bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
ORGANIC URBAN FARMING PENDUKUNG KETAHANAN PANGAN WILAYAH POKJA KARANGLO INDAH, KECAMATAN BLIMBING, KOTA MALANG
Authors: Sari Perwita Rahmanti Ignatia  , Sunik
Published: December 2023

Abstrak Dalam upaya pemenuhan keamanan dan ketahanan pangan, khususnya di tingkat keluarga, maka pertanian perkotaan secara organik merupakan konsep yang dapat diterapkan di tingkat rumah tangga. Budidaya sayuran secara organik di pekarangan dapat dilakukan oleh ibu rumah tangga karena penerapannya mudah dan sederhana. Upaya untuk mampu menerapkan praktik-praktik budidaya organik harus didukung dengan pengetahuan, pemahaman dan keterampilan. Oleh karena itu perlu diberikan sosialisasi mengenai konsep pertanian perkotaan secara organik, mendemonstrasikan praktik-praktik budidaya organik yang baik dan beberapa pelatihan yang mendukung efektivitas budidaya organik, antara lain pembuatan kompos dan pembuatan insektisida/pestisida secara alami. Kegiatan sosialisasi, demonstrasi plot, dan pelatihan dilakukan di lahan RT 01 RW 04 Kelurahan Balearjosari, Kecamatan Blimbing, Kota Malang. Para peserta merupakan anggota PKK di wilayah tersebut. Hasil yang diperoleh dari kegiatan tersebut adalah peningkatan pengetahuan dan keterampilan dan kemampuan para peserta untuk menerapkan di lahan pekarangan masing-masing sehingga dapat memenuhi keamanan dan ketahanan pangan keluarga.Kata Kunci: ketahanan pangan; pertanian organic; pertanian perkotaanAbstract In an effort to realize food safety and security, especially at the household level, organic urban farming is a concept that can be applied at the household level. Cultivating vegetables organically in the yard can be done by homemakers because it is easy and simple. Efforts to be able to implement organic cultivation practices must be supported by knowledge, understanding and skills. Therefore, it is necessary to provide dissemination regarding the concept of organic urban farming, demonstrate good organic cultivation practices and trainings that support the effectiveness of organic cultivation, including composting and making natural insecticides/pesticides. Dissemination activities, plot demonstration and trainings were carried out on the land of RT 01, RW 04, Balearjosari Village, Blimbing District, Malang City. The participants are PKK members in the area. The results obtained from this activity are an increase in the knowledge, skills and ability of the participants to apply it in their respective yards so that they can fulfill the family's food safety and security.Keywords: food security; organic farming; urban farming
WORKSHOP METODE PEWARTAAN DI ERA DIGITAL BAGI TEAM PEWARTA PAROKI SEMALANG RAYA
Authors: Agustinus Indradi  , Andy Endra Krisna
Published: December 2023

AbstrakSetelah penyelenggaraan Konsili Vatikan II, peran awam sebagai pewarta menjadi semakin jelas.Sikap Gereja juga sangat terbuka dalam menanggapi perkembangan teknologi yang begitu cepat, dandiharapkan bisa dimanfaatkan sebagai media pewartaan yang lebih efektif. Sayangnya, belum semua TimPewarta Paroki mendapat pendidikan yang cukup guna melaksanakan tugas tersebut. Karena hal itulah kegiatanpengabdian kepada masyarakat ini diadakan. Materi pelatihan berisi dua hal, yaitu renungan lisan untukdiunggah via Youtube dan renungan tulis dalam format renungan tiga paragraf (rentigraf). Karena latarbelakang peserta begitu beragam, khususnya dari kemampuan pemannfaatan IT, maka tugas yang diberikanhanya terkait membuat renungan dalam bentuk tulis, yaitu dalam format renungan tiga paragraf. Walaupunbegitu, dari 97 peserta hanya 32 peserta yang mengirimkan renungan tiga paragraf (rentigraf) yang ditugaskandan akhirnya dicetak menjadi Kitab Rentigtaf. Semoga pengalaman peserta yang telah ikut membuat renungantiga paragraf dan telah dibukukan menjadi semangat baru dalam ikut mewartakan ajaran-Nya di era digital ini.Kata kunci: era digital; pewartaan; renungan tiga paragraf (rentigraf)AbstractAfter the holding of the Second Vatican Council, the role of laypeople as evangelists becameincreasingly clear. The Church's attitude is also very open in responding to rapid technological developments,and it is hoped that it can be used as a more effective evangelical media. Unfortunately, not all ParishEvangelist Teams have received sufficient education to carry out this task. That's why this community serviceactivity was held. The training material consists of two things, namely an oral reflection to be uploaded via aYouTube channel and a written reflection in three paragraph reflection (called rentigraf) format. Because theparticipants' backgrounds were so diverse, especially in terms of their ability to use IT, the assignments givenwere only related to writing reflections in written form, namely in a three-paragraph reflection format(rentigraf). Despite this, of the 97 participants, only 32 participants submitted their assigned three-paragraphreflections (rentigraf) which were eventually printed into the Book of Rentigraf. We hope that the experienceof the participants who have participated in the making of the rentigraf book will give them new enthusiasm insharing His teachings in this digital era.Keywords: digital era; proclamation; three paragraph reflection (rentigraf)
سيميائية المكان المغلق في القصة القصيرة عند هيثم نافل والي
Authors: حميد أسماء , علي سلام
Published: December 2023

