bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Conservação e transcrição paleográfica em arquivo histórico catarinense do ano de 1758
Authors: Cunha Rita de Cássia Castro da , Karpinski Cezar
Published: July 2024

Este artigo apresenta os resultados de uma pesquisa sobre preservação de arquivo histórico a partir de técnicas arquivísticas. O problema que moveu o trabalho foi o questionamento sobre quais seriam as possibilidades de tratamento arquivístico em arquivo histórico não produzido pelo Estado, mas adquirido por interesse público. O objetivo geral é relatar como as práticas de conservação e transcrição paleográfica podem ser utilizadas como tratamento arquivístico em arquivos históricos adquiridos pelo poder público. Especificamente, busca-se: (1) caracterizar os “Manuscritos à tinta ferrogálica” da Coletânea Garibaldina como arquivo histórico, da qual foi selecionado um documento para proposição do tratamento arquivístico; (2) propor um tratamento de conservação e estabilização no referido documento; e (3) adotar técnicas de paleografia para a descrição do documento selecionado. Metodologicamente, a pesquisa foi aplicada e qualitativa, com procedimentos técnicos de estudo de caso e análise bibliográfica. Como resultados, apresentam-se: reflexão sobre o contexto histórico da formação da Coletânea Garibaldina; uma proposta de tratamento de conservação para estabilização do suporte com inscrição à base tinta metaloácida; e a transcrição paleográfica do documento. Conclui-se que a aplicação de técnicas de conservação-restauração e paleografia atuam como tratamentos arquivísticos imprescindíveis e iniciais para outras etapas da gestão documental.
Crises, paradigmas e a Ciência da Informação: reflexões a partir do conceito de comunidade científica
Authors: Moutinho Sonia Oliveira Matos , Francelin Marivalde Moacir , Almeida Carlos Cândido de
Published: July 2024

O paradigma entendido como um consenso, um padrão a ser adotado que inclui um conjunto de teorias, crenças, valores e técnicas partilhadas por uma comunidade científica é problemático quando analisado de um ponto de vista que leva em consideração as nuances da atividade científica em geral e os paradigmas informacionais da Ciência da Informação. Como hipótese, parte-se da ideia de que a compreensão das revoluções científicas e das crises como inerentes aos próprios paradigmas da informação contribuem para o desenvolvimento e o fortalecimento do conceito de comunidades científicas na área. Esta pesquisa visa realizar uma reflexão acerca da crise paradigmática do conhecimento científico e de suas implicações no âmbito da Ciência da Informação, apresentando aspectos relativos ao contexto da comunidade científica, dos paradigmas da informação e das ocorrências de crises paradigmáticas em informação. Com base na técnica de pesquisa documental indireta, foram utilizadas fontes bibliográficas, selecionadas de acordo com a abordagem escolhida para o tema. Dessa forma, a pesquisa é qualitativa e a metodologia utilizada traça um quadro geral para uma análise específica do entendimento da crise paradigmática na comunidade científica da Ciência da Informação. Os resultados evidenciam, além da viabilidade de paradigmas múltiplos na Ciência da Informação, que rupturas, crises, problemas, descontinuidades, dúvidas, erros e acasos deveriam ser incorporados aos estudos epistemológicos e paradigmáticos do campo. A discussão realça a crítica às limitações de um paradigma na Ciência da Informação, evidenciando que os diversos paradigmas coexistem devido a um princípio ético em torno da coletividade e interdisciplinaridade enquanto características predominantes do conceito de comunidade científica da área. Em conclusão, este trabalho reafirma que o consenso paradigmático e a harmonia conceitual são formas ideais da ciência, mas o que move a pesquisa na comunidade científica da Ciência da Informação são os processos contínuos, as investigações e as tentativas de relacionar semelhanças e diferenças. Assim, o artigo contribui para o avanço nas discussões sobre a noção de crises paradigmáticas e sua relação com os efeitos no conceito de comunidade científica e informação nos três paradigmas escolhidos para a análise na Ciência da Informação.
Challenges to Widespread Implementation of Stroke Thrombectomy
Authors: Ospel Johanna Maria , Diprose William K. , Ganesh Aravind , Martins Sheila , Nguyen Thanh , Psychogios Marios , Mansour Ossama , Al-Ajlan Fahad , Yang Pengfei , Pandian Jeyaraj , Gopinathan Anil , Sandset Else Charlotte , Kennedy James , Volders David , Fahed Robert , Tjoumakaris Stavropoula , Bhogal Pervinder , Kurz Martin , Yavagal Dileep , Inoa Violiza , Hill Michael D. , Goyal Mayank
Published: July 2024

