Structured Form Research Articles

Knowledge Graph-Based Hierarchical Text Semantic Representation

Document representation is the basis of language modeling. Its goal is to turn natural language text that flows into a structured form that can be stored and processed by a computer. The bag-of-words model is used by most of the text-representation methods that are currently available. And yet, they do not consider how phrases are used in the text, which hurts the performance of tasks that use natural language processing later on. Representing the meaning of text by phrases is a promising area of future research, but it is hard to do well because phrases are organized in a hierarchy and mining efficiency is low. In this paper, we put forward a method called hierarchical text semantic representation using the knowledge graph (HTSRKG), which uses syntactic structure features to find hierarchical phrases and knowledge graphs to improve how phrases are evaluated. First, we use CKY and PCFG to build the syntax tree sentence by sentence. Second, we walk through the parse tree using the hierarchical routing process to obtain the mixed phrase semantics in passages. Finally, the introduction of the knowledge graph improves the efficiency of text semantic extraction and the accuracy of text representation. This gives us a solid foundation for tasks involving natural language processing that come after. Extensive testing on actual datasets shows that HTSRKG surpasses baseline approaches with respect to text semantic representation, and the results of a recent benchmarking study support this.

Impact of High-Heeled Footwear on the health of the young female students of selected colleges of Mangalore, India

Introduction: High-heeled shoes are a leading cause of foot problems and chronic lower limbs, as well as discomfort, fatigue, and an increased risk of injury. The research aimed to analyze the influence of wearing high-heeled shoes on the foot health of young females. The study emphasizes the need to create awareness among females about the detrimental impacts of utilizing heeled footwear over the long term on discomfort, BMI, and functional capacity. A slight change in footwear choices could significantly reduce discomfort and disability experiences. Methods: Purposive sampling was used to select 50 young female students studying in Mangalore's undergraduate college for the cross-sectional study. A pre-designed and pre-tested structured Google Form questionnaire was used to examine the socio-demographic characteristics and outcome measures, including the location of pain, the intensity of the pain, and functional ability. Data was collected in the second half of 2020. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. Results: According to the survey, 46% of young female students exhibited poor functional activities while wearing high heels. It was found that 12% of students had pain in their toes all of the time, 8% had pain in the arch of their foot, and 25% had discomfort in their lower back occasionally. About two-thirds (64%) felt averagely manageable discomfort. Conclusion: The study found that wearing heeled shoes has a significant influence on women's musculoskeletal systems. Young females will be better able to resist pain from the deforming effects of footwear if they condition their feet properly and choose the appropriate footwear.

EFFECTS PROFESSIONAL ETHICS FOR FITNESS TRAINERS

This article is only the first step in exploring the professional ethics of fitness trainers in Latvia. Marking the discourse, looking at the theoretical frameworks and concepts, and identifying the situation are its basic elements. The next stage will be the analysis of information about the experience in other countries and primarily the Baltic countries, their comparison, discussion, conclusions, and suggestions for a more successful practice of professional ethics. Professional ethics for fitness trainers constitute a part of their professional competence, which shapes, determines and evaluates their professional activities from the perspective of ethical attitudes. The profession of a fitness trainer reflects health as a fundamental value, which sets the meaning of their professional activity as one that promotes and maintains health. This article examines the basic elements of professional ethics of fitness trainers. Their presentation in a single and logically structured form is an innovation in the literature on fitness trainers. Providing this type of information to future fitness trainers in Latvia is not only a necessary but also an urgent task. The article discusses in detail the concept of health lifestyle, the basic behavioral health lifestyles that are characteristic of the Latvian population. Fitness trainers need this background information to better fulfil their function as educators. The aim of the study is to examine the current situation with regard to codes of professional ethics and literature on professional ethics for fitness trainers and based on the literature analysis, to identify the main elements of professional ethics: levels of moral regulation, basic principles of ethics, codes, the issue of responsibility, tolerance and autonomy, trainer-client relationships, as well as the trainer’s relationship with other professionals. The article also examines the types of normative ethics (deontological, utilitarian, virtue ethics) required for ethical decision-making.

