bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Creando conciencia: la experiencia del Servicio Universitario del Trabajo en Santiago de Compostela
Authors: Martínez Pazos Fátima
Published: December 2022

El Servicio Universitario del Trabajo (SUT) fue una organización creada a partir de una actividad voluntaria, tras la experiencia de trabajo de tres estudiantes en Rodalquilar en 1950. En unos años, el SUT extendió sus estructuras en las principales ciudades universitarias: Madrid, Sevilla, Oviedo o Santiago de Compostela. Y con la expansión territorial también se produjo una extensión de sus actividades, que les permitió estar en contacto con la población más cercana a sus centros de estudio. Primero se comenzó con el «trabajo dominical», con el que los estudiantes se acercaban a los barrios más desfavorecidos a ayudar a construir casas. Una vez allí, las necesidades se multiplicaron, con tareas de alfabetización, sanitarias o de asistencia en casas. En esta investigación se pone la lupa sobre una agrupación en concreto, la de Santiago de Compostela, una de las más activas en este periodo. Esto permite analizar el funcionamiento del SUT en el ámbito local, en la cercanía con los estudiantes, su ideología, sus actividades y la influencia que tuvieron en su propia ciudad. Se trata de un estudio de caso que también nos muestra una historia regional, la de Galicia, en la ciudad sede de la que entonces era su única universidad.
Descubrir el mundo, construir un mañana mejor. La participación de las mujeres en el Servicio Universitario del Trabajo
Authors: Mera-Costas Pilar
Published: December 2022

Nacido en 1950, el Servicio Universitario del Trabajo (SUT) fue una experiencia de voluntariado juvenil amparada por la Universidad franquista. Su objetivo era poner en contacto a la nueva generación universitaria con el mundo obrero. Durante sus veinte años de existencia, contó con la participación de miles de estudiantes de ambos sexos, que vivieron una experiencia de inmersión en una realidad muy alejada de su entorno de élite pequeñoburguesa. Esto supuso un auténtico choque personal, que llevó a muchos de ellos del compromiso social a la socialización política, tomando conciencia e, incluso, incorporándose a la oposición antifranquista.El objetivo de este texto es analizar la participación de las mujeres en el SUT en sus diferentes dimensiones y actividades, desde los campos de trabajo femeninos, que comenzaron en 1957, hasta las campañas de alfabetización, donde llevaron buena parte del peso. Así, se pretende conocer cómo vivieron las estudiantes su compromiso social, cómo desarrollaron su contacto con las obreras y cómo impactó el choque de realidades en su percepción del mundo y su politización, entendiendo el SUT como un espacio privilegiado de aprendizaje y activismo, que supuso para ellas la oportunidad de abrirse a un mundo muy diferente del que el régimen franquista les tenía reservado.
Soutenir la justice épistémique au cœur de la recherche collaborative sur des questions socio-écologiques vives
Authors: Brière Laurence , Marleau Marie-Ève , Orellana Isabel , Chatelain Martine , Moreau Guillaume , Prud’homme Maude
Published: December 2022

Cet article souligne d’abord des enjeux de justice épistémique rencontrés par les groupes mobilisés vers la transition énergétique. Il rend ensuite compte d’une dynamique de recherche-action collaborative qui visait à cerner le potentiel et les perspectives de déploiement d’une dynamique de formation réciproque « par et pour » les actrices et acteurs impliqués pour une transition énergétique porteuse de justice sociale au Québec. Cette recherche, conçue avec le milieu, a mis de l’avant une méthodologie participative, où les savoirs et les analyses des collaboratrices militantes ont eu une place et une portée très importantes. L’article présente notre vision d’une éthique relationnelle de la recherche. Il explicite également les approches et les stratégies méthodologiques que nous avons déployées, tout en analysant leurs avantages et leurs limites. Alors que la littérature relative à la justice énergétique ne compte que très peu de recherches menées avec des groupes écologistes et citoyens, et encore moins de recherches impliquant ces groupes à titre de collaborateurs, les résultats de notre démarche appellent à valoriser les dynamiques de coconstruction de savoirs milieux-universités dans ce créneau de recherche et, plus largement, dans le vaste champ des questions socio-écologiques vives.
Quand le programme Carbone Scol’ERE contribue à l’éducation relative au changement climatique et au développement de la jeunesse engagée
Authors: Samson Ghislain , Delisle-Thibault Geneviève , Dufour Benoit , Maziade Charles-Hugo , Daganaud Audrey
Published: December 2022

À l’échelle mondiale, les changements climatiques (CC) font partie des plus grands défis auxquels les populations doivent faire face. Les jeunes d’aujourd’hui désirent s’engager dans la cause climatique leur permettant ainsi de participer à la construction de leur écocitoyenneté. Au Québec, Carbone Scol’ERE, un programme éducatif de cinq ateliers en classe au primaire, repose sur le principe de l’éducation relative au CC afin d’encourager les jeunes et moins jeunes à mieux les comprendre et à adopter de nouvelles habitudes de vie écoresponsables pour atténuer cette problématique. Nous souhaitons vérifier si l’éducation relative aux changements climatiques en milieu formel et non formel, qui participe à la réalisation de nouvelles habitudes de vie écoresponsables, permet le développement d’une écocitoyenneté chez les jeunes participants. Les notions entourant les CC sont plutôt rarissimes dans le curriculum scolaire québécois. L’article tente de décrire la problématique, de préciser nos ancrages théoriques, de présenter les résultats obtenus dans le cadre du programme Carbone Scol’ERE et de formuler des recommandations afin de reconnaître la pertinence de cette démarche éducative pour favoriser l’adoption de comportements écoresponsables plus durables, et ce, afin de contribuer à la lutte contre les CC.
Dispersion routes of the main vectors of human malaria in the Americas
Authors: Sánchez-Rojas Jean Carlos , Aguirre-Obando Oscar Alexander
Published: December 2022

Background and objectives: In America, of the 44 species of Anopheles, nine are main vectors of malaria and, of these, genetic information exists for seven. Hence, this study sought to know the gene flow and diversity of the seven principal vectors of malaria at the Americas level.

