bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of acidified clay on radicle and plumule emergence in protected seeds of maize varieties (Zea mays L)
Authors:   Department of Crop, Soil and Pest Management, The Federal University of Technology Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria., Adebayo R. A.
Published: February 2022

Maize is the third most important cereal in the world next to rice and wheat and with high production potential among the cereals. It is a staple crop of many nations and reputed as crop for food security. A laboratory study was conducted at the Department of Crop, Soil and Pest Management, the Federal University of Technology Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria to determine the effects of acidified clay on the radicle and plumule emergence in protected seeds of maize varieties. The experiment was laid out in 2 by 4 factorial in Completely Randomized Design with each of the treatment in three replications. Concentrated hydrochloric acid (HCl) was diluted with 200 ml of distilled water at 5, 8 and 10% concentrations. Hundred (100 g) of finely powdered clay soil was weighed and mixed with 25 ml of 5, 8 and 10% diluted HCl. One hundred and fifty (150 g) of maize seeds were mixed with 30 g of acidified clay at various rates and were kept in air tight containers for 7 days. Maize seeds were sterilized in the diluted hypochlorite solution for 30 seconds. The sterilized seeds were plated at the standard plating pattern (9 round and 1 in the middle). Emergence was observed at 24, 48, and 72 hours for the radicle emergence and after 96 hours for the plumule emergence. After each day of the plating, number of seeds that germinated were recorded. The results showed that the germination of white and yellow maize responded similarly to the treatments even at different rates. Both radicle and plumule emergence were better when seeds were treated with 10% acidified clay at 48, 72 and 96 hours of plating. White maize showed better response to the treatment compared with the yellow maize. Treated maize seeds had better germination compared with the control.
Determination of NPS fertilizer rates based on Pc and Pf for yield and yield components of bread wheat (Triticum Aestivum L.) in Negelle Arsi District, West Arsi Zone of Oromia, Ethiopia
Authors:   Batu Soil Research Center, P.O. Box 59, Batu Oromia, Ethiopia., Husien Abdurahman , Abera Tilahun ,   Batu Soil Research Center, P.O. Box 59, Batu Oromia, Ethiopia., Firomsa Tilahun ,   Batu Soil Research Center, P.O. Box 59, Batu Oromia, Ethiopia.
Published: February 2022

The study was conducted for two years on farmers’ fields in Nagelle Arsi District in 2018/19 to 2019/20 to evaluate the effect of rates of NPS fertilizer on growth, yield and yield components of bread wheat and to determine economically appropriate rate of NPS fertilizer for bread wheat production. The experiments were laid out in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with two replications with a plot size of 5 m x 4 m accommodating 20 rows each spaced 20 cm. Spacing of 1.0 m and 0.5 m were maintained in between adjacent blocks and plots, respectively. The treatments consist of 100% Pc from TSP fertilizer and 100, 75, 50, 25% Pc from NPS fertilizer and control (no fertilizer application) on a bread wheat variety Ogolcho with seed rate of 150 kg ha-1. Weed and yellow rest were managed by pallas and rexcido, respectively. The effects of NPS fertilizer rate on mollic andosols was highly significant with phosphorus critical and requirement factors (p<0.01) on plant height, aboveground dry biomass and grain yield whereas spike length, seed per spike and thousand kernels weight were not significant. Also, the effects of NPS fertilizer rate on eutric vertisols was highly significant with phosphorus critical and requirement factors (p<0.01) on spike length, seed per spike, aboveground dry biomass and grain yield whereas the plant height and thousand kernels weight were not significant. The highest grain yield was obtained in 100% pc TSP with recommended rate of 46 kg N ha-1 followed 100% pc NPS with recommended rate of 46 kg N ha-1. The lowest yield (2468 kg ha-1) was obtained in control. The partial budget analysis showed that the maximum net benefit with an acceptable marginal rate of return (MRR) was obtained from 75% pc NPS fertilizer and supplemented rate of 69 kg N ha-1 application on eutric vertisols and 100 % pc NPS fertilizer and supplemented rate of 46 kg N ha-1 application on mollic andosols.
The effect of intra and inter-row spacing on growth, yield and yield attributes of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) under irrigated condition in Benna Tsemay Distinct, South Omo Zone, Ethiopia
Authors:   Plant Agronomy Department, Southern Agricultural Research Institute, Jinka Agricultural Research Center, Jinka, P. O. Box 96, Ethiopia., Tadesse Awoke , Bekele Yimegnushal ,   Plant Agronomy Department, Southern Agricultural Research Institute, Jinka Agricultural Research Center, Jinka, P. O. Box 96, Ethiopia., Gezahign Biruk ,   Plant Agronomy Department, Southern Agricultural Research Institute, Jinka Agricultural Research Center, Jinka, P. O. Box 96, Ethiopia.
Published: February 2022