دراسة سيميائية المكان وانماط الامكنة لها اهمية كبيرة في القصة القصيرة ولاسيما المكان المغلق لما تحمله هذه الامكنة من دلالات وابعاد اجتماعية وسياسية ونفسية تعبر عن وجهة نظر القاص لايصال فكرة معينة او رسالة الى القارىء. تناول هذا البحث دراسة سيميائية المكان المغلق في القصة القصيرة عند هيثم نافل والي في مجاميعة القصصية الثمانية، وهو كاتب وقاص عراقي ولد في بغداد عام 1965م. اهتم كثيرا بأنماط الامكنة في كتابة قصصه القصيرة، عالج القاص من خلالها العديد من القضايا التي عانى منها الفرد العربي بصورة عامة والفرد العراقي بصورة خاصة سواء كان في وطنه او في البلاد التي هاجر اليها بحثا عن وطن بديل عن وطنه الام. قسمنا هذا البحث الى مطلبين: الاول، سيميائية المكان المغلق الأليف في القصة القصيرة . الثاني، سيميائية المكان المغلق المعاد لنصل الى جملة من الاستنتاجات ذكرت في الخاتمة.
مختارات من المسائل الفقهية التي فيها وجهان عند الشافعية في كتاب الجنائز، من كتاب البيان للعمراني(ت:558هـ)_دراسة مقارنة_
Authors: حميد مجيد , حسين علي
Published: December 2023

قبل أن أدخل إلى هذا البحث لا بد من توضيح الأسس التي اعتمدت عليها فيه، والغاية منه، حيث يهدف هذا البحث لجمع بعض المسائل الفقهية ذات الوجهين في المذهب الواحد، في مختارات من المسائل الفقهية في كتاب الجنائز من كتاب البيان للعمراني- رحمه الله تعالى- والترجيح بينهما في مسألة دفن الميت من غير كفن، وتكفين الميت في ثوب مغصوب، وحكم ابتلاع الميت مالاً له في حياته. وكان منهج دراستي قائمًا على عرض المسألة في البداية، ثم ذكر القول الأول، وهو الوجه الأول عند الشافعية، ثم أذكر المذاهب التي وافقت هذا القول، ومن ثم أذكر القول الثاني، وهو الوجه الثاني عند الشافعية، ومن وافق هذا القول وذكر أدلة كل قول، ثم ترجيح المسألة حسب قوة الدليل. وفي الختام أوصي الباحثين وطلاب العلم أن يهتموا بدراسة الأوجه الفقهية ؛ لأنّ فيها ثمرة عظيمة من الآثار الفقهية وهذا ما لمسته أثناء بحثي هذا، ولله الحمد والمنة.
فصل المسموعات من (بلغة المسير) للإمام العلامة برهان الدين الكردي الكوراني (ت1101هـ) دراسة وتحقيق
Authors: احمد عابد , عثمان ئوميد
Published: December 2023

هذا البحث عبارة عن متن وشرح في علم الكلام، أما المتن فهو جزء من منظومة الشيخ صفي الدين القشاشي في أصول الدين، ذكر فيه جملة من الأمور الغيبية التي تعرف بالسمعيات عند المتكلمين، والشرح لتلميذه الملا إبراهيم المعروف ببرهان الكردي الكوراني، وقد أجاد الشارح في بيان ألفاظ المنظومة، وتحرير معانيها، وأفاد في تحقيق المسائل الكلامية النفيسة التي أدرجها في شرح أبياتها.
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF OENOCARPUS BACABA BEFORE AND AFTER DRYING IN THE BRAZILIAN AMAZON REGION
Authors: GONÇALVES ELLEN RYE KUROKE , Da Costa Larissa Mendes , CARVALHO RAFAELA FERREIRA , ANTUNES ARLINDO MODESTO
Published: December 2023

In the state of Pará, the exotic fruit palm trees açaí (Euterpe oleracea) and bacaba (Oenocarpus bacaba Mart) present in the Amazon and Cerrado biome, the largest producer and consumer of bacaba pulp and its derivatives is the state of Pará. The objective of this work is to determine the water content, specific mass and angle of repose of the bacaba seed. The study was developed in the agricultural engineering laboratory, at the Federal Rural University of Amazônia-UFRA, Campus Tomé-Açu, the following physical properties were determined: water content, specific mass and breathing angle before and after drying. It was concluded that the analyzed material presented different physical properties before and after drying and presents a good fluidity angle.
USE OF PASSION FRUIT PEEL FLOUR IN THE MANUFACTURING OF LOAF BREAD
Authors: SANTOS MARCIO RAMATIZ LIMA , Vieira Wesley Rodrigues , Silva Filipe Beserra da , Tomaz Pedro Henrique De Amorim , Almeida Thales Morgado , Pereira Filho Walter José , Arataque Ygor Matias , Dias Gabriel Junio da Silva
Published: December 2023

Brazil is the largest worldwide Passiflora fruit producer producing a peel waste with large potential of use. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of different Passiflora peel flour (PPF) concentrations in addition to loaf bread. The experiment was carried out in the Agro Industry Sector of IF Goiano Ceres from August to November of 2019. The experimental design was totally randomized with four treatments with different concentrations of Passiflora peel flour (0%, 5%, 10% and 15%) and three repetitions. Physicochemical (pH, titratable acidity, humidity, ash), microbiological analysis (total coliforms and thermotolerant coliforms) were carried out at Instrumental and Microbiologic laboratories. Sensory evaluations were performed with 50 non trained panelists to verify acceptance and purchase intention. It was observed a decrease to pH level (varying from 6.06 to 5.39) and to humidity level (from 30.65% to 27.66%) with the addition of PPF. To ash and titratable acidity levels, there was an increase in the observed values with the addition of PPF, varying from 1.04% to 1.36% and from 2.23% to 4.76%, respectively. It was observed a higher acceptance for 0% (80.31%) and 5% (78.16%) PPF treatments. In this way, we conclude that the use of PPF to enrich loaf bread is an alternative to partial substitution of wheat flour for the addition of nutrients and fibers. The microbiological analysis results indicated that all treatments are according to Brazilian legislation. Therefore, passiflora peel flour has potential to be used in loaf bread fabrication, and could be used to substitute the wheat flour up to 5%.

