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This research examines the dynamic response of axial forced Rayleigh non-uniform beam under accelerating distributed load. The governing partial differential equation of order four and the transverse deflection in which the simply supported Rayleigh beam of finite length under accelerating distributed load was considered. The effects of axial force values, shear modulus, foundation modulus, load speed and gyrating radius in connection with the length of the span of a Rayleigh beam were investigated. The fourth order partial differential equation in equation was reduced to a second order differential equation using the Fourier sine finite integral transformation method. Starting with the definition of the Fourier sine finite for 0 ≤ x ≤ L, the simplified second order differential equation is solved using the Laplace transform. Numerical results were presented and it was observed that for all values of various axial force, the deflection is constant from the origin, but there is a minor difference on the positive side. Also, the result showed that for all values of shear modulus, the deflection remains constant. It was further observed that the midpoint deflection of the Rayleigh beam increases as load speeds, foundation modulus and gyrating radius increases. Finally, the results obtained are validated and are found to compare favorable well with those in the open literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To provide a nationwide description of postoperative outcomes and analysis of prognostic factors following adrenalectomy for metastases. Background: Adrenal glands are a common site of metastases in many malignancies. Diagnosis of adrenal metastases is on the rise, leading to an increasing number of patient candidates for surgery without consensual management. Methods: We conducted a population-based study between January 2012 and December 2022 using the French National Health Data System (SNDS) and the Eurocrine registry (NCT03410394). The first database exhaustively covers all procedures carried out in France, while the second provides more clinical information on procedures and tumor characteristics, based on the experience of 11 specialized centers. Results: From the SNDS, we extracted 2515 patients who underwent adrenalectomy for secondary malignancy and 307 from the Eurocrine database. The most common primary malignancies were lung cancer (n = 1203, 47.8%) and renal cancer (n = 555, 22.1%). One-year survival was 84.3% (n = 2120). Thirty-day mortality and morbidity rates were, respectively, 1.3% (n = 32) and 29.9% (n = 753, including planned intensive care unit - stays). Radiotherapy within the year before adrenalectomy was significantly associated with higher 30-day major complication rates (P = 0.039). In the Eurocrine database, the proportion of laparoscopic procedures reached 85.3% without impairing resection completeness (R0: 92.9%). Factors associated with poor overall survival were the presence of extra-adrenal metastases (hazard ratio = 0.64; P = 0.031) and incomplete resection ( ≥R1; hazard ratio = 0.41; P = 0.015). Conclusions: The number of patients who can receive local treatment for adrenal metastases is rising, and adrenalectomy is more often minimally invasive and has a low morbidity rate. Subsequent research should evaluate which patients would benefit from adrenal surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT:The objective of this paper was to present the spread of Trichomoniasis amongst pregnant women attending a tertiary institution teaching hospital for antenatal routine in Kwara State, Nigeria using appropriate standard structured questionnaire and standardized methods were deployed for data collection and analysis. Three hundred and fifty samples were collected based on their age group, marital status and their level of Education. From the results obtained, the respondents between the ages 15-25 (66.6%) were shown to be positive, followed by those within the age of 26-35 (23.2%), and those between 35-45 years (10.2%) respectively. With respect to the marital status, the prevalence rate of T.vaginalis was recorded to be highest in single (51.4%); married (40%) and divorced pregnant mothers (8.6%) respectively. On the accK of the level of Education, the prevalence rate of T.vaginalis was reportedly higher in those with primary education (44.3%) followed by those with secondary school education (30%) and post-secondary school education (25.7%) respectively. There was however no statistically significant difference between the groups (p=0.559). The immunological status as indicated by CD 4 counts caused by Trichomonasvaginalis infection (p=0.560) show no significant differences in the sampled groups. Therefore, to prevent the impact of Trichomonasvaginalis infection, health sanitization awareness is recommended to be carried out time to time by the community health service providers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria is the property of Thieme Medical Publishing Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

To systematically review and synthesize literature on: 1) the overall prevalence of primary headaches and specifically migraines, in patients with lupus since previous systematic review published in 2004; 2) the risk factors associated with primary headaches in patients with lupus; 3) the association of primary headaches with structural brain changes; and 4) "lupus headaches". This review used (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) PRISMA guidelines and literature searches in four databases: Ovid-based Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews from inception until 4/2022. Papers on primary headaches in patients with lupus were identified. Included studies were critically appraised and analyzed. Since a systematic review on this topic was published in 2004, only papers published in 2004 and later were included in this review. Statistical and publication bias was assessed using funnel plots. A total of 5096 references were identified, 189 were selected for detailed review and 11 papers were included in the final analysis. 