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In the current context, excessive mobile device use has led to new issues, such as nomophobia—an irrational fear of being without a mobile phone—and phubbing, which involves ignoring nearby people in favor of using one's phone. These behaviors are increasingly prevalent among young people, particularly in university settings, and can negatively impact well-being, including the emergence of poor sleep patterns. Given that sleep is essential for academic performance and mental health, examining how nomophobia and phubbing relate to disruptions in university students' sleep habits is crucial. This study aimed to analyze the correlation between nomophobia, phubbing, and poor sleep patterns among university students, determine whether nomophobia and phubbing are significant predictors of these patterns, and examine the individual contribution of each variable on sleep. A non-experimental, cross-sectional, quantitative design with correlational-explanatory scope was used, conducted from March to June 2023. The sample consisted of 533 students from a private university in Peru, aged 18 to 24, selected through non-probabilistic sampling. Data were collected using the Short Nomophobia Questionnaire (SNQ-5) and the Brief Phubbing Scale (BPS-6), validated instruments with strong internal consistency. The results showed moderate positive correlations between nomophobia, phubbing, and poor sleep patterns. Linear regression analysis indicated that the predictor variables explained 45.1% of the variance in poor sleep patterns. Nomophobia significantly affected all three analyzed sleep patterns (late nights, insomnia, and short sleep), whereas phubbing significantly impacted only short sleep. The findings underscore the importance of addressing excessive mobile device use in university settings, as both nomophobia and phubbing affect students' sleep quality. Future research is recommended to explore their impact on mental health and evaluate interventions to mitigate these phenomena and their implications for academic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Market validation is essential for assessing the feasibility of a business idea, product, or service but can involve extensive and costly primary and secondary research. Business librarians are well-positioned to support entrepreneurs and researchers but may be constrained by pricey subscriptions for business resources. While most often associated with search engine marketing, keyword research proves to be beneficial for market validation. This paper proposes integrating keyword analysis into market validation practices. It outlines the process of conducting keyword analysis and opportunities for business librarians to incorporate these strategies in their resource guides and programming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Peripheral facial palsy (PFP) is a condition that substantially alters facial function and has a noticeable impact on appearance. Precise evaluation of the level of functioning is required for objectivity in diagnosis of facial function and monitoring clinical changes while planning and evaluating therapeutic interventions for patients with PFP. Objective: The present study was conducted with an objective to find out the reliability and internal consistency of the Kinovea software based bi-dimensional tool in objectively evaluating Peripheral facial palsy. Methods: 40 Patients who were diagnosed with peripheral Facial palsy were categorized on stage of House Brackmann facial nerve grading scale. Landmarks were placed on face and image was captured in resting facial symmetry and video recording of different facial expressions like closing of eye, raising of eyebrows and smiling was performed by two different examiners. The data was processed by Kinovea software to measure different facial angles. Results: The intra-rater reliability (re-test reliability) for the measurement of the facial angles using Kinovea software at rest and movement analysis on both the affected and nonaffected sides was excellent (Rest-ICC-0.94, α>0.95)(Movement- ICC-0.92, α>0.98).The reliability between raters on analysis at rest and movement in both the affected and non-affected side were also excellent (Rest-ICC->0.96, α>0.96), (Movement-ICC>0.86, α>0.87). Conclusion: Two-dimensional motion analysis system using Kinovea software can be considered as a reliable method for the assessment of unilateral Peripheral Facial Palsy and can be used extensively to detect deviation in facial angles in resting and movement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The piriformis muscle, an integral component of the deep gluteal region, exhibits a distinctive anatomical arrangement, coursing from the anterior sacrum to the greater trochanter of the femur. Piriformis Syndrome is a neuromuscular disorder characterized by the irritation of the sciatic nerve due to anatomical variations or dynamic factors involving piriformis muscle which commonly affects between the age group of 30 and 60, although can occur in younger individuals. It is more common in women than in men. Objective: The aim of this case study was to evaluate the effect of Muscle Energy Technique in a patient with Piriformis syndrome. Method: A 25-year-old female diagnosed with Piriformis syndrome underwent physiotherapy intervention for six weeks involving MET along with conventional physiotherapy(stretching, strengthening, moist heat pack) focusing on pain, range of motion (ROM) of Hip joint, and function of lower limb. The outcomes were measured using Numerical Pain Rating Scale (NPRS), Hip Joint Goniometry and Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS). Results: The scores improved significantly for all three outcome measures indicating a reduction in pain, improvement in Hip joint range of motion and function of the lower extremity . Conclusion: Piriformis syndrome is a debilitating condition that can significantly influence one's quality of life. This case report suggests that Muscle Energy Technique is beneficial in reducing pain, improving Hip ROM and enhancing function of lower extremity in patients suffering from this condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to determine the frequency of use of keywords in master's theses in the field of teaching Turkish to foreigners. The sample of the study consists of 236 master's theses published in YÖK National Thesis Centre between 2022-2024. As a result of the study, 557 keywords were identified in the theses. The total frequency of use of these keywords is 1018. These identified keywords were categorised according to subject headings based on the topics in the literature. These titles are; linguistics, language teaching, Turkish teaching in the world and in Turkey, language skills, listening skills, speaking skills, reading skills, writing skills, vocabulary teaching, grammar teaching, culture teaching, language teaching methods and techniques, language teaching theories, Turkish as a foreign language teaching programme, use of materials and technological tools in teaching Turkish as a foreign language, competences of Turkish instructors, competences of foreign students, studies in the literature, measurement and evaluation. At the end of the research, it was determined that the most frequently used keywords in the literature were respectively the use of materials and technological tools in teaching Turkish as a foreign language, reading skills, language teaching, culture teaching, vocabulary teaching and linguistics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an increasingly competitive world, the automated screening of resumes of job applicants is the need of the hour given the large numbers of such resumes in career portals on the World Wide Web. Resume classification is a subset of the document classification problem in which the keywords extracted from the resume document play a significant role in determining the job profile. In this paper, we explore the combination of the concept of the uniqueness of a keyword based on its higher number of occurrences in a particular resume class and the concept of semantics by representing the unique keywords using word embeddings that capture semantic similarities between resume documents. The aim is to extract semantic representations of only those keywords that occur more frequently in one class than in any other class. The unique elite keywords, as they are called, are extracted from each resume document and passed as input to a Bidirectional long short-term memory (BiLSTM) for classification. Our experiments on two publicly available resume datasets, with distinctive job profiles, prove that the proposed approach outperforms the state of the art by a significant margin, establishing the efficacy of our approach. Our code is made available online at: https://github.com/Muskankalonia/Unique-Elite-Bag-of-Words-Approach-On-Resume-Classification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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]

