bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Financial Activity of Municipal Self-government Bodies of Dnipro Ukraine in 1785–1917 as an Object of Modern Historical Research
Authors:   Central Ukrainian National Technical University, Bondarenko Oleksandr
Published: May 2022

The scientific achievements of modern national historiography on the study of the history of financial activities of municipal self-government institutions of Dnipro Ukraine during the imperial era are analyzed. It was found that despite the lack of comprehensive generalizing work on this issue, it is represented by a large number of works that reflect financial activities of municipal governments. It is established that the scientific study of this problem has become the subject for not only historians but also for representatives of legal and economic sciences. It indicates its applied nature, as the study of the experience of financial activities of municipal public administration, including negative, can be taken into account in solving current problems of municipal self-government. It is noted that the works of scientists show the state’s attempt to interfere in the financial activities of the municipal government in order to maintain control over city finances, which negatively affected not only the increase in revenues but also the ability to use them to meet the needs of urban communities. Scholars draw attention to the discrepancy between city revenues and expenditures, which were determined by the imperial legislation for municipal governments. They find out the items of mandatory expenditures for the maintenance of the judiciary, police, city governments, troops, which accounted for a significant percentage of expenditures and were not spent for the development of urban economy and social sphere. Promising areas of further study include comparative comprehensive historical and historiographical studies of the financial activities of municipal governments in the imperial era in the regional dimension. In addition, researchers are to pay attention to such important aspects of the problem as the everyday life of city government officials, their role in social and cultural life of urban communities, the history of relations between municipal financial and government institutions.
Latest Historiography of the Ukrainian National and Cultural Revival
Authors:   Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kapeliushnyi Valerii
Published: May 2022

The author reviewed the monograph of Natalia Semergei’s monograph «Ukrainian National and Cultural Revival of the Second Half of the XIX – First Third of the XX Century: the Discourse of Modern Historiography». In the monograph the conceptual analysis of modern studies of domestic historiography of the Ukrainian national-cultural revival of the researched period is carried out, the latest interpretations of the phenomenon of national-cultural revival are considered; understanding by historians its preconditions, factors and content are analyzed, socio-political and sociocultural foundations of the national movement, cultural-historical and mental traumas in achieving the key objectives of national revival are studied. The author states that the monograph by N. Semergei was prepared at the appropriate scientific and methodological level, contains important historiographical conclusions and is a significant contribution to the domestic historical science.
Review of the Monograph by L. V. Hubytskyy «Trade of Kyiv Province (1793–1861)». Kyiv: KNUTE, 2018. – 388 p.»
Authors:   Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Pylypenko Viktor
Published: May 2022

The monograph by L. V. Hubytskyy «Trade of Kyiv province (1793–1861)» was reviewed. It is noted that the peer-reviewed monograph is the first comprehensive study of the history of trade in the Kyiv province in historiography. It outlines the property, demographic, social changes in the merchant class, describes in detail the transformation of the trade strata as the basis of a new leading state of society. New tasks that arose before the trading system of Kyiv and the province in the late XVIII – first half of the XIX century, and the means and methods of their solution are described. It is shown how the trading system provided the income of the provincial, city and private farms and compares the income from trade in food and non-food products. Regularities of evolution of periodic provincial trade are established and analyzed; transformations of constant trade as a system are revealed, it is substantiated when and how feedback affected the credit and financial system and what was their effect. It is concluded that the peer-reviewed monograph as a whole makes a positive impression; the author managed to perform research tasks. The work is a significant contribution to the historiography of the Kyiv province.
Performance Evaluation of a SCM-OFDM Radio over Fiber System for the Mobile Fronthaul
Authors:   Dept. of Electrical Engineering, Pan African Univ. Inst. of Basic Sciences Technology and Innovation, Nairobi, Kenya, Jothi Oratilwe , Ataro Edwin , Musyoki Stephen
Published: May 2022

The exponential growth in mobile data traffic caused by the upsurge of Internet users has led to a high demand of capacity on the mobile data networks. High capacity and high data rate requirements created an emergence of Radio over Fiber (RoF) technology which is a possible key in the provision of high bandwidth and cost-effective fronthaul solutions. This paper presents an evaluation on the integration of Subcarrier Multiplexing (SCM) with RoF and Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) technologies to enhance the system capacities. A 4-channel SCM-OFDM architecture combined with RoF technology is examined across three different modulation schemes (i.e., 256-QAM, 64-QAM and 16-QAM) for transmission distances from 10 km to 120 km for two data rates i.e., (5 and 10) Gbps. The performance of the architectures is measured by Bit-error rate (BER), Quality-factor (Q-factor), Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR), Error Vector Magnitude (EVM), Eye-Opening Penalty (EOP), received power and of transmitted signals. The simulation results indicates that the SCM-OFDM model at a 10 Gbps data rate gives a better performance under the 256-QAM modulation scheme. Furthermore the performance of all the SCM-OFDM systems is more superior operating at a 10 Gbps data rate when compared to the 5 Gbps data rate.
Effective k-Means Clustering in Greedy Prepruned Tree-based Classification for Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Authors:   Department of Cognitive Sciences, Faculty of Cognitive Sciences and Human Development, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Kota Samarahan, Malaysia, Sim Doreen Y. Y. , Ismail Ahmad I. , Teh C. S.
Published: May 2022

