Existence Results for Some Damped Second-Order Volterra Integro-Differential Equations

In this paper we make a subtle use of operator theory techniques and the well-known Schauder fixed-point principle to establish the existence of pseudo-almost automorphic solutions to some second-order damped integro-differential equations with pseudo-almost automorphic coefficients. In order to illustrate our main results, we will study the existence of pseudo-almost automorphic solutions to a structurally damped plate-like boundary value problem.Comment: 20 pages. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1402.563

Psychotherapist competency in chronic disease management: Arabic version validity and reliability indicators

Background The Psychotherapist Competence Scale for People with Chronic Illnesses\u27 psychometric features assess psychotherapists\u27 capacity to support chronically sick patients. Objectives This study sought to This study examined the psychometric characteristics, validity, and reliability of the Arabic Psychotherapist Competence Scale for Chronic Illnesses. To fit the research context, scale items were translated into Arabic. Methods: The Psychotherapist Competence Scale developed Cox et al. (2019)On a sample of (329) respondents from psychologists who work with sensitive groups in the community. Results: An exploratory component analysis identified four characteristics of the psychotherapist\u27s competence scale for chronic disease patients: relational competence, therapeutic competence, communication efficacy, and diagnostic skills. Factor 1 has the highest dimensions (0.835), (0.688), (0.543), showing significant shared consistency. Factor 2 associated (0.734), (0.673), (0.613) shows a psychological aspect. Factor 3 had an abnormally high loading (1.014), while factor 4 was (0.778), (0.578), (0.563). The four components accounted 39.1% of the variance, with factor 1 explaining 12.37%, factor 2 11.16%, factor 3 9.28%, and factor 4 6.28%, suggesting model improvement. Overall, the model fit was good, with RMSEA = 0.0655 (90% CI: 0.0565 - 0.0749), TLI = 0.830, and CFI = 0.823. However, TLI < 0.90 shows room for improvement. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) value of 0.816 validated sample adequacy, whereas Bartlett\u27s test (χ² = 1970, df = 210, p < 0.001) supported factor analysis. The connections between components 1, 2, and 3 were moderate, but factor 4 was mostly independent. The reliability analysis showed good internal consistency, with Cronbach\u27s alpha 0.678–0.798 and McDonald\u27s Omega-3 0.895. The scale is valid and dependable, according to the results. Conclusion: Psychometric features make the Therapist competency Scale for People with Chronic Illness reliable and relevant for assessing therapist competency. This improves psychosocial interventions and chronic illness care

COVID-19: Today's Ambiguity, Tomorrow's Uncertainty and After Tomorrow's Questions

Guest Comment by Prof. Dr Hamid Yahya Hussain on the COVID-19 Pandemi

Indonesian Demand for Online Shopping: Revisited

Introduction/Main Objectives: This study aims to analyze the factors that influence online shopping. Data are aggregated at the national, island, and regional levels. The regions are categorized based on their level of demand for online shopping. Background Problems: The rapid development of information and communications technology contributes to the transformation of the digital economy. By using 281,185 internet users from the National Households Survey (Survei Sosial Ekonomi-Susenas) 2017 data, we found that the percentage of online shopping in Indonesia is 7.59%. Online shopping is concentrated on the island of Java, especially in the Greater Jakarta area (Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, and Bekasi). Novelty: This study analyzes online shopping from the point of view of economic development studies, especially related to the development of information technology and the digital economy. Research Methods: We used a binary logistic regression analysis to assess the effect of demographic, socio-economic, and spatial factors on an individual’s decision to shop online. Finding/Results: The results indicate that individuals who have a greater tendency to shop online are those who have a high income, are women, can access the internet using mobile phones, they are the spouses of the heads of households, are 25 to30 years old, live in urban areas, have graduated from college (especially with a diploma), and work in the tertiary sector. The higher that the share of online shopping is in an area, the more intense the influence of individual characteristics will be on the tendency to shop online, according to the demographic and socio-economic factors, while the spatial factors will fade away. Conclusion: Income, gender, internet access, and the shopper’s position in the household are factors that significantly influence individuals to shop online

INFORMATION NEEDS OF, AND USE BY MAIZE FARMERS FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF MAIZE PRODUCTION IN KADUNA STATE

