Publication Management System
Not a member yet
3916 research outputs found
Sort by
The Influence of Density on the Mechanical Response of Reinforced High-Density Polyurethane Foams: A Statistical Approach
Get PDFIn this work, rigid polyurethane foams (RPUF) reinforced by micro fibrillated cellulose (MFC) were manufactured using the free rising method and also under confinement inside a closed mould, aiming to increase apparent density and improve mechanical response. Neat RPUF were also manufactured for comparison. The mechanical response, evaluated by compression (following ASTM D1621 standard) tests were correlated with the final composite apparent density (evaluated following ASTM D1622 standard). Simple linear regression statistical models, based on F-test, were developed using stat graphics software, aiming to understand and correlate the increment in density and its influence on the improvement in mechanical response. Different models were developed to describe the foam behavior. The main results show a more significant influence of the density on strength than stiffness for the neat RPUF, unlike the MFC-reinforced RPUF, which presented an opposite response. These effects could be caused by the lower content of voids when the foams were produced under confinement, and by the greater crosslink density, when MFC was added
Brain Waves Reflect Cognition-Emotion State as a Diagnostic Tool for Intervention in Dysfunctional States: A Real-World Evidence
Get PDFObjective: This study aims to characterize electrical signals to establish a diagnosis of cognitive-emotional dysfunction and guide a successful therapeutic intervention. Therefore, the present study aimed to observe these frequency bands in a sample of dysfunctional neurological behaviors to establish a neural marker of neural dysfunction that helps diagnose and monitor treatment.
Methods: A descriptive retrospective (extracted from the database) observational study design based on real-world historical data from routine clinical practice. According to DSM-5, low academic achievement (n =70), disruptive behavior (externalizing behavior problems) (n=70), and somatic syndrome disorder (n=70) were the subjects. The mean age of the sample was 14.13 (SD = 1.46; range 12-18), 31.5% women. The measuring instrument was the NeXus-10, which is suitable for acquiring a wide range of physiological signals. Brain electrical activity was recorded by using the quantitative electroencephalograph (qEEG) in accordance with the 10-20 International Electrode Placement System. In particular, the specific form of miniQ (mini-qEEG) was used.
Results: A pattern record present in all cases were identified. The record refers to (a) activity along the midline, namely, Fz-Cz-Pz, (b) activity from the center (Cz) to back, namely, Pz-O1 and O2, (c) activity from the center (Cz) forward (Fz), and (d) comparison between hemispheres. The characteristics of theta, alpha, and beta waves define the characteristic pattern of neurological dysfunction. The reversal of the dysfunctional pattern coincided with the remission of the clinical symptoms after treatment, which occurred in 87,6% of the subjects. We define remission as not meeting DSM-5 criteria.
Conclusion: This study suggests that miniQ register could be considered a simple and objective tool for studying neurological dysfunction. This dysfunction is explained according to current neurological knowledge of interactive cognition-emotion processing. MiniQ may be a cheap and reliable method and a promising tool for the investigation in the field
Evaluation of COVID-19 Vaccine Refusal among AOU Students in Kuwait and their Families and their Expected Inclination Towards the Acceptance or Refusal of the Vaccine
Get PDFThe purpose of this research was to determine the factors influencing the refusal of a coronavirus disease (COVID- 19) vaccine among adult students from Arab Open University in Kuwait (AOU) and their families and to study the trends of reluctant participants. A questionnaire was conducted (n = 691; aged 12 and older). Significant factors and the tendency of hesitant participants to accept or reject the vaccine were explored by applying a cleaning and coding process, a rough set theory (RS), a decision tree (DT) classifier, and a p-value. Overall, 18.4% of the participants reported refusing to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, while 17.2% were uncertain. The study shows that hesitant subjects represent a tendency to accept vaccination. Of the vaccine-refusal participants, subjects aged 18-29, suffer from chronic disease, were infected with COVID-19, were vaccinated against seasonal flu, and had concerns about receiving a COVID-19, representing 44.1%, 21.05%, 16.76%, 54.33%, and 70.08%, respectively. Overall, 18.4% of the participants demonstrated a refusal to receive a COVID-19 vaccine and 17.2% are hesitant. Factors influencing the level of acceptance/rejection of the vaccine were determined. The results showed that hesitant participants have a strong tendency to accept the vaccine (81.82%). Since vaccination is an important strategy to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, the ministry of public health must immediately address the significant factors for the acceptance/rejection of the vaccine, as well as the trend of hesitant participants toward the acceptance of the vaccine
Evaluation and Comparison of Plasma miRNA-31 in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Get PDFBackground/Purpose: Oral Squamous cell carcinoma is sixth most common cancer with considerable morbidity and mortality. The microRNAs (miRNAs) are set of short RNAs involved in regulating the expression of protein coding genes. They are up or down-regulated in carcinogenesis and in oral cancer. The miRNA-31 (miR-31) is increased in oral cancer.