Keywords: bakery, Passiflora edulis, functional food
Body Composition As Indicators of Upper and Lower Limp Anaerobic Power in Men and Women Weightlifters
Authors: TORTU Erkan , DELİCEOĞLU Gökhan , KAYA Selman
Published: December 2023

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between anaerobic power and body composition in weightlifters. A total of 58 weightlifters, 28 females and 30 males, actively competing in national and international competitions participated in the study. Body composition of the weightlifters was determined by bioelectrical impedance analysis method and upper and lower extremity anaerobic power was determined by Wingate test. Data normality was verified using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. A preliminary bivariate correlation analy¬sis was used to assess the association between body composition, lower and upper PP(W), body composition and upper and lower absolute anaerobic power variables were compared using the independent t-test to control within the values of men and women. Gender-specific multiple regressions evaluated whether the body composition was associated with the upper and lower absolute anaerobic power. The alpha level was set at p<0.05 for all the analyses. According to the results of the analysis, there was a difference between the peak power values of men and women. There is a different level (medium-high) relationship between body composition and lower and upper extremity peak power in both men and women. According to linear regression analysis, women and men have high predictive values for lower body peak power and low predictive values for upper extremity. In conclusion, it was determined that men and women use different variables effectively in peak power production. According to research results, monitoring body composition may contribute to the improvement of weight lifters' weight lifting performances.
ASSESSMENT OF THE GREENNESS OF AN ORGANIZATION: BIBLIOMETRIC STUDY AND STRATEGIC DOCUMENT ANALYSIS
Authors: Skačkauskienė Ilona , Smirnova Juliana
Published: December 2023

Purpose – the purpose of the research is to examine possibilities of practical implementation of the guidelines provided in the publicly available strategic documents and initiatives to assess the current situation of an organization in the aspect of greenness.
Research methodology – methods of analysis of the scientific literature, review of strategic documents, bibliometric analysis, and critical evaluation have been applied.
Findings – the need to develop guidelines to assess the greenness of an organization in the scope of the entire organization was identified.
Research limitations – the limited selection of documents for the analysis, because the search of strategic documents relevant to the analyzed topic performed among the publicly available sources in English. Further studies could incorporate an analysis of guidelines and good practices used in different countries presented in other languages.
Practical implications – the results of the research can be used to justify the need to develop guidelines to assess greenness at the scope of the entire organization.
Originality/Value – can be defined by examination guidelines provided in the strategic documents from the perspective of practical applicability in organizations.
Red Giant Rotational Inversion Kernels Need Nonlinear Surface Corrections
Authors: Ong 王 J. M. Joel 加冕
Published: December 2023

Asteroseismology is our only means of measuring the rotations of stars in their interiors, rather than at their surfaces. Some techniques for measurements of this kind—“rotational inversions”—require the shapes of linear response kernels computed from reference stellar models to be representative of those in the stars they are intended to match. This is not the case in evolved stars exhibiting gravitoacoustic mixed modes: we show that the action of the asteroseismic surface term—systematic errors in the modeling of near-surface layers—changes the shapes of their inversion kernels. Corrections for the surface term are not ordinarily considered necessary for rotational inversions. We show how this may have caused previous estimates of red-giant envelope rotation rates from mixed-mode asteroseismic inversions to have been unintentionally contaminated by core rotation as a result, with errors comparable to the entire reported estimates. We derive a mitigation procedure for this hitherto unaccounted systematic error, and demonstrate its viability and effectiveness. We recommend this mitigation be applied when revising existing rotational inversions. Finally, we discuss both the prospects for applying such mitigation to the harder problem of inversions for stellar structure (rather than rotation), as well as the broader implications of this systematic error with regard to the longstanding problem of internal angular momentum transport.
When Coups Occur: Erosion of Democracy in Thailand and Myanmar.
Authors: Seo Junsu
Published: December 2023

It is generally accepted that attempts at coup d'état have decreased since the end of the Cold War. But this does not mean that coup attempts will not occur in the future. With the recent two military coups in Thailand and Myanmar, all the continental states in Southeast Asia have entered authoritarian rules. This article explores when coups possibly occurred in the cases of Thailand in 2014 and Myanmar in 2021 that experienced overthrowing the civilian governments and the rise of the military in power. The Early Warning Signals (EWS) recently endorsed to investigation of the likelihood of military coups and qualitative analysis of collected data on factors affecting such incidents were combined to better explain the situations. From this approach, this article found that Group Grievance and Security Apparatus indicators in the Fragile States Index are important factors leading to the occurrence of military coups in the two countries. Also, from the qualitative analysis, a political culture relying on on iconic political leaders in the two countries has been a negative influence that deludes democratization and challenges civilian rule.
Response of Kenya Security Forces to Terrorist Attacks in the Post-Westgate Period.
Authors: Jirásek David
Published: December 2023

