bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Predicting clinical entry point for thoracic epidural catheter insertion during paramedian approach: A prospective observational study
Authors: Deshmukh Bhakti Y. , Shetmahajan Madhavi G. , Bakshi Sumitra G. , Jain Parmanand
Published: April 2024

Background and Aims:

Thoracic epidural insertion has high failure rates in the mid-thoracic region due to steep angulation of oblique bending of spinous processes. The preferred skin puncture point for epidural needle insertion in the paramedian sagittal plane with respect to the superior/inferior tip of spinous process or inter-spinous cleft in the mid-thoracic region (T5-8) is not standard. The primary objective of this prospective observational study was to find the skin puncture point which had the best success rate for a successful epidural catheterization. Secondary objectives were to study the number of attempts and passes required to locate epidural space, incidence of failed epidural, and its relationship with patient characteristics and demographics.

Material and Methods:

After informed consent, 155 patients planned for general anesthesia with epidural analgesia in the mid-thoracic region were included in the trial. Patient demographics, the details of epidural attempts with respect to anatomical landmarks, distance from the midline, and number of passes in each attempt were noted. Epidural catheterization was considered successful after demonstrating dermatomal band of sensory blockade.

Results:

The success rate at different skin puncture sites was not statistically significant (P = 0.58). We found a failure rate of 12.9%. Failed epidural catheterization was significantly high in the age group >56 years (n = 62 and P = 0.007).

Conclusion:

In our study, none of the skin puncture points had a significant association with successful epidural insertion in mid-thoracic segments using a para-median approach.
Testicular Regression Syndrome: Histopathological Evaluation of 20 cases from Rural India with Review of Literature
Authors: Pol Jaydeep N. , Deshmukh Sayali , Bhosale Anand , Hombalkar Priya , Dugad Vivek , Chaudhari Pallavi S. , Bindu Rajan S. , Awake Praneet , Patrike Sneha
Published: April 2024

ABSTRACT

Context:

Testicular regression syndrome (TRS), clinically termed “vanishing testes,” is a condition with atrophy of testes in late fetal or early neonatal life. The spermatic cord ends blindly or into a small fibrovascular nubbin. Histopathology reveals a fibrovascular nodule with associated hemosiderin-laden macrophages and dystrophic calcification. Few cases show the presence of seminiferous tubules and germ cells. The presence of germ cells is associated with the risk of developing a testicular germ cell tumor.

Aims:

To study the histopathological features of testicular nubbins and to determine the presence of germ cells and associated neoplasm.

Settings and Design:

It is a retro-prospective observational study carried out on patients referred to a pediatric surgical pathology center in Miraj, who were clinically diagnosed with undescended testis, over a period of 1 year. Data were collected after the study was approved by the IEC-MGCH on December 19, 2022.

Materials and Methods:

Twenty patients diagnosed with cryptorchidism, undescended testis, or atrophic testis were included. Findings of hematoxylin and eosin-stained slides of each case were noted, and Prussian Blue (special staining) was performed in four cases.

Statistical analysis used:

As this is a descriptive observational study, simple arithmetic calculations were performed. No unique statistical analysis was performed.

Results:

Among twenty cases of vanishing testes syndrome, 20 cases showed fibrovascular tissue only, and 1 case showed the presence of seminiferous tubules with Sertoli cells.

Conclusions:

Vanishing testes syndrome is a rare condition that is difficult to diagnose on clinical examination, and a definitive diagnosis may be missed if the pathologist is unaware of the condition. Also, there is a risk of germ cell tumor if there are residual germ cells in the testicular nubbin.
Renal Doppler Velocimetric Indices among Adult Seropositive Viral Hepatitis Patients Attending Tertiary Care Facility in Kano State, Nigeria
Authors: Yau Zubaida S. , Sidi Muhammad , Garba Idris , Lawal Yusuf , Suwaid Mohammad A.
Published: April 2024

Context:

Viral hepatitis is associated with an increased risk of renal disease leading to hepato-renal syndrome. Currently, urine and blood tests are the primary tools used to detect and monitor kidney disease among seropositive viral hepatitis patients. However, these biomarkers are affected by co-existing liver disease, age, and BMI, making their use unreliable in some patients with renal impairments. Renal Doppler sonography has been explored as a viable non-invasive alternative for the diagnosis of subclinical renal changes among asymptomatic patients with viral hepatitis.

Aim:

This study aimed to evaluate renal Doppler velocimetric indices of asymptomatic adult patients with viral hepatitis and compared Doppler values between carrier serotypes with correlations with prothrombin time (PT) at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano.

Settings and Design:

This was a hospital-based cross-sectional observational study conducted at the Radiology Department of AKTH.

Materials and Method:

This study was conducted between March 2022 and January 2023, among seropositive viral hepatitis patients grouped into acute hepatitis B (AHB), chronic hepatitis B (CHB), and chronic hepatitis C (CHC). The resistive index (RI) and pulsatility index (PI) for the different serotypes were obtained following renal Doppler sonography among study subjects. Also, PT was recorded for each serotype.

