bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Ultrasound Color Duplex Parameters of Patients Presenting with Lower Limb Varicose Veins at Outpatient Department of University Hospital of Nepal
Authors: Singh Amit Kumar , Karmacharya Robin Man , Vaidya Satish , Thapa Pratima , Bhatta Gakul 
Published: February 2021

Background:
Varicose vein is prominent dilated veins of lower limbs. Incomplete treatment and local recurrence are still the clinical challenge among the vascular surgeons. We aim to evaluate the range of imaging on color duplex describing the anatomy of veins, their variants, valve competencies, territories of defective venous system, demographic data, and the factors contributing among the patients referred to Vascular Outpatient Department of Kathmandu University Hospital.

Objective:
The aim was to know the ultrasound (US) color duplex parameters of superficial venous system in varicose vein.

Materials and Methods:
We included 299 patients during the study of 6 months with varicose veins for detailed US Doppler analysis. Gray-scale US was done to study the anatomy of veins followed by color duplex and color duplex spectrometry to determine the reflux of the superficial venous system. Quantification of reflux was determined by the use of Valsalva maneuver. Association of great saphenous vein (GSV) cross-sectional diameter and saphenofemoral junction incompetence was also studied.

Results:
Of 299 varicose vein cases, 52.50% were female. Among involved cases, the mean of GSV diameter was 5.43 mm in the right and 5.68 mm in the left. Saphenofemoral junction diameter was 7.89 mm in the right and 8.17 mm in the left. Receiver operative characteristics curve showed GSV diameter at femoral condyl of 4.5 mm as best cutoff value for the diagnosis saphenofemoral junction reflux.

Conclusions:
US color duplex is investigation of choice for varicose vein as a preoperative analysis tool, quantifying the superficial valve incompetency, studying and mapping the venous anatomy, and planning the surgery.
Servant Leadership: A Taxonomic Approach towards Systematic Literature Review
Authors:   Institute of Business Management, Qureshi Muhammad Azeem 
Published: February 2021

Connection between inferior leadership and massive business meltdown and inadequacy of seasoned leadership models create an urge to seek leadership equipped with ethical behavior, concern for subordinates, all the stakeholders and the society as a whole. This literature survey examines existing literature addressing servant leadership theory. Servant leadership theory has not yet been legitimized as a mainstream leadership theory therefore, it is worthy to examine its antecedents, outcomes and different mediating and moderating mechanisms to have in-depth knowledge of servant leadership concept and to understand how it differs from other mainstream leadership theories. This study analyzed the literature using descriptive approach as proposed by Turnnidge & Côté (2016). The study has been carried out in three phases. First phase is concerned with screening of abstracts and citations related to variable of interests, in second phase, peer discussion was made to retain valuable literature and exclusion of literature which does not fall in set criterion. In the third phase, full text of articles and relevant literature were reviewed which were potentially related to and are of interest. It was found that servant leadership is a different concept which is more comprehensive and predicts more positive outcomes than its predecessor leadership models. Systematic literature review provided detailed insight with respect to servant leadership theory and its outcomes which led to the development of taxonomy which was further used to develop integrated model of causal fl ow through mediating and moderating mechanisms; and then was further refined to identify servant leadership interaction with different organization and behavioral variables. Findings of this research suggest possible impact of servant leadership in power distant culture which is inconsistent in contemporary research and needs to be investigated for validation of servant leadership’s concept in Third World countries.
Can Gender Moderate the Relationship of Mindfulness, Procrastination and Job Performance Among Telecom Employees?
Authors: Ahmad Zafar , Hussain Malik Mureed 
Published: February 2021

Job demand resource model and self-determination theory is widely used for understanding procrastination, mindfulness, job performance and gender in organizational settings. The job demand resource model has been further used to understand gender as moderator among employee’s with mindfulness, procrastination and job performance. The present study focuses on gender as moderator in mindfulness, procrastination and job performance among male and female employees. The Purposive sampling technique with cross-sectional approach was applied. Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS; Brown & Ryan, 2003), Tuckman’s Procrastination Scale (TPS; Tuckman, 1991), and Job Performance Scale (JP-S; Wright, Kacmar, Mcmahan, &Deleeuw, 1995) were used to collect data from 400 employees working in telecom organizations in Rawalpindi and Islamabad city. The t-test and Hayes process were used to study correlation and moderation among study variables. It has been found female employees have mindfulness and procrastination tendencies then male employees whereas male employees were higher on job performance then female employees. Additionally, gender has non-significant effect on mindfulness, procrastination and job performance among employees. The results support the job resource demand model and self-determination theory. According to JDR model, job demands, and resources play important role in job performance of an employee in organizations and self-determination theory supports that mindfulness inhibit procrastination behavior and improve job performance of employees in organizations. These findings also suggest that procrastination could inhibit job performance among employees. Therefore, job performance could be stimulated by individual mindfulness in male and female employees.
Accretion, retreat and transgression of coastal wetlands experiencing sea-level rise
Authors: Breda Angelo , Saco Patricia M. , Sandi Steven G. , Saintilan Neil , Riccardi Gerardo , Rodríguez José F. 
Published: February 2021