Methods: For the seven species and the sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) gene obtained from the GenBank and Bold System, genetic analyzes of populations and genetic structure were performed and haplotype networks and phylogenetic trees were obtained.

Results: For the seven species, 1440 sequences were analyzed and 519 haplotypes were detected. The Hd and π values were higher within a continental context than by countries. Neutrality tests indicated positive and negative values with most of these being significant (p < 0.05). Phylogenetic analyses for all the species recovered three clades with no geographic pattern among them.

Interpretation & conclusion: Studies suggest that native species of Anopheles from the Americas have greater haplotype diversity and low genetic differentiation due to the lack of physical barriers to impede gene flow among these populations. Moreover, all the species are interconnected by roadways. This scenario complicates the epidemiological picture of malaria in the Americas.
Short-term outcome of cataract surgery in tertiary hospitals
Authors: Mahmoud Nermine M. , Major Ibrahim A.S. , Mansour Mona N. , Rashwan Afaf H.
Published: December 2022

Background and aim

In this study we aimed to assess the short-term outcome of phacoemulsification in a tertiary hospital and to analyze which are the factors affecting visual outcomes.

Patients and methods

This is a prospective cohort study that included 50 eyes (50 patients) with senile cataract, phacoemulsification was done between September 2019 and December 2020. Comprehensive ophthalmic examination: preoperatively, first day, 1 week, and 1 month postoperatively was done. The changes in best-corrected visual acuity, corneal curvature, and intraocular pressure were compared. Double-angle plot of the corneal surgically induced astigmatism (SIA) was calculated, including centroid values (C-SIA) and mean of surgically induced astigmatism (M-SIA).

Results

The mean age was 64.86±8.48 years, 60% right eyes. No intraoperative complications. Best-corrected visual acuity (log MAR) was 1.079±0.66 with significant improvement postoperatively (P=0.00). Mean intraocular pressure was 16.88±3.193 with significant decrease postoperatively (P=0.04). Corneal astigmatism significantly increased from 0.939±0.57 D preoperatively to 1.146±0.67 D postoperatively (P=0.02). The M-SIA was 0.65±0.32 D (OD), 0.55±0.31 D (OS), the centroid of surgically induced astigmatism C-SIA was 0.28±0.67 D at an axis of 68° (OD), and 0.15±0.72 D at an axis of 76° (OS). Good visual acuity (>20/40) was achieved in 80% and 20/20 in 22%, dense cataract significantly influences the visual outcome (P=0.02).

Conclusions

This study implicates that in the absence of ocular comorbidity, the visual outcome of phacoemulsification is satisfactory in short-term follow-up, and effort should be exerted during surgery to deal with ocular conditions requiring complex surgery such as dense cataract and to observe every postoperative visual progression for interventions.
Doxycycline Plus Trimethoprim-Sulfamethoxazole versus Doxycycline plus Rifampicin in Treatment of Brucellosis
Authors: Hassan Waleed A. , Abdel-Gawad Muhammad , Abdelmohsen Ahmed S.
Published: December 2022

Background and aim

Brucellosis is one of the most common endemic zoonotic diseases that have large animal and human burden. Many regimens of drug combinations are used for a variable period (at least 6 weeks). Rifampicin with doxycycline is one of the most used combinations. In this respect, we aimed to compare between the efficacy of two different combinations: trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole combined with doxycycline (TMX-Doxy) versus rifampicin combined with doxycycline (Rif-Doxy).

Patient and methods

Between June 2020 and January 2022, 100 patients with brucellosis were included. Half of them (50 patients) received TMX-Doxy, whereas the other half (50 patients) received Rif-Doxy for 6 weeks. Follow-up was done during the treatment course and 6 months after the end of treatment to detect successfully treated cases, failed-to-treat cases, and relapsed cases.

Results

The success rates of both used drug regimens were comparable, with the rate of success of TMX-Doxy combination being 90%, whereas it was 94% in the RIF-Doxy group (P=0.23). The failure rate was 4% in the TMX-Doxy group and 2% in the RIF-Doxy group (P=0.31). Relapse of brucellosis was recorded in 6% of patients in the TMX-Doxy group, whereas it was 4% of patients in the RIF-Doxy group (P=0.32). The adverse effects of both drug combinations were mild and self-limited, and none of the enrolled patients needed to stop treatment.

Conclusion

Combination of TMX-Doxy is effective, safe, and not inferior to the more used RIF-Doxy combination.
Comparison of the outcome of partial time occlusion therapy in strabismic versus anisometropic moderate amblyopes
Authors: Hamdi Momen M. , Galal Amr S. , Ragheb Tarek R. , Fawzy Samah M.
Published: December 2022

Background

Early in life, selective visual input disruption to one eye compromises most of the visual aspects, resulting in amblyopia, with a great social and economic effect. Despite being the easiest and most popular treatment regimen, monocular occlusion therapy is often questioned for efficacy in controlling visual abnormalities other than acuity in different etiologies of amblyopia.

Purpose

To find out the difference in response of moderately amblyopic, anisometropic versus strabismic eyes to partial occlusion therapy regarding visual acuity (VA), contrast sensitivity (CS), and depth of vision and find out any correlation of improvement of these parameters.

Patients and methods

This prospective comparative study included 49 moderately amblyopic children between 7 and 12 years of age divided into two groups: 25 anisometropic and 24 strabismic ones. Patients received 2-h parent-monitored occlusion regimen with near activity for 6 months on a monthly basis of follow-up. VA, CS, and stereoacuity were evaluated at each visit.

