Conform Research Articles

Analysis of the evolution of trends in exchange rates and interest rates in the Iraqi economy for the period )2004-2020(

Every economy in the world is characterized by its adoption of a specific interest rate, as well as its own exchange rate, according to its capabilities and degree of development. Therefore, these two variables are the tool for linking the value of goods, assets, and wages in the local markets, and their counterparts in foreign markets, and through them many relationships arise. International, the most important of which is the possibility of directing and transferring capital to one country and not another, as these two variables (interest rate, exchange rate) have a direct role in international transactions. Through the interaction of the interest rate and the exchange rate, we have an economic relationship that has a direct impact on the flow of foreign investments between countries. Therefore, these concepts and their relationship to the overall economy and what are the most prominent factors affecting them will be discussed. The study sought to demonstrate the impact of these two variables on the Iraqi economy through the research objective. The research aims to describe and analyze the paths of interest rates and exchange rates during the period (2004 - 2020) in order to determine their behavior during the research period. The most prominent conclusions reached by the research were that the exchange rate is considered a measure of international competitiveness, which exerts a major influence on the local economy, as does the interest rate, as it reflects the economic position in general, and commercial position in particular, because it represents the linking tool through which prices are determined. The relative proportion of local goods to foreign goods. That is, it is the linking tool through which the purchasing power of the local currency is determined against other foreign currencies, as the local currency is considered a commodity, and the foreign currency is its monetary price. The research concluded with a set of recommendations, the most important of which was in order to encourage investment instead of the Iraqi investor’s tendency to invest in foreign currencies, work must be done to activate the interest rate in Iraq

PENGUJIAN KEAUSAN ALUMUNIUM MATRIX KOMPOSIT DIPERKUAT DENGAN KARBON NANOTUBE

Wear testing of engineering materials is an important aspect in evaluating their performance and durability. This study aims to investigate the wear-resistant ability of aluminum composites reinforced with carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The composite manufacturing process was carried out by infiltrating CNTs into the aluminum matrix through powder metallurgy method. Tests were conducted using two methods, namely pressing and sintering with temperature variations of 0oC (non sintering), 400oC, 500oC, 600oC and 700oC. The results showed that the specific wear value on the specimen obtained the best value at a sintering temperature of 400oC with a value of 0.003632850 mm3/kg.m and the highest value at a sintering temperature of 700oC with a value of 0.042771207 mm3/kg.m. And the wear rate on the specimen obtained the best value at a sintering temperature of 400oC with a value of 0.447887285 mm3/s and the highest value at a sintering temperature of 700oC with a value of 1.155387594 mm3/s. This shows that the addition of temperatures greater than 400oC has a major influence on the specific wear value and wear rate of sintering products. In addition, this method is also a reference for further researchers in developing aluminum carbon nanotube technology to obtain optimal results.

Public Influence on the Ethnic Disparity in Stop-and-Search Statistics in Four London Boroughs

The literature on police stop-and-search events over the last two decades has heavily criticised the police for being racially disproportionate towards young black men compared to their white counterparts, resulting in the police being labelled as institutionally racist. However, none of the literature considers the fact that the public reporting of incidents may have had a major and direct influence on police stop-and-search outcomes. This significant issue remains a hidden and under-researched area, even though the disproportionality of police stop-and-search incidents is the leading cause of the negative relationship between the police and black and minority ethnic groups. This study addresses this gap by examining public bias in reporting incidents that result in police stopping and searching an individual. This study addresses this gap by examining public bias in reporting incidents that result in police stopping and searching an individual. A mixed method approach has been taken and primary data has been collected through freedom of information requests from the four borough command units (BCU) of the Metropolitan Police with densely populated areas with Black and Asian minority groups to investigate the link between public calls or reports of incidents and the initiation of police stop-and-search events. This data has been measured against national stop and search statistics in line with demographic data gathered from National Census data for the areas. The research concludes that there is discrimination against black and minority ethnic groups in members of the public reporting concerns. Freedom of information request for quantitative data from the Metropolitan Police reveals that public calls for reported incidents are on average 8.4 times more likely to describe the perpetrator as black European rather than white and 23.9 times more likely in the Central East borough when describing Asian ethnicity.