1) The pooled prevalence of primary headaches in lupus was 26.8 % (95 %CI 25.1–28.6). The prevalence of primary headaches was similar between patients with lupus and healthy controls, odds ratio (OR) 2.14, 95 %CI 0.97–4.76, p value=0.06, however publication bias was significant according to the Egger test. Lupus patients seem to have a higher prevalence of primary headaches compared to patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and primary Sjogren's syndrome (pSS), OR 2.5, 95 % CI 1.56–4, p < 0.0001. Regarding the prevalence of migraines specifically, no difference was found between patients with lupus compared to healthy controls and patients with RA or pSS. 2) Primary headaches seem to be associated with depression and impaired health related quality of life rather than lupus activity or damage. There is insufficient data to conclude whether specific lupus treatments affected primary headaches in lupus, however, one study did suggest hydroxychloroquine reduced the frequency of primary headaches. Raynaud phenomenon was associated with migraines. 3) One study which examined MRI scans of patients with lupus compared to healthy controls did suggest that larger gray matter volumes reduced the odds for headaches in general (OR 0.98, p = 0.048) and for migraines in particular (OR 0.95, p = 0.004), and larger white matter volumes increased the odds for migraine (OR 1.04, p = 0.007). However, these findings might reflect disease activity or damage, therefore further studies are required to clarify this issue. 4) The only study which specifically addressed the prevalence of "lupus headaches" is Hanly's study from 2013 of the SLICC cohort. In this large cohort, only 1.5 % of patients had "lupus headaches", as defined by SLE Disease Activity Index-2000 (SLEDAI-2 K). Therefore "Lupus headache" is a rare entity in SLE and should be suspected after excluding other possible explanations for headaches, especially when there is no known prior history of primary headaches. Patients with lupus seem to have a similar prevalence of primary headaches, and specifically migraines, compared to healthy controls. These primary headaches are associated with depression and Raynaud phenomenon and not with disease activity nor damage. Scarce data is published regarding structural changes associated with primary headaches. Currently is seems "lupus headaches" are a distinct rare manifestation of lupus and more data are needed. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite a significant declined in malaria incidence in Thailand, the rising global travel has resulted in an increase of imported malaria cases, posing a threat to the goal of malaria elimination. This study aims to understand the epidemiological trends and clinical outcomes of imported malaria cases in Thailand. Medical records of all imported malaria cases admitted from 1st January 2013 to 31st December 2022 at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Thailand, were retrospectively examined. Demographic data, travel details, severity of illness, and clinical outcomes were described. Logistic regression was performed to identify factors associated with severe disease outcomes. In total, 335 cases of imported malaria were identified, with 33 % classified as transnational malaria and 67 % as border malaria. Transnational malaria cases (79 % P. falciparum) were mostly acquired from Sub-Saharan Africa for business or visiting friends and relatives (VFRs). Border malaria cases (81 % P. vivax) involved unskilled labourers and were acquired from land-border countries. The proportion of imported malaria in business travelers increased from 13 % to 50 % over the ten years. Risk factors for severe imported malaria included male gender, age 40 and older, infection with P. falciparum , and acquired malaria from Africa. Understanding unique demographic and socioeconomic characteristics in both border and transnational cases is crucial for effective malaria prevention. The increasing imported malaria among business travelers highlight the need for targeted prevention in this high-risk group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

History is a body of knowledge derived from the past lives of a society or an individual. The documentation of oral information in the 21st century without doubt is essential. Oral information is transferred from one individual to another verbally and as such there is need to document these information based on their importance. There are different types of oral information passed within a society and this information contains various values such as religious, social, historical, indigenous knowledge and culture of a community as well as genealogy of a community or family. Oral information are received, developed, and shared to future generations through a wide variety of oral tradition known to the society or community. Nonetheless, in the 21st century, concerns are raised because people's culture and identity are being abandoned and forgotten then comes the need for information professionals and librarians to identify, collect, preserve and actualize the oral information, particularly the information contained in the oral tradition. The paper views information services' provision as a wheel which provides access to oral information that supports a long or short-term preservation of oral tradition information via documentation. Through the review of scholarly literature and studies, this paper aimed at showcasing 21st century documentation as a symbol of preserving oral tradition to sustain continuity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The background of the theory which has been basic of research is business capital part of financial of management and add of Chapter 19 of Law number 20 in 2008 about MSMEs and marketing strategy. The aim to do the research is to find a solution from several problem which in SMEs at Balongsari Villages in development of business as capital problem, and how to way market product. The type research is quantitative of method through testing the validity, reliability, and normality of the data as well as the classical assumption test with multiple regression analysis tools. The result of this research were based on the respondents' assessment of the business capital variable with an average score of 371.7 with the criteria agreed. Respondents' assessment of the marketing strategy variable with an average score of 306.85 with criteria quite agree. Respondents' assessment of the business development variable with an average score of 311.1 with criteria quite agreed. The magnitude of the influence of business capital on business development is 12%. The