Endovascular treatment (EVT) for acute ischemic stroke is one of the most efficacious and effective treatments in medicine, yet globally, its implementation remains limited. Patterns of EVT underutilization exist in virtually any health care system and range from a complete lack of access to selective undertreatment of certain patient subgroups. In this review, we outline different patterns of EVT underutilization and possible causes. We discuss common challenges and bottlenecks that are encountered by physicians, patients, and other stakeholders when trying to establish and expand EVT services in different scenarios and possible pathways to overcome these challenges. Lastly, we discuss the importance of implementation research studies, strategic partnerships, and advocacy efforts to mitigate EVT underutilization.
Evaluating the Onfarm Performance of True Seed Shallot Varieties in Northwest Ethiopia
Authors: Gashu Ayele , Beyene Adane
Published: July 2024

Shallot (Allium cepa L. var. aggregatum) is an important vegetable crop in Ethiopia, but its production has declined in recent years due to a lack of true seed-propagated varieties. This study aimed to demonstrate and evaluate the performance of true seed shallot varieties in three districts of the Amhara region: Fogera, Libokemkem, and Dera. The study involved the participation of host farmers in variety demonstrations and the evaluation of the demonstrated varieties by experienced farmers. Two true seed shallot varieties, DZsht-157-1B and DZsht-91-2B, were compared to the local Bombay red variety. Bulb yield data was collected from one-meter square quadrants, and farmers' preferences were assessed using a direct matrix ranking approach. The results showed that the true seed shallot varieties outperformed the local Bombay red variety in terms of bulb yield. In the Fogera district, DZsht-157-1B and DZsht-91-2B had 40.1% and 0.3% higher bulb yields, respectively, compared to Bombay red. In the Libokemkem district, DZsht-91-2B had a 4.2% yield advantage over the local variety. The farmer evaluation results revealed that the true seed shallot varieties were preferred over the local Bombay red variety in various aspects, such as higher bulb yield, redness, and prolonged food span. The findings of this study suggest that the true seed shallot varieties have the potential to improve shallot production in the study areas and potentially in other parts of Ethiopia. To promote the adoption of these varieties, it is crucial to ensure the availability and accessibility of high-quality seeds to farmers, as well as to educate them on the importance of maintaining the true seed to bulb and bulb to true seed cycle. This will enable the continuous propagation of the true seed shallot varieties and ensure a sustainable supply of high-quality planting material, contributing to the revitalization of shallot production in Ethiopia and enhancing the livelihoods of smallholder farmers.
Lagrange Interpolation in Matrix Form for Numerical Differentiation and Integration
Authors: Wang Rui , Ly Binh-Le , Xie Wei-Chau , Pandey Mahesh
Published: July 2024

Numerical differentiation has been widely applied in engineering practice due to its remarkable simplicity in the approximation of derivatives. Existing formulas rely on only three-point interpolation to compute derivatives when dealing with irregular sampling intervals. However, it is widely recognized that employing five-point interpolation yields a more accurate estimation compared to the three-point method. Thus, the objective of this study is to develop formulas for numerical differentiation using more than three sample points, particularly when the intervals are irregular. Based on Lagrange interpolation in matrix form, formulas for numerical differentiation are developed, which are applicable to both regular and irregular intervals and can use any desired number of points. The method can also be extended for numerical integration and for finding the extremum of a function from its samples. Moreover, in the proposed formulas, the target point does not need to be at a sampling point, as long as it is within the sampling domain. Numerical examples are presented to illustrate the accuracy of the proposed method and its engineering applications. It is demonstrated that the proposed method is versatile, easy to implements, efficient, and accurate in performing numerical differentiation and integration, as well as the determination of extremum of a function.
A Comparative Analysis of the Physicochemical Properties of Oils Extracted from Common Species of the Niger Delta Raphia Palm Fruits and Cocos nucifera Kernels
Authors: Azuokwu Augustine , Igbafe Anselm , Akpobi Elohor , Yerima Yakubu , Ngubi Fredericks , Azike Rowland
Published: July 2024

Cocos nucifera oil is one of the most valuable, expensive and globally consumed vegetable oils. In many nations including Nigeria, the demand for Cocos nucifera and its oils has outweighed the supply. Moreover, Cocos nucifera cultivation has been reported to cause negative environmental, climatic and social impacts. Hence the search for a suitable feedstock that can either be used in conjunction with or as a substitute to Cocos nucifera oils. In this study, oils were extracted from the mesocarp of common species of the Niger Delta Raphia palm fruits (Raphia farinifera, Raphia hookeri and Raphia vinifera) as wells as Cocos nucifera kernel. The prospects of using each of the Raphia palm oil as an alternative to Cocos nucifera oil in food, feeds, biofuels and oleochemicals industries were analysed based on the results of standard physiochemical properties analysis. The results of this study showed that most of the physiochemical properties of the oils extracted from common species of the Niger Delta Raphia palm fruits are comparable to those of Cocos nucifera oil and the standards set for food, feeds, biofuels and oleochemicals. However, the Raphia palm fruits oils are more suitable as alternatives to Cocos nucifera oil in the biofuels and oleochemicals sectors than in the food and feed sectors.
Pavement Service Life Prediction with PLAXIS 3D in Bangladesh
Authors: Hossain Muhammad , Shakil Shahriar , Barua Hritu , Shoeb Kazi
Published: July 2024

