Bitcoin in the BRICS: A Decade of Adoption and Economic Impact

The Bitcoin market has expanded its wings and overshadowed the globe at a remarkable speed over its short span of time. Introduced in 2008, this financial innovation possesses properties of both, a currency as well as an asset. Over the past decade, BRICS i.e. Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa is playing an increasingly important role in the global economy. Seeking the growing prominence of Bitcoin, the present study aims at exploring its status of Bitcoin in the BRICS nations. Using the secondary data of Google Trend time series, Google Trend country interest point and Bitcoin core software download, its status in BRICS nations is analysed. The findings imply that amongst the BRICS, China and Russia are the economies which are highly embracing this new fintech innovation. This financial mechanism can facilitate increased free flow of capital and international trade, thus,integrating the international financial market to ensure sustainable development of BRICS.&nbsp

Policy Review and Recommendation for Secondary Education NP-Led Clinics in the Southeastern United States

Secondary-level education involves adolescent children aged 11-12 years to 18-19 with unique healthcare needs. Their healthcare is of significant importance as they are transitioning to adulthood, and a majority of them lack access to primary healthcare needs. Advanced Practice Registered Nurses/Nurse Practitioners (APRNs/NPs) provide high-quality, cost-effective, and evidence-based care to people across the lifespan, and there is minimal utilization of their services in meeting the primary care needs of adolescents at the secondary school level. The purpose of the policy project was to determine if current policies and practices related to school health services in three southeastern states of the United States are achieving the primary healthcare goals of adolescents and to make recommendations for policy revisions. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Policy Process (POLARIS) framework and the Johns Hopkins Evidence-Based Practice for Nurses and Healthcare Professionals Model (JHNEBP) were used to appraise literature and to guide policy evaluation. The review included the best practice recommendations from CDC, HHS, and School-Based Health Alliance (SBHA). The themes include SBHCs as a proven and accepted strategy, sponsorship for SBHCs, staffing structure for School-based health centers (SBHCs), Nurse practitioners as providers, the reproductive and sexual health of adolescents, the mental health of adolescents, and healthcare delivery models. School health services are provided through either traditional school health services with school nurses or SBHCs or in combination in all these three states and are at different stages. Based on the findings, policy briefs are developed for each of the three states to include Nurse Practitioners as primary healthcare providers

DHFormer: A Vision Transformer-Based Attention Module for Image Dehazing

Images acquired in hazy conditions have degradations induced in them. Dehazing such images is a vexed and ill-posed problem. Scores of prior-based and learning-based approaches have been proposed to mitigate the effect of haze and generate haze-free images. Many conventional methods are constrained by their lack of awareness regarding scene depth and their incapacity to capture long-range dependencies. In this paper, a method that uses residual learning and vision transformers in an attention module is proposed. It essentially comprises two networks: In the first one, the network takes the ratio of a hazy image and the approximated transmission matrix to estimate a residual map. The second network takes this residual image as input and passes it through convolution layers before superposing it on the generated feature maps. It is then passed through global context and depth-aware transformer encoders to obtain channel attention. The attention module then infers the spatial attention map before generating the final haze-free image. Experimental results, including several quantitative metrics, demonstrate the efficiency and scalability of the suggested methodology

Effectiveness of concentration enhancement activity on attention and concentration among school age children