Morphological analyses of the vegetative characteristics of two species of Tradescantia and two species of Commelina grown in polythene bags in the greenhouse were done. Inter-specific variation in vegetative and floral morphology was significant (p<0.5). The root tips were harvested between 7:30 am and 9:00 am, pretreated in 8- hydroxyl-quinoline, and transferred into 3:1 ethanol acetic acid for 24 hours. Root tips were hydrolyzed in 10% hydrochloric acid and subsequently squashed in FLP orcein. The chromosome number was 2n = 12 in Tradescantia spathacea with a Karyotype formula of 10m + 2sm. The chromosome number of Tradescantia pallida was 2n = 24 with a Karyotype formula of 22m +2sm, while the Chromosome number was 2n = 22 in Commelina benghalensis with a karyotype formula of 14m+2sm + 4st. The chromosome number was 2n = 30 in Commelina diffusa with a karyotype formula of 28m + 2sm. The mean chromosome lengths in the two genera ranged from 1- 4µm. A secondary construction satellite was observed in the longest chromosome of Commelina benghalensis. Morphological and cytological data from the two genera showed considerable differences, which would be helpful to the genera's taxonomic separation. [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]

Background: The low solubility of Tobacco Etch Virus (TEV) protease, a functional enzyme that cleaves protein tags without significant modification in its sequence, is one of the most important limitations of this enzyme. In this study, the aim was to increase the solubility of TEV by changing the expression conditions and designing lysis buffer with various solubilizing agents to improve its solubility. Methods: Escherichia coli (E. coli) BL21 (DE3) and E. coli origami harboring wild type TEV-pKR793 and mutant N23F TEV-pKR793 plasmids were used for the expression. Response surface methodology was used to determine the best culture conditions (IPTG concentration, incubation time and incubation temperature) of soluble expression. Furthermore, eight different solubilizing agents were added separately to the lysis buffer to check their effect on the protein solubility. Results: The production of soluble N23F in E. coli BL21 (DE3) was two-folds more than the wild type and the inclusion body formation in the mentioned form was diminished as about 25% in comparison to the wild type. Finally, betaine had the most effects for enhancing the soluble expression of N23F in both host cells. For the wild type, sodium selenite, xylitol, and glycine showed the most effects on soluble production. Conclusion: The solubility of the mutant form of TEV protease increased in E. coli BL21 (DE3) compared to its wild form. Also, using additives such as betaine to the lysis buffer, increased the solubility of N23F in E. coli BL21 (DE3) and origami strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data support is already driving the development of artificial intelligence. But it cannot solve the semantic problem of artificial intelligence. This requires improving the semantic understanding ability of artificial intelligence. Therefore, a question answering system based on semantic problem processing is proposed in this study. The question answering system utilizes an improved unsupervised method to extract keywords. This technology integrates the semantic feature information of text into traditional word graph model algorithms. On this basis, semantic similarity information is used to calculate and allocate the initial values and edge weights of each node in the PageRank model. And corresponding restart probability matrices and transition probability matrices are constructed for iterative calculation and keyword extraction. Simultaneously, an improved semantic dependency tree was utilized for answer extraction. The improved keyword extraction method shows a decreasing trend in P and R values. The improved answer extraction method has a maximum P -value of 0.876 in the training set and 0.852 in the test set. In a question answering system based on keyword and answer extraction, the improved method has lower loss function values and running time. The improved method has a larger area under ROC. The results of the validation analysis confirm that the improved method in this experiment has high accuracy and robustness when dealing with semantic problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to identify the effect of spiritual leadership on organizational Virtuousness in government institutions in Dhofar Governorate. This study was applied to five government institutions represented in (Dhofar Municipality, Consumer Protection Authority, General Directorate of Health Services, General Directorate of Awqaf and Religious Affairs, and the General Directorate of Education). The size of the study population consisted of (2360) employees, a simple random sample of individuals working in these institutions was selected, amounting to (327) employees, and questionnaires were distributed to them. A number of (297) questionnaires were retrieved and valid for statistical analysis. An electronic questionnaire was relied upon as a source for data collection. The analytical descriptive approach was adopted to achieve the objectives of the study, and structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data through the AMOS program. One of the most important findings of the study is that the degree of availability of spiritual leadership in the institutions of the study sample came at a high level of relative importance, and likewise with regard to organizational Virtuousness. The results also revealed that there was a statistically significant positive effect of the two dimensions of spiritual leadership (altruism and membership) on organizational virtuousness, and that there was no positive effect of the dimensions (vision, hope, and meaning) on organizational virtuousness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ansari is a prominent Sufi of the Sahv (school of soberness) and one of the famous Hanbali scholars. His life was dedicated to writing hadith, guidance and anti-innovation. Like Hojviri and Qosheiri, he expounded some topics of Sufism in his works, and in line with this aim, the views of Hallaj were also reflected in these works as one of the crucial elements of Sufism. The aim of the present article is to introduce these views.This research tries to study Hallaj's representation by combining the three-level discourse analysis methods of Fairclough, Laclou, and Mouffe. In the description part, Halliday's systematized order was used, which is suitable for the study of verbs and processes. From the perspective of a Hanbali Shaykh-al-Islam, the survey results show that everything related to observing the limits of the Sharia Law in the words of Hallaj is acceptable to Ansari, and not adhering to the appearances of the Sharia Law is not acceptable to him. However, he did not believe that Hallaj deserved an unfortunate end. From the perspective of Sufi discourse, he shares a similar viewpoint with other Sufis from the Sahv School of Thought towards Hallaj. sincere in his relationship with God (Sir-El-Allah) and disapproves of revealing the secrets of Sufism to the general public, considering it a form of ingratitude toward the master. He believes that Hallaj's tragic fate resulted from this ingratitude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Youth prefer to be involved in treatment decisions, yet youth participation is minimally present in decisions like stem cell transplant (SCT) that require frequent medications and social isolation to be successful in curing cancer and chronic illness. The purpose of our study is to identify the barriers and facilitators to youth decision-making involvement in the youth–parent interaction when referred for treatment with SCT. We report qualitative findings from our theory-driven mixed-methods study. We thematically analyzed our field notes of youth and parent observations and audio-recordings during SCT consultations and semi-structured interviews. Data were collected from 10 youth, 8 to 16 (median 12) years of age, and their parents (n = 20). Three themes emerged: (a) Reluctant unless motivated, (b) Uncertain but capable, and (c) Limited unless supported. Our findings emphasize the critical role parents may take in facilitating youth involvement in decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has left a huge impact on economic activities, thus affecting the people. The evidence is that 1.78 million data extracted from social media is related to socioeconomic issues. One of the most talked about topics is the issue of zakat (alms) in Malaysia. Intrigued by these problems, this article aims to examine the viewpoint and understanding of the alms, especially in relation to applications and helplines, as well as the issues of confusion in the meaning and concept of alms. By using the keyword [zakat] obtained through the virtual advertising operation on Facebook data, the study examined 35,000 posts (reply comments) detected from January to June 2020. All data analysed are based on the semantic prosody theory which expresses the view that each word has its own consistent aura, thus enabling it to be transferred and its meaning attached to other words in a sentence. The results of the analysis found that both issues highlighted often showed the collocation of the word [zakat] with the words [mohon/apply], [proses/process], [konsep/concept], [makna/meaning] and [asnaf/a group of Muslims worthy of receiving Muslim tithe or]. The understanding of the collocation relationship displays two forms of difficulties in alms which are difficulty in understanding the process and procedure of alms application and difficulty in understanding the concept and meaning of [zakat] and its details. The analysis also found that both issues were discussed cynically, causing misunderstanding if not properly addressed. This situation indicates that no matter how small the issue is raised, it should be taken care of in order to ensure that the alms management can be preserved in the name of Islam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the current study was to assess the impact of pregnancy toxaemia on hematobiochemical and hormonal changes together with treatment trial of diseased ewes. This study was done on 15, 3-4 years old (5 healthy-10 ewes suffered from pregnancy toxaemia) were divided into 3 groups (5 /group). Gp (1) clinically healthy ewes (control group), Gp (2) diseased ewes received 150 ml of dextrose (25%) (I/V), 100 ml propylene glycol daily for3 sucessive days (orally), 1ml Cal- De-Mag kgm/ bwt and 1 ampole of vitamin B complex IM, Gp (3) diseased ewes treated with same drug and dose used in 2nd group in addition 0.4 unite insulin/kgm bwt (S/C) daily for 3 sucessive days. Urine samples were collected pre-treatment and post treatment for detection of ketone bodies, glucose and protein. Blood was drawn from each subject ewes pre-treatment and at 5 & 10 days post treatment for determination hematobiochemical and hormonal parameters. Pregnancy toxaemic ewes exhibited many signs such as anorexia, depression, disinclined to move - blindness, excessive salivation, teeth grinding, a listening attitude and sternal recumbency. the number of feti in control group was 1.40 but in ewes suffered from pregnancy toxemia were 2.20 in Gp (2) and 2.60 in Gp (3). Urine of diseased ewes revealed presence of ketone bodies, glucoserea and protein. The obtained results demonstrated that pregnancy toxemia induced significant decreases in total erythrocytic count (RBCs), hemoglobin (Hb), paked cell volume % (PCV%), insulin, triiodothyronin (T3), thyroxin (T4), immunoglobulins (IgA, IgM, IgG), super oxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) glucose, and calcium beside significant increases in cortisol, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanin aminotransferase (ALT), urea, creatinine and β-hydroxybutyric acid (β-HBA). Additionally marginal increases in total leukocytic count (WBCs), eosinophils, and lymphocytes coupled with insignifcant decreases in neutrophils, monocytes and basophil when compared with the control ewes were also observed. Teatment of the diseased ewes lead to reterned hemato-biochemical parameters to nearlly nomal level at 10th day post teatment when compared with control ewes. Ewes received insulin in treatment the hematobiochemical parameters was improvement than ewes not received insulin. It was determined that pregnantcy toxaemia caused numerous negative effects on hematobiochemical parameters but treatment with dextrose, propylene glycol, Cal-De-Mag, vitamin B complex and insulin could improve such negative effects [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has posed a major challenge to the diagnosis and management of ischemic heart disease (IHD). Myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) is a non-invasive technique that can assess myocardial ischemia and viability, as well as provide prognostic information for patients with IHD. However, the role of MPI in COVID-19 patients is not well established. Methods: A comprehensive search of PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science was conducted to identify relevant studies published until Aprile 24th, 2024. The inclusion criteria were: (1) studies that performed MPI in COVID- 19 patients; (2) studies that reported the results of MPI in terms of ischemia, infarction, or perfusion defects; and (3) studies that compared MPI with other diagnostic modalities or clinical outcomes. The quality of the studies was assessed using the QUADAS-2 tool for diagnostic accuracy studies or the ROBIS tool for systematic reviews. A narrative synthesis was performed to summarize the main findings and recommendations. Results: A total of twenty-two studies met the inclusion criteria. The included study information was categorized into the following aspects: Change in the crude number of MPI scans performed, accidental and definite findings in MPI, and the prognostic outcome of COVID patients who underwent MPI. Conclusion: During Covid-19 pandemic, a reduction in the number of MPI studies was seen. Individuals with a history of COVID-19 infection have higher likelihood of developing ischemic heart disease (IHD). SARS-CoV-2 is an independent risk factor for the development of IHD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article first explains that Bi and Wei belongs to the pathogenesis, and the essence of Bi lies in the lack of circulation, while Wei is a decline in function. Emphasize the correlation between Bi and Wei, explain that Bi can cause Wei, and succinctly propose the pathogenesis of "Wilting due to Bi" and the method of treating wilting by Tong Bi. Oligoasthenozoospermia is one of the common causes of male infertility. According to the discussion in "Su Wen • Shang Gu Tian Zhen Lun" : "Qi Channels are always circulated, while kidney qi is surplus. "As elderly people giving birth to children, it is pointed out that Qi Channels are circulated, kidney qi is sufficient, and the five organs are prosperous, which are the foundation of reproductive health. On the contrary, Qi Channels obstruction afects male reproductive health. Emphasis is placed on the practical value of theoretical research, in-depth exploration of the connotation of "Qi Channels", emphasizing the connection between "Qi Channels" and Moyuan (tri-jiao) in terms of connotation, and its close correlation with the operation of human body fluids, The essence of Qi Channels obstruction is Moyuan (tri-jiao) obstruction, mainly manifested as Qi Bi and Dampness Bi, which afect each other and lead to reproductive function decline (wilting) such as oligoasthenozoospermia and teratozoospermia. Guided by this, satisfactory therapeutic effects