Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Vaccine hesitancy: acceptance of COVID-19 vaccine in Pakistan

Purpose The delay in acceptance or refusal to get vaccinated despite the availability of services is called vaccine hesitancy. The Global Polio Eradication Initiative in Pakistan faced consistent barriers preventing the eradication of the disease in the country. Similarly with the advent of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic mass vaccination drives were initiated to a vaccine hesitant population. The aim of this study is to explore the prevalence and reasons for COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in the Pakistani population. Materials and Methods Cross-sectional study conducted during July to September 2021 using a snowball sampling technique targeting the adult population of Pakistan. The modified version of the vaccine hesitancy questionnaire related to the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization Vaccine Hesitancy matrix was distributed online. Results Out of 973 participants, 52.4% were immediately willing to take the vaccine and constituted the acceptance group whereas the remaining 47.6% who were still not sure formed the hesitant group. Support from leaders was found to be statistically significant for the difference between the hesitant and acceptance groups (p-value=0.027). Hesitant people were concerned about the effectiveness of the vaccine (60.9%) and potential side effects (57.9%) as it was not sufficiently tested prior to launch (44.7%). Age and education were significant factors affecting the acceptance of vaccination. The most trusted source of information regarding vaccination was health care workers (43.8%). Conclusion A moderately high prevalence of vaccine hesitancy was reported in Pakistan. To overcome it, policymakers need to address the reasons for it. Leaders, celebrities, and healthcare workers can play an instrumental role in dispelling conspiracy theories regarding vaccines and making the vaccination drive a success.
WATER MASSES CHARACTERISTICS AT THE SANGHIE TALAUD ENTRY PASSAGE OF INDONESIAN THROUGHFLOW USING INDEX SATAL DATA 2010

ABSTRACT Measurement of ocean physical param eter s using the CTD was conducted by deep water expedition INDEX-SATAL 2010 (Indonesian Expedition Sangihe-Talaud) in July-August 2010. Th e aim of this study wa s to determine the characteristics of water masses around the Sangihe Talaud Water where the re wa s an entry passage of Indonesian throughflow (ITF) at the west path way that passed through the primary pathway i.e., the Sulawesi Sea and Makassar Strait and the secondary pathway (east pathway) that passed through the Halmahera Sea. The analyses were performed by the method of the core layer and was processed with software Ocean Data View (ODV). The results showed that in the Sangihe Talaud waters there was a meeting water masses from the North Pacific and the South Pacific. The water mass characteristics in main pathway through the Sulawesi Sea was dominated by surface and intermediate North Pacific water masses and carried by the Mindanao Currents. While the Halmahera Sea water mass was dominated by surface and intermediate South Pacific water masses carried by the New Guinea Coastal Current that moved along the Papua New Guinea and Papua coast enters to the Halmahera Sea. Keywords : Index-Satal 2010, Northern Pacific Water Mass es , Southern Pacific Water Masses, Sangihe Talaud
Predictors of Mortality in Patients With Necrotizing Fasciitis: A Literature Review and Multivariate Analysis

Background: Necrotizing fasciitis (NF) is a life-threatening infectious disease that can result in significant morbidity and mortality. Previously identified factors have not been verified in a large population. The objective of this study is to further examine the relationship of patient factors in NF mortality. Methods: This study is a retrospective review on patients ≥18 years old diagnosed with NF at the provincial referral centres from 2004 to 2016. The following data were examined: demographics, comorbidities, laboratory values, length of stay, and inhospital mortality. Results: Three hundred forty patients satisfied the inclusion criteria: 297 survived and were discharged, 43 died in hospital. In multivariate analysis, a prognostic model for NF mortality identified age >60 years, elevated creatinine, abnormal blood platelets, and group A β-hemolytic Streptococcus (GABS) infection. Conclusions: Multiple factors were associated with mortality in NF. The strongest univariate association with mortality was age >60 years. In addition, a history of hypertension and/or dyslipidemia, renal disease, and the presence of GABS contributed to a predictive model for inhospital NF mortality.
A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Anti-Rheumatic Drugs and Pneumococcal Vaccine Immunogenicity in Inflammatory Arthritis