simultaneous influence between business capital variables and marketing strategy variables on business development variables is 38.4% while the remaining 61.6% is influenced by other variables that were not examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the top methods generally utilized by the administration to verify internal control function is internal audit and, in this study, the primary objective is to examine the direct internal audit determinants that influence the financial sector of Saudi listed firms. The study sample comprised of financial sector firms including banks and insurance companies for a span of 4 years, using a panel data approach to test the independent-dependent variables relationships. The study combined data from the listed companies' data with the information provided by their annual reports and corporate annual reports. This paper revealed that internal audit size and internal audit professional certificate has a positive and significant association with performance. In sum, this paper provides descriptive information concerning internal audit usage. Finally, this study provided some implication and suggestion for future researchers as provided at the end of this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pathogenesis of the occurrence of BRONJ until now cannot be determined with certainty. This paper investigates the effects of zoledronic acid (Z) on tissue oxygenation concerning the healing process of post-extraction tooth sockets. 24 female Sprague Dawley mice that had an ovariectomy were divided into three groups: a dose of 1x Z (n=8), a group of 6x Z (n=8), and a control group (n=8) who got 0.1mg/kg of Z through the intravena pathway. After six weeks, the extraction of the first molar teeth of the mandible. IHK and Elisa examinations were carried out on H+0 and H+14 post-extraction to observe HIF1-alpha, BMP2, and VWF expression concentrations. Statistical analysis results using the Kruskal-Wallis nonparametric test, the concentration of HIF1-alpha did not get a significant difference (p = 0.073). Likewise for the concentration of BMP2 (p = 0.123). As for the expression of also found no significant results (p = 0.076). The concentrations of HIF1-alpha and BMP2 tended to be higher in the Z group, although the results were not statistically significant. For VWF expression, the higher trend in the Z group was statistically insignificant. Therefore, caution is needed when interpreting the results of these three types of analysis with follow-up research dan clinical studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, the construction of an evaluation model of the quality of the service of hard discount stores in Colombia was carried out. Thus, a quantitative study was carried out, under the deductive and descriptive method, with its own instrument designed and supported by the globally accepted Servqual and Servperf models, with Likert-type questions, to measure customer perception. In this regard, around five thousand surveys were applied in the main cities of the country, for the validation of the instrument as the information processing, the quantitative software SPSS-26 and its complement the AMOS were used. The designed model was made up of seven dimensions, namely: tangible elements, reliability, empathy, security, responsiveness, image and loyalty. Finally, it concludes by highlighting the aspects that were considered most relevant for the customers of the discounter's stores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the discussion on "keyword" being among many related terms sometimes considered synonyms. Topics include BaezaYates and Ribeiro-Neto defining for library and information science; and ‘Heading' being the general term for information used in printed catalogs and bibliographies as an access point.

The occurrence of claims prevails in all projects, making the successful completion of projects within the predetermined budget a mirage. This is recognized to have added to costs of projects and adversely affected project performance. This paper aims at investigating critical factors influencing occurrence of claims in building projects in Lagos State, Nigeria. Forty-three (43) construction project attributes affecting project performance were identified through literature and presented to the key stakeholders in the study area using questionnaire survey. Two hundred and seventy-six (276) copies of the questionnaire were randomly administered to key stakeholders involved in the building construction process. One hundred and fifty-one (151) were retrieved representing 57.61% response rate. Principal component analysis of responses to a set of 43 characteristics identified through literature review extracted four components. The results indicated important factors such as: 'Project Participant Characteristics', 'Basic Project Characteristic', 'Procurement Characteristics', along with 'Complexity Characteristics' were factors influencing the occurrence of claims. It was concluded that the construction stakeholders should effectively manage these factors in minimising claims occurrence and thereby improving building projects delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study assessed the relative abundance and vegetation structure of African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) including plant parameters: frequency, diameter at breast height (dbh), tree height, diversity, evenness, richness, Margalef, dominance in Kainji Lake National Park. Point -- Centered Quarter method was used for woody species enumeration. A total of twenty-eight (28) randomly sampled plots of 150m by 100m given 112 points per plot were established in the study area. The abundance and distribution, tree frequencies, heights, dbh and plant biodiversity indices were calculated using the Paleontological Statistics Software (PAST) for scientific data analysis. The results revealed that relative abundance of African buffalo in both morning and evening of dry and wet seasons in various habitats of the Park were 13.33 ± 4.41 and 11.33 ± 4.40 respectively. The study showed the highest mean value of 21.75 ± 6.94 representing 87 individuals in dry season compared to wet season with mean value of 15.25 ± 5.11 representing 61 individuals. A total of 91 woody plant species and 29 tree families were recorded in African buffalo habitats representing 80, 77, 68 and 59 tree species respectively. The highest average girth size of tree species was class between >10cm -50cm with 59.14 ± 4.06 and the highest mean tree height was height class of >3 - 10m with 91.43 ± 5.44. There were significant differences at (p<0.05) between the values of dbh, tree height, diversity, richness and evenness of plant species recorded in different habitats studied in the Park. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the limitations of keyword mnemonics concerns its efficacy in delayed recall. The objective of this study was to analyse the impact of keyword mnemonics on delayed recall (at a one-week interval). A sample of 794 first and second-year Compulsory Secondary Education students of both genders were presented a list of 14 Basque words, the meanings of these words were to be learnt using keyword mnemonics (keyword selected by classmates, researchers, or by the participants themselves), or the rote learning method. Half of the sample were allowed immediate and delayed recall, and the remaining 50% of participants underwent delayed recall. Activation of immediate recall influenced delayed recall. The rote learning method was more effective than the keyword method when the keyword was supplied by the researcher, or when participants generated their own keywords themselves, but not as effective as the keyword method when the keyword was generated by the classmates of the participants in the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to identify the effects of nursing intervention programs for women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) through a critical review of recent studies. Methods: Studies related to effects of nursing intervention programs for women with GDM published in English or Korean between 2000 and 2019 were extracted from 10 electronic databases. The quality of the studies was evaluated and double-checked for accuracy by two reviewers using the Revised Cochrane Risk-of-Bias tool for randomized controlled trials. Results Twenty studies were selected, of which 19 had a low risk of bias and one had a high risk of bias. Interventions fell into six main groups: (l) integrated interventions, (2) self-monitoring of blood glucose levels, (3) dietary interventions, (4) exercise, (5) psychotherapy, and (6) complementary therapy This review found that nursing interventions for GDM were of many types, and integrated interventions were the most common. However, low-carbohydrate diets and blood glucose monitoring interventions did not show statistically significant results. Evidence shows that various nursing intervention programs applied to GDM improved diverse aspects of maternal, fetal, and neonatal health, including both physical and psychological aspects. Conclusion The composition and delivery of integrated interventions continue to evolve, and these interventions affect physical and psychological indicators. Although interventions affecting physical health indicators (e.g., blood glucose levels, diet, and exercise) are important, many studies have shown that programs including psycho-emotional nursing interventions related to anxiety, depression, stress, self- efficacy, and self-management are also highly useful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted with the aim of determining various bibliometric characteristics of documents published in the Scopus database. The information starts from the type of access, year, author, subject area, document type, publication stage, source title, keyword, affiliation, funding sponsor, country, source type, and language. Dynamic Capabilities, Information Technology Enabler and Performance are defined as the use of information technology capabilities and information technology management processes between business units with the shared use of resources. Research on Dynamic Capabilities, Information Technology Enablers and Performance by providing a big picture that is visualized from year to year. This study aims to map research in the fields of Dynamic Capabilities, Information Technology Enablers and Performance with data from all international research publications. This study performs bibliometric methods and literature review and analyzes research data using Scopus services analyze search results and VOSviewer applications. The data obtained in this study amounted to 7 academic documents published from 2004 to 2020 globally. The results showed that the institutions and individual researchers at the global level who were the most productive in publications in the fields of Dynamic Capabilities, Information Technology Enabler and Performance were EBS Universitat für Wirtschaft und Recht with 2 documents and the most researchers Knabke, T with 2 article documents. Most subject area is Computer Sicance (35.7%) with 5 documents. Then the most publications occurred in 2011 with 2 documents, and the most types of documents in this field were in the form of Conferences Papers (57.1%) or 4 documents. Most documents by country of study are German with 3 documents. And finally the number of documents based on the source year is Information Systems And E Business Management with 1 document. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Informacao & Sociedade: Estudos is the property of Universidade Federal de Campina Grande, Centro de Humanidades and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objective To evaluate the serum level of vitamin D in children aged six to 60 months with febrile seizure and febrile children without the seizure. Materials & Methods Febrile children aged six to 60 months with or without seizure were studied. Demographic characteristics, serum level of vitamin D, and other laboratory findings were recorded. Results Among the 104 children, 51 patients had fever without a seizure and 53 patients had a febrile seizure. The mean subjects' age was significantly more in the febrile seizure group compared to the without seizure group (16.26 ± 11.87 versus 26.36 ± 14.11 months, p = 0.001). The mean serum level of vitamin D in the with and without seizure groups was 41.92 ± 22.42 and 48.41 ± 15.25 microgram per deciliter, respectively (p = 0.08). There was no significant correlation between serum level of vitamin D and seizure occurrence (p = 0.07). The mean serum sodium and potassium levels, and platelet count were significantly lower in the febrile seizure group compared to the without seizure group (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences between the two groups regarding hemoglobin, blood sugar, creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, calcium, alkaline phosphatase levels, and white blood cell count (p > 0.05). Conclusion The serum level of vitamin D in febrile children with or without seizure was normal. The serum level of vitamin D was lower in patients with the seizure but not statistically significant. More clinical studies are needed to evaluate the relationship between febrile seizure and the serum level of vitamin D. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transformations of the socio-economic environment have led to a radical change in models of economic and corporate governance, previously based on labor and capital in the knowledge-based economy. Nowadays, innovation has become an essential tool for improving living standards and can be a response to survival and growth, whether it is government, school, hospital, private company or even service. Although Romanian companies have a favorable environment for innovation, according to statistics at the European Union, small and medium enterprises have a 0 degree of implementation of innovation. Innovation is one of the determining factors in the evolution of modern society. ways to constantly innovate. For a long time, innovation was defined as a process of combining imaginations, which only fits the artistic imagination. But the creative process in science involves several syntheses in the field of ideas, of abstractions. Imagination is also shown by the choreographer, which can be seen even in the behavior of some athletes. So that today we can define the innovation as that psychic process whose result is the obtaining of some reactions, new psychic phenomena on a cognitive, affective or motor level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to comprehensively review the use of graph neural networks (GNNs) for clinical risk prediction based on electronic health records (EHRs). The primary goal is to provide an overview of the state-of-the-art of this subject, highlighting ongoing research efforts and identifying existing challenges in developing effective GNNs for improved prediction of clinical risks. A search was conducted in the Scopus, PubMed, ACM Digital Library, and Embase databases to identify relevant English-language papers that used GNNs for clinical risk prediction based on EHR data. The study includes original research papers published between January 2009 and May 2023. Following the initial screening process, 50 articles were included in the data collection. A significant increase in publications from 2020 was observed, with most selected papers focusing on diagnosis prediction (n = 36). The study revealed that the graph attention network (GAT) (n = 19) was the most prevalent architecture, and MIMIC-III (n = 23) was the most common data resource. GNNs are relevant tools for predicting clinical risk by accounting for the relational aspects among medical events and entities and managing large volumes of EHR data. Future studies in this area may address challenges such as EHR data heterogeneity, multimodality, and model interpretability, aiming to develop more holistic GNN models that can produce more accurate predictions, be effectively implemented in clinical settings, and ultimately improve patient care. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of shoulder movement Yoga on life quality of breast cancer patients after modified radical mastectomy. The sample group consisted of 60 breast cancer patients who received modified radical mastectomy, selected by criteria-based purposive sampling. The sample group was divided into 2 equal Test Group and Control Group of which the subjects in each group had similar age, marital status, income, stage of disease, personality, and body mass index. The Control Group received normal treatment and advice, while the Test Group received Yoga training in 3 steps: (a) relationship forming; (b) medical information giving; and (c) 45-min Yoga sessions 3 times⋅wk-1 for 12 wks. In addition, the Test Group was encouraged to practice Yoga at home via a phone. The data collection tools consisted of a personal information questionnaire, Yoga training form, shoulder movement degree assessment form, WHOQOL assessment form, and clinical information plan on breast cancer and shoulder training via Yoga. Content validity was verified by the expert to be 0.90. Data analysis was done by using statistics, percentage, standard deviation and f-test. The study found that the average degree of shoulder movement in the breast cancer patients after modified radical mastectomy was significantly increased (P<0.05) post-test versus the pre-test value, and there was no limb swelling or other complications. Average life quality score, both overall and in detail (e.g., physical, mental, social, and environmental factors) were good. Also, after Yoga training, life quality of the Test Group was significantly higher (P<0.05) than the Control Group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A wide range of studies in various disciplines has focused on the Internet of Things (IoT) and cyber‐physical systems (CPS). However, it is necessary to summarize the current status and to establish future directions because each study has its own individual goals independent of the completion of all IoT applications. The absence of a comprehensive understanding of IoT and CPS has disrupted an efficient resource allocation. To assess changes in the knowledge structure and emerging technologies, this study explores the dynamic research trends in IoT by analyzing bibliographic data. We retrieved 54,237 keywords in 12,600 IoT studies from the Scopus database, and conducted keyword frequency, co‐occurrence, and growth‐rate analyses. The analysis results reveal how IoT technologies have been developed and how they are connected to each other. We also show that such technologies have diverged and converged simultaneously, and that the emerging keywords of trust, smart home, cloud, authentication, context‐aware, and big data have been extracted. We also unveil that the CPS is directly involved in network, security, management, cloud, big data, system, industry, architecture, and the Internet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the history of Singapore over the course of about five centuries from the founding of