Incorporation of prepruned decision trees to k-means clustering through one to three types of tree-depth controllers and cluster partitioning was done to develop a combined algorithm named as Greedy Pre-pruned Tree-based Clustering (GPrTC) algorithm. Pre-pruned clustered decision trees are applied in a greedy concerted way to five datasets of obstructive sleep apnea and others from online data repositories. The optimal number of k clusters for k-means clustering is determined after trees are greedily prepruned by tree-depth controllers of minimum number of leaf nodes, minimum number of parent nodes and maximum number of tree splitting. After applying the GPrTC algorithm to the assigned datasets, when compared with the conventional k-means clustering, results showed that the former has significantly lower average distortion per point and lower average run-time for 2-D and 3-D data over around 30 thousand points. Classification efficiency and speed of the former algorithm is more than two times better the latter algorithm over a higher range of points being run. GPrTC algorithm showed better classification accuracies than k-means clustering in almost all the assigned datasets. This concludes that the proposed algorithm is significantly much more efficient, less distortion and much faster than k-means clustering with moderately better in terms of classification and/or prediction accuracies.
Design and Implementation of a Multichannel Convolutional Neural Network for Hate Speech Detection in Social Networks
Authors: Abebaw Zeleke , Rauber Andreas , Atnafu Solomon
Published: May 2022

As the number of social media comments available online grows, the spread of hate speech has grown gradually. When someone uses hate speech as a weapon to injure, degrade, and humiliate others, their freedom, dignity, and personhood can be jeopardized. Deep neural network-based hate speech detection models, such as the conventional single channel convolutional neural network (SC-CNN), have recently demonstrated promising results. The success of the models, however, is dependent on the type of language they are trained on and the training data size. Even with a small amount of training data, the model's performance can be improved by using a multichannel convolutional neural network (MC-CNN) model. The study assesses and compares the performance of a multichannel convolutional neural network model to single channel convolutional neural network models using a support vector machine (SVM) as a baseline. The models' F1 score values are computed, and promising results are obtained. The MC-CNN model outperforms the SC-CNN models in all three hate speech datasets. The study's findings indicate that the proposed MC-CNN model could be used as a deep learning-based alternative for hate speech detection.
Pest Early Detection in Greenhouse Using Machine Learning
Authors: Thao Le Quang , Cuong Duong Duc , Anh Nguyen Tuan , Minh Nguyen , Tam Nguyen Duc
Published: May 2022

Greenhouses are considered to be a favorable artificial environment separated from the outside. However, pests can still exist by the same plant sources that bring the pathogen. The conditions and abundant food in a greenhouse provide a stable environment for the pest development. Normally, the natural enemies that serve to keep pests under control outside are not present in the greenhouse, pest situations often develop in this indoor environment more rapidly and with greater severity than outdoors. Early detection and diagnosis of pests and diseases are key to managing greenhouse pests as well as selecting and applying appropriate pesticides when needed. The aim of this invention is to develop an intelligent pest early detection system using a convolutional neural network in the greenhouse. By using a pre-trained disease recognition model, we were able to perform deep transfer learning to produce a network that can predict with the precision above 90%.
Multi-Objective Optimization Method for Task Scheduling and Resource Allocation in Cloud Environment
Authors: Channappa Anupama K , Ramaiah Nagaraja , Rajanna Shivakumar B
Published: May 2022

In the cloud environment, the process of task scheduling and resource allocation plays a vital role in cloud resource management. The unpredictable and uncertain behaviour of the task arrival rate poses significant challenges in the effective allocation of resources. An efficient scheduling technique is essential to avoid under or overutilization of resources. In order to increase the performance of scheduling and allocation, this paper presents multi-objective optimization method for optimal resource allocation and task scheduling based on a three-stage strategy. In the first stage, a description of tasks and virtual machines is prepared. At stage two, tasks are classified and labelled based on the resource demand and execution time. Finally, the modified-Grey Wolf optimization algorithm is used for the allocation and scheduling of tasks for a disparate scenario. The experimental results proved that the proposed method reduced the makespan time and cost with an improved utilization rate.
Speech Emotion Recognition Using Machine Learning Techniques
Authors: Pagidirayi Anil Kumar , Bhuma Anuradha
Published: May 2022

Mel Frequency Cepstral Coefficient (MFCC) method is a feature extraction technique used for speech signals. In machine learning systems, the Random Subspace Method (RSM) known as attribute bagging or bagged featuring used to classify the complete feature sets. In this paper, an innovative method is proposed which is a combination of RSM and kNN algorithm known as Subspace-kNN (S-kNN) classifier. The classifier selects the specific features extracted from MFCC are angry, sad, fear, disgust, calm, happiness, surprise, and neutral speech emotions in Speech Emotion Recognition (SER) system. Furthermore, in the proposed method the performance metrics of accuracy, Positive Predictive Values (PPV) rate, training time are evaluated on male and female voice signals when compared with previous classifiers like SVM and bagged trees.
Secure Data Transmission in Wireless Sensor Networks with Secure System for Identification of Trusted Route with Node Behavior Analysis
Authors: Sahu Minakshi , Sethi Nilambar , Das Susanta Kumar
Published: May 2022

The Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) is a novel and demanding technology that requires little processing and computational capabilities. In the WSN, security is a serious issue. Because of its wireless nature, it is vulnerable to a wide range of assaults and data packet loss. Secure routing is critical to avoid problems like this. When it comes to data delivery to other nodes, routing is one of the most important WSN method to provide security to the network. Based on the expected trust value, the routing process's trust mechanism prevents/includes nodes in routing. This research examines security objectives for routing the sensor networks and presents an Extreme Trust Factor for Route Identification with Prime Node (ETFRI-PN). The Prime Node (PN) examines each node's behavior throughout the delivery process, as well as computers' ability to detect malicious assaults, and assigns a trust factor to each node involved in data transmission along with Alphanumeric Inimitable Label (AIL) for every node. The proposed model is in contrast to previous models, and the results show that the proposed model outperforms traditional models.
Usos de TIC en la escritura de la tesis de posgrado. Un análisis desde la perspectiva de tesistas de maestría
Authors: Álvarez-Cadavid Gloria María , Álvarez Guadalupe , Cano Sampedro José Mario
Published: May 2022

Este estudio apunta a comprender, desde la perspectiva de estudiantes de una Maestría en Educación, los usos de las tecnologías digitales en la escritura de la tesis. En esta investigación cualitativa exploratoria, se realizaron entrevistas en profundidad a cinco estudiantes. Cada investigador leyó las transcripciones y generó códigos y temas; luego las codificaciones fueron comparadas y las transcripciones codificadas en NVivo a fin de obtener un único set de categorías, que comprenden: recursos digitales, TIC, escritura y formación en la maestría, dispositivos electrónicos, articulación digital-analógico. Según lo analizado, el portátil y la computadora se presentan como dispositivos centrales, aunque también se emplea el celular. Las tesistas, mediante dispositivos electrónicos y recursos digitales, parecerían elaborar un escrito adecuado a partir de lo que inicialmente vuelcan en un papel, en una grabación o un archivo digital. Así, en relación con la investigación y su escritura, aún siguen vigentes algunas prácticas analógicas si bien existe un claro paso de las prácticas basadas en papel a los usos de herramientas digitales y recursos en línea. Finalmente, la formación intencional en escritura académica durante el proceso investigativo permitiría ver el nexo entre escritura y mediación tecnológica como un asunto más implícito en el proceso.
CONCEPTUAL MODELING OF GIS OF THE PRIMARY ACCOUNTING OF THE CADASTRE OF THE NATURE RESERVE FUND (ON THE EXAMPLE OF THE NIZHNYOS NATIONAL NATURE PARK)
Authors: Halchenko Nadiia Pavlіvna , Kozar Valentyn Ivanovich , Mikhno Pavlo Borisovich , Klyuka Olena Mykolayivna
Published: May 2022

The article presents the results of conceptual modeling of the database of thematicgeospatial data for the primary accounting of cadastral information. Lands of the nature reserve fundhave a special nature conservation value. According to the results of accounting, survey andinventory of natural complexes, assessment of the state of nature reserve facilities form "Cards ofprimary accounting of territories and objects of nature reserve fund of Ukraine". Other documentsof the cadastre of territories and objects of the nature reserve fund are created by generalizing thedata of these cards. Nizhnosulsky National Nature Park was created to preserve valuable natural andhistorical-cultural complexes and objects of the Middle Dnieper. It covers an area of 18,635.11hectares. The rare fraction of the park's flora includes 13 species of vascular plants, including 10species listed in the Red Book of Ukraine. The Green Book of Ukraine includes 9 formations foundin the park. In the park, taking into account the value of natural complexes and objects, there arefour functional zones: protected area; regulated recreation; inpatient recreation; economic. Basedon the results of the analysis of the resources of the Nizhnosulsky National Nature Park and thecadastre of the nature reserve fund as an object of informatization, a conceptual scheme of thethematic geospatial database was compiled. The set of basic spatial data of such a system is proposedto include information on coordinate and altitude systems, administrative-territorial units, territorialcommunities, hydrographic objects and hydraulic structures, settlements, buildings and structures,roads, railways, utilities, soils, land plots, geographical names, relief, orthophotos. The set ofthematic data should include information on NPF objects, their functional zoning, land plots and lands, owners and users of land plots, economic activities, landscapes, rare types of environments,conservation objects, recreational value, as well as rare species of plants and animals. According tothe research results, a UML-diagram of the conceptual model of the thematic geospatial database ofGIS of the primary accounting of the cadastre of the nature reserve fund was created.
Understanding Society 5.0 Jobs for Improving Education 4.0 – an Analysis in Python
Authors:   Gebze Technical University, Gebze, Kocaeli, Turkey, Cubukcu Cerasi Ceren , Selim Balcioglu Yavuz ,   Gebze Technical University, Gebze, Kocaeli, Turkey
Published: May 2022