The article describes how Kenya, through its security forces, responded to significant terrorist attacks carried out by terrorist organization Al-Shabaab on the territory of Kenya alongside how those attacks contributed to the development of counter-terrorism measures. The measures are analyzed from a legislative, technical and security point of view. The article is based on a conceptual analysis of P.C. Sederberg, combined with the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and argues that three significant terrorist attacks on Westgate in 2013, Garissa in 2015 and Dusit D2 in 2019 were key factors of the development and adoption of complex counter-terrorism measures. Those measures were based on the adoption of appropriate laws, development of the institutional structure and implementation of military and police counter-terrorism measures. However, changes were gradual, reactive instead of proactive. The country has learned to build the state’s capacity to combat terrorism but struggled with conflict prevention and respect for the rule of law. It succeeded with a build-up of counter-terrorism security forces able to respond effectively and on time. But, finding and eliminating the causes of the conflict, they were far behind. All three significant terrorist attacks showed the need for an appropriate combination of counter-terrorism measures. They cannot be put in use separately, otherwise, it can lead to unintended results.
Establishing a Nursing Student Learning Center for Women's Reproductive health in Nepal
Authors: Knecht Suzanne
Published: December 2023

The goal of this paper is to describe the establishment of a self-sustaining Student Learning Center (SLC) employing humanistic anatomical models to aid in the teaching of family planning and reproductive health clinical skills to nursing students in Nepal. In response to a local needs assessment a plan was developed to implement more thorough training of nursing students in family planning clinical skills. Nepalese nursing leaders worked together with a U.S. Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) to implement this project. This paper details the need for the SLCs, the content and structure of the SLCs, and the process of establishing an SLC at Tribhuvan University, Maharjgunj Nursing Campus in Kathmandu, the largest of all nursing campuses in Nepal.
Clinical Screening and Intervention in Cases of Partner Violence
Authors: Griffin Michael , Koss Mary
Published: December 2023

Partner violence is a long-term health risk factor that can potentially have far-reaching, negative consequences on both those abused and their loved ones. The term "partner" is used to define opposite and same sex couples who are in relationships on a continuum ranging from casually dating to marriage. Partner violence includes physical, sexual, psychological, and economic abuse, as well as stalking behaviors. Even though the American Medical Association recommends screening for partner violence at multiple levels, there are many shortcomings of the current screening and intervention practice. Several factors facilitating the ineffectiveness of current practice include a lack of information related to the prevalence, duration, and severity of partner violence; physician's misguided beliefs regarding a victim's desire to disclose; and barriers that the victim faces when deciding whether to disclose partner violence. This article addresses these shortcomings and identifies nurses as an invaluable resource that has been under-utilized for screening and responding to partner violence. Also highlighted is one technique know by the acronym "RADAR" that is designed to address issues of both screening and intervention. Finally, resources for both health care practitioners and victims of abuse are provided.
GridlockED as an Intervention for Nurses (GAAIN) Study
Authors: Chan Teresa M. , Bodnariuc Nicole , Nandeesha Nandini , Kodis Jennifer , O'Connor Clare , Mondoux Shawn , Pardhan Alim , Chen Ruth
Published: December 2023

Background:

GridlockED (The Game Crafter, LLC) is a serious game that was developed to teach challenges that face nursing and medical professionals in the emergency department (ED). However, few studies have explored nurses' perceptions of the utility, fidelity, acceptability, and applicability of the serious game modality. This study examined how ED nurses view GridlockED as a continuing education platform.

Method:

This single-center observational study explored how nurses engage with and respond to Grid-lockED. The convenience sample included participants recruited from a local continuing nursing education day. Participants completed a presurvey, engaged in a full game play session with the GridlockED game for approximately 45 minutes, and immediately completed a post-game play survey.

Results:

Of the 48 participants (11 male, 37 female; 44 of 48 were RNs), most (91%) agreed that the workflow reflected in the game was equivalent to the flow in a typical ED. Almost all (96%) found the cases in the game reflective of real ED patients, and most (92%) found the game a useful educational tool to prepare new nurses to transition into the ED environment.

Conclusion:

The GridlockED game shows potential as a serious game to support nursing education, particularly for new ED nurse orientation and transition to ED practice.

[
J Contin Educ Nurs
. 2024;55(5):231–238.]
Understanding Convolutional Neural Network With TensorFlow
Authors: Ravikumar Aswathy , Sriraman Harini
Published: December 2023

In academia and business, deep-learning-based models have exhibited extraordinary performance over the last decade. The learning potential of Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) derives from a combination of several feature extraction levels that completely use a vast quantity of input. CNN is an important technique for tackling computer vision issues, although the theories behind its processing efficacy are not yet completely understood. CNN has achieved cutting-edge performance on a variety of datasets in computer vision applications like remote sensing, medical image categorization, facial detection, and object identification. This is due to the efficiency with which they process visual features. This chapter presents the most significant advancements in CNN for efficient processing in computer vision, including convolutional layer configurations, pooling layer approaches, network activation functions, loss functions, normalization approaches, and CNN optimization techniques.
The Future of Artificial Intelligence in Blockchain Applications
Authors: Tyagi Amit Kumar , Tiwari Shrikant
Published: December 2023