were achieved by using the method of circulating Qi Channels obstruction, and strong essence to treat reproductive function decline diseases such as oligoasthenozoospermia and teratozoospermia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review addresses the current understanding of In Vitro Maturation (IVM) treatment, including indications and effective treatment protocols influencing oocyte developmental competence. A comprehensive literature search was performed to gather relevant studies, clinical trials, and reviews related to IVM. Databases such as PubMed, MEDLINE, and pertinent medical journals were searched. The selected literature was analyzed and synthesized to offer a comprehensive overview. IVM has emerged as a promising technique for inducing maturation in immature oocytes across various developmental stages. Its applications extend to areas utilizing In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), gaining traction as a treatment option for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and fertility preservation in cancer patients. Recent advancements have led to improved global pregnancy rates, resulting in successful births. IVM also holds potential in reducing risks associated with conventional IVF, including ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome and multiple pregnancies. Despite these advantages, IVM adoption in clinical practice remains limited. Ongoing research aims to refine therapeutic protocols and expand clinical indications. IVM holds promise in assisted reproductive technology, spanning applications from cancer patient fertility preservation to addressing PCOS. Enhanced pregnancy rates highlight efficacy, while risk reduction compared to IVF underscores its importance. Further research is needed for optimal use across patient groups, emphasizing protocol refinement and expanded applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Triterpenoid is a group of natural products with various remarkable activities, including cytotoxic. One of the sources for this type of compounds is Swietenia genus belong to Meliaceae family. This genus known to contains various secondary metabolites including limonoids, flavonoids, and triterpenoids. Especially for triterpenoid, there is limited report on isolation as well as biological activity from Swietenia genus, such as Swietenia mahagoni. In this research, three triterpenoid compounds have been successively isolated and identified from n-hexane extract, namely, (-)-leucophyllone (1), toonaciliatavarin E (2), and moronic acid (3). All isolated were assed against MCF-7 breast cancer and CV-1 normal kidney cell lines. The result showed that only moronic acid (3) performed moderate activity against two cells with IC50 of 63.10 and 48.04 µM, respectively. The other isolated compounds (1 and 2) showed weak cytotoxicity with IC50 > 500 µM. Based on preliminary structure activity relationship, revealed that pentacyclic triterpenoid (moronic acid, 3) showed stronger cytotoxicity compare with tetracyclic triterpenoids (-)-leucophyllone (1) and toonaciliatavarin E (2). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Introduction: Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is one of the biological therapies that is well tolerated and has a low risk of complications. Acute cardiovascular complications related to ECT such as ventricular arrhythmia, myocardial infarction and cardiac arrest have been recorded. Increased frontal QRS-T (fQRS-T) angle was associated with ventricular arrhythmia, sudden cardiac death and total mortality. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of ECT on the myocardium using electrocardiography (ECG) parameters such as fQRS-T angle, QRS duration, QT and QTc interval. Methods: A total of 108 patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder (n=36), depressive disorder (n=70) and schizophrenia (n=2) who underwent ECT were included in this study. 12-lead surface ECG of all patients were taken before the ECT, 15 min. after ECT and 24 hour after ECT. Results: QRS duration, QT interval and corrected QT (QTc) interval were not changed significantly during the follow-up period. However, we found that, fQRS-T angle was significantly increased 15 minutes after ECT compared to baseline angle (p<0.001). We also detected that this increase in fQRS-T angle 15 minutes after ECT was significantly reduced 24 hours after ECT (p=0.031). Meanwhile, there was no significant difference between baseline and 24th hour fQRS-T angle (p=0.154). Conclusions: In our study, a significant increase in fQRS-T angle was observed 15 min after ECT. However, the fQRS-T angle was found to return to normal after 24 hours. Our findings may indicate that ECT does not have a permanent side effect on the risk of cardiovascular events according to the fQRS-T angle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the acute toxicity of Lepisanthes rubiginosa (Roxh.) Leenh. (Sapindaceae) pericarp extract in rats. Methods: A total of 25 male and female rats were orally administered the extract at different doses (5, 50, 300 and 2,000 mg/kg) while control rats received distilled water. The body weights were recorded weekly for 2 weeks. After administration, the relative organ weights were calculated and the hematological values and biochemical examination including lipid profiles, and liver and kidney function parameters were measured from fasting blood samples collected by cardiac puncture. Liver and kidney tissue of rats were collected by abdomen dissection after 2 weeks of the experiment for histological study. Results: At all doses tested, the extract neither caused death in rats nor were there signs of toxicity within 24 h in the first instance and after 14 days. There was significant increase in the mean weekly weights of rats (p < 0.05) but did not affect relative organ weight. The morphology of blood cells showed no abnormalities suggesting that the extract had no acute toxic effect on the circulatory system of the rats that received the extract even at the highest dose of 2,000 mg/kg. The rats did not experience changes in the histological characteristics of the liver. It is thus been proposed that the extract has no liver toxicity. There was no significant change in blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine (p < 0.05) and no changes in the histological features of the kidneys were observed. Conclusion: The extract is safe at all tested doses and is devoid of hepatotoxicity, nephrotoxicity and abnormalities in the circulatory system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Curcumin, a prominent polyphenol compound present in Curcumin longa L., exhibits diverse pharmacological and biological effects. Its hydrophobic nature and poor bioavailability necessitate its solubilization in an amphiphilic solvent such as dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) for research purpose. The present study aims to characterize a DMSO-solubilized curcumin and assess the angiogenesis potential of curcumin in zebrafish and chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay. Curcumin was characterized using UV-Vis spectrophotometry and the angiogenesis effect was evaluated using CAM and zebrafish embryos. The DMSO-solubilized curcumin's UV-Vis spectrum revealed hypsochromatic shift in wavelength maximum from 425 to 347 nm, indicating solvent-curcumin interaction. Evaluation of angiogenesis activity in the CAM and zebrafish demonstrated dose-dependent promotion of angiogenesis. Curcumin's biphasic, dose-dependent angiogenesis feature was validated in CAM and zebrafish models, affirming utility of zebrafish model for angiogenesis efficacy study. The solvent-curcumin interactions, molecular properties, and their therapeutic consequences need further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rohingya refugees, originating from Myanmar, face significant challenges in Southeast Asia due to official non-recognition and systemic discrimination. Many seek refuge in neighboring countries like Indonesia. Employing qualitative research methods and an extensive literature review, this study investigates Indonesia's responses to the Rohingya crisis from a political perspective. Additionally, building upon conflict resolution theory, it emphasizes