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A strategic approach to communication streamlines the communication processes of an organization. In a setting of a wide range of stakeholders like the healthcare system, it is important to focus communication efforts to reach the different stakeholder groups and ensure common understanding and willingness to act by all the groups in order to achieve the organization mission. This study tested the effects of relational cohesion and interaction quality on strategic communication effectiveness in the Ugandan health sector. This study is premised on the commitment-trust theory to explain the relational bonds that are embedded in interactions that drive the audience to implement the action points in the messages received. The study adopted a cross-sectional survey with mixed methods, including triangulated quantitative data collected from 381 health organizations' audiences and qualitative data collected from 12 key informants. The results revealed that relational cohesion is a significant predictor of strategic communication effectiveness. The results further indicated that interaction quality is a partial mediator between relational cohesion and strategic communication effectiveness. Theoretical and policy implications are provided, and direct interactions like dialogues and one-on-one communication formats are recommended as the best communication strategies to achieve the organization mission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The exploitation of hydropower provides cleaner, more sustainable, and cheaper energy than fossil fuels. Therefore, hydropower offers prospects to meet the sustainable development goals of the United Nations. These benefits motivate this study to develop different models for efficient runoff prediction utilizing multivariate hydro-meteorological data. The techniques employed for this purpose include correlation analysis, time series decomposition, sample entropy (SE), and sequence2sequence (S2S) algorithm with spatio-temporal attention (STAtt). The decomposition techniques include improved complete ensemble empirical mode decomposition with additive noise (ICEEMDAN) and the maximal overlap discrete wavelet transform (MODWT). The ICEEMDAN-STAtt-S2S model reveals the best prediction results over the counterpart hybrid and standalone models in terms of statistical metrics and comparison plots. The ICEEMDAN-STAtt-S2S model decreases RMSE by 19.348 m3/s, 14.35 m3/s, 13.937 m3/s, 13.681 m3/s, 11.988 m3/s, 9.066 m3/s, 7.7 m3/s, 7.129 m3/s, 5.511 m3/s, 4.071 m3/s, 2.011 m3/s for SVR MLR, MLP, XGBoost, LSTM, S2S, SAtt-S2S, TAtt-S2S, STAtt-S2S, MODWT-STAtt-S2S, and ICEEMDAN-SE-STAtt-S2S models, respectively. In terms of NSE, the ICEEMDAN-STAtt-S2S model is 10%, 7.4%, 7.3%, 7.1%, 5.9%, 4.5%, 3.7%, 3.4%, 2.6%, 1.9%, and 0.9% more efficient compared to SVR MLR, MLP, XGBoost, LSTM, S2S, SAtt-S2S, TAtt-S2S, STAtt-S2S, MODWT-STAtt-S2S, and ICEEMDAN-SE-STAtt-S2S models, respectively. The surpassed prediction outcomes substantiate the merger of ICEEMDAN and S2S utilizing STAtt for runoff prediction. Moreover, ICEEMDAN-STAtt-S2S offers the potential for reliable prediction of similar applications, including renewable energy, environment monitoring, and energy resources management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrological runoff prediction in a reliable and precise manner contributes significantly to the optimal management of hydropower resources. Considering the importance of runoff prediction, this study proposed a hybrid model, namely VBH (VMD-BP), coupling variational mode decomposition (VMD) technique, and backpropagation (BP) based artificial neural network (ANN), to predict the monthly runoff of Fentang reservoir, China. Two hybrid models, including ensemble empirical mode decomposition-BP (EEMD-BP) and empirical mode decomposition-BP (EMD-BP), and a standalone BP model, were also developed for comparative analysis. The VBH model performed better compared to the EEMD-BP model in reducing mean absolute error (MAE) by 40.263%, root mean square error (RMSE) by 33.634%, and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) by 52.906%. The improved results for the VBH model compared to the EMD-BP model included 103.716, 82.266, and 158.303% reductions in MAE, RMSE, and MAPE, respectively. The error reductions by the VBH model compared to the BP model were 113.848% for MAE, 122.022% for RMSE, and 143.026% for MAPE. The results highlighted that the proposed model was superior to the hybrid and standalone counterparts for the hydrological runoff prediction. Water resources designers and planners for future planning and management of hydrological assets can exploit the proposed model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present framework explores the climatic variability and impact of El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on precipitation over 11 meteorological stations of the Jhelum River catchment (JRC) over a 43-year period (1971–2013). Nonparametric Mann-Kendall (MK) and innovative trend analysis methods were applied to determine variations in climatic parameter (precipitation and temperature time-series) and illuminate how variations in the ENSO index with extreme precipitation changes over time. The MK test generally assessed increasing and decreasing trends in the area, whereas the innovative trend analysis represented the trend magnitude and direction. Comparison of the 20-year return period during El Niño and La Niña years, as well as seasonal variation in air temperature at central and upper parts of the JRC (northeast of the Karakoram mountains), exerts a significant impact on maximum air