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Abstract Background Every branch of surgery relies in some way on histology to obtain a conclusive diagnosis. Since precise and comprehensive information on the request form is crucial to the correct analysis and interpretation of test results, it is anticipated that all patient data and information for any requested test be provided. One of the most significant duties of the peri-operative team is the care and handling of intraoperative surgical specimens. Poor labeling and handling of surgical specimens can lead to unfavorable consequences such as misdiagnosis, incorrect or delayed therapy, and even the need for repeat surgery. The study’s. objective is to highlight the primary mistakes that occur in the pre analytical stage of histopathology request forms and specimens at two Khartoum-based histopathological institutions. Methods A prospective descriptive laboratory based cross-sectional study was carried out on 528 request forms and specimens sent to two histopathology centers between the period of May to August 2019 having gotten Ethical clearance from SMSB. Results A total of 528 laboratory request forms and specimens, Age was written in 75.6% (n 399), while the gender only was written only in 46.2% (n 244). No clinical history in 48.3% (n 255). The differential diagnosis found only in 29.5% (n156) of request forms. Regarding specimen 15.7% (83) were inadequate relative to the size of the container and only 5.3% (28) were not labeled with any information. 17.4% (92) were not sent in formalin but in normal saline. Marking of the specimen was not needed in 60% (317) and among the rest cases; 34.2% was not marked. Conclusion The study shows that laboratory request forms were not properly and thoroughly completed. Most of the specimens sent for histology had inadequate fixative and unsuitable containers, or they were mislabeled and not properly tagged. This for sure will have a detrimental effect on the quality of care.

Abstract Background The need for blood during a surgical procedure is greater than what blood banks are able to provide. There is an excessive amount of blood being ordered for elective surgeries, surpassing the actual requirements. Only 30% of the cross matched blood is actually used in these surgeries. The accuracy of estimating the transfusion needs before a surgical procedure can be determined by looking at the cross match to transfusion ratio and the transfusion index. “These indicators play a crucial role in developing the maximum surgical blood ordering schedule; in this study, these indicators were tested.” Aim of study Is to determine the efficiency of blood ordering and transfusion practices for patients undergoing elective surgeries. Methods This study is a prospective cross-sectional hospital-based study done at Omdurman Teaching Hospital-Sudan. Conducted for the duration of 6 months period from July to December 2019.The study participants were patients who underwent elective surgical procedures in general surgery and Urology departments as total coverage sample over a period of study duration. Ethical clearance obtained from ethical committee of Sudan Medical Specialization Board. Results Two hundreds seven patients included in this study, the amount of blood units requested were 443-unit, cross matching for 98.6% (n 437) of units were done. Only 100 unit were Transfused (22,8%). The calculated CT ratio was 4.4, transfusion index was 1.6 and transfusion probability was 29.9%. Conclusion Transfusion probability and transfusion index of the present study were optimal but comparatively higher than the standard guidelines as most of the cross matched blood was not utilized.

Background: Since December 2019, when a new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was detected in Wuhan, China, over 774 million confirmed COVID-19 cases and over seven million deaths have been reported globally, as of 7 January 2024 (WHO, 2024). Venous thromboembolism is a recognized complication of COVID-19. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of pulmonary embolism (PE) diagnosed by CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA) in COVID-19 patients and the features of the associated factors. Methods and Results: The study included 162 patients from the Imam Abdulrahman Al-Faisal Hospital who had COVID-19-confirmed infections while hospitalized in the ICU. Patients were diagnosed as COVID-19 positive by RT-PCR and underwent CTPA examination on the Discovery 16-slice CT scanner (Siemens, Germany) following standard protocol. For contrast enhancement, non-ionic, iodinated, intravenous contrast material (Omnipaque 350 mg) was used. PE was detected by CTPA in 87(53.7%) COVID-19 patients. The D-dimer level was significantly higher in the PE group than in the non-PE group. The frequency of renal impairment in the PE group was 2.3 times higher than in the non-PE group. The ICU duration was longer in the PE group than in non-PE group (12.9±11.3 and 8.6±7.2 days, P=0.005). The death rate was 17.2% in the PE group and 1.3% in the non-PE group (P=0.001). The heart and respiratory rates, blood pressure, BMI, BUN, and creatinine levels did not differ in the study groups. The frequency of diabetes, hypertension, asthma, COPD, and smoking were comparable in the groups. Conclusion: CTPA is very important in diagnosing PE in COVID-19 patients. CTPA-diagnosed PE is significantly associated with D-dimer, ICU duration, and death.

Fracture blisters, often termed “trauma blisters” or “epidermolysis,” are vesicles filled with clear fluid or blood that form on the skin within 24–48 h following an acute fracture.1 Their precise aetiology remains unclear, though it is hypothesised that dermal-epidermal junction damage due to severe shear stress plays a critical role.Blisters often appear near fractures, particularly in the lower extremities. They can emerge as soon as 6 h to three weeks post-injury or surgery, delaying definitive fracture management due to the risk of wound complications.Management involves documenting blister characteristics and deciding between conservative and surgical approaches based on blister condition and patient factors.The aim for this review is to give a brief overview of the available literature in an attempt to consolidate current treatment recommendations.