the importance of dialogue, mediation, and compromise in addressing intricate crises. Furthermore, it explores concepts such as humanitarian diplomacy and regionalism, elucidating Indonesia's role within ASEAN-led mechanisms. The research reveals key findings, showing Indonesia's active participation in diplomatic initiatives addressing the Rohingya crisis, both bilaterally and within multilateral forums. Indonesia's policy stances reflect a commitment to humanitarian principles and regional stability, emphasizing the protection of Rohingya rights. As a prominent member of ASEAN, Indonesia has leveraged regional platforms to advocate for collective action and effectively address the Rohingya crisis. This research sheds light on Indonesia's role in addressing one of Southeast Asia's most pressing humanitarian challenges, underscoring the importance of regional cooperation in finding sustainable solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quantity and quality of sunflower oil are key factors for the crushing industry. This research presents a comprehensive analysis of the oil quality parameters of seven foreign sunflower hybrids grown in Morocco. Conducted over two consecutive years (2018 and 2019), the study focuses on key traits, including oil content, acidity index, peroxide index, refractive index, color index, total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, and antioxidant activity. Significant variations in most parameters, including color properties, were observed between the two years and among the seven varieties, indicating the influence of genetic and environmental factors. This highlights the importance of understanding the genetic potential of sunflower hybrids and the impact of environmental variables on oil quality. More favorable weather conditions in 2019, compared to 2018, contributed to better oil quality in all the varieties investigated. Overall, four homogeneous groups of hybrid varieties were identified based on oil content and other biochemical parameters. Some of these hybrids, like 'Niagara', had moderate oil content but high polyphenol content, flavonoid content and antioxidant activity, as well as a lower peroxide index, making them potential sources of natural antioxidant compounds as well as dietary supplements. Overall, this research provides sunflower breeders with valuable insights into the development of new high-performing hybrids with enhanced oil quality that could be used to produce functional foods with health benefits. These findings have implications for the use of seed oils from those hybrids in various industries and underscore the importance of further and more in-depth research on sunflower oil quality in the context of climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a chronic condition characterized by persistent inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, comprising ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD). While the current global incidence of IBD exceeds 0.3% in Western nations, Indonesia reports a comparatively lower prevalence however projections indicate a potential rise in incidence from 2020 to 2050. Hepatobiliary manifestation is one of the most common extraintestinal manifestations of IBD. Some of the liver diseases associated with IBD had similar background immune responses, inflammatory reactions, similar risk factors, or due to the treatment of IBD. Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) has a close association with IBD and both affect the prognostic and disease progression of each other. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) shares common metabolic risk factors. Several drugs used as the treatment of IBD might cause hepatic injury especially due to the long treatment duration of IBD. Hepatitis B reactivation is another concerning event found after prolonged use of immunosuppressive drugs for IBD. Therefore, close monitoring of liver function tests periodically is a mandatory test to screen for liver disease in IBD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research examines the role of parental acceptance or rejection (as an interpersonal variable) along with mentalization (as an intrapersonal variable) in the occurrence of high-risk behaviors. The population was students aged 15 to 18 living in Tehran with their parents. The sample size was determined according to Cochran's formula and 310 people were selected by the available method. The data collection tool was the short form of Parental Rejection and Acceptance Questionnaire (PARQ), Iranian Adolescent Riskiness Scale (IARS) and Adolescent Reflective Action Questionnaire (RFQ). After collecting the data, they were analyzed using hierarchical regression. The findings showed the moderating role of mentalization certainty with parental rejection in the occurrence of high-risk behaviors and that at high levels of parental rejection (father or mother), the increase in mentalization certainty is associated with the occurrence of high-risk behaviors; while at a low level of parental rejection, this relationship is inverse and a low level of mentalization certainty leads to a high level of risky behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article unpacks the short-lived but momentous buzz around big data. Although talk about big data was once widespread, little is known about the efforts animating its semantics. Tracing this sociotechnical imaginary, we revisit how business insiders and IT commentators fueled the ephemeral yet potent excitement around the term. Our genealogical examination rests on a selection of publications from 2013 to 2017. We employ methods from critical discourse analysis to interrogate how big data was written into being and hyped into a topic of concern. In this aspirational discourse, tech evangelists and writers extrapolated from contexts in which large troves of data were already being harnessed to suggest that inescapable transformations were imminent. They sought to concretize abstract and unfathomable quantities while simultaneously overwhelming their readers with a sense of vastness that exceeds all contexts and outruns the most exuberant expectations. The term may have lost this luster, but big data technologies and practices are an integral part of today's technological infrastructures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over many years, with the increase in population, the increasing human demand for food consumption and the importance of maintaining environmental security, researchers have paid attention to the use of microorganisms to increase the amount of product per unit area more than in the past. Some species of Trichoderma fungus are known as growth promoters in plants. The sensitivity of different species of fish to toxic substances is different, so toxicology tests are done on different fish. In this experiment, 120 pieces of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) with 3 types of Trichoderma fungi (Trichoderma afroharzianum, Trichoderma ghanens, Trichoderma lixii), treatment 1 (TC-1), treatment 2 (TC-3), treatment 3 (TC-4) and control treatment (CL) were fed completely randomly. Finally, growth factors (daily growth rate, weight gain percentage, specific growth factor, food conversion factor), approximate carcass analysis (protein, fat, ash, and moisture), and hematology (hemoglobin, hematocrit, white and red blood cells, neutrophils, Monocyte, lymphocyte, mean hemoglobin red blood cells (MCHC), size red blood cells (MCV), mean hemoglobin red blood cells (MCH)) were evaluated. The investigation growth factors showed that the treatment (TC-3) had significant difference with other treatments and the control group. Also, the evaluation of blood parameters in this research showed that Trichoderma significantly reduces the level of these factors in rainbow trout. The analysis of the rainbow trout carcasses in the treatments fed by different strains of Trichoderma showed that the amount of protein, fat and moisture in the control groups and the treatments were not significantly different; but the lowest amount of cholesterol and triglyceride was observed in the control. Considering the changes in the hematological factors of fish treated with Trichodema, the measurement of these factors can be used as