bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Morphometric analysis of shel dedumal watershed using remote sensing remote sensing and GIS
Authors: Sondarva K. N. , Jayswal P.S. , Dhodia J.
Published: April 2023

Morphometric analysis is the measurements and mathematical analysis of the land surface configuration, shape and dimension of the landforms. The efficiency of the drainage network is very important for understanding the processes of landform formation, soil physical properties and erosion characteristics. The present study is focused on the evaluation of morphometric parameters for conversation of soil and water on delineated in the basin. Furthermore, morphometric analysis of watershed using geospatial data and GIS techniques and slope analysis were also utilized to propose the suitable soil and water conservation measures in the basin. The results obtained in the analysis revealed that the Shel Dedumal basin tributaries is an 5th order drainage basin which describe that the texture is homogeneous or homogeneity still exist and lack of structural control in soil strata. The relief ratio (R h ), the elevation difference (R h or H) and circularity ratio (R c ) was found to be 10.73, 222.0 and 0.42, respectively which represents the basin having moderate relief and gentle to moderately high slope. Some areas of the basin are characterized by variation in Lithology and topography. The mean values of bifurcation ratio (R b) observed as 4.52 and circularity ratio (R c ) observed as 0.42 of the entire basins shows a moderate but not strong structural control or structural disturbances. An extreme high value of ruggedness number (R n ) observed as 11.83 which indicate the structural complexity of the terrain. The Moderate drainage density (D d ) and circularity ratio (R c ) was observed as 2.63 and 0.42, respectively which indicates the basin is highly permeable subsoil and vegetative cover. The form factor (F f ), the elongation ratio (R e ) and circularity ratio (R c ) was observed as 0.39, 0.71 and 0.42 respectively which is indicating elongated basin with lower / flatter peak flows of longer duration than the average and also the elongation ratio (R e ) values indicating moderate to slightly steep ground slope in basin which is indicating possibility for soil erosion and other soil and water conservation works.
Shelf- life of Paneer butter spread using modified atmospheric packaging (MAP) at different storage temperature
Authors: Kamal A. , Andhare B.C. , Shinde S.P.
Published: April 2023

India is the world’s largest producer of milk by volume. Milk is considered to be an appropriate source of valuable macronutrients (fat, protein, lactose) vitamins and micronutrients as minerals which can make it a wholesome food. Food and nutritive value of Chhana or Paneer is fairly high as it contains almost all the protein present in milk besides quantity of minerals and vitamins. In this research take the four levels of Paneer, butter and garden cress seed. the product stored under MAP had the best shelf life of 10 days at 4 °C based on its sensory and physic-chemical evaluation and microbial counts.
Performance of sunflower hybrids in rainfed vertisols situation under southern agro climatic zones of Tamil Nadu
Authors: Sanjivkumar V. , Baskar K. , Manoharan S. , Manikandan M. , Solaimalai A. , Ravindrachary G.
Published: April 2023

A field study was carried out to evaluate the yield potential of 10 sunflower hybrids under rainfed vertisols condition at Black Soil Farm, Agricultural Research Station, Kovilpatti, Tamil Nadu during Rabi Season of 2016 -18. The hybrids such as Krishian, Arathana, Ganga GK 2002, Suvathi, Sun bread 293, Sun bread 275, Arunodhaya, Sunny, Modern were compared with variety CO 2. Among the hybrids significantly higher plant height was recorded in CO 2 (123.7and 113.0 cm) and the lowest in sunny (91.1and 71.7 cm). However, maximum capitulum diameter was observed in Sunny (19.4 and 15.9 cm) and minimum in Sun bread 293 (11.3 and 11.1 cm). The early maturing varieties were modern (90 and 75 days). Among the hybrids significantly higher seed yield was observed in Suvathi (1157 and 979 kg/ha), Sun bread 275 (1174 and 1105 kg/ha) and Sunny (1235 and 1236 kg/ha) over variety CO2 (763 and 514 kg/ha). The highest oil content was in Sunny (37.3 and 37.6 %) followed by Krishna (35.6 and 35.4%) and Ganga GK 2002(35.5 and 35.4 %). However, the maximum oil yield was recorded in Sunny (461 and 465 kg/ha) over other hybrids.
Consumer buying behaviour towards “Healthy foods”: A case of Tier-I Cities in India
Authors: Krishna B. Sai , Kishore N.T. Krishna
Published: April 2023

Food is the most basic need for all humans to live a healthy and active life. The study was carried out in the Bangalore Urban area of Karnataka between 2021 and 2022 to investigate consumer buying behaviour toward healthy foods. Ninety sample consumers were selected using random sampling method for the study. The data were collected from each consumer through personal interview with the help of structured schedule. Distribution of the respondents based on personal and socio-economic characteristics showed that he majority of customers were middle-aged (80%), are male (52.2%) had education postgraduates and above (54.4%), and employees (40%) having family size up to 4 members (65.6) with monthly income Rs. 25,000 – 50,000 (40%) and are non-vegetarian (69%). Majority of the consumers perception based on major group of nutrients in the foods was highest for products rich in vitamins and minerals and products with a balanced nutrition with a mean score (4.61) and (4.52), perception on major ingredients in the foods was highest for products with dry fruits and nuts, fruits with a mean score (4.66) and (4.61), perception based on labels on the pack was highest for the products with natural and organic label on the pack with a mean score (4.46) and (4.43), and perception based on preservatives and additives was highest for fresh foods with a mean score (4.69). From the sample consumers, majority of consumers preferred the attributes health benefits and quality to be considered while buying healthy foods and taste/aroma/flavour/colour, affordability these attributes preferred by the consumers while buying conventional foods.
Influence of various organic manures on growth, yield and economics of sprouting broccoli (Brassica oleracea L. var. italica) cultivar Green Head
Authors: Singh Suneeta , Saxena Anil Kumar
Published: April 2023

