bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Left almost semihyperrings characterized by their hyperideals
Authors: Nakkhasen Warud ,   Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Science, Mahasarakham University, Maha Sarakham 44150, Thailand
Published: September 2021

The notion of left almost semihyperrings (briefly, $ LA $-semihyperrings), as a generalization of left almost semirings (briefly, $ LA $-semirings), was introduced by Nawaz, Rehman and Gulistan in 2018. The purpose of this article is to study the classes of weakly regular $ LA $-semihyperrings and regular $ LA $-semihyperrings. Then, characterizations of weakly regular $ LA $-semihyperrings and regular $ LA $-semihyperrings in terms of their hyperideals have been obtained.
A new generation
Authors: Editor TWC
Published: September 2021

Editorial for TWC No. 36 (September 15, 2021).
Chemical parameters and antioxidant activity of turning color natural-style table olives of the Sigoise cultivar
Authors: Ait Chabane F. , Tamendjari A. , Rovellini P. , Romero C. , Medina E.
Published: September 2021

A chemical characterization of turning color table olives of the Sigoise variety was made through their processing as natural-style. Polyphenols, sugars, tocopherols, fatty acids, and antioxidant activity in the olives were monitored throughout the elaboration process. Oleuropein, salidroside, hydroxytyrosol 4-glucoside, rutin, ligustroside and verbascoside showed a decrease of 16.90-83.34%, while hydroxytyrosol increased during the first months of brining. Glucose was consumed by 90% due to the metabolism of the fermentative microbiota. The tocopherol content remained stable during the process and only the α-tocopherol decreased. The fatty acids were not affected. The loss in antioxidant compounds resulted in a decrease in the percentage of DPPH radical inhibition from 75.91% in the raw fruit to 44.20% after 150 days of brining. Therefore, the turning color natural table olives of the Sigoise variety are a good source of bioactive compounds.
Aux origines de la complexité économique : place de la créativité dans la tradition économique autrichienne
Authors: Gloria Sandye
Published: September 2021

L’objectif de cet article est d’identifier les ingrédients indispensables pour permettre la prise en compte du phénomène de la créativité dans l’analyse économique appréhendé des deux points de vue de l’individu et du système. Pour répondre à cette question, nous adoptons une approche d’histoire de l’analyse économique et plus précisément il s’agira d’examiner la spécificité d’une approche où la créativité occupe une place théorique centrale : la tradition économique autrichienne. Quels sont les éléments spécifiques à cette approche qui permettent la prise en compte du phénomène de la créativité ? Pour affiner la réponse, nous confronterons les divers courants qui coexistent au sein même de la tradition économique autrichienne et dans lesquels la place de la créativité est inégale. Le schéma conceptuel de la complexité économique offre selon nous la possibilité de redéfinir en un tout cohérent l’ensemble des éléments précédemment identifiés.Classification JEL : B13, B25, B41, B53.
The Impact of Novelty in Scientific Articles: The Case of French Physicists
Authors: Mairesse Jacques , Pezzoni Michele
Published: September 2021

This paper investigates the impact of publishing an article introducing a novel scientific idea and the impact of follower articles reusing that idea. To do so, we develop an indicator of novelty based on the appearance of an unprecedented combination of referenced journals in an article’s bibliography. We define novel articles as those including a novel combination of referenced journals within the first year of its appearance, while we define follower articles as those reusing the novel combination in the four years after its appearance. We assess the impact of novel and follower articles for a sample of 8,896 articles published between 2005 and 2009 by 1,087 French physicists. We find that novel and follower articles benefit from a citation premium only in the long run, i.e., three to four years after their publication, while in the short run, they receive the same citations as regular articles. We also find that both novel and follower articles are published in journals with a lower impact factor than the journals in which regular articles are published.JEL classification: I23, O31.
On Integrated Peer-Assisted Learning Clusters Among Students in a Nigerian University
Authors: Ala Oluwafolakemi , Yang Hongtao
Published: September 2021

Peer interaction to assist and learn from each other has been extended online in recent times. This study was conducted to find the pattern of participation in integrated peer-assisted learning and to investigate factors known to affect such participation among students in their peer-assisted learning clusters. The pattern of participation was established through the frequency with which the respondent use their preferred mode of peer interaction. Structural equation modeling was implemented to study the relationship between participation and the factors considered. Social medial is the most prevalent among the online means of interaction considered. Conflict, cohesion and effective leadership in the clusters have more direct effects on the other factors considered. The frequency of participation does not correlate significantly with the other personal and interpersonal factors considered. These findings suggest that the decision for voluntary participation in peer-assisted learning clusters are possibly driven by other factors such as academic.
Designing and Evaluating an Automatic Forensic Model for Fast Response of Cross-Border E-Commerce Security Incidents
Authors: Chen Chia-Mei , Cai Zheng-Xun , Dan-Wei (Marian) Wen
Published: September 2021