Badminton is a thrilling and competitive sport that has gained popularity across the world, attracting players of all ages. The sport fosters social interaction among players which helps create friendships and engagement within a community. Although many local sport centres provide badminton courts, some facilities lack a systematic way to handle bookings. The booking process can be frustrating and time-consuming. This may result in delayed replies, miscommunication and conflicting booking information. In this paper, we present iSmashON, a mobile application developed to simplify the booking process by providing systematic way of booking badminton courts, chat with other players and manage bookings. It features real-time availability updates and personalized notifications. The development encompasses four phases which are requirement analysis, design and development, testing and refinement. The evaluation of the developed mobile application is done using Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) that considers four components which are Perceived Ease of Use (PEU), Perceived Usefulness (PU), Attitude (ATT) and Behavioural Intention (BI). Questionnaire with 13 questions is prepared and distributed over 30 respondents with at least one-year experience of playing badminton. Results from the TAM evaluation shows a favourable attitude among respondents towards using the mobile application as a medium for booking badminton courts. This is drawn by the highest mean score obtained from ATT component. It is believed that the iSmashON application is expected to enhance the booking experience, providing more efficient and user-friendly process that will be benefited by badminton community.

Living in a world of hectic schedule between work and personal life has made many individuals difficult to find time for exercising and keep track their fitness progress. Memberships for gym nowadays is costly and even hiring a personal trainer is not everyone can afford. Due to these challenges, this paper introduces a fitness tracker mobile application named iCalFit that assists users in managing their calisthenics exercises routine and encourage individuals to engage in exercises despite their constrained time and resources. The application provides guides for calisthenics exercises, tracking users’ exercises, its calorie loss and reminders. Development methodology involved three main phases which are requirement identification, design and development and testing. The assessment of the mobile application is based on technology acceptance model, that considers three main components: Intention of Use (IU), Perceive Usefulness (PU) and Attitude (A). The questionnaire covers 15 questions distributed over to 31 randomly selected participants. PU had gained highest score out of three components, proven that the mobile application developed is efficient and capable of assisting user during exercise routine. The development of iCalFit is believed that it can solve individuals with limited fitness opportunities and drives for a healthy lifestyle.

The workforce constitutes a fundamental element of organisations, and effectively addressing the challenges associated with governing employees is crucial for maintaining the overall stability of the firm. In the past, businesses and organisations used to depend on manual attendance tracking systems within their human resources departments to manage their staff. In the contemporary era characterised by significant advancements in technology, several recommendations are put out to enhance the existing system. Nevertheless, it is possible that small enterprises may encounter difficulties in coping with the escalating living expenses and the expenses associated with implementing an advanced attendance management system. Hence, this study proposes the creation of a straightforward yet dependable mobile application for the purpose of documenting and overseeing staff attendance through the utilisation of Flutter. The application was developed in a series of incremental steps utilising the Waterfall methodology. The effectiveness and acceptance of the application were evaluated using a comprehensive testing process that included both functionality and usability testing. Both testing findings yielded favourable outcomes, indicating that the application was favourably received by the responders. The application is anticipated to provide assistance to small enterprises or organisations that have encountered challenges in managing their operating expenses.

Being highly susceptible to damage, fish result in significant post-harvest fish losses (PHFL) due to quality deterioration from inefficient harvesting and market dynamics. This study aims to identify the leading factors driving PHFL and construct a practical decision-making framework for the fisheries industry's development. Employing the fuzzy TOPSIS method, we scrutinized the critical causes of PHFL. Our literature review revealed four aspects and 13 operational processes contributing to PHFL across the supply chain. Among these processes, four drivers were the primary culprits: excessive fish capacity in shipping baskets, inadequate ice cooling during transportation to suppliers, insufficient ice cooling during supplier sorting, and the absence of appropriate tools for small retailers. To alleviate PHFL and enhance the fishery industry, priority should be given to addressing excessive fish capacity in shipping baskets, which poses a risk of physical damage during transit. Moreover, inadequate ice-cooling techniques, particularly in transportation and supplier sorting stages, raise public health and food safety concerns. Stakeholders must prioritize these critical factors for PHFL reduction.