A field experiment was designed and conducted during Rabi season of 2020-21 at Horticulture Research Block, Department of Horticulture, School of Agriculture Sciences, SGRRU, Dehradun, Uttarakhand to investigate the “Influence of various organic manures on growth, yield and economics of sprouting broccoli [Brassica oleracea (L.) var. italica] cultivar Green Head”. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design with three replications and nine treatments. The treatments comprised following levels of different organic manures with different concentrations viz. T1 (control), T2 (FYM@ 10t/ha), T3 (Vermicompost @ 5t/ha), T4 (cow urine @50%), T5 (FYM @5 t/ha + Vermicompost @ 2.5 t/ha) T6 (FYM @5 t/ha + cow urine @25%), T7 (Vermicompost @ 2.5 t/ha + Cow urine @ 25 %), T8 (FYM@ 10 t/ha + Vermicompost @ 5t/ha + Cow urine @50 %) and T9 (FYM@ 5 t/ha + Vermivompost @ 2.5 t/ha + Cow urine @ 25%). The sowing of sprouting broccoli cultivar “Green Head” was done on 11/01/2021 and final harvest done at 14/04/2021. Observations on various growths, yield attributes and economics were recorded. The results revealed that treatment T9 (FYM@ 5 t/ha + VC@ 2.5 t/ha + Cow urine@ 25%) was found to be most effective in terms of plant height (42.15cm), number of leaves (19.20cm), stalk girth (16.60cm), stalk length (13.73cm), days taken to head initiation (79.87days), total head weight (391.35g) and net return (Rs. 93,9194) whereas maximum B: C ratio (1:23.80) was recorded in T7 (Vermicompost@ 2.5 t/ha + Cow urine @ 25 %).
Study on mobile applications for irrigation in agriculture field
Authors: Jayswal P. S. , Sondarva K. N. , Patel V. A.
Published: April 2023

Water is a crucial input for agriculture, for good crop production. In today’s scenario, application of technology in agriculture field is very much needed as the time and resources are becoming limitation and costly. Mobile applications are becoming handy for any kind of work which can be done using mobile, internet and various softwares. This study is based on a detailed study of Mobile applications for irrigation scheduling for farmers’ field. The result of study reveals that real time use of Mobile application on agricultural field helps farmers to be aware about irrigation methods, irrigation water amount, crop water requirement, irrigation time etc. Also, real time application of Mobiles, connect farmers with current global scenario. Mobile applications are found effective Information Technology measure for extension of information and service provider for farmers of Digital India.
Forewarning the outbreak of Haemorrhagic Septicaemia disease by using suitable statistical models
Authors: Vinay H. T. , Jahnavi A. P. , Patil Nethravathi Ashok , Varalakshmi A.
Published: April 2023

Haemorrhagic Septicaemia was considered as one of the lethal diseases for the bovines. Ingestion or inhalation were considered as the major sources of natural infection of the disease, but the mortality rate was high when casual agent introduced to non-endemic regions. This disease was observed as most deadly bacterial disease which was responsible for highest number of annual deaths of bovines. Three generalized linear models such as poisson regression, zero inflated poisson and zero inflated negative binomial models were fitted, among these models zero inflated models were found to be best fit and the risk factors viz., land surface temperature, air temperature, potential evapotranspiration, rainfall and soil temperature were found to have significant effect in the outbreak of Haemorrhagic Septicaemia disease.
Sustainable use of agricultural waste
Authors: Yadav Harshdeep , Sharma Shivanshu , Bhadu Kavita
Published: April 2023

In India, which is mostly an agricultural nation, there are a lot of agricultural byproducts and wastes. The wastes and byproducts produced by agriculture are primarily organic in origin and contain nearly all of the nutrients required by plants. The biological cycle may be maintained by recycling waste and incorporating agricultural outputs into crop fields. The agricultural wastes may also be utilised as animal feed, organic manures and as a source of raw materials for ethanol and bioenergy production, among other things.
Antinutritional factors in plant based foods
Authors: Singh Jyoti , Arora Simran Kaur
Published: April 2023

Plants have the potential to create chemical molecules that operate as a defense mechanism against pests, bacteria, and other animals. When consumed by humans or other animals, these chemical substances can have a negative effect on the body. There are a number of antinutritional factors such as saponins, polyphenols, phytic acids, lathyrogens, alpha amylase inhibitors, lectins are found in plant-based diet particularly in different cereals and pulses consumed by Indian population in their day-today life. Anti-nutrients are one of the main factors that lower the bioavailability of nutrients. Micronutrient deficiency and mineral deficiencies can be caused by these compounds. To minimize the levels of these anti-nutrient elements, a variety of traditional approaches and technology can be applied. Fermentation, germination, milling, autoclaving, soaking, and other processing procedures and technologies are used to lower anti-nutrient content in foods. It is feasible to minimize the amount of antinutrients in foods by adopting a variety of approaches alone or in combination. The toxic and anti-nutrient properties of these chemicals in their natural state are of concern but there are also some beneficial effects reported about these compounds on human body at low concentrations. Therefore, this review highlights the different antinutritional factors found in Indian crops and their negative and positive impacts on health along with various approaches and technologies applied for reduction of these compounds from food.
Weed control in maize with herbicides and its effect on grain yield
Authors: Kaur Ramandeep , Kaur Amandeep
Published: April 2023