Sesame is cultivated almost in all the tropical and subtropical countries of Asia and Africa. However, the yield of this crop is limited due to the lack of appropriate plant density among others discourage factors. Therefore, the field study was conducted during the 2018 and 2019 planting season with the objective of evaluating the effect of intra and inter-row spacing on yield and yield attributes of sesame in Weyito, South Omo Zone and Southern Ethiopia. This field study was factorial with three inter-row spacing (30, 40 and 50 cm) and three intra-row spacing (10, 15 and 20 cm) and used randomized complete block design with three replications. Number of primary branches per plant, plant height, number of capsules per plant, thousand seed weight and grain yield data were recorded and subjected to statistical analysis. The results of this study showed that there was a highly significant (p<0.01) difference among the main effect inter and intra-row spacing in number of primary branches per plant, plant height, number of capsules per plant, thousand seed weight and grain. The highest (1.19 ton per hectare) and (1.04 ton per hectare) grain yields were obtained from 15 cm intra and 40 cm inter-row spacing, respectively. Therefore, the use of 40 cm inter row and 15 cm intra row spacing can be recommended for sesame producing farmers to attain the higher grain yield of sesame at the study area and similar soil and climatic factors areas.
Yield response of Nigerian rice agriculture (1970-2017)
Authors:   Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension Services, Ekiti State University P. M. B. 5363,  Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria., Ajiboye A. , Aturamu O. A. ,   Department of Agircultural science, Bamidele Olumilua University of Education Science and Technology,  Ikere Ekiti, Nigeria., Amao S.A. ,   Department of Agricultural Technology, Oyo State College of Agriculture Technology, Oyo State, Nigeria., Farayola C. O. ,   Agricultural Development Management Department, General Management Division, Kwara State, Nigeria.
Published: February 2022

Over the years, the domestic supply of rice has wielded great influence on the food security and self-sufficiency status of Nigerian households, making it one of the principal staple crops in the country. Against this backdrop, this study examines the yield response of rice to climate and non-climate variables in Nigeria. The study was conducted from data extracted from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) database from 1970 to 2017. The data was augmented with rainfall data from National Meteorological Center (NIMET). The Johansen Error Correction Model in a cointegration framework was employed to test the responsiveness of supply to the factors considered. The study revealed that rice yield in Nigeria is non-responsive to real price, exchange rate and climate variables. However, fertilizer consumption significantly influences rice yield in Nigeria.
Evaluating the influence of pre-harvest hybrid treatments (compost manure and potassium nitrate fertilizer) on the mechanical properties of eggplant (cv. Bello) fruits
Authors:   Department of Agricultural and Bio-Environmental Engineering Technology, Delta State Polytechnic, Ozoro, Nigeria., Bratte A.G. , Uguru H. ,   Department of Agricultural and Bio-Environmental Engineering Technology, Delta State Polytechnic, Ozoro, Nigeria.
Published: February 2022

There is an urgent need for fruits enhancers due to rise in food insecurity globally. Eggplant (Solanum aethiopicum L.) fruit is one of the most widely consumed fruit in the world, and Nigeria in particular. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of using compost manure and potassium nitrate (KNO3) fertilizer as fruit enhancers in eggplant production. The research was carried out on Bello eggplant using seven different treatments. Apart from the control unit, compost manure was applied at the rate of 2500 and 5000 kg/ka; the KNO3 fertilizer was applied at the rate of 150 and 300 kg/ha; combined treatment of compost manure and KNO3 was applied at the rate of 2500 kg (compost) + 150 kg (KNO3) and 5000 kg (compost) + 300 kg (KNO3) per hectare. Fruits from all the treatments were harvested at peak maturity stage, and the mechanical properties determined, in accordance to international procedures. Results obtained from the mechanical test revealed that fruits produced with combined treatment had better failure force, failure energy and compressibility, compared to the control fruits, or the fruits produced with single treatment. Regarding the single treatment, the results revealed that fruits produced with compost manure had better compression properties than the fruits produced with KNO3. A failure force of 829.00 and 855.33 N were recorded in the fruits produced with compost manure at the two concentration levels respectively. Similarly, failure force of 798.33 and 831.67 N were recorded in the fruits produced with KNO3 at the two concentration levels respectively. This study results affirmed that combined treatment was better than single treatment, and the combined treatment can be used as fruits enhancer. Results obtained from this study can also be used to design and develop eggplant fruit harvesting, handling and packaging machines.
Anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptive potentials of Salacia lehmbachii leaves
Authors:   Department of Pharmacology, College of Medical Sciences, University of Calabar, Nigeria., Essien Augustine D. , Essiet Grace A. ,   Department of Pharmacology, College of Medical Sciences, University of Calabar, Nigeria., Akuodor Godwin C. ,   Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, Nigeria, Thomas Edidara E. ,   Department of Pathology, University of Uyo, Uyo, Nigeria, Udoh Francis V. ,   Department of Pharmacology, College of Medical Sciences, University of Calabar, Nigeria
Published: February 2022