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain technologies represents a powerful synergy with the potential to revolutionize various industries. This chapter explores the promising future of AI in blockchain applications, shedding light on the significant impacts, challenges, and opportunities it offers. AI's capabilities in data analysis, pattern recognition, and automation find natural alignment with blockchain's immutable, transparent, and decentralized ledger technology. The chapter examines several key use cases where AI and blockchain intersect, including supply chain management, healthcare, finance, and smart contracts. It also discusses the challenges of scalability, data privacy, and regulatory compliance, and how AI can address or mitigate these issues. Furthermore, the chapter highlights the opportunities for innovation and disruption in emerging AI-powered blockchain applications, such as self-executing smart contracts, fraud detection, and identity verification.
Anti-Vaccination in the Post-Truth Era
Authors: Ege Övünç
Published: December 2023

Science denialism, or the decline/loss of trust in scientific knowledge, is related to losing the value of truth as a phenomenon, the post-truth era is a period in which truth is devalued and fluid. This study reveals the relationship between this concept, which permeates a wide range of areas from political discourses to daily life practices, and the pandemic, which is a global crisis. It also seeks to reveal how the pandemic reproduces hegemonic relations. This study addresses the relationship between the post-truth era and anti-vaccination and aims to understand how anti-vaccine individuals view COVID-19 vaccines. The study included in-depth interviews with five vaccine opponents. There were found to be recurring themes in the interview data. One of the core ideas of post-truth, science denialism, was used to investigate these issues. The hierarchy between classes, the prominent theme in the data collected from the opponents of vaccination, was analyzed with a critical perspective.
Emotional Intelligence and Psychological Contract
Authors: Kalia Namrita
Published: December 2023

Emotional intelligence has evolved to be a major psychological construct. It provides the ability to monitor one's own and others' feelings and emotions and use this information for guiding one' s thinking and actions. There are different factors which help employees build up on emotional intelligence parameters. Psychological contract is one among them. It involves employees' opinion about the common obligation they have for the job and their employers. The outcome of the two variables is organizational commitment. It prevails when an employee is emotionally linked to the workplace. This research aims to study interactive association of emotional intelligence and psychological contract with organizational commitment in banking industry. Four psychological construct variables and components of organizational commitment will be identified for research. The study aims to identify possible links between emotional intelligence, psychological contract, and organizational commitment so that efficiency of employee can be increased manifold.
The Evolution of Human Resources Management in the Post-Pandemic World
Authors: Príncipe Joanne
Published: December 2023

The impact of COVID-19 on multigenerational organizations is evolving, and work-life dynamics are transforming rapidly. Due to immense generational shifts, organizations are finding the need to enable the transfer of leadership to younger people in the post-pandemic workforce in record numbers. Currently, an estimated 10,000 “Baby Boomers” are retiring from the workforce daily. This calamity makes the Millennials and Generation Z-ers the largest generations in history. Hence, this means these two generations will potentially constitute more than half of the eligible voters in the USA by 2036. Thereby, it behooves human resources management (HRM) practitioners, scholars, and leaders to build a deeper understanding of changing intergenerational models based on the voices, perspectives, and practices that impact enhancements of employee engagement and productivity toward growing resilient, holistically intelligent future leaders. As Industry 5.0 emerges, resilient holistic leaders in healthy multigenerational organizations are instrumental in positively impacting the post-pandemic workplace.
A Potent View on the Effects of E-Learning
Authors: Eliyas Sherin , Ranjana P.
Published: December 2023

Due to the pandemic, there has been a drastic change in the advancement of online learning platforms. This article will help us understand the reasons for the increase and decrease of using online learning platforms. Based on the research conducted, it was observed that almost the majority of the students (48.4%) have not completed the enrolled course. Few of the students have come at least halfway (14.5%) to the completion of the course. And the rest of the students (37.1%) responsibly completed the enrolled course; almost half the students who haven't completed the course indicated that the main barrier faced among the students is the lack of interaction (36.7%).
Advancing Sustainability
Authors: Kremmydas Christakis , Kostis Pantelis C.
Published: December 2023

This research focuses on sustainable consumption and production (SCP) to balance economic growth with ecological preservation. It assesses Greek consumers' attitudes, satisfaction, and knowledge about green products through questionnaires, analyzing the interplay of these factors in consumer satisfaction and highlighting the role of awareness in the green market. The study also compares these findings with Romanian consumer behavior to understand cultural and socioeconomic influences. Results show that positive attitudes towards green products and access to information significantly enhance consumer satisfaction, a trend consistent across different cultures. However, a lack of sustainability knowledge among youth presents an educational opportunity. The study advocates for strategic educational efforts to support SCP, emphasizing the need for well-informed product design, fair pricing, and clear communication to promote sustainable consumer habits, contributing to the broader SCP discourse and guiding future sustainable economy policies.
Comparative Analysis of Energy Production and Simulation Software for Photovoltaic Systems in Multiple Moroccan Sites
Authors: Faouzi Younes , El Fatni Omkaltoume , Maftouh Abderrahim , Laarabi Bouchra , Barhdadi Abdelfettah
Published: December 2023

