Patricio , Botello-Hernández Edgar , Torres-Hernández Gabriela , Guerrero-Cavazos Clarissa , Villareal-Garza Estefania , Flores-Rodriguez Andrea
Published: September 2021

Background: Arteriovenous Malformations (AVMs) are abnormalities in intracranial vessels between the arterial and venous systems. This study aimed to identify the predictors of mortality in patients that presented to our hospital with AVMs, ruptured or unruptured, and correlate them to those available in the literature.

Methods: An analytical, observational, retrospective study was performed to review data of patients with cerebral AVMs in the University Hospital “Dr José Eleuterio González” from January 2016 to December 2020. Clinical files were reviewed based on AVMs diagnosis according to the  International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision, ICD-10. Variables were subjected to a univariate analysis and those found significant (p-value < 0.05) were subjected to a logistic regression.

Results: A total of 80 patients were included in our study. Most of the participants were females (56.3%) and three were pregnant. The most common presenting symptom was holocranial headache (34 cases) occurring between the hours of 22:00 to 7:00. The most significant predictors of mortality were a total bleeding volume greater than 9.18 cm3 (p = 0.010), the presence of more than one symptom (p = 0.041), and a history of previous cerebral intraparenchymal hemorrhage (p = 0.014).

Conclusion: Results demonstrated an important association between intracranial bleeding and mortality. Ultimately, more prospective studies are needed to determine predictor factors for mortality in AVMs patients.
Early surf fiction and the white worldview
Authors: Krauth Nigel , Sandtner Jake
Published: September 2021

This paper examines the first 90 years (from 1849 to 1940) in the development of surf fiction. It focuses on how, at the genre’s beginnings, the view taken of surfing was shaped by the colonial worldview, with its attendant super-narrative of white cultural and individual superiority, marginalisation of non-white traditions, and disrespect for others’ values and practices. The period can be divided into two phases. The first extended from 1849 to 1920 with pioneering novels by Herman Melville, R. M. Ballantyne and others, including Jack London’s ‘The Kanaka Surf’ (1916), the long short story which we claim brought surf fiction to a new-found maturity in terms of cultural respect. The second phase, from 1921 to 1940, included lesser writers Stuart Martin, Don Blanding and Claude La Belle whose novels continued to trace the white world’s attempt to come to terms with the cultural and racial influence that surfing had begun to exert. Most surf-depicting fiction in this first 90 years was set in Hawaii and written in the Adult Adventure or Boys Adventure genres. This article examines how early surf fiction traced the impact of indigenous-based surfing on imperial-based white thinking, and proposes that some creative writers were sensitive to the on-going cultural appropriation of surfing and the lessons surfing could teach the colonialists about individual, racial and cultural respect. When the earliest creative writers tried to surf, they admitted they were inferior, but they admired Pacific Islander expertise. During the first 90 years of surf fiction, the narrative perspective moved from the colonial observer gaze to the participant view. Fiction sought to outline the growing Western awareness that surfing would be a key influence on cross-cultural thinking.
Are We Prepared for the Third Wave? - Knowledge, Attitude and Practice towards COVID-19 among Medical Practitioners in India
Authors: Kumar. S Lokesh , P Nirosha.
Published: September 2021

Background: The second wave of the COVID Pandemic spread like wildfire, wreaking havoc on the healthcare system. Medical practitioners must have sufficient knowledge and practice to avoid getting infected and to limit the danger of disease transmission among patients. We conducted this study to assess the current Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice towards COVID-19 among medical practitioners in India.
Methods: An online cross-sectional questionnaire based study on COVID-19 was conducted among Medical practitioners using snowball sampling technique over 1 month period (16th April 2021 to 15th May 2021). Knowledge, Attitude, Practice score relation to independent variables and correlation between scores were analyzed.
Results: Out of 306 responses assessed, The Mean Knowledge score was 55.2±10.5 and 52.9% had Knowledge above the mean. Overall attitude score was 62.5±23.1, Only 46.4 % were confident in managing a COVID patient. The Overall practice score was 89.8±16 which is better compared to Knowledge and attitude. A statistically significant (p=0.04) higher knowledge was observed among Postgraduates. Males (p=0.03) and older people (p =0.002) had better attitude. Superspecialists had statistically significant better practice (p=0.006). Knowledge and attitude score correlation (p=0.03), symptom spread vs treatment outcome score difference (p=0.0005) were statistically significant.
Conclusion: Only half of the medical practitioners had good Knowledge about COVID 19. Only less than half had confidence in managing COVID patients and also there was a lacuna in PPE usage. A unified treatment protocol and periodic training could improve clinical knowledge. Stronger healthcare and positive reinforcement of preventive practices could help in better handling of the pandemic in the future.