temperature from −2.09 to −2.53°C/year. A significant trend in seasonal and annual precipitation of 3.62 mm/year was also detected at the upper part of the JRC. In addition, the quantitative variation in precipitation due to global air temperature was determined and revealed the risk of extreme, high intensity precipitation increases across high altitudes, which decrease at middle altitudes of the JRC under the warm scenario. However, all seasons showed the heightened effect of ENSO over the area, varying from 1% to 36%, for extreme precipitation events. The findings are providing the uncertainties associated with the influence of ENSO on future development activities to cope with wet and dry seasons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Precise and reliable hydrological runoff prediction plays a significant role in the optimal management of hydropower resources. Nevertheless, the hydrological runoff practically possesses a nonlinear dynamics, and constructing appropriate runoff prediction models to deal with the nonlinearity is a challenging task. To overcome this difficulty, this paper proposes a three-stage novel hybrid model, namely, CVS (CEEMDAN-VMD-SVM), by coupling the support vector machine (SVM) with a two-stage signal decomposition methodology, combining complete ensemble empirical decomposition with additive noise (CEEMDAN) and variational mode decomposition (VMD), to obtain inclusive information of the runoff time series. Hydrological runoff data of the Swat River, Pakistan, from 1961 to 2015 were taken for prediction. CEEMDAN decomposes the runoff time series into subcomponents, and VMD performs further decomposition of the high-frequency component obtained after CEEMDAN decomposition to improve the prediction activity. Afterward, the SVM algorithm was applied to the decomposed subcomponents for the prediction purpose. Finally, four statistical indices are utilized to measure the performance of the CVS model compared with other hybrid models including CEEMDAN-VMD-MLP (multilayer perceptron), CEEMDAN-SVM, VMD-SVM, CEEMDAN-MLP, VMD-MLP, SVM, and MLP. The CVS model performs better during the training period by reducing RMSE by 71.28% and 40.06% compared with MLP and CEEDMAD-VMD-SVM models, respectively. However, during the testing period, the error reductions include RMSE by 68.37% and 35.33% compared with MLP and CEEDMAD-VMD-SVM models, respectively. The results highlight that the CVS model outperforms other models in terms of accuracy and error reduction. The research also highlights the superiority of other hybrid models over standalone in predicting the hydrological runoff. Therefore, the proposed hybrid model is applicable for the nonlinear features of runoff time series with feasibility for future planning and management of water resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TiO2 nanotubes (TiNTs)/graphite-like carbon nitride (g-C3N4) nanorod (NR) photocatalyst was synthesized by the droplet evaporation method followed by annealing. The aim of this research is to implement the environmental application of nanomaterial in terms of metal-free photocatalyst to treat organic pollutants. The as-prepared samples were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectrometry. The results reveal that g-C3N4 NRs were decorated on TiNTs. Moreover, the photocatalytic performance of TiNTs/g-C3N4 NR composite under simulated solar light was measured for phenol as a test pollutant. The results of phenol degradation showed that the photocatalytic activity of TiNTs/g-C3N4 NR composite was higher than that of as-synthesized TiNTs under simulated light. Furthermore, the photocatalytic efficiency of the TiNTs/g-C3N4 NR composite was improved due to decrease in the charge transfer resistance and efficient transfer of photogenerated electron/hole pairs. The rate of photocatalytic reaction was determined from the pseudo first-order kinetics. Photocatalytic mechanism was proposed to explain the electron/hole separation and transport over the TiNTs/g-C3N4 NRs as well as phenol degradation under simulated light irradiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Main conclusion : This review provides new insight that calcium plays important roles in plant growth, heavy metal accumulation and translocation, photosynthesis, oxidative damage and signal transduction under cadmium stress. Increasing heavy metal pollution problems have raised word-wide concerns. Cadmium (Cd), being a highly toxic metal, poses potential risks both to ecosystems and human health. Compared with conventional technologies, phytoremediation, being cost-efficient, highly stable and environment-friendly, is believed to be a promising green technology for Cd decontamination. However, Cd can be easily taken up by plants and may cause severe phytotoxicity to plants, thus limiting the efficiency of phytoremediation. Various researches are being done to investigate the effects of exogenous substances on the mitigation of Cd toxicity to plants. Calcium (Ca) is an essential plant macronutrient that involved in various plant physiological processes, such as plant growth and development, cell division, cytoplasmic streaming, photosynthesis and intracellular signaling transduction. Due to the chemical similarity between Ca and Cd, Ca may mediate Cd-induced physiological or metabolic changes in plants. Recent studies have shown that Ca could be used as an exogenous substance to protect plants against Cd stress by the alleviation of growth inhibition, regulation of metal uptake and translocation, improvement of photosynthesis, mitigation of oxidative damages and the control of signal transduction in the plants. The effects of Ca on toxic concentrations