Competition posed by weeds is a major challenge in crop production as weeds cause severe reduction in yield by competing with crop plants for limited resources like light, space applied nutrients and water also. Several researchers and eminent investigators observed that diverse weed flora causes huge losses in maize yield and if the weeds are not managed at right time then it results in huge yield penalty. Among weed management treatments, hand weeding at 15-21 days after sowing and 30-42 days after sowing and integration of pre-emergence application of atrazine 1.5 kg ha-1, pendimethalin at 1.50 kg ha-1, pendimethalin + atrazine both at 0.5 kg ha-1 as pre-emergence spray, atrazine + alachlor at 0.75 + 1.25 kg ha-1, or alachlor at 1.5 kg ha-1fb hand weeding at 30 days after sowing and tembotrione 125 g ha-1+surfactant applied on 20 DAS were proved more effective. In case of sequential treatments, pre-emergence application of atrazine at 1.25 kg ha-1 or pendimethalin at 1.5 kg ha-1 fbparaquat at 0.6 kg ha-1at 3 weeks after sowing or pre-emergence application of atrazine at 1.0 kg ha-1 followed by topramazone at 0.030 kg ha-1 at 30 days after sowing gave higher gross returns, net returns and benefit cost ratio, thus proved more economical.
Factors influencing the buying behaviour of cotton farmers towards pesticides in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh
Authors: Kumar L. Sravan , Kishore N.T. Krishna
Published: April 2023

Introduction of high-yielding varieties and fertilizer responsive varieties has influenced the incidence of pests and diseases. To eradicate them farmers are willing to use pesticides which are quick action. As the pest incidence is increased, emergence of new pests there was also an increase in the usage of pesticides.The pre-scheduled survey was done inGuntur district of Andhra Pradesh. A representative sample of 100 farmers were taken for the study.India ranks 4th largest producer of pesticides with an estimated market size of 4.9 billion US dollars after the United States, Japan and China with a market share of 10 percent globally. Cotton ranks 2nd in the consumption of pesticides among agricultural crops. Andhra Pradesh ranks 1st in the production of cotton. The major source of pesticide purchase is from private dealer. The payment method was both cash and credit. The major source of information regarding pesticides was by the pesticide dealers, progressive farmers, pesticide company representatives. The basis for pesticides application was previous usage experience, pesticide dealer recommendations, neighbor farmer recommendation. The farmers had satisfaction towards availability of the choice products, accessibility to input stores, availability of a range of products.The major constraint faced by the farmer was high price, high interest on credit. The overall problems faced by the farmers was lack of usage information, unavailability of product during peak pest incidence.
Effect of different modes of pollination in muskmelon (Cucumis melo L.)
Authors: Karkar Mitul , Ghetiya Lalitkumar
Published: April 2023

The present study was carried out with the object of “Effect of different modes of pollination in muskmelon (Cucumis melo L.)”during summer 2020 and 2021 at College Farm, N. M. College of Agriculture, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari (Gujarat). In the present experiment, the highest fruit set and fruit weight were recorded in Hand pollination (HP) (89.00% and 626.42 g, respectively), Open pollination (OP), Pollination by A. mellifera and pollination by the stingless bee. Whereas, in the case of absolute control, an 18.00 per cent fruit set and minimum fruit weight (221.62 g) were noticed.The highest horizontal and vertical diameter of fruit (35.59 and 37.71 cm/fruit, respectively) was noted in HP and OP and pollination by A. mellifera followed by pollination by A. cerana and pollination by the stingless bee. The maximum flesh thickness of fruit was recorded in OP (3.13 cm) and pollination by A. mellifera (2.86 cm) as compared to the pollination exclusion plot. The highest (89.60%) seed germination was noticed in pollination by A. mellifera and OP (87.60%). The highest sugar content was detected in OP (8.21 g/100 g), pollination by the stingless bee (8.07 g/100 g) and HP (8.06 g/100 g). The minimum (4.26 g/100 g) sugar content was recorded in Absolute control of muskmelon fruit.
Genetic studies in pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum L.)
Authors: Borgaonkar S. B. , Jahagirdar J. E. , Patil D. K. , Kalpande H. V.
Published: April 2023