This research aims to forecast the service life of the flexible pavement in Bangladesh. The service life of flexible pavement is greatly affected by the climate and traffic load. Pavements are severely deteriorated by the overweight trucks, shortening their lifespan. The study aims to predict the service life of a flexible road using the PLAXIS 3D software. The PYTHON algorithm was utilized for the pre- and post-processing of new mechanistic empirical approach based on the AASHTO 2008 design standard. PLAXIS 3D was used for realistic soil & damage modelling and to obtain a reliable service life. Rajshahi City Bypass Nowhata Road was chosen as the study area for this study because the road condition of Nowhata is defected day by day and the number of moving vehicles with high axle load also increasing. This research has established to give the valid data to the authority according to the construction materials of flexible pavement to get better performance and proper use of materials. This road is constructed under the Road & Highway Department (RHD), Rajshahi Zone. This study shows realistic results based on temperature, soil data of subgrade and the materials property used in the PLAXIS 3D software and PYTHON programming language.
Gas Composition Tracking in a Transient Pipeline Using the Method of Characteristics
Authors: Qi Da , Wu Changchun , Liu Zhe , Zuo Lili
Published: July 2024

For a gas pipeline with multiple gas sources, the significance of tracking the composition of natural gas is increasing with the implementation of X+1+X system for the natural gas industry in China. Mathematically, the tracking problem is usually described by a system of partial differential equations (PDEs). The continuity equation on gas composition has been developed to track natural gas composition according to the law of mass conservation. The algorithm resulting from the method of characteristics (MOC) is proposed to solve the system of PDEs. Compared to the original MOC, numerical solutions of the continuity equation on gas composition are obtained after the hydraulic calculation and thermal calculation. Moreover, different combinations of boundary conditions for the MOC are derived, which could expand the range of application of the MOC and be applicable to various operating conditions. The heating values of diverse gas sources have been determined following the methods documented in ISO 6976:2016. The case study of a gas pipeline in China verified the validity of the algorithm via the commercial simulation software Pipeline Studio for Gas (TGNET). The heating value and gas composition obtained by the algorithm can be used in the custody transfer metering of natural gas pipelines for Class B and C metering stations described in GB/T 18603−2014.
Exploring Maternity Care Variations: Model vs. Non-Model Hospital in Bangladesh
Authors: Moni Mahfuja , Noor Irfan , Tripty Nabila , Sarmin Tanjina , Joty Afroza , Suchona Sadia , Parag Deb , Mahmood Tarim
Published: July 2024

Introduction: Maternal healthcare is a critical component of public health systems worldwide, aiming to safeguard the health and well-being of mothers and infants during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period. Aim of the study: The aim of this study is to conduct a comparative analysis of maternity care services between a selected model district hospital and a non-model district hospital in Bangladesh. Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted over a period of 12 months starting from January to December 2020 at two district hospitals of Rangpur Division named Kurigram District Hospital (250 bedded Model hospital) and Lalmonirhat district hospital (100 bedded Non -Model hospital) among the mothers who had institutional delivery during the study period. Result: In the model district hospital majority 93.3% of mothers received an explanation of possible events that might occur during childbirth, compared to only 10.0% in the non-model district hospital. In the model district hospital, 86.7% of mothers received regular monitoring and were informed time to time, compared to only 6.7% in the non-model district hospital. In the model district hospital, 80.0% of mothers received information about their general physical condition at discharge, compared to only 13.3% in the non-model district hospital. This difference is highly significant (p-value = 0.00), with an odds ratio of 26 respectively. Conclusion: In conclusion, the comparative analysis of maternity care services between model and non-model district hospitals in Bangladesh offers valuable insights into the complexities of maternal healthcare delivery in LMICs.
Effects of Intermittent Fasting and Sex on Blood Glucose, Free Fatty Acids, and Lipid Profile in Wistar Rats
Authors: Olufunmilayo Isehunwa , Adenike Ibitoye
Published: July 2024

Intermittent fasting (IF) has been reported to improve metabolic health through its effect on glucose and lipid profile. However, there is limited information on the effects of Intermittent Fasting on free fatty acids and sex related differences. This study was designed to investigate the effects of Intermittent Fasting (IF) on blood glucose, free fatty acids, lipid profile in both male and female Wistar rats and sex related differences. Twenty Wistar rats of both sexes weighing between 170-200g were used in the study. The animals were grouped into four (4) groups (n=5) per group. Groups 1 and 11 were male and female control groups respectively fed ad libitum with feed and water while groups 111 and 1V were male and female intermittent fasting groups fasted for 16 hours and fed for 8 hours for 28 days respectively. They had free access to water for 24 hours. At the end of 28 days fasting, blood glucose, free fatty acids and lipid profile were determined. The results of the study showed that intermittent fasting was associated with a significant increase in free fatty acids in female rats (p< 0.05) but a non- significant increase in male rats. In both female and male rats, intermittent fasting was associated with a significant decrease (p< 0.05) ins blood glucose, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein, but a non-significant decrease in triglyceride compared with control groups in both male and female rats. In conclusion, Intermittent fasting may help to improve blood glucose and maintain a balanced lipid profile in both males and females. However, Intermittent fasting may also raise the level of free fatty acids and the effect might be more pronounced in females.
Early Surgical Management of Appendicular Mass: Evaluation of Surgical Outcome in Selected Private and Government Hospitals, Bangladesh
Authors: Sarwar Jahangir , Shamsuddin Abul , Munira Sirajam
Published: July 2024