Temasek-Singapura at the end of the thirteenth century until the establishment of a British trading post in 1819. Contrary to the dominant historiographical tradition during the period of British imperialism, Singapore not was not an obscure place devoid of history before Raffles created a British base on the island. An attack in the late 1300s destroyed the existing settlement, but Singapore subsequently passed through at least three long-term up- and down-cycles, each lasting for a century or more. In the early nineteenth century a new economic up-cycle was underway, and the link to the British Empire provided a significant stimulus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polypharmacy (use of five or more medications) and inappropriate medication use are growing public health problem in elderly with age 60 years and above to manage co-existing health problems. While medications help in alleviating symptoms, improve and extend quality of life, and occasionally cure diseases; they also increase the risk of adverse drugs reaction (A.D.R.) Adverse reactions may go undetected because symptoms may mimic problems associated with old age like: forgetfulness, tremor, weakness, decrease quality of life, and high cost. Concept that are frequently used in Polypharmacy are: concept of bill burden, concept of inappropriate drugs, concept of prescribing cascades, concept of light approach, concept of brown bag, and concept of deprescribing. Clinically, Polypharmacy is sometimes overlooked but it is ofterforgotten that drug side effects can accumulate result ing in drug interaction; a serious medical problem. Lots of advantage and disadvantages of Polypharmacy are recorded; therefore, clinicians, pharmacists and nurses should always rub minds and ensure the act is discouraged and managed appropriately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To determine the significance of CD13/aminopeptidase N (APN) in systemic Lupus Erythromatus (SLE), we examined its catalytic activity and mRNA expression level in sera and peripheral whole blood cells of patients with SLE. Methods: In this study, 47 SLE patients and 44 age, sex matched healthy controls were included. The SLE disease activity index score and clinical finding including renal involvement and blood pressure were recorded. Catalytic activities of CD13/APN were measured in serum samples. In addition, CD13 mRNA level in peripheral whole blood cells was analyzed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results: A significant higher aminopeptidase activity was observed in serum from patients with SLE than serum from controls. In addition, CD13/APN mRNA expression was 6.12 times higher in SLE patients than in healthy controls. However, CD13/APN mRNA level, or its activity in serum, did not correlate with the score determined according to SLE disease activity index. Additionally, there was not any significant correlation between the complication in organs, including, kidney, and CD13/APN gene expression level or CD13/APN enzyme activity. Conclusion: CD13/APN enzyme activity and mRNA expression level were higher in SLE patients regardless of their disease activity. More studies are needed to better clarify the role of CD13/APN in the pathogenesis of SLE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the fuzzy data management has become one of the main research topics and directions, the question of how to obtain the useful information by means of keyword query from fuzzy XML documents is becoming a subject of an increasing needed investigation. Considering the keyword query methods on crisp XML documents, smallest lowest common ancestor (SLCA) semantics is one of the most widely accepted semantics. When users propose the keyword query on fuzzy XML documents with the SLCA semantics, the query results are always incomplate, with low precision, and with no possibilities values returned. Most of keyword query semantics on XML documents only consider query results matching all keywords, yet users may also be interested in the query results matching partial keywords. To overcome these limitations, in this paper, we investigate how to obtain more comprehensive and meaningful results of keyword querying on fuzzy XML documents. We propose a semantics of object-oriented keyword querying on fuzzy XML documents. First, we introduce the concept of "object tree", analyze different types of matching result object trees and find the "minimum result object trees" which contain all keywords and "result object trees" which contain partial keywords. Then an object-oriented keyword query algorithm ROstack is proposed to obtain the root nodes of these matching result object trees, together with their possibilities. At last, experiments are conducted to verify the effectiveness and efficiency of our proposed algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In today's world web services are the known perception to all the users who uses the internet. The Web Service process involves service discovery, selection and ranking. Discovery is the process of matchmaking of user query with advertisements in the repository. Our motivation is to develop a model for web service discovery with the combined approach of service selection and ranking. In this paper, we have proposed a technique for web service discovery process, combining the keyword search and semantic search and ranking the services. The implementation results show that the proposed model performs better for the web service discovery process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is two-fold. Firstly, it attempts to determine the role of presenting collocations by organizing them based on (i) the keyword, (ii) topic related and (iii) grammatical aspect on retention of collocations. Secondly, it investigates the relationship between participants' general English proficiency and the presentation types on retention of collocations. Each collocation was presented in a single glossed sentence and distributed among 48 Turkish EFL learners, prospective English teachers, majoring in English at a Language Teaching department. Participants were upper- intermediate, lower-intermediate and advanced level learners. A pre- and two recall (immediate post and delayed post) collocation tests were administered to compare the effect of presentation types of collocations and their relationship between the participants' general English