Being Bertha Mason: Rhysian reworkings and Jane Eyre, 1930–1970

ABSTRACT Jean Rhys's corpus is known for its continual rewriting and revisiting, yet scholarship on Rhys's reimagining of Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre has concentrated on its extensive treatment in Wide Sargasso Sea. When traces of Brontë are found in Rhys's earlier works, they are most commonly understood as foreshadowings of Rhys's final novel, a position that figures Rhys's corpus as a practice of practising, whose potential is finally realized late in Rhys's life and career. This article, instead, emphasizes Rhys's sustained creative practice of rewriting, presenting her engagement with Brontë not in linear or developmental terms, but as a long-standing critical fascination worked out and through all of her novels. Traces of Bertha's distress, Rochester's control, and rooms that restrict and depress recur across Quartet (1928), After Leaving Mr. MacKenzie (1930), Voyage in the Dark (1934), and Good Morning, Midnight (1939). We show that Brontë's novel was a major influence on the settings, characterizations, and preoccupations across Rhys's earlier novels, arguing that Jane Eyre is a fundamental part of Rhys's imaginary and Bertha is an inextricable aspect of Rhys's protagonists.

Etika, Hak & Kewajiban Pelaku Bisnis Transportasi On-Line (GOJEK) Perspektif Bisnis Sharing Economy Syariah

This paper conducts qualitative research on literature related to describing a form of ethics, rights and obligations of on-line transportation business (GoJek) seen from the perspective of sharia sharing economy business in Indonesia. GoJek, an on-line technology-based transportation service company that uses human and motorcycle modes of transportation, in its business scope has a role that has a major influence on the economy in Indonesia today. GoJek is an economic actor that has a function as a producer that produces services for an information technology-based transportation mode that applies an on-line model in its services. Meanwhile, the government through the Ministry of Transportation (Kemenhub) is an economic actor that functions as a regulator in terms of authorization related to policies that regulate the overall operational scope of all modes of transportation in Indonesia. The rapid development of information technology has changed the shape of the economic system from the conventional one to the form of a sharing economy system. This change also touches on the existence of GoJek's business as an economic actor that functions as a producer, as well as the Ministry of Transportation as a representative of the government which is an economic actor and functions as a regulator of transportation modes in Indonesia. Meanwhile, in the business and economic world, the Islamic economic system is increasingly being sought and applied throughout the world, this can also affect the business conditions of GoJek, including the Ministry of Transportation in responding to its role related to the perspective of the sharia sharing economy. This study finds that there is a form of ethics, rights and obligations of on-line transportation business actors (GoJek) and the role of the government as an economic actor in the perspective of sharing economy sharia.

