Tumor Detection with PET and CT: A Comparative Physical Review

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Positron emission tomography (PET) is an important molecular imaging modality in oncology because it provides functional and metabolic information that complements the anatomical information obtained from computed tomography (CT). However, the ability of PET to detect tumors is fundamentally determined by several physical characteristics of the imaging system, including spatial resolution, sensitivity, image contrast, noise, photon attenuation, scatter, random coincidences, and partial-volume effects. This review aims to examine the physical basis of PET for tumor detection and to compare its principal imaging characteristics with those of CT. A comparative narrative review was conducted using relevant literature on PET physics, detector instrumentation, image formation, image-quality determinants, tumor detectability, and the physical principles of CT. The reviewed evidence indicates that PET provides high sensitivity to radiotracer distribution and functional abnormalities, making it particularly valuable for detecting metabolically active tumors. However, its relatively limited spatial resolution and susceptibility to attenuation, scatter, noise, and partial-volume effects can restrict the detection and accurate characterization of small or low-contrast lesions. In contrast, CT provides superior anatomical detail and spatial resolution through X-ray attenuation measurements but offers substantially less direct functional information. The evidence therefore indicates that PET and CT possess complementary physical capabilities: PET is primarily advantageous for functional and metabolic tumor characterization, whereas CT is superior for anatomical localization and structural delineation. Understanding these physical differences is essential for interpreting the respective strengths and limitations of PET and CT in tumor detection and for optimizing their complementary use in hybrid PET/CT imaging.

Evaluation of the Role of Local Government in Strengthening Flash Flood Disaster Mitigation Capacity in Teluk Wondama Regency

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Teluk Wondama Regency remains highly exposed to flash-flood hazards, particularly along the Wasior-Wondiboy-Rasiei corridor, where settlements, public services, transport networks, and government functions are concentrated. The 2010 Wasior flash flood demonstrated the severity of potential consequences, while current evidence indicates that mitigation capacity still requires systematic strengthening. This study evaluates the role of local government in flash-flood mitigation, identifies enabling and constraining factors, and formulates strategies to strengthen mitigation capacity. A qualitatively oriented mixed-methods approach was applied within an evaluative case-study design. Data were obtained from disaster-management, development-planning, spatial-planning, environmental, program, and budget documents; semi-structured interviews with nine purposively selected informants; field observations in Wasior, Wondiboy, and Rasiei; and descriptive quantitative scoring of 30 indicators across six mitigation-capacity dimensions. The local government has performed roles as regulator and planner, coordinator, facilitator, service implementer, development controller, and community enabler; however, these roles have not yet formed a fully integrated mitigation system. The overall capacity score was 54 of 120, equivalent to 45.0 on a 0-100 scale and categorized as less adequate. Policy-planning and spatial planning-watershed management each scored 50, whereas technical systems-early warning-evacuation and community capacity each scored 40. The principal finding is a persistent gap between normative capacity and operational functionality. Priority strategies include updating risk and disaster-management plans, strengthening inter-agency coordination, operationalizing the emergency operations center and sub-watershed-based early warning, testing evacuation networks, controlling risk-prone land use, sustaining preventive financing, and institutionalizing community preparedness.

Water Demand Management in the Island of Crete, Greece

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The supply and demand management of water resources in Crete is necessary to avoid water shortages in the island predicted in the future due to climate change. Water demand management in Crete should aim not simply to reduce water consumption, but to ensure that available water is used efficiently, economically and sustainably. Several studies related to water resources in Crete have been reviewed and the water consumption in several sectors has been estimated. The island is sufficient in water resources under average meteorological conditions while climate change is foreseen to reduce water precipitation in the coming decades resulting in water shortages. Agriculture is by far the greatest water consumer in the island using around 80% of the total water use. Crete’s tourism industry is growing fast while its share in total water demand is around 3%. Several technical and non-technical measures can be used to reduce the water demand in Crete. The efficient use of water in agriculture and tourism can reduce significantly the total water consumption which was estimated at 610.94 hm3 in 2016. A 10% reduction in water consumption in these two sectors can reduce the total annual water consumption in the island by 8.15 % or by 49.78 hm3/year. Appropriate water pricing, use of financial tools, awareness raising and education of several water-related stakeholders would contribute in the decrease of water demand in Crete. The results of the current study could be used from policy makers, local and regional authorities as well as from water-related organizations in the island.

