Total Correlation Coefficient Research Articles

Аналіз результатів опитування щодо вагомості факторів при формуванні обмежень щодо використання земель

The purpose of this work is to present the results of a survey on the assessment of the importance of factors that must be taken into account when forming land use restrictions, taking into account the differences in the interests of different respondents, as well as the assessment of their reliability. Methodology. Factors were identified according to the following algorithm: determination of the list of factors that must be taken into account when forming land use restrictions; analysis of identified factors; combining them into aggregated thematic groups; questionnaire regarding the assessment of the importance of factors development; identification of expert groups for the survey; conducting an anonymous survey; checking the reliability of the factors included in the questionnaire; assessment of the importance of factors. In the proposed questionnaire, a Likert scale from 1 to 5 was used to measure the level of influence of factors on the process of formation of restrictions. In particular, 5 is the most important, 1 is the least important. Respondents could choose only one option for each question. The results. A questionnaire was developed to reveal the opinion of experts and owners regarding the importance of factors when setting land use restrictions. The research took into account the results of the questionnaire of 100 people, of which: 31 people are landowners/land users, 33 people are representatives of authorities. Determining the groups of respondents for the survey was carried out by means of a stratified selection based on interests. The scientific novelty of the research consists in the development of a questionnaire to reveal the opinion of experts and owners regarding the importance of factors in establishing restrictions on land use and the justified selection of expert groups for the survey. Practical significance. The results of the study show that all independent variables have Cronbach’s alpha coefficients of 0.95 and total variable correlation coefficients greater than 0.3. This proves that the research data is reliable. The next stage of the research is to assess the importance of various factors depending on the interests of the respondents in matters of land use restrictions, using the method of factor analysis.

Correlation Between Perceived Social Support and Self Efficacy in Final Students Who Are Preparing Thesis

This research aims to determine the relationship between perceived social support and self-efficacy in final students who are writing their thesis. This research uses a quantitative research approach with a descriptive type of research. The sampling technique for this research uses a purposive sampling technique with students being the research sample consisting of 203 students using the Krejcie table. Test construct validity by looking at the total item correlation coefficient equal to or greater than 0.138. The instrument reliability test uses Cronbach's alpha value, namely 0.8. The results of this study indicate that there is a positive and significant correlation between Perceived social support and self-efficacy with a correlation value (rxy) of 0.492 with a calculated p value = 0.0001 / P < 0.05

Identify Attributes of Service Quality Factors and Other Factors Affecting Calla SPA Customer Satisfaction

This research aimed to identify the factors influencing customer satisfaction at Calla SPA, focusing on service quality attributes such as Tangibility, Reliability, Ability to meet expectations, and Assurance, as well as other factors like price and location of Calla SPA offices. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were utilized, including document research, in-depth interviews, group discussions, and surveys. Results indicated that service quality (β3) had the strongest impact on satisfaction, followed by price (β1) and location of the SPA (β2). SPSS testing confirmed the reliability of the scale (α = 0.70 to 0.95), with total correlation coefficients above 0.3, KMO values between 0.5 and 1, and significance levels (Sig) below 0.05. These findings provide a foundation for Calla SPA's management to enhance customer satisfaction through service quality improvements, thereby aiding in market share retention, market expansion, and revenue growth. Furthermore, the research contributes to the theoretical understanding of service quality and customer satisfaction within the SPA industry