This study explores the information needs, purposes, satisfaction levels, and strategies used to improve maize production in Kaduna State. Quantitative research method, using cross-sectional survey design was adopted. Population of the study comprises 110,550 maize farmers. A sample of (365) respondents were drawn based on Morgan 1970 formulae. Data was collected using structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics using frequency counts and percentages ware used to analyze the data, focusing on demographic variables, types of information required, purpose for seeking information, satisfaction levels with available resources, and strategies employed to improve maize production in Kaduna state. Findings revealed that farmers primarily seek information on seed variety selection, pest and disease management, fertilizer application, market trends, and harvesting techniques. They seek information for many purposes such as for best agricultural practices, crop rotation, and pest control use to help optimize maize production. However, the strategies used to improve maize production are the adoption of improved seed varieties, soil management, use of technology, post-harvest handling, access to credit and market, and community and knowledge sharing. Despite the critical role of information in optimizing maize production, the study highlights the absence of organised information systems and resources tailored to farmers\u27 needs. Recommendations include establishing accessible agricultural information centers and conducting awareness programmes to enhance farmers\u27 engagement with information services. Addressing these challenges is essential for promoting sustainable agricultural practices and improving maize production outcomes in Kaduna State

Assessment of Water Quality and Trophic Status of Duhok Lake Dam

This study is conducted in order to, investigate the trophic state of Duhok Lake Dam located within Duhok city, Iraq. Water samples are collected seasonally from three monitored sites during 2011. The parameters used for assessing water quality and trophic status level include: water temperature, pH, EC, TDS, DO, BOD5, nutrients, Secchi disk transparency, and chlorophyll a. The results reveal that DO is above 5 mg.l-1 in all sites, BOD5 value is within permissible level for domestic uses. Water quality considered as a hard type. High sulfate concentration is recorded during the study period. Trophic state shows that water type is classified as mesotrophic during autumn season, while it is regarded as eutrophic in other seasons. TDN/TDP ratio suggests that phosphorus is a limiting factor for algal growth. Based on IWQI, the water type is classified as excellent type for irrigation purpose

»[M]ein Düsseldorfer und ich« ›Deutschland und die Deutschen‹ in Homo faber

C’est en Suisse et en Allemagne que le roman Homo Faber fut, de tous les romans de l’auteur, le mieux accueilli. Considéré sous cet aspect, et dans le cadre d’une histoire de la mentalité suisse alémanique, l’examen de l’évolution du roman à la frontière de la germanophilie et de la germanophobie se révèle éclairant. Dans cette perspective, les personnages allemands du roman, pour autant qu’il s’agisse de personnages principaux, doivent être considérés selon leur sexe, leur identité ethnique, leur entrée dans la vie du protagoniste et dans le temps de la narration. Le premier personnage allemand du roman est, selon cette approche, d’un intérêt particulier en ceci qu’il provoque chez le protagoniste un trait germanophobe sans ambages quoique qualifié. La stéréotypicité extrêmement élevée du motif provoquant ce trait est curieusement disproportionné comparé au fait que le phénomène et le problème de la formation des stéréotypes sont thématisés précisément au moyen, et dans le discours, de ce personnage si particulièrement allemand. C’est cette curieuse disproportion qu’il s’agit d’interpréter.Homo faber is by far the most highly regarded of Frisch’s novels in both Switzerland and Germany. Within the wider framework of the Swiss-German history of mentalities, the novel can be analysed in terms of its oscillations between Germanophilia and Germanophobia. Such an analysis would categorise the major German characteristics according to their gender, their ethnic identity, and the points at which they enter both the protagonist’s life and the novel’s narrative time. The analysis would pay particular attention to the first German who is paraded in the narrative, and who prompts the narrator to make a vigorous, if qualified, Germanophobic remark. There is a curious disparity – a disparity which requires interpretation – between the highly stereotyped nature of the episode which so readily elicits Faber’s deep-seated disdain and the fact that the phenomenon and problem of stereotype-formation are thematised through this particularly German character and his utterances.Der Roman Homo faber, sowohl in der Schweiz wie auch in Deutschland so gut re­zipiert wie kein zweiter des Autors, lässt sich im größeren Rahmen einer Deutschschwei­zer Mentalitäts­geschichte daraufhin untersuchen, wie er sich im Spannungsfeld von Germano­philie und -phobie bewegt. Zu diesem Zweck sind die deutschen Figuren, soweit sie zum Hauptpersonal gehören, einzuteilen nach ihrem Geschlecht, ihrer ethnischen Identität und dem Moment, in dem sie ins Leben des Protagonisten, aber auch in die Erzählzeit des Romans eintreten. Besonderes Interesse verdient dabei der erste Deutsche, der in der Romanhandlung paradiert wird und der den Erzähler zu einer unumwunden, wenn auch qualifiziert germanophoben Äußerung provoziert. Die extrem hohe Stereotypizität des Anlasses, der Faber dazu bringt, sich zu solch einem Credo hinreißen zu lassen, steht in einem seltsamen und interpretationsbedürftigen Missverhältnis zu dem Umstand, dass das Phänomen und Problem der Stereotypenbildung gerade an dieser einen deutschen Figur und ihren Figurenreden thematisch wird