Conzinc Riotinto of Australia — Foreign Ownership and Control

Conzinc Riotinto of Australia Limited (CRA) was the largest mining group in Australia after BHP. It had a major influence upon the post‐Second World War mining sector and Australian economy. It was responsible for some of the country's largest resource developments, establishing an integrated aluminium industry, playing the principal role in the development of Australia's iron ore export industry, and developing a major copper deposit on the Island of Bougainville. CRA was established in 1962 as the Australian arm of the British mining group, Rio Tinto Zinc Corporation Limited (RTZ), formed through the merger of The Rio Tinto Company Limited with The Consolidated Zinc Limited. Consolidated Zinc was also London‐listed, although with a deep Australian heritage based on its involvement in lead and zinc mining at Broken Hill. CRA's status as a foreign‐owned and controlled company had a major influence upon its corporate priorities for the two decades following its formation. The company's foreign majority ownership restricted its business opportunities, particularly during the 1970s. However, as early as the mid‐1960s, anti‐CRA sentiment was evident from politicians, public servants, Australian mining competitors and, to some extent, the public. CRA's standing as “un‐Australian” was viewed by company management as an impediment to attracting and retaining quality employees. These factors led CRA to engage with successive Commonwealth Governments to attempt to secure arrangements more accommodating to its business interests. This involved considerations as diverse as the takeover of the London parent company — to facilitate greater Australian shareholding in the Australian entity — through to the restructuring of CRA's interests in a new majority‐owned Australian company. Ultimately, CRA was instrumental in changing foreign investment legislation, providing a pathway for it as a foreign‐owned company to move to an Australianised or majority Australian‐owned status. With this, CRA had an ability to participate in resource investments on terms similar to those for Australian companies. CRA gained naturalising status in 1979 and, in 1986, that of a naturalised or Australianised company. Differences in perspectives relating to strategic direction and financial management between the parent company in London and CRA in Melbourne, brought to the fore issues of control. The situation became so serious that it resulted in the departure of the chairman and chief executive on the eve of CRA achieving Australian majority‐owned status. The events had a later influence on the formation of a dual‐listed company structure in 1996. Through this structure, RTZ regained majority share ownership of the assets previously held in the Australian company. CRA lost its naturalised status and its identity as Australia's then second largest Australian mining company.

The Role of Religiosity and Service Quality on Student Trust in Sharia Banking

This research aims to examine how big a role religiosity and service quality play in shaping students' trust in sharia banking. The method used is qualitative research involving interviews and observation as data collection tools in the field. In analyzing data, researchers adopted a Chain of Evidence approach, namely carrying out a thorough and in-depth analysis of the research object. Significant findings revealed through interviews with five respondents illustrate that both religiosity and service quality have a major influence on students' level of trust in sharia banking. The balance of religious values with sharia principles and positive experiences regarding service quality are important points in forming and strengthening students' trust in sharia banking.

Predicting Silicate Glass Geochemistry Using Raman Spectroscopy and Supervised Machine Learning: Partial Least Square Applications to Amorphous Raman Spectra.

Here, Raman spectroscopy is used to develop a univariate partial least squares (PLS) calibration capable of quantifying geochemistry in synthetic and natural silicate glass samples. The calibration yields eight oxide-specific models that allow predictions of silicon dioxide (SiO2), sodium oxide (Na2O), potassium oxide (K2O), calcium oxide (CaO), titanium dioxide (TiO2), aluminum oxide (Al2O3), ferrous oxide (FeOT), and magnesium oxide (MgO) (wt%) in glasses spanning a wide range of compositions, while also providing correlation-coefficient matrices that highlight the importance of specific Raman channels in the regression of a particular oxide. The PLS suite is trained on 48 of the 69 total glasses, and tested against 21 validation samples (i.e., held out of training). Trends in root mean square error of calibration (RMSEC), root mean square error of cross-validation (RMSECV), and root mean square error of prediction (RMSEP) model accuracy metrics are investigated to uncover the efficacy of utilizing multivariate analysis for such Raman data and are contextualized against recently produced strategies. The technique yields an average root mean of calibration (∼2.4 wt%), cross-validation (∼ 2.9 wt%), prediction (∼ 2.6 wt%), and normalized variance (∼ 28%). Raman band positional shifts are also mapped against underlying chemical variations; with major influences arising primarily as a function of overall oxidation state and silica concentration: via ferric cation (Fe3+)/ferrous cation (Fe2+) ratios and SiO2 (wt%). The algorithm is further validated preliminarily against a separate external set of 11 natural basaltic glasses to unravel the limitations of the synthetic models on natural samples, and to determine the suitability of "universal" Raman-model applications in scenarios where prior chemical contextualization of the target sample is possible. This study represents the first time Raman spectra of amorphous silicates have been paired with PLS, offering a foundation for future improvements utilizing these systems.