Results

Both groups showed significant improvement in VA, although the difference in the average amount of improvement was not significant (P<0.0001). Intragroup distribution of improvement was considerably different, where 9% of strabismic amblyopes achieved full visual recovery as compared with 40% of the anisometropic, and 62.5% had residual amblyopia versus 36% in the anisometropic group. CS improved significantly more in the anisometropic group (P=0.0493). Only 42% of the strabismic amblyopes improved in stereoacuity as compared with 88% of the anisometropic ones; the mean difference was not significant. In anisometropic amblyopes, initial VA correlated significantly with CS (P=0.019) and stereoacuity improvement (P=0.0133).

Conclusion

Moderately amblyopic anisometropic or strabismic children 7–12 years old can get benefit in different visual aspects from part-time occlusion therapy. The anisometropic amblyopes show better CS improvement and more reliable expectations of recovery that are largely dependent on the initial visual.
Appendicitis Inflammatory Response Score in Acute Appendicitis: A Study at a Tertiary Care Center in North India
Authors: Gupta Varun , Gupta Palak , Gill Chiranjiv Singh , Gupta Manvi
Published: December 2022

Introduction:

Appendicitis is a common cause of acute abdominal pain. The diagnosis is eminently clinical and the cause is surgically correctable. However, a decision of surgery based on the clinical presentation only has a 15%–30% chance of the removal of a normal appendix. Thus, the diagnosis involves a corroboration of clinical, laboratory, and radiological findings. Appendicitis scoring systems can be considered to expedite the diagnostic and decision-making process.

Aim:

The present study was conducted to study the efficacy of Appendicitis Inflammatory Response (AIR) score in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis and its correlation with the histopathological findings.

Materials and Methods:

A cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary care center in North India comprising patients who presented to the surgery department with a provisional diagnosis of acute appendicitis and required appendectomy.

Results:

Appendicitis was histopathologically proven in 54 patients. Patients with an AIR score ≥5 were 2.18 times more likely to have appendicitis. The probability of having appendicitis with AIR score ≥5 was 92.16% (positive predictive value). The diagnostic accuracy of AIR score was 82.81%.

Conclusion:

AIR score has a high sensitivity and positive predictive value in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis. It is a quick and convenient system for clinical evaluation of patients in primary care or peripheral hospitals where advanced facilities such as USG scan or CT scan are not available all the time. The application of this scoring system definitely improves diagnostic accuracy and reduces negative appendectomy rate.
Incidentally detected primary squamous cell carcinoma of the kidney: Case series with review of the literature
Authors: Patel Aishwarya Mehul , Patel Jigna , Jansari Trupti , Thorat Rutik
Published: December 2022

Squamous cell carcinoma of the kidney is a rare malignancy, usually not suspected clinically because of the lack of any pathognomic sign and ambiguous clinical and radiological features, and thus, patients present at advanced stages resulting in poor prognosis. We report here four cases of incidentally diagnosed primary renal squamous cell carcinoma that were treated at our hospital. The mean age of the patients (two females and one male aged above 60 years, except one male whose age was 25 years) was 60 years. Both the males and one of the females had a history of multiple renal calculi, and the other female had staghorn calculus. Interestingly, renal carcinoma was not suspected clinically in all these patients. In one case, a computerized tomography scan (CT scan) showed suspicious mass. All underwent nephrectomy for the non-functioning kidney. In only two cases, tumor was identified on gross examination, whereas the other two only showed a distorted pelvis. Our case series emphasizes the need for pelvicalyceal biopsy during diagnosis and treatment for long-standing nephrolithiasis and thorough sampling of nephrectomy specimens of such patients to rule out malignancy.
Impoverishing effects of out-of-pocket healthcare expenditures in India
Authors: Sriram Shyamkumar , Albadrani Muayad
Published: December 2022

ABSTRACT

Background:

Out of the 1.324 billion people in India (2016), around 12.4% of the population is below the poverty line. In India, out-of-pocket health expenditure (OOP) expenses account for about 62.6% of total health expenditure – one of the highest in the world. High OOP health expenditures push many households into poverty. This study aims to identify the impoverishing effects of OOP health expenditures in India.

Methods:

Data from the recent national survey by the National Sample Survey Organization – Social Consumption in Health 2014 are used to investigate the effect of OOP health expenditure on household poverty. Poverty headcounts and poverty gaps were estimated at the household level before and after making OOP healthcare payments. A logistic regression model is for predicting the effect of various factors on the incidence of impoverishment due to OOP health expenditures.

Results:

There were 65,932 households in the sample. The total poverty headcount in the population before making OOP payments was 16.44% and it increased to 19.05% after making OOP payments. This 2.61% increase in the poverty headcount corresponds to 6.47 million households. Logistic regression results showed that medium and large households, household members with increased duration of stay in the hospital, utilization of private health facility and the presence of chronic illness increased odds of impoverishment due to OOP health expenditures.

Conclusions:

Health insurance programmes must be expanded to cover outpatient and preventive health services, include people above the poverty line, cover the whole household irrespective of the number of members living in the household and the coverage threshold limits must be increased. Urban poor must be enrolled in health insurance programmes without any delay.
Impact of COVID-19 on Mental Health of Aged Population in India
Authors: Bhargava Rachna , Kathiresan Preethy , Balhara Yatan Pal , Sharma Megha , Phiri Peter , Rathod Shanaya
Published: December 2022

Introduction:

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted the lives of millions of people around the world. The stress due to the increased risk of morbidity and mortality among the elderly along with the lockdown measures can impact the mental health of older aged adults. Hence, the current study aimed to assess the mental health impact of COVID-19 pandemic on older adults in India.