Developments in science and industry have a direct impact on human life by contributing to development of societies throughout human history. Developments in information, internet technologies and Industry 4.0 accelerated the digital transformation of the industry. As a result, factories have been equipped with ‘smart’ technologies and new skills are needed to use these smart technologies. These skills have changed job descriptions and new graduates now start to work in jobs that never existed in the past. After the transformation from an industrial society to an information society with Industry 4.0, the aim is to reach Society 5.0 as a new level of social development. Therefore, graduates will need to have new skills to adjust to Society 5.0. In this study, International Standard Classification of Education 2020 data were analysed according to gender, age and educational level using machine learning in Python. The types of jobs that are most in demand were identified. Consequently, the sector and job preferences of new graduates were determined according to their educational levels. This study fills a gap in existing literature by analysing the trendiest positions in the industry so universities can prepare their students for these positions within the Education 4.0 framework.
Sustainability and Labour Law
Authors:   Reutlingen University (ESB Business School), Reutlingen, Germany, Gschwinder Joachim
Published: May 2022

This article explores the question of how sustainability and labour law are interrelated. The modern world of work is characterised by the growing social and environmental responsibility of companies. Especially in the post-COVID era, sustainability also plays an increasingly important role in the corporate context, which is also noticeable in the so-called ‘war for talent’. Achieving personal career goals is no longer enough for employees today. Corporate values and in particular the socalled ESG criteria (Environment, Social, Governance) are thus also becoming increasingly important in the employment relationship and in corporate reporting requirements. In terms of social sustainability, labour law instruments can, for example, promote the creation of a discrimination-free working environment, the introduction of flexible working time models or the protection of whistleblowers. From an ecological perspective, labour regulations are also suitable for implementing ‘green mobility’ and other measures to reduce companies’ ecological footprints. Working from home, which experienced a huge boom during the COVID-19 pandemic, is also sustainable, especially from an ecological point of view. Appropriate consideration of these sustainable work tools in future corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategies not only creates a competitive advantage but can also be beneficial in recruitment.
New Trends in Corporate Reporting in the Light of Sustainability
Authors:   Budapest Business School, Faculty of Finance and Accountancy, Department of Accountancy, Budapest, Hungary, Kardos Barbara , Madarasi-Szirmai Andrea ,   Budapest Business School, Faculty of Finance and Accountancy, Department of Accountancy, Budapest, Hungary
Published: May 2022

Independently of the negative economic, social and human effects of the COVID-19 virus, sustainability is an emerging issue. The purpose of sustainability and integrated reporting is to create a holistic approach to performance measurement, bridging financial and non-financial measures based on integrated thinking that covers all the key elements of a business. Publishing these reports is a way for external communication to show a comprehensive picture. In order to prepare a good quality report, companies need to identify their stakeholders, their interests, needs and expectations while also presenting all the relevant information in a concise and structured report. In this paper, we describe the background and development of sustainability/integrated reporting in terms of its regulatory and application environment. We concluded that although there are different interests and approaches, intensifying intensions to form generally accepted and uniform regulations in sustainable reporting are existing and escalating. In this paper, we summarise the practice of companies from some EU countries in sustainability/integrated reporting. In practice, despite the common EU directive, the content, level of detailed presentation and structure of the reports of non-financial information differs from country to country and company to company, which restricts the ability to compare these reports or elements.
Changes in Initial Margin and Market Liquidity During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors:   Corvinus University of Budapest, Budapest, Hungary, Váradi Kata , Muratov-Szabó Kira ,   2 KELER CCP Ltd, Budapest, Hungary
Published: May 2022

The main role of central counterparties is the clearing and settlement of trades. In order to fulfil this role, they need to maintain financial resources to cover losses due to customer defaults. One element of these resources is the initial margin requirements. In this paper the authors have analysed whether a change in the value of the margin was followed by a significant change in the market liquidity of the most liquid Hungarian stock – the OTP Bank Group – during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic. Market liquidity is measured based on the daily traded volume. The results show that in most cases, no changes in the abnormal daily traded volume are seen on the market following a margin change, which means that no evidence has been found that margin changes and traded volume are related. This result is good from a practical point of view, because it means that the activity of the central counterparty did not negatively affect the liquidity of the market during the COVID-19 period.
Generation Z Through the Prism of Management
Authors:   University of Maribor, Faculty of Economics and Business, Maribor, Slovenia, Aleksić Petra , Nedelko Zlatko ,   University of Maribor, Faculty of Economics and Business, Maribor, Slovenia
Published: May 2022