Abstract Background Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is an autosomal recessive disease caused by mutations and deletions in SMN1 at exon 7. The carrier frequency for SMN1 mutations ranges from 2 to 4% in the general population. Methods We examined allelic, genotypic relatedness and copy number (CN) variations and frequencies of SMN1 and SMN2, in 13,426 samples from Qatar biobank (QBB) to provide a precise estimation of SMA carrier frequency in Qatar in comparison to other populations. Results The SMA carrier frequency was found to be (2.8%) and the rs143838139 was found in 491/13426 (3.66%) of individuals. The SNP rs121909192, which is a pathogenic risk factor, was found in 321/13500 (2.38%). In Addition 242/11379 (2.13%) had two copies of SMN1 and the rs143838139, which may explain the (2 + 0) silent carrier. Additionally, two participants were found to be SMA type 4 with 0 and 4 copy numbers in SMN1 and SMN2, respectively. Conclusion The SMA carrier frequency in Qatar was found to be comparable to Saudi Arabia and Caucasians. The likely pathogenic variant, rs121909192, was found to be significantly higher when compering with other in our study. The rs143838139 variant, which has a strong association with the silent carrier genotype, has been found. Consequently, testing for this SNP may enhance the precision of evaluating the likelihood of a patient having an affected child. We conclude that the frequency of SMA carriers varies within the Qatar population and other ethnic groups.

Air pollution is a major factor affecting human life and living quality in arid and semiarid regions. This study was conducted in the Al-Ahsa district in the Eastern part of Saudi Arabia to measure carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration over different land-use types. Initially, the study’s land use/land cover (LULC) was classified using the spectral characteristics of Landsat-8 data. Then, sensors were placed in five sites of different LULC types to detect CO2, air temperature, and relative humidity. The Friedman test was used to compare CO2 concentration among the five sites. Five LULC types were identified over the study area: date palm, cropland, bare land, urban land, and water. The results indicated that CO2 concentration showed a maximum mean value of 577 ppm recorded from a site dominated by urban lands. During the peak time of human transportation, a maximum value of 659 ppm was detected. The CO2 concentration mean values detected for the other LULC types showed 535, 515, and 484 ppm for the bare land, cropland, and date palm, respectively. This study’s sensors and procedures helped provide information over relatively small areas. However, modelling CO2 fluctuations with time for LULC changes might improve management and sustainability.

Bolo village is very promising to be developed as a village agro-industry with its lime fruits product. However, the price fluctuations and a decrease in quality during the shelf life of fresh lime have become challenges. This problem was identified by the UISI 2020 Student Community Service group. The goal of this community service is to find alternative solutions for making lime agro-industry based production, which is in the form of post-harvest processing of lime into jam. The implementation steps are (1) analysis of environmental conditions; (2) jam production; (3) calculation of the nutritional value of jam; (4) product packaging and branding; (5) calculation of production costs; (6) socialization of the "Bolo Jam" product, and 7) evaluation. This activity combines lecturing methods and hands-on training to the community, involving academics, lime farmers, and the community of Bolo village. The level of success measured from qualitative observations related to product acceptance. Although only 60% of the participants were enthusiastic about lime jam products, the society got an understanding of the agroindustry concept and planned to develop lime-based agroindustry products.

The Integrated Warehouse Application (IWA) is a platform that combines inventory management, order management, warehouse operations, shipping, logistics, and reporting and analysis. It helps users manage their inventory to meet supply and demand requirements. Although many large companies use IWA to increase their operational efficiency, its complexity, technology, and customization requirements make it too expensive for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Our study focuses on SMEs in the retail business, where fast and accurate order processing is important for customer satisfaction and loyalty. We researched how to accommodate multi-echelon demand for the retail industry. To address these challenges, we used an Open-source ERP System called Odoo to create the IWA. Our findings show that implementing an integrated warehouse inventory system like the one provided by Odoo can offer real-time visibility into inventory levels, orders, and shipments. Automating manual processes enhances speed and accuracy, which improves customer service and business performance.

Enterprises Resource Planning (ERP) systems can be analogized as the backbone of the information system in a company. Many large-scale companies have adopted ERP systems to increase efficiency in the company's business processes. This research departs from the issue of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) that are required to use ERP to compete in the global market but cannot implement an ERP system at a high cost. However, SMEs have financial limitations in adopting high-cost ERP systems. On the other hand, many open-source ERP systems can currently be used for free but with a limited number of modules. This study focuses on implementing an open-source ERP system using Odoo software version 15 on SMEs Transportation Services Providers. The goal is to develop an open-source ERP-based fleet management system for SMEs. The system developed successfully met the company's managerial expectations. All processes previously carried out manually have been carried out using the developed system. All cross-sectional data is stored in the company's master data and can be integrated to support the decision-making process, and company archives have been well documented. Based on the results of User Acceptance Testing (UAT), 98% of the system has met the needs of SMEs. It can be concluded that the implementation of an open-source ERP-based fleet management system is very helpful in managing the business processes of SMEs Transportation Services Providers more effectively and efficiently.