Semantic information extraction and search of mineral exploration data using text mining and deep learning methods

Large-scale mineral resource reports offer a wealth of information for geological knowledge mining and mineral explorers’ knowledge discovery. The geological conditions in which mineral deposits develop may be learned a great deal from these mineral exploration reports. Mineral exploration data may be queried and aggregated to effectively mitigate future exploration risks and reduce costs. However, due to the reports being presented in unstructured textual format, it becomes challenging to extract valuable geological data without manually scanning through a vast number of reports. This laborious process poses difficulties for geologists. To address this issue, this paper proposes a system that extracts a set of geologically relevant keywords/keyphrases of each chapter from each mineral exploration reposts using latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA), develops a topic graph, recognizes the geological entity and related relations for constructing a knowledge graph, and uses visualization of those graphs (e.g., topic graphs and knowledge graphs) to explore the contents of the report. The text mining and machine learning technique described here serves as the foundation for future research into incorporating semantic analysis into geological information extraction. The findings of this study show how automated text analysis may help with the quick processing of huge quantities of reports in order to identify target mineral systems and their related geological location and rock mineral composition. The suggested approaches can quickly and reliably convert mineral exploration data (e.g., text, figure, and table) into a structured form, which is a hitherto untouched field in geological knowledge mining.

Adherence to sepsis protocol in a high-risk maternity reference center.

To describe the adherence to the sepsis protocol by obstetric nurses in the obstetric triage of a high-risk maternity reference center. This was a quantitative, documental, and retrospective study involving 105 pregnant women treated in obstetric triage under sepsis criteria. Data were collected through electronic medical records using structured forms and were organized into tables employing descriptive statistics. This research adhered to ethical principles concerning human studies. Of the checklists for initiating the SEPSIS protocol by obstetric nurses, 105 were identified. Regarding the protocol steps performed, lactate was collected in 97.1% of cases and blood cultures in 98.1%, antibiotic therapy was administered in 94.3%, and hydration was carried out in 51.4% of the cases. The initiation of the sepsis protocol for all women meeting the criteria was confirmed. However, the steps were not fully implemented as recommended by the institutional protocol, and the recommended broad-spectrum antibiotic was not administered.

ФРАКТАЛЬНА РАДІОФІЗИКА ЧАСТИНА 3. ДРОБОВЕ ЧИСЛЕННЯ В ЕЛЕКТРОДИНАМІЦІ

Subject and Purpose. At the beginning of the 21st century, a fundamentally new scientific direction was formed, currently known as fractal radiophysics. The present work is an overview of the principal theoretical and practical ideas concerning "fractalization" in radio physics. The purpose is a systematic presentation of the main practical results suitable for application of the fractional calculus in modern theoretical radiophysics. Methods and Methodology. The basic theoretical principles of fractional calculus are outlined in a structured form. Results of applying fractional calculus methods in electrodynamics are systematized. Essential features, advantages and disadvantages of the technique are demonstrated and the problems still remaining discussed. Results. The basics of fractional (or fractal) calculus have been considered with emphasis on practical application to problems of radiophysics. A variety of approaches to constructing fractional integrals and Riemann–Liouville, etc. fractional derivatives have been presented. Using the Newton-Leibnitz formula and fundamental theorems of fractional calculus, principles of generalization of the classic vector calculus to fractal problems have been discussed, suggesting the examples of fractional vector-differential and vector-integral operators, Green’s and Stokes’ fractional formulas, etc. With the use of Gauss’s fractional formula the basics of fractal electrodynamics are expounded. Some different types of fractal Maxwellian equations has been induced and analyzed. Also, the main approaches to solving radio wave propagation problems in fractal media are discussed. Conclusions. As a practical example of applying fractals in modern theoretical radiophysics, results have been presented of the use of fractional calculus in electrodynamics. These results signify appearance of a fundamentally new direction in radiophysics, namely fractal electrodynamics.

Methods of automated detection of travel points when training a collaborative robot

An algorithm has been developed and implemented in this paper, which allows automating the process of forming and controlling scenarios for the movement of a collaborative robot (“Cobot”) through a database of points without specific interfaces, services, and software tools characteristic of each Cobot model. The unification of the developed single graphical interface is achieved by automating the work with Cobot controllers through specialised structured file formats and Robot Operation System (ROS), and by automatically detecting marks as movement points in the image received from the stereo camera using neural network-based models and image processing techniques. Research based on a series of experiments ensured the selection of the most effective image processing method and neural network model in terms of accuracy, speed, resource consumption. The approach formalised in the paper and the graphical interface allowed to implement a classical set of industrial tasks of Cobot motion control.

