bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Research ethics support during the COVID-19 epidemic: a collaborative effort by South African Research Ethics Committees
Authors: Rossouw Theresa M , Wassenaar Douglas , Kruger Mariana , Blockman Marc , Hunter Alistair , Burgess Theresa
Published: September 2023

The COVID-2019 pandemic caused disruption of health services globally due to increased need for critical care facilities and collateral damage to routine healthcare services. Global and local research into disease pathogenesis and management strategies is central to a public health emergency response. South African legislation mandates that no health research may be conducted without approval from a registered Research Ethics Committee. For results to have maximum impact and relevance in a pandemic situation, ethics review and approval must be rapid and timeous, without compromising rigour and quality of review. This chapter argues that South African Research Ethics Committees were under-prepared for this task, largely due to gaps in national ethics guidance and the critical absence of the National Health Research Ethics Council. Although ethics guidance documents contain enabling clauses, no specified procedures for rapid review in emergencies exist. Consequently, and in an unprecedented initiative, several Research Ethics Committee chairpersons and members formed a spontaneous informal, ad hoc group, ‘Research Ethics Support in COVID-19 Pandemic’ (RESCOP), to share resources and support for managing the review of research related to COVID-19.

The chapter outlines the processes put in place and mechanisms introduced by RESCOP in the interest of responsible and accountable, but rapid, ethics review. We describe good practices for rapid full ethics review of COVID-19 health research, including clinical trials.

RESCOP’s innovative collaboration enabled rapid but thorough ethics review of research protocols during the epidemic. The processes established can serve as a good-practice model that could be adopted and adapted by other committees and future versions of national research ethics guidelines.
Curating Complexities in Art, Science, and Medicine: Art, Science, and Technology Studies (ASTS) in Public Practice
Authors: Star Rogers Hannah , D. Hussey Kristin , Whiteley Louise , Bencard Adam , Gad Christopher , Abrantes Eduardo
Published: September 2023

What does art have to lend to Science and Technology Studies (STS)? Might we see art and its display in museums and galleries as a method of performing STS ‘by material means’? And what roles might STS scholars play in art-science collaborations? Drawing on our experiences with collaborations at the intersections of contemporary art and biology, we explore the similarities and overlapping practices of these knowledge communities and make a series of observations about the potential of the area of Art, Science, and Technology Studies (ASTS) to refigure and complicate the art-science landscape. Our analysis emphasizes the museum as a material public forum and curation as a form of knowing, histories of art and science, and examples of scholarly facilitation and intervention in art-science. We examine emerging patterns in ASTS scholarship and emerging roles for STS scholars as facilitators, participant-observers, curators, and collaborators, particularly in art-science institutions and newly emerging STS and art contexts in Denmark, and specifically, the Medical Museion. Our analysis reveals the persistent third leg of curation, cultural history, or STS as party to collaborations between artists and scientists.
The Benefit of the Doubt: Rethinking critique in/of scientific knowledge
Authors: Larsen Ryberg Marie
Published: September 2023

The relation between critique and scientific knowledge has become a perilous conundrum. The precarity of this relation is conspicuous in recent ‘post-truth’ dynamics but also in the field of Science and Technology Studies, where established critical approaches to scientific knowledge have been subjected to devastating (self-)criticism. This article explores an aspect of critique often left unnoticed, namely that of doubt, asking whether it might provide a pathway for rethinking scientific reasoning and critical thinking. Drawing on ethnographic studies of a university-wide initiative to promote the integration of research and teaching, the article considers how students and researchers tackle doubt in teaching that involves scientific inquiry and research. Contemplating what has been termed the positivity of doubt in American pragmatism, and its recent developments in French pragmatism, the paper considers the implications of the role of doubt in scientific inquiry for how we might approach the cultivation of critique in and of scientific knowledge today.
Thinking Participatory Design work-shops in the presence of cosmopolitics
Authors: Danholt Peter
Published: September 2023

This paper is a written version of a presentation held at DASTS 2022 as part of a panel session organized by Mike Michael, Alex Wilkie, Michael Guggenheim and the author. The idea behind the panel, inspired by laboratory studies in STS, was to propose a focus on workshops as ‘worldbuilding’ events, which implies a close scrutiny of how workshops are constructed and carried out and to what effect. Along the lines of Annemarie Mol’s ontological politics and Isabelle Stengers’ cosmopolitics, workshops are not just spaces in which we explore and experiment with ideas and concepts that may or may not be realized at some point: they shape reality from the get-go. In the paper, I thus discuss Participatory Design (PD) workshops by way of Isabelle Stengers’ cosmopolitical and constructivist thinking. My discussion is based on a few but key publications from the field of PD such as the Handbook of Participatory Design (Simonsen & Robertson, 2012).
Technostress and Continuance Intention of Online Learning in Higher Education: Evidence from Indonesia
Authors: Rafsanjani Mohamad Arief , Prakoso Albrian Fiky , Nurlaili Eka Indah , Kurniawan Riza Yonisa , Wulandari Wida
Published: September 2023

As a developing country, Indonesia faces many obstacles in implementing online learning due to the lack of infrastructure and technical skills. The mandated online learning policy during the spread of the covid-19 virus became a turning point and made massive use. However, the online learning policy raised unforeseen issues such as stress, especially among students. This study focuses on the continuance intention of online learning among college students in Indonesia. The person-environment fit theory serves as a theoretical anchor, with technostress being examined as a predictor. This research uses an online questionnaire to reach 466 college students as research participants. We used partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to examine the research model. The result shows that three types of technostress (techno-overload, techno-invasion, and techno-uncertainty) are confirmed to have a significant negative effect on the continuance intention of online learning. Meanwhile, the other two (techno-complexity and techno-insecurity) do not affect online learning continuance intention. The current study contributes to the literature regarding the technostress and continuance intention of online learning topics, especially in developing countries such as Indonesia. Furthermore, the research provides valuable insight for policymakers and university administrators, enabling them to formulate effective policies for mandated online learning.
Josué et la violence
Authors: Béré Paul
Published: September 2023