Background: Appendicular mass, a common occurrence in acute appendicitis (10% of cases), develops within 24-48 hours of symptom onset. Management strategies, including early appendectomy, non-operative management with or without drainage, and interval appendectomy, vary widely. This study aims to evaluate the outcomes of early surgical management and compare different surgical approaches. Methodology: This retroospective observational study was performed in different private and government hospital at Jamalpur, Manikgonj for a period of 8 years from January 2015 to December 2022. A total of 288 consecutive patients meeting eligibility criteria underwent open appendectomy within 24 hours of hospital admission due to appendicular lump diagnosis based on clinical or ultrasonographic findings. Two surgical techniques were employed: appendicectomy with generalized peritoneal toileting and appendicectomy with loco-regional peritoneal toileting All data were collected from hospital records. Follow-up records for a period of 2 weeks and at the end of 1 year were reviewed. Results: Patients had a mean age of 30.04 years, mostly male and under 30 years old. Appendicular lump with abscess was predominant (73.96%), along with perforated appendix and presence of pus (71.18% and 75.35% respectively). 68.75% underwent appendicectomy with loco-regional toileting, and 31.25% with generalized peritoneal toileting. Both groups were similar in demographics and perioperative findings, with common difficulties in localization and dissection (76.79% and 88.89% respectively). No bowel injuries occurred in the loco-regional toileting group. Postoperative complications were significantly lower in this group, especially superficial and deep wound infections (11.61% vs 16.67%, 2.53% vs 10%). Fecal fistula and incisional hernia were observed in the generalized peritoneal toileting group (1.11%, 2.22%). Operative time was notably shorter in the loco-regional peritoneal toileting group (92 minutes vs 65 minutes) Conclusion: Early appendicectomy allows for single-admission treatment, serving as an effective alternative to conservative therapy by significantly reducing hospital stays and expenses. Specifically, early appendicectomy with loco-regional peritoneal toileting demonstrates shorter operative times and lower post-operative complications compared to generalized peritoneal toileting, suggesting its favorable utility in managing appendicular mass and warranting further optimization in surgical strategies.
Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) Therapy
Authors: Lyu Zixuan , Wei Chiming
Published: July 2024

For patients with early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who cannot undergo surgery, stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT), also known as stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR), usually achieves good therapeutic effects. This new treatment method has the characteristics of low toxicity and high efficacy for peripheral lung cancer. However, in central type lung cancer, especially in lesions near structures such as bronchial trees or mediastinum, there is an increased risk of severity. This review summarizes the following areas: (1) the methods and indications of using SBRT to treat NSCLC patients in different areas; (2) the principle and advantages and disadvantages of targeted MRI linear accelerators; (3) the diagnostic and evaluation process of targeted MRI linear accelerator therapy for lung cancer; (4) the clinical process of targeted MRI linear accelerator treatment for lung cancer; (5) tracking and monitoring of targeted MRI linear accelerator therapy for lung cancer; (6) pulmonary MRI disorders may include the following situations; (7) how to evaluate stage I-IV non-small cell lung cancer with targeted MRI linear accelerator; (8) how to locate central and peripheral lung cancer using targeted MRI linear accelerators; (9) increase safety of SBRT in central locations.
Basic Analysis of Skew Plates with Openings
Authors: Faruqi Mohammed , Waseuddin Mohammed , Bailey Breanna , Aguiniga Francisco
Published: July 2024

Skew plates are important elements of many structures. The two-dimensional structural action of plates results in lighter structures and therefore offer numerous economic advantages. Their application is extensive in fields of engineering such as: civil, mechanical, architecture, and aerospace. Openings of various shapes are made in the skew plates for practical reasons. Unfortunately, this results in strength degradations. Accordingly, there is a basic need to evaluate the structural behavior of these plates with some commonly used openings for a safe design. However, due to the mathematical difficulties in the analytical approaches and complex work involved in the various techniques, the extraction of solutions become challenging and cumbersome. Therefore, this basic work attempts to resolve this in a simplified and user-friendly manner using MSC (MacNeal-Schwendler Corporation) Nastran software. Five commonly used openings were used for the study, namely: circular, rectangular, square, triangular, and trapezoidal. It was found that rectangular opening is the best. Since it is susceptible to less deflections, rotations and moments when compared to other openings.
Unlocking Potential: A Comprehensive Analysis of Inclusive Education Policies for Children with Disabilities in Nepal
Authors: Puri Peshal , Mahat Bal , Khati Dinesh
Published: July 2024