Abstract PR-009: Reconstructing the metastatic tumor microenvironment of high grade serous ovarian cancer using human multicellular in vitro models

Abstract Effective treatment of high grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) still represents a clinical challenge. This is partially due to poor understanding of the complexity of this disease and the highly immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) that makes HGSOC resistant to most of the newly discovered therapies. The lack of relevant and physiological human in vitro models represents a major issue as the development of new treatments are mostly based on mouse models that do not fully recapitulate the human disease. In this study, we developed 3-dimensional (3D) human multicellular in vitro models using as a template and validation, data collected in a previous study that ‘deconstructs’ the metastatic TME of HGSOC. Our human 3D in vitro pentaculture (five cell types) model is composed of patient-derived primary adipocytes, fibroblasts and mesothelial cells isolated from macroscopic normal omentum – the primary site of metastasis in HGSOC – of women undergoing a gynaeco-oncology surgery, combined with different high grade serous malignant cell lines and monocytes isolated from healthy individuals. We found that the peripheral blood monocytes were able to differentiate and polarize to macrophages in our model in a similar way that observed in human HGSOC omental metastasis. Interestingly, our pentaculture models self-rearrange at the cellular level in a different way depending on the malignant cell line used in the culture. RNAseq analysis of the pentacultures showed that the different cultures clustered according to the malignant cell line used suggesting that malignant cells have a major influence on the transcriptome of the TME. Moreover, we demonstrated that our pentacultures partially replicated human biopsies: some of the macrophage and fibroblast clusters identified in a previous scRNAseq experiment on human HGSOC biopsies were also found in the pentacultures. We then confirmed the presence of some these macrophages clusters at the protein level. Finally, these pentacultures reproduce some of the actions of macrophage modifying drugs that have previously been shown in vivo. In conclusion, the study of the immunosuppressive TME of HGSOC in these human 3D in vitro models allows us to identify the contribution of different cell types to tumor growth and spread and provides us a semi-high throughput platform for therapeutic screening. Citation Format: Beatrice Malacrida, Samar Elorbany, Eleni Maniati, Rachel Bryan-Ravenscroft, Sophie L.P. Skingsley, Florian Laforets, Ranjit Manchanda, Frances R. Balkwill. Reconstructing the metastatic tumor microenvironment of high grade serous ovarian cancer using human multicellular in vitro models [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Ovarian Cancer; 2023 Oct 5-7; Boston, Massachusetts. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(5 Suppl_2):Abstract nr PR-009.

Analysis of editor in chief gender and associated journal variables among 126 pathology journals.

Gender equity studies have shown that women are underrepresented in journal editor in chief positions, which confer major professional opportunities and influence. We sought to systematically investigate editor in chief gender and journal attributes within pathology. We constructed a journal data set using the Scimago Journal & Country Rank and Clarivate Journal Citation Reports databases. We also included official journals of the major medical societies for the 12 pathology subspecialties recognized by the Association of American Medical Colleges. The final data set included 126 journals. We obtained editor in chief gender, impact factor, publication model (ie, hybrid access vs open access), year of founding, and geographic location for all included pathology journals. Women made up only 18% of the 141 total editor in chief positions. This inequity was present irrespective of all pathology journal variables studied. Among 10 journals with 2 editor in chief positions, 5 had only men and 5 had 1 man and 1 woman. All 3 journals with 3 editor in chief positions had 2 men and 1 woman. Women are significantly underrepresented among editor in chiefs across pathology journals. Journals and affiliated members should advocate for diversity among these influential positions, given their impact on research, science, and medicine.

