Monitoring land use land cover changes and its impacts on land surface temperature over Mardan and Charsadda Districts, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan.

Land use/land cover (LULC) changes due to urban growth on the regional scale affect land surface temperature (LST). The present study aims to assess the LULC changes and their impact on LST over Mardan and Charsadda districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan, in the period from 1990 to 2019. Landsat satellite (TM& ETM +) datasets in the period from 1990 to 2010 and Sentinel-2 images from 2016 to 2019 were used in this study. All the datasets were pre-processed and the LULC types were classified by maximum likelihood classification algorithm. The vegetation degradation was computed from normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and the LST was derived based on the LULC changes. The results showed that the overall accuracy of LULC classification was 87.84%. Dramatic LULC changes were observed during the last three decades, where the vegetation degradation area was decreased from 1307.8 (59.27%) to 1147.6 km2 (52.1%) and the barren land area increased from 816.6 (37.07%) to 961.4 km2 (42.64%). Similarly, the built-up area has also increased from 57.2 (2.5%) to 104.3 km2 (4.73%) in the years 1990 and 2019, respectively. These variations in LULC types have significantly influenced the LST from 1990 to 2019; specifically, the LST of built-up area, barren land, and vegetation cover increased from 20.1 to 32.1 °C, 21.5 to 35.5 °C, and 17.1 to 28.2 °C, respectively. The regression line plotted defines that the LST has a negative correlation with NDVI and a positive correlation with normalized difference of built-up index (NDBI). In particular, the vegetation and land covers dramatically transformed to barren land and/or to urban development over the study area in the period from 1990 to2019, which has severely affected the LST and the natural resources of the study area. Therefore, our study will be very helpful for managing the rapid environmental changes and urban planning.

Mapping of high-risk detection of women pregnancy on antenatal care in Talise Health Center, Palu City, Indonesia.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to map pregnant women with high-risk pregnancies based on age, parity, pregnancy history, childbirth history, illness history, and CED status history as well as the relationship between the six factors. METHOD: This study utilized a survey method with descriptive data without the intervention of variables but observed phenomena or sought the relationship between phenomena and other variables. The survey was conducted with an approach using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). There were 243 respondents obtained using the Lemeshow formula, while the data were analyzed using spatial techniques and Chi-Square test with p>0.05. RESULTS: The results of spatial analysis using a 1: 50,000 scale map showed that; (1) high-risk and very high-risk pregnancies dominated Talise, (2) based on age, parity, pregnancy history, childbirth history, illness history, and CED status, cases of high-risk pregnancies were all detected in Talise, (3) age (p=0.000). Furthermore, pregnancy history (p=0.004) correlated with a high-risk pregnancy. Besides, parity, childbirth history, illness history, and CED status did not correlate with high-risk pregnancy since the p-value>0.05; (4) age and pregnancy history influenced the high-risk pregnancy.

The relationship between knowledge and personal hygiene and the occurrence of sexually transmitted diseases at the Community Health Center Talise, Palu.

OBJECTIVE: This morbidity rate has increased compared to the results of a survey in 2012, which were 16,110 cases of STDs, and 11,141 cases in 2010. This study aimed at determining the relationship between knowledge and personal hygiene and the incidence of sexually transmitted diseases in adolescents at the Community Health Center Talise, Palu. METHODS: This study utilized a case-control study design to assess the relationship between knowledge and personal hygiene and the occurrence of sexually transmitted diseases. There were 84 samples in this study involving 42 cases and 42 controls. Data collection was carried out using a questionnaire. RESULT: The variable of personal hygiene showed that the Chi-Square test results provided a value of p=0.016, which means that the difference between individual hygiene and the incidence of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in adolescents was significant (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: This study concludes that the OR calculation has a value of 4.6, which means that adolescents who have insufficient knowledge have 4.6 times greater risk of suffering from STDs than adolescents who had sufficient knowledge.

Research investigating individual device preference and e-learning quality perception: can a one-solution-fits-all e-learning solution work?