of Cd in plants are reviewed. This review also provides new insight that plants with enhanced Ca level have improved resistance to Cd stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer cells are characterized by uncontrolled replication involving loss of control of cyclin dependent kinases (CDKs) and cyclins, and by abolished differentiation. In this study we introduce KGI, which is a nanoparticle with a Quillaja saponin as an active molecule. By the use of RNA array analysis and confirmation at the protein level, we show that KGI affects myeloid leukemia cells (in particular, the U937 monoblast cancer cell) by the following mechanisms: (A) ceasing cell replication via proteasome degradation, (B) down-regulation of key molecules at check points between G1/S and G2/M phases, (C) reduction of thymidine kinase activity, followed by (D) exit to differentiation and production of interleukin-8 (IL-8), eventually leading to apoptosis. Leukemia cell lines (U937 and HL-60 cells) were exposed to KGI for 8 h, after which the drug was removed. The cancer cells did not revert to replication over the following 10 days. Thus our findings suggest that the nanoparticle KGI inhibits proliferation and promotes differentiation in leukemic cells by interfering with the cell cycle process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the human dimension of project management by establishing the extent to which social networks influence the commitment of project stakeholders. Up to date, project managers still identify inadequate stakeholder commitment to project undertakings as a key antecedent of project failure and so efforts aimed at addressing this challenge are highly valued. The paper therefore explores the use of social networks as one of the possible strategies to enhance project-stakeholder commitment. Design/methodology/approach – The paper adopts a quantitative, cross-sectional study design. Based on responses from 172 project stakeholders who took part in a sample of 92 citizenship projects conducted by major commercial banks in Uganda, hierarchical regression was used to indicate what happens to a model as different predictor variables are introduced The use of specific type of projects minimizes bias in results due to the unique nature of specific projects hence enhances reliability of results. Findings – The results from statistical analysis reveal that social network elements (network transitivity and network degree) are significant predictors of project stakeholder commitment. The results also suggest that network transitivity is a better significant predictor of project-stakeholder commitment than network degree Practical implications – Project-stakeholder commitment has been widely studied in relation to project performance and the study makes a number of contributions to the theory and study of projects. First and foremost, the paper studied project social networks and project-stakeholder commitment in citizenship projects in commercial banks in Uganda which is a developing country. The study therefore contributes to an understanding of project social networks and project-stakeholder commitment in citizenship projects of commercial banks in a developing country. The implication of the findings is that it provides a different view point of understanding the aspects that affect project commitment. A lot of focus has been placed on improving project performance in Uganda, but none has specifically focussed on building project-stakeholder commitment through the use of project social networks. Originality/value – Earlier attempts to investigate the impact of social networks on commitment in projects did not study commitment among individuals. Also, no previous empirical study in less developed countries has given special attention to the effect of social networks on project-stakeholder commitment especially in the domain of citizenship projects which have gained a lot of momentum around the globe. The study results indicate that getting concerned with the nature of social networks the project creates and the means it uses to maintain such networks has implications for project-stakeholder commitment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pakistan has not fully harnessed the capacity of its vast hydropower potential for electricity generation. It depends on imported and local fossil fuels to fulfill its energy demands, which consume a significant portion of the country's economy. Hydropower can provide an economical, renewable, clean, and secure source of energy for the country. The potential benefits and prospects of hydropower for Pakistan require a comprehensive review of the hydropower sector to investigate the true resource potential and its development, considering the associated pros and cons. Therefore, the review work examines hydropower utilization in Pakistan using SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis. The strengths include an enormous resource potential, sustainable energy source, and a well-established technology; the weaknesses include substantial capital investment, time-taking project completion, degradation of the reservoir over time, and the effect of seasonal variations. The opportunities include increasing demand-supply gap, 93% unexploited potential, water storage dams, energy security, rising concerns for climate change; the threats include economic and political instability, dependence on foreign investment and fossil fuels, transboundary location of water resources, irregular and vague energy policies. The SWOT analysis shows that despite having severe issues, hydropower is still a priority source of secure, cheap, and clean energy for the country with abundant