Abstract Low priority on waste management has impacted the complex environmental issue of plastic waste pollution, as evident by results of this study where it was found that 24.3% of waste generation in Jakarta and Bandung is emitted into the waterway due to the high intensity of human activity in the urban area. In this study, we investigated the viable integration between material flow analysis and leakage hotspot modeling to improve management strategies for plastic pollution in water systems and open environments. Using a multi-criteria assessment of plastic leakage from current waste management, a material flow analysis was developed on a city-wide scale defining the fate of plastic waste. Geospatial analysis was assigned to develop a calculation for identification and hydrological analysis while identifying the potential amount of plastic leakage to the river system. The results show that 2603 tons of plastic accumulated along the mainstream of the Ciliwung River on an annual basis, and a high-density population like that in Bandung discarded 1547 tons in a one-year period to the Cikapundung River. The methods and results of this study are applicable towards improving the control mechanisms of river rejuvenation from plastic leakage by addressing proper management in concentrated locations.

Distribution plays an important role in the supply chain system. One of the critical problems in distribution is the vehicle routing problem. This research proposes the Improved Ant Colony Optimization (IACO) algorithm to solve the Vehicle Routing Problem with Time Windows (VRPTW). The main objective is to minimize the total vehicle mileage by considering the vehicle capacity and customer time windows. The proposed IACO algorithm is inspired by the conventional Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) algorithm by adding local search and mutation processes. Numerical experiments were conducted to test that the routes generated did not violate the customer's time window constraints. In addition, this study also compares the proposed IACO algorithm routes with other metaheuristic algorithms, namely ACO classic and Tabu Search. In addition, this investigation was carried out by experimenting with the number of iterations. The results of numerical experiments prove that the proposed IACO algorithm can minimize the total vehicle mileage without violating capacity constraints and time windows.

Abstract Wilson’s disease (WD) is a rare genetic disorder of copper metabolism that results in dysfunction of copper excretion into bile leading to its accumulation in the liver, brain, cornea, and kidney. Only a few epidemiological studies about WD have been carried out, with limited available data about the disease. The most common liver disease in Egypt is viral hepatitis, which masks other liver diseases, especially in adults. This review describes the establishment of the first specialized WD clinic in the Assiut Liver Center, Upper Egypt. This multidisciplinary clinic comprises stakeholders working in WD management from different specialties, including hepatologists, pediatric hepatologists, neuropsychiatrists, dieticians, radiologists, pathologists, and ophthalmologists. Over 2 years since the launch of the WD clinic in February 2020, a total of 64 WD suspected cases were referred to our center. The WD clinic at the Assiut Liver Center is a step to provide an integrated service for neglected diseases like WD. Besides the provided integrated services for WD patients, a family screening program is applied with satisfying results.

Background and Objectives: Gingival recession results in adverse aesthetics and root sensitivity, and there is a need to treat and prevent its further progression. To overcome these problems, various advances have been made by clinicians in treating gingival recession based on the type of gingival recession. Miller’s classification has been used for a long time to classify the type of recession. However, certain limitations have been found with use of Miller’s classification such as a lack of clarity in the method for measuring soft and hard tissue loss in the interproximal area. Cairo classification was proposed to overcome limitations of Miller’s classification to classify gingival recession. Cairo’s classification is a treatment-oriented classification based on buccal and interproximal attachment loss. Therefore, the study was conducted to assess and compare the reliability of Miller’s and Cairo’s classifications in determining gingival recession. Material and methods: A total of 220 buccal gingival recession defects were included in the study based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Four examiners were included in the study. Two examiners classified the recession defects according to Miller’s classification and the other two examiners classified recession defects according to Cairo’s classification at baseline and at a 1-week interval. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS software version 25.0 using Cohen’s kappa correlation coefficient and Chi-square test statistics to determine the intra- and inter-rater agreement among the examiners for the two gingival recession classification systems. A p value of Results: The intra-rater agreement for Cairo’s classification was 0.86 and 0.82, whereas for Miller’s classification, it was found to be 0.68. The inter-rater reliability agreement for Cairo’s classification was 0.82 and 0.8, whereas for the Miller’s classification, it was 0.56 and 0.67. Conclusions: Within the limitations of the study, it was found that Cairo’s classification is clearer and more reliable than Miller’s classification in the assessment of gingival recession.

Pangkah Kulon is one of the villages in Gresik Regency which is located in Ujung Pangkah District, Gresik, East Java. The lack of public knowledge about fish processing makes people required to be more creative in increasing the selling value of fish into processed products. So far, fresh fish caught by fishermen are sold directly to middlemen, while fresh fish that do not pass the sorting is simply thrown away. To increase the economic value of fish into high selling value products, training in the production of fish crackers is carried out. The training was conducted on the socialization of creative preparations, training on the manufacture and creative industry of fish crackers. In this training, participants (fishermen's wives) are trained to operate production equipment, from dough making, milling, to cutting. The knowledge and skills provided can be used as a pioneering effort for the fish cracker creative industry which is a favorite food for the community in general. In addition, it is also a business opportunity that can increase household income.