Keywords: COVID-19, Pandemic, Knowledge, Attitude, Practice, Medical Practitioners, India, second wave
Efficacy of FNAC in Diagnosis of Breast Lumps -
A Retrospective Study
Authors: Maurya Oankar Kumar , . Richa , Lal Manohar
Published: September 2021

Background: FNAC is an established and highly accurate method for diagnosis of breast lesions. Its further advantage is to give rapid diagnosis, cost-effectiveness, excellent patient acceptance and minimal or no morbidity. The study aimed to diagnose various breast masses before operation by FNAC and to compare the result of FNAC with histopathological study to assess the efficacy of FNAC.
Materials and Methods: The study entitled “Efficacy of FNAC in diagnosis of Breast Lumps” is a retrospective study conducted in department of surgery with collaboration of pathology department at Nalanda Medical College and Hospital, Patna during the period of July 2017 to December 2019. During this period, 150 FNAC cases were selected for study.
Results: Fibroadenoma was the most commonly diagnosed entity in benign breast lesions, followed by fibrocystic disease. Among malignant lesions, infiltrating ductal carcinoma was the most common. The overall diagnostic accuracy of FNAC in benign breast lesions was 94.59%. The fibroadenomas were correctly diagnosed in 92.96% cases. There were 5.41% false negative results in our series. There was no false positive result giving specificity of 100%.
Conclusion: FNAC is an inexpensive, simple, safe and readily acceptable procedure to the patient and plays main role to provide rapid and accurate diagnosis of breast lumps. FNAC enables us to differentiate benign from malignant lesions with high sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic accuracy.

Keywords: Breast Lump, FNAC, HPE: Histopathological Examination.
Analysis of Indihome Competitive Advantage Strategy PT Telkom Indonesia (Tbk) Witel Medan
Authors: Budhiman Alfiqri Imam , Rini Endang Sulistya , . Fadli
Published: September 2021

Reflecting on the conditions with very tight business competition in the telecommunications and internet industry in Indonesia, this directly requires Telkom to implement an appropriate competitive strategy in managing its business. PT Telkom Indonesia has an internet service product that is Indihome. Indihome service products are considered not to pay attention to network quality, service quality and price, so research on Indihome competitive advantage strategy is needed. The purpose of this study was to analyze product quality, service quality and price on the competitive advantage of Indihome PT Telkom Indonesia Witel Medan. This type of research uses a descriptive verification method with a quantitative approach and uses 100 samples. This research uses qualitative and quantitative data types. The results of this study are product quality, service quality and price have a positive and significant effect on competitive advantage and the higher the product quality, service quality and price provided, the more competitive ad-vantage of IndiHome.

Keywords: product quality, service quality, price and competitive advantage.
Determinants of Employee’s Research Productivity in Non-Academic Organizations and Building and Validating a Self-Assessment Tool
Authors: Al Amiri Nabeel , Al Qawasmeh Khaled
Published: September 2021

Research is a systematic approach to answering evolving inquiries and creating new knowledge critical for organizational development, competitiveness, and innovation. This study aimed to identify the determinants that affect employee individual research productivity. And to create a reliable and valid measurement tool to assist organizations in identifying employees who are ready to produce research. The authors conducted a comprehensive literature review about the topic, illustrated the relationship between the relevant variables in a model, and tested the tool quantitatively on a sample of 161 nurses at a tertiary hospital in the UAE. The analysis revealed that integration of self-efficacy and self-determination plays a critical role in individual research productivity in non-academic organizations. The study also came up with a reliable and valid tool.
Effect of Glycosylated Hemoglobin with Microalbuminuria and Albumin Creatinine Ratio in Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Indriani Vitasari , Siswandari Wahyu , . Andreas , Lestari Tri
Published: September 2021