For decades, the leaves of Salacia lehmbachii Loes (SL), which belong to the family of Celastraceae are acceptably used in south-eastern parts of Nigeria in traditional medicine for the treatment of fever and painful conditions. This study assessed the anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptive effects of its water extracts on inflammation and nociception in rats. Doses of 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg of water extract of SL were used in elucidating anti-inflammatory activities in Wistar rats and mice by using carrageenan, egg albumin-induced paw and xylene-induced ear oedema; while acetic acid-induced writhing/abdominal muscle constriction, formalin-induced nociception and tail immersion models were used for analgesic study. In each study, 30 animals were randomly selected and grouped into five with six animals per group. Group 1(control) received 20 mL/kg of distilled water; groups 2 to 4 received 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg of the extract respectively; while group 5 received 150 mg/kg of aspirin and 10 mg/kg of morphine (tail immersion study). The ED50 of the water extract was 200 mg/kg. The water extract of the SL leaves showed significant (p<0.05) dose-dependent effects in all the parameters. Doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg showed comparable effects to those effects exhibited by the respective positive controls: - aspirin (anti-inflammatory study); aspirin and morphine (analgesic study). The water extract of the SL leaves possesses potent anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. The results justify the claim by the herbalists and its use in folkloric medicines for pains and conditions associated with pains.
Quality assessment of five pharmaceutical products of different brands marketed in Nigeria
Authors:   Department of Industrial Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Ekiti State University, P. M. B. 5363, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria., Akinyeye Richard Odunayo , Adepoju Adeleke Adebanji ,   Department of Industrial Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Ekiti State University, P. M. B. 5363, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria., Orege Joshua Iseoluwa ,   Department of Industrial Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Ekiti State University, P. M. B. 5363, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria., Adegbuyi Adekunle Theophilus ,   Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Federal University Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria.
Published: February 2022

Many pharmaceutical products have been reported to be substandard and counterfeit. About 15% of all drugs circulating in some parts of Africa and Asia are believed to be counterfeit, with figures rising to as high as 50%. This study was therefore carried out to assess the quality of five groups of drugs of different brands manufactured by pharmaceutical companies in Nigeria. Qualitative and quantitative analysis were carried out on the drugs using United States, British and Indian Pharmacopoeias. Qualitative analysis investigated includes: friability test, hardness test, disintegration test, dissolution test, pH, and weight uniformity for tablets; specific gravity, flow rate, pH and weight per ml of syrups. The quantitative analysis includes percentage purity and drug assay determination for different constituents using titrimetric, spectrophotometric and high performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) methods. From the study, it was established that the Nigeria brands of pharmaceutical products sampled generally conformed to the established qualitative and quantitative specifications. There was however a short slight fall in the chromatographic assay for vitamin B6 in the Blood tonic from one company and similarly, the vitamin B1 in the Blood tonic of one company were at variance to those from other companies. The result for the statistical analysis shows that there is uniformity in weight of all tablets analysed and it complies with the specification. Standard pharmaceutical analysis must therefore be regularly carried out on pharmaceutical products before marketing so as to ensure good health, safety, elimination of sub-standard drugs and prevention of over- or under-dosage, which may further affect or cause damage to the health of the users. Consumer’s choice of generics should therefore be based on the analytical results (assay results, bio-pharmaceutical results, and statistical results) of the product and the projected bioequivalence.
Phytochemicals, acute toxicity and in-vitro antioxidant activity of ethanol extract of Sphenocentrum jollyanum leaves
Authors:   Department of Biochemistry, University of Uyo, Nigeria., Uka Emmanuel , Etim Oboso E. ,   Department of Biochemistry, University of Uyo, Nigeria., Effiong Akaninyene O. ,   Department of Biochemistry, University of Uyo, Nigeria., Jacobs Imoh E. ,   Department of Pharmacognosy and Natural Medicine, University of Uyo, Nigeria.
Published: February 2022

Medicinal plants possess strong antioxidants that help to scavenge and protect the human health against several diseases caused by free radicals. This study was carried out to evaluate the phytochemical constituents, acute toxicity and antioxidant activity of the ethanol extract of Sphenocentrum jollyanum leaves in order to validate the medicinal potential of this herb. The antioxidant activity was evaluated using different in vitro models such as total phenolic, flavonoid content, DPPH radical scavenging activity, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and Iron chelating activity. Phytochemical constituents included alkaloids, saponins, tannins, flavonoids and cardiac glycosides while total phenolic, flavonoid and gallic acid equivalent were 31.49, 29.98 and 1215.80 mg/mL respectively. The acute toxicity revealed that the oral lethal dose of the ethanol extract of S. jollyanum leaves is non-toxic and safe for consumption. The leaf extract of S. jollyanum exhibited scavenging activity with IC50 of 164.214, 72.410 and 167.202 mg/mL for DPPH, FRAP and Iron chelating activity respectively. The results obtained from this study reveal that the extract is rich in antioxidant components with several mechanisms of eliciting antioxidant actions which provide a scientific basis for its use in traditional system of medicine.
An inexpensive contact angle measurement system
Authors: Cakir Musa Faruk
Published: February 2022