A Framework to Achieve Quality and Excellence in Higher Education: A Literature Review

Educating large numbers of people to a high standard and disseminating knowledge can be considered as the main objectives of today’s higher education sector. An effective framework for delivery mechanism by enhancing the functional responsibility and its effective execution will help the nation in achieving quality and excellence in higher education. Present paper tries to explore framework for achieving quality and excellence in higher education by analysing the various functional aspect of higher educational system in the country. After extensive literature survey and analysing the research work of eminent researchers and thinkers, it is concluded that higher education has become larger and more central to society and individuals; hence, there a need to develop framework including different functional components for performance indicator and measurement. It is suggested that various enhancement function should be executed primarily in systems of high trust, whereas the accountability function has to be developed to prevent bad quality of institutions and programs, and thus to protect the beneficiaries i.e. students and society. Universities need to be consciously and explicitly managing the processes associated with the creation of their knowledge assets and to recognise the value of their intellectual capital to their continuing role in society and in a wider global marketplace for higher education

PERAN USTAZ DALAM PEMBENTUKAN JIWA WIRAUSAHA SANTRI DI PONDOK PESANTREN MIFTAHUL ULUM DEMAK TAHUN 2017

Yahya Farida, 2017, Peran Ustaz Dalam Pembentukan Jiwa Wirausaha Santri Di Pondok Pesantren Mftahul Ulum Demak Tahun 2017, Skripsi: Program Pendidikan Agama Islam, Fakultas Ilmu Tarbiyah dan Keguruan, IAIN Surakarta. Pembimbing: Prof. Drs. H. Rohmat, M.Pd., Ph.D Kata Kunci: Peran Ustaz, Jiwa Wirausaha, Pondok Pesantren Pertumbuhan ekonomi yang tidak dibarengi dengan kesempatan tenaga kerja yang merata, sementara angka produktif penduduk Indonesia tidak berbanding lurus dengan besarnya peluang usaha dan investasi di Indonesia menyebabkan tingginya persaingan dalam dunia kewirausahaan. Mereka bersaing untuk sekolah ke perguruan tinggi. Tidak semua kalangan dapat bersekolah tinggi untuk menggapai cita-cita dalam mendapat pekerjaan yang layak khususnya santri. Oleh karena itu santri perlu diberi ketrampilan untuk membekalinya di masa depan. Penelitian ini dilakukan bertujuan untuk mengetahui Peran Ustaz dalam menumbuhkan jiwa wirausa santri. Penelitian ini dilakukan dengan menggunakan metode kualitatif deskriptif. Setting penelitian ini dilakukan di Pondok Pesantren Miftahul Ulum Demak pada bulan Mei 2017-Juli 2017 yang menjadi subyek adalah Ustaz/ah. Pengumpulan data menggunakan wawancara, observasi dan dokumentasi. Teknik keabsahan data menggunakan triangulasi sumber dan metode. Teknik analisis yang digunakan yaitu pengumpulan data, reduksi data, penyajain data, dan penarikan kesimpulan. Hasil penelitian menggambarkan bahwa peran ustaz dalam menumbuhkan jiwa wirausaha santri yaitu setiap ustaz mengajarkan, membimbing, memotivasi dan memberikan seminar para santri dalam berwirausaha dalam kegiatan usaha pondok. hasil bahwa Hambatan-hambatan yang dialami ustaz dalam menumbuhkan jiwa wrausaha santri di Pondok Pesantren Miftahul Ulum Demak diantaranya dalah: (1) tidak dapat membagi waktu sehingga pembelajaran kurang kondusif (2) adanya hama yang mengancam populasi ternak lele disetiap kolam (3) kurangnya keprofesionalan tenaga pendidik. Solusi untuk mengurangi hambatan tersebut adalah: (1) membagi jadwal dan tenaga tambahan saat dibutuhkan untuk kejar target (2) mengawasi, merawat dan menghambat jumlah hama yang mengancam ternak lele (3) memberikan pelatihan keprofesionalan tenaga pendidik dalam hal kewirausahaan

Engineering a career in agriculture and food

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