Background: Pneumococcal pneumonia is an important cause of morbidity and mortality amongst patients with inflammatory arthritis. Vaccination is recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) but it remains unclear how vaccine efficacy is impacted by different immunosuppressive agents. Our objective was to compare the chance of a seroconversion following vaccination against pneumococcus in patients with inflammatory arthritis to that in the general population, as well as to compare the chance of seroconversion across different targeted therapies. Methods: We searched MEDLINE, Embase and the Cochrane Library databases from inception until 20 June 2023. We included randomized controlled trials and observational studies. Aggregate data were used to undertake a pairwise meta-analysis. Our primary outcome of interest was vaccine seroconversion. We accepted the definition of serological response reported by the authors of each study. Results: Twenty studies were identified in the systematic review (2807 patients) with ten reporting sufficient data to be included in the meta-analysis (1443 patients). The chance of seroconversion in patients receiving targeted therapies, relative to the general population, was 0.61 (95% CI 0.35 to 1.08). The reduced odds of response were skewed strongly by the effects of abatacept and rituximab with no difference between patients on TNF inhibitors (TNFis) or IL-6 inhibition and healthy controls. Within different inflammatory arthritis populations the findings remained consistent, with rituximab having the strongest negative impact on vaccine response. TNF inhibition monotherapy was associated with a greater chance of vaccine response compared with methotrexate (2.25 (95% CI 1.28 to 3.96)). JAK inhibitor (JAKi) studies were few in number and did not present comparable vaccine response endpoints to include in the meta-analysis. The information available does not suggest any significant detrimental effects of JAKi on vaccine response. Conclusion: This updated meta-analysis confirms that, for most patients with inflammatory arthritis, pneumococcal vaccine can be administered with confidence and that it will achieve comparable seroconversion rates to the healthy population. Patients on rituximab were the group least likely to achieve a response and further research is needed to explore the value of multiple-course pneumococcal vaccination schedules in this population.
Changes in CO2 Concentration and Climate in the Ventilated Greenhouse with Forced Tomato Crops

This paper describes climatic factors in the greenhouses ventilated with two different systems; forced ventilation and natural roof ventilation. The author discusses 1) the profile of inside air temperature related to that of solar radiation, 2) horizontal distribution of inside air flow velocity and carbon dioxide concentration, and 3) photosynthetic rate of a tomato crop.Air temperature varied according to the height from the floor surface. Since the amount of solar radiation at the lower part in the plant canopy was smaller than that at the upper part, the air temperature decreased at the lower part. This decrease in temperature became larger with the increase in LAI. In the naturally ventilated greenhouse, a low temperature spot was observed close to the roof ventilators, through which the outside air came into the inside. The temperature in the spot was lower than that at the same position in the greenhouse ventilated with fans.Horizontal patterns of inside air flow velocity was similar to those of carbon dioxide concentration. The air flow velocity was large at the early stage of crops, but was reduced at the later stage in the naturally ventilated greenhouse. In the fan ventilated greenhouse, the incoming air descended to the floor surface at the early stage of crops, and thus carbon dioxide was supplied to the crops. As the crop stage became later, the area with large air flow velocity expanded in the whole greenhouse. Under such a condition a clear decline of carbon dioxide was observed from the inlet to the outlet of the air.The author estimated the reduction of photosynthetic rate due to the drop in carbon dioxide concentration. The percent reduction was 7-15% (LAI=1.0) and 22-32% (LAI=3.5) in the naturally ventilated greenhouse; about 10% (LAI=1.0) and about 25% (LAI=3.5) in the fan ventilated greenhouse.
Efficient Multi-Composite Cement Made of Granulated Blast Furnace Slag (GBFS) and Flash-calcined Sediment