An empirical investigation of challenges of specifying training data and runtime monitors for critical software with machine learning and their relation to architectural decisions

The development and operation of critical software that contains machine learning (ML) models requires diligence and established processes. Especially the training data used during the development of ML models have major influences on the later behaviour of the system. Runtime monitors are used to provide guarantees for that behaviour. Runtime monitors for example check that the data at runtime is compatible with the data used to train the model. In a first step towards identifying challenges when specifying requirements for training data and runtime monitors, we conducted and thematically analysed ten interviews with practitioners who develop ML models for critical applications in the automotive industry. We identified 17 themes describing the challenges and classified them in six challenge groups. In a second step, we found interconnection between the challenge themes through an additional semantic analysis of the interviews. We explored how the identified challenge themes and their interconnections can be mapped to different architecture views. This step involved identifying relevant architecture views such as data, context, hardware, AI model, and functional safety views that can address the identified challenges. The article presents a list of the identified underlying challenges, identified relations between the challenges and a mapping to architecture views. The intention of this work is to highlight once more that requirement specifications and system architecture are interlinked, even for AI-specific specification challenges such as specifying requirements for training data and runtime monitoring.

Near-Surface Atmospheric Response to Meso- and Submesoscale Current and Thermal Feedbacks

Abstract Current feedback (CFB) and thermal feedback (TFB) have been shown to strongly influence both atmospheric and oceanic dynamics at the oceanic mesoscale (10–250 km). At smaller scales, oceanic submesoscale currents (SMCs; 0.1–10 km) have a major influence on the ocean’s energy budget, variability, and ecosystems. However, submesoscale air–sea interactions are not well understood because of observational and modeling limitations related to their scales. Here, we use a realistic submesoscale-permitting coupled oceanic and atmospheric model to quantify the spatiotemporal variability of TFB and CFB coupling in the northwest tropical Atlantic Ocean. While CFB still acts as a submesoscale eddy killer by inducing an energy sink from the SMCs to the atmosphere, it appears to be more efficient at the submesoscale by approximately 30% than at the mesoscale. Submesoscale CFB affects the surface stress, however, the finite time scale of SMCs for adjusting the atmospheric boundary layer results in a diminished low-level wind response, weakening partial ocean reenergization by about 70%. Unlike at the mesoscale, submesoscale CFB induces stress/wind convergence/divergence, influencing the atmospheric boundary layer through vertical motions. The linear relationship between the surface stress derivative or wind derivative fields and sea surface temperature gradients, widespread at the mesoscale, decreases by approximately 35% ± 7% or 77% ± 10%, respectively, at the submesoscale. In addition, submesoscale TFB induces turbulent heat fluxes comparable to those at the mesoscale. Seasonal variability in meso- and submesoscale CFB and TFB coupling is mostly related to background wind speed. Also, disentangling submesoscale CFB and TFB is challenging because they can reinforce or counteract each other.

Hydrodynamic characteristics of wing-in-ground effect oscillating hydrofoil on power extraction performance

The energy contained in the tidal motion of the seas and oceans has the potential to be a significant source of renewable energy. The oscillating hydrofoil current-energy turbine has a good performance to extract energy from the coupling of its heaving and pitching motions. In the present study, the wing-in-ground (WIG) effect has been considered to improve the power-extraction performance of the oscillating hydrofoils. The overset grid in the commercial computational fluid dynamic (CFD) software STAR CCM+ is applied to study the flapping hydrofoil with dynamic WIG effect between two hydrofoils. The simulation results show that the WIG effect can greatly improve the power extraction performance of the flapping hydrofoil. The WIG effect is asymmetric over the course of the foil moving toward or leaving from the symmetry plane. The distance of the gap has a major influence on the hydrodynamic performances of the flapping hydrofoil. For a moderate gap, the positive pressure on the lower surface enhances as the hydrofoil departs from the symmetry plane and causes an improvement of lift and moment coefficients. As the gap decreases further, the increasing negative pressure between the leading edge and the symmetry plane plays an essential role improving the power extraction as the hydrofoil approaches the symmetry plane. Compared to the case without the WIG effect, the power-extraction efficiency has an increment of 16.34% in the present study.