Statistical Analysis Used:

Relevant data obtained were entered and analyzed using SPSS version 23. The significance level was considered at P < 0.05.

Results:

The study had 153 patients. The resistive index (RI) was significantly higher among AHB than CHB serotypes, and PI was also higher among CHB than CHC serotypes − likewise, the PT. Positive correlations (r = 0.75, P = 0.01) and (r = 0.78, P = 0.01) were seen between RI and PT in both male and female patients, respectively.

Conclusion:

The RI, PI, and PT values were higher among acute and chronic hepatitis B serotypes than in chronic hepatitis C serotypes.
Lens Diameter, Anterior Chamber Depth, and Vitreous Depth in Adult Patients: A Nigerian Study
Authors: Abadom Gloria E. , Ominde Beryl S. , Ikubor Joyce E. , Achapu Lawrence C. , Igbigbi Patrick S.
Published: April 2024

Context:

The awareness of the diversity of ocular biometry is vital in the management of glaucoma and pathologies of the lens.

Aim:

To establish the normal globe biometric parameters of adults in Delta State, Nigeria.

Setting and Design:

An observational retrospective cross-sectional study at the Radiology Department of Teaching Hospital in Delta State. A purposive sampling technique was adopted.

Materials and Methods:

After obtaining ethical approval, ocular biometry was conducted on 150 adult brain MRI scans (75 males and 75 females) using a digital caliper.

Statistical Analysis Used:

The data were analyzed and summarized in descriptive statistics. Inferential statistics were employed for comparison across gender, side, and age groups, as well as to determine the association between variables. A significance level of 5% was adopted.

Results:

The anterior chamber depth (ACD), vitreous depth, superoinferior (SI), and anteroposterior (AP) lens diameters were symmetrical. All the parameters lacked sexual dimorphism, while the AP and SI lens diameters significantly varied between the 10 year’s age groups (P < 0.05). Age had a significant positive correlation with the AP and SI lens diameters and a negative association with ACD and vitreous length. The vitreous length had a significant positive link with the ACD and SI lens diameter (P < 0.05). The AP lens diameter had a significant negative correlation with ACD and vitreous length (P < 0.05).

Conclusion:

The normal ocular biometry obtained can be used within the studied population to help in the diagnosis of ocular conditions, management of cataracts, and the design of intraocular lenses.
Analgesia for Infant Circumcision: Eutectic Mixture of Local Anesthetic (EMLA) Cream versus Dorsal Penile Nerve Block using Bupivacaine
Authors: Nuhu Samuel I. , Omoba Aruoture B. , Embu Henry Y. , Isamade Suckie E. , Usman Yohanna M.
Published: April 2024

Context:

Circumcision is a painful procedure; thus, analgesia for neonatal circumcision is advocated for every male infant, and its use is considered essential by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Aim:

This study aimed to compare the analgesic, hemodynamic effects, and complications of an eutectic mixture of a local anesthetic cream versus dorsal penile nerve block using bupivacaine for infants coming for circumcision.

Materials and Methods:

This was a prospective randomized interventional study involving 64 infants scheduled for circumcision at the Jos University Teaching Hospital. Infants were randomized into one of two groups through allocation concealment technique. Group I received dorsal penile nerve block with plain bupivacaine 0.5 mL/kg of 0.25%, while group II received 1 g of an eutectic mixture of a local anesthetic cream (EMLA). Circumcision started 5 minutes after penile block for group I and 1 hour after EMLA cream application for group II. Pain levels using CRIES scale, hemodynamic parameters, duration of surgery, and postoperative complications were noted and documented. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 23. A P value of less the 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results:

The study groups were comparable in demographic characteristics (P = 0.054). Less infants had CRIES scores of >4 in the DPNB group up to 2 hours postoperative period. Hemodynamic parameters were within normal ranges but higher in the EMLA group. No complication was noted in both study groups.

Conclusion:

Dorsal penile nerve block with bupivacaine provided better analgesia in infants undergoing circumcision than EMLA.
Heat Stress in India: A Review
Authors: Mourougan Mohanasundaram , Tiwari Abhiyant , Limaye Vijay , Matzarakis Andreas , Singh Arvind K. , Ghosh Upasona , Pal Debkumar , Lahariya Chandrakant
Published: April 2024

Global warming and climate changes have increased the frequency and intensity of heat waves globally as well as in India. The morbidity and mortality of heat stress are under-reported in India. This review was conducted to identify the studies which have reported morbidity and mortality in India and synthesise evidence on the impact of heat stress in the country. Authors identified 373 studies from PubMed and Embase. After removing duplicates and screening for inclusion criteria, 17 articles were selected for the review. Nine articles reported the mortality of heat stress in India, whereas seven articles reported the morbidity. All the studies reported increased mortality due to extreme heat. Eight studies reported excess mortality, which ranged from 5.6% in a study in Varanasi to as high as 43.1 % in Ahmedabad. The studies that have reported morbidity highlight elderly individuals, pregnant women and neonates as the vulnerable population. The discussion focuses on the preventive strategies, heat action plans and primary healthcare reforms needed to manage heat-related illness. Prioritising and focussing on heat-related illness can prevent mortality as well as increase the productivity of the workforce and improve the economy of the country.
Cervical Cancer and Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) Vaccines: A primer for General Physicians
Authors: Dwivedi Pooja , Lahariya Anita Upadhyay , Pandey Shalini , Sreedevi Aswathy , Lohiya Ayush , Lahariya Chandrakant
Published: April 2024