The rapid development of cross-border e-commerce over the past decade has accelerated the integration of the global economy. At the same time, cross-border e-commerce has increased the prevalence of cybercrime, and the future success of e-commerce depends on enhanced online privacy and security. However, investigating security incidents is time- and cost-intensive as identifying telltale anomalies and the source of attacks requires the use of multiple forensic tools and technologies and security domain knowledge. Prompt responses to cyber-attacks are important to reduce damage and loss and to improve the security of cross-border e-commerce. This article proposes a digital forensic model for first incident responders to identify suspicious system behaviors. A prototype system is developed and evaluated by incident response handlers. The model and system are proven to help reduce time and effort in investigating cyberattacks. The proposed model is expected to enhance security incident handling efficiency for cross-border e-commerce.
Iron deficiency anaemia in pregnancy and its prevention; paradigm changes over three decades
Authors: Goonewardene Malik
Published: September 2021

In Sri Lanka, the prevalence of anaemia in pregnancy was estimated to be approximately 29% in 2001 but is estimated to have significantly reduced to be < 20%, at least in certain areas, during the last decade. Among its many causes, nutritional iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) is the commonest, but establishing a definitive diagnosis is difficult. Strategies adopted globally, as well as in Sri Lanka, to prevent IDA in pregnancy, have changed significantly during the last three decades. A comprehensive literature review was carried out and inter alia three relevant World Health Organization Guidelines, in which the author was a member of the guideline development group and six other publications of the author, on the topic of iron deficiency (ID) and IDA in pregnancy are included in this review. Ten studies on the detection and prevention of ID and IDA in pregnancy, carried out from 1990 to 2017 at the Academic Obstetrics and Gynaecology Unit (AOGU) of the Teaching Hospital Mahamodera, Galle (THMG) are described. The results and conclusions of these studies were: poor compliance and unsatisfactory methods of ingestion of the antenatal oral iron supplement could have contributed to the high rates of ID and IDA at term during the period 1990 to 1992; haematological indices during pregnancy need to be interpreted with caution; although the agreement between haematological indices obtained from different laboratories in Galle in 2000 was unsatisfactory, better agreement was observed in 2015; the rates of ID and IDA in pregnant women presenting for antenatal care to the AOGU of the THMG have significantly decreased from approximately 69% and 44% respectively in 1990 to approximately 37% and 17% respectively in 2015. Therefore, weekly antenatal oral iron supplements should be adequate to improve birth outcomes in the non-anaemic women attending this clinic.
Immunohistochemical assessment of PTEN expression and itsassociation with tamoxifen resistance in ER positive breast cancers
Authors: Wijesiri T. W. , Peiris H. H. , Mudduwa L. K. B.
Published: September 2021

Introduction: Although Estrogen Receptor (ER) positivity is a good prognostic factor in breast carcinoma (BC), a subset of patients experiences poor disease-free survival (DFS). Mutation in phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted on chromosome ten (PTEN) is identified as a poor prognostic feature in BC. This study was designed to find out the impact of lost or poor PTEN expression on ER positive BC, in terms of the recognized prognostic factors and survival outcome to find out its association with tamoxifen resistance. Methods: This was a cross sectional study with a follow up component. BC tissue blocks submitted to our unit from 2006 to 2012 were selected. From the laboratory data, patients who had ER positive BC, undergone mastectomy, treated with tamoxifen were selected. All clinicopathological parameters, DFS and overall survival (OS) were analysed against lost or poor PTEN expression. Clinicopathological features were compared using Chi-square test. Kaplan-Meier model with log-rank test was used for the survival analysis. Results: A total of 130 BC patients satisfied the inclusion criteria. PTEN expression was lost or poor in 82.3% (n=107) patients. PTEN expression had a positive association with the level of ER expression (p=0.011) and a negative association with Nottingham prognostic index (NPI) (p=0.045) and pathological stage (p<0.048). Only 12.1% (n=16) patients had recurrences and 7.69% (n=10) had died over a period of 51 months of mean follow up. There was no significant association between PTEN expression and survival. Conclusions: This study showed that there is a statistically significant association between lost or poor PTEN expression and low ER expression, high NPI and stage 3 in ER positive BC. Further studies including larger study sample with a longer follow up are recommended to find out the association of PTEN with the survival in ER positive BC treated with tamoxifen.
Characteristics of cases of fatal drowning at a tertiary care hospital in Sri Lanka
Authors: Ariyarathna H. T. D. W. , Jayathilaka E. L. P. A.
Published: September 2021

Introduction: Deaths due to drowning largely manifest as preventable accidents or suicides. This study deals with characteristics of cases of fatal drowning presented to a tertiary care hospital in Sri Lanka. Methods: A descriptive study was conducted retrospectively based on postmortem reports of deaths due to drowning available at the Colombo South Teaching Hospital from September 2015 to September 2020. The study reviews characteristics of fatal drowning cases reported to the institution including their epidemiology, features, injury patterns and associated factors. Results: Drowning accounted for 1.35% (n = 65) of total postmortems performed. The male to female ratio was 8:1. Children below 15 years of age contributed to 7.7% of the deaths. Accidental deaths were the commonest followed by suicide and homicide respectively. Evidence of alcohol consumption was noted in 30.8% (n = 20) and the majority of the drownings occurred in the sea. No putrefaction was seen in 58.5% (n = 38) bodies. The characteristic froth was noted in 43.1% (n = 28) of the study sample and there had not been a significant association between the presence of froth with the medium of water. Facial and chest injuries were the commonest associated injuries. Four cases of late death (near drowning) were reported. Twenty-six (40%) deaths could have been prevented. Conclusions: This study helps to emphasize an existing problem in Sri Lanka. The prevention of drowning is mostly an achievable goal in Sri Lanka as long as the risk factors and epidemiology are known along with an adequate emphasis.
A case of Poncet’s disease; a mimicker of rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Dharmaratne C. J. , Jayasena D. P. , Sobana V. M. , De Silva U. D. , Muhunthan S.
Published: September 2021