In this study, a new and cost-effective contact angle measurement system has been developed. As direct application of this easy-to-use measuring system, the wettability behavior of acrylic polymers was analyzed by dropping a saline solution of 2.4 M on acrylic materials, where contact angle measurements were made.
Integrating civilians into military organizations: Linking micro and macro levels of analysis
Authors: Kelty Ryan , Niemeyer Richard E.
Published: February 2022

LAY SUMMARY

The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan changed how civilians are integrated in military units, which has key implications for both personnel and the larger organization. Examining micro-effects is important because they reveal unintended consequences of personnel policies based on macro-level goals and assumptions. This article reviews 15 years of sociological research on micro-level outcomes across several key domains. Extant literature presents consistent findings of negative impacts of civilian integration on social comparisons, retention, cohesion, and mental health. Conversely, mixed results are found on military-civilian (mil-civ) integration on military culture and customs. This article also proposes a novel theoretical model to explain how these micro-effects affect macro-level military readiness. Accordingly, this article provides a framework to organize extant literature and identify new research linking micro-macro levels in military organizations. It is clear mil-civ blended forces produce unintended challenges for military readiness and individual personnel. Moving forward, more research is needed to examine unintended effects based on race and gender representation in a mil-civ blended force. There is much still unknown about the micro-level effects of systematically integrating civilians — for both military and civilian personnel — but what is clear is that it produces numerous unintended challenges for military readiness and individual service members.
Дослідження та аналіз способів ремонту насосних штанг
Authors: Мартинець О. Р. , Копей Б. В.
Published: February 2022

На даний час питання підвищення надійності та довговічності нафтогазового обладнання набули особливої актуальності. Колона насосних штанг (КНШ) є однією із найслабших ланок штангових свердловинних насосних установок (ШСНУ). Саме насосні штанги різко обмежують їх надійність і довговічність. Це пов’язано із надзвичайно важкими умовами роботи насосних штанг. Змінні навантаження розтягу та згину, вплив корозійно-активного середовища, тертя до колони насосно-компресорних труб (особливо в похилоспрямованих свердловинах), відкладення асфальто-смоляно-парафінових речовин та інші експлуатаційні фактори призводять до появи та інтенсивного розвитку корозійно-втомних тріщин і, як наслідок, до руйнування колони штанг. Такі аварії пов’язані з великими матеріальними затратами на ремонт і відновлення експлуатації свердловин. Близько 70% нафтових свердловин в Україні експлуатується штанговими свердловинними насосними установками (ШСНУ). Однією з основних проблем, пов'язаних з експлуатацією обладнаних ШСНУ свердловин, є частий вихід з ладу насосних штанг (НШ). Проведений аналіз  існуючих способів ремонту насосних штанг дасть можливість визначити ефективний метод їх ремонту. Запропоновано комбінований метод ремонту штанг обробкою металевими щітками та нанесенням модифікованого поліуретанового покриття. Проведені експерименти відрізків натурних штанг показують, що металеві щітки є ефективним засобом очищення і зміцнення штанг, особливо тих, які вже були в експлуатації. Встановлено, що метод комбінованого зміцнення обробкою щітками та нанесенням поліуретанового покриття додатково підвищує величину G-критерію на 20%. Модифіковане поліуретанове покриття дасть змогу підвищити стійкість штанги до стирання при терті до колони насосно-компресорних труб, з однієї сторони, та попередити відкладання асфальто-смоляно-парафінових речовин на тілі штанг, з іншої.
Polymer dispersed system for in-situ fluid diversion
Authors: Veliyev E. F.
Published: February 2022

High initial heterogeneity coefficient of reservoir coupled by a long period of exploitation, leads to a decrease in the effectiveness of most  EOR methods based on the displacing agents injection and  significantly increase economic costs. So, for example, in fields where the main oil recovery mechanism is waterflooding appearance of high-permeability channels is inevitable. Therefore this phenomenon negatively affects oil recovery factor, the displacement front uniformity and the injectivity profile. One of the most successful technologies to overcome these complications is the in-situ fluid diversion techniques based on creation of gel banks deep in the formation. The article presents a polymer-dispersed system (PDS) for deep flow diversion using on modified bentonite particles. Initially, bentonite particles were intercalated with precursor molecules, then copolymers of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) and acrylic acid (AA) were grafted onto the hydrophilic surface of bentonite particles by a graft polymerization reaction. The paper presents the study results of the physicochemical properties, rheology and colloid stability. The residual resistance factor has also been studied on sandpacks and core samples from the Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli field. The results of experiments shows increased hydraulic resistance while injection of PDS due to a sharp decrease in permeability. Core studies confirmed obtained results, showing a 61% decrease in permeability accompanied by an 11% increase in oil recovery. It was concluded that proposed composition is effective as deedp divertion agent and can increase oil recovery.
FORMATION OF PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCIES OF TOURISM PROFESSIONALS DURING IMPLEMENTATION OF PROGRAMS FOR THE ORGANIZATION OF RECREATIONAL SERVICESIN THE COURSE OF PRODUCTION PRACTICE
Authors:   Запорізький національний університет, BEZKOROVAYNA L. , LITVINOVA-HOLOVAN O. ,   Запорізький національний університет, PYPTIUK P. ,   Запорізький національний університет, BABII V. ,   Запорізький національний університет
Published: February 2022