CLINICAL OBSERVATION OF TREATMENT EFFICACY IN SEPSIS: A PROSPECTIVE STUDY

Objective: To examine the safety and efficacy associated with various treatment approaches and to identify trends and variations in the management of severe sepsis, including the usage of antibiotics, and supportive care. To examine factors associated with improved or worsened outcomes in severe sepsis cases, such as patient demographics, comorbidities, or timing of treatment. Design: A hospital-based prospective study was done on all inpatients and outpatients in Princess DurruShehvar Childrens & General Hospital, Hyderabad, Telangana for 6 months. Methods: The data collection form and patient consent form were designed for this study. It comprises information regarding the study subjects data such as demographics, medical and medication history, laboratory investigations, diagnosis, present prescribed medication, and progress chart. Investigators collected the relevant data and recorded it in data collection form. The prescription will be selected based on inclusion criteria and exclusion criteria. The data obtained was compiled and analysed using appropriate statistical tests. Quantitative variables were summarized using descriptive studies (percentages, mean, standard deviation, number of observations). The data was statistically analyzed using spss and pair t test, graphs, pie diagrams, and bar graphs. Results A total of 115 patients were included in this prospective study and 60% of them show culture sensitivity. Meropenem was found to be the most potent antibiotic. The analysis of the treatments impact reveals noteworthy outcomes across multiple parameters. The intervention demonstrates a significant effect in reducing systolic blood pressure, although no major influence on diastolic blood pressure is observed. Regarding erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), a substantial and statistically significant decrease is indicated post-treatment. Notably, arterial blood gas (ABG) levels exhibit a considerable difference pre- and post-treatment, with a p-value below 0.05, suggesting a rejection of the null hypothesis. Additionally, the treatment is associated with a significant increase in total leukocyte counts, as evidenced by the positive mean difference and a 95% confidence interval entirely above zero. These findings underscore the diverse impacts of the treatment on various physiological markers. Conclusion Prospective sepsis treatment studies offer a nuanced grasp of real-world effectiveness, linking controlled experiments to clinical reality. Despite biases, they contribute to evidence-based strategies, acknowledging clinical complexities. This practical approach guides healthcare professionals with adaptable, patient-centered methods. Emphasis on rigorous statistical methodologies enhances comprehension. Integrating observational and experimental data enriches our understanding of sepsis management. Overall, these studies shape holistic approaches for effective treatment.

[History of cardiac resynchronization therapy : 30years of electrotherapeutic management for heart failure].

The first permanent biventricular pacing system was implanted more than 30years ago. In this article, the historical development of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT), starting with the pathophysiological concept, followed by the initial "proof of concept" studies and finally the large prospective-randomized studies that led to the implementation of CRT in heart failure guidelines, is outlined. Since the establishment of CRT, both an expansion of indications, e.g., for patients with mild heart failure and atrial fibrillation, but also the return to patients with broad QRS complex and left bundle branch block who benefit most of CRT has evolved. New techniques such as conduction system pacing will have major influence on pacemaker therapy in heart failure, both as an alternative or adjunct to CRT.

IMPLICATION OF LEECH THERAPY AND ASBAB-E-SITTA ZAROORIYAH IN THE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF VARICOSE VEINS: A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW

Varicose veins are characterized by abnormally twisted, dilated superficial vessels that are caused by the inefficient or defective valves within the vein. It is currently a prevalent disease with the incidence varying globally between 10% and 60%. The Unani Medicine (also called Greco-Arab medicine) is the ancient system of medicine practiced all around the world. According to the Unani classical text, Leech therapy (Irsal-e-Alaq) is one of the most important regimenal therapy for the successful treatment and management of varicose vein and a unique combination of Asbab-e-Sitta Zarooriyah (Six essential factors) is involved in the prevention of this disease. The research studies have proved that medicinal leech therapy displays anticoagulant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects. Leech saliva contains medicinally useful bioactive molecules like hirudin, histamine, etc. that shows anti-coagulant effect and hence improve microcirculation in diseases like varicose vein. Leech therapy is reliable, well tolerated, cost effective treatment that has the potential of preventing varicose vein complications. This review seeks to describe medicinal leech therapy, present therapeutic leech species, and highlight the processes by which leech saliva affects wound healing. Additionally, the review paper highlights the role of Asbab-e-Sitta Zarooriyah in prevention and control of varicose veins. Irregularity in diet and lifestyle may cause disturbance in normal body functioning, which may lead to lifestyle disorder that is a major risk factor thought to influence the susceptibility of varicose vein. The Unani System exerts a major influence on preventing the development of varicose vein by making modification in Asbab-e-Sitta Zarooriyah.