ИНДЕКС ФОНДООТДАЧИ: СОВРЕМЕННОЕ СОСТОЯНИЕ И ФАКТОРЫ РОСТА

The scientific article contains an analysis of scientific literature on ensuring the efficient use of fixed assets in enterprises, research on capital productivity and capital intensity, and the development of main directions for the efficient use of fixed capital. The dynamics of the coefficients of renewal and disposal of fixed assets in the economy are presented in graphical form. The information base for the study was data from the official website of the Federal State Statistics Service. The maximum values of the renewal coefficient were observed in 2018, 2019 and 2022, and the minimum in 2015, 2020 and 2021. The maximum values of the retirement rate are presented in 2014, 2015 and 2016, and the minimum in 2019, 2020 and 2021. An econometric study of the capital productivity index showed an inverse and very weak relationship with the value of gross domestic product and the cost of fixed assets (the value of the correlation coefficient (index) (-0.1)): with an increase in the value of gross domestic product and the value of fixed assets in the period under study, no growth was observed capital productivity index. The value of the gross domestic product and the cost of fixed assets have a direct and close relationship (the value of the correlation coefficient (index) is 0.9): the annual growth of the gross domestic product is accompanied by an increase in the cost of fixed assets. A matrix of correlation coefficients (indices) was constructed to calculate the total correlation coefficient (index). The result of calculating the total correlation coefficient (index) (its value is 0.4) showed that there is a direct and weak connection between the capital productivity index, the value of the gross domestic product and the cost of fixed assets: the growth of the capital productivity index is weakly related to the growth of the gross domestic product and the cost of fixed assets funds.

Psychometric Properties of the Turkish Version of the Emotion Efficacy Scale – 2 in a Sample of Turkish Emerging Adults

This study sought to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Turkish version of the Emotion Efficacy Scale – 2 (EES2) among 763 emerging adults. To examine the factor structure of the Turkish version of the EES2, an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were conducted. EFA revealed a one-factor solution. After implementing some modifications, CFA of the one-factor structure demonstrated adequate model fit indices and good internal consistencies. Two items were removed from the scale due to a low factor loading and a low item total correlation coefficient. Correlational analyses supported the criterion validity of the Turkish EES2 with relations to emotion regulation difficulties, acceptance and action, and valued action in expected directions. Furthermore, test-retest reliability indicated good reliability of the scale. Overall, the results revealed that the 8-item Turkish EES2 is a promising measurement tool that can be used by researchers and mental health practitioners.

Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Chinese version of the intensive care oral care frequency and assessment scale

ObjectivesThe objective of this study was to translate the Intensive Care Oral Care Frequency and Assessment Scale into Chinese and to evaluate its reliability and validity in Chinese ICU patients. MethodsThis study was conducted using a cross-sectional survey design in ICUs of three tertiary hospitals in Huai'an and Taizhou from October 2022 to April 2023. The Chinese version of the Intensive Care Oral Care Frequency and Assessment Scale (C-ICOCFAS) was developed by expert consultation and cultural adaptation according to the two-person verbatim translation-back translation criteria described in the Brislin model. Item analysis was conducted using correlation analysis, and validity analysis included content validity, construct validity, and criterion validity. Reliability analyses included Cronbach's alpha coefficient, Guttman split-half reliability, and interrater reliability. ResultsThe Chinese version of the scale consisted of one dimension and nine items, consistent with the original version. Exploratory factor analysis showed KMO = 0.891, and the cumulative variance contribution reached 65.534 %. The confirmatory factor analysis indicated a good fit, χ2/df = 2.124, NFI = 0.950, GFI = 0.942, IFI = 0.973, CFI = 0.973, SRMR = 0.037, and RMSEA = 0.073. The content validity of the scale was 0.97, and the content validity of the items ranged from 0.83 to 1.00; the criterion validity was 0.969; the Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.919; the total item correlation coefficient was 0.725–0.831; the Guttman split-half reliability was 0.919; and the interrater reliability was 0.885. ConclusionThe C-ICOCFAS has good reliability and validity and can effectively guide nurses in the frequency of oral care for ICU patients. Implications for clinical practiceThis tool can significantly improve the level of oral care among ICU patients and further promote the health and safety of patients. These findings can help clinical nursing experts to better understand and master the use of scales and standards to improve nursing.

Translation and psychometric testing of the Chinese version of the Perinatal Missed Care Survey