The article describes emotional intelligence of a university lecturer. It is given the definition of the term «emotional intelligence», revealed its origin. The work describes the main emotional intelligence skills: self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, motivation, social skills. The author pays attention to Johari Window technique, which helps people better understand their relationship with themselves and others. The article gives a possibility to get acquainted with a list of questions which could be used to assess teacher’s work in a class, content of the course, students’ satisfaction with the course, recommendations of improving the course etc. These questions are divided into the following categories: 1) instructor-specific question themes; 2) course-specific question themes; 3) student self-evaluation questions; 4) open-ended questions. The author of the article also represents some emotional self-regulation strategies, which can be applied in a class. It is explained the difference between a teacher, who is a leader and a usual teacher, who is just an executor of the demanded actions. There is an example of a questionnaire, which helps to determine leader’s style. According to Hersey and Blanchard Situational Leadership Theory a leader’s ability to lead depends upon situation factors. These scientists focused a great part of their research on the characteristics of followers in determining appropriate leadership behaviours. According to this theory, leader’s styles are divided into: directing, coaching, supporting, delegating. The author also explains the difference between a relation-oriented and a task-oriented leader. Key words: emotional intelligence, university lecturer, leader’s style, leadership behavior, questionnaire.
The Effectiveness of Online Teaching and Learning in Polman Bandung
Authors:   Politeknik Manufaktur Bandung, Permata Nia Nuryanti , Hadiani Dini ,   Politeknik Manufaktur Bandung
Published: February 2022

This article reports the effectiveness of online teaching and learning in a polytechnic institution. The online teaching and learning during the Covid-19 pandemic have made a challenging situation. Moreover, the subjects or courses at Polman Bandung consist of the Theory course (e.g., Maths, English, Strength of Materials) and Practice course (e.g., Technical Drawing, CNC Machine practical program, Bench-work). What happens in the online classroom and its effectiveness should be known and considered by its academic officer. In general, the target to be achieved in this study is to provide an overview of online learning and measure online learning effectiveness in 2020. The research method used is a descriptive study. Data collection was done by distributing questionnaires to the third-grade students who have had or are currently implementing online learning in Theory and Practice courses. There were 231 questionnaire data collected. Besides, semi-structured interviews with students and lecturers were also carried out. The study results show that the teaching and learning effectivity carried online were scored in 3.25 by students (scale 1- 4), meaning it is still inadequate performance. Both Theory and Practice courses were challenging for students and lecturers, but the practice was considered more challenging. Some departments could not hold Practice courses entirely online due to the laboratory tools and machines needed. Therefore, it is recommended that the lecturer improve their online teaching skills and interact more with students in the Theory course and Practice course. The students should better communicate with the lecturers and, most importantly, handle significant learning challenges. Then, the institution should make a better system and program to help the lecturer to teach online.
Trainees’ Needs in Higher Diploma Program Training Module Evaluation: A case study of English Language Teachers
Authors: Kuche Bande Elias , Demissie Gedamu Abate
Published: February 2022

This study attempted to determine ELT trainees’ needs in Higher Diploma Program (HDP) module evaluation, and assess the overall pedagogical value of the training module to teachers at higher education. The study applied qualitative case study design by purposively selecting six English language teachers completed HDP training from Arba Minch University. E-mail interview and module evaluation checklist were tools used for data collection. The data was analyzed based on themes in the interview and the contents in the rubric with the level of quality stated in the scale. The results revealed that the training material did not fit for all trainees equally. Though trainees were different in their knowledge bases, the enhancement of HDP training module content for some knowledge bases was adequate. Furthermore, the training material helped trainees to develop their pedagogical skills in the field-based study. However, the topics and contents were not subject area specific, and some activities were weak to promote interaction. For the well-designed activities, their applicability in addressing for diverse audience was poor. Furthermore, the material was not designed in line with the scientific research findings, lacks additional resources to support training and no instruction was indicated to adapt it for various classrooms’ learning environments. From the English Language teachers’ viewpoints, it was concluded that training and training material have to be designed according to particular discipline’s needs. Limitations, recommendations and implications for future research areas were indicated.
Mental Health Status of the Population of a Hungarian Disadvantaged Region
Authors: Rucska Andrea , Lakatos Csilla , Perge Anna
Published: February 2022