No abstract available
Constraints in culture-based fisheries of Sri Lanka and strategies for future development
Authors: Wijenayake W. M. H. Kelum , Najim M. M. M. , Amarasinghe Upali S.
Published: September 2021

In the fisheries sector, fisheries enhancement through culture-based fisheries (CBF) has been recognized as an environmentally friendly approach, which is bound to contribute to increasing food fish production, especially in developing countries. Through concerted efforts, Sri Lanka achieved considerable success in CBF development in small village reservoirs in the country. However, there are some constraints to achieve the full potential in the development of CBF in Sri Lankan inland waters, which require certain interventions. Despite the availability of a magnitude of small village reservoirs in the country, the full potential of utilization of these water bodies is not achieved mainly due to the inadequacy of stocking material at the correct time under the present strategy of fish fingerling production for stocking reservoirs. It is therefore imperative that effective intervention be in place for the establishment of backyard hatcheries using simple technologies to the self-help community groups in the rural areas. The CBF strategies in non-perennial reservoirs of the country are essentially dependent on the water availability in reservoirs following monsoonal rainfall patterns. Due to anomalies in monsoonal rainfall patterns under climate change scenarios, water availability in non-perennial reservoirs in the dry zone of Sri Lanka for CBF development is rather unpredictable. As such, there is a potential risk that the rural groups engaged in fry-to-fingerling production face the difficulty of selling fish fingerlings to CBF farming groups when the non-perennial reservoirs are not filled due to insufficient monsoonal rains. An alternative strategy to link fingerling-producing community groups with the agricultural farming communities in minor perennial reservoirs should be in place to prevent such potential financial losses of fingerling producers.
Methods of Maintaining Compromised Teeth in Adults
Authors: Alroomy Riyadh
Published: September 2021

The proportion of the remaining tooth structure is crucial for the deliberation of whether or not to preserve a damaged tooth among adults. It has been stated in previous studies that in order to assure long-term care, restoration of a badly damaged tooth with a full crown will more frequently than not be needed. There are numerous methods for maintaining compromised permanent teeth. Apical surgery, root resection, crown resection, autotransplantation, orthodontic extrusion and intentional replantation are the methods that have remarkably high success and survival rates when cases are carefully planned and managed appropriately. These methods have greater importance in adolescence compared to adults, as implants should be preferably delayed until the completion of alveolar bone growth. The present review is aimed to discuss case selection and the techniques involved in the different methods used for maintaining compromised teeth, as well as their success rates. Based on the studies covered in this literature review, a survival rate of at least 80% can be expected for compromised teeth that have undergone treatment with these methods.
Clinical evaluation of two glass ionomer restorative materials in class I cavities
Authors: Abdalla Ali I. , Hassan Mostafa M. , Naanosh Mohamed R.
Published: September 2021

Aim

To evaluate the clinical performance of two glass ionomer restorative materials (EQUIA Forte Fil and IonoStar Molar) and a nanohybrid composite (Tetric EvoCeram) in class I cavities over 1 year.

Patients and methods

Twenty patients of age 25–40 years received 60 restorations. Each patient received three different restorations representing the tested materials. Class I cavity was prepared according to the caries extension. All the materials were applied following the manufacturer's instructions. Finishing and polishing was performed using finishing burs and polishing discs. Each restoration was evaluated clinically at baseline (24 h), 6 months and after 1 year using modified USPHS.

Results

The recall rate was 100% after 1 year. The alpha rating for retention and restoration fracture for EQUIA Forte Fil were 95%, IonoStar Molar 85%, Tetric EvoCeram 100% alpha ratings. For marginal discoloration for EQUIA Forte Fil were 95%, IonoStar Molar 80%, Tetric EvoCeram 95% alpha ratings. For marginal adaptation for EQUIA Forte Fil were 90%, IonoStar Molar 80%, Tetric EvoCeram 90% alpha ratings. For anatomic form for EQUIA Forte Fil 95%, IonoStar Molar 75%, Tetric EvoCeram 95% alpha ratings. For color match for EQUIA Forte Fil 85%, IonoStar Molar 80%, Tetric EvoCeram 90% alpha ratings. For surface texture for EQUIA Forte Fil 85%, IonoStar Molar 90%, Tetric EvoCeram 95% alpha ratings. For secondary caries for EQUIA Forte Fil 95%, IonoStar Molar 85%, Tetric EvoCeram 100% alpha ratings.

Using χ
2 test, there was no statistically significant difference between the tested groups for marginal discoloration, marginal adaptation, anatomic form, color match, and surface texture (P<0.05).