Methods:

The current study was part of an online, cross-sectional survey conducted in eight countries. For the current study, participants were included if they were Indians, were at least 55 years of age, had Internet access, were residing in India, and were willing to participate in the study. A semi-structured questionnaire to assess the sociodemographic data and worries related to the COVID-19 pandemic, Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), and Impact of Events Scale-Revised were applied.

Results:

A total of 181 older adults participated. The most common worries were the impact of COVID on society (65.2%) and on friends and family (50.8%). About 14.9%, 2.8%, and 14.9% of participants were screened positive for depression, probable posttraumatic stress disorder, and anxiety based on PHQ-9, IES-R, and GAD-7, respectively. There was a significant association of both depression and anxiety with preexisting mental illness, worry about transmitting COVID to others, ability to care for others, impact of COVID-19 on one's own health, finances, and society.

Conclusions:

Higher levels of altruism and “psychological jointedness” in the Indian family could have led to this unique finding that older adults were more worried about the impact of pandemic on others, than self.
A Study on Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Persons with Preexisting Psychotic Disorder, their Coping Strategies, and Compliance with Preventive Measures
Authors: Sood Mamta , Chadda Rakesh Kumar , Shukla Tulika , Patel Rekha , Ratra Dhriti , Mohan MohaPradeep , Singh Swaran P.
Published: December 2022

Background:

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted persons with preexisting psychiatric disorders negatively. There is a lack of studies on the impact on people with preexisting psychotic disorder.

Aims:

We studied the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown on patients with a preexisting psychotic disorder and whether they were following the recommended preventive measures for COVID-19. We also studied coping strategies used by them and their caregivers. We compared persons with first-episode psychosis (FEP) and chronic psychotic disorders (CPD).

Methodology:

The study sample was a part of the National Institute of Health Research Psychosis Research Group cohort. The subjects belonged to two groups: FEP consisted of patients with the first episode of psychosis, with the duration of illness ≥3 months and ≤2 years, and CPD group consisted of patients with psychosis, with the duration of illness ≥2 years. They were interviewed telephonically on a semistructured questionnaire. Thematic analysis was done to identify coping strategies.

Results:

Fifty patients were interviewed: 24 in the FEP (26·12 ± 8·0 years) and 26 in the CPD group (34 ± 7.5 years). Forty-six (92%) patients reported difficulty in access to hospitals and 32 (64%) had difficulty in contacting a doctor. Eight (16%) of them reported worsening of symptoms and 12 (24%) reported irregular adherence to treatment. The two groups differed significantly on doing household chores, occupational functioning, and financial issues. The majority of them used emotion-focused coping strategies. Three-fourth (79.1%) of the patients in the FEP group were following all four recommended preventive measures, whereas, in the CPD group, three-fourths (73.1%) were able to follow only one measure.

Conclusion:

The COVID-19 pandemic had impacted FEP and CPD groups differently. CPD group could follow recommended preventive measures less frequently than FEP.
Thermodynamic Simulation of Producer Gas Combustion from Biomass Gasification
Authors: Vidian Fajri , Hakim Arif Rahman
Published: December 2022

The use of new and renewable energy for the application on gas burners is beneficial for the environment. This study aims to determine the effect of excess air during the combustion of producer gas from biomass gasification to release heat used as a fuel gas burner. Simulations are carried out by applying mass and energy balance, showing that an increase in excess air will decrease the non-adiabatic and adiabatic flame temperature. The result showed that an increase in excess of air reduces the amount of heat released to the environment for the same flame temperature. The maximum adiabatic flame temperature is at 1725.430C, while the non-adiabatic ranges from 600 to 8000C. Furthermore, heat is released in the range of 20.1 kW to 28.8 kW, and excess air from 0 to 40%.
Non-backtracking spectra of weighted inhomogeneous random graphs
Authors: Stephan Ludovic , Massoulié Laurent
Published: December 2022

We study a model of random graphs where each edge is drawn independently (but not necessarily identically distributed) from the others, and then assigned a random weight. When the mean degree of such a graph is low, it is known that the spectrum of the adjacency matrix

A

deviates significantly from that of its expected value

\mathbb{E} A

.

In contrast, we show that over a wide range of parameters the top eigenvalues of the non-backtracking matrix

B

– a matrix whose powers count the non-backtracking walks between two edges – are close to those of

\mathbb{E} A

, and all other eigenvalues are confined in a bulk with known radius. We also obtain a precise characterization of the scalar product between the eigenvectors of

B

and their deterministic counterparts derived from the model parameters.

This result has many applications, in domains ranging from (noisy) matrix completion to community detection, as well as matrix perturbation theory. In particular, we establish as a corollary that a result known as the Baik–Ben Arous–Péché phase transition, previously established only for rotationally invariant random matrices, holds more generally for matrices

A

as above under a mild concentration hypothesis.
Determination of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid in water, sediment and soil using high performance liquid chromatography
Authors: James Stella , Ele Yaya Estifanos , Singh Chandravanshi Bhagwan , Zewge Feleke
Published: December 2022

ABSTRACT. The purpose of this study was to develop a method for the extraction and determination of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) from the soil, sediment, and water, and to investigate its stability in water using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The recoveries of the spiked compound from water and soil samples was found to be in the range of 80 to 100%. The yield of 2,4-D during acidification of the corresponding amine was 93.84-99.98%. A calibration curve for the method showed good linearity (R2 ≥ 0.9996). The LOD was determined to be 0.45 µg/mL while the LOQ was 2 µg/mL. From the analysis of the samples, 2,4-D was not detected in sediment or soil samples from the Wafiko or Kontola sites (Ethiopia), respectively. The 2,4-D concentrations in soil samples from Bochessa, and water samples from Wafiko and Sher sites (Ethiopia) were high, ranging from 68.22 to 167.7 mg/L which exceeded the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) regulatory agency standards of 70 µg/L. A 45-day experiment on spiked water samples from Lake Koka (Ethiopia) demonstrated that the acidic form of 2,4-D is stable in water with 73.46 ± 2.00% recoveries. The developed method can be used to determine 2,4-D residues in soil, sediment, and water.