Special Education Council was established in 1973 after the 1971 National Education System Plan transformed inclusive education in Nepal. Despite delays, 2015 constitutional mandates and 2019 National Education Policy support inclusive education. This review article examines Nepal's inclusive education policies from 1996 to 2017 focusing on changes and challenges. Recent successes include the 2010 ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the 2018 Compulsory and Free Education Act. The 2019 policy merger and 2076 Education Policy lack inclusive education implementation plans, indicating areas needing improvement. Utilizing Policy Implementation Theory alongside SWOT Analysis, this study endeavors to assess the efficacy of existing policies, evaluate historical adaptations, and scrutinize adherence to international commitments within the Nepalese context. As the International Institute for Educational Planning highlights, legislative frameworks play a pivotal role in fostering parity and inclusivity, underscoring the imperative for stakeholder consensus. Nepal's 2015 constitution meets international standards; however, physical accessibility is still a concern. The study focuses on accessibility, inclusive party laws, manifestos, and collaboration with OPDs, which are recommended for effective representation. Similarly, equal education and employment require inclusive curriculum design and barrier removal in inclusive education and vocational training. Nepal faces policy discrepancies, a lack of trained special educators, and insufficient resources. Implementing inclusive education policies in Nepal is challenging due to contextual, organizational, and policy barriers. It requires infrastructure investments, awareness campaigns, and targeted regulations. Infrastructure investments, awareness campaigns, and targeted regulations are needed implementing inclusive education policies in Nepal is complicated by contextual, organizational, and policy barriers. The study recommends a comprehensive, situation-specific strategy using school psychologists to promote inclusive mindsets in technical and vocational education with invest in infrastructure development to ensure physical accessibility for individuals with disabilities and enact policies that promote inclusive practices within educational and vocational training institutions.
Response of Malt Barley (Hordeum distichum L.) to Different Phosphorus Fertilizer Rates and Irrigation Levels Under Furrow Irrigation Methods in South Eastern Ethiopia
Authors: Hone Mehiret , Eticha Bakasho , Nanesa Kebede , Lindi Samuel
Published: July 2024

Nutrient availability to crops is a function of soil type, moisture condition, environment, crop type, and management and their interaction affects nutrient use efficiencies and crop growth conditions. The objective of this study was to determine the optimum P rate and deficit irrigation level, as well as to identify the interactive effect of nutrient and moisture levels on yield and yield quality malt barley under irrigation in Ormiya region Tiyo district. The experiment was conducted at small plot level for three consecutive years from 2020/21 to 2022/23 G.C. This experiment was conducted at Kulumsa Agricultural Research Center On-Station arranged by split-plot layout with RCBD design by three replications. Irrigation amounts (100%, 75% and 50%) were assigned the main plot and phosphorus fertilizer rates (0, 10, 20, 30 and 40 kg) corresponded to the subplot. The combined effect of irrigation levels and phosphorus fertilizer rate had a significant effect (p < 0.05) on malt barely grain yield, above-ground biomass, thousand kernel weight and water productivity but not on plant height, seeds per spike and protein content. The highest grain yield and above-ground biomass were 3.16 t/ha and 6.77 t/ha obtained from the application of 100% ETc with 30 kg of phosphorus fertilizer. The maximum water productivity (0.97 kg/m3) was observeat the application of 75% ETc with 30 kg of Phosphorus fertilizer while more profitable practice was found at 100% ETc with 30 kg of phosphorus application. The highest protein content (15.57%) was observed at the application of 50% deficit irrigation and the lowest (14.66%) was observed at 100% ETc irrigation application. Applying the optimum amount of irrigation with 30 Kg phosphorus fertilizer gives high grain and above biomass yield and is economically profitable in Tiyo district and agroecologies similar to Tiyo.
Assessing the Sustainability of Donated Livestock Projects by Operation Wealth Creation to Smallholder Farmers in Mitooma Sub-County Mitooma District
Authors: Miriam Tworekirwe , Kalibwani Rebecca , Nuwemuhwezi Gershom , Aine Ferdinand
Published: July 2024

This research assessed the long-term sustainability of Operation Wealth Creation (OWC)'s donated livestock projects for smallholder farmers in Mitooma Sub-County, Uganda. The study uses a mixed-methods approach, incorporating quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews, with smallholder farmers selected through stratified random sampling. A study using structured questionnaires found that only 15% of households receiving donated livestock enterprises still own them, and 85% abandoned them within 9 years, indicating a lack of sustainability in these enterprises. The sustainability of donated livestock enterprises for small-scale farmers is influenced by family size, household income, food security, profitability, awareness of enterprise management practices, perception, culture, education, land tenure system, and age. Results also established that donated livestock enterprises significantly affected households to sell or trade the products (e.g., milk, meat, eggs) (P=0.000), households’ ability to cope with economic shocks or emergencies (P=0.001) and improving access to credit or financial services (P=0.013) and least significant in providing household income (P=0.668). Furthermore, results established donated livestock enterprise were less significant in increasing food availability (P=0.146), improving access to nutritious food, generating income for food purchase (P=0.913), facilitating asset accumulation for food security (P=0.116) and providing alternative coping mechanisms during periods of food scarcity (P=0.351). The study suggests that donated livestock enterprises are not sustainable, as many smallholder farmers abandon them within five years, and recommends enabling input suppliers and providing subsidies for farmers.
Statistical Evaluation and Quality Analysis of Water Resources Around Quarry Site in Abuja Suburban Nigeria
Authors: Oguike Raphael , Oni Omolara , Adam Hamza
Published: July 2024