Conclusion

EQUIA Forte Fil Glass ionomer achieved clinically superior results after 1 year of service. IonoStar Molar Glass ionomer also achieved acceptable results. Tetric EvoCeram composite achieved superior clinical results for all criteria of the evaluation. A longer evaluation period may be recommended to decide the use of these materials safely in class I cavities.
A Pharmacist-Led Stroke Education and Screening Program for Community-Dwelling Older Adults
Authors: Marvanova Marketa , Henkel Paul Jacob
Published: September 2021

OBJECTIVES: To deliver a pharmacist-led education and screening for community-dwelling residents, assess the effect of this initiative on knowledge of stroke risk factors and warning signs, and evaluate the stroke-knowledge and risk-assessment questionnaire as a tool to identify
stroke-related health status and identify need(s) for specific clinical intervention(s) to decrease risk.
 DESIGN: The 70-minute-long event comprised: brief introduction/informed consent, baseline assessment of stroke knowledge, completion of study questionnaire, single blood
pressure and heart rate readings, presentation, question-and-answer session, postsurvey questionnaire items.
 SETTING: Four faith-based institutions in the Midwest.
 PARTICIPANTS: Independent community-dwelling adults 18 years of age and older (N = 97), 89.7%
60 years of age and older.
 INTERVENTIONS: Thirty-minute presentation followed by question-and-answer session on ischemic stroke. Screening for primary and secondary stroke-prevention status using study questionnaire and vital signs.
 MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S):
Stroke knowledge regarding modifiable stroke-risk factors and acute stroke-warning signs, individual primary/secondary stroke-prevention status.
 RESULTS: Postintervention, mean number of modifiable stroke risk factors (2.6 ± 0.8) and warning signs (2.6 ± 0.8)
named improved from preintervention (P < 0.001) including for most subgroups (i.e., self-reported hypertension, atrial fibrillation [AF], or high number of personal risk factors). Needs for improved primary/secondary prevention were identified for blood-measure control and antilipidemic
therapy. No disparity was observed regarding thrombotic therapy in participants with AF.
 CONCLUSION: The program was resource-efficient, involved student pharmacists, improved immediate stroke-related knowledge of participants including those with increased risk(s) of stroke,
and demonstrated value for evaluating stroke-related health status and identifying need for primary and secondary stroke prevention.
EPA Releases Final Rule on Hazardous Pharmaceutical Waste
Authors: Baldwin Paul
Published: September 2021

Ten years in the making, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a final rule on how to manage hazardous pharmaceutical waste. The longterm care pharmacy industry has worked with the EPA in this process and has hosted pharmacy tours and discussions with the agency over
the decade to help it better understand how drug waste is currently managed and how the EPA's various concerns could be met with as little disruption to pharmacies as possible.
Management of Heart Failure in the Older Adult: Treatment and Opportunities
Authors: Won Kimberly J. , Bethishou Laressa , Tsu Laura V.
Published: September 2021

OBJECTIVE: To provide a review of the available evidence regarding pharmacotherapy and areas of pharmacist intervention in transitions of care (TOC) for the geriatric population with heart failure (HF).
 DATA SOURCES: A PubMed search of articles published from
1995 through July 2018 was performed using a combination of the following words: heart failure, geriatric, elderly, (TOC), multidisciplinary, pharmacist.
 STUDY SELECTION/DATA EXTRACTION: Relevant original research, review articles, and guidelines were assessed for the management
of elderly patients with HF. References from the above literature were also evaluated. Articles were selected for inclusion based on relevance to the topic, detailed methods, and complete results.
 DATA SYNTHESIS: HF is a common cause of morbidity, mortality, and hospitalizations
in the elderly population. While it is important that patients adhere to evidencebased medications for HF, there are additional precautions and monitoring recommendations for this population because of a higher risk of adverse effects. Elderly patients with HF also require additional care
during the transition of care process because they are at high risk for readmission during this time because of a variety of factors, including medication changes, barriers to medication use, and lack of communication between health care providers. As part of a multidisciplinary team, pharmacists
can help to identify and address issues.
 CONCLUSION: Pharmacists can improve patient care outcomes in patients with HF by providing updated recommendations on pharmacotherapy and being involved in the TOC process.
A Prospective 12-Month Study of Prescriptions in Long-Term Care Nursing Facility Residents
Authors: Schneider Edward L. , Kim Jung Ki , Hyun Diana , Lobana Anjali , Smith Rick , Shmaeff Robert , Hoffman Janice , Oganesyan Aida , Appleby Kimberly
Published: September 2021