Objective: To evaluate and compare the expression of miRNA-31 in plasma of Oral squamous cell carcinoma and control subjects.
Materials and Methods: Case control study was carried out in 25 cases of oral squamous cell carcinoma subjects and 25 normal control subjects. The level of miRNA-31 in blood plasma was evaluated by miRNA easy kit (quagen) and miRNA-based qRT-PCR. The fold change was observed and compared between OSCC and controls.
Results: The plasma level of miRNA-31 was significantly increased in OSCC patients compared to controls (p<0.001). The patients with moderately differentiated, grade 4 OSCC patients showed significant increase in fold change compared to control, well differentiated and grade 3 OSCC (p<0.001).
Conclusion: Our results indicate that plasma miR-31 may be used as an adjuvant biomarker the detection of OSCC patient
Measurement Tools of Pediatric Nutrition and Health Suitable or Adaptable for Low- and Middle-Income Countries in Field Research Settings
Get PDFBackground: Micronutrient status, body composition, gastrointestinal (GI) functioning, and neurological functioning are important facets of pediatric nutrition and health. When studied in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), information about these elements is usually obtained via standardized surveys and traditional anthropometry. While convenient, these evaluations offer limited information that may be prone to error and bias. However, a variety of underutilized objective measurement tools exist which can promote a more objective, comprehensive, and deeper understanding of these aspects of pediatric nutrition and health in LMIC.
Objective: Identify field-friendly, relatively low-cost, and portable tools that provide objective measurements of micronutrient status, body composition, GI functioning, and neurological functioning in young children.
Methods: A narrative review of the literature was conducted to assess the state-of-the-art field-friendly research tools targeting micronutrient status, body composition, GI functioning, and neurological functioning in children in LMIC.
Results: A number of field-friendly tools addressing the domains of micronutrient status, GI health, body composition, and neurological functioning were identified. While many tools remain to be fully validated, these tools have yet to be used to their full potential in field-based pediatric nutrition and health research in LMICs.
Conclusions: More robust, field-friendly assessment methods will help to refine knowledge on the state of pediatric health of vulnerable children in LMIC. Such awareness could contribute to the design of interventions, programs and policies, and further research
The Response of South Africa’s Policy Landscape to Global and Local Trends - The Case of a Rural-Based University
Get PDFGlobalisation is a highly contested term and has become a site for tension. Whilst globalisation in the context of Higher Education must be lauded for giving students and scholars access to work on a global platform, it has also reinforced inequalities that are already prevalent and has even created new ones. The negative impact of globalisation is evident most explicitly in developing countries such as South Africa and in smaller institutions of Higher Learning such as the University of Zululand. To compound the already precarious situation, one finds that in addition to accommodating elements of globalisation, institutions of Higher Learning have to also accommodate local trends such as the Africanisation of Education. Whilst globalisation has swept across the world and has impacted almost every sphere of life, the foci of this paper is on how policies in Higher Education, with special reference to the University of Zululand, have responded to global trends and local needs. This is a qualitative study. The methodology used is document analysis. This study interrogates the Language and Research policies of the University of Zululand to illuminate on how the aforementioned institution responds to global and local needs. The main finding of the study is that institutions of Higher Learning, in crafting their policy documents, are incorporating globalisation and are finding innovative ways of embracing local trends at the same time
Shariah Assessment Toward the Prosecution of Cybercrime in Indonesia