KEY WORDS: 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, Lake Koka,  Sediment, Soil, Stability, Water

 

Bull. Chem. Soc. Ethiop. 2023, 37(2), 251-263.                                                               

DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/bcse.v37i2.1
Synthesis, characterization, theoretical study and biological evaluation of Schiff base and their La(III), Ce(IV) and UO2(II) complexes
Authors: M. El-Barasi N. , F. Algazale S. , M. El-Ajaily M. , A. Maihub A. , M. Miloud M. , H.  Al-Noor T. , A. Mubarak Hayfaa , Mousa Kareem Mohanad
Published: December 2022

ABSTRACT. A new three metal complexes of La(III), Ce(IV) and UO2(II) ions have been synthesized based on a Schiff base derived from the condensation of L-histidine and anisaldehyde. All prepared compounds were characterized by different spectroscopic techniques and Density-functional theory (DFT) calculations. The complexes were proposed to have an octahedral structure based on the investigated results. The optimized shape, numbering system, and dipole moment vector of Ligand and La, Ce, and UO2 (1:1) chelates were investigated. The Schiff base ligand and complexes exhibit moderate action against all of the bacteria tested, with P. aeruginosa, Klebsiella sp., and E. faecalis respectively being the order of inhibition.

 

KEY WORDS: 2-Anisaldehyde, Biological activity, DFT, L-Histidine, Metal complexes, Schiff base

 

Bull. Chem. Soc. Ethiop. 2023, 37(2), 335-346.                                                               

DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/bcse.v37i2.7
Evaluation of bio-active constituents and In vitro antioxidant potentials of the ethanolic leaf extracts of Dracaena mannii, Euphorbia hirta and Senna alata
Authors: Anigboro Akpovwehwee Akporhuarho , Akeghware Onoriode , Avwioroko Oghenetega Jonathan , Tonukari Nyerhovwo John
Published: December 2022

The current study investigated the phytochemical constituents and in vitro antioxidant activities of the ethanolic leaf extracts of Dracaena mannii, Euphorbita hirta and Senna alata. The phytochemical analyses of the leaf extracts showed varying amounts of important compounds such as tannins, phenols, alkaloids, flavoniods, protein and carbohydrates. Findings from the in-vitro free radical mopping abilities of the ethanolic leaf extracts against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl and nitric oxide radical (NO•)  as well as the reducing power and total antioxidant capacities  revealed abilities to quell oxidative stress with S. alata > E. hirta > D. mannii excluding the NO• radical inhibition activity. This relationship was also reflected in the IC50/EC50 values obtained, suggesting that the S. alata ethanolic leaf extract has the best antioxidant potential while E. hirta showed better activities than D. mannii. Thus, the leaves of S. alata could be further investigated for other biological potentials and possibly employed in the application of leaves against diseases that are implicated by oxidative stress.
Evaluation of Groundwater Potentials Using Dar Zarrouk Parameters in Mapeo and Environs, North-Eastern Nigeria
Authors: Simon Sylvia S. , Ishaku Jackson M. , Seli Ahmed Buba , Boniface Finthan
Published: December 2022

Groundwater is the safest and most reliable source of water in crystalline basement complex terrain especially those associated with semi-arid to arid regions. This research is aim at evaluating the groundwater potentials of Mapeo and its environs, The study area is located between latitudes 8◦ 37'and 8◦ 45' N and longitudes 12◦21'and 12◦32' E. Thirty-five Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) points were surveyed using the Schlumberger array. The analysis of the VES conducted revealed four layered formations; Sandy clay to slightly weathered, fractured, and basement rocks. The aquifer units in the study area varied from highly weathered and fractured basement rocks. Dar-Zarrouk parameters such as the longitudinal conductance and transverse resistance revealed values that ranged from 0.0842 to 1.5926Ω with an average value of 0.5767Ω and 1107.235 to 8910.410Ωm2 with an average value of 4167.902 Ωm2 respectively. For the aquifer properties, empirical formulae based on grain size analysis were used to determine hydraulic conductivity which ranges from 1.01X 10-9 to 9.82X 10-6m/day with an average value of 2.176x10-3m/day, the hydraulic conductivity determined from geophysical method range from 1.833 to 17.525m/day with an average value of 7.2182x10-3m/day while transmissivity values range from 47.657 to 779.724 m2/day with an average of 289.113 m2/day. Groundwater potential zones were determined based on transmissivity values and classified the area into low, moderate, and high potentials.
Evaluation of radioactivity concentration of some selected mineral rocks from Mayo-Belwa Local Government Area of Adamawa State, Nigeria
Authors: Oduh Ignatius Oche , Joseph Soja Reuben , Olarinoye Oyeleke I. , Kolo Mathew Tikpangi
Published: December 2022

