bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
An Assessment of Guest Satisfaction of Service Quality in Selected 2-Star Hotels in Takoradi
Authors: Spio-Kwofie Adelaide , Ankor Peace , Adu Christiana 
Published: April 2024

In today’s economic environment, client expectations are continually increasing and both small and large hotel businesses are required to become more efficient to participate in a competitive global market. In this new reality, quality is critical for success. The main purpose of this study was to assess guest satisfaction with service quality in selected 2-star hotels in Takoradi. The objectives of the study were to find out whether guests are satisfied with services provided in the hotels, ascertain the main dimensions of service quality that lead to guest satisfaction and evaluate measures that can be put in place to help implement quality service in hotels. This study followed a non-experimental research approach and specifically used a descriptive survey. The targeted populations for this study were employees, guests and managers of nine 2-star hotels in Takoradi with a sample size of ninety (90). It consisted of ten (10) respondents from each hotel, thus, four (4) operational staff (one from housekeeping, front office, restaurant and kitchen department), five (5) guests and a manager (1) from each of the selected hotels.
Convenience and purposive sampling techniques were used for the study to select respondents and questionnaires were used to collect data from respondents. The data obtained was analyzed and presented using descriptive statistics namely frequencies, percentages, and charts with the aid of Microsoft Excel 2021. The study found out that though some aspect of service quality needs a step up, customers are satisfied with the services provided in the hotels. The study concluded that more customers become more satisfied with what they see or touch during the service.
Prevalence of Malnutrition and Associated Factors among HIV Seropositive Adults on Antiretroviral Therapy at the Regional Hospital, Buea, Cameroon
Authors: Nkanjo Bombey Mary-Flavie , Nicholas Tendongfor , Ojong Ebot Walter 
Published: April 2024

Introduction: Malnutrition refers to deficiencies, excesses, or imbalances in a person’s intake of energy and/or nutrients and HIV which infects CD4 cells causes immune suppression which can further be worsened by poor nutrition. More than 37.7 million people are living with HIV in the world out of which about 36 million are adults.
Aims: The study aimed to determine the prevalence of malnutrition and associated factors among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) seropositive adults on antiretroviral therapy at the HIV care and treatment center of the Buea Regional hospital, Cameroon.
Study Design: A Hospital-based Cross sectional study design.
Place and duration of study: Buea regional hospital at the HIV care and treatment centre, South West Region of Cameroon between April 2022 to June 2022.
Materials and method: We included 139 HIV seropositive individuals (17 men, 177 women age range 26 to 59 years). Nutritional status was assessed using anthropometric and clinical methods. A 24-hour dietary diversity was assessed using a questionnaire. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 25.0.
Results: The prevalence of underweight, overweight and obesity among the participants were 1.4 %, 38.8%, and 24.4% respectively. In the bivariate analysis, sex of the participants (χ2 = 4.715, p = 0.030) and attendance to HIV-related counseling sessions (χ2 = 4.512, p = 0.034) were significantly associated with malnutrition. The mean dietary diversity score of the study respondents was 4.97±1.6 with only 37% of the respondents achieving a minimum dietary diversity. In the multivariate logistic regression analysis, the odds of those who received HIV-related counselling being malnourished(overweight) was 3.29 times more than those who did not receive HIV-related counselling (AOR=3.29, p=0.036).
Conclusions: There is a high burden of overweight and obesity in the HIV population of the Regional Hospital Buea. The only factor independently associated to malnutrition(overweight) was uptake of nutrition related counselling. Majority of the HIV seropositive patients in the Regional Hospital Buea had a poor dietary diversity. Nutritional counseling should be an important part of persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) routine follow-up.
Effect of Bio-Priming with Isolates of Fungal Bio Agents on Morphological Attributes and Growth Parameters of Chickpea
Authors: Kumar Ankit , Biswas S. K. , Jaisval Girijesh Kumar , Kumar Sarvesh , Kumar Saurabh , Shivam ,. , Priya Anirudha 
Published: April 2024