The present investigation on “Studies on heterosis for yield and its components in pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum L.)” was conducted during Kharif-2020, at Department of Agriculture Botany, Vasantrao Naik Krishi Vidyapeeth, Parbhani, National Agricultural Research Project, Aurangabad and College of Agriculture, Golegaon. The experimental material included in the present study comprised of five females (lines) and twelve restorers (testers) and sixty crosses. The experimental material was evaluated for twelve characters viz; days to 50% flowering, days to maturity, earhead length (cm), earhead girth(cm), number of nodes per plant, plant height(cm), total number of tillers per plant, number of effective tillers per plant, Fe content (ppm), Zn content (ppm), grain yield per plant (g) and grain yield per hectare (kg). The hybrids 02888A x 15006R, 02333A x 15006R, 00444A x 15351R, 99111A x 15020R and 99111A x 15713R exhibited high mean values for grain yield per plant and highly significant specific combining ability effects and wider adaptation across the environments. These hybrids could be utilized to exploit heterosis for grain yield. The hybrids 00444A x 15351R, 99111A x 15020R, 00111A x 15713R and 02888A x 15392R were found early for days to maturity. The hybrids 02888A x 15006R, 00444A x 15351R and 02333A x 15351R were found to contain high Fe content, whereas 99111A x 15020R, 02333A x 15351R and 02333A x 15020R had high Zn content.
Nutraceutical potential of Moringa oleifera
Authors: Yadav Babita
Published: April 2023

Northern India, south of the Himalayas, is inhabited to the largest habitat of M. oleifera, a tropical deciduous tree that belongs to the Moringa family. M. oleifera includes a variety of nutrients, including protein, vitamin A, minerals, essential amino acids, flavonoids, and isothiocyanates. Extracts of M. oleifera have a number of health benefits, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-carcinogenic, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, hypoglycemic, and lipid-lowering properties. The health advantages of M. oleifera are due to its phytochemicals, including flavonoids and isothiocyanates. This article is a review that concluded studies on M. oleifera’s bioactivity and pharmacological processes in the prevention and treatment of chronic illnesses. These disorders include inflammatory diseases, neuro-dysfunctional diseases, diabetes, and cancer. Studies on Moringa oleifera are summarized in this review, focusing on taxonomy, cultivation, nutritional characteristics, medical applications and value-added products.
Identification of the viruses causing mosaic diseases in chilli (Capsicum annum L.) in Tarai region of eastern U.P.
Authors: Kumar Vipin , Yadav Drinkal , Pandey Ajay Kumar , Kumar Ravindra
Published: April 2023

Viruses are the most common disease causing agent in plants among them various forms of mosaic causing viruses were discovered in chilli (Capsicum annum L.) plant species in the Uttar Pradesh. Based on the results of serological tests and responses to various host symptomatologies, four different forms of mosaic causing viruses have been identified. Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), potato virus X (PVX), cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) and potato virus Y (PVY) have all been found either alone or in combination with other mosaic viruses. Among them most commonly infecting one is CMV.
Blood biomarkers and Ki-67 proliferation marker in breast cancer
Authors: Studenikina A. A. , Mikhaylova E. S. , Arkhipov S. A. , Varaksin N. A. , Proskura A. V. , Autenshlyus A. I.
Published: April 2023

Metastasis is the leading cause of death in patients with breast cancer (BC). It is known that the lesion of regional lymph nodes by tumor cells is more common in tumors with higher proliferative activity. Moreover, there is literature evidence on effects of cytokines and proteins upon the migration potential of the tumor. The aim of our work was to study the correlation between the concentrations of cytokines, proteins, and expression of Ki-67 proliferation marker in breast cancer with histology of non-specific invasive carcinoma.

On the basis of pathological findings, 16 patients had metastases in regional lymph nodes (group I), and 18 patients had no detectable metastases (group II). Solid-phase enzyme immunoassay was used to determine concentrations of 14 cytokines in the supernatants of immunocompetent blood cells, i.e., IL-2, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-17, IL-18, IL-1β, IL-1ra, TNFα, IFNγ, G-CSF, GM-CSF, VEGF and MCP-1, and concentrations of 6 proteins were determined in blood serum: estrogen and progesterone receptors, cadherin-E (CDH1), plasminogen activator type 1 (PAI-1), mucin 1 (MUC1), heat shock protein 90αA1 (HSP90αA1). Immunohistochemical study of Ki-67 expression was performed in paraffin sections of tumors using monoclonal antibodies.

The study showed that Ki-67 expression in tumor tissues and blood concentrations of IL-6, IL-8, IL-1β and TNFα were higher in group I patients. On the contrary, blood concentrations of CDH1 and PAI-1 were higher in group II patients. It was found that Ki-67 showed both inverse correlations with CDH1 and PAI1, and direct correlations with IL-8 and TNFα. CDH1 had a direct correlation with PAI1, and inverse correlations with IL-6, IL-1β and TNFα. The studied cytokines showed direct correlations with each other. The analysis of ROC curves showed good quality and optimal values of the cut-off points for Ki-67 expression, cytokine and protein concentrations, thus allowing best prediction for detectable lymphatic metastasis.

On the basis of these results, a quotient was proposed, which represents a ratio of CDH1 contents to the sum of IL-1β and TNFα concentrations in blood samples, which can help identification of the patients with breast cancer at risk for lymphatic metastasis.
Complex studies on gene polymorphisms of MMP2, MMP3, MMP9 matrix metalloproteinases and TIMP1, TIMP2 tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases in the patients with primary open-angle glaucoma
Authors: Shevchenko A. V. , Prokofiev V. F. , Konenkov V. I. , Chernykh V. V. , Ermakova O. V. , Trunov A. N.
Published: April 2023

Abnormal expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) in watery moisture in patients with glaucoma may affect regulation of intraocular pressure (IOP). MMP activity is regulated by tissue metalloproteinase inhibitors (TIMP). The imbalance between tissue metalloproteinase inhibitors and matrix metalloproteinases may contribute to the development of glaucoma. Genetic factors, including polymorphism of matrix metalloproteinase genes and their inhibitors genes, can regulate the level of their expression, thereby affecting susceptibility to disease. Our aim was to perform comprehensive analysis of the MMP2 (rs243865), MMP3 (rs3025058), MMP9 (rs3918242) polymorphisms, and TIMP1 (rs4898), TIMP2 (rs8179090) tissue inhibitor genes polymorphisms in the patients with stage II (advanced) primary open-angle glaucoma.