Radiation from natural sources is constantly present around people and their surroundings. Natural Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORM) present in rock, soil and underground water are the major sources of this radiation. In this study, radioactivity concentration of 238U, 232Th, and 40K from Ten (10) different Granite (GN), Gneiss (GS), and Migmatite (MG) rocks samples obtained from Mayo Belwa Local Government Area of Adamawa State were evaluated using a well calibrated and shielded Canberra 3 x 3 inch NaI(Tl) detector at the National Institute of Radiation Protection and Research (NIRPR), University of Ibadan. Rock samples were cleaned, pulverised and placed in the detector for counting, and based on standard expressions, the radionuclide content of the granite rock samples were evaluated. The result shows that the activity concentration of 238U, 232Th, and 40K in GN samples varies from 62.44 – 117.67 Bq/kg, 76.59 – 165.58 Bq/kg, and 688.03 – 1472.42 Bq/kg with corresponding mean of 74.59 ± 3.12, 104.41 ± 3.12, and 950.16 ± 3.12 Bq/kg. Activity concentration of 238U, 232Th, and 40K in GS samples ranges from 19.23 – 36.49 Bq/kg, 29.06 – 49.42 Bq/kg, and 310 – 924.21 Bq/kg with corresponding mean of 28.1 ± 5.36Bq/kg, 38.92 ± 6.38 Bq/kg, and 664.21 ±178.14 Bq/kg. Activity concentration of 238U, 232Th, and 40K in MG samples ranges from 32.11 – 74.73 Bq/kg, 40.79 – 105.87 Bq/kg, and 453.34 – 1040.77 Bq/kg with corresponding mean of 50.19 ± 14.35 Bq/kg, 60.50 ± 19.96 Bq/kg, and 714.88 ± 200.37 Bq/kg. The mean activity from this study are higher than the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) global mean of 238U (32 Bq/kg), 232Th (45 Bq/kg), and 40K (420 Bq/kg) in soil and rock samples except for 238U and 232Th in GS samples which are lower than the recommended standards. The results signifies that usage of such rocks as building construction raw materials might pose radiological hazards in the long run. Therefore, mineral content of the rock responsible for the high radionuclide concentration should be investigated.
Analysis of perceived causes of conflicts among yam farmers in cross river state nigeria
Authors: J B Effiong , D A Iyamah
Published: December 2022

This study assessed the causes of conflicts among yam farmers in Cross River State. The major objectives of the study were to; identify the socio-economic characteristics of yam farmers in the study area, identify the type of conflicts prevalent in the study area and assessed the causes of conflicts among yam farmers in the study area. A well structured questionnaire was used to elicit data from respondents. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to obtain information for the study. Descriptive statistics such as frequency counts, percentage, mean and standard deviation were used to analyse data obtained from respondents. The results of the socio-economic characteristics of the respondents revealed that a large number of the respondents had formal education, were married (58.0%), were aged between 20 to 40 years (49.0%), had household size 1-7 (75.0%) and were mostly farmers (60.0%). It was equally observed that conflicts were of many types across the zone namely; intergroup conflicts (͞X-2.04), family conflict (͞X=2.02), communal conflicts (͞X-2.05) and Tribal conflicts (͞X-1.99) among many others.  The  main  causes of conflict  among  yam farmers  were;  land  encroachment  (͞X=2.83),  Disagreement  among  family  members  on  land issues  (͞X=2.75),  straying  of  cattle  into  yam  farms  (͞X=2.66)  and  land  disagreement  among traditional  authorities  (͞X=2.62)  among  very  many  others.  The study recommend that land boundaries should be properly delineated and garsseted from time to time by traditional rulers in conjunction with the government of the day. This will help curb some cases of land conflicts in the study area.
Identification and characterization of Dunaliella salina OH214 strain newly isolated from a saltpan in Korea
Authors: Kim Minjae , Oh Hyeon Jun , Nguyen Khanh , Jin EonSeon
Published: December 2022

Carotenoids are effective antioxidants that are found in various photosynthetic organisms. Marine microalgae are an advantageous bioresource for carotenoid production because they do not compete with other crops for freshwater and arable land. This study reports a newly isolated Dunaliella strain from the Geumhong Saltpan on Yeongjong Island, West Sea, Korea. The new strain was isolated and classified as Dunaliella salina through phylogenetic analysis and was named the OH214 strain (Deposit ID: KCTC14434BP). The newly isolated strain can survive in a wide range of NaCl concentrations (0.3−5.0 M NaCl), but grows well in 0.6 to 1.5 M NaCl culture medium. Under high-light conditions (500 ± 10 μmol photons m-2 s-1), the cells accumulated three times more β-carotene than under low-light conditions (50 ± 5 μmol photons m-2 s-1). The cells accumulated 2.5-fold more β-carotene under nitrogen-deficient (1 mM KNO3) conditions (3.24 ± 0.36 μg 106 cells-1) than in nitrogen-sufficient conditions (>5 mM KNO3). The lutein content under nitrogen-deficient conditions (1.73 ± 0.09 μg 106 cells-1) was more than 24% higher than that under nitrogen-sufficient conditions. Under the optimized culture condition for carotenoid induction using natural seawater, D. salina OH214 strain produced 7.97 ± 0.09 mg g DCW-1 of β-carotene and 4.65 ± 0.18 mg g DCW-1 of lutein, respectively. We propose that this new microalga is a promising strain for the simultaneous production of β-carotene and lutein.
SARS-COV-2 enfeksiyonu olan hastalarda laboratuvar parametrelerin prognoz değeri
Authors: KESKİN Adem
Published: December 2022