Abstract. The vulnerability of coastal wetlands to future sea-level
rise (SLR) has been extensively studied in recent years, and models of
coastal wetland evolution have been developed to assess and quantify the
expected impacts. Coastal wetlands respond to SLR by vertical accretion and
landward migration. Wetlands accrete due to their capacity to trap sediments
and to incorporate dead leaves, branches, stems and roots into the soil, and they migrate driven by the preferred inundation conditions in terms of
salinity and oxygen availability. Accretion and migration strongly interact, and they both depend on water flow and sediment distribution within the
wetland, so wetlands under the same external flow and sediment forcing but
with different configurations will respond differently to SLR. Analyses of
wetland response to SLR that do not incorporate realistic consideration of
flow and sediment distribution, like the bathtub approach, are likely to
result in poor estimates of wetland resilience. Here, we investigate how
accretion and migration processes affect wetland response to SLR using a
computational framework that includes all relevant hydrodynamic and sediment
transport mechanisms that affect vegetation and landscape dynamics, and it
is efficient enough computationally to allow the simulation of long time
periods. Our framework incorporates two vegetation species, mangrove and
saltmarsh, and accounts for the effects of natural and manmade features like
inner channels, embankments and flow constrictions due to culverts. We apply
our model to simplified domains that represent four different settings found
in coastal wetlands, including a case of a tidal flat free from obstructions
or drainage features and three other cases incorporating an inner channel,
an embankment with a culvert, and a combination of inner channel, embankment
and culvert. We use conditions typical of south-eastern Australia in terms of vegetation, tidal range and sediment load, but we also analyse situations
with 3 times the sediment load to assess the potential of biophysical feedbacks to produce increased accretion rates. We find that all wetland
settings are unable to cope with SLR and disappear by the end of the
century, even for the case of increased sediment load. Wetlands with good
drainage that improves tidal flushing are more resilient than wetlands with
obstacles that result in tidal attenuation and can delay wetland submergence by 20 years. Results from a bathtub model reveal systematic
overprediction of wetland resilience to SLR: by the end of the century, half
of the wetland survives with a typical sediment load, while the entire
wetland survives with increased sediment load.
Uncertainty of simulated groundwater recharge at different global warming levels: a global-scale multi-model ensemble study
Authors: Reinecke Robert , Müller Schmied Hannes , Trautmann Tim , Andersen Lauren Seaby , Burek Peter , Flörke Martina , Gosling Simon N. , Grillakis Manolis , Hanasaki Naota , Koutroulis Aristeidis , Pokhrel Yadu , Thiery Wim , Wada Yoshihide , Yusuke Satoh , Döll Petra 
Published: February 2021

Abstract. Billions of people rely on groundwater as being an accessible source of drinking water and for irrigation, especially in times of drought. Its importance will likely increase with a changing climate. It is still unclear, however, how climate change will impact groundwater systems globally and, thus, the availability of this vital resource. Groundwater recharge is an important indicator for groundwater availability, but it is a water flux that is difficult to estimate as uncertainties in the water balance accumulate, leading to possibly large errors in particular in dry regions. This study investigates uncertainties in groundwater recharge projections using a multi-model ensemble of eight global hydrological models (GHMs) that are driven by the bias-adjusted output of four global circulation models (GCMs). Pre-industrial and current groundwater recharge values are compared with recharge for different global warming (GW) levels as a result of three representative concentration pathways (RCPs). Results suggest that projected changes strongly vary among the different GHM–GCM combinations, and statistically significant changes are only computed for a few regions of the world. Statistically significant GWR increases are projected for northern Europe and some parts of the Arctic, East Africa, and India. Statistically significant decreases are simulated in southern Chile, parts of Brazil, central USA, the Mediterranean, and southeastern China. In some regions, reversals of groundwater recharge trends can be observed with global warming. Because most GHMs do not simulate the impact of changing atmospheric CO2 and climate on vegetation and, thus, evapotranspiration, we investigate how estimated changes in GWR are affected by the inclusion of these processes. In some regions, inclusion leads to differences in groundwater recharge changes of up to 100 mm per year. Most GHMs with active vegetation simulate less severe decreases in groundwater recharge than GHMs without active vegetation and, in some regions, even increases instead of decreases are simulated. However, in regions where GCMs predict decreases in precipitation and where groundwater availability is the most important, model agreement among GHMs with active vegetation is the lowest. Overall, large uncertainties in the model outcomes suggest that additional research on simulating groundwater processes in GHMs is necessary.
Estimating fractional snow cover from passive microwave brightness temperature data using MODIS snow cover product over North America
Authors: Xiao Xiongxin , Liang Shunlin , He Tao , Wu Daiqiang , Pei Congyuan , Gong Jianya 
Published: February 2021