The main theme of this article is to examine how the characteristics of Generation Z will be reflected when members of this generation are in leadership positions. The authors will touch on situations that have been experienced during growth and which have influenced the formation of the behavioural pattern of and established values of Generation Z. Emphasis will also be placed on communication and the way younger generations communicate. The authors of this article are interested in how this generation behaves in the workplace, while the central research problem is to evaluate how young people will behave in leadership positions. The aim of this article is to determine the characteristics and behaviour of Generation Z and how these characteristics and behavioural patterns will reflect in leadership positions. The exploratory method was used in the research, because it is still a relatively unexplored problem and it allows methodological deviations. A descriptive method was also used, on the basis of which the authors determined the current state or characteristics and already proven facts of Generation Z. The cognitions of the article highlight the discussion on how Generation Z will behave in leadership positions.
Cooperation of Employees and Employers in Occupational Safety and Health Management
Authors:   University of Maribor, Faculty of Economics and Business, Maribor, Slovenia, Krulc Lea , Orovič Janja ,   University of Maribor, Faculty of Economics and Business, Maribor, Slovenia, Prosen Lena ,   University of Maribor, Faculty of Economics and Business, Maribor, Slovenia, Zdovc Jaka ,   University of Maribor, Faculty of Economics and Business, Maribor, Slovenia, Žižek Gašper ,   University of Maribor, Faculty of Economics and Business, Maribor, Slovenia
Published: May 2022

The main theme of this paper is worker-employer cooperation in occupational health and safety management. This is one of the most topical topics, since the provision of occupational health and safety is key to reducing risks in the workplace. Therefore, questions arise about how to ensure that the health and safety problem in a company or organisation is addressed by the employer and employee working together. Many companies are tackling this issue in different ways, whether through employee motivation, on-the-job training, raising awareness, cooperation, etc. Various research has been conducted on this topic, which has shown the positive results of cooperation in occupational health and safety management. This paper thus deals with the themes of employer-employee interaction, in which mutual communication, risk reduction and prevention are key. The paper then goes on to compare governance in the European Union and Slovenia. Given the situation that forced large numbers of employees to work remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic, the subject is also approached from this aspect, how employers can ensure employee safety when working from home. At the end of the paper, some examples are given of how Slovenian and foreign companies are tackling and solving the problem in practice.
Analysis of risk management practices among cassava farmers in Ideato south local government area, Imo State, Nigeria
Authors:   University of Calabar, Ajah EA , Ofem UI , Effa EB , Ubabuko LI
Published: May 2022

Risks are pervasive and inescapable in agriculture. There has been great concern about the problems posed by risk in agriculture. This apprehension stems from the harmful effects of risk on the output of farmers in Nigeria. This study examines risk management practices among cassava farmers in Ideato South Local Government Area (LGA) of Imo State, Nigeria. It specifically sought to identify the types of risks encountered, management practices adopted, and socio-demographic factors that influence cassava yields. The study used purposive and multistage sampling techniques to sample 90 cassava farmers from seven autonomous communities in Ideato South LGA. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire. Inferential and descriptive statistics such as multiple regression model, mean, percentage frequency counts were used in data analysis. Findings showed that poor yield due to bad weather conditions and inadequate transportation systems were the most intense risks faced by cassava farmers. The major farmers’ risk management strategies in order of importance were mixed cropping, mixed farming, off-farm investment and Insurance. Insurance was least ranked mainly because the farmers lacked adequate information on the insurance benefits. Off-farm income and farming experience were the socio-demographic variables that positively influenced the output of cassava, implying that increase in these variables would increase the output of cassava. On the other hand, age as a variable was significant but had adverse effects on output. The findings show that risk cannot be eliminated in the agricultural production process because agricultural production has a high dependence on the vagaries of nature. The study recommends that farmers be encouraged to diversify their farming operations through a diversification process where the farmers produce several products rather than cassava, a single product. The use of improved cassava varieties should be encouraged. Additionally, farmers should increase their involvement in more income-generating activities to plummet the risk among cassava producers. Key words: Risk, Management, Cassava, production, farmers, Ideato South LGA, regression model, Nigeria
Multidrug resistant Salmonella species isolated from fufu grinding machines in Ghana
Authors:   Nanjing Forestry University, Suglo P ,   University for Development Studies, Kpordze WS , Saba CKS
Published: May 2022

Multidrug resistant Salmonella infection has become one of the most dangerous health concerns in Sub-Saharan Africa. Most previous research shows that food and water are the sources of the human Salmonella infection in Ghana. This article examines Salmonella contamination of fufu, a thick paste prepared from pounded boiled tubers, traditionally prepared using pestle and mortar, a common food in West and Central Africa. The fufu grinding machine, a new technology for grinding fufu, is gaining root in many parts of Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in the urban areas where most people are inclined to use machines to minimize drudgery, leaving behind the traditional way which involves the use of a wooden mortar and pestle. To investigate the sources of these contaminations, 100 samples were collected from 50 randomly sampled fufu grinding machines in the Tamale Metropolis to examine the prevalence and antibiotic susceptibility of Salmonella species. Fufu samples (SA) and fufu wash-out samples (SB) were collected from each grinding machine as described in ISO 6579:2002 protocol for the detection of Salmonella in food. Of the total 100 samples, 27% were confirmed Salmonella positive, of which 16 were fufu samples while 11 were fufu wash-out samples. Forty-eight percent (48%) of the 50 machines were contaminated with Salmonella. Contamination of wooden machines (85.7%) was higher as compared with the metallic machines (41.9%). The resistance levels of the isolates to the various antibiotics used were as follows: gentamicin (7.1%), nitrofurantoin (18.5%), ciprofloxacin (22.2%), erythromycin (81.5%), ceftazidime (85.2%) and ceftriaxone (88.9%). More of the isolates were resistant to three or more antibiotics (81.5% multidrug resistance). From this research, it can be concluded that there is high prevalence of Salmonella isolated from fufu grinding machines in the Tamale metropolis. Measures must be taken by the regulatory authorities to ensure that fufu prepared in grinding machines is safer. Also, awareness creation on antibiotic resistance and strict enforcement of laws on self-prescriptions of drugs would help avert multidrug resistance. Key words: Fufu, fufu machine, Salmonella, antibiotic resistance, Tamale-Ghana
Performance evaluation of commercial sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) cultivars for yield and yield related traits in Wolaita, southern Ethiopia
Authors:   Wolaita Sodo University, Wada E , Loha G , Leja D , Gogile A
Published: May 2022

Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) is cultivated in Ethiopia as a cash crop, export commodity, and raw material for sesame oil industries. It has surged up as a silver line regarding its contribution to the export earnings for Ethiopians. Sesame cultivation was not widely known in Wolaita area although the area could be a potential cultivation location for wider production of sesame in the country. Therefore, to evaluate performance in terms of yield and yield related traits for selection of the best performing cultivars to enhance productivity and larger production, ten sesame cultivars were laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications at two districts (Humbo and Kindo-Koysha) for two years (2017-2018). Analysis of variance showed that cultivars Mehado-80 (154 cm), Adi (153 cm), and Tate (149 cm) have grown to significantly higher heights over the rest of the cultivars. Mehado-80 and Tate had a significantly higher number of primary branches (mean values across locations 9.3, 8.7 and 8.6, respectively). The cultivar Tate had the highest number of capsules (97.9) per plant, which had also the highest genotypic variation (428.54). The highest genotypic coefficient of variance (45.58%) was recorded for seed yield. Days to 50% flowering and 90% maturity exhibited the lowest phenotypic coefficient of variation, 7.16%, and 3.69%, respectively. Heritability in a broad sense (h2b) ranged from 13.32% for plant height to 32.43% for thousand seed weight. The interaction effects had showed no significant difference (P>0.05) for most of the studied traits. Cultivars Tate (1200 kg/ha), Serkamo (917 kg/ha) and Kelafo-74 (875 kg/ha) scored significantly higher seed yield at Kindo-Koysha site whereas Tate (1208 kg/ha, S (1042 kg/ha) and Mehado-80 (1021 kg/ha) scored significantly higher seed yield at Humbo site. Hence these cultivars could, respectively, be used as a potential cultivar for Kindo-Koysha and Humbo districts of Wolaita zone, while cultivar Tate exhibited the highest seed yield at both locations and hence recommended for Wolaita zone, southern Ethiopia. Key words: Commercial cultivars, Seed yield, Sesame, Traits, Wolaita, Yield components
Aflatoxin and fumonisin mycotoxins contamination along the maize value chain in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo
Authors:   Université Evangélique en Afrique, Matendo Rehema ,   Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Imathiu S , Udomkun P ,   International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Bujumbura, Burundi, Mugumaarhahama Y , Akullo J , Ishara J , Atehnkeng J , Owino WO
Published: May 2022

Aflatoxin and fumonisin contamination was assessed in different samples along the maize value chain in different territories of South Kivu province. Kabare and Ruzizi Plain were chosen as they represent two different agroecological areas where maize is mostly produced. Twelve districts and one town were selected across the province. The stakeholders were randomly selected, and 215 maize (139 maize grain and 76 maize flour) samples were taken for laboratory analysis. The Q + kit was used to determine the total aflatoxins and fumonisins. Three categories of maize were examined: freshly harvested dry maize, stored maize (maize stored for 3 months ±1.5 month) and market maize. Aflatoxin was found in 100% of the maize samples with the least content of 0.3 µg/kg detected in freshly harvested dry maize with mean 3.2+0.3 and levels ranging from 0.3 to 18.5 µg/kg. The average level of aflatoxin in stored grain samples was 97.9±182 µg/kg within a range of 1.16 to 841.5 µg/kg, and the mean level of aflatoxin in stored flour was 148.9±164.5 µg/kg with levels ranging from 2.05 to 905.1 µg/kg. The mean level of aflatoxin maize collected from the market was 95.1 ±164 µg/kg, with levels ranging from 1 to 823.2 µg/kg. Almost all the maize flour collected from the three areas had a high contamination level that exceeded the maximum tolerable limit of 10 µg/kg. Fumonisin was detected in all samples. However, the levels of fumonisin do not follow a specific trend with the duration of storage. The freshly harvested dry maize concentration was 2.4±5.1 µg/g, with levels ranging from 0.03 to 20.9µg/g. About 37% of freshly harvested maize samples contaminated by fumonisin exceeded the maximum tolerable limit of 4 µg/kg. There was a difference between total fumonisin in grain and flour; the average level of fumonisin in stored maize grain was 1.4±0.9 µg/g with levels ranging from 0.18- 4.7 µg/g while in flour, the level was 2.1±1.3 µg/g with levels ranging from 0.3-4.5 µg/g. Almost all the maize samples collected from the three areas had a degree of contamination that did not exceed the maximum tolerable limit of 4 µg/g. These results indicate that the two mycotoxin levels, particularly aflatoxin, were high in the different samples collected at specific nodes. Therefore, preventing mycotoxins accumulation in maize by post-harvest prevention of contamination and growth of toxigenic moulds by promoting proper grain drying and storage should be encouraged among the actors of the maize value chain. Key words: Aflatoxins, Fumonisins, Food value chain, Maize, South Kivu
What Is Going On? An Analysis of the Interaction Order
Authors: Halldorsson Vidar
Published: May 2022