Lifestyle and health culture significantly determines people’s health status. Several demographic studies have proved the correlation between disadvantaged social situation, unfavorable socio-economic status and health status. Deprivation and disadvantaged situation have become important, which should be treated as the root of difficulties on several fields since they have great impact on health behavior and -culture. Families living in lagging areas require special attention because of their social and economic backwardness and mental disadvantages. Childhood is an especially important period since skills learned before the age of 14 have a determining role in future life chances and adult health status: satisfactory psychosomatic development, loading capacity and the developing unfavorable habits influence adult health. As the part of the Creative Region program, our goal is to explore the mental health status of people living in the Hungarian Abaúj region by monitored data. 516 persons from 25 settlements and 7 primary schools of the region were included. We used the Beck Depression Inventory (filled under the age of 12) and the Spielberg State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (filled by all participants) by the help of measuring commissioners. Among children, a significant difference could be detected between genders (p=0.007). Body image seems to be a really important factor in youngsters’ life. Body weight (p=0.022) and physical exercises (p=0.02) significantly occur in the manifestation of depression symptoms in young people. The level of adult’s depression is influenced by the education level (p=0.00012), labour market status (p=0.003), alcohol consumption (p=0.007), subjective bad financial situation (p=0.022), sedentary lifestyle (p=0.001) and obesity (p=0.002). 5.5% of youngsters and 1.3% of adults are victims of domestic violence. It is important to highlight that negative future vision, unemployment and hopelessness cause anxiety and depression increasing by age, and it will manifest in endangering health behavior (inappropriate eating, sedimentary lifestyle, addictive disorders).
Altered Angular Gyrus Resting State Functional Connectivity Associated with Financial Capacity in Mild Cognitive Impairment
Authors: Nowrangi Milap A. , Outen John D. , Naaz Farah , Chen Liuyi , Bakker Arnold , Munro Cynthia A. , Kamath Vidyulata , Rebok George W. , Rosenberg Paul B.
Published: February 2022

Background: Financial capacity (FC) is a complex ability commonly impaired in older individuals with cognitive impairment; however, the underlying neural mechanisms are not well understood. Objective: To assess resting state functional connectivity using functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) in individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and impaired FC compared to cognitively normal older adults. Methods: rs-fMRI scans were obtained from individuals with MCI (N = 17) and normal older adults (N = 15). All participants completed the Financial Capacity Instrument Short Form (FCI-SF) and neuropsychological assessments. Based on previous findings, the left angular gyrus (lAG) was used as the seed region. Connectivity correlation coefficients were calculated for each seed-based connection that showed significantly altered connectivity. A Pearson’s correlation was calculated between the connectivity correlation values from relevant regions and FC and other cognitive measures. Results: A total of 26 brain regions showed significantly increased functional connectivity with the lAG. Of these regions, 14 were identified as relevant to higher-level cognitive function for analysis. Pearson’s correlations showed a significant negative correlation between the FCI-SF total score and increased connectivity between the IAG and the right temporal fusiform cortex (rTFC) (r = –0.455, p = 0.009). Conclusion: Results showed a significant correlation between FC and increased functional connectivity between the lAG and the rTFC in cognitively normal older adults compared to participants with MCI. These exploratory findings suggest that cognitive functions play important roles in FC as the functional connectivity between the lAG and rTFC was not associated with other tests of executive or visuospatial cognition.
Unsupervised domain adaptation with hyperbolic graph convolution network for segmentation of X-ray breast mass
Authors: Bi Kai , Wang ShengSheng
Published: February 2022

Deep learning has been widely used in medical image segmentation, such as breast tumor segmentation, prostate MR image segmentation, and so on. However, the labeling of the data set takes a lot of time. Although the emergence of unsupervised domain adaptation fills the technical gap, the existing domain adaptation methods for breast segmentation do not consider the alignment of the source domain and target domain breast mass structure. This paper proposes a hyperbolic graph convolutional network architecture. First, a hyperbolic graph convolutional network is used to make the source and target domains structurally aligned. Secondly, we adopt a hyperbolic space mapping model that has better expressive ability than Euclidean space in a graph structure. In particular, when constructing the graph structure, we added the completion adjacency matrix, so that the graph structure can be changed after each feature mapping, which can better improve the segmentation accuracy. Extensive comparative and ablation experiments were performed on two common breast datasets(CBIS-DDSM and INbreast). Experiments show that the method in this paper is better than the most advanced model. When CBIS-DDSM and INbreast are used as the source domain, the segmentation accuracy reaches 89.1% and 80.7%.
EDCOSUM: Text extractive summarization framework based on edge information with coreference resolution
Authors: Shuang Chen , Tao Ren , Yuntai Ding
Published: February 2022

Automatic Text Summarization(ATS) is distinctly beneficial due to a vast amount of textual data and time-consuming manual summarization. In order to enhance ATS for single document in huge datasets, a new extractive graph framework - text extractive SUMmarization framework based on EDge information with COreference resolution EDCOSUM is proposed in this paper that relies on coreference resolution, adding edge information in word-level graph and a sentence-ranking strategy. EDCOSUM combines the graph-based and statistical-based extractive summarization methods. It is a general method for any document (not limited to a specific domain). Moreover, two ranking strategies(sentence and LSA ranking strategy) are proposed for sentence selection. A set of extensive experiments on CNN/Daily Mail and NEWSROOM are conducted for investigating the proposed method. The widely used automatic evaluation tool: Recall-Oriented Understudy for Gisting Evaluation(ROUGE) is utilized to evaluate EDCOSUM. Compared to the state-of-the-art ATS methods, EDCOSUM achieves a competitive result by improvements of over the highest scores in the literature for metrics ROUGE-1, ROUGE-2 and ROUGE-L respectively.
Autonomic and Depression Symptoms in Parkinson’s Disease: Clinical Evidence for Overlapping Physiology
Authors: Sklerov Miriam , Browner Nina , Dayan Eran , Rubinow David , Frohlich Flavio
Published: February 2022

Background:

Autonomic dysfunction and depression are common non-motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (PD) that confer poorer prognosis. These PD symptoms may have overlapping pathophysiologic underpinnings.