Background: Diabetes mellitus has strong correlation with end stage renal disease (ESRD) and responsible for 30-40% of all ESRD cases.This study is focused on assessing the diabetic nephropathy status in patients with type 2 diabetes. Glycated hemoglobin levels over therapeutic targets (>7%) had two times the risk of complications for diabetic nephropathy, ISN recommends the use of microalbuminuria and urinary albumin creatinine ratio (UACR) for early detection of diabetic nephropathy and for monitoring therapy. Objective: This study was conducted to prove the correlation between Glycated Albumin with microalbuminuria and UACR in type 2 diabetes. Methods: Cross sectional study was done in70diabetic type 2 patients who attended PROLANIS program in Primary Health Care from May to November 2018.Detailed medical history including the diabetes duration and relevant clinical examination like FBS, PPBS, HbA1c, urinary creatinineand urinary microalbumin were recorded in each patient.Significance is assessed at 5% level of significance. Results: This study obtained the mean age of the study population was 51.89 ± 6.78 years with female preponderance (51.1%).Mean FBS, PPBS, HbA1c, duration of diabetes, blood pressure, microalbuminuria and urinary creatinine were182.51 ± 74.63 mg/dL, 186.25±26.72 mg/dL, 8.8 ± 1.83%, 9.37±5.96 years, 138.44±14, 13/84.44±19.25 mmHg,30.32±3.2 mg/day and 1.33±0.64 mg/dl respectively.Microalbuminuria (r=0.91, p≤0.05) and UACR (r=0.67, p≤0.05) were positively associated with glycated hemoglobin. Conclusion: It can be concluded that microalbuminuria level and ACR increase in line with the worsening of glycosylated hemoglobin and diabetes duration. Keywords: Albumin Creatinine Ratio; Diabetes; HbA1c; Microalbuminuria
Relationships Between Emotional Intelligence, Mental Skills and Techniques: A Research on Professional Athletes
Authors: Çakiroğlu Temel
Published: September 2021

The purpose of this research is to examine the relationships between the levels of mental skills and techniques of university students, who continue their sports life as licensed in different sports branches, and the emotional intelligence in sports. A total of 169 athletes, 91 male (53.8%) (Mage=25.36±6.06) and 78 female (46.2%) (Mage=23.03±4.98), who continue their professional sports life in different sports branches, voluntarily participated in the research. The research was designed in relational screening model. Personal Information Form, Mental Training Inventory in Sport, and Emotional Intelligence Inventory in Sport, which were created by the researchers, were used as data collection tools within the scope of the research. In the analysis of the data, firstly, the skewness and kurtosis values were checked for the normality assumptions and it was determined that the distribution was normal. In this direction, t-test was used to compare two independent groups, Pearson correlation analysis was used to determine the relationships between the variables, and multiple linear regression analysis was used to determine the power of the independent variables in predicting the dependent variable. When the findings obtained within the scope of the research were examined, it was determined that the emotional intelligence sub-dimensions significantly predicted the components of mental training skills and techniques. In this context, a result was obtained that as the level of emotional intelligence increases, the levels of mental training skills and techniques will also increase. However, when the analyzes for demographic variables were examined within the scope of the research, it was determined that there was a significant difference within the groups. As a result, it is recommended to include programs on emotional intelligence and mental training skills and techniques in the training of athletes in order to achieve the optimal range of sportive performance. Keywords: Emotional Intelligence, Mental Training, Sports
Epidemiologic Survey of Dental Caries Prevalence and Oral Hygiene Status in 3-20-year-old Young Thalassemia Major Children of Lahore, Pakistan
Authors: Anwaar Ali , Chohan Arham Nawaz , Sadiq Muhammad Shairaz , Ahmed Fareed , Rana Adeel Ijaz , Qayum Mirza Bilal A.
Published: September 2021

Background & Objectives: A Cross-sectional study aimed to assess the prevalence of dental caries and oral hygiene status in Thalassemia Major children age ranging in 3-20-year-old undergoing blood transfusion from the Thalassemia Society of Pakistan. Oral hygiene status and dmft scores were compared. Methods & Materials: A total of 117 children from the Thalassemia Society of Pakistan were checked. Three stations were setup for dental check-up and examiners were calibrated. Examination was performed on children sitting comfortability in chairs using sterilised dental mirrors and probes under natural sunlight on modifies version of World Health Organization (WHO) assessment form. Decayed, missing, and filled teeth using DMFT and dmft indices and Oral Hygiene status was recorded as good, fair, and poor. Results: It was found in our study, 73 males (62.4%) and 44 females (37.6 %). mean dmft score for male was 2.25+ 2.87. Female score was 2.64+ 3.26. Overall mean DMFT score 2.39+ 3.02.A strong association was observed between age and DMFT (p=0.001) between Out of the total sample size, two third majority had fair oral hygiene, while the remainder fell into good and poor hygiene category, respectively. Conclusion: Majority of sample population had fair oral hygiene and young age group were more prone to dental caries. Keywords: Thalassemia Major, Dental Caries, Oral Health
Frequency of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and its Risk Factors among MBBS Students of Allama Iqbal Medical College, Lahore
Authors: Tauseef Hafiz Muhammad , Siddque Hafiz Muhammad Waqas , Akhtar Muhammad Farhan , Hurera Abu
Published: September 2021