Get PDFThis research aims to uncover how Islamic criminal acts towards social media crimes. This study also elaborates on how Islam assesses Indonesian criminal prosecution against social media crimes. The approach used is a juridical normative to assess the criminal law system in force in Indonesia with the Islamic criminal perspective as grand theory. The results found that crime through social media was adapted with the crime in Islamic law namely Hudūd, qisas diyat and tazir. This research also found that the Indonesian legal system provides legal rewards for perpetrators of crimes through social media charged with the Information and Electronic Transactions (ITE) Law still needs to be expanded. Crimes through social media most often threatened by the ITE Law are insults to the government or symbols of the state, threatening and defamation of others, insults to others and violating SARA (ethnicity, religion, race and intergroup). Cybercrimes related to adultery, alcoholism and terrorism must be considered because they are a serious threat. Prison penalties and fines that are most often sentenced to perpetrators of social media crimes include part of criminal tazir which is following Islamic criminal law
Investigating Resource Orchestration Affect the Performance of Young Entrepreneurs in Malaysia for Entrepreneurial Success
Get PDFThe process of resource orchestration is one of the great techniques in achieving better business performance. It covers the process of structuring, bundling and leveraging resources properly, strategically and innovatively. This study, therefore, aims to analyze the relationship between resource orchestration and entrepreneurial success. The data of young entrepreneurs from PUNB have been collected and analyzed using SPSS. The findings have found that resource orchestration has a significant effect on entrepreneurial success. Therefore, it can be concluded that the role of resource orchestration can help to improve business performance. If an entrepreneur can manage resources strategically beside exploiting creativity and innovation to gain a competitive advantage, then, prosperity will be achieved
Criminological Study on Criminal Activities Human Trafficking in the Nusa Tenggara Timur Region (NTT), Indonesia
Get PDFThe rise of trafficking of women and children in the Nusa Tenggara Timur region, Indonesia. Research method, descriptive qualitative, consisting of primary data obtained through field studies using interview techniques, secondary data from literature. The results research of criminological on human trafficking are transnational crimes that have come to the attention of countries in the world. This crime is caused by the factors of poverty, low education, difficult employment opportunities, culture in society. According to human trafficking data from 2012 to 2016 there were 643 cases, consisting of 263 cases of labor, 310 cases of sexual abuse, 65 cases of default and 5 cases of selling babies. And as many as 754 victims, consisting of 418 adult women, 218 girls, 115 adult men and 3 boys. This prevention must begin with the inculcation of moral values and character in children, where this task is carried out by families such as parents at home and teachers at school. The Indonesian National Police as a guardian of security and order in society can make efforts to instill awareness about the dangers of crime in human trafficking
Is Mob Lynching a Contemporary Social Problem in India?
Get PDFThe cases of mob lynching against the vulnerable groups are the matter of grave concern in contemporary Indian Society which is the worst form of crime against humanity. Today, people belong to vulnerable groups such as minorities and Dalits are seriously attacked and assaulted to death by mob of people of a particular community. These cases of mob lynching definitely affect the way of life and sense of well-being of minorities and Dalits to a large extent causing a fracture in their social and personal status in society which they have got as a human being. The objectives of the study are to understand the nature of mob lynching in the socio-cultural context of India and to examine the linkage between social media and mob lynching. The present study employs content analysis for the study of mob lynching. The data have been collected from lynching affected regions of the country through various news papers (Hindustan Times, The Hindu, The Indian Express and The Times of India etc., Delhi Edition) and monthly magazines (India Today and Economic Political Weekly etc.). The cases of mob lynching have been collected from March, 2013 to September, 2019. The study has found that the cases of lynching are committed against minorities and Dalits due to suspicion of beef consuming, cow slaughtering, skinning of dead cows child lifting, and theft. The study also indicates that most of cases of mob lynching are committed due to fake news, rumors and hate speeches which are circulated on social media platforms