Attention is the concentrated direction of the mind, especially to a problem or task. Concentration is the ability to keep one’s attention on a particular object or domain. We use our attention and concentration skills every day, often with little effort and without really noticing them. Attention and concentration cause problems with everything from maths test to social relationships to motivation for learning. In order to function effectively, one needs to be able to concentrate on and pay attention to the task at hand. A study was conducted to assess the effectiveness of concentration enhancement activity on attention and concentration among school age children. The hypothesis formulated was that there is a significant association between concentration enhancement activity on attention and concentration among school age children. The review of literature included studies which provided a strong foundation for the study including the basis for conceptual framework and formation of tool. The research design used for this study was pre experimental one group pre test post test design. It was carried out with 30 samples those who fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Purposive sampling technique was used to select the sample. A modified attention profile and card game was used to assess the pre test and post test level of attention and concentration. Concentration enhancement activity was conducted for the duration of 30 minutes for six days. The post test was assessed on seventh day by using same tool. The analysis revealed that the pre test level of attention mean score was 29.83 with the standard deviation of 6.73 and the post test level of attention mean score was 18.53 with standard deviation of 5.14. The pre test level of concentration mean score was 21.57 with standard deviation of 4.78 and post test level of concentration mean score was 13.83 with standard deviation of 3.60. The paired‘t’ test value of attention was 9.72 and concentration was 6.71 which showed very high significant at the level of p<0.001. The Karl Pearson correlation coefficient value of r = 0.56 at the level of p<0.01 which showed moderate correlation between post test level of attention and concentration among school age children. Hence it indicates the effectiveness of concentration enhancement activity on attention and concentration among school age children. So the research hypothesis was accepted for the study

Reliability of Clinical Evaluators of Spasticity in Patients with Stroke

Spasticity is characterized by hyperexcitable stretch reflexes with amplitude increases in response to velocity dependent passive movement and resistance. Spasticity is the result of abnormal function of segmental and suprasegmental neuronal circuits. The objective of this study was to determine any positive correlation between three clinical evaluators of spasticity (i.e., the pendulum test, the patellar tendon tap test (PTT), and the Modified Ashworth scale) in their reliability to assess spasticity in people post-stroke. It was hypothesized that the use of force movement sensors along with surface electromyography increases the reliability of the standardized clinical tests. The results show that all three clinical tests detected spasticity. However, the pendulum and the patella tendon tap tests were more reliable and sensitive than the Modified Ashworth scale in detecting the varying levels of spasticity in post-stroke subjects. These tests should be used in the clinical setting along with force-movement sensors in order to measure spasticity more accurately

Job Hopping Behavior in the Upstream Sector of Oil and Gas Industry in Malaysia

Purpose: The research aims to identify what contributes to the job-hopping behavior to the mentioned industry within Malaysia’s workforce.   Theoretical reference: The study employs Social Exchange Theory (SET) to investigate job-hopping behavior in Malaysia's upstream oil and gas sector. It explores the impact of remuneration packages, career advancement opportunities, and learning development on employees' intentions to change jobs. SET helps understand how self-interest and cost-benefit analyses influence this behavior.   Method: The study took a quantitative and cross-sectional approach, whereby the research tools were derived from numerous previous studies. Primary knowledge on job-hopping behavior was obtained based on input collected from research surveys. The data allows us to establish the relationship between job hopping behavior and the independent variables identified.   Results and Conclusion: The investigation of this study discovered that the three hypotheses offered have a significant relationship of the job-hopping behaviors with remuneration package, career advancement and leaning development.   Implications of research: This study provides insight for employers and academic researchers in understanding correlation of each determinant that leads to employees’ job-hopping behavior, which could also benefit in future research in both business and academic areas.   Originality/Value: This study's originality stems from its targeted investigation into job-hopping behavior within a specific Malaysian industry. It builds upon established theories and prior research to provide a solid theoretical foundation. Using a quantitative, cross-sectional approach and drawing from previous studies, it brings methodological rigor to the examination of job-hopping behavior. The study's key original contribution lies in its findings, which establish significant relationships between job-hopping and factors like remuneration packages, career advancement, and learning development. These findings offer practical insights for employers in the industry and provide a basis for future research in both business and academic contexts