This paper presents a comprehensive study conducted as part of the Propre.ma's project, comparing data from several identical photovoltaic systems installed at multiple sites in Morocco. The project capitalizes on twenty distinct locations equipped with the same solar photovoltaic system and three varieties of solar modules (Mono-si, Poly-si, and Amorphous-si) with nearly identical rated power (2kWp) and a standardized 2 kW inverter. The main objectives are to compare the energy production of different solar photovoltaic systems over two years (2015 to 2016) and to assess the performance of PVsyst and SAM simulation software, renowned for their precision. The study reveals that Mono-si and Poly-si systems produce higher energy outputs than Amorphous-si. Moreover, PVsyst demonstrates closer alignment with real-world energy production rates across all technologies (Mono-si, Poly-si, and Amorphous-si) compared to SAM. This research represents a pioneering effort in evaluating simulation software for photovoltaic systems deployed across multiple sites, providing valuable insights for future solar energy projects and technological advancements.
Effect of Water Cooling on the Microhardness of Friction Stir Welded High-Density Polyethylene Sheets: Experimental Study
Authors: Moulai Ali Boudjellel , Bouha Djilali , Kaou Abdellah , Ould Chikh El Bahri , Meddah Hadj Miloud , Bouha Athmane Khalifa
Published: December 2023

The objective of the current work is to analyze the influence of water cooling of high density polyethylene (HDPE) sheet welding by friction stir process (FSW) on mechanical strength, based on microhardness tests. In the present work, the process using the conventional tool (C-FSW) is presented with the new procedure developed for FSW for HDPE, called water conventional friction stir welding (W-FSW). Test results for water-cooled and non-cooled welded samples were compared. HDPE sheets were initially welded by FSW process, and intensive water cooling was performed to weld after the tool exceeded the initial welding position by 30mm. The tool rotation speed of 1100 rpm and welding speed of 26 mm/min was used. The results were compared and evaluated with the hardness tests. A decrease in the hardness was observed when the sheets were treated by quenching, especially in the weld cores. It was found that the average hardness was much lower than that of untreated welded plates. Additionally, there is a region outside the core that has more or less the same stiffness value. The use of intensive quenching and conventional tooling has proven to be of great importance in improving surface finish, reducing defects, and increasing the mechanical strength of welds. The resulting recrystallization modified the hardness and thus increased the efficiency of the joint. These findings indicate the welding quality of the studied polyethylene.
Analyses of length-weight, length-length relationships, and condition factor of Frigate tuna, Auxis thazard, collected from coastal fishing boats: a study on Negombo fishery harbour, west coast of Sri Lanka
Authors: Rathnayaka A. P. H. B. , Perera H. A. C. C.
Published: December 2023

Auxis thazard (Frigate tuna) is one of the commercially important neritic tuna species found in Sri Lankan waters. Even though frigate tuna contributes a higher percentage than the total tuna production income of the country, less information is available related to the biometric parameters due to the lack of studies based on this migratory species. Therefore, this study mainly focuses on length-weight relationship (LWR), length-length relationship (LLR) and the condition factor of A. thazard focusing mainly on the Western coast of Sri Lanka. The study was carried out from July 2021 to December 2021 collecting 214 A. thazard fish from the fishermen. Based on the results, the LWR was W= 0.0038TL3.3889. The pooled ‘b’ value 3.3889 indicated positive allometric growth (b > 3, t-test, p < 0.05) confirming A. thazard in the West Coast are in a suitable, healthy environment. The K value 1.51 ± 0.17 indicated relatively healthy condition in fish. The LLRs were highly correlated (r2 > 0.951; P < 0.001). The FishBase reports length at first maturity as 29.5 cm. The percentage below 29.5 cm included 17.29%. Therefore, continuous monitoring of fish landings is recommended for a sustainable fishery.
Antioxidant and sun screening activity of Mangifera zeylanica bark extracts
Authors: Gunawardana S. L. A. , Siriwardana M. A. , Sirimuthu N. M. S. , Gunasekara T. D. C. P.
Published: December 2023

Mangifera zeylanica is an indigenous plant in Sri Lanka with a rich history in traditional medicine. The bark of this plant, collected from two distinct regions of the country, has been explored in this study for its potential as a source of antioxidants and sun protection agents. Methanolic and aqueous extracts, and their separated fractions obtained from column chromatographic separation, were investigated. Phytochemical analysis of the extracts revealed the presence of flavonoids and polyphenols. Methanolic inner bark extracts collected from two regions and aqueous extract of inner bark collected from Rambukkana exhibited lower IC50 values of 7.378, 17.56 and 16.82 μg/mL while the separated fraction 01 of methanolic inner bark extracts of Galle and Rambukkana have also shown lower IC50 values of 11.71 and 13.00 μg/mL showing their potent antioxidant activity. Moreover, the methanolic inner bark extracts of Galle and Rambukkana exhibited a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 30.97 ± 0.11 and 29.88 ± 0.02 at the concentration of 1024 μg/mL. Among the separated fractions, fraction 01 of these extracts possessed the highest Sun Protection Factors of 30.19 ± 1.35 and 30.63 ± 0.19. The findings suggest that chemical compounds separated into fraction 01 are responsible for their sun protection activity and antioxidant activity. These findings underline the potential of fraction 01 methanolic extracts of M. zeylanica bark extracts as valuable sources of antioxidants and sun protection agents.
Platelets-rich-plasma in management of non operative post cruciate ligament injury
Authors: Messina Giuseppe , Cataldo Pietro , Mantia Francesco , Iovane Eleonora Maria , Mantia Carlotta , Terrasi Micol , Iovane Angelo
Published: December 2023

Posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) injury is a rare ligamentous knee injury which most commonly occurs due to direct trauma; it represents only 0.65% of knee injuries. On the basis of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), PCL injury is divided into surgical and non-surgical. In the last few years we have witnessed an increasing interest in regenerative medicine. The use of innovative techniques allow the reduction of rehabilitation times in sports injuries. Platelet-Rich-Plasma (PRP) is a plasma-derived which stimulate the tissue repair. The objective of our work is to compare the rehabilitation times in PCL non-operative injuries treated with standard conservative treatment and PCL injuries treated with autologous PRP followed by rehabilitation program. We divided patients into two different groups: Group A formed by patients who underwent a standard conservative rehabilitation program and Group B which included patients treated by ultrasound guided PRP injection and following physiotherapy program. Both groups of patients resumed sports activities; however the rehabilitation times for patients which had undergone treatment with autologous PRP injection were reduced compared to patients who underwent a standard conservative treatment.
The study of trends in mortality of respiratory system cancers in Babol, North of Iran (2013-2021)
Authors: Hosseini-Berneti Seyed-Hossein , Karami Mohsen , Bayani Fatemeh , Moghaddasi Mehdi , Babazade Ozra , Ebrahimi Pouyan , Nikbakht Hossein-Ali
Published: December 2023

Background: In Iran, cancers are known as the second leading cause of death, among which respiratory system cancers are particularly important because lung cancer is the second most common cause of death in this country. This study aimed to estimate the crude and age-standardized mortality and its trends during 9 years in the northern city of Iran, Babol.Methods: In this cross-sectional study, all the recorded deaths due to respiratory system cancers in Babol during the years 2013-2021 on the Classification of Causes of Deaths and Death Registration System of Babol University of Medical Sciences were taken into consideration, and the population estimate was based on the latest census. Finally, the crude and age-standardized rates of mortality and trends of cancer incidents were calculated.Results: In general, 393 deaths with an overall mean age of 67.8±3.9 years have happened due to respiratory system cancers. The crude and standardized rates of respiratory system cancers increased from 6.5 and 5.5 per hundred thousand people in 2013 to 9.1 and 7.8 per hundred thousand people in 2021, respectively. With each decade in age, their trends increased significantly in men (p=0.024) and remained constant in women (p=0.262). In examining the trend of respiratory system cancers, we found an increasing trend for lung cancer and a constant trend for larynx and oropharynx cancers. There was also a decreasing trend for hypopharyngeal cancer.Conclusions: The age-standardized rate and trend of respiratory system cancers are increasing. Therefore, it is important to prevent their prevalence by reducing the risk factors and increasing the general awareness of risks and timely diagnosis.
Extension of monotone operators and Lipschitz maps invariant for a group of isometries
Authors: Cavagnari Giulia , Savaré Giuseppe , Sodini Giacomo Enrico
Published: December 2023

We study monotone operators in reflexive Banach spaces that are invariant with respect to a group of suitable isometric isomorphisms, and we show that they always admit a maximal extension which preserves the same invariance. A similar result applies to Lipschitz maps in Hilbert spaces, thus providing an invariant version of Kirszbraun–Valentine extension theorem. We then provide a relevant application to the case of monotone operators in
$L^{p}$
-spaces of random variables which are invariant with respect to measure-preserving isomorphisms, proving that they always admit maximal dissipative extensions which are still invariant by measure-preserving isomorphisms. We also show that such operators are law invariant, a much stronger property which is also inherited by their resolvents, the Moreau–Yosida approximations, and the associated semigroup of contractions. These results combine explicit representation formulae for the maximal extension of a monotone operator based on self-dual Lagrangians and a refined study of measure-preserving maps in standard Borel spaces endowed with a nonatomic measure, with applications to the approximation of arbitrary couplings between measures by sequences of maps.
Weak commutativity, virtually nilpotent groups, and Dehn functions
Authors: Bridson Martin R. , Kochloukova Dessislava H.
Published: December 2023

The group

\mathfrak{X}(G)

is obtained from

G\ast G

by forcing each element

g

in the first free factor to commute with the copy of

g

in the second free factor. We make significant additions to the list of properties that the functor

\mathfrak{X}

is known to preserve. We also investigate the geometry and complexity of the word problem for

\mathfrak{X}(G)

. Subtle features of

\mathfrak{X}(G)

are encoded in a normal abelian subgroup

W<\mathfrak{X}(G)

that is a module over

\mathbb{Z} Q

, where

Q= H_1(G,\mathbb{Z})

. We establish a structural result for this module and illustrate its utility by proving that

\mathfrak{X}

preserves virtual nilpotence, the Engel condition, and growth type – polynomial, exponential, or intermediate. We also use it to establish isoperimetric inequalities for

\mathfrak{X}(G)

when

G

lies in a class that includes Thompson's group

F

and all non-fibred Kähler groups. The word problem is soluble in

\mathfrak{X}(G)

if and only if it is soluble in

G

. The Dehn function of

\mathfrak{X}(G)

is bounded below by a cubic polynomial if

G

maps onto a non-abelian free group.
Rigidity and flexibility of isometric extensions
Authors: Cao Wentao , Inauen Dominik
Published: December 2023

In this paper we consider the rigidity and flexibility of

C^{1, \theta}

isometric extensions. We show that the Hölder exponent

\theta_0=\frac12

is critical in the following sense: if

u\in C^{1,\theta}

is an isometric extension of a smooth isometric embedding of a codimension one submanifold

\Sigma

and

\theta> \frac12

, then the tangential connection agrees with the Levi-Civita connection along

\Sigma

. On the other hand, for any

\theta<\frac12

we can construct

C^{1,\theta}

isometric extensions via convex integration which violate such property. As a byproduct we get moreover an existence theorem for