AIM: The most frequent use of medications in the geriatric population occurs in skilled nursing facilities. This quality assurance study prospectively examines the high number of prescriptions ordered for long-term nursing facility residents throughout their first year after
admission. METHODS: The investigators prospectively followed 101 consecutive long-term-stay older adult residents at the Joyce Eisenberg Keefer Medical Center, a nursing facility of Los Angeles Jewish Home for the Aging (LAJH) over a 12-month period. Preadmission prescriptions were
obtained for 91 residents, as well as prescriptions at 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year after admission. The number of prescriptions by staff physicians and outside physicians was examined. RESULTS: Over the 12 months following admission, the mean number of scheduled
prescriptions increased significantly from 11.1 prior to admission to 13.0 by 6 months and to 13.3 by 12 months (P-value < 0.05). The residents who were hospitalized during the 12 months of observation received significantly more scheduled, as needed, and total prescriptions than
those not hospitalized. Physicians employed full time by LAJH ordered significantly fewer additional prescriptions than physicians with outside practices. The patients of the staff physicians also had fewer hospitalizations than those of the outside physicians. CONCLUSION: This quality
assurance study reveals a statistically significant increase in the number of prescriptions made in a long-term care setting over a 12-month prospective study. Patients of staff physicians received fewer prescriptions and were hospitalized less frequently than patients of physicians who practiced
outside LAJH.
Effects of Chronic Proton-Pump Inhibitor Use on Kidney Function in Older Adults
Authors: Huntsberry Ashley M. , Linnebur Sunny A. , Fixen Danielle R. , Saba Laura M. , Saseen Joseph J.
Published: September 2021

OBJECTIVE: Proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) have been associated with adverse renal outcomes in older adults; however, there are little data regarding the magnitude of the change in renal function in this population. The objective of this study was to quantify the change in kidney
function associated with chronic PPI therapy at two years in older adults using estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR).
 DESIGN: The study was a retrospective, pre/post, observational cohort.
 SETTING/PATIENTS/INTERVENTIONS/MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): The
study included University of Colorado Health primary care patients 60 to 89 years of age who were newly initiated on a PPI between August 1, 2012, and March 1, 2015, and remained on therapy for at least two years. The primary outcome was the change in kidney function, measured by eGFR, two
years after starting PPI therapy. Secondary outcomes included change in kidney function and incidence of reduction in eGFR to < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 two years post-index date between patients with and without diabetes mellitus.
 RESULTS: Of 877 electronic health
records reviewed, 100 patients met inclusion criteria. The mean change in eGFR was -6.15 mL/min/1.73 m2 (standard error of the mean = 1.03) at two years compared with baseline
 (95% confidence interval -8.20 to -4.10; P < 0.0001). There were no differences in
the secondary outcomes based on concomitant diabetes mellitus.
 CONCLUSIONS: Chronic PPI use was associated with a significant reduction in eGFR in ambulatory older adults at two years, beyond that expected based on increased age alone. Prescribers should be aware of the potential
adverse renal effects of chronic PPI use.
Pharmacist-Driven Step-Down of Long-Term Proton-Pump Inhibitor Therapy
Authors: Quinn Rachel , Park Karen M. , Bodine Rita
Published: September 2021

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the appropriateness of proton-pump inhibitor (PPI) prescribing and reduce the number of outpatients on long-term PPI therapy, defined as greater than or equal to one year.
 DESIGN: Phase I was retrospective and evaluated the appropriateness
of PPI prescribing. Phase II was prospective and involved implementation of a pharmacist-driven PPI step-down protocol.
 SETTING: This study was conducted in an outpatient setting at Veterans Affairs Hudson Valley Health Care System.
 PATIENTS, PARTICIPANTS:
Patients were limited to a single primary care provider and were required to fill an outpatient PPI prescription between August 15, 2015, and August 15, 2016.
 INTERVENTIONS: After patients were identified in Phase I as having an inappropriate indication for long-term PPI
therapy, they were contacted by a pharmacist to complete the step-down protocol. The patients then received a call two weeks after completing each step.
 MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): To determine the number of patients without an indication for long-term PPI therapy that could
successfully complete the PPI step-down protocol.
 RESULTS: Phase I identified that long-term PPI therapy was not indicated in 68.4% of patients. Phase II implementation demonstrated that 71.4% of patients were able to successfully step-down from PPI therapy in an average
of 13 weeks with the use of alternative acid-suppression therapy.
 CONCLUSION: This study concluded that a majority of PPI prescriptions were not indicated for a duration of greater than or equal to 1 year. With the implementation of a pharmacist-driven PPI step-down protocol,
a majority of patients were able to tolerate the PPI step-down with the use of alternative acidsuppression therapy.
On nonmonogenic number fields defined by
Authors: Jakhar Anuj , Kumar Surender
Published: September 2021

Let q be a prime number and
$K = \mathbb Q(\theta )$
be an algebraic number field with
$\theta $
a root of an irreducible trinomial
$x^{6}+ax+b$
having integer coefficients. In this paper, we provide some explicit conditions on
$a, b$
for which K is not monogenic. As an application, in a special case when
$a =0$
, K is not monogenic if
$b\equiv 7 \mod 8$
or
$b\equiv 8 \mod 9$
. As an example, we also give a nonmonogenic class of number fields defined by irreducible sextic trinomials.
IMPORTÂNCIA DE MICROHABITATS NA OCORRÊNCIA DE GÊNEROS DE EPHEMEROPTERA E TRICHOPTERA EM UMA ILHA NO RIO XINGU
Authors:   Universidade Federal do Pará, Silva Samantha Ribeiro da , Luiza-Andrade Ana , Silva Suyana Karla Ferreira da , Silva Tamyris Pegado de Souza e , Sousa Leandro Melo de , Vieira Thiago Bernardi , Brasil Leandro Schlemmer , Dias-Silva Karina
Published: September 2021