The influence of experience and modality of presentation (online vs. offline) on hypnotizability.

Hypnotizability is conceptualized as a stable personality trait describing the ability to respond to suggestions given under hypnosis. Hypnotizability is a key factor in explaining variance in the effects of hypnotic suggestions on behavior and neural correlates, revealing robust changes mostly in high hypnotizable participants. However, repeated experience and training have been discussed as possible ways to increase willingness, motivation, and ability to follow hypnotic suggestions, although their direct influence on hypnotizability are still unclear. Additionally, it is important whether hypnotizability can be assessed reliably online. We investigated the influence of the degree of experience with hypnosis and the presentation mode (online versus live) on the stability of hypnotizability in two groups of 77 and 102 young, healthy students, respectively. The first group was tested twice with the Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility (HGSHS) after two weeks. During this period, participants either repeatedly listened to a hypnosis or trained on a progressive muscle relaxation or served as waitlist control group. In the secondgroup, participants performed both an online or offline version of the HGSHS, with varying time intervals (1-6 weeks). Contrary to our expectations, hypnotizability declined from the first to second assessment in the first group. The reductionwas most prominent in initially highly hypnotizable subjects and independent of the experience intervention. We observed a similar reduction of hypnotizability in the second group, independent of presentation modality. The reduction was again driven by initially highly hypnotizable subjects, while the scores of low hypnotizable subjects remained stable. The presentation modality (online vs. offline) did not influence HGSHS scores, but the test-retest reliability was low to moderate (rtt = 0.44). Our results favor the conclusion that generally, hypnotizability is a relatively stable personality trait which shows no major influence of preexperience or modality of assessment. However, particularly highly hypnotizable subjects are likely to experience a decline in hypnotizability in a retest. The role of the concrete assessment tool, psychological factors, and interval length are discussed. Future studies should replicate the experiments in a clinical sample which might have higher intrinsic motivation of increasing responsiveness toward hypnotic interventions or be more sensitive to presentation mode.

Do technological, environmental and entrepreneurial factors affect social commerce adoption?