The depletion of non-renewable fuel reserves is the biggest problem in the logistics sector. This problem encourages the transportation sector to increase fuel efficiency in distribution activities. The fuel optimization problem in distribution routing problems is called the Fuel Consumption Vehicle Routing Problem (FCVRP). This study proposes a novel Hybrid Henry Gas Solubility Optimization (HHGSO) to solve FCVRP problems. Experiments with several parameter variants were carried out to determine the performance of HHGSO in optimizing fuel consumption. The results show that the parameters of the HHGSO algorithm affect fuel consumption and computation time. In addition, the higher the KPL, the smaller the resulting fuel consumption. The proposed algorithm is also compared with several algorithms. The comparison results show that the proposed algorithm produces better computational time and fuel consumption than the Hybrid Particle Swarm Optimization and Tabu Search algorithms.

Large scale healthcare data shows that new-onset epilepsy is noted in 0.3 % patients within 6 months of COVID-19 infection. We analyzed diagnostic epilepsy monitoring unit (EMU) evaluations to identify and report such cases. We thoroughly reviewed our EMU database and identified patients having “COVID” or “Corona” virus mention in their medical record from 03/15/2020 to 02/28/2022. Patients with epilepsy prior to COVID infection were excluded. Among 62 patients without prior epilepsy evaluated in the EMU for new-onset spells after confirmed COVID-19 infection, three patients were diagnosed with focal epilepsy. These three women without epilepsy risk factors had seizure onset at the time of, or within one to three months of, COVID-19 diagnosis. Their 3 T MRI imaging was non-lesional but revealed bilateral enlarged perivascular spaces. The video EEG monitoring was consistent with temporal or fronto-temporal lobe epilepsy in all three patients. Two of them developed drug-resistant epilepsy within six months of seizure onset. Our thorough analysis of diagnostic EMU evaluations during the two years of pandemic reveals three cases of post-COVID-19 epilepsy after non-symptomatic to mild disease. Although coincidental epilepsy onset cannot be ruled out, larger multicenter or national database investigations are needed to further analyze the possibility of post-COVID epilepsy.

Abstract The oil yield, measured in oil extraction rate per hectare in the palm oil industry, is directly affected by the ripening levels of the oil palm fresh fruit bunches at the point of harvesting. A rapid, non-invasive and reliable method in assessing the maturity level of oil palm harvests will enable harvesting at an optimum time to increase oil yield. This study shows the potential of using Raman spectroscopy to assess the ripeness level of oil palm fruitlets. By characterizing the carotene components as useful ripeness features, an automated ripeness classification model has been created using machine learning. A total of 46 oil palm fruit spectra consisting of 3 ripeness categories; under ripe, ripe, and over ripe, were analyzed in this work. The extracted features were tested with 19 classification techniques to classify the oil palm fruits into the three ripeness categories. The Raman peak averaging at 1515 cm−1 is shown to be a significant molecular fingerprint for carotene levels, which can serve as a ripeness indicator in oil palm fruits. Further signal analysis on the Raman peak reveals 4 significant sub bands found to be lycopene (ν1a), β-carotene (ν1b), lutein (ν1c) and neoxanthin (ν1d) which originate from the C=C stretching vibration of carotenoid molecules found in the peel of the oil palm fruit. The fine KNN classifier is found to provide the highest overall accuracy of 100%. The classifier employs 6 features: peak intensities of bands ν1a to ν1d and peak positions of bands ν1c and ν1d as predictors. In conclusion, the Raman spectroscopy method has the potential to provide an accurate and effective way in determining the ripeness of oil palm fresh fruits.

Every neighbourhood must have access to clean water supply. Disturbances in the water supply may have negative effects on both the economy and public health. Currently there are various methods of filing a complaint to the local water supply distributor. Improper management of these complaints lead to slow responses to affected area, causing displeasure among the users. The aim of the research is to design and develop a web-based Water Supply Complaint Management System to assist users to file complaints related to water supply issues. The system was also designed to assist local authorities or water supply distributor company to properly manage complaints to act quickly. User acceptance testing is used to evaluate the proposed system after it has undergone numerous functional tests. The system was developed using the System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) and the waterfall model was chosen for the methodology. Thirty respondents from Sibu, Sarawak, were chosen to participate in the testing phase and were asked to complete questionnaires that were divided into four categories, including user interface satisfaction, ease of use, usability, and functionality. According to the results of the evaluation, most of the respondents gave positive feedbacks towards the overall functionality of the proposed system. Therefore, it is hoped that all features provided by the proposed system will benefit all users, particularly those who frequently have water supply related issues in their community.