IMPORTANCE OF MICROHABITATS IN THE OCCURRENCE OF EPHEMEROPTERA AND TRICHOPTERA SPECIES IN AN ISLAND IN RIO XINGU. This work described the abundance, richness and composition of genera and the functional food groups (GFA) of Ephemeroptera and Trichoptera (ET), in different microhabitats of a fluvial island, in Volta Grande of the Xingu River, Brazilian Amazon. Aquatic insects were collected from 30 samples located in puddles situated in the interior of the island (rocks as substrate); and another 30 samples located in the coastal margin of the island (pebble as substrate). The different facets of diversity (abundance, richness and composition of genera and GFA) were compared between puddle samples with rock substrate and those from the coastal region with pebble substrate. In total, 56 individuals were collected, distributed in 15 genera ET. The greatest estimated genera richness and the largest number of individuals occurred in the rocks of the puddle environments. The composition of genera differed between the rocks in the puddle environments and the pebbles in the coastal environments, with the community of the latter being more homogeneous. There were more scraper organisms distributed predominantly in the rocks of the puddle environments and filtering organisms arranged predominantly in the pebbles of the coastal environments. The distribution of scrapers is related to the availability of food, since the island has little vegetation and the light on the rocks is favorable for colonization by biofilm, its main food resource. In the coastal region, the greater distribution of filters is related to the greater number of fine particles suspended in water, its main food resource. The results demonstrate that even in spatially close environments, such as on a small island, differences in the availability of food resources in different microhabitats can influence the distribution in multiple facets of diversity. Thus, even in dynamic environments such as large rivers, maintaining microhabitats is important for aquatic insect communities.
RANGE EXTENSION OF CARRIKER’S ROUND-EARED BAT, Lophostoma carrikeri (ALLEN, 1910) (CHIROPTERA: PHYLLOSTOMIDAE) IN THE CERRADO AND CAATINGA
Authors:   Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Oliveira Fred Victor de , Stumpp Rodolfo ,   Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Souza João Gabriel Mota ,   Universidade Estadual de Montes Claros, Falcão Luiz Dolabela , Nascimento Maria Clara do , Perini Fernando Araújo ,   EcoDes Ambiental
Published: September 2021

Lophostoma carrikeri is a bat species widely distributed in the northern portion of South America and has been reported in a great variety of forested habitats. However, it is still poorly represented in scientific collections and wildlife surveys. In Brazil, L. carrikeri is known mainly for the Amazon basin and few localities in the Cerrado and Caatinga biomes. Here we report the first records of Lophostoma carrikeri from the states of Minas Gerais and Ceará based on specimens examined in taxonomic collections and collected during fieldwork. These new records represent the easternmost limits on the distribution of L. carrikeri and expand its known geographic range in approximately 488 km southeast and 490 km east of the nearest known records (São Domingos, state of Goiás and Teresina, state of Piauí). We also provide measurements, comments on morphological variation and an overall review of the species geographic distribution.
Cost Analysis of Current Distribution and Redesigned Distribution Systems for Vaccines in Rwanda
Authors: Mudaheranwa Evodie , Stany Stany , Sibomana Hassan , Hitimana Regis , Nzayirambaho Manassé
Published: September 2021

Background

Immunization supply chain management is among the components of immunization program, making vaccines delivery possible to reach every child. Nevertheless, it has been found to be static with rapid changes linked to the introduction of new vaccines. The success of Rwanda immunization program with coverage of 94.3% was attributed to human resource and capital investment from both the Ministry of Health and its development partners. However, the current distribution system design does not contribute to self-financing of the program in the long-run considering the distribution mode and frequency applied. The cost analysis study has never been done before and is expected to address the issue of long-term sustainability of the program as it will inform the system re-design activities.  

Objective

Assessing how much the program would save if the system is re-designed by changing distribution mode and frequency from the Central Vaccine Store to District Vaccine Stores.

Methods

Administrative and financial records were reviewed to determine the cost of the current vaccine distribution system to be compared to estimated cost of a proposed distribution system with reduced frequencies between Central Vaccine Store and District Vaccine Stores.

Results

By comparing the costs of the two systems, applying the proposed distribution model with less distribution frequencies reduced the current cost by 37%.

Conclusion

The findings confirm a huge opportunity of getting the current vaccine distribution costs reduced when the distribution system is redesigned, hence contributing to financial sustainability of the vaccination program.