India contributes close to 20% of the global cervical cancer burden. This article reviews the preventive strategies against cervical cancer and suggest a few way forward for the prevention of cervical cancer in India. A literature review of online databases (Embase, Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus) and reports from government websites regarding cervical cancer and HPV vaccination in India was conducted. Currently, four different HPV vaccines are available in India: a bivalent vaccine, a nonavalent vaccine and two quadrivalent vaccines. To reduce India’s cervical cancer burden, the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI) has advocated the widespread implementation of HPV vaccination. An indigenous HPV vaccine was given market authorisation by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) in July 2022. There is a need to raise awareness regarding the benefits of HPV vaccines in India. The introduction of indigenous HPV vaccine might enhance the supply logistics and may increase the uptake of the vaccine.
Is the Rule of Halves Still Relevant today? A Study from a Tertiary Care Hospital in India
Authors: Shivani Sajjan , Chawla Parvinder S. , Kalra Khyati
Published: April 2024

Introduction:

Hypertension significantly increases the risk of heart disease, stroke and kidney failure. It impacts approximately one-third of adults in Southeast Asia, yet a considerable number remain unaware or lack access to adequate treatment. Introduced by Wilber and Barrow in 1972, the ‘rule of halves’ governs the prevalence of hypertension. The study aimed to re-evaluate the rule of halves and suggest measures for early detection and treatment compliance.

Materials and Methods:

A hospital-based study was conducted from (August, 2023 to October, 2023) involving 1518 employed individuals selected through non-probability sampling, excluding those seriously ill or absent. Data were gathered through a semi-structured questionnaire.

Results:

Out of all 1518 study subjects, 206 (14%) were diagnosed with hypertension. Among them, (42) 20% were aware and within this aware group, 81% received treatment. Of those receiving treatment (25), 73% received treatment adequately.

Conclusion:

The findings suggest that, although the proportion of diagnosed hypertension was lower, the rates of treatment and adherence amongst individuals with diagnosed hypertension were higher. There is a need to revisit the rule of halves for India.
Monitoring Trends and Differences in COVID-19 Case Fatality Rates in a Union Territory of India: Inferential Data Analysis
Authors: Saleem Sheikh Mohd , Rather Rouf Hussain , Anjum Sahifa , Sood Vibhusha , Shoib Sheikh , Zaidi Ilham
Published: April 2024

Objective:

To understand the challenges posed by the second wave of COVID-19 cases in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, India.

Materials and Methods:

The study utilised weekly aggregated surveillance data from November 2020 to May 2021. Ethical clearance was obtained, and an exploratory trend analysis was performed using Excel 2019.

Results:

Distinct trends in active cases, symptomatic patients tested, case fatality rate (CFR) and rapid antigen test (RAT) positivity rates were observed across the 10 districts in the Kashmir division. Srinagar exhibited notable variations, and CFR showed district-specific differences.

Conclusion:

This study underscores the significance of tailored strategies, government interventions and community resilience.
Research on Intelligent Analysis Method for the Impact of Running APP Software on Physical Fitness Indicators of College Students
Authors: Wang Jing
Published: April 2024

With the development of Internet of Things (IoT) technology, the use of running APP to analyse college students' physical fitness indicators has gradually become a commonly used sports analysis method. Aiming at the problems of insufficient precision of the running APP usage analysis method, easy to fall into the local optimum, and insufficiently comprehensive evaluation effect, this paper proposes a running APP usage analysis method based on deep learning network for some college students' physical fitness indicators. Firstly, feature vectors are taken from the running APP user behaviour data to analyse the values of college students' physical fitness indicators and construct a mapping model of running APP usage analysis for the effects of college students' physical fitness indicators; then, the BiGRU neural network is improved by using the driver-training heuristic optimisation algorithm to construct a running APP usage analysis model for some of the college students' physical fitness indicators; finally, a mapping model is constructed for the effect of running APP usage analysis for some of the college students' physical fitness indicators by using college student-oriented running APP Finally, the effectiveness and robustness of the DTBO algorithm are compared with the user behaviour dataset of the running APP for college students. Finally, the effectiveness and robustness of the DTBO algorithm are compared using the user behaviour data set of the running app platform for college students.
¿Por qué los directores quieren aprender? Motivaciones, expectativas y necesidades de formación continua desde la perspectiva del liderazgo escolar en Chile
Authors: Jara Ibarra Camila , Peña Fredes Javiera , Weinstein José
Published: April 2024