Investigating The Influence of TikTok English Video Clips on Improving Listening Skills of EFL Sophomores

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Listening comprehension plays a pivotal role in English language acquisition, many EFL learners often struggle with real world listening skills due to limited exposure to authentic materials. With the rapid growth of social media, TikTok has emerged as an engaging, accessible platform offering authentic, bite sized video content that can potentially support language learning. This study investigated the influence of TikTok English video clips on improving the listening skills of EFL sophomores at Nguyen Tat Thanh University quantitavely. It aims to examine how regular integration of TikTok video clips enhances learners’ listening performance, comprehension strategies, and motivation. Its participants were 35 sophomores. The qualitative data indicated that students hold positive perceptions toward using TikTok, highlighting its benefits in exposing them to natural speech rates, diverse accents, and contemporary vocabulary in low stress environments. Pedagogical implications are also discussed to offer practical recommendations for incorporating short form video platforms into tertiary EFL listening curricula.

Data-Driven Robust MPC for an Industrial Evaporator under Model Uncertainty and Sensor Degradation

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Model predictive control is attractive for industrial processes because constraints and multivariable interactions can be handled explicitly, but its performance depends on the credibility of the prediction model and the measurements supplied to the controller. This article develops a data-driven robust MPC framework for an industrial evaporator in which model uncertainty and sensor degradation are treated jointly. The open DaISy industrial evaporator benchmark (code 96-010) supplies the data basis: 6305 samples, three manipulated inputs and three measured outputs. Publicly reproducible system-identification results for this benchmark report a first experiment of 3300 samples, an order-eight prediction-error model, and five-step output mean-square errors of 0.0576, 0.1564 and 0.0193. These error scales are used to define relative residual uncertainty for a closed-loop benchmark-constrained surrogate. The controller combines a trust-weighted state estimate with scenario-based robust prediction across a finite uncertainty ensemble. Bias, drift, precision loss and dropout are injected into the sensor channels, and at the same time plant matrices are perturbed independently across Monte Carlo trials. In 200 composite-degradation scenarios with 12% plant-model uncertainty, the proposed robust MPC reduces mean normalized tracking RMSE from 0.2750 for nominal MPC to 0.2421, and reduces normalized performance-envelope exceedance from 14.12% to 6.02%. The improvement is obtained at a 6.75% increase in average control effort. The results show that a practical data-driven robust MPC architecture should not treat identification error and sensor integrity as separate problems; both must enter the online state estimate and the predictive optimization layer.

The Impact of Green Finance and Cultural Preservation on Sustainable Development in Vietnam

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This paper evaluates the impact of Green Finance (GF) and Cultural Preservation (CP) on Sustainable Development (SD) in Vietnam, while examining the mediating role of Cultural Preservation and the moderating role of Community Awareness/Supportive Policies (MO). Utilizing a quantitative research design with a empirical survey sample of residents, enterprises, and local authorities across key heritage and ecotourism regions, the analysis was executed through a multi-stage statistical pipeline: Cronbach’s Alpha reliability analysis, Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The empirical findings reveal that both Green Finance and Cultural Preservation exert significant direct positive effects on Sustainable Development. Crucially, Cultural Preservation acts as a vital partial mediator, transforming green financial capital into sustainable economic, environmental, and social values. Based on these insights, managerial implications and policy recommendations are proposed to promote green financial mechanisms intrinsically linked to cultural heritage preservation in Vietnam.

Succession Planning Practices and Administrators’ Performance in Selected Government Aided Secondary Schools in Rakai District, Uganda

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This study examined the affiliation midst succession planning practices and administrators’ performance across Government aided Secondary educational schools in Rakai District. Specifically, this study sought to: examine the relationship between succession culture and administrators’ performance; analyze the relationship between bench building and administrators’ performance; analyze the relationship between talent development and administrators’ performance in selected Government-Aided Secondary Schools in Rakai District, Uganda. The study adopted a mixed-methods research approach employing a correlational research design. The study population comprised 121 teachers. A sample of 88 respondents was selected using simple random sampling technique. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and interview guides. The validity of the questionnaire was established through expert judgment, yielding a Content Validity Index (CVI) of 0.88, the reliability of the questionnaire was determined using Cronbach’s Alpha, with coefficients overall reliability coefficient of 0.844, demonstrating a high level of internal consistency. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson Product Moment Correlation, while qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis. The results revealed a moderate positive and statistically significant relationship between succession culture and administrators’ performance (r = .500, p = .000). The study further established a strong positive and statistically significant relationship between bench building and administrators’ performance (r = .749, p = .000). In addition, talent development demonstrated a moderate positive and statistically significant relationship with administrators’ performance (r = .487, p = .000). The findings indicate that succession planning practices consequently with bench building emerged as the strongest predictor of administrators’ performance. The study concluded that succession culture, bench building, and talent development are important determinants of administrators’ performance. This study recommends that the Ministry of Education and Sports, District Education Authorities, Boards of Governors, and school administrators institutionalize succession planning succession culture, establishing structured bench-building mechanisms, and investing in continuous talent development through mentoring, coaching, leadership training, and professional development programmes.