ObjectiveThis study aimed to translate and evaluate the psychometric properties of the Perinatal Missed Care Survey in China. MethodsThe Perinatal Missed Care Survey was translated according to the guidelines of the cross-cultural debugging scale recommended by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Evidence-Based Medicine Committee, including forward translation, back translation, cultural adaption, and content validation, and its Chinese version was used in a cross-sectional study conducted from February to April in 2023. A total of 491 midwives from 14 different level hospitals in southwest China were recruited through a convenience sampling method. The discrimination ability of the items was tested through item analysis, and construct validity was assessed through exploratory factory and confirmatory factor analyses. The content validity index and Cronbach’s α coefficients evaluated content validity and reliability, respectively. ResultsThe Chinese version’s item–total correlation coefficients ranged from 0.641 to 0.866 in part A and from 0.644 to 0.819 in part B (P < 0.001). Parts A and B’s scale-level content validity indexes were 0.95, and the item-level content validity indexes were from 0.86 to 1.00. The three common factors of part A (necessary care, basic care, and postnatal care) and part B (communication, labor resources, and material resources) were extracted, accounting for 70.186% and 71.984% of the total variance, respectively. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the good fit of the three-factor models was acceptable. The Cronbach’s α coefficients were 0.968 (part A) and 0.940 (part B). ConclusionThe Chinese version of the Perinatal Missed Care Survey is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing nursing care missed by midwives during labor and birth and the reasons it was missed. Studies with large sample sizes are needed to verify the instrument’s applicability in China.

Validation of the Arabic Version of the Patient Activation Measure (PAM-13) for Application within the Primary Healthcare Context in Saudi Arabia

Background: Empowering patients with behavioral issues or chronic conditions to actively participate in their healthcare can help improve health outcomes. However, in the Saudi Arabian context, evaluation tools for achieving this goal are lacking, considering cultural and healthcare system factors. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the psychometric properties of the Arabic version of the Patient Activation Measure. Methods: This cross-sectional validation study was conducted on a sample of 225 patients receiving treatment from primary healthcare centers located in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Item analyses and reliability and construct validity testing of the tool were conducted. Results: The item–total correlation coefficients ranged from 0.31 (item 2) to 0.57 (item 11). The item–total correlation coefficients for all 13 items were above 0.30. The reliability was 0.80. A two-factor model (“knowledge and beliefs” and “confidence and skills”) reflecting the instrument was constructed. The raw model did not sufficiently fit the data (χ2 = 170.98, degree of freedom (df) = 64, p &lt; 0.001; Tucker–Lewis index (TLI) = 0.79; comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.83; root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.86 [90% confidence interval {CI} = 0.07–0.10]). After all significant correlations between the items’ error terms were modeled, an adequate fit was achieved (χ2 = 76.76, df = 51, p &lt; 0.01; TLI = 0.94; CFI = 0.96; RMSEA = 0.04 [90% CI = 0.02–0.07]). Conclusions: the Arabic version of the Patient Activation Measure can be utilized by healthcare providers to assess the activation levels and unique needs and preferences of Arabic-speaking individuals and tailor interventions accordingly to provide necessary support.

Is artificial intelligence ready to replace specialist doctors entirely? ENT specialists vs ChatGPT: 1-0, ball at the center.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate ChatGPT's responses to Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) clinical cases and compare them with the responses of ENT specialists. We have hypothesized 10 scenarios, based on ENT daily experience, with the same primary symptom. We have constructed 20 clinical cases, 2 for each scenario. We described them to 3 ENT specialists and ChatGPT. The difficulty of the clinical cases was assessed by the 5 ENT authors of this article. The responses of ChatGPT were evaluated by the 5 ENT authors of this article for correctness and consistency with the responses of the 3 ENT experts. To verify the stability of ChatGPT's responses, we conducted the searches, always from the same account, for 5 consecutive days. Among the 20 cases, 8 were rated as low complexity, 6 as moderate complexity and 6 as high complexity. The overall mean correctness and consistency score of ChatGPT responses was 3.80 (SD 1.02) and 2.89 (SD 1.24), respectively. We did not find a statistically significant difference in the average ChatGPT correctness and coherence score according to case complexity. The total intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for the stability of the correctness and consistency of ChatGPT was 0.763 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.553-0.895) and 0.837 (95% CI 0.689-0.927), respectively. Our results revealed the potential usefulness of ChatGPT in ENT diagnosis. The instability in responses and the inability to recognise certain clinical elements are its main limitations.