The objectives of this study were to find out in detail how well granulated blast furnace slag (GBFS) could be replaced by flash-calcined sediment (SF sediment) in terms of hydration kinetics and mechanical-microstructural properties when developing an eco-friendly cement binder. The results indicated that the SF sediment substitution with a rate of 25% wt significantly improved the hydration kinetics of cement compared to the reference. This contributed to a considerable enhancement of the mechanical-microstructural properties of the mortar containing the SF sediment. By comparison with the reference, the strength of multi-composite cement-based mortar increased by 33% at 2 days and by 4.5% at 28 days, whereas its porosity decreased by 16.32% and by 12.44% for the same period. The SEM-EDS result showed that the SF sediment substitution did not significantly modify the chemical composition of the C-S-H phase, with a Ca/Si ratio range of 1.82 to 2.84 for both cement pastes. Moreover, Mg2+ and Al3+ions were two principal elements incorporated in C-S-H gels, with different ratios depending on the Ca/Si ratio of C-S-H gels. A novel model established from a combination of the curve fitting method and Power’s approach allowed for accurate prediction of the strength development of multi-composite cement-based mortars. Overall, the SF sediment substitution could be considered a promising option to develop a more eco-friendly cement binder, while the novel approach could be used as a reliable model for the strength prediction of blended cement. Doi: 10.28991/CEJ-2023-09-11-02 Full Text: PDF
The influence of grass biomass production on hippopotamus population density distribution along the Luangwa River in Zambia

1 Zambia Wildlife Authority, Directorate of Research, Planning, Information and Veterinary Services, P/B 1 Chilanga, Zambia. 2 Department of Zoology and Wildlife Conservation, University of Dar es Salaam, P. O. Box 35065, Dar es Salaam Tanzania. 3 Department of Biological Sciences, University of Zambia P. O. Box 32379, Lusaka, Zambia. 4 Directorate of Research, Planning, Information and Veterinary Services, P/B 1 Chilanga, Zambia.
Understanding the influence of predation by introduced fishes on juvenile salmonids in the Columbia River Basin: Closing some knowledge gaps

American shad Alosa sapidissima in the middle Columbia River (MCR)—a high energy food available in the summer and fall—may be contributing to the increased growth and enhanced condition of nonnative piscivores. To test this hypothesis we quantified the late summer and autumn diets of smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieu, walleye Sander vitreus, and channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus in the three lowermost reservoirs on the Columbia River (Bonneville [BON], The Dalles [TDA], and John Day [JDA]). The diet of smallmouth bass (SMB) was fairly similar among reservoirs, with crustaceans (52–82%) and fish (13–38%) being the dominant prey groups by percent mass. Cottidae were usually the dominant fish prey in the diet of SMB at all areas and the contribution of juvenile shad ranged from 0–8.2%. Fish (mostly Cyprinidae and Cottidae) were always the dominant prey item for walleye (WAL) at all areas and at all times, ranging from 70–100% of their diet by mass. Juvenile American shad composed from 10–27% (by mass) of the diet of walleye, depending on area and month. For channel catfish (CHC), the most common prey items consumed were crustaceans (20%–80% by mass) and unidentified items (30%–80%). Fish represented a relatively small component (< 4%) of their diet. We also evaluated the condition of SMB and WAL by determining relative weights (Wr) and hepatosomatic indices (HSI). Mean Wr for SMB greater than 300 mm ranged from 0.89 to 0.94 depending on area and month and showed a significant increase from August to September for fish in BON only. Overall, mean Wr of WAL was similar at all areas, ranging from 0.89– 0.91, and increased significantly from September to mid-October and November for fish in TDA only. Overall, mean HSI of SMB ranged from 1.18 to 1.48, did not differ between fish in different reservoirs, and increased significantly from September to mid-October and November for fish from the lower JDA only. Mean HSI of WAL was significantly higher in October and November (0.95±0.24) than in August (0.73±0.22). Collectively, our results are the first to describe the diets of SMB, WAL, and CHC over a large spatial area in the MCR during late summer and fall. Only SMB and WAL consumed relevant amounts (up to 27% by mass for walleye) of American shad, however the influence of this diet item on their condition was not discernible because these fish showed only slight increases in condition indices that did not always correspond to a dietary shift that included an increase in shad consumption, and we could not discount the importance of other prey items. Our results should be useful for future discussions regarding predation and shad management in the Columbia River.
RADIATION-INDUCED DEFECTS IN DRUSY QUARTZ, ATHABASCA BASIN, CANADA: A NEW AID TO EXPLORATION OF URANIUM DEPOSITS