Assessment of The Role of Teaching Methods on Students’ Learning Motivation at Hanoi Capital University

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Learning motivation is one of the key factors influencing students’ academic performance and overall development in higher education. In the context of educational innovation toward competency-based learning, the selection and application of appropriate teaching methods play a significant role in enhancing students’ learning motivation. This study aims to evaluate the role of teaching methods in influencing the learning motivation of students at Hanoi Metropolitan University. A questionnaire survey was conducted with 365 students. The teaching methods examined included classroom discussions, learner-centered teaching, the provision of learning materials, the use of real-life situations, field trips, documentary films, and scientific articles. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, including frequencies and percentages. The findings indicate that students generally perceive teaching methods as having a positive impact on their learning motivation. Among the methods investigated, the use of scientific articles, the provision of learning materials, and field trips received higher levels of agreement than the other methods. Based on the research findings, several recommendations are proposed for lecturers, the university, and students to enhance the effectiveness of teaching method implementation, thereby strengthening learning motivation and improving the quality of higher education.

The Role of Institutional Support in Shaping Entrepreneurial Mindset Among College Students: An Empirical Analysis

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The development of an entrepreneurial mindset among college students has become increasingly important in the context of changing employment patterns, technological advancement and the growing significance of innovation and self-employment. Higher educational institutions can contribute to entrepreneurial development by providing appropriate education, training, mentoring, encouragement, practical exposure and entrepreneurial facilities. Against this background, the present study examines the role of institutional support in shaping the entrepreneurial mindset among college students, with special reference to SAFI Institute of Advanced Study. The study is based on primary data collected from 100 college students through a structured questionnaire. The study focuses on two major constructs: institutional support and entrepreneurial mindset. Institutional support is examined through entrepreneurship education, training and skill development, mentoring and guidance, institutional encouragement and environment, and infrastructure and entrepreneurial facilities. Entrepreneurial mindset is assessed through opportunity recognition, creative thinking, entrepreneurial confidence, calculated risk-taking and interest in entrepreneurship as a career. Percentage analysis, dimension-wise analysis and Pearson’s correlation coefficient are employed for data analysis. The findings indicate that students have a generally favourable perception of institutional support, with institutional encouragement and environment receiving the highest level of agreement at 71.3%, while infrastructure and entrepreneurial facilities record the lowest at 58.7%. The overall entrepreneurial mindset records an agreement level of 73%. The study highlights the importance of strengthening practical exposure, formal mentoring, incubation facilities and entrepreneurial networking to create a stronger entrepreneurial ecosystem within higher education institutions.

Evaluating The Effectiveness of Pelvic Clock Exercise Versus 90-90 Hemibridge with Ball and Balloon Techniques Along with Conventional Therapy on Pain and Quality of Life in Female College Students with Primary Dysmenorrhea

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Background: Primary dysmenorrhea is a common gynecological condition in young women, characterized by cramping lower abdominal pain during menstruation. It begins in adolescence and adversely affects daily activities, academic performance, and quality of life. Associated symptoms include low back pain, fatigue, headache, nausea, and mood disturbances. Exercise therapy is widely used to reduce symptoms. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of pelvic clock exercise versus 90–90 hemibridge with ball and balloon technique, along with conventional therapy, on pain and quality of life.

Methods: A comparative study conducted on 30 female college students aged 18–25 years with primary dysmenorrhea. The subjects were divided into two groups. Group A received pelvic clock exercise with conventional therapy, Group B received 90–90 hemi-bridge with ball and balloon technique with conventional therapy. The treatment duration was 45-60 minutes, 3 times /weeks for 4 weeks.  Pain was assessed by Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and severity and quality of life were assessed by WaLIDD questionnaire before and after treatment.

Result: Using an unpaired comparison of post-test values showed significant improvement in Group B than Group A, with t-value of VAS scale is 5.136.  and WaLIDD questionnaire is 4.431 respectively.

Conclusion: The study concludes that there is notable improvement in 90-90 hemibridge ball and balloon technique along with conventional therapy was found to be more effective in reducing pain and improvement in quality of life in individual with primary dysmenorrhea.