Seeing sociology visually adds a sense of realness to the viewer compared to only reading sociological texts. In this paper, I aim to provide an example of how a single scene from a feature film can be utilized as a practical and meaningful means to analyze a social situation and to help students of sociology to grasp key features of Goffman’s theory of interaction order. More precisely, the main aims of the paper are 1) to illustrate Goffman’s theory of the interaction order by identifying acts of disruption and alignment in interaction through a film clip; and 2) to attempt to analyze, in a Goffmanian sense, what is really going on in the situational interaction. The scene is from the 2013 American movie August: Osage County and follows a dinner of immediate family in the wake of the funeral of the hostess’s late husband. The normative and civilized interaction of the meal is, however, jeopardized by the hostile and provocative mood of the hostess, as she repeatedly disrupts the interaction order with attempts to mock and/or uncover the hidden and vulnerable truths of the immediate members of her family, exemplifying her power status in the particular situation. The dinner guests, however, try to overlook and resist the provocation of the hostess and stick to their predetermined roles to save and sustain their idealized selves (their faces) and the interaction order (the faces of others), In doing so they, on the one hand, discard the uncomfortable truths acclaimed by the hostess and, on the other, explain the hostess’s provocative actions in terms of their claim that she is unwell and in need of medical attention. Thus, the attacked dinner guests in the scene align more alliance to the interaction order than to truth itself.
Comunicación, jugadas estratégicas y compromiso: un análisis desde la economía experimental
Authors: Palacio Garcia Luis Alejandro , Díaz Pérez Brayan Snehider
Published: May 2022

Thomas Schelling es uno de los grandes referentes en teoría de juegos y negociación, pues ha sido reconocido como un pionero al proponer los conceptos y sentar las bases de los modelos formales, basado siempre en la observación y el contraste empírico. Su enfoque sobre la comunicación, las jugadas estratégicas y el compromiso permite entender las ventajas, en términos de poder de negociación, de anunciar públicamente que la decisión ya está tomada, incluso cuando el mensaje es simple palabrería. Tomando este punto de partida, este artículo se centra en cómo la economía experimental ha permitido ampliar y afinar sus propuestas originales. Es posible clasificar esta literatura en tres vertientes: 1) comunicación no vinculante, 2) utilización de jugadas estratégicas, 3) credibilidad y compromiso. Entre los hallazgos se resalta que la comunicación es un mecanismo útil para transmitir información privada y, por lo tanto, afecta las creencias y el comportamiento de los negociadores. Por su parte, las jugadas estratégicas cumplen el rol de transferir la ventaja del primer movimiento al segundo jugador. Por último, el sentido de justicia, el temor a los castigos y la reputación de los negociadores afectan la credibilidad de sus amenazas.
Slags from excavations of the archaeological monument — of the settlement of Kobylikha (Nenets Autonomous District)
Authors: Murygin A. , Ирина Астахова
Published: May 2022

The results of studies of slag from excavations of the archaeological monument of the settlement of Kobylikha (Nenets Autonomous District) are presented. The analytical studies were based on optical and scanning electron microscopy and spectroscopic methods.

Our detailed mineralogical and geochemical studies resulted in determining siliceous-ferruginous composition of slags with impurities of aluminum, calcium, phosphorus, and potassium. Concentrations of Cu, Pb, Mg, Ni, Ti, Cr, V impurity elements are not large. According to the chemical composition, the viscosity and basicity of the melt were evaluated. The viscosity index indicates the fluidity of the melt. The basicity coefficient in the studied slags can be attributed to the group of acidic slags. Microprobe studies revealed the predominance of fayalite, wustite, iron-siliceous glass and reduced iron. The conducted studies allowed concluding on the use of a single ore from a single source. It is possible to assume the use of oxide easy-to-mine iron ores. Melting was carried out in a furnace at fairly high temperatures in the range of 1200—1400 oC and using fluxes. The slag cooled down rather slowly and directly in the furnace. Probably, the melting lasted for a long time. In the settlement of Kobylikha, metallurgical production had an average scale using simple technological schemes.
Diseño para todos
Authors: Vivanco Rafael
Published: May 2022

El diseñador como profesional ha evolucionado en las últimas décadas, de ser considerado un simple dibujante hoy se le reconoce como un profesional de la comunicación visual. Ese camino no fue fácil ni casual. Son muchos los diseñadores que han trabajado para lograr esa transformación que permitió evolucionar acorde con la sociedad en la que se desenvuelve, confirmando que una sociedad que crece y progresa lo hace de la mano del diseño.
Investigación e interculturalidad
Authors: Vivanco Rafael
Published: May 2022