Objective:

To investigate associations between autonomic and depression symptoms in early PD, and their evolution over time.

Methods:

We obtained data from the Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative, a prospective open-access database of early PD. Regression analyses were used to model effects of depression on autonomic symptoms in controls and in PD at baseline, visit 6 (24 months after baseline), and visit 12 (60 months after baseline), correcting for multiple comparisons.

Results:

Data from 421 people with PD at baseline, 360 at visit 6, 300 at visit 12, and 193 controls were included. When controlling for age, depression, and anti-hypertensive medications, depression predicted autonomic symptoms in all groups. Accounting for motor symptoms did not alter these associations. When comparing groups, the influence of depression on autonomic symptoms was stronger in all PD groups compared to controls, and strongest in PD at visit 12. Depression predicted the presence of orthostatic hypotension only in the PD group at visit 12.

Conclusion:

We demonstrated the important impact of depression on autonomic symptoms in early and middle stages of PD, which are independent of motor symptoms. Though the physiologic basis of these two PD symptoms are not fully understood, our findings add to pathologic evidence of a shared mechanistic substrate, separate from that responsible for PD motor symptoms. These findings may influence clinical management and development of novel therapies.
Baghdadi Method as Alternative System for Learning Qur'an at MT. Nur Hikmah Mampang Depok City
Authors: Maharani Dewi , Septiani Safitri , Febriani Amanda Sahla , Sari Yeasy Agustina
Published: February 2022

This research is motivated by the fact that there are still many people who are unable to read the Qur'an because they have not found t easy method of learning in reading Qur'an.. To overcome this problem, efforts from various parties are needed. For this reason, the teacher must ensure the right method and approach. Because the right method will guarantee the achievement of a greater and more comprehensive level of success. This research aims to improve the ability to read the Qur'an, introduce harakat, and the preparation of hijaiyah letters based on makharijul letters. The results of this research were obtained from observations, assessments that were tried twice, and interviews with children. Based on the analysis of information on children's activities above, it can be concluded that the dominant activity carried out is learning with the Baghdadi method, which is 30%, on the contrary, based on interviews, the Baghdadi method is very appropriate and interesting to use. So it can be concluded that this method is very interesting and supports the learning process of children. The results of the last test showed an increase in understanding of reading the Qur'an so that it reached the predetermined success indicators.

Keywords: Baghdadi Method, Learning Qur’an, System of Learning Qur’an
Actividades numéricas en el hogar y desempeño matemático en niños preescolares
Authors: De León Dinorah , Sánchez Irinaa , Koleszar Victor , Cervieri Ignacio , Maiche Alejandro
Published: February 2022

Several studies have shown that the quality of the home environment has effects on children’s performance. It has been reported that children who are more involved in numeracy activities tend to perform better in mathematics. Thirty-seven mother-child dyads who attended a preschool educational center participated in this study. Data of the frequency of carrying out numerical activities at home were collected as well as socioeconomic status of the family, and parents' expectations and attitudes towards mathematics. Children's mathematical abilities and non-symbolic estimation ability were evaluated. The results show a significant positive correlation between the frequency of carrying out numeracy activities at home and the children's mathematical performance. Possible influences of socioeconomic status and children's ability to estimate are discussed.
Evolución de la investigación sobre la cognición canina. Una revisión sistemática utilizando la teoría de grafos
Authors: Correa-Duque Maria Cristina , Gómez-Tabares Anyerson Stiths
Published: February 2022

The objective is to conduct a systematic review of the canine cognition studies, with an emphasis on social domains. The bibliographic search was carried out in Scopus and Web of Science. To manage the data, a clustering analysis was carried out using graph theory. The Sci2 Tool and Gephi tools were used. The results were segmented into classical, structural, and recent studies. It was found that dogs have superior abilities for the recognition and use of human forms of communication, compared to wolves and apes. Also, communication skills are more similar between dogs and humans than between humans and chimpanzees. These findings have been interpreted under the explanatory hypotheses of evolutionary heritage, human exposure, and domestication, which recognize that the human social environment represents the natural ecological niche for this specie.
Impacto biopsicosocial de la pornografía en internet: una revisión narrativa de la literatura
Authors: Varnet Pérez Tomás , Cartes-Velásquez Ricardo
Published: February 2022