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 caused a paradigm shift for educators, and raised many questions about the future of technology in the delivery of educational content. Literature highlights numerous benefits of using e-learning solutions, yet many still consider 'online learning' as the cheap/'low-quality' alternative to traditional 'face-to-face' models. In this research we ask two questions that are critical to the effective development of future e-learning solutions: Do students prefer face-to-face (traditional) learning methods or e-learning technology enabled solutions? Does perception of e-learning, and/or device preference, vary between individuals? METHODS: A three part, quantitative questionnaire was developed, based on previously used questionnaire items, which collected: demographic data, student preference concerning learning, and individual variance - via use of the Cultural Value (CV) Scale dimension test. Data was collected from 518 participants using convenience sampling from a range of universities in Pakistan. EFA and CFA showed that questions and factor loading was good. CV Scale results show clear loading and model fit at the individual level, allowing application of results beyond Pakistan. RESULTS: By considering the CV Scale dimensions, our results highlighted three distinct technology preference clusters: i) students, with a high-power distance score, who prefer traditional face-to-face teaching methods; ii) students with low power distance and high uncertainty avoidance scores, who prefer use of e-learning on their mobile devices, and iii) students with low power distance and low uncertainty avoidance scored, who prefer to use laptop devices. CONCLUSIONS: This paper highlights that the majority of students are happy to engage with online blended learning solutions, however a one-solution fits all approach to technology use in education fail to satisfy the interaction preferences need of all student groups. Only by embracing flexible and mixed blend delivery models, supporting interaction across a range of pervasive devices, can we maximize student perception towards education service provision.

Mapping of high-risk detection of women pregnancy on antenatal care in Talise Health Center, Palu City, Indonesia

Objective: This study aimed to map pregnant women with high-risk pregnancies based on age, parity, pregnancy history, childbirth history, illness history, and CED status history as well as the relationship between the six factors. Method: This study utilized a survey method with descriptive data without the intervention of variables but observed phenomena or sought the relationship between phenomena and other variables. The survey was conducted with an approach using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). There were 243 respondents obtained using the Lemeshow formula, while the data were analyzed using spatial techniques and Chi-Square test with p > 0.05. Results: The results of spatial analysis using a 1: 50,000 scale map showed that; (1) high-risk and very high-risk pregnancies dominated Talise, (2) based on age, parity, pregnancy history, childbirth history, illness history, and CED status, cases of high-risk pregnancies were all detected in Talise, (3) age (p = 0.000). Furthermore, pregnancy history (p = 0.004) correlated with a high-risk pregnancy. Besides, parity, childbirth history, illness history, and CED status did not correlate with high-risk pregnancy since the p-value > 0.05; (4) age and pregnancy history influenced the high-risk pregnancy. (AU)

The relationship between knowledge and personal hygiene and the occurrence of sexually transmitted diseases at the Community Health Center Talise, Palu

Objective: This morbidity rate has increased compared to the results of a survey in 2012, which were 16,110 cases of STDs, and 11,141 cases in 2010. This study aimed at determining the relationship between knowledge and personal hygiene and the incidence of sexually transmitted diseases in adolescents at the Community Health Center Talise, Palu. Methods: This study utilized a case–control study design to assess the relationship between knowledge and personal hygiene and the occurrence of sexually transmitted diseases. There were 84 samples in this study involving 42 cases and 42 controls. Data collection was carried out using a questionnaire. Result: The variable of personal hygiene showed that the Chi-Square test results provided a value of p = 0.016, which means that the difference between individual hygiene and the incidence of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in adolescents was significant (p < 0.05). Conclusion: This study concludes that the OR calculation has a value of 4.6, which means that adolescents who have insufficient knowledge have 4.6 times greater risk of suffering from STDs than adolescents who had sufficient knowledge. (AU)

Pericardial fluid and serum biomarkers equally predict ventricular dysfunction.

BACKGROUND: serum level of amino-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide, a cardiac hormone produced by the heart, is elevated in patients with left ventricular dysfunction. The purpose of this study was to compare the abilities of serum and pericardial fluid levels of amino-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide to detect the left ventricular systolic dysfunction determined by echocardiography. METHODS: 50 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting were included in this study. Left ventricular systolic function was assessed using echocardiography before coronary artery bypass grafting. The samples of serum and pericardial fluid were collected during surgery, and amino-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide levels were assessed by an electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. The log value of amino-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide concentrations was calculated. RESULTS: the pericardial fluid levels of log amino-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide were significantly elevated compared to the serum levels in patients with impaired left ventricular systolic function. Both serum and pericardial fluid levels of log amino-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide correlated significantly with left ventricular ejection fraction and end-diastolic and end-systolic volume indices. Furthermore, a paired comparison of receiver operating characteristic curves showed a similar performance of amino-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide levels both in serum and pericardial fluid to discriminate left ventricular systolic dysfunction. CONCLUSION: serum amino-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide levels have comparable diagnostic value for left ventricular systolic dysfunction with its pericardial fluid levels in patients undergoing CABG.