99 patients (52 men and 47 women) with a verified diagnosis of stage II primary open-angle glaucoma were examined. The comparison group consisted of 100 age-matched persons (81 women and 19 men) without ophthalmic disorders. The single-nucleotide polymorphisms in promoter regions of MMP2, TIMP1, TIMP2 genes were analyzed by the TaqMan method, the MMP3 and MMP9 genes, by means of restriction fragment length polymorphism technique. Statistical evaluation was carried out using the specialized package of IBM SPSS Statistics 23 programs. The critical level of significance was assumed to be 0.05.

The differences in the distribution of MMP2 rs243865 allelotypes with decreased frequency of TT genotype were found in the patient group and, vice versa, increased heterozygosity rates were revealed among them. In addition, the frequency of TIMP1 rs4898 heterozygous genotype was decreased in this group as compared to control sample. Four MMP/TIMP complex genotypes are positively associated with the development of pathology. Two of them were of bilocus type, i.e., MMP2-1306TC:TIMP2-418GG, and MMP3-11715A6A:TIMP1 372CC whereas two three-locus constellations were revealed, i.e., MMP2-1306TC:MMP9-1562CC:TIMP2- 418GG, and MMP3-11715A6A:MMP9-1562CC:TIMP1 372CC. There are nine MMP/TIMP complexes, the frequency of which in patients with glaucoma was significantly reduced when compared with control group.

Polymorphism of regulatory regions of MMP2, MMP3, MMP9 genes and distinct gene variants of their inhibitors (TIMP1, TIMP2 genes) can be considered potential markers of the POAG development associated with an imbalance of MMP/TIMP activities.
Evaluation of cytokine profile of ejaculate in adolescents with varicocele
Authors: Pichugova S. V. , Lagereva Yu. G. , Beikin Ya. B.
Published: April 2023

Varicocele is a vascular disease characterized by abnormal tortuosity and dilation of the veins in pampiniform plexus that drains the testis. Due to difficult outflow of blood via the altered veins, the intratesticular blood flow becomes impaired, leading to pathological changes in the testicular tissue caused by hyperthermia, ischemia, hypoxia and development of inflammatory reaction. Seminal plasma contains numerous proteins, molecules, a wide range of cytokines, chemokines, growth factors. Their properties and levels largely determine the stages of post-testicular maturation of spermatozoa. At the same time, cytokines are an integral part of the inflammatory effect and are synthesized by various immunocompetent cells present in the male reproductive tract. Increased cytokine levels in ejaculate may act as a marker of local inflammatory process, being a significant factor of male infertility. The purpose of our study was to assess cytokine profile of ejaculate in adolescents with varicocele.

The level of cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, TNFα, IL-4, IL-10, VEGF was determined in ejaculate of adolescents aged 17 years. The main group consisted of 100 adolescents with II-III degree varicocele; the comparison group included 30 adolescents without varicocele.

Adolescents with varicocele have statistically higher levels of all studied pro-inflammatory cytokines, except of IL-8 and IL-10, which may suggest presence of a local inflammatory process. We did not find significant differences in the levels of cytokines between groups with grade II and III varicocele. However, the levels of pro-inflammatory IL-1β, IL-6 cytokines in ejaculate proved to be increased in the patients with grade III varicocele. When comparing the results between both groups, depending on the period after varicocelectomy and in the comparison group, statistically higher levels of IL-1β, IL-6, TNFα were detected in patients with more recent surgical correction and IL-10 levels in both subgroups with varicocele. This finding, given the progressive course of this disease, may be considered an unfavorable factor, since the pro-inflammatory status of testicular tissue returned, at later terms after surgery.

In adolescentswith varicocele, increased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokineswere revealed in the ejaculate. There were no statistically significant differences in the level of cytokines in ejaculate of the patients with II and III degrees of varicocele. At the longer postsurgical period, an increased level of pro-inflammatory cytokines was revealed in the ejaculate samples.
O efeito da Aprendizagem Baseada em Problemas nas habilidades de Gestão do Cuidado: Estudo quase-experimental
Authors: Benítez-Chavira Luis Angel , Zárate-Grajales Rosa Amarilis , Moreno-Monsiváis María Guadalupe , Vite-Rodríguez Cecilia Xochitl , Hernández-Rosales Carlota Mercedes , Brito-Carbajal Carlos Emmanuel
Published: April 2023