The Internet has changed the ways of relating, specifically the use of social networks and the consumption of multimedia content, including pornography. Despite the above, there is scarce national empiric literature that addresses the phenomenon of pornography on the Internet. This paper’s aim is to describe the biopsychosocial effects of pornography, focusing on internet pornography, in order to contextualize the field. Within the three dimensions covered, studies tend to rule out the existence of obvious, high-impact, and short-term effects, as well as highlighting the importance of context in its modulation. There are limitations and critical observations to the studies reported, as well as calls for opening the national academic debate around a phenomenon that, already for some time, escapes our screens and demands a critically updated scientific approach.
The Mysteries of the Shroud of Turin
Authors: Rucker Robert
Published: February 2022

In 1931, a professional photographer named Giuseppe Enri pointed his camera at a piece of cloth called the Shroud of Turin. How was this image formed? When was it made? Who made it? Is this an image of a real person? Could this be an image of the man known as Jesus Christ? Could this be the authentic burial cloth of Jesus? These are just a few of the questions that arise. This article provides an overview of the Shroud, including its images, history, materials, and previous testing. It also includes the author’s hypothesis to explain the main mysteries of the Shroud, including image formation, carbon dating, and features of the blood on the Shroud. The purpose of this article is to encourage the development of a program for future testing of the Shroud. There are rumors the Shroud may go on exhibition in Turin, Italy, in 2025. To help obtain authorization for further scientific testing possibly following the exhibition in 2025, a comprehensive testing program should be developed for the Shroud to take advantage of advances in technology since the last extensive testing in 1978.
The Effects of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy With and Without Compassion on Spiritual Fatalism and Depression in Diabetic Patients
Authors:   Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, Birjand Branch, Islamic Azad University, Birjand, Iran., Panahi Rayhaneh , Shahabizadeh Fatemeh ,   Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, Birjand Branch, Islamic Azad University, Birjand, Iran., Mahmoudi Rad Alireza ,   Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, Birjand Branch, Islamic Azad University, Birjand, Iran.,   Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran.
Published: February 2022

Background and Objectives: There exists a relationship between spirituality and depression. Moreover, psychological interventions are effective in this regard. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the effects of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) with and without compassion on spiritual fatalism and depression in non-clinically depressed diabetic patients. Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study with a pre-test, post-test and follow-up and a control group design. The statistical population included all non-clinical depressed patients with type 2 diabetes in the welfare centers of Mashhad City, Iran, in 2020. To form 3 research groups using the purposive sampling method, 33 subjects were selected and randomly divided into the study groups. Moreover, after 2 months, a follow-up test was performed on the research groups. The research instruments included the Patient Health Questionnaire (Depression) by Arbi et al. and the Diagnosis Scale of Egede and Ellis Diabetes. Results: The repeated measures analysis of variance data suggested that the ACT approaches with and without compassion intervention were effective in increasing spiritual fatalism (P<0.05) and reducing depression (P<0.05) in the explored nonclinical depressed diabetic patients. Moreover, the follow-up data revealed the stability of the collected results (P<0.05). Conclusion:ACT, as an effective intervention can be used in medical centers to increase spiritual fatalism and reduce depression in diabetic patients with depression vulnerability.
COVID-19 Pandemic and Spiritual Challenges in Iran
Authors:   Spiritual Health Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran., Shirzad Fatemeh
Published: February 2022

ndividuals encounter unprecedented critical conditions globally. The Coro navirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread worldwide [1]. In addition to biopsychological health, this crisis has affected other areas of human life, like the spiritual health of individuals [2]. This issue can be of great importance because spiritual issues are closely related to general health, and especially mental health among individuals [3]. In Iran, >99% of the population is Muslim; thus, spiritual and religious is sues overlap and greatly interact [4]. Spirituality is the search to find the greatest meaning in life and closeness to the source of existence [5]. Religion structures such a search by drawing the place of religious authorities, shaping social networks, certain customs, valuing works, encouraging collective participation, and so on [6]. Due to this overlap, damaging these structures during the CO VID-19 pandemic may create a kind of spiritual crisis. How did the coronavirus create a spiritual crisis? Some aspects of this crisis include the following: 1. We can consider religious spirituality in the Iranian society as hierarchical; with important holy places and houses of religious leaders at the top; and religious pub lic meetings at the bottom, as well as mosques and Hus seiniyahs1 in the middle. All of them were closed and physical access to them had become impossible during 1. A mosque-like place used for religious meetings and religious rituals public quarantine. These include the places where some Muslims used to visit to strengthen their inner spiritual resources and release daily psychological stress. 2. In Iranian culture, individuals have a very close rela tionship with religious authorities (clerics). Accordingly, in religious affairs and some social issues, and even some daily affairs, the intellectual policy of the society is deter mined by religious leaders. Numerous religious leaders are elderly and among the high-risk group of COVID-19; therefore, this relationship was challenged by the COV ID-19 pandemic and reduced biosocial relationships. 3. The potential of religious communities and psycho social support to each other in reducing psychological stress and preventing mental disorders has been empha sized in various studies [7]. Islamic teachings also place great emphasis on community and participation among religious brothers, while these communities were also banned under quarantine due to illness