Storeroom is the most important storage area and it must be kept secured as it will be used by college students to keep their goods during semester break. They need to clear up the room before leaving the campus. To impose the security measure of storeroom, college management unit require students that are using the storeroom to write details and particulars before checking in and out the storeroom. This paper presents a development of Storeroom Management Module (SMM) for integration with Attendance Record for College Activities (ARCA) system. The module offers easy process when college staffs and students are dealing with storeroom. Module development involved three main phases which are feasibility study, design and development and module testing. Four components that comprises 17 questionnaires were included in technology acceptance model for module testing. Out of four components tested, component perceived user satisfaction (PUS) had received the highest mean score. This indicated that the developed SMM satisfied users in dealing with storeroom management module.

Considerable amounts of irrigation water of vegetable crops grown in homogenous sandy soil profiles could be subjected to deep percolation water losses due to inappropriately designed surface or subsurface drip irrigation methods. This study aimed to investigate the combined influence of implementing clay soil layer in homogenous sandy soil profile of low-tech greenhouse ridges and using modified surface drip irrigation (M-DI) on soil moisture distribution and water productivity of tomatoes. In the greenhouse, a 7.5 cm thick clay soil layer was implemented 15 cm from the soil surface of each ridge as a hydraulic barrier. Three irrigation regimes (100%, 70% and 50% of ETo) were imposed with the M-DI on tomato plants and 100%ETo with surface drip irrigation (DI) as control. Regarding economic valuation, viability was preserved for the M-DI and DI methods. The outcome indicated that soil moisture spreads more horizontally than vertically on the sandy soil above the clay soil layer. The combined effect of the homogenous sandy soil profile amendment and full irrigation (100%ETo) with the M-DI irrigation method increased the tomato fruit yield by 64.5%. Furthermore, the combined influence enhanced water productivity by the M-DI to 54.7 kg/m3 compared to 32 kg/m3 by the DI. However, M-DI demonstrated dominance over DI regarding returns, yield, and profit. Economic-wise, the M-DI requires 50% less of the lateral pipelines needed by the DI in low-tech greenhouses. Adopting the M-DI with a hydraulic barrier can improve soil moisture, water productivity, yield, and returns for tomato crops in low-tech greenhouses under sandy soil conditions. Also, the M-DI with the hydraulic clay barriers was an economically viable investment compared to the DI without clay barriers for growing tomatoes in low-tech greenhouses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vehicle Routing Problem (VRP) has many applications in real systems, especially in distribution and transportation. The optimal determination of vehicle routes impacts increasing economic interests. This research aims to find the optimal solution in Vehicle Routing Problem Pick-up and Delivery with Time Windows (VRPPDTW). Targets of this problem included reducing distance travel and penalties. Three penalties that were considered are a capacity penalty, opening time capacity, and closing time capacity. An improved genetic algorithm was developed and used to determine the vehicle route. There were one main depot and 42 customers. This research raised the problem of a shipping and logistics company. Analysis of the results showed that the proposed route obtained from improved genetic algorithms (GA) was better than the existing route and previous algorithm. Besides, this research was carried out an analysis on the effect of the number of iterations on distance traveled, the number of penalties, and the fitness value. This algorithm could be applied in VRPPDTW and produces an optimal solution.

PT. XYZ is a manufacturing company that produces grey fabrics, it can be customized by the customers. In order to increase productivity and quality production, the company trying to develop business by adding some machines with the latest type and technologies. Based on direct observations, Company produced a lot of defects and causes a negative impact. The problem can be solved by 4 quality control methods (exist in seven tools method) check sheets, pareto diagrams, control charts, and fishbone diagrams. This method used to determine the root of problems related with the quality products. Check sheet method analysis shown intensity categories of product defects with label “always”, “often” and “rarely”. Then, the analysis of pareto diagrams showing the most dominant types of defects, with the name “Loncat P / L” and “Ambrol”. Furthermore, the results of the control chart analysis show an uncontrolled status. Finally, it can be known that the problem causing product defects is quality of dirty raw materials, machine failure, labour fatigue, poor work methods and unhealthy environment. recommendations given by researchers to the company are further tighten SOP implementation, control and supervise workforce performance, workforce briefings, and pay attention to 5S work culture.

In this article, focus on the simulation of a three-phase perishable product inventory system of a SMEs selling fresh and processed milkfish. This research was conducted to simulate a perishable product inventory system to understand and analyze the problems that occur then propose solutions to fix them. The simulation model was developed with ARENA software, simulation results of the existing condition show that there is 162 kg/month waste in fresh fish, 158 pcs/month in processed product A, and 86 pcs/month in processed product B. A model with a product renewal process mechanism was proposed to overcome this problem, and seven improvement scenarios were developed. The results obtained from the seventh improvement scenario revealed that there was a 100% reduction in fresh fish and processed product B and 94% in processed product A. Besides, there was a saving in need for fresh fish supply of 10 kg/day. In this article, we show how ARENA software can be adopted to simulate inventory system problems effectively. The method in this research can be applied to investigate various supply system scenarios and their consequences before implementing it in a real system.