Integrating properties and conditions to predict spray performance of alternative aviation fuel by ANN model

Alternative aviation fuel has been confirmed benefits for GHGs reduction and energy saving. Alternative fuel use should meet drop-in fuel requirement, and one of the important factors to ensure combustion completeness is to achieve spray requirement in the whole envelop of flight. Alternative fuels are characterized different fuel properties at low temperature comparison with traditional jet fuel. For understanding fuel properties and spray-related processes under different conditions, alternative aviation fuel, including Fischer Tropsch (FT), cellulose hydrotreating jet fuel (CHJ) and traditional jet fuel (RP-3), were investigated spray performance. According to empirical equation deduced from experiment data (283 K-343 K), deviations to RP-3 enhanced significantly on surface tension and viscosity at low temperature aera (243 K-273 K). As the complex and discontinuous interaction between nozzle structure and fuel properties with temperature, and thus it is difficult to obtain appropriate empirical equation or simulation results at low temperature. Moreover, non-drop-in fuel like pure FT fuel cannot comply with the same spray mechanism as drop-in fuel. The artificial neural network (ANN) approaches have been involved to solve the complex relationship of properties with spray performance. ANN-spray model coupling with ANN-mass flow can predict not only cone angle and liquid length but also SMD and velocity in liquid zone and droplet zone with above 0.99 total correlation coefficient. Coupling simulation results of mass flow and spray performance, FT and CHJ as well as blend fuels present more obvious difference to RP-3 in droplet size distribution and velocity distribution at low temperature.

Psychometric validation of the Chinese digital health literacy instrument among Chinese older adults who have internet use experience.

In this digital age, the Internet has become a major source of health information, and electronic health (eHealth) literacy becomes increasingly important for older individuals to properly use the extensive eHealth resources for self-care. A valid and reliable tool for assessing older people's eHealth literacy would help healthcare workers identify those disadvantaged groups in digital health and provide relevant health education. This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of DHLI in assessing eHealth literacy among older adults in China. A web-based, cross-sectional study was conducted among 277 Chinese older adults from September to November 2021. Two weeks after the first completion, 62 of them answered the C-DHLI again. The reliability (e.g. internal consistency and test-retest reliability), factorial structure and validity (i.e. content validity and convergent validity) of the C-DHLI were evaluated based on the survey data. The results demonstrated good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha: 0.94) and test-retest reliability (total intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC]: 0.94) of the C-DHLI. Principal component analysis revealed that the 18 items of C-DHLI loaded on three factors, accounting for 74.69% of the total variance; CFA supported its three-factor structure with good model fits. Convergent validity was examined by the significant associations between C-DHLI and C-eHEALS (r = 0.61), health literacy (r = 0.56), and whether having used the Internet for health information (ρ = 0.43) (ps <.001). A cut-off score of 45 was recommended for determining higher and lower literacy using the C-DHLI, with the area under curve of 0.82 (95% CI = 0.77-0.88). The C-DHLI showed good psychometric performance in assessing eHealth literacy among Chinese older adults. The findings can support healthcare professionals to effectively measure eHealth literacy among older adults and conduct tailored eHealth interventions or training.

B-014 Impact of Centrifugation Time Reduction in Laboratory Automation System

Abstract Background The centrifugation of specimens is an important preanalytical process which will be impact the most on turnaround time of the laboratory results. To verify the automation systems, we tested different combinations of tube and centrifugation settings to determine the most efficient for routine chemistry procedure. The outcomes of each combination were then compared to the benchmark to find out the best setting to reduce turnaround time for laboratory results. Methods In this study, we evaluated a total of 40 leftover blood samples that were collected on 4 mL plastic Vacutainer® (Becton Dickinson) lithium heparin tubes and 2 mL plastic Vacuette® (Greiner bio-one) lithium heparin tubes. All tubes were centrifuged on Abbott Automation GLP systems. The first set of samples was centrifuged according to the manufacturer’s guideline (10 min at 1300 × g, room temperature for Vacutainer® tubes and 10 min at 2200 × g, room temperature for Vacuette® tubes). The second set was centrifuged 7 min at 2700 × g, room temperature. And the third set was centrifuged 5 min at 2700 × g, room temperature. Then, analyzed all samples with 22 routine chemistry parameters on Alinity ci analyzers. The allowable total error and correlation coefficient (R) were used to determine the significance of the differences between 3 protocols of the centrifugation time. Results The study showed that the centrifugation times of 7 min and 5 min were not significantly different from the manufacturer’s protocol (10 min) after testing with 22 routine chemistry parameters (albumin, alkaline phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, direct bilirubin, total bilirubin, calcium, chloride, cholesterol, creatinine, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, iron, potassium, lactate dehydrogenase, sodium, phosphorus, total protein, triglycerides, unsaturated iron-binding capacity, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, urea nitrogen and uric acid) in both 4 mL plastic Vacutainer® lithium heparin tubes and 2 mL plastic Vacuette® lithium heparin tubes. Overall, the results of the study indicate that shorter centrifugation times of 7 min and 5 min at 2700 × g able to use for routine chemistry. Conclusion The study concluded that the centrifugation time did not affect the analytical results of 22 routine chemistry parameters. This suggests that shorter centrifugation times able to use with no impact on accuracy or reliability. The results of the study will support laboratory to have efficiency improvements by shorten the turnaround time on the results release.