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is one of the most important pulse crops of India. Chickpea is one of the major and abundant sources of protein among pulses; production of chickpea is very low all over the worldwide due to several biotic and abiotic stresses. Biotic stress diseases are the major problems. Chickpea wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceri has been considered as devastating one to cause up to 10 per cent loss in yield every year. For eco-friendly and sustainable management of the disease, six isolates of two fungal bioagents Trichoderma harzianum and Trichoderma viride were evaluated for their antagonistic efficacy on colony growth by dual culture plate method. The results showed that the bio-agents suppressed the colony growth ofpathogen which ranged between 70.80-59.29%. Isolates of T1 [Trichoderma harzianum (KN)] 70.80% was found very effective antagonistic effect compare to all treatments and control followed by T2 [Trichoderma harzianum (VN) which inhibited 68.80%, T3 [Trichoderma harzianum (UNN) 66.45% and T4 [T. viride (FBD)] 63.58% mycelia growth of pathogen and so on. The result of seed treatment in vivo condition showed that T1 found highest germination percent among all the treatments with a value of 85.71%. In all the treatment, substantially boosting the morphology of chickpea against control, the maximum number of branches was recorded in T1, with value of 12 and maximum root length was 13.33 cm with increase 81.85% over the control. In the yield parameter, the highest number of pods was found in T1 with 41 pods, followed by T2 and T3 with 37 and 36 pods, respectively. Result of the study show that bio-agents significantly reduced the wilt incidence, treated plants subsequently significantly increased germination percentage, morphological parameters and yield parameters over the non-treated plants.
.
Genetic Variability Estimation in Forty Pigeonpea Germplasm for Yield and Yield Attributing Traits
Authors: Sinha Surabhi , Kumar Niraj , Bhavana P. , Lal H. C. , Mahto C. S. , Kumar Binay , Singh Ankit , Kumari Jyoti 
Published: April 2024

Aim: The present research aimed to estimate the genetic variability in forty pigeonpea germplasms for yield and yield-attributing traits such as initial plant stand, final plant stand, days to 50% flowering, primary branches, secondary branches, plant height, days to maturity, wilt incidence%, pod borer infestation %, 100 seed weight, number of pods per plant, yield (g/plot), yield (kg/ha).
Study Design: study was conducted in randomised block desigh (RBD) design with two replications and spacing of 60 cm X 30 cm.
Place and Duration of Study: The present investigation was carried out during kharif 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 at the research farm of Birsa Agricultural University farm located at Kanke, Ranchi.
Methodology: Forty pigeonpea genotypes were studied to determine genetic variability. Pooled data over two years were subjected to statistical analysis for estimation of genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV), phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV), heritability in broad sense (h2), and genetic advance as a percent of mean for fourteen quantitative traits such as initial plant stand, final plant stand, days to 50% flowering, primary branches, secondary branches, plant height, days to maturity, wilt incidence%, pod borer infestation%, 100 seed weight.
Results: The PCV varied from 2.45% (days to maturity) to 30.83% [yield (kg/ha), whereas the GCV ranged from 1.12% (days to maturity) to 17.67% [yield (g/plot)]. Days to 50% flowering (6.39%, 4.48%), days to maturity (2.45%, 1.12%), and 100 seed weight (8.53%, 5.65%) all had low GCV and PCV value. The broad sense of heritability (h2) varied between plant height (16.9%) to days to 50% blooming (49.20%). Plant height (16.90%, 4.95%), number of pods per plant (21.10%, 9.95%), and days to maturity (20.90%, 1.05%) showed low heritability and genetic advance as a percentage of the mean, indicating ineffective selection.
Conclusion: Genotypes showed high magnitude of variability for all the traits under study.
Training to detect what? The biasing effects of training on veracity judgments
Authors: Masip Jaume , Alonso Hernán , Garrido Eugenio , Herrero Carmen 
Published: November 2008

AbstractResearch has failed to show that training to detect deception substantially increases accuracy. Instead, training yields a stronger tendency to make judgments of deceptiveness. Normally, training programmes place a strong emphasis on deception and deception cues. This may lead observers to engage in a biased information seeking process wherein only deception cues are searched for, and any suggestion that the person is being truthful is neglected. Two experiments were conducted in which participants made veracity judgments before and after being ostensibly trained to (a) detect deception (traditional training group or TRAD‐GR), (b) detect truthfulness (alternative training group or ALT‐GR) or (c) not being trained (control group or CONT‐GR). Deception judgments increased for the TRAD‐GR, but decreased for the ALT‐GR, and did not change for the CONT‐GR. Judgmental confidence significantly increased in both training groups, but not in the CONT‐GR. These results indicate that traditional training programmes to detect deception bias the trainees' judgments towards deception. An emphasis on truthfulness cues could compensate for this tendency, as well as for the professionals' inclination to judge other people's statements as deceptive. However, the poor diagnostic value of deception cues makes it difficult to design good training programmes. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Novel piperidinium salts as latent initiators for cationic polymerization of epoxide and vinyl ether
Authors: Kim Jun Young , Kim Nam Sun , Patil Prashant S. , Ahn Kwang Duk , Kim Jinhwan , Kim Tae Ho 
Published: November 2008