The purpose of this research is to help students in learning theory-based courses such as operating systems concepts. By improving the mobile learning environment together with using Augmented Reality (AR) element, it can boost the users’ motivation and interest in learning. This is due to having visual help by AR technology in helping users to understand. During the research, analysing, designing, developing, implementation and evaluation were done using the ADDIE model. This model was chosen to be followed to help in organizing the building of the application. User acceptance testing were performed by the students of UiTM Perlis. The results were mostly positive towards the application’s functionality. The feedbacks were then reviewed to make necessary adjustments to the application before being deployed.

Manukan adalah salah satu desa di Kabupaten Bojonegoro yang terletak di Kecamatan Gayam, Bojonegoro, Jawa Timur. Minimnya penghasilan keluarga dari profesi petani menuntut masyarakat untuk lebih kreatif dalam meningkatkan pendapatan keluarga. Bojonegoro memiliki potensi batik Jonegoroan yang menarik dan banyak diminati. Namun, tidak banyak masyarakat Bojonegoro yang memiliki pengetahuan dan ketrampilan membatik. Sehingga, perlu dilakukan pemberdayaan Ibu-ibu dalam mengembangkan industri kreatif Batik Jonegoroan. Pemberdayaan ini dilakukan melalui empat tahapan, yaitu sosialisasi Batik Jonegoroan, pelatihan cara membatik, pelatihan pengembangan industri kreatif batik dan pemasaran hasil batik. Dalam pelatihan ini, peserta dilatih untuk memahami dan mempraktikkan proses membatik dengan empat teknis pewarnaan dan perbedaan antara batik cap dan batik tulis. Teknis pewarnaan yang dipelajari meliputi teknik coletan, semok, kelengan dan laseman. Hasil pelatihan berupa kain batik Jonegoroan dipamerkan dan dijual secara online di marketplace dan media sosial, sedangkan secara offline di bazar dan pameran batik. Pengetahuan dan ketrampilan ini dapat dijadikan bekal untuk membuka peluang usaha pengrajin batik oleh ibu-ibu desa Manukan sebagai salah satu upaya meningkatkan pendapatan keluarga.

This article aimed to develop an improved Ant Lion algorithm. The objective function was to minimize the mean tardiness on the flow shop scheduling problem with a focus on the permutation flow shop problem (PFSP). The Hybrid Ant Lion Optimization Algorithm (HALO) with local strategy was proposed, and from the total search of the agent, the NEH-EDD algorithm was applied. Moreover, the diversity of the nominee schedule was improved through the use of swap mutation, flip, and slide to determine the best solution in each iteration. Finally, the HALO was compared with some algorithms, while some numerical experiments were used to show the performances of the proposed algorithms. It is important to note that comparative analysis has been previously conducted using the nine variations of the PFSSP problem, and the HALO obtained was compared to other algorithms based on numerical experiments.

Hemosuccus pancreaticus is a rare but potentially torrential and life-threatening cause of acute upper gastrointestinal bleeding. It is described as an intermittent hemorrhage from the major duodenal papilla via the main pancreatic duct. Peripancreatic pseudoaneurysm following chronic pancreatitis is a common underlying etiology. However, gastroduodenal artery pseudoaneurysm-related hemosuccus pancreaticus remains exceedingly rare in the etiological spectrum of upper gastrointestinal bleeding. We hereby delineate a rare case of hemosuccus pancreaticus associated with gastroduodenal artery pseudoaneurysm in a patient who initially presented with abdominal pain and hematochezia. He was successfully managed with coil embolization without recurrence or sequelae. Furthermore, we conducted a search of the MEDLINE (PubMed and Ovid) database for relevant studies on hemosuccus pancreaticus published between inception and September 15, 2021. The available clinical evidence on causes, presentation patterns, diagnosis, and management was analyzed and summarized. This article highlights the rarity, the intermittent nature of hemorrhage, and the lack of a standardized diagnostic approach for this elusive disease. Clinicians should remain cognizant of hemosuccus pancreaticus, especially in patients presenting with symptoms and signs of intermittent gastrointestinal bleeding and abdominal pain. Prompt diagnosis carries paramount importance in saving patients from repeat hospital admissions and disease-associated morbidity and mortality. Conventional angiography with coil embolization may constitute an effective treatment strategy.