Bu çalışmada, insanlık için en son küresel biyolojik tehlike olduğu varsayılan koranavirüs-19 (COVID-19) hastalığının prognoz sürecinde önem arz eden laboratuvar parametrelerini değerlendirmek amaçlanmıştır. Bu amaç doğrultusunda, COVID-19 hastalığı ve laboratuvar parametrelerinin esas alındığı literatür taraması yapılmıştır. Bu literatür taraması sonucunda 25 adet makalenin değerlendirilmesi ile çalışma oluşturulmuştur. Laboratuvar parametreleri, üç ana başlık altında kategorize edilmiştir. Bu başlıklar, hematolojik parametreler, koagulasyon parametreleri ve inflamatuar parametrelerdir. Hematolojik parametrelerde lenfosit sayısının düşük çıkması, hastalığın her aşamasında görülen bir durum olduğu saptanmıştır. Prognozun kötüye gidişatında nötrofil sayısının yüksekliği ön plana çıkmaktadır. Hastalığın şiddetinin artması ile birlikte nötrofil/lenfosit oranında yükseklik belirtilmiştir. Buna ek olarak trombosit düşüklüğü de gözlenebilmektedir. Koagulasyon parametrelerinde ise, COVID-19 hastalığını ağır geçirenlerde artan protrombin zamanı ve D-dimer düzeylerinin yüksekliği ön plana çıkmaktadır. İnflamatuar parametrelerden C-reaktif protein (CRP) düzeylerinin yüksekliği, hastalığın her aşamasında gözlenebilen bir durumdur. Buna ek olarak, hastalığın seyri kötüye gittikçe C-reaktif protein düzeyleri de daha çok yükselmektedir. Ayrıca, prokalsitonin ve ferritin yüksekliği de hastalığın durumu ağırlaştıkça gözlenmektedir. Sonuç olarak, hastalığın seyri boyunca, lenfositopeni ve CRP düzeylerinin yüksekliği ön plana çıkarken, hastalığın daha agresif bir hale dönmesiyle birlikte, artan protrombin zamanı, nötrofil/lenfosit oranı, nötrofil sayısı, D-dimer, prokalsitonin ve ferritin düzeyleri yüksekliği ortaya çıkmıştır.
Asetil Salisilik Asit Solüsyonlarında Ön Çimlendirmenin Havuç Tohumlarının Tuz Stresi Altında Çimlenme ve Çıkışı Üzerine Etkileri
Authors: AKBIYIK Cennet , AKTAŞ Hakan
Published: December 2022

Bu araştırmada asetil salisik asit (ASA) solüsyonun farklı dozlarında ön çimlendirmenin “Nantes” havuç çeşidi (Daucus corata L.) tohumlarının tuz stresi altında çimlenme ve çıkış performansları üzerine etkileri laboratuar koşullarında araştırılmıştır. Tohumlar, ASA solüsyonları içerisinde 24 saat süreyle iklim dolabında ön çimlendirme işlemine tabi tutulmuştur. Bu işlemden sonra ön çimlendirme ve kontrol grubu olarak iki gruba ayrılmıştır. Her iki grup 0, 50, 100 ve 150 mM NaCl stresine maruz bırakılarak, ASA uygulamasının tuzluk sterine tepkileri incelenmiştir. Araştırma sonucunda yüksek tuz konsantrasyonunun (150 mM NaCl) havuç tohumlarının çimlenmesini azalttığı, yüksek dozdaki ASA ön uygulamalarının tohumların çimlenme ve çıkış parametrelerini etkilediği belirlenmiştir. Sonuçlara göre ön uygulamalar arasında doz x tuz interaksiyonunda 150 mg/L ASA uygulmasında 0 ve 50 mM NaCl interaksiyonunda %93 ile en yüksek çimlenme oranı belirlenmiştir. ASA uygulamalarının, düşük ve yüksek tuzluluğa sahip yetiştirme ortamlarında tohumların çimlenme oranında artış sağladığı ve başarılı bir şekilde kullanılabileceği ön görülmüştür.
Thymoquinone Prevents Valproic Acid-Induced Nephrotoxicity in Rat Kidney
Authors: AZİRAK Sebile , TAŞTEMİR KORKMAZ Deniz , BİLGİÇ Sedat , ÖZGÖÇMEN Meltem , ÖZER Mehmet Kaya
Published: December 2022

Valproic acid (VA), widely used as an antiepileptic, causes structural and functional kidney disorders. Whether thymoquinone (TQ) has a beneficial effect on valproic acid (VA)-induced nephrotoxicity has been investigated. Twenty-one male Spraque Dawley rats were grouped into control, VA, and VA + TQ groups (n=7 for per group). VA (500 mg/kg/day) and TQ (50 mg/kg/day) were applied to the rats orally for 14 days. They were euthanized on the 15th day of the treatment. The cyclooxygenase 1 (COX-1) and cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) gene expression levels, biochemical parameters, total antioxidant/oxidant statuses (TAS/TOS), oxidative stress index (OSI), histological and immunohistochemical analysis were performed to evaluate kidney toxicity. In the VA + TQ group, COX-1 expression levels increased, while COX-2 expression levels decreased. While the creatinine (Cr) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels, production of caspase-3 (CAS-3) and NADPH oxidase-4 (NOX-4) were increased in the VA-treated group, they were decreased in VA + TQ group. Treatment with TQ against VA administration decreased TOS and OSI levels while increasing TAS. TQ protects the kidney against the toxic effects of VA.
Perilen bazlı serin pigmentlerin moleküler dinamik simulasyonu ve NIR bölgesinin yansımasında yapısal özelliklerin incelenmesi
Authors: KILINÇÇEKER Güray , ZARİFİ Farhad
Published: December 2022

Güneş ışığının etkisini azaltan özel boyalarda kullanılan serin pigmentler genellikle perilenler yardımıyla üretilir. Beyaz boyalar güneş ışığını geniş bir yelpazede yansıtırken, siyah ve diğer koyu renkler geniş bir spektrumu absorbe ettikleri için uygulandıkları malzemelerin ısınmasına etki ederler. “Serin pigmentler” (boyalar) olarak adlandırılan moleküller, koyu renkli olmalarına rağmen güneş ışınlarının NIR bölgesinde çok düşük absorpsiyon göstermeleri nedeniyle ilgi görmektedir. Bu çalışmada, 12 farklı perilen bazlı pigment kuantum hesaplamaları ile analiz edilmiş, yansımaları ve özellikleri arasındaki korelasyonlar incelenmiştir. Hesaplamalarda Hartree-Fock hesaplama yöntemi ve 3-21G temel seti kullanılarak Gaussian 9 Revision D.01 de yapılmıştır. Yardımcı ara yüzey yazılımı olarak Gaussview 5.0.8 kullanılmıştır. Sentezlenen perilenlerin karakterizasyonu Ft-IR, NMR, XRD ile yapılmış ve daha önceki çalışmalarda yayınlanmıştır. Simülasyondan elde edilen entalpi, HOMO.LUMO aralığı, simetri ve dipol momentleri karşılaştırılmış ve sonuç olarak NIR yansımasının pigmentlerin dipol momentleri ile ilişkili olduğu tespit edilmiştir.
Monoethanolamine Treatment of Fish Wastes and Salmon Guts to Increase It Palmitoylethanolamide and Anandamide Contents
Authors: DİAMANTE Lemuel
Published: December 2022