Abstract. The dynamic characteristics of seasonal snow cover are critical for
hydrology management, the climate system, and the ecosystem functions. Optical
satellite remote sensing has proven to be an effective tool for monitoring
global and regional variations in snow cover. However, accurately capturing
the characteristics of snow dynamics at a finer spatiotemporal resolution
continues to be problematic as observations from optical satellite sensors are
greatly impacted by clouds and solar illumination. Traditional methods of
mapping snow cover from passive microwave data only provide binary information
at a spatial resolution of 25 km. This innovative study applies the
random forest regression technique to enhanced-resolution passive microwave
brightness temperature data (6.25 km) to estimate fractional snow
cover over North America in winter months (January and February). Many
influential factors, including land cover, topography, and location information,
were incorporated into the retrieval models. Moderate Resolution Imaging
Spectroradiometer (MODIS) snow cover products between 2008 and 2017 were used
to create the reference fractional snow cover data as the “true”
observations in this study. Although overestimating and underestimating around two
extreme values of fractional snow cover, the proposed retrieval algorithm
outperformed the other three approaches (linear regression, artificial neural
networks, and multivariate adaptive regression splines) using independent
test data for all land cover classes with higher accuracy and no out-of-range
estimated values. The method enabled the evaluation of the estimated
fractional snow cover using independent datasets, in which the root mean square error of evaluation results ranged from 0.189 to 0.221. The snow cover
detection capability of the proposed algorithm was validated using
meteorological station observations with more than 310 000 records. We
found that binary snow cover obtained from the estimated fractional snow cover
was in good agreement with ground measurements (kappa: 0.67). There was
significant improvement in the accuracy of snow cover identification using our
algorithm; the overall accuracy increased by 18 % (from 0.71 to 0.84),
and the omission error was reduced by 71 % (from 0.48 to 0.14) when the
threshold of fractional snow cover was 0.3. The experimental results show that
passive microwave brightness temperature data may potentially be used to
estimate fractional snow cover directly in that this retrieval strategy offers
a competitive advantage in snow cover detection.
First investigation of perennial ice in Winter Wonderland Cave, Uinta Mountains, Utah, USA
Authors: Munroe Jeffrey S. 
Published: February 2021

Abstract. Winter Wonderland Cave is a solution cave at an elevation
of 3140 m above sea level in Carboniferous-age Madison Limestone on the
southern slope of the Uinta Mountains (Utah, USA). Temperature data loggers
reveal that the mean annual air temperature (MAAT) in the main part of the
cave is −0.8 ∘C, whereas the entrance chamber has a MAAT of
−2.3 ∘C. In contrast, the MAAT outside the cave entrance was
+2.8 ∘C between August 2016 and August 2018. Temperatures in
excess of 0 ∘C were not recorded inside the cave during that
2-year interval. About half of the accessible cave, which has a mapped
length of 245 m, is floored by perennial ice. Field and laboratory
investigations were conducted to determine the age and origin of this ice
and its possible paleoclimate significance. Ground-penetrating-radar (GPR) surveys
with a 400 MHz antenna reveal that the ice has a maximum thickness of
∼ 3 m. Samples of rodent droppings obtained from an
intermediate depth within the ice yielded radiocarbon ages from 40±30 to 285±12 years. These results correspond with median calibrated
ages from CE 1560 to 1830, suggesting that at least some of the ice
accumulated during the Little Ice Age. Samples collected from a
∼ 2 m high exposure of layered ice were analyzed for stable
isotopes and glaciochemistry. Most values of δ18O and δD plot subparallel to the global meteoric waterline with a slope of 7.5
and an intercept of 0.03 ‰. Values from some individual
layers depart from the local waterline, suggesting that they formed during
closed-system freezing. In general, values of both δ18O and
δD are lowest in the deepest ice and highest at the top. This trend
is interpreted as a shift in the relative abundance of winter and summer
precipitation over time. Calcium has the highest average abundance of
cations detectable in the ice (mean of 6050 ppb), followed by Al (2270 ppb),
Mg (830 ppb), and K (690 ppb). Most elements are more abundant in the
younger ice, possibly reflecting reduced rates of infiltration that
prolonged water–rock contact in the epikarst. Abundances of Al and Ni likely
reflect eolian dust incorporated in the ice. Liquid water appeared in the
cave in August 2018 and August 2019, apparently for the first time in many
years. This could be a sign of a recent change in the cave environment.
Influence of ABO and Rhesus Blood Group on Blood Pressure and Hypertension in Bayelsa State
Authors: Ojeka S. O. , Dapper D. V. , Egbejimi A. M. 
Published: February 2021