Objetivo: avaliar o efeito preliminar da Aprendizagem Baseada em Problemas nas habilidades de Gestão do Cuidado. Método: pré e pós-teste quase experimental, realizado com alunos do curso de Bacharelado em Enfermagem de uma instituição de ensino. A amostra foi composta por 29 (Grupo Experimental) e 74 (Grupo Controle). O Grupo Experimental resolveu quatro cenários sob o método de Aprendizagem Baseada em Problemas com os 7 passos propostos pela McMaster University, em um programa de Gestão do Cuidado na modalidade à distância. O instrumento de autorrelato avaliou as habilidades de Gestão do Cuidado pré e pós-teste em ambos os grupos. Valores médios foram obtidos e estatísticas descritivas e inferenciais foram realizadas (t de Student, t pareado, regressão linear). Resultados: o Grupo Experimental obteve escores mais elevados em habilidades analíticas, de ação e globais do que o Grupo Controle (p<0,05). Não foram registradas diferenças nas habilidades interpessoais ou no uso da informação. O Grupo Controle não apresentou diferenças significativas antes e depois do ensino usual, enquanto as diferenças foram de fato relatadas no Grupo Experimental (p<0,05). Conclusão: apesar de haver poucas evidências sobre o desenvolvimento de habilidades de Gestão do Cuidado de Enfermagem, o presente estudo mostra que a Aprendizagem Baseada em Problemas é um método eficaz e significativo na educação à distância.
Negative Human Rights as a Basis for Long-term AI Safety and Regulation
Authors: Bajgar Ondrej , Horenovsky Jan
Published: April 2023

If autonomous AI systems are to be reliably safe in novel situations, they will need to incorporate general principles guiding them to recognize and avoid harmful behaviours. Such principles may need to be supported by a binding system of regulation, which would need the underlying principles to be widely accepted. They should also be specific enough for technical implementation. Drawing inspiration from law, this article explains how negative human rights could fulfil the role of such principles and serve as a foundation both for an international regulatory system and for building technical safety constraints for future AI systems.
This article appears in the AI & Society track.
Decentralized Gradient-Quantization Based Matrix Factorization for Fast Privacy-Preserving Point-of-Interest Recommendation
Authors: Zhou Xuebin , Hu Zhibin , Huang Jin , Chen Jian
Published: April 2023

With the rapidly growing of location-based social networks, point-of-interest (POI) recommendation has been attracting tremendous attentions. Previous works for POI recommendation usually use matrix factorization (MF)-based methods, which achieve promising performance. However, existing MF-based methods suffer from two critical limitations: (1) Privacy issues: all users’ sensitive data are collected to the centralized server which may leak on either the server side or during transmission. (2) Poor resource utilization and training efficiency: training on centralized server with potentially huge low-rank matrices is computational inefficient. In this paper, we propose a novel decentralized gradient-quantization based matrix factorization (DGMF) framework to address the above limitations in POI recommendation. Compared with the centralized MF methods which store all sensitive data and low-rank matrices during model training, DGMF treats each user’s device (e.g., phone) as an independent learner and keeps the sensitive data on each user’s end. Furthermore, a privacy-preserving and communication-efficient mechanism with gradient-quantization technique is presented to train the proposed model, which aims to handle the privacy problem and reduces the communication cost in the decentralized setting. Theoretical guarantees of the proposed algorithm and experimental studies on real-world datasets demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.
The Role of Wages in Trend Inflation: Back to the 1980s?
Authors: Kiley Michael T.
Published: April 2023

This paper examines whether the measurement of trend inflation can be improved by using wage data in a dynamic factor model of disaggregated prices and wages for the United States. The model features time-varying coefficients and stochastic volatility. An estimate of trend inflation is a time-varying distributed lag of prices and wages, where the weight on a series depends on its time-varying volatility, persistence, and comovement with other series. The results show that wages inform estimates of trend inflation. The weight on wages was highest around 1980, drifted down through the 2000s, and returned to its 1980s value by 2022. In addition, inflation in the 2020s appears to have unmoored moderately from the 2 percent range that prevailed for decades, as the role of the persistent component of inflation increased in recent year. However, accounting for wages lowers the model's view of the increase in the volatility of trend inflation.
Canadian COVID-19 Outbreak Surveillance System: implementation of national surveillance during a global pandemic
Authors: McGill Erin , Coulby Cameron , Dam Demy , Bellos Anna , McCormick Rachel , Patterson Kaitlin
Published: April 2023

Setting

Early in the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, the need to develop systematic outbreak surveillance at the national level to monitor trends in SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks was identified as a priority for the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC). The Canadian COVID-19 Outbreak Surveillance System (CCOSS) was established to monitor the frequency and severity of SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks across various community settings.

Intervention

PHAC engaged with provincial/territorial partners in May 2020 to develop goals and key data elements for CCOSS. In January 2021, provincial/territorial partners began submitting cumulative outbreak line lists on a weekly basis.

Outcomes

Eight provincial and territorial partners, representing 93% of the population, submit outbreak data on the number of cases and severity indicators (hospitalizations and deaths) for 24 outbreak settings to CCOSS. Outbreak data can be integrated with national case data to supply information on case demographics, clinical outcomes, vaccination status, and variant lineages. Data aggregated to the national level are used to conduct analyses and report on outbreak trends. Evidence from CCOSS analyses has been useful in supporting provincial/territorial outbreak investigations, informing policy recommendations, and monitoring the impact of public health measures (vaccination, closures) in specific outbreak settings.