Estudios enfocados en formación de directores han contribuido a destacar prácticas, contenidos relevantes y metodologías efectivas. Sin embargo, persiste escasez de evidencia sobre la pertinencia de los programas de formación, así como sobre las necesidades, motivaciones y expectativas que los líderes escolares tienen para participar en ellos. La investigación indaga en estos aspectos, a partir del análisis de entrevistas a 18 directores/as de distintas regiones de Chile. Los hallazgos revelan que el proceso de toma de decisión se caracteriza por estar supeditado a las posibilidades más que a las necesidades de formación de los directivos. Se observa una fuerte disposición y motivación por aprender y a hacerlo de manera constante, incluso aceptando instancias formativas sin conocer sus contenidos. Asimismo, los directores consideran que la formación es clave, especialmente para la resolución de problemas cotidianos, y parece ser una solución frente a las múltiples demandas percibidas sobre el rol que desempeñan.
“En educación todo cambia”: Cómo directoras lideran el ingreso de la educación parvularia al Sistema de Aseguramiento de la Calidad en Chile
Authors: Zett Sabioncello Isabel Alejandra , Campos Vergara Fabián Andrés , Chávez Rojas Sofía Antonia , Opazo Pérez María José
Published: April 2024

El sistema educativo chileno ha debido enfrentar importantes desafíos derivados de la pandemia por covid-19. En el caso de la educación parvularia, a estos desafíos se añade además su ingreso al nuevo Sistema de Aseguramiento de la Calidad. A través de un enfoque cualitativo, y considerando las particularidades del liderazgo en educación parvularia, esta investigación tuvo como objetivo explorar cómo las líderes abordan los desafíos de la nueva institucionalidad en el período postpandemia. Los resultados muestran que la mayoría de las directoras tiene una visión positiva del proceso, viéndolo como una oportunidad de aprendizaje, construyendo sentido con su equipo pedagógico. Sin perjuicio de aquello, algunas directoras advierten de experiencias más bien negativas, en donde los nuevos requerimientos son trabajados de forma mecánica, sin entender el sentido que traía consigo esta reforma. Estos resultados dan cuenta de importantes desafíos que considerar para la implementación exitosa de esta nueva institucionalidad.
Explorando dimensiones y prácticas organizacionales de liderazgo para la inclusión: un estudio cualitativo con académicos y directores de establecimientos educativos de Chile
Authors: Zúñiga Daniela , Cerda Gamal , Busto Navarrete Claudio
Published: April 2024

Los equipos directivos desempeñan un papel fundamental en la creación de instituciones educativas inclusivas y accesibles, ya que su gestión influye significativamente en la dinámica escolar. En este contexto, es esencial investigar las prácticas organizacionales de liderazgo para la inclusión llevadas a cabo por los equipos directivos en los establecimientos chilenos. El propósito de este estudio cualitativo fue evidenciar las dimensiones y prácticas de liderazgo para la inclusión que llevan a cabo los equipos directivos en establecimientos educativos en Chile. Mediante 13 entrevistas a directores de establecimientos y académicos expertos en inclusión y liderazgo educativo, se pudo identificar seis prácticas generales distribuidas en las dimensiones (1) Establecer dirección para ser comunidades más inclusivas; (2) Desarrollar personas de la comunidad educativa; y (3) Rediseñar la organización promoviendo el vínculo con todos. Los hallazgos contribuyen a la mejora basada en evidencia, las futuras investigaciones y a la promoción de la equidad educativa.
Leadership as a socially and culturally informed praxis: The question of internationalisation in international school leadership
Authors: Al Haj Sleiman Nidal
Published: April 2024

A pesar del crecimiento en número y tamaño de las escuelas internacionales a nivel global, la investigación que examina su liderazgo y comunidades es aún limitada.  El emergente interés en la investigación de este campo aún no ha explorado cabalmente las relaciones de los líderes con los campos sociales en los cuales trabajan y las necesidades culturales y sociales de sus docentes y estudiantes.  Este artículo investiga la práctica de liderazgo y el aprendizaje en las escuelas internacionales en Inglaterra y Qatar, ofreciendo un breve contexto histórico respecto del desarrollo de estas escuelas en cada país. De manera adicional, el artículo examina la respuesta de los líderes a los campos sociales multiculturales en los cuales trabajan y el capital cultural de sus docentes y estudiantes.  El artículo usa la teoría social de Bourdieu como marco sociológico clave y se involucra con sus conceptos, campo, capital, habitus y práctica, destacando su interconexión y relevancia en el contexto de su investigación.  El artículo analiza la praxis de liderazgo (conocimiento y práctica) construyendo sobre la investigación actual sobre liderazgo de justicia social, y liderazgo educacional culturalmente relevante y culturalmente receptivo.  Este artículo está basado en un estudio más extenso que aborda las limitaciones del liderazgo y la práctica en las escuelas internacionales de Qatar e Inglaterra a través de un enfoque crítico realista y metodológico mixto.   Sin embargo, este artículo presenta solamente resultados de las entrevistas en profundidad, individuales y grupales (N=24), con líderes experimentados de las escuelas internacionales (n=10), líderes intermedios (n=9), docentes (n=7), y estudiantes de educación secundaria (n=16).  Los hallazgos mostraron que las escuelas internacionales se caracterizan por el multiculturalismo, movilidad y transitoriedad, lo que impacta significativamente las experiencias de trabajo y aprendizaje en estos contextos.  Los hallazgos reflejan nociones de internacionalismo que son amplias y performativas, y brechas significativas en el conocimiento y práctica del liderazgo en relación con el capital cultural y las necesidades de sus docentes y estudiantes.  La discusión de los hallazgos se adentra en el análisis teórico de las razones detrás de estas brechas y el impacto del neoliberalismo y la estructuralización en el campo.  El artículo releva la necesidad de un cambio en la perspectiva en la teoría de liderazgo educativo que incluya una praxis social y culturalmente informada y aprendizaje de liderazgo transformativo y que requiere una mayor teorización de la internacionalización en el liderazgo educativo.
Turning around ‘stuck’ schools in England: effective leadership in extremely challenging circumstances
Authors: Munoz Chereau Bernardita , Ehren Melanie
Published: April 2024