Outcome of Trial of Labor after Cesarean Delivery: Evaluating the Flamm Scoring System in Two Hospitals in Cameroon: A 5-year Retrospective Study

Abstract Background: Outcomes of trial of scar (TOS) correlate well with predictions provided by vaginal birth after cesarean scoring systems. In Cameroon, there is limited data on the implementation and effectiveness of these scoring systems, as well as the materno-fetal outcomes of TOS. Objectives: The objective was to utilize the Flamm score in predicting the success of TOS, and to evaluate the maternal and fetal outcomes observed following TOS in Yaounde and Douala Gyneco-Obstetric and Pediatric Hospitals from 2017 to 2021. Material and Methods: We included files of 310 parturient women with single transverse lower uterine segment cesarean section, who had TOS. Data on sociodemographic, reproductive health, Flamm scoring, and labor outcomes were documented using a structured data extraction form and analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 25. Results: Of the 310 patients, 73.9% had successful vaginal deliveries (VDs) and 26.1% had repeated emergency cesarean. Flamm score predictions were associated with TOS outcomes (P = 0.0001), with mean score of 5.87 ± 0.01 for successful VD compared to 3.72 ± 0.126 for repeat cesarean. Probability of successful VD increased with Flamm score, ranging from 0% for scores of two to 100% for scores > 7, with a cutoff score of 4.5 (Se = 75.0%, Sp = 75.3%). The main maternal complication was one uterine rupture (0.32%) and neonatal complications were three stillbirths (0.98%) and one early neonatal death (0.32%) after repeat cesarean. Conclusions: TOS is associated with high success rates in tertiary hospitals in Cameroon. Applying Flamm score will improve the chances of a successful VD following TOS, and should be encouraged.

Clinico-epidemiological characteristics of adolescents and young adults living with HIV in Ghana.

sub-Saharan Africa is experiencing a boom in the number of adolescents and young adults living with HIV (AYALHIV). Existing HIV intervention programs are mainly for children and adults living with HIV, with little attention paid to AYALHIV. Characterizing this population is necessary for planning, and designing, AYALHIV-centered HIV intervention programs. a retrospective single-center, hospital-based chart review was conducted at the largest HIV clinic in Ghana. We examined routinely collected data for AYALHIV (aged 10-24 years) on antiretroviral therapy (ART) for at least 1 year and in active care from 1st January to 31st December 2019. Data was collected using a structured data extraction form. The Chi-square and the Student´s t-test were used to compare characteristics between adolescents and young adults. of 252 AYALHIV, 68% (172/252) were adolescents with a median age of 17 years (IQR 13-19); 32% were young adults with a median age of 22 years (IQR: 20-24). Most (56.7% (143/252)) AYALHIV were female. Almost 40% were orphans. Eighty-six percent of AYALHIV had HIV type I infection. The commonest mode of HIV acquisition among adolescents was vertical transmission (70.5%) and that among young adults was via unprotected sex (31.3%). Eighty-eight percent (88%) of AYALHIV were on non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors-based regimen. The viral suppression rate among AYALHIV was 78%. the study shows there is a growing population of AYALHIV most of which are adolescents. About two-fifths were orphans. Policymakers and HIV programs should ensure AYALHIV-centred interventions are developed for this vulnerable population.

A Practical Approach on the Design of an Interdisciplinary Postgraduate Program: The Case of the “Unmanned Autonomous and Remote-Control Systems” Postgraduate Program

There is a long-standing collaboration between the Department of Industrial Design and Production Engineering of the School of Engineering of the University of West Attica and the Department of Naval Studies of the Hellenic Naval Academy in the fields of research and applications. This collaboration has already led to the creation of a common interest direction in an existing Postgraduate Program. Naturally, the common interest in the subject of Unmanned Vehicles led to relevant discussions. These discussions matured quickly and led to a structured form and a specific goal: the design, production and operation of an interdisciplinary/joint Postgraduate Program. This paper presents the development process of the Curriculum for the Program and the basic assumptions about it that emerged from the combination of a review of the relevant literature and the identification of needs in the Greek and European markets.