Implications

The development of a SARS-CoV-2 outbreak surveillance system complemented case-based surveillance and furthered the understanding of epidemiological trends. Further efforts are required to better understand SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks for Indigenous populations and other priority populations, as well as create linkages between genomic and epidemiological data. As SARS-CoV-2 outbreak surveillance enhanced case surveillance, outbreak surveillance should be a priority for emerging public health threats.
Organizational Culture of the Educational Institution as a Predictor of Organizational Stress across Teachers
Authors: Volkova Natalya , Zaichenko Natalya , Kosheleva Sofia , Efimov Alexander
Published: April 2023

The purpose of this paper is to examine the level of organizational stress through the lens of organizational culture and practices of psychological well-being implemented by the leaders of educational institutions. This study used data from 457 pedagogical employees working in 18 educational institutions (school and kindergartens) located in the Nevskiy district of St. Petersburg. 
A mixed-method approach with interviews and surveys was utilized for data collection. The coping with stress checklist developed by McLean was used to measure the level of organizational stress. The assessment of organizational culture was carried out on the basis of the Denison Organizational Culture Survey, adjusted to the educational environment through this study. The attitudes of the leaders of educational institutions and their practices implemented toward the formation of psychological well-being across school staff members were indicated via interviews. 
The results revealed that organizational stress affects negatively educational institutions, increasing employee turnover. Preschool educational institutions are more homogeneous compared with schools in terms of the level of organizational stress across teaching staff. School teaching teams are quite heterogeneous regarding the level of organizational stress. Moreover, the elements of organizational culture coupled with the practices used by the leaders for the development of psychological well-being influence the stress level in each school studied.
Reading or Pretending to Read? Analysis of the Behavior of Primary School Students during a Reading Comprehension Test
Authors: Bakai Ekaterina , Yusupova Elen , Antipkina Inna
Published: April 2023

The article describes the analysis of students’ behavior when performing a computerized test of reading comprehension. On a sample of 2157 fourth graders in Krasnoyarsk, using the method of latent profile analysis, five typical profiles of students were identified based on combinations of variables: “average text reading time”, “number of quick answers”, “amount of time to read auxiliary text”, “total test time”. The identified groups of students are interpreted using the assessment results. The identified profiles will be useful for a deeper interpretation of the assessment results and as a practical basis for developing methods for a differential approach to teaching.
Automated Measures of Lexical Sophistication: Predicting Proficiency in an Integrated Academic Writing Task
Authors: Appel Randy , Arias Angel
Published: April 2023

Background. Advances in automated analyses of written discourse have made available a wide range of indices that can be used to better understand linguistic features present in language users’ discourse and the relationships these metrics hold with human raters’ assessments of writing.

Purpose. The present study extends previous research in this area by using the TAALES 2.2 software application to automatically extract 484 single and multi-word metrics of lexical sophistication to examine their relationship with differences in assessed L2 English writing proficiency.

Methods. Using a graded corpus of timed, integrated essays from a major academic English language test, correlations and multiple regressions were used to identify specific metrics that best predict L2 English writing proficiency scores.

Results. The most parsimonious regression model yielded four-predictor variables, with total word count, orthographic neighborhood frequency, lexical decision time, and word naming response time accounting for 36% of total explained variance.

Implications. Results emphasize the importance of writing fluency (by way of total word count) in assessments of this kind. Thus, learners looking to improve writing proficiency may find benefit from writing activities aimed at increasing speed of production. Furthermore, despite a substantial amount of variance explained by the final regression model, findings suggest the need for a wider range of metrics that tap into additional aspects of writing proficiency.
Enhancement of Academic Performance through Developing Cross-Cultural Communicative Competence: A Case Study of Students Majoring in Economics
Authors: Guskova Nataliia , Голубовская Елена
Published: April 2023

Background. The article questions the possibility to increase the level of foreign language command through developing cross-cultural communicative competence (CCC) in students of non-linguistic universities. Despite extensive literature on intercultural communication, there are obviously gaps in investigating the way it can and should be built and the potential impact it may have towards students’ academic performance in general.  

Purpose. The paper aims to find out the possible correlation between the level of CCC formation and a command of a foreign language in general. To pursue the goal, an in-depth research into the CCC structure was carried out and the idea to simultaneously develop all its components was proposed.

Method. The paper reports on the results of the mixed-method research aimed at gathering the data and evaluating them both qualitatively and quantitatively. Senior students of the Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russia, were selected and divided into the control and experimental groups with the subsequent training on the pre-designed curricula, with a primary focus on developing all the components of the CCC in the latter. To assess their performance, the method of experimental verification, self- and peer evaluation, educational observation, questioning method were employed. In-depth data analysis and verification provided post-active phase of the experiment conducted.

Results. The results of the carried-out experiments, first, proved the hypothetical assumptions on the efficiency of developing all the four CCC simultaneously and, second, showed that the targeted CCC development contributes to improving foreign language acquisition in general, which is supported by the increase in 5 out of 6 didactic units of the final testing where the experimental group participants surpassed the students in the control group.  

Conclusion. The study provides evidence for the impact CCC development has on the linguistic communicative competence. The devised methodology can be borrowed and customized for teaching foreign languages to university students and, in particular for developing intrinsic motivation through CCC. Further, future research should address particular components of the CCC.
Academic Procrastination among Indonesian University Learners: Interaction with Cheating, Absenteeism, and L2 Achievement
Authors: Subekti Adaninggar Septi
Published: April 2023

Background. Many studies suggested that academic procrastination is particularly prevalent among learners at university level. However, empirical data on the interactions between academic procrastination and, respectively, learners’ attitudes towards cheating (AtC), absenteeism, and learning achievement, are either generally inconclusive or non-existent, especially in English as Foreign Language (EFL) literature. Thus, it is worthwhile to conduct a study to examine these issues in the Indonesian EFL context, home to one of the largest communities of EFL learners in the world.