Rwanda J Med Health Sci 2021;4(2): 207-221
Factors Influencing Annual Procurement Planning of Medicines and Medical Supplies in Public Health Facilities in Kampala District
Authors: Ajulong Martha Grace , Okiria John Charles , Owako Martin
Published: September 2021

BackgroundDespite significant progress made by many countries towards meeting the millennium development goals and now sustainable development goals, there has been little improvement in access to essential medicines in developing countries.ObjectivesThe main aim of this study is to assess the factors influencing annual procurement planning of medicines and medical supplies in the public health facilities in Kampala district.MethodsThis study targeted respondents from government Health facilities in Kampala with a total population of 424 employees and applied simple random sampling to select 206 health workers. The researcher adopted mixed research approach with application of descriptive statistics, correlational and explanatory research designs that were used to maximize reliability and validity of findings. While the qualitative data was gathered through reviewing logistics tools, a physical count of the 30% purposively selected stock cards and interview of the staffs was carried out in health facilities in Kampala district, a Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 20 was used to analyze the quantitative data. Accordingly, a chi-square was used to determine the association between independent and dependent variables.ResultsThe findings indicated that 37.8% of the staff responded positively about the availability of annual procurement plan while the rest were from various health facilities. A significant association was observed between knowledge and availability of annual Procurement planning (X2 = 34.7; p value =.0001), as well as management support and Annual Procurement Planning (X2 = 9.87; P value = .008).ConclusionIn conclusion, the finding generated from analysis of quantitative and qualitative data revealed that a majority of the factors influencing annual procurement planning had a positive effect on medical supplies in public health facilities in Uganda although the capacity and capability of health workers, quality of logistics management information systems, and management support desires improvement.

Rwanda J Med Health Sci 2021;4(2): 292-309
Assessment of Storage and Inventory Practices to Improve Medicine Supply Chain in Jubek State South Sudan
Authors: Manyuat Adut Jervase , Carasso Kashi , Makhado Mulatedzi
Published: September 2021

BackgroundIn order to deliver quality health services, safe, effective, affordable and quality medicines are needed. Inappropriate storage conditions, poor infrastructure and poor medicine management practices may lead to poor medicines quality, stock damage and expiration.ObjectiveAssess storage and inventory practices to improve the medicine supply chain in South Sudan.MethodologyThe study used a descriptive cross-sectional design. The study population comprised 12 Health Centers in Juba where inventory management was practiced. Both questionnaire‐guided interviews for staff self‐assessment, and observer assessment were used by the researcher. With regard to storage and inventory management, the researcher collected data on the condition of storerooms with regards to availability of enough storage space, availability of enough storage equipment, and temperature conditions of the medicines stores, among others.ResultsThe study found that store and inventory management practices varied widely in the different health facilities. Hospitals and central medical stores exhibited good or average inventory and storeroom management practices, respectively. The two hospitals and medical stores scored 100% in the elements in the assessment of storerooms and stock management. Some primary health care centers exhibited good inventory and store room management practice, whilst others were rated as average or poor. Most of the elements assessed scored 37% in storeroom assessment while elements assessed for inventory management scored less than 75%. There was great similarity between the observation assessment and the self-assessment.ConclusionIn conclusion, store and inventory management practices and knowledge of the respondents varied in the different health facilities. Hospitals and central medical stores exhibited good, average and poor inventory and storeroom management practices assessed through self-assessment and observation assessment by the researcher. There was a great similarity between the observation assessment and the self-assessment.

Rwanda J Med Health Sci 2021;4(2): 310-320
In Vivo Antidiabetic Activities of Polyherbal Extracts against Streptozotocin- Nicotinamide Induced Type 2 Diabetic Mice Model
Authors: Jagtap Pradnya , Nimbalkar Yashashri , Patil Vidya , Patil Ravindra Y.
Published: September 2021

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder and rapidly increasing cases of diabetes throughout the world are major concerns in both developed and developing countries. Currently available oral antidiabetic medicines have limitations in efficacy and safety, which in conjunction with the emergence of diabetes mellitus as a global epidemic have aided the popularity of alternative therapies to manage the disease safely and more efficiently. Herbal medicines are accepted as alternative therapies for blood sugar control. Gymnema sylvestre, Boerhavia diffusa, Tinospora cordifolia, and Argyreia nervosa are some potent herbs used for the management of diabetes. Mixing of these plants in different ratios may produce synergistic antidiabetic actions which may have greater antidiabetic activity. Hence, the present study aimed to determine the anti-diabetic activities of polyherbal extracts in streptozotocin-nicotinamide induced type 2 diabetic mice. The administration of polyherbal extract orally at doses of 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg significantly decreased the blood glucose levels compared to the control diabetic mice. The polyherbal extract significantly lowered the elevated total cholesterol, triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein levels, while increased the high-density lipoprotein indicating antihyperlipidemic activity. The present study reveals that polyherbal extract at a dose of 400 mg/kg body weight resulted in a significant decline (p < 0.001) in blood glucose level.

Keywords: Polyherbal extracts; diabetes mellitus; Oral glucose tolerance test; Streptozotocin-Nicotinamide
Multi-Vehicle Speed Estimation Algorithm Based on Real-Time Inter-Frame Tracking Technique
Authors: Kisingo Ernest , Hamisi Ndyetabura , Iddi Hashim U. , Maiseli Baraka J.
Published: September 2021

Inappropriate vehicle speeding remains a central factor that causes road accidents claiming millions of lives every year. This challenge has raised concerns for vehicle speed estimation as an attempt to promote speed enforcement methods. Traditionally, radar and lidar systems have widely been used for this purpose, despite their several shortfalls: cosine error effects, need for direct line-of-sight, and inability to simultaneously and accurately measure speed from multiple vehicles. The current work proposes an algorithm and a multi-vehicle speed estimation system in a multi-lane road environment to address multi-vehicle speed estimation shortfalls. The proposed solution exploits image processing and computer vision techniques to flag vehicles with inappropriate speeding patterns. A series of experiments showed that the developed system generates more accurate results than those given by the lidar system. In essence, the proposed system can estimate the speed of up to six vehicles concurrently. It can produce an average percentage error of 2.7% relative to the actual speed measured by a speedometer. This error is 5.4% lower than that demonstrated by the lidar system, emphasizing that the proposed system may be a more suitable approach to traffic laws enforcement.