This paper presents a two-year qualitative multi-site case study in six English state-funded schools (thee primary and three secondary). These schools were identified by Ofsted as ‘stuck’ after failing their inspections for more than a decade but managed to turnaround their overall inspection effectiveness, despite the wider contextual challenges. Drawing from an analysis of 50 documents, 22 interviews and focus groups with school leaders, we detail the schools’ trajectories and leadership practices that allowed leaders to improve schools’ overall effectiveness. Staff from ‘un-stuck’ schools described a combination of 1) distributed leadership, 2) moral purpose, 3) stabilising teams, 4) external support, 5) building trust, 6) positive relationships with parents and the community, 7) vision of high expectations, 8) systematic approach to improve behaviour, and 9) strong internal governance and accountability that allowed their significant improvement. These characteristics contribute to our understanding of effective turnaround leadership of schools working in disadvantaged contexts.
Anomaly detection with the density based spatial clustering of applications with noise (DBSCAN) to detect potentially fraudulent wire transfers
Authors:   Ramapo College of New Jersey, Kim Yongbum , Vasarhelyi Miklos ,   Rutgers University
Published: April 2024

Most anomaly detection models are developed by using expert system methods that mimic human experts. The process to capture the expertise honed by fraud examiners is complicated and practically challenging, often resulting in suboptimal models. This study proposes a clustering-based model that captures hidden characteristics of potentially fraudulent wire transfers with less human intervention and expertise. Clustering methods classify and group observations with similar characteristics, excluding anomalies from major clusters. The choice of a clustering method and its parameters is often subjective and significantly affects a set of resulting clusters. In order to reduce the subjectivity of a clustering method while retaining its strength, this study proposes a clustering model with Density Based Spatial Clustering of Applications with Noise (DBSCAN) to detect potentially fraudulent wire transfers of an insurance company. The results show that the DBSCAN models identifies hidden relationships between the variables not only included but also excluded for the modeling with noise wire transfers while less human intervention is needed for clustering parameter selections.
Aluminum Alloy, Alclad Sheet 5.6Zn - 2.5Mg - 1.6Cu - 0.23Cr (Alclad 7075-O) Annealed, Fine Grained
Authors:   AMS D Nonferrous Alloys Committee
Published: April 2024

This specification covers an aluminum alloy in the form of alclad sheet over 0.039 to 0.126 inches (0.99 to 3.20 mm), inclusive, in nominal thickness with a fine-grain core of ASTM No. 6 or finer (see 8.5).
Tłumacz jako przewodnik po kulturze i literaturze Japonii
Authors: Bice Agata
Published: April 2024

The objective of the article is to establish the status of translators in relation to the canon of Japanese literature translated in Poland. The author performs a quantitative and qualitative analysis of a big amount of data pertaining to book translations in post-war Poland and juxtaposes it with details of the translators’ biographies in order to ascertain, which elements of those biographies have the biggest correlation with the canon-making power of the translators.
Determinants Of Islamic Bank Financing During Economic Turbulence
Authors: Selian Mardiah Mutiara Puspitasari , Lutfi Lutfi
Published: April 2024

The Covid-19 outbreak has caused turbulence in Indonesia's economic growth, thereby disrupting the performance of Islamic banks, especially in the distribution of financing. This research examines the influence of economic turbulence, third-party deposits, bank size, capital and profitability on financing disbursed by Islamic banks in Indonesia. The population of this research is Islamic commercial banks in Indonesia in the 2017-2022 period. The sample selection used a purposive sampling method and obtained ten Islamic banks. The data analysis technique uses panel data analysis with a fixed effect model. The research results prove that third-party deposits positively and significantly impact financing, while bank size and capital negatively and significantly impact financing. However, economic turbulence and profitability do not affect financing. When financing is divided based on contracts, economic turbulence negatively impacts profit-sharing-based financing, and profitability negatively impacts receivables-based financing. These findings can be a reference for Islamic banks to maintain the availability of third-party deposit funds to support financing expansion and further optimize their capital by channelling it to more productive assets in the form of financing. These findings can complement existing theories and support the business cycle theory that Islamic banks tighten financing based on profit sharing, which carries higher risks.
Evaluation Of The Financial Performance Of Bank Syariah Indonesia Using The Camel Method
Authors: Fi Amanillah Izzatul Maula , Ghofur Abd. , Maulidiyah Nailin Nikmatul
Published: April 2024

