On Fuzzy Matroids

The aim of this paper is to discuss properties of fuzzy regular-flats, fuzzy C- flats, fuzzy alternative-sets and fuzzy i-flats. Moreover, we characterize some peculiar fuzzy matroids via these notions. Finally, we provide a decomposition of fuzzy strong maps

Using Video Games For Decreasing Pain Caused By Acute Painful Crisis In Adolescents With Sickle Cell Pain

Purpose: The most common symptom of sickle cell disease is pain, which occurs as the cells clump compromising further blood flow to distal organs. Despite the advancement in pain management, many children and adolescents\u27 pain remains under treated. The purpose of this study is measure the effectiveness of a videogame as a developmentally appropriate non-pharmacological modality on pain in adolescents 12-21 years of age with sickle cell crisis. Methods: A one-group repeated measure quasi-experimental design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of using videogames on pain in a sample of adolescents 12-21 years of age. Using a repeated measures design permits intensive scrutiny of within-patient variability. Quasi-experimental study designs have been developed to provide alternative means of examining causality in situations not conducive to experimental controls. A sample of 30 hospitalized adolescents (12-21 years of age) diagnosed with sickle cell disease pain were enrolled. Recruitment of participants was undertaken at University of Illinois Children\u27s Hospital and Advocate Children\u27s Hospital. Results: The Cronbach\u27s alpha coefficient for the 19-item in level of engagement instrument was 0.82. The presence self-assessment manikin scores selected by participants after playing the videogame were 63.3% for the score of 1, 26.7% for the score of 2 and 3.3% for the scores of 3, 5 and 6. The decrease in pain level from baseline to after playing the videogame was statistically significant (F = 29.28, p \u3c 0.0001). Additionally, the decrease in pain level from each time point and the adjacent time point was statistically significant; pain 0 minute vs pain 15 minutes (p \u3c0.0001), pain 15 minutes vs pain 30 minutes (p \u3c0.0001) and pain 30 minutes vs pain 45 minutes (p \u3c0.006). Although the data analysis did not yield statistically significant results, an inverse relationship has been found between the levels of pain and engagement. Conclusion: Results from this study were consistent with prior literature that used similar technologies with different populations such as burn care, painful medical procedures and cancer pain. The use of videogames as a distraction modality has been proven to show positive and significant results in the treatment of acute pain. Results from this study show promising findings related to pain management that can be more accessible to adolescents with sickle cell pain at home and in the hospital setting

Self organising cloud cells: a resource efficient network densification strategy

Network densification is envisioned as the key enabler for 2020 vision that requires cellular systems to grow in capacity by hundreds of times to cope with unprecedented traffic growth trends being witnessed since advent of broadband on the move. However, increased energy consumption and complex mobility management associated with network densifications remain as the two main challenges to be addressed before further network densification can be exploited on a wide scale. In the wake of these challenges, this paper proposes and evaluates a novel dense network deployment strategy for increasing the capacity of future cellular systems without sacrificing energy efficiency and compromising mobility performance. Our deployment architecture consists of smart small cells, called cloud nodes, which provide data coverage to individual users on a demand bases while taking into account the spatial and temporal dynamics of user mobility and traffic. The decision to activate the cloud nodes, such that certain performance objectives at system level are targeted, is carried out by the overlaying macrocell based on a fuzzy-logic framework. We also compare the proposed architecture with conventional macrocell only deployment and pure microcell-based dense deployment in terms of blocking probability, handover probability and energy efficiency and discuss and quantify the trade-offs therein

Gravitational Properties of the Proca Field

We study various properties of a Proca field coupled to gravity through minimal and quadrupole interactions, described by a two-parameter family of Lagrangians. St\"uckelberg decomposition of the effective theory spells out its model-dependent ultraviolet cutoff, parametrically larger than the Proca mass. We present pp-wave solutions that the model admits, consider linear fluctuations on such backgrounds, and thereby constrain the parameter space of the theory by requiring null-energy condition and the absence of negative time delays in high-energy scattering. We briefly discuss the positivity constraints$-$derived from unitarity and analyticity of scattering amplitudes$-$that become ineffective in this regard.Comment: 23 pages, revised positivity-bound analysis, references adde

The Impact of Applying the Target Cost Approach on Products' Structure (Products Pricing, Development and Quality)