Keywords: Computer vision; image processing; inter-frame differencing; vehicle tracking; road accident
Robust Trilateration Based Algorithm for Indoor Positioning Systems
Authors: Pande Simeon , Ibwe Kwame S
Published: September 2021

Abstract

Indoor Positioning Systems (IPS) plays crucial roles in indoor environment items positioning used in self-navigating robots and helping hands. To obtain position information, positioning algorithms employing Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) are of great benefits since they reuse the existing radio wireless infrastructures for indoor positioning. However, the changes in the indoor environment decrease the overall accuracy of the developed indoor positioning algorithms. To cope with the challenge of environmental dependency in indoor positioning, a robust algorithm using radio signal identification was developed. The algorithm uses circle expansion and reduction mechanism to achieve better RSSI-Distance relationship. The distances from RSSI-Distance relationship are used in trilateration algorithm for position estimation. Experiments were performed to compare position accuracy of the basic RSSI-Based and the proposed algorithm. Simulation results showed that proposed algorithm showed less average positioning errors by 11.2066% and 3.7279% at path loss coefficients of 3.11 and 3.21, respectively compared to the existing algorithms. Likewise, the proposed algorithm showed 2.7282% increase in positioning error when environment was changed from that of path loss coefficient 3.11 to 3.21. The existing basic algorithms show error fluctuation of 10% with the same environment changes.

Keywords: Indoor Positioning System; RFID; RSSI; Trilateration
Insecticidal Activities of Aqueous Extracts of Five Nigerian Aromatic Spices against Garden Eggplant Defoliators and Fruit Borer Leucinodes orbonalis Guenee: Lepidoptera: Crambidae
Authors: Ugwu Juliana A. , Kareem Kehinde T. , Aluko Julius O.
Published: September 2021

The study evaluated the prospects of aqueous extracts of five Nigerian spices against garden eggplant defoliators and fruit borer (Leucinodes orbonalis) in the field. The treatments consisted of Piper guineense (black pepper), Aframomum melegueta (aligator pepper), Eugenia aromatica (cloves), Zingiber officinale (ginger), Capsicum annum (chilli pepper) and untreated check (control). All the aqueous extracts evaluated reduced leaf damaged by defoliators on garden eggplant compared to control. P. guineense, with mean value of 11.02 number of perforations, was the most effective against defoliators, followed by E. aromatica (12.97) reducing leaf damage by 39.64 and 28.74%, respectively. However, their efficacies against defoliating insects were not significantly different (p > 0.05) among other extracts. P. guineense was also more effective than other spices against infestations by garden eggplant fruit borer and larvae density on fruits with mean values of 1.07 and 0.47, respectively. Plots treated with P. guineense recorded highest fruit yield (629 g/plant), followed by E. aromatica (219.3 g/plant). Piper guineense and E. aromatica extracts were thus more efficacious than other spices against defoliating and fruit boring insects of garden eggplants. Adopting the applications of extracts from these spices in home garden will minimize environmental and health hazards associated chemical pesticides and enhance healthy living among the populace.

Keywords: spices, aqueous extracts, garden eggplant, Leucinodes orbonalis.
Bayesian Hetero-Elasticnet (A Gibbs Sampler Approach)
Authors: Oloyede Isiaka
Published: September 2021

Combined heteroscedasticity and multicollinearity as dual non-spherical disturbances were experimented asymptotically. A Gibbs Sampler technique was used to investigate the asymptotic properties of hetero-elasticnet estimator with mean squares error (MSE) and bias as performance metrics. The seed was set to 12345;  is set at ; Xs variables were generated as follow: the design matrix was generated from the multivariate normal distribution with mean > 0 and variance .  and  are truncated with Harvey (1976) heteroscedastic error structure;  are collinear covariate with pairwise correlation between 0.6 and 0.9, the sample sizes were 25, 100 and 1000. The number of replications of the experiment was set at 10,000 with burn-in of 1000 which specified the draws that were discarded to remove the effects of the initial values. The thinning was set at 5 to ensure the removal of the effects of autocorrelation in the MCMC simulation. The study found that there is consistency of estimator asymptotically as the sample sizes increases from 25 to 50 so also to 1000, the larger sample size depicted least bias. The estimator exhibited efficiency asymptotically as larger sample sizes depicted least mean squares error. The study therefore recommended Bayesian hetero-elasticnet when data exhibit both heteroscedasticity and multicollinearity.

Keywords: Elasticnet; Bayesian Inference and Gibbs sampler