The Impact of the Corona Pandemic on the Marketing of Banking Services and its Reflection on the Result of Banks' Business

Purpose: The aim of this study is to examine the impact of the Corona pandemic on the ability of banks to market their services and its reflection on the result of their activity.   Theoretical framework: The research acquires its importance from the role and importance of marketing banking services and thus increasing their revenues, which is reflected in increasing their profits or reducing their losses, as well as the importance of shedding light on the impact of the Corona pandemic on this vital sector, through the weak ability of banks to market their services in the shadow of this pandemic.   Design/methodology/approach: The researchers used the descriptive analytical approach through the analysis of the income statement of the banks of the research sample for a series of years.   Findings: The results indicated that the pandemic had a substantial impact on banking services since there was a link between the pandemic's expansion and banks' capacity to sell their products. The epidemic also caused banks' levels of liquidity to fall, which had a negative effect on their capacity to extend credit and loans.   Research, Practical & Social implications: The study suggests that banks adapt their working practices by moving to electronic transactions for the delivery of financial services. So, in times of crisis, banks need develop new strategies for marketing their financial services. In light of the Corona pandemic, it offers ideas for how the banking industry should develop its methods of marketing its services.   Originality/value: The value of the study is important because banks should change their work methods by switching to electronic dealing in providing banking services. In order to face crises, banks should expand their investments in areas that are not significantly affected by crises

EFFECT OF SEGMENTAL VIBRATION ON HAND AND PINCH GRIP STRENGTHS IN HEALTHY SUBJECTS

Handgrip and pinch strengths are important markers in many sports as well as in determining health status. Many interventions have been proposed for increasing hand muscle strength. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of segmental hand vibration on hand and pinch grip strengths. Ninety-two healthy university students were randomly assigned into two equal groups. By the end of the study, Group (A) and (B) consisted of 40 and 37 participants, respectively. The measurements consisted of the hand grip and pinch grip strengths using electronic dynamometer, measured in Kg, before, after three weeks, and after six weeks of training. Group (A) underwent isometric exercise training using hand gripper as follows: 4 seconds maximum grip, release for 2 seconds, repeated for 1 minute for three sets and with 3 minutes rest in between. Group (B) had the same exercise implemented in group (A) with the addition of five minutes of segmental vibration on both upper limb with 30Hz and amplitude of 2mm. The training was done two times per week for six weeks. Results revealed that both groups did demonstrate significant increase in hand and grip strengths after six weeks (p.05). It can be concluded that, segmental upper limb vibration does not have additional effect over isometric muscle training alone on hand grip and pinch grip strengths

An Improved Fuzzy Knowledge-Based Model For Long Stay Container Yards

This paper considers the problem of allocating newly arrived containers to stacks of existing containers in a yard when the departure date/time for containers is unknown. Many factors and constraints need to be considered when modelling this storage allocation problem. These constraints include the size, type and weight of the containers. The factors are the number of containers in a stack and the duration of stay of the topmost container in the stack. This paper aims to develop an improved Fuzzy Knowledge-Based ‘FKB’ model for best allocation practice of long-stay containers in a yard. In this model, the duration of stay factor does not need to be considered in the allocation decision if the duration of stay for the topmost containers in a stack is similar; hence, a new ‘ON/OFF’ strategy is proposed within the Fuzzy Knowledge-Based model to activate/deactivate this factor in the stacking algorithm whenever is required. Discrete Event Simulation and Fuzzy Knowledge-Based techniques are used to develop the proposed model. The model’s behaviour is tested using three real-life scenarios, including allocating containers in busy, moderately busy and quiet yards. The total number of re-handlings, the number of re-handlings per stack, and the number of re-handlings for containers were considered KPIs in each scenario