Background: Currently, there is a growing concern towards epidemiological and clinical research on functional gastrointestinal disorders. Irritable Bowel Syndrome is defined as a functional gastrointestinal disorder characterized by abdominal discomfort, abdominal pain, and altered bowel movements. It is the most common gastrointestinal disorder. It can be diarrhea-predominant IBS, constipation-predominant IBS, and mixed type IBS. Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the frequency of IBS among medical students of Allama Iqbal Medical College and to determine conditions and lifestyle habits that may act as significant risk factors for developing IBS. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted for over 5 months. A sample of 323 individuals was studied whereas the sampled individuals were selected using a "stratified random sampling technique". The study was conducted by collecting data through an online questionnaire during the global COVID pandemic. The questionnaire consisted of three parts. The first section consisted of demographic information, the second section consisted of a standard questionnaire determining the risk factors of IBS i.e., personal food and lifestyle habits, and the last section was aimed at determining whether the person was a case of IBS or not using the widely accepted and used “Rome III Criteria” and determining the predominant pattern of IBS. Results: The frequency of IBS was found to be 15.5%. Analysis of collected data revealed that the predictors for IBS were stress and reduced hours of daily sleep. It was also observed that a positive family history of irritable bowel syndrome predisposed the development of IBS in a person. 30% of subjects with a positive family history of IBS had symptoms suggestive of IBS. Conclusion: The study concludes that there is a high incidence of IBS among medical students because they live under higher stress conditions, concerning their academics and professional duty than students and professionals from other educational fields. Keywords: Irritable bowel syndrome, abdominal pain, stress, food consumption.
Entering the Mental Backstage: Mindfulness and Mind-Wandering among Performing Artists
Authors: Kaur Avneet , T.S Shwetha
Published: September 2021

Existing literature has explored the role of mindfulness and mind-wandering on creative processes. However, it has overlooked the diversity in the creative domains as well as the experience of the artist while accounting for their relationship. In the present study, mindfulness and mind wandering- deliberate and spontaneous were explored among performing artists, i.e. musicians, theatre artists, and dancers. The study also looked at the artists’ experience in their field. After an initial screening using a creativity tool, 66 performing artists were recruited, following which two self-report indices that assessed mind wandering and mindfulness were administered. The data collected was subjected to quantitative data analysis in SPSS. A Oneway ANOVA showed significant effect of the creative domain on mindfulness for the three groups, with a significant difference between musicians and dancers. Among the musicians, a significant negative relationship between mind wandering spontaneous and years of experience was seen. Among the dancers, there was a significant positive association between mind wandering spontaneous, mind wandering deliberate and years of experience. The current study highlighted the need to approach the study of creativity using a contextual perspective. Keywords: Creativity, Dance, Music, Theatre.
Serum Serum Cystatin C vs Creatinine (SCr) as early marker of acute renal dysfunction- A comparative study
Authors: Ahmad Arafat , Ghaffar Usama Bin , Hiware Sanket Dadarao , Taher Ali Mohammed , Wasi Samina
Published: September 2021

Aim: To compare serum creatinine (SCr) and serum cystatin C as early marker of acute kidney dysfunction. Methodology: The present cross sectional observation study consisted of eighty- four ICU admitted patients (critical ill). A randomization of patients into 2 groups was done. Patients with normal kidney functions were put in group 1 while those with impaired kidney functions were in group 2. The estimation of serum creatinine (SCr) and serum cystatin C was done. Mann Whitney U and ch- square test was used for statistical inference. Results: In group 1 patients, mean serum creatinine (SCr) was 0.30± 0.21 mg/dl and in group 2 was 0.56±0.41 mg/dl. Serum cystatin C level in group 1patients found to be 0.42±0.17 mg/l and 1.5±0.68 mg/l in group 2 patients. Accuracy for Cys- C was better than SCr (90% vs 67%). Specificity for SCr was 97% whereas for Cys- C was 95%. Sensitivity for Cys-C was 80% while for SCr was 25%. SCr had PPV of 92% and NPV of 61% and for Cys- C it was 93% and 83% respectively. Conclusion: Serum cystatin C found to be better than serum creatinine for the identification of impairment of kidney functions in critically ill patients. Hence, assessment of Cys-C is of great concern in AKI. Key words: Acute renal failure, serum creatinine, serum, renal impairment