Water resources occupy a vital position regarding the source of human hope for longevity and significant shortfalls on the strive towards sustainable development globally. Host communities to quarry companies without a water treatment plant are greatly affected by use of untreated water. This research highlights statistical evaluation and quality analysis of water resources around a quarry site in FCT Nigeria. The study engaged biological assay, physiological and chemical analysis to quantify contamination levels in the water resources and obtained data were subjected statistically using Pearson’s Correlation, descriptive statistics, Levene’s test for homogeneity and one–way analysis. The physiochemical analysis revealed the water resources to have high turbidity value in 58.3% of sampled population while nitrate concentration and electrical conductivity value were very low. The bioassay revealed presence of coliform bacteria in 100% of sampled population while thermotolerance count discovered disease-causing-pathogens in 41.7% of sampled population. Chemical analysis revealed that Pb, Cr, Ni and As were 91.7%, 83.3% 100% and 100% above recommended permissible limits for sampled population. These results suggests that water resources in this study is unsafe and holds a health-treat with regards to the contaminations inherent in them. Statistical evaluation revealed average positive linear relationship between heavy metal concentration suggesting close relationship of contamination source. Observed strong positive linear relationship between lead and copper, nickel and chromium as well as nickel and arsenic in the scatterplot depicts same source of contamination.
Three-parameters Gumbel Distribution: Formulation and Parameter Estimation
Authors: Okumu Otieno Kevin , Ouno Omondi Joseph , Karanjah Anthony Nyutu , Muthiga Samuel Nganga
Published: July 2024

Modeling extreme value theories is really gaining interest in the world with scientist working to improve the flexibility of the distributions by adding parameter(s). Extreme value distributions are always described to include families of Gumbel, Weibull and Frechet distributions. Of the three distributions, Gumbel distribution is the most commonly used in the extreme value theory analysis. Existing literature has shown that the addition of parameter to a distribution makes it robust and/or more flexible hence the study intends to improve the existing two parameters Gumbel distribution using the Marshall and Olkin proposed method for introducing a new estimator/parameter to an existing distribution. The developed distribution will be important to the applications in some life time studies like high temperature, earthquakes, network designs, horse racing, queues in supermarket, insurance, winds, risk management, ozone concentration, flood, engineering and financial concepts. The parameters for the introduced distribution was estimated using Maximum Likelihood Estimation method. The introduced three parameters Gumbel distribution is a probability distribution function which can be used in modelling statistical data. The maximum likelihood estimates for the three parameters namely shape, location and dispersion are efficient, sufficient and consistent and this makes the function more flexible and better for application. The three parameters Gumbel distribution can be used in modeling and analysis of normal data, skewed data and extreme data since it will provide efficient, sufficient and consistent estimates.
Environmental and Health Influences of Crude Oil Spills in Niger Delta, Nigeria: Case Study Oporoma Community
Authors: Nanadeinboemi Ozogu , Uju Modebe , Christopher Chukwurah , Hakeem Olabimtan , David Daniel
Published: July 2024

Oil spills have been reported over several decades in many parts of the world including Nigeria. The region of Niger Delta is greatly affected by oil spills in recent years, Oporoma inclusive. About 635 persons (both females and males) from different groups e.g farmers, fisher men and women, community representatives, and youth leaders, were interviewed between the age of 18 and 90 years old. About 25 persons representing farmers and 25 persons representing fisher men and women from each of the twelve compounds that made up Oporoma community, 25 persons were randomly selected for community representatives, and 10 youth leaders were interviewed. The interview focused mainly on health and environmental impacts of crude oil spills in the community. The data and responses gotten from the interview shows negative health and environmental impact on crude oil spill in the community. The presence of crude oil and their constituents in the environment are capable of causing some acute and long-term adverse health effects. Some carcinogens like pyrene, benzene, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are always found in crude oil, which contaminates the surface water and soil. Therefore, affecting the environment through soil, water, and air, which directly or indirectly harms humans, plants and marine ecosystem. The influence of crude oil spills not only restricted to environment and human health, it has also had impacts on the nations and the local economy, which are includes; livelihoods, farmland, fishing, wild life, and the nations revenue.
Exploring Ethical Principles Within Feminist Foreign Policy
Authors: Madadli Gunel
Published: July 2024