biological index, a tool for monitoring and evaluating the health of aquatic ecosystems. Since it is necessary to use chemical pesticides and their toxicity even in very small concentrations on fish, it is important to investigate the adverse effects of chemical pesticides on aquatic health from the perspective of fisheries and environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Business processes form mechanisms for enterprises functioning. They drive actions, help enterprises achieve results, and be profitable and productive. However, in some cases, enterprises need help in providing new business processes, or some problems occur in old ones. The reason can be risks. In some cases, risks cause unexpected changes in all processes at the enterprise level. Fast and meaningful actions can help to prevent crises. Based on bibliometric and visualization analysis, the research aims to study risk influence on business processes. The papers’ search was conducted using bibliometric analysis. We used the Scopus database, one of the most consequential and up-to-date. Following the setup criteria, we’ve achieved 671 articles for further analysis. To determine articles, we used two keywords, «business process» & «risk», joined with the logical operator «AND». The «title, abstract, keywords» field was used as a search field. We’ve explored gathered and summarized papers in BibExcel. Pajek was used to present the obtained results and build visualization maps. The research allowed achieve some insights. First, the investigated problem is on the rise. Intensification of publication activity only started in 2005. As for now, the peak of publications was in 2022, with 56 papers. Second, the most contributing authors present five countries. So, the investigated problem seems to have a global essence. Nevertheless, cooperation between scientists isn’t deep, and no formed clusters exist. Third, scientists published 7% of papers in two influential journals – Business Process Management Journal & Sustainability. Both journals have high SNIP and belong to Q1. Fourth, scientists from Europe, Asia, North America, Australia, and Africa work on it. Though the United States and the United Kingdom perform in leading positions, Ukraine is tenth, with 23 articles published within ten years. Fifth, three of the most frequently used keywords form three clusters in connection with other keywords. They are risk management, risk assessment, and business process. Thus, the importance of risk management during the implementation and management of business processes is crucial. Bibliometric analysis proves it [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the drawbacks of the many-to-many search model for accessing digital records in institutional settings like offices, hospitals, and government agencies, the paper proposes a searchable attribute-based cryptosystem scheme that uses the concept of blockchain technology that provides for authentication and self-validation, and can be applied to secure digital document sharing systems. By keeping the ciphertext document on the cloud, the index on the blockchain, and the smart contract handling the searching of documents, it helps lighten the cloud's computing load. Data integrity and privacy are also guaranteed by this technique, as is the veracity of the findings supplied by the cloud server. The strategy may be used to get rid of redundant information and save space in cloud storage. The concealment of access policy also ensures the privacy of its users. The security study demonstrates that the suggested system protects the privacy of user information and the secrecy of digital document data against adaptively chosen-keyword attacks. Experiments and analysis of performance show that the suggested technique improves upon previous approaches in terms of securing indexes, token generation, efficiency of searching, and verification of results; as a consequence, it is better suited for search situations where a many-to-many search approach is required. It allows for secure and efficient collaboration on electronic documents between departments and external parties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Radiation-induced lung toxicity (RILT) is a major concern in patients who receive radiation to thorax. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the changes of pulmonary function tests (PFTs) in lung carcinoma patients treated with three-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3-D CRT) and relation RILT with dosimetric and nondosimetric factors. Methods: This was a prospective observational study which included 65 patients of lung carcinoma treated with 3-D CRT. PFTs were assessed before the radiotherapy and at third and sixth month post-radiation therapy. Radiation pneumonitis (RP) was graded according to National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria (CTCAE) version 4.0. Results: Majority of patients already had poor lung function before commencing the radiotherapy. There was a modest decrease in pulmonary function after radiation therapy with (3-D CRT). Postradiotherapy, at third month, eight patients (12%) and at the sixth month, 16 patients (25%) were observed with Grade II RP. At the third month, the nondosimetric factors, age >65 years (P = 0.027) and pretreatment Diffusion capacity of the Lung for Carbon monoxide (DLCO) 60% (P = 0.03) were significantly related to grade ≥ II Radiation pneumonitis (RP). Among dosimetric factors, mean lung dose ≥20 Gy (P = 0.001) and volume receving 20Gy ≥35% (P = 0.05) were significantly related to grade ≥ II RP. These factors were also related to grade ≥ II RP at the sixth month with a significant P value. Conclusion: There is a progressive decrease in pulmonary function after (3-D CRT) in lung carcinoma patients. The study suggested that the baseline PFT may be utilized for the identification of high-risk patients for RILT before starting the radiotherapy in lung carcinoma. [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]

Pakoba fruit (Syzygium sp.) is one of the medicinal plants of Minahasan folks and it is an endemic species in North Sulawesi. Pakoba can only be found in Minahasa areas and is very popular among people in Minahasa. The taste is sour, making this fruit as the main ingredient to be processed into rojak, sweets, dodol, jam, or syrup. Pakoba fruit is widely used for treatment in the simplest way because this fruit contains many bioactive compounds. Pakoba fruit can act as a source of probiotics because it contains good microorganisms, namely Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB). Some types of LAB are able to synthesize exopolysaccharides (EPS), which are polysaccharide polymers considered essential for health. Therefore this research aims to determine the presence of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in Pakoba fruit and their potential to produce exopolysaccharides. The presence of lactic acid bacteria in Pakoba fruit was detected through the pour plate method on MRSA media (de Man, Rogosa and Sharpe Agar) + CaCO3 1%. The culture was incubated at 37°C for 48 hours. Growing colonies are observed morphological features of colonies, cells, biochemical and physiological properties. The isolates believed to be LAB, were then tested for its potential to produce EPS. From the total of 35 producing-acid bacteria, 17 isolates were tested as lactic acid bacteria group that had characteristics of bacilli cells, gram-positive bacteria, catalase-negative, non-motile, non-spore-forming, gas production, mesophilic, aciduric, can ferment carbohydrates. Based on Bergey's Manual of Systematic Bacteriology, the seventeen isolates were identified as members of the Lactobacillus genus. The seventeen isolates also showed the ability to produce exopolysaccharides in the range of 102-1570 mg/L. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Formulating the title and abstract of a manuscript is crucial to convey the essence of the research paper to the reader at a superficial glance. The title should be short and crisp, yet it should define critical information about the paper, such as the disease highlighted, any intervention studied, or the primary outcome. A structured abstract is required in most journals for an original research article, conveying a summary of the research. The keywords used in the title and abstract also play a vital role in the article's discoverability on various search engines, thereby increasing the overall reach and impact of the article. In this article, we highlight a few key points to consider while drafting the title and abstract of a medical manuscript. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance of this research topic lies in the need to gather, store, analyze and disseminate accurate information on the management status of educational institutions to guarantee the provision of quality educational services. This is particularly crucial in the current trend towards digitalizing educational work and utilizing the internet to facilitate practical management tasks. The study aims to construct a case method model to supervise educational process management outcomes. For that purpose, the study scrutinises the implementation methodologies of existing case models to monitor and analyse the situation without human intervention. Also, the investigation entails creating an implementation algorithm and a simulation model of an interactive case method to monitor educational activities. The formalized logical-semantic apparatus is used to address the research problems. The algorithm development and simulation modeling enabled correlation of the obtained answer with the assigned task, automating the results output. Generating answers in the case method involves considering rules based on the base word, answer keywords, and constraints (true/false). These elements are part of the thesaurus specific to the survey domain and are included in the test's base vocabulary. To test an answer against a question, each inductive step is viewed through a logical formula. Logical statements such as conjunction, disjunction, logical negation, implication, and equivalence are represented by formulas. This method enables the evaluation of the respondent's answer based on the nodes within the statement tree integrated into the test. The progression from the initial word to the node-connection generates an automated assessment of individual educational process management standards. This study enables the enhancement of automated monitoring capabilities for the University's educational process results. The research suggests the potential for developing models and algorithms to form question sets and enable individualized assessments based on the respondent's performance. As a consequence, the devised algorithm and simulation model for the interactive case approach are showcased. During the testing, the key words and example words were compared with the responses of the participants and specific results were obtained. Additional case vocabulary terms need to be added to address the limitations encountered during the model testing and the testing period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents a novel keyword-based trust management system for fog computing networks aimed at improving network efficiency and ensuring data integrity. The proposed system establishes and maintains trust between fog nodes using trust keywords recorded in a table on each node. Simulation research is conducted using iFogSim to evaluate the efficacy of the proposed scheme in terms of latency and packet delivery ratio. The study focuses on addressing trust and security challenges in fog computing environments. By leveraging trust keywords, the proposed system enables accurate evaluation of trustworthiness and identification of potentially malicious nodes. The system enhances the security of fog computing by mitigating risks associated with unauthorized access and malicious behavior. While the study highlights the significance of trust keywords in improving network performance and trustworthiness, it fails to provide detailed explanations of the trust mechanism itself. Additionally, the role of fog computing in the proposed approach is not adequately emphasized. Future research directions include refining and optimizing the proposed framework to consider resource constraints, dynamic network conditions, and scalability. Integration of advanced security mechanisms such as encryption and authentication protocols will be explored to strengthen the trust foundation in fog computing environments. In conclusion, the proposed keyword-based trust management system offers potential benefits for improving network performance and ensuring data integrity in fog computing. However, further clarification of the trust mechanism and a stronger emphasis on the role of fog computing would enhance understanding of the proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gastric subepithelial lesions (SELs) are intramural lesions that arise underneath the gastric mucosa. SELs can be benign, but can also be malignant or have malignant potential. Therefore, correct diagnosis is crucial. Endosonography has been established as the diagnostic gold standard. Although the identification of some of these lesions can be carried out immediately, solely based on their echo characteristics, for certain lesions histological examination is necessary. Sometimes histology can be inconclusive, especially for smaller lesions. Therefore, new methods have been developed in recent years to assist decision making, such as contrast enhanced endosonography, EUS elastography, and artificial intelligence systems. In this narrative review we provide a complete overview of the gastric SELs and summarize the new data of the last ten years concerning the diagnostic advances of endosonography on this topic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A field experiment was conducted in the fall season of 2022 in the village of Aday in Baquba District - Diyala Governorate, on the mash plant. Vigna radaita a local vegetable cultivar in clay soil in order to study the effect of biofertilization with Azotobacter chroococcum and Mycorhiza fungi (Glomus mosseae) and organic fertilization with humic acid and the interaction between them on the vegetative characteristics of the mung bean plant. The experiment was carried out according to the randomized complete block design (R.C.B.D) and with three replications. It included two factors, the first was biological fertilization, which included four treatments, namely (without addition, the addition of Azotobacter, the addition of Mycorrhiza, and the addition of Azotobacter + Mycorrhiza) and the second factor was organic fertilization, which included four concentrations of humic acid 0 and 3 And 6 and 9 ml.l-1. The following are the most important results that were reached: - The superiority of biofertilization treatment by adding Azotobacter and Mycorrhizae in the yield and its components, such as the number of pods, the weight of 1000 seeds, the yield of one plant, the overall yield, obtained, Azolobacter and mycorrhizae were introduced to the biofertilization process., 130.83 pods.plant-1, 29.26 gm., 35.57 g.m. plant-1, 2341.08 kg.h-1. - The treatment of organic fertilization with humic acid at a concentration of 9 ml.L-1 was superior in giving it the highest mean in the number of pods, the weight of 1000 seeds, yield per plant, overall yield, which reached 127.14 pod.plant-1, 27.76 gm., 36.2 gm. plant-1, 2221.2 kg.h-1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our study comparative analyzed the morphological and physiological performance of Juglans regia L. cv. 'Xiangling' (JRX) grafted onto five rootstock species originated from China. A wide range of coefficient of variation (CV), 1.155--39.848%, was detected for fourteen indexes among the studied seedlings. CV of plant height, total dry biomass, total leaf area, root/shoot ratio, chlorophyll index, and stomatal conductance was higher than 15.00%, suggesting higher variation. Principal component analysis, hierarchical cluster analysis and subordinate function analysis were used to screen engrafted seedlings for their quality. All three methods produced the same result that seedling quality of 'Xiangling' engrafted with the five rootstock species from high to low were -- Juglans regia L. cv. 'Jizhaomian' (JRJ), JRX, Juglans regia L. cv. 