Solar-Cycle Variations of Forbidden Energetic Electrons Enhancements

Intense fluxes of electrons from the Earth’s radiation belt (ERB) with energies of tens and hundreds of keV can penetrate to low altitudes at low latitudes outside the South Atlantic Anomaly. This region is known as a forbidden zone of quasi-trapped energetic particles. Flux enhancements of energetic electrons in the forbidden zone, so-called forbidden energetic electrons (FEE), produce significant ionization effects in the upper atmosphere at low latitudes. In this work, solar-cycle variations of the FEE enhancements with energy &gt; 30 keV were analyzed over a 25-year period using a database of low-orbit satellites of the NOAA/POES and MetOp series. We found the highest correlations of the annual occurrence of FEE with the F10.7 solar activity index (−0.87) and the Alfven Mach number of the upstream solar wind (0.76). Using multiparameter regression analysis, a power expression was obtained with those parameters as well as with plasma beta and the interplanetary magnetic field strength with a total correlation coefficient of 0.94. The role of the conductivity of the high-latitude ionosphere in the mechanism of the penetration of ERB electrons into the forbidden zone is discussed.

An Instrumented Mouthguard for Real-Time Measurement of Head Kinematics under a Large Range of Sport Specific Accelerations.

Head impacts in sports can produce brain injuries. The accurate quantification of head kinematics through instrumented mouthguards (iMG) can help identify underlying brain motion during injurious impacts. The aim of the current study is to assess the validity of an iMG across a large range of linear and rotational accelerations to allow for on-field head impact monitoring. Drop tests of an instrumented helmeted anthropometric testing device (ATD) were performed across a range of impact magnitudes and locations, with iMG measures collected concurrently. ATD and iMG kinematics were also fed forward to high-fidelity brain models to predict maximal principal strain. The impacts produced a wide range of head kinematics (16-171 g, 1330-10,164 rad/s2 and 11.3-41.5 rad/s) and durations (6-18 ms), representing impacts in rugby and boxing. Comparison of the peak values across ATD and iMG indicated high levels of agreement, with a total concordance correlation coefficient of 0.97 for peak impact kinematics and 0.97 for predicted brain strain. We also found good agreement between iMG and ATD measured time-series kinematic data, with the highest normalized root mean squared error for rotational velocity (5.47 ± 2.61%) and the lowest for rotational acceleration (1.24 ± 0.86%). Our results confirm that the iMG can reliably measure laboratory-based head kinematics under a large range of accelerations and is suitable for future on-field validity assessments.

QUANTITATION OF RETURN COLLECTOR-DRAINAGE WATER FROM THE IRRIGATED AREAS IN ARID ZONES

The article deals with the study of the dependence of return collector-drainage water from the large irrigated areas on the volume of water withdrawal for irrigation purposes and the total area of crops. The task is solved in the context of irrigated lands in the Bukhara region of Uzbekistan. Three variants of calculation were performed using an objective method of equalizing and normalizing correlations. Equations of normalized regression are obtained that characterize the relationship between the collector-drainage runoff, the volume of water intake from the Amu-Bukhara canal and the area of irrigated land. Their total multiple correlation coefficients are rather high. Based on the third variant of these equations, a calculated nomogram was plotted. The accuracy of the nomogram was assessed. The results showed that it can be used both for calculation and forecast of collector-drainage runoff from the large irrigated land areas in arid zones.