resource potential and a properly managed technology. • The paper analyzes the current energy crisis of Pakistan, the scenario of different power generation resources, the development history of hydropower, existing and installed potential, and policies related to hydropower. • The review conducts a comprehensive SWOT analysis to determine strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats regarding hydropower. • Strengths and opportunities include tremendous untapped potential, clean and cheap source, decrease in the dependence on fossil fuels. • Weaknesses and threats include high capital cost, lengthy projects completion, the effect of seasonal variations, vague policies, transboundary water resources, economic and political instability. • The paper emphasizes the full exploitation of hydropower resources to lessen the energy crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The novel alkylating dipeptide melphalanyl-p-L-fluorophenylalanine ethyl ester (J1) was evaluated for acute toxicity and antitumor activity in mice, with melphalan as a reference. To determine a safe and tolerable dose for efficacy studies the acute toxicity following intravenous injection in the tail vein was monitored using a 14-day schedule with up to four doses. The highest tested dose, 25 μmoles/kg, was considered close to this level, with minor effects on body weight gain but significant effects on hematological parameters. Melphalan and J1 appeared equitoxic with no statistically significant differences.Subsequently a mouse hollow fiber model was employed with subcutaneous implantation of fibers containing human tumor cells. Three different human tumor cell lines as well as two samples of primary human tumor cells (ovarian carcinoma and chronic lymphatic leukemia) were used as tumor models. At the dose level tested there was a marked and statistically significant decrease in both T-cell leukemia CCRF-CEM and small cell lung cancer NCI-H69 tumor cell growth and viability in response to J1 as compared with both placebo and melphalan treated groups. In primary ovarian carcinoma cells only J1 treatment resulted in significant tumor regression (net cell kill). In summary the results indicate that, despite an expected short half time in the blood circulation, the promising in vitro data from the previous studies of J1 seems translatable into the in vivo situation. At equal doses of alkylating units J1, compared to melphalan, was more active in the mouse hollow-fiber model, but showed similar general toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Based on the previously published hollow-fibre assay mainly used for early in vivo anticancer drug screening, we wanted to develop an extended hollow-fibre model in which antitumour activity, haematological toxicity and pharmacokinetics could be studied in the same animal.Method: The breast cancer cell lines MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 were cultured in semipermeable hollow fibres. The fibres were implanted subcutaneously into immunocompetent male Sprague Dawley rats, and the rats were treated with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU, 125 mg/kg), epirubicin (EPI, 10 mg/kg) or cyclophosphamide (CP, 120 mg/kg) intraperitoneally, the new cyanoguanidine CHS 828 (375 mg/kg or 75 mg/kg x 5) orally, or vehicle only. After 6 days the fibres were retrieved and the cell density was evaluated. Haematological parameters were monitored and two to four samples per animal were drawn to determine the pharmacokinetic parameters in NONMEM.Results: Drug treatment had generally low effects on the tumour cells. Of the standard drugs (5-FU, EPI and CP), only CP exerted a statistically significant antiproliferative effect. CHS 828 had only a minor effect as a single dose, but divided into five daily doses had a pronounced effect on both cell lines. 5-FU, EPI and CP all caused a marked decrease in leucocytes, platelets and haemoglobin, while CHS 828 did not seem to affect these parameters. The pharmacokinetics of 5-FU and EPI were in accordance with previously established pharmacokinetic models. The pharmacokinetics of CP and CHS 828 were both described by one-compartment models.Conclusions: This study illustrates the possibility of measuring antitumour effect, haematological toxicity and pharmacokinetics in the same animal using the hollow-fibre model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to explain survey findings regarding disaster recovery processes among ethnic groups in a rural Texas community. The research was conducted over a 4-year period with most of the survey data collected over the summer of 2004. The research was descriptive in nature, attempting to document processes and sources of recovery aid acquisition following a natural disaster, and viewed through the lens of cultural and ethnic literature regarding minorities and disaster recovery processes. The difficulty in explaining research findings comes from the fact that data was collected at the household level, yet the explanations which best elucidate the findings are derived from a different level of analysis than that of the survey. The variation in aid acquisition between ethnic groups is best understood as a manifestation of community cultural norms, which implies both individual, cognitive norms, as well as social norms. Ethnic literature focused on minorities in disaster situations, excerpts from qualitative data, and personal observations are used to support the interpretation of the data presented herein pointing to cultural flexibility in recovery processes, which are stifled by institutional barriers hampering recovery efficiencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]