An Investigation of the Speech Skills of Children Living in Rural and Urban Areas

Communication is vital for children’s development, especially in differentiating rural and urban speech skills. The aim of this study is to investigate the speech skills of children living in rural and urban areas. The speech skills of 72 students attending the 8th grade in rural and urban areas of Iskenderun in the 2020-2021 academic year were examined. In the study designed with the screening model, the data were collected with a structured observation form. The video recordings of the speeches made by the students on the topic of “human and nature” according to their levels were taken and evaluated according to the “Speech Evaluation Form”. The results of the present research revealed that the highest average scores of the students belonged to the sub-dimensions of applying the external structural elements of the language, applying the internal structural elements of the language and the psychological state of the speaker. In addition, it was determined that the students’ speech skills were at a moderate level, whereas their ability to briefly introduce the parts of the speech, to start the topic with interesting expressions, to use appropriate tools such as pictures, graphs and photographs that can make the speech interesting, to use proverbs, idioms and aphorisms suitable for the topic, to benefit from literary devices suitable for the topic and to summarize the speech were very low. Urban students demonstrated comparatively stronger speech skills, highlighting the value of targeted improvements in communication education.

Relationship Between Reward System and Turnover Intention: The Mediating Role of Organizational Commitment

The purpose of this study is to investigate the link between reward systems, organizational commitment, and employee turnover intention in Nepal's commercial banking industry. The research employs a quantitative technique as well as a descriptive, correlational research design. Three hundred and eighty structured forms were distributed to full-time workers of six commercial banks, three government-owned institutions, and three private banks. To analyze the data and test the research hypotheses, confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were utilized. The study's findings show a negative relationship between reward systems and organizational commitment and employee turnover intention. According to the findings, the correct compensation scheme can increase employee engagement while decreasing the desire to quit. In addition, the study discovers that organizational commitment completely mediates the association between reward schemes and employee turnover intention. This study contributes to the body of knowledge on employee turnover intentions in Nepal's banking industry. The findings underscore the necessity of developing and implementing effective reward systems that can increase employee engagement while decreasing the likelihood of turnover. Organizations may take proactive actions to retain employees and enhance their performance by knowing the variables that drive employee turnover intention.

Assessment of Challenges Faced by Healthcare Professionals in Reporting Heath Related Data: Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Data Using District Health Information System Version Two (DHIS 2)

Introduction: Antimicrobial resistance poses a growing threat to public health worldwide, demanding comprehensive strategies for monitoring, surveillance, and intervention. In Rwanda, a country that has made remarkable strides in healthcare, the effective reporting of AMR data is crucial to ensure the judicious use of antibiotics, prevent the spread of resistant pathogens, and safeguard public health. Two prominent E-Health systems, DHIS 2 and Open Clinic, have been implemented in Rwanda's healthcare infrastructure, each with its unique features and capabilities. Therefore, this study seeks to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of these systems in the context of AMR reporting within Rwanda's hospital network. Methods: The research utilized a quantitative approach and it was conducted at CHUB, a teaching hospital in Rwanda's Southern Province. Participants included clinicians, administrative staff, and decision-makers, offering a comprehensive understanding of system usage where convenience sampling over a month yielded 50 participants while on data collection a questionnaire, with structured forms for end users, administrators, and ICT personnel. Ethical considerations were strictly followed, and finally with approval from the University's Institutional Review Board, informed consent, and confidentiality measures. Results: The study involved diverse healthcare roles, with experience ranging from under a year to over ten years. All participants were familiar with DHIS 2 and Open Clinic. Most received training on both systems, and 31.3% preferred Open Clinic. DHIS 2's interface was considered user-friendly by 75% of users. DHIS 2 was more efficient in reporting time. Challenges included technical issues (22.9%), time-consuming data entry (14.6%), and data accuracy concerns (14.6%), with 41.7% facing a combination of these challenges. In conclusion, participants were proficient with both systems, but addressing technical issues, data entry, and accuracy challenges is vital for effective AMR data reporting. The choice of reporting platform and usability significantly enhances efficiency. Conclusion: This study contributes to the enhancement of AMR surveillance and reporting mechanisms in Rwanda's healthcare system, aiming to strengthen the fight against AMR and improve healthcare outcomes. The acknowledgment of authors within the references section underscores the importance of ethical research practices and transparency in academic endeavors.