The self-management instrument for breast cancer patients undergoing adjuvant therapy: Development and psychometric testing using the COSMIN methodology

ObjectiveThis study aims to develop and test the self-management instrument for breast cancer patients undergoing adjuvant therapy (SMAT-B). MethodsAfter a qualitative interview with 29 patients and two rounds of Delphi expert consultation with 15 experts, 49 items were initially generated. Before item reduction, another structured interview was conducted for content validity. Item analysis and exploratory factor analysis (n ​= ​377) were used for item reduction. After that, internal consistency, split-half reliability, test-retest reliability (n ​= ​30), measurement error, construct validity, and structural validity (n ​= ​342) were preliminarily evaluated using the COnsesus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurements INstruments guidelines. ResultsThe final version of SMAT-B includes 7 dimensions and 31 items after item reduction. The testing results suggested that SMAT-B had good internal consistency (Total Cronbach's α ​= ​0.952), good split-half reliability (Spearman-Brown coefficient ​= ​0.904), good stability (Total intraclass correlation coefficient = ​0.797), acceptable measurement error (SEM ​= ​5.28), and acceptable construct validity (Standardized root mean square residual ​= ​0.055). The hypotheses of construct validity were all verified to a certain extent (r ​> ​0.20, P ​< ​0.01). ConclusionsThe 31-item SMAT-B, developed in interviews with patients and consultation with experts, demonstrated good psychometric properties and can be recommended for researchers and clinicians for further validity testing and evaluation of the self-management ability of breast cancer patients. Trial registrationChiCTR2100052868.

Wideband tripolarized circular patch antenna for fifth-generation access point applications

In this article, a wideband tripolarized antenna for fifth-generation access point applications is proposed. The proposed antenna consists of a circular patch and a square reflector. The antenna is excited by three ports that are separated by 120°. Each port is surrounded by a circular hook shaped slot to increase the bandwidth and isolation of the antenna. Further, the bandwidth is improved by using a shorting pin and a defective ground reflector. The proposed antenna design is examined in terms of the S-parameter, diversity gain, total active reflection coefficient (TARC), front-to-back ratio, radiation pattern and envelope correlation coefficient. The measured impedance bandwidth of the antenna is 46.9 % (3.1 GHz–5 GHz) and the peak isolation is −26 dB. The proposed antenna has a low envelope correlation coefficient of <0.01, a high diversity gain of >9.9 dB and a total active reflection coefficient TARC of −10 dB in the entire wideband range of operation, and a front-to-back ratio of greater than 34 dB. Additionally, the proposed antenna has a peak gain of 7.6 dBi.

Development of artificial neural network models for indirect evaporative coolers in multi-climate regions based on field measurement

Data-driven artificial neural networks (ANN) based on data drivers with their powerful self-learning capability and high adaptability are gaining increasing attention for the application in modeling indirect evaporative coolers (IEC). However, most ANN models of IEC in existing studies are either limited to a specific climate region or conventional IEC configurations. In this paper, a multi-region back-propagation (BP) neural network model for predicting the performance of advanced dew-point IECs is developed. Operational data for ANN model development were collected through field measurements in IEC projects in three typical climate zone cities in China (Dunhuang, Yulin, and Fuzhou), covering arid, moderately wet, and humid regions. A comparative study of three single-region neural network models was conducted in terms of both convergence characteristics and statistical performance metrics. Each model contains two input variables (inlet air temperature, inlet air humidity) and one output variable (wet-bulb efficiency). The results show that the model fits best in Yulin, followed by Dunhuang and Fuzhou, with total correlation coefficients of 0.9918, 0.9477, and 0.8946, respectively. The predicted values of wet-bulb efficiency are in good agreement with the actual operating data, and the deviation of almost all predicted values is within ±10%. Practical application The application values of IEC ANN models are as follows. First, the IEC-ANN model can predict IEC performance adaptively based on dynamic operational data. Therefore, it can provide the best operating strategy and design parameters for different situations. In addition, it can provide a fast response to guide the system operation when auxiliary control is required. Most importantly, this new approach requires only a limited number of tests rather than exhaustive experimental studies or dealing with complex mathematical models, and future manufacturers can use neural network technology to evaluate the performance of dew-point indirect evaporative coolers, thus saving engineering budget and time.