Financial performance is essential for banking institutions. Good financial performance can increase public confidence in investing capital and applying for financing to banks. This research aims to evaluate the financial performance of Bank Syariah Indonesia after the merger. This research uses a descriptive quantitative approach with data sources in the form of secondary data. The data collection technique uses documentation from Bank Syariah Indonesia's financial reports for 2021-2023. The data analysis technique uses the CAMEL method: capital, assets, management, earnings and liquidity. The research results show that the capital aspect from 2021 to 2023 falls within the excellent criteria. The asset aspect from 2021 to 2023 is included in the excellent criteria. The management aspect from 2021 to 2023 falls into the suitable criteria. The earnings aspect from 2021 to 2023 is included in the excellent criteria. The excellent criteria include the liquidity aspect from 2021 to 2023. Bank Syariah Indonesia's financial performance after the merger from 2021 to 2023 is healthy. This research can be used as reference material for evaluating Bank Syariah Indonesia and improving its financial performance in the future. Then, it can also be a reference for stakeholders in making decisions.
Factors Influencing Gen Z's Intention In Adopting Islamic Fintech Payment Digital Services
Authors: Syakinah Fitri
Published: April 2024

Extensive studies on Islamic financial technology (fintech) have been conducted, while attention to its specific impact on Generation Z still needs to be paid. This research analyses the influence of performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions, hedonic motivation, price value, and habit on Generation Z's intention to adopt a Sharia-compliant digital fintech payment system. This research uses a survey-based quantitative approach. This research relies on primary data sources through questionnaires. The population of this study was Generation Z from the Garut district, while the sampling technique used random samples using Hair measurements, so 143 samples were obtained. The data analysis technique uses SEM-PLS, assisted by the SmartPLS application. The research results prove that social influence and habit have a positive and significant effect on Generation Z's intention to adopt Islamic fintech digital payment services, while performance expectancy, effort expectancy, facilitating conditions, hedonic motivation, and price value have no effect on Generation Z's intention to adopt payment services Islamic digital fintech. This research can become literature for further research. It can be used as a reference for the Islamic fintech industry to develop products and services that are more attractive to Generation Z.
Islamic Bank Performance Assessment Using SATF Value
Authors: Rizal Andi Muhammad
Published: April 2024

This study aims to evaluate the performance of Islamic banks based on the shidiq, amanah, tabligh, and fathona (SATF value) approach. The type of research is descriptive quantitative using secondary data. The research population is all Islamic Commercial Banks (ICB) operating in Indonesia for 2018-2022. The sampling technique uses saturated samples. The data combines ICB annual financial reports issued by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) and literature studies. The data analysis technique uses simple additive weighting (SAW). The research results show that Shidiq's performance shows high public confidence in Islamic bank savings products. Amanah's performance shows that the distribution of financing and carrying out responsibilities to bring benefits still need to be higher. Tabligh's performance shows that the level of Islamic compliance carried out by banking operations is Islamic. Fathona's performance shows that Islamic banking still needs to be optimal in increasing human resources (HR) capability or quality. Overall, the results of evaluating the performance of Islamic banking in Indonesia using the SATF value model during 2018-2022 are entirely satisfactory, with the SATF performance value increasing from year to year. The results of this research can be a reference for future research and provide valuable guidance for maintaining and improving Islamic banking performance while actively correcting any identified weaknesses or deficiencies.
Good Corporate Governance Toward Financial Performance Of Islamic Bank In Indonesia
Authors: Diana Nur , Syafi’i Imam , Maulidiyah Nailin Nikmatul
Published: April 2024

This research aims to analyze the influence of good corporate governance (GCG) on the financial performance of Islamic banks in Indonesia. This study uses a quantitative approach. The population in this research is 16 Islamic banks registered with the Financial Services Authority (FSA) for the 2021-2022 period. The sample used was 10 Islamic banks that issued quarterly report data. Sample selection was carried out using the purposive sampling method. The data collection technique uses secondary data in Islamic bank documentation and is processed using the SPSS 25 application with multiple linear regression tests. The results of this research are that the board of commissioners has a negative effect on the financial performance of Islamic banks, and the board of directors has a positive effect on the financial performance of Islamic banks. In contrast, the Sharia supervisory board does not affect the financial performance of Islamic banks. Theoretical research can complement existing theories and be a reference for future research. This research can be a reference for Islamic banking in analyzing corporate governance standards to provide investors with more knowledge and understanding about the financial performance of Islamic banking and enable investors to make the right decisions.
OUTPUT POWER ESTIMATION OF A PHOTOVOLTAIC PANEL BY EXTREME LEARNING MACHINE
Authors: Toprak Serhat , Çöteli Resul , Ustundag Mehmet , Esen Hikmet
Published: April 2024