AbstractNovel dibenzylpiperidinium salts with nonnucleophilic anions (DBPi‐SbF6, DBPi‐PF6) have been prepared as latent cationic initiators. Utility of these salts in the photo and thermal‐induced cationic polymerizations of epoxide and vinyl ether monomer systems has been studied. The new initiator, DBPi‐SbF6 showed good solubility, high reactivity, and high thermal latency for polymerizations of epoxide and vinyl ether monomers with only 1 wt % of concentration. Cationic polymerization of vinyl ether monomer was significantly faster than epoxide monomer by the synthesized initiators. This article describes the synthesis, characterization, and activity of novel initiators. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009
Preparation of silica/polyurethane nanocomposites by UV‐induced polymerization from surfaces of silica
Authors: Tan Hailin , Yang Dongzhi , Xiao Ming , Han Jing , Nie Jun 
Published: November 2008

AbstractUV‐curable nanocomposites were prepared by the in situ photopolymerizaton with nanosilica obtained from sol–gel process. The photoinitiator 2‐hydroxy‐2‐methyl‐1‐phenylpropane‐1‐one (1173) was anchored onto the surface of the nanosilica with or without methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane (MAPS) modification. The photopolymerization kinetics was studied by real‐time Fourier transform IR (RTIR), and the microstructure and properties of the nanocomposite were investigated using transmission electron microscopy and UV–visible (UV–vis) transmistance spectra. RTIR analysis indicated that the nanocomposites without MAPS had higher curing rates and final conversion than those with MAPS. The nanocomposites with an uniformal dispersion of nanosilica had high UV–vis transmittance. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009
Pigment color printing on cotton and polyester fabrics with electron beam irradiation curable formulations
Authors: Abdoua L. A. W. , Hakeim O. A. , El‐Din Mahmoud S. , El‐Gammal M. S. , El‐Naggar Abdel Wahab M. 
Published: November 2008

AbstractAccelerated electrons delivered by electron beam accelerator were used to fix pigment colors, incorporated in curable formulation containing diluting monomer and an oligomer, to cotton and polyester fabrics. Tetrahydrofurfurfryl acrylate monomer and trifunctional urethane‐methacrylate (TFUMA) oligomer were used as curable base besides ethylene glycol. The fabrics were printed with these formulations and exposed to various doses of electron beam irradiation generated from the 1.5 MeV (25 kW) electron beam accelerator machine. The irradiation dose, formulation composition, and pigment color concentration were studied. The roughness and color fastness to rubbing, washing, and perspiration of the printed fabrics by electron beam irradiation, were compared to the same fabrics printed by conventional pigment printing pastes. The results showed that cotton and polyester fabrics printed with the pigment colors by electron beam irradiation displayed higher color strength than those fabrics printed by the conventional thermal curing at equal pigment color ratios depending on the kind of pigment color. The durability properties, in term of roughness, rubbing, washing, and perspiration of fabrics printed by electron beam irradiation are better than those printed by conventional thermal curing. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009
Thermosensitive nanoparticles prepared from poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide‐acrylamide‐vinilpyrrolidone) and its blend with poly(lactide‐co‐glycolide) for efficient drug delivery system
Authors: Salehi Roya , Davaran Soodabeh , Rashidi Mohammad R. , Entezami Ali Akbar 
Published: November 2008

AbstractTemperature‐responsive polymers have become increasingly attractive as carrier for the injectable drug delivery systems. In the present work, we have studied the preparation of poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide‐acrylamide‐vinilpyrrolidone) (NIPAAm‐AAm‐VP terpolymer) nanoparticulated terpolymer and its blend with poly(lactide‐co‐glycolide, PLGA; molar ratio of lactide/glycolid 1/3). Thermosensitive terpolymer, poly(NIPAAm‐AAm‐VP) was prepared by free‐radical polymerization in aqueous solution. The nanoparticles of poly(NIPAAm‐AAm‐VP) and its blend with PLGA containing naltrexone were prepared using the evaporation and w/o emulsion‐solvent evaporation methods, respectively. Nanoparticles prepared from terpolymer‐PLGA blend at low polymer concentration (5%) shows larger particle size (>300 nm) and higher drug content%. Various types of nanoparticles showed a burst release of less than 10% after 24 h. The results suggest that by regulating different variables, desired release profiles of naltrexone can be achieved using a blend of PLGA‐poly(NIPAAm‐AAm‐VP) nanoparticulate system. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009
Microwave‐absorbing properties of linear low‐density polyethylene/ethylene–octene copolymer/carbonyl iron powder composites
Authors: Ling Qincai , Sun Jianzhong , Zhao Qian , Zhou Qiyun 
Published: November 2008