Morphometric Indices and Parasitic Incidence of Synodontis nigrita from Lower River Benue, Makurdi, Nigeria

The study was carried out to determine the morphometric indices and parasitic incidence of 160 fresh samples of Synodontis nigrita comprising of 80 samples each of female and male sexes. Fish samples were obtained from the catches of local fishermen along Lower River Benue at Wadata fish landing site of Benue State. Length–weight relationship was analyzed using the equation W=aLb. The condition factor of the fish samples was determined using the equation, K=100W/L3. Samples of Synodontis nigrita were later subjected to parasitological examination using standard parasitological method. The mean total length, body weight, condition factor, regression and correlation coefficients were higher for un-infested female samples of Synodontis nigrita than the infested female. Similarly, the mean total length body weight, condition factor, regression and correlation coefficients of un-infested male samples of Synodontis nigrita were higher than the infested males. A total of three hundred and fifty seven (357) parasites were recovered from 76(47.50%) infested samples. Out of the 357 parasites, 251 were recovered from 49(61.3%) infested female samples, 106 parasites were recovered from 27(33.8%) infested male samples. Among the infested parts of the female samples, the intestine accounted for the highest number/percentage (116/46.4%) parasite load, the least 2(0.8%) was recorded for the skin. Between the external parts (gill and skin) of the female fish samples, while the gill recorded the higher number of parasite load 28(12.8%), skin recorded 2(0.8%). Similarly, among the infested parts of the male samples, the intestine accounted for the highest number/percentage (65/61.3%) parasite load, the least 9(8.5%) was recorded for the gill. Between the external parts (gill and skin), the gill recorded 9(8.5%) number/percentage parasite load, no parasite was recovered from the skin. Prevalence (61.25), number of parasites (251) and intensity (5.10) of parasite infection were higher for female samples compared to the male with the prevalence, and intensity of parasite infection of 33.80, 106 and 3.90, respectively. However, the chi square value showed that there was no significant difference (p&gt;0.05) in the prevalence, number of parasites and intensity of parasite infection between the sexes of Synodontis nigrita. Variation in the prevalence and intensity of parasite infection of female and male Synodontis nigrita based on size groups existed. However, it was generally observed that longer and heavier sized fish of both sexes were more infested with higher number of parasites than the smaller sized samples of both sexes.

The Sustainable Development Requirements from the ‎Perspective of a Sample of Palestinian University ‎Students and their Connection to Future Anxiety ‎Manifestations

The purpose of the study was to determine the perceptions of a sample of Palestinian university students in the Gaza ‎governorates regarding the prerequisites for sustainable development and their relationship to manifestations of future anxiety. ‎The study used a descriptive analytical approach to accomplish this.‎‏ ‏A two-part questionnaire was administered to a random ‎sample of 378 male and female students, with the first containing 32 items distributed across four areas: the technological ‎educational domain, the environmental domain, the economical domain, and the social domain; and the second containing 22 items ‎related to manifestations of future anxiety. The results showed that the degree to which the sample members assessed the ‎requirements of sustainable development was large, with a relative weight of 80.8%, and the economic domain came in first place ‎with a relative weight of 83.00%. The environmental domain came last with a relative weight of 78.80%. There are no statistically ‎significant differences at the 0.05 level between the mean scores of the sample members' evaluations of the requirements of ‎sustainable development because of the gender variable; and the total score for estimating the manifestations of future anxiety was ‎high with a relative weight of 80.81%. There are no statistically significant differences at the level (α≤0.05) between the mean ‎scores of the sample members’ estimate of manifestations of future anxiety. Further,there was a positive, statistically significant ‎correlation between all areas of the questionnaire (estimating the requirements of sustainable development) and the total score, as ‎well as between the sample members’ estimations of manifestations of future anxiety. They have a total correlation coefficient of ‎‎0.742. The study recommended the formation of a local information network to exchange academic experiences globally on ‎sustainability development and disseminate its principles at the level of basic education.‎ ‎(Keywords: Requirements‏ ‏of Sustainable Development, Manifestations of Future Anxiety, University Students, Palestinian ‎Universities)‎