In this study, the output power of a photovoltaic (PV) panel under different operating conditions was estimated with the help of an extreme learning algorithm (ELM). For this purpose, a PV panel with a power of 180W was installed, and the open circuit voltage, short circuit current, panel temperature, and solar radiation of this panel were measured and recorded at regular intervals. A total of 75 measurement data were obtained. The maximum power of the panel was calculated using the open circuit voltage and short circuit current information. While panel temperature and solar radiation were given as inputs to the regression model of the PV panel based on ELM, the output of the regression model was taken as the maximum power of the PV panel. To improve the prediction accuracy of ELM, the number of input neurons of ELM and the type of activation function used in the hidden layer were determined by trial and error method. The generated PV data set is separated into training and testing sets. The performance of the method was examined with the 5-fold cross-validation method. For this purpose, the dataset was divided into 5 equal parts. One of these parts was used for testing the ELM and the remaining four sets were used for training the ELM, and this was done by changing the test set each time. Thus, the network was trained and tested 5 times with different sets, and the test result of the network was obtained by averaging the sum of the performances of all test functions. Regression results obtained from ELM are given for different numbers of hidden layer neurons and different types of activation functions in the hidden layer. The best prediction result of ELM was obtained for the case where the hidden layer activation function was tangent sigmoid and the number of hidden layer neurons was 20. The R-values were found to be 1 when the number of hidden layer neurons was 20 and tangent and radial basis activation functions were used. From the results obtained, it has been seen that ELM predicts the output power of the PV panel with very high accuracy. It is concluded that ELM is a useful tool for estimating the PV panel output power.
Robust Skin Disease Diagnosis with Deep Belief Network
Authors:   Department of Computer Systems Techniques, Al-Furat Al-Awsat Technical University, Najaf Technical Institute, Najaf, Obaida Tameem Hameed , Jasim Sarah Saadoon ,   Department of IMT, Technical College of Management-Baghdad, Middle Technical University, Zugair Hasan Najim ,   Department of Computer Systems Techniques, Al-Furat Al-Awsat Technical University, Najaf Technical Institute
Published: April 2024

The skin is one of the first lines of defenceagainst environmental influences such as sunlight, bacteriaand germs, which cause various skin diseases. In addition to the bad psychological and physical impact caused by skin disease. So,in recent years,many artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms have appeared that canrecognize Images, through which skin diseases can be diagnosed, avoiding traditional methods that rely on visual examination and self-evaluation based on experience. The paper aims to classify a group of skin diseases according to the type of disease, such as Atopic Dermatitis, Dyshidrotic Eczema and Nummular Dermatitisusing a deep belief network algorithm(DBN) thatwas built to suit the work. A global dataset was also used, obtained from the Kaggle website, and after conducting experiments on it, the algorithm achieved high accuracy in diagnosing diseases, the percentage reached 98.773%. It is possible in the future to use the network to classify other types of diseases after providing it with a large number of images of affected people
Purification of Brain Signals Using Various Blind Source Separation Techniques
Authors:   Engineering Technical College/Najaf, Al-Furat Al-Awsat Technical University, Hamad Safaa Mahmood , Al-bakri Ali A. ,   Technical College-AL Mussaib, Al-Furat Al-Awsat Technical University, Abdullah Ahmed Kareem ,   echnical College-AL Mussaib, Al-Furat Al-Awsat Technical University
Published: April 2024

There arelot of challenges when analyzing the brain signals that did not yet have a basic solution, as there are electrical activities between neurons in the brain,related to all activities in the body. This activity can be seen using a non-surgical technique that is called EEG (i.e. Electroencephalography)such as the appearance of artifactsthrough the registration process, which increases the difficulty of analyzing the signals of the brain, so the technique of blind source separation(BSS) has been used to overcome the problem of artifacts and to separate the main sources (Mixed) without making noise aroundthe original sources.. Therefore, the system for rejecting allartifacts based on the algorithms for separating the blind source has been proposed, bymaking a comparison between four separation algorithms and choosing the best ones according to criteria. After passing a datasetsimulated through thosecriteria, the proposed system can remove the artifacts including Electrocardiogram (ECG), Electrooculogram (EOG)as well as apower line noise interference (LN)) and other EEG mixtures. The proposed method's influenceis checked by two performance indexes Interference to signal ratio (ISR) and (SNR) signal to noise ratio.The results indicated that the BEFICA algorithm is the best and most efficient, as it achieved the highest ratio of VSNR among four separation algorithms due to its developmental advantages.
Primary Care in Health, the component for primary care physicians at PANLAR 2024
Authors: Fajardo Estefanía
Published: April 2024

The pre-congress course by Asoreuma (Colombia) addressed the gateway to the health system and the interdisciplinary work of medical teams.
TRAINING SPECIALISTS OF SECONDARY VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AT THE MARI STATE UNIVERSITY: HISTORY AND MODERNITY
Authors: Eshtyganova Snezhana S. , Ivanov Alexey A.
Published: April 2024

The relevance of the study is determined by the importance of studying the specifics of implementing secondary vocational education in higher education institutions on the example of the Mari State University.