AbstractUsing linear low‐density polyethylene (LLDPE)/ethylene–octene copolymer (POE) as a polymer matrix and carbonyl iron powders (CIPs) as filler, we prepared polymer matrix composites with microwave‐absorbing properties by means of melt blending. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy were used to characterize the samples. The absorbing properties of the composites were measured with the arch method in the range of frequency 2.0–18.0 GHz. The results indicate that the absorbing peaks moved to low frequency as the CIP content in composites increased and that there was an appropriate CIP content in LLDPE/POE/CIP composites to achieve the best absorbing effectiveness. The electromagnetic parameters of the composites were determined with the transmission/reflection method in the range 2.6–17.8 GHz. The experimental results show that there were both dielectric loss and magnetic loss in the LLDPE/POE/CIP composites. Therefore, the microwave absorption of the LLDPE/POE/CIP composites was attributed to the combining contributions of the dielectric loss and magnetic loss. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009
Preparation and characterization of thin films of the poly(p‐phenylene vinylene) semiconducting polymer
Authors: Gomathi N. , Prasad Venkata K. , Neogi Sudarsan 
Published: November 2008

AbstractConjugated polymers have been the subject of many studies because of their widespread applications in electronic and optoelectronic devices. Poly(p‐phenylene vinylene) is a leading semiconducting polymer in optical applications. This work is focused on the development of thin films of poly(p‐phenylene vinylene) by spin coating and their characterization with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy to understand their changes. An empirical model has been developed to show the effect of the variables—the spin speed, polymer concentration, and spin time—on the film thickness. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009
Interfacially compatibilized poly(lactic acid) and poly(lactic acid)/polycaprolactone/organoclay nanocomposites with improved biodegradability and barrier properties: Effects of the compatibilizer structural parameters and feeding route
Authors: Sabet S. Shafiei , Katbab A. A. 
Published: November 2008

AbstractNanocomposites with enhanced biodegradability and reduced oxygen permeability were fabricated via melt hybridization of organomodified clay and poly (lactic acid) (PLA) as well as a PLA/polycaprolactone (PCL) blend. The nanocomposite microstructure was engineered via interfacial compatibilization with maleated polypropylene (PP‐g‐MA). Effects of the compatibilizer structural parameters and feeding route on the dispersion state of the nanolayers and their partitioning between the PLA and PCL phases were evaluated with X‐ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. Although highly functionalized PP‐g‐MA with a low molecular weight was shown to be much more effective in the intercalation of PLA and the PLA/PCL blend into the clay gallery spaces, composite samples compatibilized by high‐molecular‐weight PP‐g‐MA with a lower degree of maleation exhibited lower oxygen permeability as well as a higher rate of biodegradation, which indicated the accelerating role of the dispersed nanolayers and their interfaces in the enzymatic degradation of PLA and PLA/PCL matrices. This evidenced a correlation between the nanocomposite structure and rate of biodegradation. The size of the PCL droplets in the PLA matrix was reduced by nanoclay incorporation, and this revealed that the nanolayers were preferentially wetted by PCL in the blend. However, PCL appeared as fine and elongated particles in the microstructure of the PLA/PCL/organoclay hybrids compatibilized by higher molecular weight and less functionalized PP‐g‐MA. All the PLA/organoclay and PLA/PCL/organoclay hybrids compatibilized with high‐molecular‐weight PP‐g‐MA displayed a higher dynamic melt viscosity with more pseudo solid‐like melt rheological responses, and this indicated the formation of a strong network structure by the dispersed clay layers. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009
Physicochemical characterization of maize tassel as an adsorbent. I. Surface texture, microstructure, and thermal stability
Authors: Zvinowanda Caliphs M. , Okonkwo Jonathan O. , Agyei Nana M. , Shabalala Pride N. 
Published: November 2008