The paper intends to argue how ethics can find its functional position within the implementation of Feminist Foreign Policy (FFP) without challenging the reality of the social, economic, and political conditions of the country by describing the main features of feminist foreign policy and focusing on the ethical principles of the policy. The study aims to understand how feminist foreign policy adopts ethical views and achieves the successful realization of these principles in a global context. Considering the challenging nature of the international arena and the different national interests of the actors, feminist foreign policy faces various difficulties in achieving its goals. To understand the problems and investigate the evolution of FFP, ethical principles in the current political system are looked through to determine which values are compromised to maintain the state interests and why national concerns are above ethical principles. In the second chapter, the examination of FFP and the benefits of following the moralities are studied for deep analyses of feminist ethics. Although there is no agreed definition of the concept, the trend suggests an alternative approach to promoting gender equality and empowerment of women based on ethical and moral guidelines.
Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Injury After Thyroid Surgery at St. Paul's Hospital Millennium Medical College, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Authors: Alemayehu Fitsum , Geletu Zelalem , Birhanu Waltengus , Berhe Lidya , Ayalew Zekarias , Azibte Gebeyehu
Published: July 2024

Background: Recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) injury, a dreaded complication in thyroid surgery, remains a concern even in the hands of seasoned surgeons. It stands as a significant cause for medical malpractice claims against surgeons. Objective: To assess the Magnitude of RLN injury and associated factors in patients undergoing thyroid surgery at St. Paul's Hospital Millennium Medical College (SPHMMC), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from May 1st, 2021, to April 30th, 2022. Methods: A facility-based, observational study was conducted at SPHMMC, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire designed with Google Forms. A census sampling approach was used to select the data charts to ensure a comprehensive perspective. This method ensured a representative sample of the population under study, enhancing the reliability of the results. The information was transferred to Excel and then imported into SPSS. Descriptive statistics were employed to summarize the key characteristics within the dataset concisely. Stepwise multiple logistic regression was implemented to explore the potential relationships between the independent and dependent variables. A significance level of p < 0.05 was adopted to identify statistically meaningful results. The findings are presented through a combination of text, tables, and figures. Results: The study included a total of 185 patients, with a mean± SD age of 41.62 ± 12.72 and a median age of 40. Females constituted 78.9% of the participants. The study's key finding is a persistent RLN injury rate of 5.4% (10/185). After adjusting for other covariates, the odds of developing persistent RLN injury were found to be 30 times higher among patients who had central neck dissection than those who had not undergone central neck dissection (AOR=30.0, 95%CI=4.3,211.9, p-value=0.001). However, sex, substernal goiter, histologic finding, preoperative toxicity, extent of thyroidectomy, and identification of RLN intra-operatively were not associated with persistent RLN injury in bivariate logistic regression analysis. Conclusion: This study found a persistent, recurrent laryngeal nerve injury rate of 5.4% in patients undergoing thyroid surgery. Central neck dissection was the only factor significantly associated with an increased risk of recurrent laryngeal nerve injury. These findings suggest minimizing central neck dissection when feasible during thyroid surgery to reduce the risk of this complication.
Brazilian-Style Feminicide: Memorialistic Narratives as a Method in Colonial Heritage Data Collection
Authors: Januzzi Mônica , Moreira Jacqueline , Barbosa Viviane , Monção Caio , Ramos Faedra , Paula Anghel , Oliveira Nathiéle , Gomes Beatriz
Published: July 2024

This paper presents the result of partial research that investigates how the colonial heritages present in Brazilian History and their structural reverberations impact the region context of feminicide in the State of Minas Gerais, outlining a Brazilian reality. Considering the existence of concrete difficulties to hear women who suffer feminicide attempts, based on the memorialistic narratives of women who suffered feminicide attempts, such as the lack of security due to death threats to which they are subjected, this sample counts with a number of fifteen women heard in the city of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil, appointed by a non-governmental organization that operates in the region, on the combat gender violence. As a data collection technique, it has been chosen the memorialistics narratives because they allow us a more careful way to approach traumatic scenes. In this article, specific, it was analyzed the cases of four of these women with the aim of demonstrate, through the interface between Freudian and Lacanian psychoanalysis and decolonial thinkers, that studies the Afro-Latin American feminism, how violence against these women reveals in their bodies (sometimes, Black) the emergence of a territory to be invade, explored, dominated, and annihilated. It is expected to demonstrate, in the cases presented and through the chosen methodology, the effects of the State´s transgeneratinality and impunity on the naturalization of violence and domination.
Impacts of Moisture Advection Scheme on Precipitation in the Steep Topography Region between the Tibetan Plateau and the Sichuan Basin
Authors: Zheng Qing , Sun Wei , Li Jian , Feng Yong , Heng Zhiwei , Jiang Xingwen
Published: July 2024