Room-temperature powder electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra of drusy quartz (i.e., euhedral quartz crystals as coatings on or infillings in cavities and fractures) from five uranium mineralized areas in the eastern Athabasca basin, Saskatchewan, Canada, reveal a suite of radiation-induced defects. These EPR spectra also show that radiation-induced defects in drusy quartz from different geologic occurrences are similar in nature but vary widely in abundance. For example, radiation-induced defects in drusy quartz from altered basement rocks significantly below mineralization are close to or below detection limits, providing the first line of direct evidence for previous suggestions that fluids from the underlying basement rocks were uranium deficient. Drusy quartz in ore samples and those from alteration haloes around uranium orebodies are characterized by elevated levels of radiation-induced defects. Similarly, drusy quartz from less-altered sandstones near the present-day surface (hundreds of meters above mineralization), where uranium-rich minerals are generally absent, contains abundant radiation-induced defects. Comparison of EPR spectra of drusy quartz from less-altered sandstones before and after HF treatments reveals that radiation-induced defects are uniformly distributed in individual crystals, in contrast to the preferred concentration in the grain margins and along fractures in detrital quartz. These results suggest that radiation-induced defects in drusy quartz were most likely formed by bombardment of alpha particles emitted by uranium-bearing fluids during crystal growth. Therefore, detection of radiation-induced defects in drusy quartz from less-altered sandstones represents a new near-surface technique for exploration of uranium mineralization in the Athabasca basin.
Three-dimensional levee and floodwall underseepage

Levee and floodwall seepage models based on two-dimensional (2D) conditions can underpredict landside vertical hydraulic gradients and uplift pressures due to excavations and convex bends. The Sherman Island levee system is used to calibrate a three-dimensional (3D) seepage model to evaluate the effect of finite landside excavations and convex levee bends on landside seepage. The model shows that a 3D analysis is required for a landside excavation with an aspect ratio (length to width) less than 1L:1.5W. For drainage canals and ditches that parallel a levee or floodwall and are wider than 15 m, gradients at the excavation center are essentially equal to 2D vertical gradients but greater than 2D gradients near the excavation sidewalls. The Sherman Island calibrated seepage model also confirms concave bends diverge seepage and yield lower vertical gradients than 2D models. Varying the degree of levee curvature (ω = 45°–100°) indicates that sharper convex bends (ω = 100°; axisymmetric radius, 150 m) cause ve.
Transient or steady‐state? Using vertical temperature profiles to quantify groundwater–surface water exchange

Heat is recognized as a natural tracer to identify the exchange of water between the groundwater and surface water compartment. One‐dimensional (1D) heat transport models have the ability to obtain quantitative estimates of vertical fluxes through the sediment matrix. Input to these models can come from temperatures observed in the surface water and in the bed material of rivers and lakes. The upper thermal boundary condition at the groundwater–surface water interface is affected by seasonal and diurnal temperature variations. We hypothesize that effects of these transient influences are negligible at certain times of the year, such that the vertical temperature distribution can be approximated to be at steady state. Temperature time series observed over a year in the surface water and at several depths below a river in Belgium and in sediments of an acid mine lake in Eastern Germany were simulated with a heat balance model implemented in FEMME and the water and energy model VS2DH to obtain seepage fluxes. Temperature variations throughout the year at all depths could be adequately reproduced with the transient models. Vertical temperature profiles at several measuring times during the year were also fitted with an analytical, steady‐state solution for 1D heat transport and the obtained fluxes compared to the results from transient simulations. Fluxes obtained from the much simpler steady‐state solution were compared well with the flux rates from transient simulations for moments between mid and late summer, as well as during the winter. During transitional seasons (fall and spring), the fluxes from the steady‐state solution deviated significantly from the transient estimates with a tendency to underestimate at the beginning and to overestimate towards the end of those seasons. We conclude that fitting a simple analytical solution for 1D vertical heat transport to temperature data observed at particular well‐selected times of the year can provide an inexpensive, simple method to obtain accurate point estimates of groundwater–surface water exchange in rivers and lakes. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Clay minerals in the Pliocene–Quaternary sediments of the southern Yangtze coast, China: Sediment sources and palaeoclimate implications