The earthworm is the most beneficial organism for assessing metallic contamination due to the fact that critical high-quality correlations have been determined between earthworm steel concentrations and soil cadmium, copper, lead, zinc, and mercury concentrations. The mercury compounds are very poisonous for most organisms. Here, we investigated the ability of earthworms (Lumbricus terrestris) to HgCl2 (below laboratory conditions). A study of the effect of five different salt concentrations of mercury chloride (HgCl2) 1 ppm, 5 ppm, 10 ppm, 50 ppm, and 100 ppm was studied on worm survival and calculation of the concentration required to destroy half the number of worms (LC50). The results showed that there is an inverse relationship between these salt concentrations and the time required to perish 100% of worms. It was found that the concentration of 100 ppm is the lethal concentration of half the number (LC50) of the earthworm (Lumbricus terrestris). The effects of the salt concentrations used confirmed their effect on the experimental worm weights as well, so the concentration of 50 ppm was the most influential on earthworm weights of the type of Lumbricus terrestris, as it caused a reduction 12% of worm weights with a significant difference, while the concentrations 1 ppm and 100 ppm were the least effective, as they caused the worms to decrease by only (5%), while the remaining two concentrations 5 ppm and 10 ppm caused their effect to decrease by 7% only. Thus, it can be concluded that lower worm weights have nothing to do with the lethal concentrations of the heavy metal salt (HgCl2). The histological study also showed that low concentrations of mercury chloride salt have less effect on earthworms’ skin tissue compared to higher concentrations.

Mobile application is a software designed to run on smartphones, tablet computers, and other mobile devices. The growing millions of users who are using mobile applications have contributed to an increase in the development of the mobile applications for enterprises, education, the social network and healthcare. Widely used healthcare application nowadays includes general health and wellness, tele-medicine, personal coaching and consultation, medical record tracking, custom reminders and various health management apps. This paper presents a mobile application related to general health and wellness named as iNutritionApp for providing nutrient information, tracking nutrition and calorie intakes with the integration of FatSecret API. The API provides nutritional information based on type of food provided by user. The application was intended to overcome manual calorie intake calculations and assists diet plan. Development methodology of this mobile application utilizes three phases that are system requirements, system design and development, as well as testing. Technology acceptance model with three parts were conducted with 30 respondents by evaluating the developed mobile application through questionnaires. Results of the testing showed that perceived of usefulness (PU) part achieved highest mean score compared to perceived ease of use (PEOU) that include user interface design and navigation parts. Therefore, features and functionality offered by the iNutritionApp is proven to be useful for user in tracking calorie intakes and provide access to nutritional information.

In almost every Islamic country, the number of waqf properties is increasing at an exponential rate. As a result, managing such abundant amount of waqf properties can be very tedious and challenging. In Malaysia, waqf properties is managed by respective State Islamic Religious Council and are still using traditional method of recording all waqf asset. As a result, the My-Wakaf prototype mobile application was created to aid with the workload of managing waqf assets or properties. The methodology used for the project is the Waterfall model that is based on the original System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) that have 5 phases which are Planning, Design, Development, Testing and Documentation phase. My-Wakaf application is developed using Android Studio and it is integrated with Firebase Cloud database to help store waqf assets information securely to be accessed anywhere, reducing the human errors and cost of managing such properties. According to a user acceptability test conducted on numerous responders, the majority of them were highly happy with the My-Wakaf application's general functionality. Finally, it is intended that My-Wakaf would help the Muslim community as a whole by increasing awareness of waqf knowledge and stimulating economic growth.

Abstract Background Men who inject drugs (MWIDs) comprise the highest percentage of diagnosed HIV cases in Malaysia. Their female partners risk being infected through unprotected sexual contact. This paper reports the prevalence of consistent condom use and its predictors among the wives and regular sexual partners of MWIDs in Klang Valley, Malaysia. Methods A cross-sectional study using a self-administered questionnaire was conducted among the wives and regular sexual partners of MWIDs in the study location; 221 women were recruited through respondent-driven sampling. Data were analysed descriptively for the prevalence of consistent condom use, HIV status and HIV risk-related behaviour. Subsequently, simple and multiple logistic regressions were undertaken to identify the predictors of consistent condom use. Results The prevalence of consistent condom use among respondents was 19.5%. Slightly more than half (52.5%) of respondents had never used condoms with their partner. Fourteen women (6.3%) reported being HIV positive. While 7.7% had HIV-positive partners, 45.7% were unaware of their partner’s HIV status. Consistent condom use was significantly higher among single women (AOR = 4.95; 95% CI: 2.45, 9.99), women who lived in urban areas (AOR = 2.97; 95% CI: 1.30, 6.78), HIV-positive women (AOR = 3.45; 95% CI: 1.13, 10.5) and women involved in sex work (AOR = 3.55, 95% CI: 1.45, 8.67). Conclusions Inconsistent condom use among the majority of female sexual partners of MWIDs underscores the heightened risk faced by these women and calls for alternative prevention methods that women are able to control.

In practice, the policy of delaying payment periods is prevalent between players in a supply chain system. Generally, payments made at the end of the permitted period. Supply chain management is one of the keys to corporate sustainability that the activities have an impact on the environment. This paper aims to develop an integrated green supply chain model with a permissible delay in payment consideration. In this research, the author develops a mathematical model to find the effect of delay in payment on emissions costs without ignoring the economic performance of a supply chain. The author develops four different scenarios model. Furthermore, numerical experiments and sensitivity analysis tests were conducted. Result of the study shows that delay in payment is integrated players into the supply chain system. It has a positive impact on reducing supply chain emissions costs.