Water vapor transport is a crucial process in modeling and can contribute to errors in precipitation forecasts. To investigate the sensitivity of precipitation to the moisture advection scheme, this study introduced the two-step shape-preserving advection scheme (TSPAS), which has been proven to improve precipitation simulation over steep topography at lower resolutions, into the Southwest Center Weather Research and Forecast (WRF)-based Intelligent Numerical Grid Forecast System (SWC-WINGS) at a convection-permitting resolution. According to experiments conducted throughout the summer of 2021, the precipitation over the eastern slope of the Tibetan Plateau (TP) is highly sensitive to the moisture advection scheme. TSPAS successfully improved precipitation over the eastern slope of the TP, especially for torrential rainfall. The fractions skill score (FSS) is improved by 0.075 (27.78%) for daily precipitation with a threshold of 100 mm. Compared with the experiment with the original WRF advection scheme, the TSPAS reduced the overestimation of precipitation in the topographic region and excessive water vapor transport in a low-level atmosphere. To understand the precipitation improvement contributed by the advection scheme, additional experiments were conducted for a particular precipitation process from two approaches: switching advection schemes during the rainfall evolution and updating the variables related to moisture advection individually. Results demonstrate that the precipitation improvement is mainly contributed by the moisture advection scheme before the precipitation. Among the different variables, the combination of wind and water vapor was the most influential factor causing the precipitation improvement under the TSPAS.
Impact of Model Resolution and Initial/Boundary Conditions in Forecasting Low-Level Atmospheric Fields over the Incheon International Airport
Authors: Do Yujeong , Lim Kyo-Sun Sunny , Kim Ki-Byung , Shin Hyeyum Hailey , Chang Eun-Chul , Lee GyuWon
Published: July 2024

This study investigates the impact of initial conditions/boundary conditions (ICs/BCs) and horizontal resolutions on forecast for average weather conditions, focusing on low-level weather variables such as 2-m temperature (T2m), 2-m water vapor mixing ratio (Q2m), and 10-m wind speed (WS10). A Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model is used for regional mesoscale model simulations and large-eddy simulations (LESs). The 6-h-interval forecast fields generated by the Global Forecast System of the National Centers for Environmental Prediction and the Korean Integrated Model of the Korea Meteorological Administration are utilized as ICs/BCs for the regional models. Numerical experiments are performed for 24 h starting at 0000 UTC on each day in April 2021 when the average monthly wind speed was strongest during 10 years (2011–20). A comparison of model simulations with observations obtained around the Yeongjong Island, where Incheon International Airport is situated, shows that the regional models capture the time series of T2m, Q2m, and WS10 more effectively than the global model forecasts. Moreover, the LES experiments with a 100-m horizontal grid spacing simulate higher Q2m and lower WS10 during the daytime compared to the 1-km WRF. This results in a deterioration of their time-series correlation with the observations. Meanwhile, the 100-m LES forecasts time series of T2m over ocean stations and Q2m over land stations, as well as probability density functions of low-level weather variables, more accurately than that of the 1-km WRF. Our study also emphasizes the need for caution when comparing high-resolution model results with observation values at specific stations due to the high spatial variability in low-level meteorological fields.
Evaluation of a 4DVAR Assimilation System in the California Current at the SWOT Calibration/Validation Site
Authors: Tchonang Babette C. , Archer Matthew R. , Gopalakrishnan Ganesh , Cornuelle Bruce , Mazloff Matthew R. , Wang Jinbo , Fu Lee-Lueng
Published: July 2024

This study evaluates the feasibility of applying the Estimating the Circulation and Climate of the Ocean (ECCO) data assimilation (DA) framework to a submesoscale-resolving model [Massachusetts Institute of Technology General Circulation Model (MITgcm), at 1-km grid resolution]. This is in preparation for future studies to understand and assimilate the novel swath measurements of sea surface height from the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite mission. The model domain is centered at the SWOT calibration/validation (CalVal) site, located 300 km offshore of Monterey Bay, California. We assimilate vertical profiles of temperature and salinity from a linear array of three SWOT prelaunch CalVal moorings, between September and December 2019. Two model solutions are analyzed: 1) a nonassimilating forward simulation termed “first-guess” and 2) an optimized solution that assimilates the in situ observations. Both runs are nested within the global 1/12° Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model that uses Navy Coupled Ocean Data Assimilation (HYCOM/NCODA) analysis. We evaluate the performance by comparing the two model solutions against assimilated and withheld in situ observations. We show that by assimilating hydrographic data, the model performance over the first-guess solution is improved with an error-to-observation reduction of 30%–45% for temperature, 14%–41% for salinity, and 44%–56% for steric height. Over the study period, the average steric height error at the three assimilated moorings was 1.27 cm for the optimized solution versus 2.6 cm for the first-guess solution. A comparison to withheld glider observations shows that the optimized solution outperforms the first-guess solution with an error-to-observation reduction of approximately 38% in steric height (1.5 versus 2.4 cm). This study indicates, for the first time, that the MITgcm–ECCO framework can be successfully applied to the reconstruction of submesoscale ocean variability, via the nesting of a high-resolution regional domain into a global outer domain.