This study was carried out to determine the palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) and arachidonoylethanolamide (AEA) or anandamide contents in selected fish wastes, treating the fish wastes with highest PEA and AEA with different concentration of monoethanolamine (MEA) solution, incubation temperature and time, as well as the ratio of MEA solution to fish waste to further increase its PEA and AEA contents.

Based on the results of the preliminary experiment, a fractional factorial design experiments was done with 4 factors including MEA concentration, incubation time, incubation temperature and dosing ratio (MEA solution:salmon guts). The results showed that the MEA content ranged from 2.25 to 8.06 mg/g sample, the PEA content ranged from 17.4 to 300.2 µg/g sample while the AEA content ranged from 1.3 to 19.0 µg/g sample all on a wet weight basis of all the FD treated samples. The FD treated sample with the highest MEA, PEA and AEA using an MEA solution concentration of 250mM from pure MEA chemical, incubation time of 0.5 hour, incubation temperature of 6oC and a dose ratio of 6 mL MEA solution:100 g salmon guts. The MEA, PEA and AEA contents of the different samples were analysed using the Yates algorithm to determine which of the four factors were more important. The results showed that MEA, PEA and AEA contents were significantly affected by the concentration of MEA solution used in dosing the salmon guts, followed by the incubation time and then a slight effect of dosing ratio while the incubation temperature has no significant effect.
Türkiye’de Huzur Evlerinde Yaşayan Yaşlılar: Betimleyici Bir Çalışma
Authors: BAHADIR Ziynet , AY Faruk , ÖZGÜN BAŞIBÜYÜK Gülüşan
Published: December 2022

Bu çalışma Türkiye’deki huzur evlerinde yaşayan yaşlıların (65 yaş ve üzeri) genel profilini çıkarmak amacıyla gerçekleştirilmiştir.
Betimleyici bir çalışma olan bu araştırmanın evreni Türkiye’deki huzurevlerinde yaşayan 65 yaş üzeri yaşlılardır. Veriler Türkiye’de 6 bölgede, 19 ilde, 35 huzur evinde kalan toplam 429 kişi ile 10.10.2016 ve 10.10.2019 tarihleri arasında yüz yüze görüşülerek uygulanan anket tekniğiyle toplanmıştır. Huzur evlerinde kalan yaşlılara sosyo-demografik özelliklere ilişkin 9 soru; yaşamdan beklentileri, yaşamdaki endişeleri, huzur evinde kalmayı isteyip istemedikleri, evde bakım istekleri ve devletten beklentilerine yönelik olarak 5 soru sorulmuştur. Veriler SPSS istatistik programından yararlanılarak frekans ve yüzdeler hesaplanıp analizler yapılarak değerlendirilmiştir.
Araştırma bulgularında yaşlıların çoğunluğunun (yaş aralığı 65-74) “genç yaşlı” grubunda, ilk okul mezunu (%28,9), erkek (%60), sosyal güvenceye sahip (%81,1) , “dul eşi ölmüş” (% 63,6) olduğu ve katılımcıların en az “1-2” çocuk sahibi oldukları (%38,9) belirlenmiştir. Katılımcıların gelir seviyelerinin yeterli olmadığı belirlenmiştir. Katılımcıların yaşamdan beklentilerinde ilk sırada “sağlık ve huzur”, ikinci sırada bakıma muhtaç olmamaydı. Katılımcıların yaşamdaki endişeleri sırasıyla bakıma muhtaç olmak, yalnızlık ve ölüm endişesi olduğu belirlenmiştir. Katılımcıların çoğunluğunun (%78.1) huzurevinde kalmayı istediklerini, bununla birlikte, evde bakım hizmetinden yararlanmak isteyenlerin (%58.5) de az olmadığı belirlenmiştir. Katılımcılar, devletten beklentilerini öncelikli olarak maaş artırımı, sonrasında sırasıyla yaşlı evi ve sosyal konut olarak belirtmişlerdir.
Criminal Sanctions Against Theft With Violance
Authors: Ni Made Trisna Dewi
Published: December 2022

Talking about theft with violence, whether it concerns the case, its impact, or the relationship between the perpetrator and the victim of the crime must be based on and have a background in social, cultural, economic, and community structures. The type of research used in this research is normative research. Based on the discussion in the previous chapters, several conclusions can be drawn, namely: 1) Evidence of the elements of the criminal act of theft with violence, in this case it has provided the achievements of the applicable law, both in the handling process to the investigation and decision or punishment. imprisonment according to the mandate in Article 365 of the Criminal Code. Regarding theft which is preceded, accompanied or followed by violence or threats of violence, with the threat of imprisonment for fifteen years. 2) The provision of criminal sanctions against perpetrators of theft with violence above, in terms of giving this sanction, is based on the results of evidence from the elements of the criminal act of theft with violence, as has been done by investigators or law enforcement to give a verdict or punishment. to the perpetrator in accordance with Article 365 of the Criminal Code with a prison sentence of 15 years in prison.