Long-term effect of economic status on auditors' professional skepticism

The goal of the current study was to look into how financial stability affected auditors' professional skepticism. One of the elements that reflects the level of an auditor's professional skepticism in the auditor's choices is prior job experience. Regarding this, 759 businesses registered on the Iraq Stock Exchange were chosen between 2011 and 2021 using the systematic elimination approach. Due to the 2D structure of the logistic dependent variable, the research's regression model was put to the test. The outcome of the research hypothesis test revealed that the auditor's decision-making and judgment were significantly impacted by the economic climate at the start of their assignment. Additionally, it was discovered that businesses that have their financial reports audited by auditors during a recession are less inclined to do so. Our study supported prior research on a range of demographics, including economists, scientists, attorneys, investment bankers, and corporate executives, by demonstrating that the early career stage is a crucial era for auditors' formative development. Our findings may have wide-ranging repercussions for the auditing industry. Our findings imply that there may be a dearth of skeptic auditors in a region following extended periods of economic expansion. Our research serves as a first step in the direction of a deeper comprehension of the formation and recruitment of auditors in the labor market

EFFECT OF PULSED GALVANIC ELECTRO STIMULATION AND ULTRASUONBD ON BURN HEALING. A RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIALS

The goal of this study is to evaluate the effect of pulsed galvanic electro stimulation of high voltage and ultrasound on the healing of induced burn applied on rats. 48 rats (Sprague Dawley), mass between 300g and 400g, age between 3 months and 4 months. These rats are putted and the same experimental conditions of alimentation and hygiene. Rats are divided into 3 groups of 16 rats each. Each rat was induced to a uniform burn of second degree by a specific device fabricated specially to this study. Group ES undergoes a treatment of electro stimulation by a pulsed galvanic current of high voltage for 10 min daily during 2 weeks. Group US undergoes a treatment of pulsed ultrasound of 1w/cm² for 2 minutes daily during 2 weeks Group control GC undergoes placebo treatment. Measure are done by digital camera, results are analyzed by specific program (AutoCad) on computer. Wound healing between the three groups are different and statistical tests ( T-tests and ANOVA) done between the two groups US and GC show no significant difference in the reduction of the surface of healing between them (α˃0.05), whereas the comparison between ES group and the two others group was significant (α˂0.05). At the end of the second week of treatment, the best healing was presented in ES group where the wound was healed by 61.4 % whereas the groups GC and US were 11.9 % and 14.9 % respectively. Therefore the ES group have the best results between than others groups (GC and US)

Comparison of Inhibitory Effect of Curcumin Nanoparticles and Free Curcumin in Human Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase Gene Expression in Breast Cancer

Purpose: Telomerase is expressed in most cancers, including breast cancer. Curcumin, a polyphenolic compound that obtained from the herb of Curcuma longa, has many anticancer effects. But, its effect is low due to poor water solubility. In order to improve its solubility and drug delivery, we have utilized a β-cyclodextrin-curcumin inclusion complex. Methods: To evaluate cytotoxic effects of cyclodextrin-curcumin and free curcumin, MTT assay was done. Cells were treated with equal concentration of cyclodextrin-curcumin and free curcumin. Telomerase gene expression level in two groups was compared by Real-time PCR. Results: MTT assay demonstrated that β-cyclodextrin-curcumin enhanced curcumin delivery in T47D breast cancer cells. The level of telomerase gene expression in cells treated with cyclodextrin-curcumin was lower than that of cells treated with free curcumin (P=0.001). Conclusion: Results are suggesting that cyclodextrin-curcumin complex can be more effective than free curcumin in inhibition of telomerase expression

Low-profile Flexible Perovskite based Millimetre Wave Antenna

This paper presents the potential of perovskite antenna in the millimeter band. New materials have been developed to obtain suitable chemical characteristics to offer several advantages including simple structure, high operating bandwidth, high gain, compact and low-profile antennas in the millimeter range. The performance of antennas fabricated using these materials is analyzed here. Simulated results of the antenna prototype show a wide bandwidth of 26-33 GHz. Moreover, simulation evaluation of peak gain of the antenna is 1.443 dB at 28.8 GHz. Low efficiency of 45% in the range of operation presents as the main drawback of this design. The analysis is further extended to examine the impact of different flexible substrate materials. The thickness of the patch is also examined to optimize the antenna radiation performance

Contextual Beamforming: Exploiting Location and AI for Enhanced Wireless Telecommunication Performance