The purpose of the study is to consider the trajectory of training middle–level specialists in a higher education institution on the example of the Mari State University as a modern educational trend.

Materials and methods. When writing the article, both general scientific (analysis, description) and special historical methods (historical-comparative, historical-statistical) were used. The use of various methods makes it possible to carry out a qualitative analysis and generalization of information about secondary vocational education at the Mari State University and its branch. The work is based primarily on the analysis of previously unknown archival documents extracted from the funds of the Council of Ministers of the Mari ASSR, the State Archive of the Republic of Mari El and the funds of the Museum of the Mari Agrarian College. Materials from published sources and scientific literature on the problems of secondary vocational education were also used.

Study results. In the modern domestic research field, there are not enough works considering training of middle–level specialists at a classical university, as well as the multifaceted history of the Mari Agricultural College – the “forge of personnel for the Mari Nonblack Soil Zone.” The work uses previously unpublished documents on the activities of the Mari Agricultural College from the fund of the State Archive of the Republic of Mari El and the funds of the archive and the museum of the Mari Agricultural College (branch) of the Mari State University, as well as modern statistical data on secondary vocational education at the Mari State University.

Conclusions. It is concluded that secondary vocational education in the university structure is an important component for any developing higher education institution. The Mari State University, engaged in training middle-level specialists at faculties, institutes and its branch, maintains its status as a multi-level educational institution and confirms the importance of secondary vocational education in the Russian education system.
VENOUS THROMBUS STIFFNESS IN COMBINATION OF PULMONARY EMBOLISM AND DEEP VEIN THROMBOSIS OF THE LOWER EXTREMITIES (CLINICAL CASE)
Authors: Kapustina Ekaterina P. , Akramova Endzhe G. , Khamzina Farida T.
Published: April 2024

Many aspects of pulmonary embolism pathogenesis are still unclear: for example, what is the probability of pulmonary embolization in venous thrombosis and thrombi formation in the pulmonary artery in situ. The origin and timing of thromboemboli formation in the pulmonary artery are of great clinical importance for effective treatment and prognosis of pulmonary embolism outcome. The aim of the study was as part of clinical observation to compare the results of shear wave ultrasound elastography of a venous thrombus and the histological structure of blood clots in the lower extremity and the pulmonary artery obtained during a pathoanatomical examination. Research results. Patient Sh., 67 years old, was hospitalized with a diagnosis of pulmonary embolism. Ultrasound imaging visualized heterogeneous, predominantly hypoechoic non-occlusive thrombotic masses in the lumen of the posterior tibial vein of the left lower limb, extending into the lumen of the popliteal vein for 2 cm with an uneven "ragged" contour of the proximal part of the thrombus, without clear signs of flotation. Shear wave ultrasound elastography determined stiffness of the proximal part of the venous thrombus with an average Young's modulus of 8.5 kPa, which corresponds to the acute stage of thrombosis. Negative dynamics was observed after thrombolytic therapy. Computed tomography angiography of the cerebral vessels revealed signs of intracerebral hemorrhage. On the third day, the patient was pronounced dead. The pathological examination was supplemented with histological data from a fragment of a venous thrombus of the pulmonary artery and lower leg veins. The morphological characteristics of blood clots from the veins of the lower extremities and the pulmonary artery coincided, indicating their common origin and the time of formation (acute stage). Conclusion. A comparative analysis of ultrasound and pathoanatomical data of the clinical case give us the opportunity to recommend shear wave ultrasound elastography of venous thrombi of the lower extremities to assess the state of thromboembolism in the pulmonary artery.
METHODS FOR FORMING REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT RATINGS
Authors: Zotikov Nikolay Z.
Published: April 2024

The relevance of the article is due to the need to correctly align regions according to the level of their socio-economic development, which is made difficult due to the presence of various methods for forming regional development ratings and the lack of a single mechanism approved at the state level. The purpose of the article is to explore the available methods for forming a regional development rating. The objectives of the study are to establish, based on a comparison of existing methods, their positive and negative aspects, and suggest directions for their improvement. Materials and methods. The information base for the study was RIA RATING data on ratings of the socio-economic situation of regions, quality of life, the analytical bulletin of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences on the ranking of regions, Rosstat data on gross domestic product, and research by individual authors on this issue. The article uses the following methods: analysis and synthesis, generalization, grouping, tabular and logical methods, etc. Results. The study found that none of the existing methods for forming a regional development rating can be considered universal; each of them has both positive and negative sides. At the same time, the methods for forming the regional development rating differ significantly from the indicators used to assess the effectiveness of the activities of the heads of the bodies of the executive authority of the Russian Federation constituent entities. Conclusions. In order to ensure uniformity in the assessment of regional development and take the utmost account of indicators, a unified methodology for constructing a rating of social and economic development of regions, approved at the state level, is necessary.