AbstractIn this study, various physicochemical parameters were evaluated for maize tassel, a novel adsorbent. The Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) isotherm was used to experimentally model N2‐adsorption data (up to a relative pressure of 0.30); the results indicated that the powdered material was mesoporous with a BET specific surface area, total pore volume (up to a relative pressure of 0.98), and average pore width (4V/A by BET) of 2.52 m2/g, 0.0045 cm3/g, and 7.2 nm, respectively, for the 150–300‐μm fraction. Laser diffraction pattern analysis yielded particle size distributions for the 45–50‐, 50–150‐, and 150–300‐μm fractions. High‐resolution scanning electron microscopy revealed a microstructure showing predominantly flattish, rodlike particles. The material exhibited stability to thermal decomposition up to about 230°C, as evidenced by the results obtained from simultaneous thermogravimetry/differential thermal analysis and differential scanning calorimetry. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009
Synthesis and properties of some fluorescent 1,8‐naphthalimide derivatives and their copolymers with methyl methacrylate
Authors: Konstantinova T. N. , Miladinova P. M. 
Published: November 2008

AbstractSix new fluorescent derivatives of 1,8‐naphthalimide were synthesized. Three were dyes, and three were fluorescent whitening agents (FWAs) containing a tetramethylpiperidine (TMP) stabilizer fragment. The FWAs were obtained under phase‐transfer catalysis conditions. Five of the compounds were copolymerized with methyl methacrylate, so copolymers with an intense color and/or fluorescence stable against solvents were obtained. The chemical bonding of the synthesized monomers in the polymers was confirmed spectrophotometrically. The participation of the monomer compounds did not significantly affect the process of copolymerization or the molecular masses of the obtained copolymers. The quantity of chemically bonded naphthalimide monomer in the copolymers was determined to be over 60%. The spectral properties of the compounds and their photostability in solution and in the copolymers were studied. The influence of the compounds on the photostability of the copolymers was determined. The compounds, especially those containing a stabilizer (TMP) fragment in their molecules, showed a positive stabilizing effect on the photodegradation of poly(methyl methacrylate). Polyamide fabrics with 2‐allyl‐6‐hydrazino‐benzo[de]isoquinoline‐1,3‐dione, 2‐allyl‐6‐(2‐amino‐ethylamino)‐benzo[de]isoquinoline‐1,3‐dione, and 2‐chloro‐N′‐(2‐methyl)‐1,3‐dioxo‐2,3‐dihydro‐1H‐benzo[de] isoquinoline‐6‐yl) acetohydrazide were dyed, and materials with an intense yellow color and fluorescence were obtained. Cotton fabrics were whitened with 2‐(2,2,6,6‐tetramethyl‐piperidin‐4‐yl)‐6‐methoxy‐benzo[de]isoquinoline‐1,3‐dione, 2‐(2,2,6,6‐tetramethyl‐piperidin‐4‐yl)‐6‐allyloxybenzo[de]isoquinoline‐1, 3‐dione, and 2‐[2‐(2,2,6,6‐tetramethyl‐piperidin‐4‐yl)‐1,3‐dioxo‐2,3‐dihidro‐1H benzo [de]isoquinoline‐6‐oxy]ethyl‐2‐methacrylate, and materials with bright whiteness and intense bluish fluorescence were obtained. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009
Novel 1,4‐diketo‐3,6‐diphenyl pyrrolo[3,4‐c]pyrrole (DPP)‐based copolymers with large Stokes shift
Authors: Liu Kuan , Li Yang , Yang Mujie 
Published: November 2008

AbstractTwo novel alternating π‐conjugated copolymers, named PDPPDOPV and PDPPDOPE, constituted of 1,4‐diketo‐3,6‐diphenyl pyrrolo[3,4‐c]pyrrole (DPP) with 2,5‐dioctyloxy‐1,4‐phenylenevinylene (DOPV) or 2,5‐dioctyloxy‐1,4‐phenyleneethynylene (DOPE), respectively, were synthesized and characterized by UV‐vis, FT‐IR, and photoluminescence spectroscopy. They are dark red solid readily soluble in various common organic solvents including THF and chloroform. The UV‐vis absorption spectra of the polymers show strong absorption bands, which correspond to the π‐π* transition of π‐conjugated segments. Photoluminescence (PL) spectra show that both polymer films and solution have large Stokes shifts. From their fluorescence behavior, Stokes shifts of 173 nm and 199 nm are derived for the films of PDPPDOPV and PDPPDOPE, respectively, which are the largest two values ever reported for DPP‐containing polymers. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009