The pervasive nature of wireless telecommunication has made it the foundation for mainstream technologies like automation, smart vehicles, virtual reality, and unmanned aerial vehicles. As these technologies experience widespread adoption in our daily lives, ensuring the reliable performance of cellular networks in mobile scenarios has become a paramount challenge. Beamforming, an integral component of modern mobile networks, enables spatial selectivity and improves network quality. However, many beamforming techniques are iterative, introducing unwanted latency to the system. In recent times, there has been a growing interest in leveraging mobile users' location information to expedite beamforming processes. This paper explores the concept of contextual beamforming, discussing its advantages, disadvantages and implications. Notably, the study presents an impressive 53% improvement in signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) by implementing the adaptive beamforming (MRT) algorithm compared to scenarios without beamforming. It further elucidates how MRT contributes to contextual beamforming. The importance of localization in implementing contextual beamforming is also examined. Additionally, the paper delves into the use of artificial intelligence schemes, including machine learning and deep learning, in implementing contextual beamforming techniques that leverage user location information. Based on the comprehensive review, the results suggest that the combination of MRT and Zero forcing (ZF) techniques, alongside deep neural networks (DNN) employing Bayesian Optimization (BO), represents the most promising approach for contextual beamforming. Furthermore, the study discusses the future potential of programmable switches, such as Tofino, in enabling location-aware beamforming

Effect of global postural correction exercises on stress urinary incontinence during pregnancy: A randomized controlled trial

Background: One of the many consequences of pregnancy that may negatively affect a woman’s quality of life is stress urinary incontinence caused by activities of daily living especially those associated with increased intraabdominal pressure. Objective: This research aimed to explore the impact of global postural correction exercises on stress urinary incontinence among pregnant women. Participants and Methodology: Forty primigravida female at their third trimester (aged between 26–36 years), with a single fetus, diagnosed with stress urinary incontinence take part in the research. Participants were assigned randomly into two groups: Study group (group A; n = 20) and control group (group B; n = 20). The participants were tested twice, before and after a 12-week period, during which group A received global postural correction exercises in addition to Kegel exercises, while group B performed only Kegel exercises. A perineometer was used to evaluate the change in vaginal squeeze pressure both before and after conducting the study. UDI-6 was utilized to assess changes in incontinence severity symptoms. Results: Findings revealed a significant increase in the mean value of vaginal squeeze pressure (p < .05) in the post-test condition in comparison to the pre-test in both groups A and B. Additionally, there was a main decrease (p < .05) in the mean value of UDI-6 in both groups. Moreover, findings showed a significant negative (inverse) correlation (p < .05) between the difference in vaginal squeeze pressure and the UDI-6 in all patients. Conclusions: Postural correction exercises in addition to Kegel exercises are effective in reducing urine leakage in women with stress urinary incontinence and should be an integral part of the management of such condition

Is spinopelvic sagittal alignment correlated with pain level, functional disability and frontal plane projection angle in women with patellofemoral pain syndrome? A cross-sectional study

There is a growing interest concerning the understanding of measurements of spinal and leg alignment in patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS). However, evaluating spinopelvic alignment in the sagittal plane with pain level, functional disability and frontal plane projection angle (FPPA) in PFPS has not been adequately addressed. The aim of the study was to identify the correlation of spinopelvic parameters with pain level, functional disability and frontal plane projection angle in women with PFPS. This was a cross–sectional study involving sixty female patients diagnosed with PEPS, with a mean age of 32±6.47. The measurements used in the study included: radiographic parameters (X-Ray), the numeric pain rating scale (NPRS), the Arabic anterior knee pain scale (AAKP/Kujala) and the 2D-FPPA. Spearman correlation analysis was conducted to evaluate the relationship between these parameters. The results of our study demonstrated a strong positive correlation of lumbar lordosis (LL) with pain level and FPPA (r=0.825, r=0.812, p=0.0001). Also, a strong positive correlation of sacral slope (SS) with pain level (r = 0.0.820) and FPPA (r= 0.783). Pelvic tilt (PT) showed a moderate correlation with pain level (r = 0.0.614) and FPPA (r= 0.605), while a weak negative correlation was found between LL, SS and PT and functional disability score (r=-0.397, r=-0.385 and, r=-0.215 p=0.002). It was concluded that LL, SS and PT were significantly related to the pain level, functional disability and frontal plane projection angle in women with PFPS. These spinal alignments should be considered in clinical evaluation of knee-related disorders associated with PFPS