Purpose. The aim of this study was to investigate academic procrastination of Indonesian EFL learners at university level and the interactions of these learners’ procrastination with AtC, absenteeism, and second/foreign language (L2) achievement.

Method. The study used an online survey method and 164 learners from non-English departments participated in this study.

Results. On the basis of descriptive statistics, it was found that the participants reported a moderate level of procrastination in English class. Furthermore, this study found that learners' procrastination significantly and positively correlated with their AtC and absenteeism. This indicated that the more learners procrastinated, the higher their approval of cheating behaviour, and the more likely they were to be absent in English classes. The predictive power of learner procrastination was 16.4% on AtC, and at 8.3% on absenteeism. Moreover, the study also found a significant, negative, and moderate relationship between learner procrastination and their L2 achievement with learners' procrastination being able to predict 16.5% of the total variance in L2 achievement.

Conclusion. Teachers are suggested to promote project-based tasks in groups where the step-by-step progress of learners is continually monitored, feedback given, and rewarded. This could discourage procrastination, absenteeism, as well as cheating behaviours, and potentially promote more optimal L2 achievement.
Molecular Characterization and Pathogenicity of Stagonosporopsis cucurbitacearum Causing Gummy Stem Blight Disease of Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus L.) in Malaysia
Authors: Waziri Abdul Aziz , Zulperi Dzarifah , Ismail Siti Izera
Published: April 2023

Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus L.) is a popular fruit crop with high economic value and widely grown in Malaysia. In January 2020, gummy stem blight (GSB) has become a threat for production of watermelon in Malaysia particularly in warm and humid climates, but the causative agent of GSB infecting watermelon is unknown. This disease decreases the fresh fruit marketability. Watermelon plants cultivar Red Rocky showing varied degree (40-90%) of suspected GSB, were collected from two main watermelon growing areas in Malaysia. Initial symptoms appeared as marginal brown necrotic lesions on leaves, while on the stems showed water-soaked, necrotic lesions and exuded reddish-brown gummy exudate on the stems. A total of ten isolates were isolated from lesions on leaves and stems of watermelon plants affected by GSB. All ten fungal isolates were identified as Stagonosporopsis cucurbitacearum on the basis of morphological characteristics and phylogenetic analysis of combined sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and β-tubulin regions. All isolates were proven to be pathogenic when inoculated on the leaves and stems of the watermelon plant and the the fungal isolates were consistently reisolated from the diseased watermelon plants confirming Koch’s postulates. Pathogenicity tests indicated that there were significant differences in virulence among the S. cucurbitacearum when inoculated on the leaves and stems of the watermelon plant. Understanding the etiology of the pathogen will help in disease management of gummy stem blight disease in Malaysia.
Estimation of Biocidal Potential of Desert Phytopowders for the Management of Citrus Canker
Authors: Muhammad Atiq Muhammad Atiq , Kiran Fatima Kiran Fatima , Ahmed Rajput Nasir , Talib Sahi Shahbaz , Hameed Akhtar , Muhammad Usman Muhammad Usman , Ahmad Usama , Sultan Adeel , Iqbal Shahid , Nawaz Ahmad
Published: April 2023

Citrus is one of the most important fruit crops, throughout the world. It is a rich source of antioxidants and vitamin C. Citrus canker is a potential threat to its successful production. In current study, ten desert phytopowders including Xanthium strumarium, Dipterygium galucun, Leptadenia pyrotechnica, haloxylon recurvum, Suaeda fruticosa, Salsola baryosma, Citruluscolocynthis, Abutilon indicum, Aerva javanica, and Calotropis procera at three different concentrations (5.0, 7.5 and 10.0%) were evaluated under in vitro conditions against Xanthomonas citri pv. citri. Among all phytopowders, X. strumarium and S. fruticosa, showed maximum inhibition zone (40 mm) followed by S. baryosma(38.50 mm) C. colocynthis(37 mm), Abutilon indicum(34 mm), H. recurvum(32 mm), D. galucun (30.5 mm), A. javanica, (29.50 mm), L. pyrotechnica, (29.5 mm) and C. procera (28 mm) as compared to control. Then, effective phytopowders were applied under greenhouse and field conditions @ 5.0, 7.5 and 10.0% against citrus canker. Combination of X. strumarium + S. baryosma showed minimum disease severity (22%) followed by X. strumarium (26%), X. strumarium + S. fruticosa (27%), S. fruticosa (27%), X. strumarium + S. baryosma (27%), and S. baryosma (29%) as compared to control. While in field experiment, the combination of X. strumarium + S. fruticosa showed significant results with minimum disease severity (32%) followed by S. fruticosa + S. baryosma (32%), X. strumarium + S. baryosma (33%), S. baryosma (35%), X. strumarium (36%) and S. fruticosa (36%) as compared to control. It is concluded that application of X. strumarium + S. baryosma phytopowders will be helpful for farmers to combat citrus canker.