Hybrid Feature Extraction and Capsule Neural Network Model for Fake News Detection

The introduction and widespread use of social media has altered how information is generated and disseminated, along with the expansion of the Internet. Through social media, information is now more quickly, cheaply, and easily available. Particularly harmful content includes misinformation propagated by social media users, such as false news. Users find it simple to post comments and false information on social networks. Realising the difference between authentic and false news is the biggest obstacle. The current study's aim of identifying bogus news involved the deployment of a capsule neural network. However, with time, this technique as a whole learns how to report user accuracy. This paper offers a three-step strategy for spotting bogus news on social networks as a solution to this issue. Pre-processing is executed initially to transform unstrsuctrured data into a structured form. The second part of the project brought the HFEM (Combined Feature Extraction Model), which also revealed new relationships between themes, authors, and articles as well as undiscovered features of false news. based on a collection of traits that were explicitly and implicitly collected from text. This study creates a capsule neural network model in the third stage to concurrently understand how creators, subjects, and articles are presented. This work uses four performance metrics in evaluations of the suggested classification algorithm using on existing public data sets.

Presentation and Outcome of Children with Kawasaki Disease: Experience in A Tertiary Care Hospital in Bangladesh

Background: Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute difficult-to-diagnose febrile illness in children caused by self limiting vasculitis in medium and small sized arteries.
 Objetive: This study has been conducted to analyze its presenting symptoms, clinical course, laboratory findings, and therapeutic options in a tertiary hospital in Bangladesh to aid early diagnosis and optimum management.
 Methods: This is a retrospective study where the medical records of 31 children admitted and diagnosed with Kawasaki Disease (KD) in Evercare Hospital Dhaka between 2009 and 2020, were assessed. Through a structured form, the demographic information, clinical profile, laboratory results, and echocardiographic data were obtained from the hospital records and then entered into a Microsoft Excel sheet. Cleaned and verified data were transferred to SPSS program version 23 and analyzed to obtain descriptive statistics.
 Results: Out of total 31 patients with KD enrolled, 64.5% of the patients were between six months to five years of age with a median age of three years; 97% had an age below 6 months. Though 68% of patients met all the required criteria for KD, one-third (32%) were diagnosed as incomplete KD with fewer manifestations. Along with high fever in all cases, the most common clinical features were polymorphous rash (90%) and changes in extremities (90%) followed by changes in the lips and oral cavity (77.4%), cervical lymphadenopathy (68%) and conjunctival injection (61%). Common laboratory abnormalities found were anemia (90%), leukocytosis (65%), thrombocytosis especially in the second week (78%), high ESR (100%), and elevated CRP (84%). About 42% of patients had cardiac abnormalities at the onset. Seven children (63.6%) had coronary artery aneurysms (CAA) whereas 18% had coronary dilatations. In subsequent followups, coronary artery changes remained almost the same up to 6-8 weeks. After 3-6 months, 87.5 % of children recovered from cardiac abnormality.
 Conclusion: A high index of suspicion for KD and an active search for compatible findings in children with unexplained fever can help in early diagnosis. Timely initiation of IVIG treatment is needed to reduce the risk of cardiac complications. Young infants under six months of age need further careful early suspicion and evaluation because of their incomplete presentation and more vulnerability to developing cardiac complications.
 DS (Child) H J 2022; 38(2): 70-78

Developmental Disturbance in Premolars After Intraligamental Anesthesia Using Computer-Controlled Local Anesthesia Delivery System: An-Eight-Years Follow-Up Study in Children.

Aim This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of developmental disturbances in permanent second premolars in which their tooth buds were exposed to mandibular intraligamental anesthesia (ILA) using a computer-controlled local anesthetic delivery system (CCLAD). Materials and methods This was a longitudinal follow-up study conducted in a previous randomized clinical trial (RCT). In the previous RCT, a total of 91 children were included (61 control and 30 cases). A structured form was created that contained details about the date of birth, age, and sex at which the participants received local anesthesiaand the type of local anesthesia administered (ILA using CCLADS, traditional inferior alveolar nerve block [IANB], and IANB using CCLADS). A history of post-treatment abscess, retreatment, and post-treatmentextraction was documented in both groups.Descriptive statistics, including frequency and percentage, and additionally, the chi-square test and Fisher's exact test were used to compare ILA and IANB. Results Forty of the 91 children attended follow-up visits. Only two children had developmental defects: one child who received traditional IANB had a demarcated white opacity (this patient had a history of dental abscess), and another who received ILA using CCLADS showed hypoplasia on his permanent premolar. No significant association was found between the type of anesthesia and the presence of developmental defects. Conclusion The slow administration of ILA delivered by CCLADS in the primary teeth does not increase the chances of developmental disturbances or damage to the corresponding permanent tooth bud.