Perception of a Social Work Trainee Towards Children with Disabilities

Any impairment that is cognitive, developmental, intellectual, mental, sensory and physical or a combination of these is defined as a disability. It is a wide term that covers impairments, participation restrictions and activity limitations. A disability is not necessarily a health problem alone. According to the World Health Organization, ‘it is a complex phenomenon reflecting the interaction between features of a person’s body and features of the society in which he or she lives’. According to a recent study by the World Health Organization, 15% of the population in the world lives with some or another form of disability. The percentage has risen since the last census in 1970. In a Census taken in the year 2000, it was found that 21 million people in India have some kind of disability. This is almost 2.1 % of the Indian population. Out of a 2.1 %, 1% were visual impaired, 0.2% were speech impaired, 0.1% were hearing impaired, 0.6% had loco motor disability and 0.2 % were mentally impaired. Tamil Nadu was found to have the highest number of disabled females than males. Mortality rates of children with disabilities was found to be 80% by the UN Enable. Estimates say that in India, 12 million children were found to be living with some form of disability. Children with disabilities are either shunned or frowned upon by society. Impairments such as learning disability are ignored or disregarded. This can lead to emotional and social interaction problems among children with disabilities. Various factors lead to disabilities among children, they can occur before birth, at the time of birth, after birth, due to some form of accidents, malnutrition, hereditary factors, infectious diseases and so forth. The present paper attempts to portray the various problems experienced by children with disabilities. The paper also explains social work interventions such as case work and group work. Keywords: Disability, Case work, Group wor

Effectiveness of continuous support on level of pain perception during child birth among primiparturient mothers

Every person‟s appreciation of pain is different and what one person can accept another may find extremely painful. Labour is almost an overwhelming experience because it involves sensations and emotions at such an intense level. The purpose of continuous support is to make labour safe, comfortable and effective. Research has shown that social support reduces a woman‟s need for pain killing drugs, medical interventions in labour. As continuous support found to improve the pain tolerance and emotional wellbeing, the investigator decided to take up a study to assess the effectiveness of continuous support on level of pain perception during childbirth among primi parturient mothers. The objective of the study was to assess the level of pain perception among primi parturient mothers during childbirth before and after continuous support in experimental and control group. The investigator adopted Modified Weidenbach‟s Helping Art Theory (1964) as the conceptual framework for the study. Quasi experimental research design was used and the formal consent was obtained from PPK Hospital and the investigator selected 60 samples using Non-Probability Purposive Sampling technique and who are fulfilling the inclusive criteria were selected as a samples both in experimental and control group. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. Analysis of demographic variables was done in terms of frequency and percentage distribution. Comparison of pretest and post test level of pain perception was done by using central tendency such as mean, standard deviation and t-test techniques. Association of post test level of pain perception with demographic variables was done by using chi-square test. The findings concluded that in the pretest, in experimental group, majority 30(100%) had excruciating pain and in control group, majority 28(93.3%) had severe pain In the experimental group, the pretest level of pain score was 8.98 with standard deviation 056 and the post test mean score was 5.57 with standard deviation 0.47. The calculated „t‟ value of 24.96 was statistically highly significant at P<0.001 level Thus the null hypothesis H01 stated that there is no significant difference between the pre test and 12 post test level of pain perception among primi parturient mothers in experimental group after continuous support was rejected. In the experimental group, the post test level of mean pain score was 5.57 with standard deviation 0.47 and in the control group the post test mean score was 9.09 with standard deviation 0.38 The calculated „t‟ value of 31.88 was statistically highly significant at P<0.001 level indicating that there was significant difference in the post test level of pain perception between experimental and control group. Hence the null hypothesis H02 stated that there is no difference In the level of pain perception among the primi parturient mothers between experimental group and control group was rejected. Hence the Nurse Midwife can provide continuous support for the mothers during labour which would be effective and gives better outcomes

NECESIDAD DE TRATAMIENTO PERIODONTAL EN LA COMUNIDAD DE PACIENTES DIABÉTICOS SEGÚN SEXO Y EDAD, DEL HOSPITAL HONORIO DELGADO, AREQUIPA – 2013

LA ENFERMEDAD PERIODONTAL DEFINICIÓN DE ENFERMEDAD PERIODONTAL ETIOLOGÍA DE LA ENFERMEDAD PERIODONTAL CLASIFICACIÓN DE LA ENFERMEDAD PERIODONTAL USO DE ÍNDICES CLÍNICOS LA DIABETES MELLITU