Somos una manifestación evidente de la gran diversidad de un país que tiene en su población su mejor materia prima que está  compuesta por una variopinta combinación de diversas razas que nos permiten ser el resultado de muchas mezclas y eso debieraunirnos antes que separarnos. Al mismo tiempo somos herederos de grandes diseñadores, los primeros habitantes de estas tierras lo demuestran, desde los vestigios hallados de pintura rupestre en Toquepala hasta las culturas precolombinas que son fiel testimonio de que el diseño era parte fundamental de su vida demostrando que no existe vida sin diseño ni diseño sin vida.
Ehlers-Danlos syndrome: prevalence and outcomes in gender affirming surgery - a single institution experience
Authors: Najafian Alireza , Cylinder Isabel , Jedrzejewski Breanna , Sineath Craig , Sikora Zbigniew , Martin Leigh H. , Dugi Daniel , Dy Geolani W. , Berli Jens Urs
Published: May 2022

Aim: Patients with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) are considered to have an increased risk for wound healing complications. Surgeons may therefore be hesitant to offer elective surgeries, including gender-affirming surgeries (GAS), to EDS patients. At our center, we frequently encountered patients presenting for GAS evaluation with the co-existing diagnosis of EDS. This study aims to establish the prevalence of EDS diagnosis in our GAS patients and compare their post-operative complications to patients without EDS diagnosis. Methods: This is a single-institution retrospective case-control study on all patients who underwent GAS from 2016-2020. Data include EDS diagnosis, demographics, operation, and complications (including minor wound healing issues). Results: Of 1363 patients presenting for GAS, 36 (2.6%) had EDS diagnoses and were matched with 108 control patients. Major complications requiring surgical intervention in the OR occurred in 6 patients (4.2%), (2.8% EDS vs. 5.4% controls; P = 0.63), while 8.3% of EDS and 14% of controls required minor interventions (P = 0.38). The rate of wound healing issues of any severity was 28% in EDS vs. 47% in control groups (P = 0.04). Conclusion: The prevalence of EDS diagnosis in our patient population is 132 times the highest reported prevalence in the general population. Wound healing issues and the need for additional post-operative interventions in the group with EDS diagnosis were not significantly different from the control group. Our findings suggest that patients with a diagnosis of EDS undergoing GAS have comparable outcomes to patients without EDS. Concerns for post-operative complications should not be a barrier to offering GAS to patients presenting with an EDS diagnosis.
Cardiopulmonary exercise test as a tool in surveillance after Fontan operation
Authors: Wang-Giuffre Elizabeth W. , Doshi Unnati H.
Published: May 2022

Fontan patients have significantly decreased exercise tolerance secondary to several factors, most notably, a lack of a subpulmonary pump to augment systemic venous return to the heart and to overcome the pulmonary vascular resistance. Cardiopulmonary exercise testing is an important inexpensive non-invasive tool to monitor for subclinical changes and functional data over time that may portend the need for earlier intervention.
Keragaman Jenis Ikan Familia Bagridae di Sungai Nagara Desa Pandak Daun Kecamatan Daha Utara
Authors: Herman Norma Putri Ananda , Mahrudin Mahrudin , Irianti Riya
Published: May 2022

Species diversity can be defined as the number of species among the total number of individuals of all existing species. Fish from the Bagridae family are freshwater fish with high economic value and excellent nutritional content. The purpose of this study was to describe the diversity of fish in the Bagridae family found in the Nagara River, Pandak Daun Village, North Daha District. This research was conducted in Sungai Nagara, Pandak Daun Village, North Daha Subdistrict, in August-January 2021. There are 2 zones for catching fish, namely settlements and vegetation. This research method uses descriptive method with random sampling technique. Diversity was calculated using the Shannon-Wiener diversity index. The results obtained were three types of fish in the Bagridae family, namely Mystus mumurus, Mystus nigriceps, and Mystus gulio. The highest diversity with a value of H' = 0.88 and the lowest H' = 0.72.
Keragaman Jenis Belalang (Orthoptera) di Persawahan Desa Beringin Kencana Kecamatan Tabunganen
Authors: Rina Meidita Alpisah , Ajizah Aulia , Irianti Riya
Published: May 2022

Grasshoppers act as pests and act as predators, scavengers, and decomposers of organic matter. In maintaining the ecosystem of rice fields, grasshoppers have a very important role in maintaining their balance. The purpose of this study was to describe the diversity of grasshoppers (Orthoptera) in the rice fields of Beringin Kencana Village, Tabunganen District. The research methods used is a descriptive method with sampling using roaming techniques with line transect methods. The results obtained 9 species of grasshoppers, namely Oxya chinensis, Mantis religiosa, Gesonula mundata, Conocephalus fasciatus, Conocephalus discolor, Phlaeoba fomusa, Aiopolus thalassinus, Acrida conica, and Scudderia furcata. The grasshopper diversity index is 1.83 including the medium diversity category.