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the effect of applying the target cost approach on product structure in industrial public shareholding companies in Jordan.   Theoretical framework: The purpose of  applying  target cost approach on products' structure (products pricing, development and quality) and it is  ability  to  reduce  costs  and  improvements  that  can  be  obtained  in  the  process  of applying  target cost approach. Numerous research  related  to  applying  target cost approach  have  been  conducted,  with  the  majority  focusing  on large  companies. However, Jordanian industrial companies have limitations compared to large companies. Repairability is considered for cost optimization.   Design/methodology/approach: The study uses the analytical approach through the study tool (Questionnaire). The study population consisted of Jordanian industrial companies, which reached (56) companies in 2022, according to the monthly statistical periodical of the Amman Stock Exchange (ASE). A sample of (42) companies was selected, and the questionnaire was distributed to (The Financial Manager, Production Manager, Sales Manager, and Accountant) for each company. The number of questionnaires approved for statistical analysis was (130), representing (77%) of the distributed questionnaires. This study uses different tests to analyze the data and extract results related to the statistical methods, i.e., the descriptive statistic, Cronbach's Alpha Equation, Pearson's Correlation Coefficient, and Simple Linear Regression Analysis.   Findings: The study found that there is a strong relationship between the target cost approach and the product structure, with the existence of a statistically-significant effect, whereas the correlation coefficient value reached (0.808); thus, the target cost approach contributes to developing products and improving profitability through focusing on the analysis process of the possibilities of product success, before allocating the productive resources thereof. It has also contributed to reducing the cost during the production stages from its beginning while maintaining the products' quality, and it also leads to increasing sales volume through the pricing mechanism based on the target cost. Through the answers of the study sample individuals, it is pointed out that the arithmetic mean of the target cost approach is high, as it reached (3.77) and the standard deviation is (0.57), as well as the arithmetic means of the products' structure is high, as the pricing element came in the first class, with arithmetic means of (3.86) and standard deviation of (0.51), then the development element came in the second class, with arithmetic means of (3.78) and standard deviation of (0.58), whereas the quality element came in the third-class, with arithmetic means of (3.75) and standard deviation of (0.53). The results of the regression analysis also indicate that there is a statistically significant effect of the target cost approach on the quality of products, with (R²) (46.3%) which represents the proportion of explanation in the variance of the dependent variable. The findings of the study highlighted that there is a statistically-significant effect of the target cost approach in product development with (R²) with (37.5%) which indicates that the target cost explains (37.5%) of the difference in the product development. The results also indicate that there is a statistically significant effect of the target cost approach in product pricing with R) value indicating a high-strength correlation between the target cost approach and product pricing, which is (0.812).   Research Practical implications: It is necessary to pay attention to qualifying workers by developing programs that deal profoundly with the approachs and modern systems of costs, such as the target cost system and the value chain as these approachs and accounting systems will be intensively adopted in the future for their outstanding role in developing product performance, Pricing and improving its quality.   Originality/value: The study recommended that it is necessary to develop successful products and price them based on the target cost by balancing the company's ability and customers' needs, as well as using methods that lead to consistency and harmony between products' quality and customers' expectations. The study also recommended focusing on qualifying workers by developing programs that profoundly tackle the approaches and modern systems of costs, such as the target costing syste

Antibiotic resistance profile of local thermophilic Bacillus licheniformis isolated from Maysan province soil

The key concern for public health is that bacterial strains isolated from various ecosystems are immune to antibiotics used in human medicine, thus dramatically limiting therapeutic options and threatening the lives of infected people. The present study aims to reveal the antibiotics profile of fiftysix isolates of local thermophilic Bacillus licheniformis isolated from different environmental soil sites in Maysan city, Iraq. The antimicrobial agent resistance profile of B. licheniformis isolates was performed using the disc diffusion assay according to Kirby-Bauer susceptibility test protocol. The results showed that isolates were resistance against cefepime (n=56; 100%), amoxicillin (n=13; 23.3%) and ampicillin (n=52; 92.9%); and intermediate (n=56; 100%) against cephalothin and naldixic acid. The percentage resistance was low for aztreonam (n=4; 7%), chloramphenicol (n=3; 5%), clotrimazole (n=6; 10%), novobiocin (n=2; 3.5%) and ticarcillin (n=3; 5%). On the other hand, all isolates were sensitive (n=56; 100%) towards the following antibiotics: amikacin, ceftazidime, ciprofloxacin, clindamycin, imipenem, netilmycin, gentamicin, nitrofurantion, rifampin, trimethoprim and vancomycin. The results of this study suggest that the Iraqi thermophilic B. licheniformis isolates are variable in their susceptibility towards the standards antimicrobial agents. Furthermore, the presence of cefepime, amoxicillin, ampicillin, cephalothin and naldixic resistant isolates of B. licheniformis in Iraqi soils is of concern about how resistance could spread to other bacteria, and ultimately to humans.The key concern for public health is that bacterial strains isolated from various ecosystems are immune to antibiotics used in human medicine, thus dramatically limiting therapeutic options and threatening the lives of infected people. The present study aims to reveal the antibiotics profile of fiftysix isolates of local thermophilic Bacillus licheniformis isolated from different environmental soil sites in Maysan city, Iraq. The antimicrobial agent resistance profile of B. licheniformis isolates was performed using the disc diffusion assay according to Kirby-Bauer susceptibility test protocol. The results showed that isolates were resistance against cefepime (n=56; 100%), amoxicillin (n=13; 23.3%) and ampicillin (n=52; 92.9%); and intermediate (n=56; 100%) against cephalothin and naldixic acid. The percentage resistance was low for aztreonam (n=4; 7%), chloramphenicol (n=3; 5%), clotrimazole (n=6; 10%), novobiocin (n=2; 3.5%) and ticarcillin (n=3; 5%). On the other hand, all isolates were sensitive (n=56; 100%) towards the following antibiotics: amikacin, ceftazidime, ciprofloxacin, clindamycin, imipenem, netilmycin, gentamicin, nitrofurantion, rifampin, trimethoprim and vancomycin. The results of this study suggest that the Iraqi thermophilic B. licheniformis isolates are variable in their susceptibility towards the standards antimicrobial agents. Furthermore, the presence of cefepime, amoxicillin, ampicillin, cephalothin and naldixic resistant isolates of B. licheniformis in Iraqi soils is of concern about how resistance could spread to other bacteria, and ultimately to humans