Bangladesh Public Libraries' Response to COVID-19 Pandemic

A Review of: Begum, D., Roknuzzaman, M., & Shobhanee, M. E. (2022). Public libraries’ responses to a global pandemic: Bangladesh perspectives. IFLA Journal, 48(1), 174–188. https://doi.org/10.1177/03400352211041138 Objective – Examine quantitative and qualitative data to determine the level of preparedness and capacity to provide key resources during the recent COVID-19 global pandemic with the goal of recommending measures to better cope with future similar situations. Design – Online questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze quantitative data, followed by a narrative analysis of the qualitative data. Setting – Public libraries in Bangladesh. Subjects – Heads of the libraries such as directors, librarians, or librarians-in-charge. Methods – A survey was distributed to all 71 government public libraries in Bangladesh administered and governed by the Department of Public Libraries under the Ministry of Cultural Affairs. The survey elicited 50 valid responses, resulting in a response rate of 70%. A structured form questionnaire was prepared using Google Forms and included 12 closed-ended questions with multiple options and one open-ended question to collect librarian views on handling services and key functions post pandemic. Telephone interviews were conducted with eight librarians from the district public libraries. Main Results – The data revealed that all the libraries reported having some level of preparedness for pandemics and disasters. However, few libraries reported high levels of confidence in this regard. For example, 82% responded that they either had a “low” or a “minimum” preparedness for dealing with a pandemic. The survey revealed that none of the responding libraries were fully open to provide user services during the COVID-19 pandemic while 100% were open for administrative functions. Additionally, 72% reported having some sections open but others closed, while 22% indicated that the library only provided specified services, most of these in an online environment. Only 12% indicated that they provided access to mobile library services. The libraries responses to crisis management included creating public awareness through social media campaigns (50%), supporting other government bodies to mitigate the pandemic (46%), providing counseling services for particular users (40%), promoting authoritative and authentic national and global strategies on the pandemic for the public (34%), providing pandemic-related information via phone or email on demand (32%), and distributing relief to affected people (30%). Other activities included organizing online social and cultural programs to reduce public anxiety with special reference to vulnerable groups (24%), online staff training (22%), monitoring and supervising government programs (20%), and providing research data on the pandemic (10%). The response to needs regarding redesigning library programs and services for the post-pandemic world revealed that 90% of libraries identified a need for a dedicated online service platform, 80% saw the need to create policies related to health and safety, while 72% indicated a need for more emphasis on digital content. The responses indicated 56% were in favor of introducing innovative online services. Conclusion – In response to the results of their study, the authors make several recommendations regarding helping the libraries of Bangladesh to cope with consequences of future pandemics similar in scale to COVID-19. The first recommendation is to move away from “providing services in a traditional manner,” while developing dedicated online platforms running on high-bandwidth Internet connections (Begum et al., 2022, p. 183). These include introducing a secure cloud-based library automation system to provide a robust and stable information gateway. The development of digital resources should also be a priority. This includes both the digitization of library resources and more widespread access to an increasing number of subscription databases. The data indicated a strong desire among librarians to introduce innovative library services which the authors identify as digitized content delivery, remote access to online resources, online chat reference, current awareness services, online programming mirroring face-to-face programming, home delivery service for books, strategic disaster policy development, online information literacy programs, online career counseling, and leadership along with online training, workshops, and seminars. The authors conclude that: libraries face challenges, such as transitioning to virtual services, breaking long-established service models, funding for digital resources and its impacts on library operations in the future, enforcing social distancing measures, creating social awareness, and the lack of formal pandemic plans and policies …. (Begum et al., 2022, p. 179)

Toward a More Nuanced Perspective on Detachment: Differentiating Schizoid and Avoidant Personality Styles through Qualities of the Self-Representation