PurposeIn today’s business world, adopting social commerce for day-to-day operations has increasingly become an important phenomenon. Several factors have been identified by previous researchers regarding the adoption of social commerce, but academic research is scarce on the relationship between the factors influencing social commerce adoption and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the post-COVID-19 situation. This study aims to identify the impact of technological, environmental and entrepreneurial factors on the adoption of social commerce by SMEs in Sri Lanka.Design/methodology/approachA quantitative study utilised the deductive approach and collected data through a field survey by distributing a five-point Likert scale questionnaire to conveniently selected respondents from Sri Lankan SMEs. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used for the analysis of 384 responses.FindingsThe results revealed that technological factors [technology availability (TA) and cost-effectiveness (CE)], environmental factors [bandwagon effect (BE)] and entrepreneurial factors [attitude (AT), innovativeness (IN) and IT knowledge (IK)] have a significant impact on the social commerce adoption of SMEs in Sri Lanka. This study, as the first of its type, offers insightful information on the influence of variables on the adoption of social commerce after the COVID-19 pandemic.Research limitations/implicationsSimilar to any research, this study also has inherent limitations. Due to time and financial restrictions, the study’s convenience sampling method was adopted. The study’s possible limitation is its narrow focus, which could mean that it only examines a select few social media (SM) networks. The study’s conclusions might be less generalised since it focused on the western province of Sri Lanka. Future studies should take a cross-cultural strategy to explore the influence of social commerce adoption to improve the generalisability of research findings.Practical implicationsThis study provides an in-depth assessment of critical factors, facilitating policymakers, owners, leaders and managers (decision-makers) to gain insight into the real influencing factors on social commerce adoption and the significance of SM. The study helps them comprehend how outstanding governance and knowledge of influencing factors can boost SME success in various ways. For example, research reveals that various factors have a major influence on social commerce adoption.Social implicationsThere has been limited research conducted on social commerce adoption after the COVID-19 pandemic period; thus, this study looked at the variables influencing it amongst SMEs in a South Asian developing country like Sri Lanka after the pandemic lasted for two years. By placing a strong emphasis on the role of entrepreneurial characteristics and the available technology within one single framework in the context of SMEs and their involvement with social commerce adoption, this study contributes to the past literature by emphasising the role of several significant factors in SMEs' adoption of social commerce. Whilst previous studies looked at multiple factors influencing the adoption of social commerce globally, this study focussed on how these factors have a significant impact on SMEs in Sri Lanka.Originality/valueThis study developed a multi-perspective framework combining technological, environmental and entrepreneurial factors influencing SMEs to adopt social commerce. The study provides a contribution to the literature on social commerce adoption from the perspective of SMEs in a developing country like Sri Lanka after COVID-19. Exclusively, it examines the impact of entrepreneur-related factors on social commerce adoption.

Wave scattering in cylindrical waveguides: Analyzing flexible shells and liner conditions

The scattering of fluid-structure-coupled waves is investigated in a cylindrical waveguide consisting of flexible shells and an expansion chamber connected via annular rigid discs. The scattering performance of the waveguide is studied in the presence of acoustic liners along the walls of the expansion chamber and the geometric variations along interfaces. A mode-matching method is applied to solve the corresponding mathematical problem. The study focuses on fluid- and structure-borne modes propagating in the flexible shells. The eigenfunctions in this case are non-orthogonal and obey generalized orthogonal properties, involving auxiliary parameters related to the ring conditions at the edges of the flexible shells. Although we considered clamped connections, the analysis can be extended to other ring conditions with appropriate changes. Through continuity conditions at the interfaces, orthogonal modes are used to project solutions in liner regions, resulting in linear algebraic systems. The performance of the waveguide is examined in terms of scattering powers and transmission loss as functions of frequency, chamber length, liner length, and porous screen impedance. It is observed that the variations in these parameters have a major influence on acoustic attenuation in the waveguide. These results are relevant for designing acoustic enclosures for different frequency bands.

Green synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles from Salvadora persica leaf extract: Characterization and studying methyl orange removal by adsorption

Abstract The present study conducted a successful green synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) from the aqueous solution of Salvadora persica leaf extract as capping agent and used for methyl orange dye removal. The morphology, chemical composition, crystallinity, optical property and isothermal behavior of synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDX), Fourier transform infra-red (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and UV-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis). The influencing factors on MO removal such as preparation method, dose, pH, contact time, and dye concentration were examined. The UV-Vis absorption band was found at 365 nm and the XRD analysis confirmed the crystallinity of the ZnO NP and the particle sizes were in the range of 32-68 nm. The FTIR bands confirm the presence of bioactive compounds. SEM images showed the formation of hexagonal and rod-shaped nanoparticles. The results revealed that a maximum methyl orange removal of 68% was obtained with an amount of 0.05 g of ZnO NPs at pH 5. The adsorption process can be well explained by the Langmuir isotherm model. This research demonstrates a green method of preparing various ZnO nanoparticle with a remarkable efficiency towards the removal of methyl orange dye.