Aim: This present study was carried out to ascertain the influences of ABO and Rhesus blood groups on blood pressure and hypertension among normotensive and hypertensive patients attending cardiologic clinic in Niger delta University Teaching Hospital, Okolobiri in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State Nigeria.
Study Design: Cross sectional study design was adopted.
Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried out in the Cardiology Clinics in the Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital (NDUTH), Okolobiri, Bayelsa State, from February 2020 to November 2020.
Methodology: This study was carried out on 800 participants, consisting of 400 each of apparently healthy Normotensive and Hypertensive individuals. The blood pressures were determined using palpatory and auscultatory (stethoscope and sphygmomanometer) method in both control and hypertensive groups and their ABO and Rhesus blood groups were determined using the slide haemagglutination technique. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS statistical software to perform Chi-square test.
Results: The frequency of the various blood groups was A-20.0%, B-16.8%, AB-13.3% and O-50.0% for the normotensive individuals and A-12.0%, B-15.5%, AB-17.8% and O-54.8%, for the hypertensive individuals. The frequency of ABO blood groups in both the normotensive and hypertensive group was therefore found to be O>B>A>AB. The prevalence of blood group O and rhesus O-ve was found to be associated with elevated blood pressure and the development of hypertension while prevalence of blood group AB was found to be lowest in the same group, but was not significant statistically (p>0.05). There was no significant difference between systolic and diastolic blood pressure of different blood groups.
Conclusion: Blood group O was found to be the most common blood group in our study. Blood group O- was also found to be more prone to hypertension. However, there was no statistically significant association between ABO blood groups and Hypertension.
Evaluation and Comparison of the Antioxidant Activities and Nutritional Composition of Cucurbita maxima and Vigna unguiculata Leaf Extracts
Authors: Sha’a K. K. 
Published: February 2021

Antioxidant activities and nutritional composition are essential ingredients normally considered in the choice of vegetables for human consumption. Leafy vegetables in particular, are regarded as protective foods in human diet due to their many health benefits. The aim of this research was to carry out the quantitative phytochemical screening, the antioxidant activities of extracts and determine the nutritional content of Cucurbita maxima and Vigna unguiculata leaves. Quantitative phytochemical screening were conducted using standard techniques. 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assays were used to determine antioxidant activities of these extracts. Nutritional composition was determined using standard procedures. Quantitative analysis revealed the phytochemicals in C. maxima and V. unguiculata as; saponins (1.03%, and 1.34%), tannins (3.49% and 2.60%), terpenoids (0.0% and 0.47%), flavonoids (2.81% and 4.11%), alkaloids (5.72% and 3.5%), phenols (4.02% and 3.83%) respectively. There was a significant (p=0.05) difference in radical scavenging activity of ethanol leaf extract of V. unguiculata comprared to C. maxima. In FRAP both plants’ extract revealed a good antioxidant reducing power at 100mg/ml (range 0.40 to 0.5 absorbance) at 700nM. Antioxidant activities of extracts is attributed to their flavonoid and phenolic contents. Proximate analysis revealed the nutrients for C. maxima and V. unguiculata as; crude protein (11.58% and 14.83%), crude fat (0.47% and 0.61%), ash (4.11% and 3.72%), crude fiber (6.95 and 4.68%), moisture (1.03% and 1.38%), carbohydrate (75.86% and 74.78%) respectively. This shows that the leaves are a good source of energy to both humans and animals. Also, both vegetables revealed good percentages of proteins which can be used to compliment other sources of protein.
Sustaining Interstate Land Transportation in Nigeria Amidst Consumers’ Changing Tastes and Preferences: An Investigative Report
Authors: Chinedu Anyanwu Hilary 
Published: February 2021

Encircled by profit centric inter-state land transporters, middle class consumers (passengers) in Nigeria have echoed their resolve to adopt any land transport company with robust value creation for passengers due to their hedonistic tendencies. This investigative report sought to ascertain the likelihood of middle class consumers adopting a modern and equipped transportation company for inter-state journeys. It specifically identified factors that optimize value creation among middle class consumers, assessed the level of adoption intention, and determined the predictive effect of adoption intention on adoption behavior/continued patronage for a perceived modern and equipped transportation company for inter-state journeys. Using a mixed method, the report identified prioritization of timely departure, free access to communication facilities (Free Wi-Fi) while aboard, efficient response to consumer enquiries and complaints, and vehicle condition which is instrumental to passengers’ safety as the core factors that determine value creation among middle class inter-state passengers in Nigeria. Results further revealed that almost 90% of the respondents exhibited high adoption intention level for a perceived modern and equipped transportation company. Lastly, findings showed that consumers’ adoption intention significantly predicted adoption behavior/continued patronage for a perceived modern and equipped transportation company. Implications of the findings are also discussed.