Avoidant personality disorder was introduced in DSM-III (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 1980), and debate persists regarding the utility of having two separate variants of the “detached personality.” The present study addressed this issue through ratings of open-ended self-descriptions provided by community adults with high scores on schizoid versus avoidant personality traits (N = 229). The self-concept of individuals with avoidant personality style reflected a lack of positive self-regard and low self-efficacy/agency. Regarding schizoid personalities, neither positive nor negative self-regard, self-complexity, or self-efficacy/agency was found. Examination of specific variables yielded a relationship between avoidant personality styles, depression, and anxiety, consistent with literature noting simultaneous desire and fear of interpersonal relationships in avoidant patients (APA, 1980; Sheldon & West, 1990). Similarly, examination of individual variables yielded a negative association between schizoid personality styles and tolerance for contradictory aspects of the self, consistent with theoretical writings in this area (Kernberg, 1976; McWilliams, 2006). Results support the argument that these two personality styles represent distinct constructs. Findings support the utility of self-concept assessment to assist treatment planning and differential diagnosis. Treatment implications include using open-ended descriptions of patients’ self-concepts to explore changes that may not be accessible via more structured forms of patient self-report.

Investigation of goat meat consumption in relation to market potential among major stores in Eastern Cape, South Africa

There is low commercial availability of goat meat in retail outlets such as supermarkets and butcheries due to the limited supply and cultural beliefs in many nations of the world, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. This study aimed to find potential customers for goat meat if it were made readily available in retail outlets. Two hundred respondents from cities and towns (Port Elizabeth, East London, Mthatha, King’s Williams town, Grahamstown, Alice, Butherwotth, Fort Beaufort, Queenstown, Craddock, Adelaide, Port Alfred, Stutterheim, and Peddie) in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, were randomly selected and interviewed using structured Google form questionnaires. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square tests. Participants answered questions about goat meat consumption in relation to other meats. Factors limiting the consumption of goat meat were also investigated. About 66% of respondents had positive views of goat meat, while 23.5% were neutral. Only 10.5 % had unfavourable views concerning goat meat. The availability of goat meat in the market was the most limiting factor for 60% of the respondents, while 15% said price was their limiting factor. Other factors limiting goat meat consumption were personal preferences, religion, aversion to testing, price of goat meat, aversion to smell, and fattiness, with 15%, 9%, 6.5%, 5%, 4%, and 0.5% of respondents, respectively. About 46% of the total respondents preferred goat meat from a supermarket or butchery, and only 6.5% preferred vendors. Only 26% preferred live goats, while 61.5% preferred a portion of meat from slaughtered goats. The chi-square test also revealed a significant association (P<0.05) between attitude/view of goat meat consumption with gender (0.00), age (0.001), nationality (0.027) and ethnicity (0.041). However, the association between attitudes/views towards goat meat consumption and small households (0.262) or religion (0.142) was not significant (P>0.05). Although demand for goat meat is expected to rise as people receive more information on nutritional benefits and cooking methods, it could be concluded that consumers are willing to consume it and that there is market potential for it as a major store product. Key words: availability, goat meat, consumer perceptions, purchasing drivers, limiting factors, future consumption, major stores, market, South Africa

Analisa Pengambilan Keputusan Pemilihan Venodr Seragam Dengen Merode Analytical Hierarchy Proces (AHP) ( Studi Kasus General Affairs PT Penjallindo Nusantara)

Decision makers need analytical tools that allow them to solve problems. Decisions to be taken are complex with major risks such as policy formulation, decision makers often need tools in scientific, logical, and structured forms. To determine the priority stages of criteria in order to obtain the most optimal results in returning uniform vendor selection decisions at PT Penjalindo Nusantara (Metaform) using the AHP (Analytical Hierarchy Process) method. In essence, AHP is a comprehensive decision-making model by taking into account qualitative and quantitative matters. There are three main principles in problem solving in AHP, namely: Decomposition, Comparative Judgment, and Logical Concistency. Bycomparing in pairs to determine the priority weight on each criterion and alternative. One of the paired comparisons is carried out in pairwise comparisons between criteria. Vendor selection criteria include quality, price, flexibility, delivery and service criteria. . Compiling alternatives that have been determined in the form of matirx in order to obtain the assessment weight of each variable, a table of pair comparison rating scales is made. Based on the results of the AHP calculation, each weight for each venodr is obtained PT Intan of 0.62860 and the weight value of the Super Decision is 0.638683. PT Parahita as a vendor with a weight value of 0.20475 and a weight value in Super Decision of 0.203985. PT Marcapada with a weight value of 0.16665 and a weight value in Super Decision of 0.159189. So the main uniform supplier is PT Intan with the largest weight.