'Lvxiang' (JRL), Juglans mandshurica, Maxim., and Juglans hopeiensis Hu.. The evaluation results were highly consistent with the actual growth performance of the engrafted seedlings, it verified the reliability of our results and the evaluation methods. The results demonstrated that JRJ, JRX, and JRL are potential rootstock candidates in the studied walnut planting regions. It would provide important implication for the selection of proper rootstock species for a certain particular walnut variety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Branding has a critical part in improving the performance of any organization, and it is an implied tool that has the potential to influence people's purchasing decisions in a good way. The study of Consumer Behavior has grown increasingly important in today's marketing environment. Consumers are the undisputed rulers of the market. Consumers are essential to the operation of every commercial organization. Consumers and consumer satisfaction are at the heart of all commercial enterprises' actions. In addition to product, distribution, pricing, and location, branding is possibly the most significant aspect of any company's operations. A company's brand has a definition in the world, and it is the term that distinguishes it from its competitors and the general public. An organization's brand serves as a concrete description for customers and competitors alike, serving as a moniker for a product or service that distinguishes it from anything else in the market. The primary goal of this study is to determine the impact of brand recognition on customer purchase behavior in the context of Cadbury Nigeria Plc. A questionnaire was utilized to collect primary data from 169 Cadbury Nigeria Plc. Distributors. Findings show that brand awareness affects the consumer buying behavior of Cadbury Nigeria Plc, Brand association affects the consistency of customer patronage of Cadbury Nigeria Plc. and brand loyalty affects consumer purchasing behavior of Cadbury Nigeria Plc. The study recommends that customer relationship management be given the highest priority. Their brand must significantly impact their behavior to develop a strong relationship between their brand and consumer buying behavior. It also recommends that continuous improvement be maintained at all times on brand awareness, brand loyalty, brand association, product quality that meets consumer buying behavior, and that Cadbury Nigeria Plc. Managers are moved devoted to this issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The models that set the closest targets have made an important contribution to data envelopment analysis (DEA) as tool for best-practice benchmarking of decision making units (DMUs). These models may help define plans for improving the require less effort from the DMUs. One of the important issues in the process of benchmarking and target setting, is to set realistic and achievable targets for inefficient units. Because in practice and in the real world, we often face units that perform poorly and the targets for them are not available in one step, to solve this problem, in this study, an algorithm is presented that takes advantage of the onion layering method has three main advantages over other step-by-step benchmarking methods: firstly, in each step, it offers a better and closer target and benchmark to the manager sequentially. Secondly, by adjusting the number of jumps in the layers according to the conditions, it provides the possibility of more adjustments and flexibility in targets for the manager. Thirdly, by classifying the decision-making units based on the level of efficiency and performance, it specifies a benchmark and a realistic achievable target for the inefficient units at each stage. The proposed method has been implemented on the data of 24 Portuguese bank branches and And targets are specified sequentially for each ineffective unit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The performed studies show that considering substitution goods can be profitable. The substitution is replacing one product with another in an inventory system. When a product has a shortage, a certain percentage of its demand can be replaced with similar goods. In this paper, a Tri-objective model with the substitution assumptions is considered. In here, the substitution means that there is a relation between different items that allows these items to be used instead of each other. Demands are considered probabilistic and there are some other assumptions as follows: planning is multi-period and multi product, inventory control parameters are fixed during the planning period. The shortage is allowed, but in the form of lost sale, the inventory of the beginning of the first period is very few (almost zero) and the remaining inventory at the end of each period will be moved to the next period. Objective functions are looking for maximizing the profit, minimizing the risk of facing slack and minimizing of the dissatisfaction arising from the substitution. Model is solved with two approaches: first with the LP-Metric method and next by two meta-heuristic algorithms such as NSGA-II and Deferential Evolution. Most researches have focused on profit maximization or costs minimization. The current paper considers a multi-product and multi-period triple-objective model. The goods may be substituted with similar ones. The results of solving the model indicate that if there is a relation between the products items, considering this relationship in modeling, will lead to improved results. A part of this improvement is a result of reduced maintenance cost. With the substitution of items, we can both increase our profits and sell items that their expiry date is near to finish (arrangement type of substitution) and avoid loses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In conventional data envelopment analysis (DEA) models, inputs, and outputs are usually considered as precise and continuous factors. Furthermore, inputs and outputs of inefficient decision- making units (DMUs) change arbitrarily for meeting the efficient frontier. Nevertheless, there are situations in the real world where the performance of DMUs with fuzzy and integer-valued measures must be evaluated while input and output variables are restricted by the decision-maker. Therefore, the current paper proposes a DEA-based method for assessing the relative efficiency of DMUs with imprecise and integer-valued factors when restricted variations are observed. To illustrate, the free replicability (FR) model is extended for incorporating fuzzy numbers and some visible limitations like restrictions on resources. Furthermore, the method is developed for situations where flexible measures are presented. A numerical example is used to illustrate the approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Customers service centres have become a veritable tool for connecting with subscribers and projecting distinctive capabilities in competition in the telecommunication industry. Consequently, operational efficiency of these units is an essential variable in the design and adoption of cost leadership and differentiation strategies. This study is based on data obtained from twenty-five (25) customers service centres spread across four telecommunication service providers. Data envelopment analysis methodological approach was utilized to estimate efficiency of these service centres, types of scale and identify critical resources for improving performances. Results indicate an average technical efficiency scores range of 50.5%-80.2%, suggesting substantial waste of resources and weak capacity for pursuit of cost leadership strategy with scale efficiency scores range of 60.5%-86.4%. The study also found that 36% of these facilities are operating under increase returns to scale (IRS) regime, 40% (decreasing returns to scale, (DRS) and 24% under constant returns to scale regime. Furthermore, customers service personnel were identified as critical input variable to be given pre-emptive priority to change to enhance operations and capacity to strive for cost leadership, therefore, it is suggested that telecommunication firms invest more resources on technology to enhance capabilities of the service personnel for improved efficiency as well as for effective pursuit of cost leadership and differentiation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]