proficiency on retention. The results indicated a significant difference in grouping collocations based on grammatical aspect, especially for advanced and lower-intermediate learners. No significant difference was found in grouping collocations related to keyword and topic between the learners of any level on retention of collocations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With four species of ruminants, including red deer, roe deer, moose, and European bison, the Białowieża Primeval Forest is unique on the European continent, where only one to three ungulate species are usually found. The present study is the first effort to explore the dietary overlap of a European community of sympatric ruminants using 3D dental microwear texture analysis. Results obtained for ungulates from the Białowieża Forest were compared with those of four species with well known differences in diet (semi-wild Heck cattle, African buffaloes, giraffes, and yellow-backed duikers). These ruminants frame the spectrum of expected 3D dental microwear textures among ruminants: C3 and C4 grazers share high anisotropy and low to intermediate complexity while browsers display intermediate to high complexity associated with low anisotropy. No significant differences between browsers (moose and roe deer) and mixed feeders (red deer) were detected by this analysis supporting a significant overlap in diet found in Białowieża. The results on the fourth ruminant are unequivocal: the European bison is not grazer but instead is highly engaged in browsing. Furthermore, through 3D dental microwear texture analysis, the high plasticity in feeding behavior of the European bison can be tracked depending on the seasons and on available access to feeding supplements during the winter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently there was huge increase in using of 'herbal products'. These can be defined as plants, parts of plants or extracts from plants that are used for curing disease. However, Calophyllum species is a tropical plant and it has been used in traditional medicine, the limitation in safety and effectiveness information could lead to serious health problems. Providing information for communities by evaluating the phytochemical contents, antioxidant, antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities will improve the therapeutic values. Three main Calophyllum canum fractions (none -- high polar) were tested to find out the phenolic, flavonoid, flavonol content, DPPH radical scavenging, reducing power and chelating iron ions. Also were tested against Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Psedomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans, and Cryptococcus neoformans. In addition, cytotoxic activity was assayed against lung cancer A549 cell line. The methanol fraction showed no bioactivity but achieved the highest amount of phenolic, flavonol and flavonoid contents, also it showed a significant result as antioxidant, reducing power and chelating agent. The n-hexane fraction achieved the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value 12.5 µg. mL-1 against B. cereus while the MIC value for DCM fraction was 25 µg. mL-1. The DCM fraction was more active against S. aureus where the result was 50 µg. mL-1 while the n-hexane fraction was 100 µg. mL-1. The three main fractions have shown no activity against gram negative bacterial and fungal. The n-hexane and DCM fractions have shown cytotoxicity against lung cancer cell line; the 50 % inhibition concentration (IC50) was 22 ± 2.64 and 32 ± 3.78 µg. mL-1 respectively. The results were statistically significant (P < 0.05). Among the results, C. canum fractions proved to be effective against gram positive bacterial and anti-proliferation activity. Also it showed antioxidant activity as well. The results provided beneficial information for communities as well as can help to search for alternative drugs, and will contribute to establish safe and effective use of phytomedicines in the treatment of diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Since the Gang of Four “GoF” has published their book on Design Patterns, this concept has been greatly expanded and becomes a necessity in software development. The Number of new discovered Design Patterns grows rapidly making it difficult for software developers and others to choose between these amounts of patterns for the appropriate one. Hence, a tool that helps making decision in choosing and selecting suitable patterns to solve a specific problem becomes imperative. In this paper we present a support system for making decision in the choice of patterns. We present a Data Management System and initiate a modeling language for Design Patterns aiming to automate querybased search for patterns with respect to their textual part of the description. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Learning sciences, as an interdisciplinary field of research, refers to adoption of theories from multiple disciplines to gain understanding of the conditions and processes that lead to effective learning. This paper examines learning sciences research in the Asia Pacific region by means of content analysis of research papers published in three major journals: Journal of the Learning Sciences, International Journal of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning, and Instructional Science. A total of 24 research papers contributed by authors affiliated to six Asia Pacific countries from 1997 to 2010 were found and analyzed. The main findings suggested that Hong Kong and Australian researchers are pioneers in learning sciences research, while Singaporean researchers have had significant contributions to this field after 2007. In addition, empirical studies were favoured over positional and theoretical papers. It is found that the theoretical frameworks underpinning these empirical studies were strongly influenced by Western research philosophies, including knowledge building pedagogy and learning study theories. Moreover, nearly half of the empirical studies involved the use of computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) technologies. The findings of this study may provide insights to promote learning sciences research in the Asia-Pacific region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined Chinese consumers' skepticism toward advertising for five media types (television, radio, newspaper, magazine, and