Disability Policy and Wheelchair Users’ Accessibility in Jordan

The main purpose of this article was to evaluate wheelchair users’ access to public buildings in Jordan. The key assumption was that accessibility to public buildings in Jordan did not meet the needs of wheelchair users. Field observation method was applied using the accessibility checklist of Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) as a tool to collect data from a randomly selected sample of 30 buildings in Amman city. Quantitative analysis was used and results show that the average level of accessibility compliance of the surveyed buildings was too low (23%) to meet the needs of wheelchair users. The study concluded that little progress has actually been achieved in terms of environmental accessibility, which implies that Jordan’s disability policy was not successful in creating accessible environments in which wheelchair users’ equal rights of access to education, employment and basic services is guaranteed. The conclusion also sends a clear message to professionals and decision makers that despite the existence of disability legislation, wheelchair users are still facing physical and social barriers that prohibit their access to public buildings. In other words, law without recognition of the rights of people with disabilities tends to become ineffective

Performance of Teaching and Learning Technology Internship Students as Perceived by Their Trainers

The purpose of this descriptive study is to evaluate the performance of teaching and learning technology students of the College of Education, Sultan Qaboos University during their internship experience. Trainers of the interns rated them on 15 items of performance as displayed in the questionnaire of the study. The internal consistency of the questionnaire was significantly high (.96). It was observed that the general level of performance of the interns was high (a mean of 4.40 out of 5) and the ratings of the individual items of performance ranged from 4.04 to 4.59. However, no gender significant differences were observed in the global ratings of males and females. Apart from this, it was found that 2014 cohort interns performed better than earlier cohorts (before 2014).  The study reveals other significant findings such as location of internship (public or private sector) did not affect performance of interns. Similarly, type of institution (educational or non-educational) was not a significant factor of performance, however, interns in non-educational institutions performed better (though not significantly) than interns in educational institutions). Interns with higher GPAs outperformed their colleagues with lower GPAs. Keywords: Internship evaluation, supervisors’ ratings of interns, teaching and learning technolog

X chromosome as a polarising signal in asymmetric cell division

In the nematode genus of Auanema, sex is determined by X chromosome dosage, females and self-fertilising hermaphrodites are XX and males are XO. Surprisingly, cross between XX female and XO male results in mostly XX progeny. This occurs because males only produce one functional sperm bearing an X chromosome, whereas nullo-X sperm is discarded. The exclusive formation of X-bearing sperm by males is attributed to the asymmetric segregation of essential sperm components, necessary for sperm function and motility, with the X chromosome. Whereas non-essential cytoplasmic materials (e.g., Golgi complex, ribosomes) disposed of in the nullo-X cell that takes the role of a residual body. This unique system permits easy-to-score phenotype on the organismal level to study asymmetric cell division; because the sex ratio of a cross-progeny can be used to monitor the type of divisions occurring during male spermatogenesis. Here I report that during Auanema spermatogenesis, the X chromosome acts as a polarising signal for sperm components to segregate with the cell inheriting the X chromosome. Sperm components also segregate with the X chromosomes in other A. rhodensis spermatogenesis models. During the spermatogenesis of A. rhodensis XX hermaphrodites, sperm components segregate to the cell inheriting the X chromosome. Similarly, I identified that during the spermatogenesis of A. rhodensis masculiniser mutant Arh-mas-1 (Genetically XX but with a male morphology), sperm components co-segregate with X chromosomes in asymmetric division or equally with X chromosomes to both daughter cells in symmetric division. I demonstrated that shuffling X chromosome haplotype blocks in A. freiburgensis RIAILs from two strains with different genetic background resulted in a new transgressive phenotype. Where, males from RIAILs produced a high number of males, due to their ability to form a functional nullo-X sperm. Genetic mapping using BSA analysis identified four candidate regions on the X chromosome involved in the spatial localisation of cytoplasmic components. Those findings led to hypothesised that interaction between a group of polygenes on the X chromosome in Auanema polarises sperm components to segregate with the X chromosome. Mechanisms describing how intrinsic factors regulate cell polarity are poorly understood, mostly because it is difficult to establish in the absence of extrinsic factors influence. Here, I present a novel mechanism for an intrinsic polarisation of asymmetrically dividing cells initiated by the X chromosome