C^{1, \theta}

isometric embeddings,

\theta<\frac12

, of compact Riemannian manifolds with

C^1

metrics and sharper amount of codimension.
A pro-$p$ version of Sela’s accessibility and Poincaré duality pro-$p$ groups
Authors: Castellano Ilaria , Zalesskii Pavel A.
Published: December 2023

We prove a pro-

p

version of Sela’s theorem (1997) stating that a finitely generated group is

k

-acylindrically accessible. This result is then used to prove that

\mathrm{PD}^{n}

pro-

p

groups admit a unique

k

-acylindrical JSJ-decomposition.
On amenable and coamenable coideals
Authors: Anderson-Sackaney Benjamin
Published: December 2023

We study relative amenability and amenability of a right coideal

\widetilde{N}_{P}\subseteq \ell^{\infty}(\mathbb{G})

of a discrete quantum group in terms of its group-like projection

P

. We establish a notion of a

P

-left invariant state and use it to characterize relative amenability. We also develop a notion of coamenability of a compact quasi-subgroup

N_{\omega}\subseteq L^{\infty}(\widehat{\mathbb{G}})

that generalizes coamenability of a quotient as defined by Kalantar, Kasprzak, Skalski, and Vergnioux (2022), where

\widehat{\mathbb{G}}

is the compact dual of

\mathbb{G}

. In particular, we establish that the coamenable compact quasi-subgroups of

\widehat{\mathbb{G}}

are in one-to-one correspondence with the idempotent states on the reduced

C^{*}

-algebra

C_{r}(\widehat{\mathbb{G}})

. We use this work to obtain results for the duality between relative amenability and amenability of coideals in

\ell^{\infty}(\mathbb{G})

and coamenability of their codual coideals in

L^{\infty}(\widehat{\mathbb{G}})

, making progress towards a question of Kalantar et al.
Existence of two non-zero weak solutions for a $p(\cdot)$-biharmonic problem with Navier boundary conditions
Authors: Bonanno Gabriele , Chinnì Antonia , Rădulescu Vicenţiu D.
Published: December 2023

In this paper, the existence of non-trivial weak solutions for some problems with Navier boundary conditions driven by the

p(\cdot)

-biharmonic operator is investigated. The proofs combine variational methods with topological arguments.
Surveillance of Flea-Borne Typhus in California, 2011–2019
Authors: Yomogida Kyle , Kjemtrup Anne , Martínez-López Beatriz , Ibrahim Mireille , Contreras Zuelma , Ngo Van , Halai Umme-Aiman , Balter Sharon , Feaster Matt , Zahn Matthew , Shearer Eric , Sorvillo Rochelle , Balanji Nora , Torres Cindy , Prado Belinda , Porse Charsey , Kramer Vicki
Published: December 2023

Flea-borne typhus (FBT), also referred to as murine typhus, is an acute febrile disease in humans caused by the bacteria Rickettsia typhi. Currently, cases of FBT are reported for public health surveillance purposes (i.e., to detect incidence and outbreaks) in a few U.S. states. In California, healthcare providers and testing laboratories are mandated to report to their respective local public health jurisdictions whenever R. typhi or antibodies reactive to R. typhi are detected in a patient, who then report cases to state health department. In this study, we characterize the epidemiology of flea-borne typhus cases in California from 2011 to 2019. A total of 881 cases were reported during this period, with most cases reported among residents of Los Angeles and Orange Counties (97%). Demographics, animal exposures, and clinical courses for case patients were summarized. Additionally, spatiotemporal cluster analyses pointed to five areas in southern California with persistent FBT transmission.
Positive Toxoplasma IgG Serology Is Associated with Increased Overall Mortality – A Propensity Score–Matched Analysis
Authors: Montalbano Gabrielle , Kung Vanessa M. , Franco-Paredes Carlos , Vargas Barahona Lilian , Chastain Daniel B. , Tuells Jose , Henao-Martínez Andrés F. , Montoya José G. , Reno Elaine
Published: December 2023

Toxoplasma gondii is a prevalent parasitic disease with significant morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised populations. We lack long-term outcomes for latent infections. We aimed to elucidate the relationship between latent T. gondii infection and mortality risk. We queried TriNetX, a international multicenter network, to validate mortality risk differences among patients with positive or negative toxoplasma IgG through propensity score matching (PSM). We excluded patients with toxoplasmosis disease by International Classification of Diseases codes or polymerase chain reaction testing. We found 28,138 patients with available toxoplasma IgG serology. Seropositive patients were older and had a male preponderance. More seropositive patients identified as Hispanic, Latino, or Black persons. Patients who were positive for T. gondii IgG serology were slightly more likely to have underlying heart failure, a transplanted organ or tissue, malignant neoplasms of lymphoid or hematopoietic tissues, and diseases of the nervous system than seronegative controls. After PSM of patients with positive (N = 6,475) and negative (N = 6,475) toxoplasma IgG serologies, toxoplasmosis-positive patients were more likely to have long-term drug use but less likely to suffer from behavioral disorders. The overall PSM 1- and 5-year mortality was higher among patients with a positive toxoplasma IgG serology. The risk of schizophrenia was increased at 5 years. We found a prevalence of toxoplasma IgG positivity of 0.03% during the last 3 years. Latent T. gondii associates with a higher overall mortality risk. The study of social determinants of health and follow-up studies are necessary to corroborate the findings and find possible causal mechanisms.