the Internet) and six product categories (cosmetics, automotive, drug, retail, food, and real estate) as well as different media use habits. Based on a survey of 310 Chinese respondents in Beijing and Guiyang, the study has revealed some important findings. First, Chinese consumers held a general tendency of moderate disbelief toward advertising in both markets. Second, skepticism toward advertising seemed to be stronger for print media than for television. Furthermore, the Internet was viewed as the least reliable medium for advertising claims. Third, advertising skepticism differed by product type. Chinese consumers perceived food and automotive as relatively trustworthy advertising categories. Cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and real estate were the categories which they trusted the least. This is probably due to misleading and deceptive advertising that overstate the benefits of products prevalent in those industries. Fourth, hierarchical multiple regression analyses indicated that media use was linked to advertising skepticism through the role of media as sources of both news and product information. Media consumption time did not show significant relationships to advertising skepticism, with the exception of being negatively associated with the level of skepticism toward newspaper advertising. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Online social networks, like Facebook, are popular social networking websites, on which hundreds of millions of users make friends and interact with people. There is a large amount of personal information in these networking websites and their security is rather concerned by both users and researchers, because valuable private information will bring great profit to some people or groups. In the real world, profits motivate people and groups to obtain the personal private data lawlessly and many attacks are launched on the social networks. Facing various attacks, distinct protective strategies are proposed by researches to reduce the negative effect of attacks. However, the practical performance of protections is unknown when they are battling with the real attacks. Moreover, we also understand little about how strong attacks would be when they are facing protections. Therefore, this paper proposes an Attack-Protect-Attack (APA) comparison scheme to explore the performance and bias of various attack algorithms and protective strategies for online social networks. By this way, the comparison results are valuable and meaningful for further protection of private information. We apply several attacking and protective approaches on a real-world dataset from Facebook, then evaluate them by the accuracy of attack algorithms. Following the comparison scheme, the experiments demonstrate that the performance of protective strategies is not satisfactory in the complex and practical case. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This study examined validity and reliability of the Attitude Toward Educational Measurement Inventory (ATEMI). Undergraduate teacher education students (N = 294) enrolled in an educational measurement course at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman completed the ATEMI. Confirmatory factor analyses indicated that a three-factor structure of the ATEMI provided a good fit to the observed data. Cluster analyses suggested three clusters of students who were distinct with regard to their attitudes toward educational measurement. Significant positive relationships were found between ATEMI scores and academic achievement scores in thc course. The ATEMI scores had high internal consistency reliability and moderate stability. These results support the utility of the ATEMI for research and instructional purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This study aimed to develop and validate a problem solving strategy steps scale which would help teachers and researchers to better understand the problem solving strategies that students use. The participants of this scale were 950 undergraduate science and engineering students enrolled in the Introductory Calculus Based Physics. The development of the scale (PSSS) included the following three steps: Item Formulation, Content Validation, and Reliability Calculation. It had 25 items allocated to three factors: (1) Identifying Fundamental Principles, (2) Solving, and (3) Checking. The scale items had a factor loading of at least 0.40. The results of the factor analysis revealed that the scale accounted for 63.86% of the total variance. The alpha reliability coefficient was 0.86. According to these findings, the Problem Solving Strategy Steps scale (PSSS) is a valid and reliable instrument that can be used in the field of engineering and science education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This study aims to understand knowledge structure both quantitatively and visually by integrating keyword analysis and social network analysis of scientific papers. The methodology proposed in this study is capable of creating a three-dimensional “Research focus parallelship network” and a “Keyword Co-occurrence Network”, together with a two-dimensional knowledge map. The network and knowledge map can be depicted differently by choosing different information for the network actor, i.e. country, institute, paper and keyword, to reflect knowledge structures from macro, to meso, to micro-levels. A total of 223 highly cited papers published by 142 institutes and 26 countries are analyzed in this study. China and the US are the two countries located at the core of knowledge structure and China is ranked no. 1. This quantitative exploration provides a way to unveil important or emerging components in scientific development and also to visualize knowledge; thus an objective evaluation of scientific research is possible for quantitative technology management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study on the effects of parameter speakers of the human body on physiological functions during mental task. Nine male subjects completed three consecutive sessions and electrocardiogram (ECG), photoplethysmogram (PTG), and baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) were measured. The researchers found that sympathetic nervous activity and second derivative of PTG during the parametric condition were lower than those indications during the general condition.