Abstract Clay mineralogy was used as an indicator of the sediment source and prevailing climate and five suites (I–V) were identified throughout the borehole. Smectite was dominant in the bottom suite of the borehole, indicating the sediment was mainly derived from the local basalt when the study area stood as uplands during the Pliocene. The sharp reduction of smectite in suites II and III (Early Pleistocene) reflects a broader sediment provenance due to neo-tectonic subsidence of the study area. Significant climate fluctuations are indicated by distinct variations in the ratios of illite versus smectite and kaolinite, and by the illite crystallinity in suites II and IV. Especially the suite IV, which forms mottled muddy sediments that underwent pedogenesis, possibly represents glacial/interglacial cycles during the Mid-Pleistocene climate transition (MPT). The rare presence of smectite in suite V which formed during the Late Quaternary suggests a significant contribution of fine-grained sediment derived from the upstream of the Yangtze catchment. Such changes in sediment sources are consistent with the evolution of regional sedimentary environments, which evolved towards an open coast/deltaic setting and imply that the study area became the depositional basin of the Yangtze fine-grained sediment due to the final submergence of the Wu-Nan-Sha and Fukien-Reinan Massifs since the Late Quaternary.
Constraint Analysis in Adoption of Land Care Techniques for Saline-sodic Soils of Purna Valley in Vidarbha Region of Maharashtra

The present study entitled “Constraints in adoption of land care techniques for saline-sodic soils of Purna Valley in Vidarbha Region of Maharashtra” was carried out as Research Review Committee Project for the 2010-2011 in salt affected tract of Akola, Buldana and Amravati districts of Vidarbha. An exploratory design of social research was used. The total 120 farmers were selected by random sampling method, it covers 12 villages and 06 Tahsils of three districts of Purna Valley. The data were collected through structured and unstructured interview schedule by personal interview. The salient findings revealed that from all age and land holding groups respondents were interviewed, near bout 50.00 per cent farmers educated upto high school level. Cent per cent farmers having very deep type of land and majority (76.67%) of the farmers not having any source to access the irrigation. Out of the 120 farmers only 4 (3.33%) farmers has done the soil testing. Cent per cent of the farmers have low level of extension contacts. Cropping intensity during 2010-2011 was comes to 121.00 per cent. Cropping pattern was dominated by cotton, green gram, sorghum, soybean, red gram and gram crops. In all 11 land care techniques for saline-sodic soils of Purna Valley has been studied the results revealed that majority (70.00%) of the farmers have medium level of knowledge with low level of adoption (79.07%) regarding all selected land care techniques for Purna Valley. Major constraints faced by the farmers were unavailability of gypsum, unavailability of soil testing lab at near by places and lack of knowledge about the importance of micronutrients in study area and majority of the farmers suggested that government should provide Gypsum on 100.00 per cent subsidy in salt affected tract of Purna Valley. In view of low adoption of various land care techniques by the farmers in Purna Valley this study implied that it is necessary to diagnose the problem in soils based on soil testing and adopt proper land care techniques like fertilizers, amendments, green manures and soil and water conservation practices by the farmers for maintaining soil health in Purna Valley. The government should enhance the Gypsum availability to the farmers and create more soil testing facilities in Purna Valley.