Cette étude sur Josué, héros du livre éponyme, s’interroge sur l’ambivalence de l’évaluation éthique du personnage. Considéré en effet comme exemplaire au point d’être un modèle des dirigeants d’Israël et des conquérants dans l’histoire, Josué apparaît comme la main armée d’un Dieu qui prend soin de son peuple en ordonnant le massacre de Cananéens innocents, affirme la littérature exégétique. Bien que le leader soit aux commandes de troupes dont les actions ont été qualifiées de génocide par certains, le thème de « Josué et la violence » n’a paradoxalement pas fait l’objet d’une recherche approfondie. Malgré le fait que Josué soit protégé à dessein par le récit, nous soutenons qu’il est coupable des atrocités dont parle le livre, même s’il ne peut en être tenu pour responsable. Car la rhétorique du livre qui exalte la violence est un fait de culture et peut, en cela, servir de miroir à la violence impensée enclose également dans nos cultures.
Première relecture de la Conquête
Authors: Anthonioz Stéphanie
Published: September 2023

L’étude de Juges 1, ici revisitée dans une approche historique, souligne l’importance du modèle tribal et sa fonction dans la construction du chapitre. En effet, ce modèle, si enraciné dans les cultures levantines, est réinterprété au fil des siècles, dans différents textes bibliques, au point de devenir les « douze tribus » ou les « douze fils de Jacob », devenant l’identité même d’« Israël », une définition plus généalogique, ethnique et clanique que véritablement territoriale. On espère démontrer ici, à travers l’analyse détaillée de Jg 1, comment les frontières sont générées, au prix d’expansions et de corrections intra-bibliques, et comment elles construisent une « plus grande Judée », voire un « plus grand Israël », à un moment où manifestement le royaume judéen s’est transformé en province et est à la recherche d’une nouvelle identité et d’une nouvelle reconnaissance.
L’histoire de Josué et de Kalev selon Ben Sira 46,1-10
Authors: Lavoie Jean-Jacques
Published: September 2023

Dans cette étude sur Ben Sira, l’auteur propose une double analyse comparée. D’une part, il compare le texte de 46,1-10 aux autres textes qui évoquent Josué et Kalev, ces deux grandes figures de la conquête, afin de cerner la manière dont Ben Sira et son petit-fils ont choisi de se les approprier. D’autre part, comme le texte de 46,1-10 a été conservé en hébreu (texte de Ben Sira) et en grec (texte du petit-fils), l’auteur traduit les deux versions de façon à bien mettre en évidence leurs divergences significatives et à mieux cerner leur originalité. Cette double analyse comparée permet de constater que Ben Sira et son petit-fils ont fait un intense travail non seulement de sélection mais aussi d’interprétation.
On the Fugitive Radicalism of Jimmy’s Blues
Authors: Werbanowska Marta
Published: September 2023

Like much of his prose and nonfiction, Baldwin’s poetry follows his actual
and figurative movement between Europe and America against the backdrop of his
homeland’s constant refusal to work through its racist, imperialist, and
heterosexist legacies. The 2014 reissue of his two poetry collections,
Jimmy’s Blues (1983) and Gypsy
(1989), as Jimmy’s Blues and Other Poems urges us to
revisit Baldwin’s poetry as an expression of his ideas and sentiments
through a different lens: that of a blues poetics. In Baldwin’s poetry,
the blues provide an aesthetic and epistemic framework for his expression of a
radical internationalist politics of liberation.
The Architecture of Love in the Poetic Thinking of James Baldwin and Jericho Brown
Authors: Mąkowska Joanna
Published: September 2023

By situating Baldwin’s Jimmy’s Blues and Other
Poems in conversation with Jericho Brown’s 2019 poetry
collection The Tradition, this article examines the theory of
love in their poetic thinking. It argues that in their poetry, love emerges as a
multifaceted mode of knowing and feeling, grounded in corporeal intensity and
imbued with sociopolitical and historical meanings. Both Baldwin and Brown view
love as integral to the understanding of queer sexuality and racial politics,
foregrounding at the same time the challenges of loving and being loved in a
historically anti-Black society. Their poetics of love coalesces the
intellectual and the affective, the erotic and the political, moving beyond the
conventions of inward-bound and personal lyric toward what Martinican
philosopher and novelist Édouard Glissant termed a “poetics of
relation.” Such transgenerational reading also allows us to explore
Baldwin’s and Brown’s poetry as acutely attuned to historical
moments which seem strikingly similar: Reagan’s and Trump’s
presidencies.
Jubilee for Jimmy
Authors: Boyd Herb
Published: September 2023

This review of Jubilee for Jimmy explores the various ways
Baldwin’s genius impacts our musical, dance, and literary culture. It was
an extravagant performance that had both thematic and chronological resonance,
approximating Baldwin’s influence. Most creative was the dance sequence
in which two men evoked dramatic moments of love and passion.
The View from the Riverbank
Authors: Jones Holly Lowe
Published: September 2023

This article illustrates the multi-generational influence of Baldwin’s
The Evidence of Things Not Seen on my path as a Black
scholar and draws connections between representation, identity, kinship, and the
interdependence of Black writers in the fight for social justice. Through
tracing Baldwin’s working relationship with my father, former editor of
Playboy magazine Walter Lowe Jr., I hope to illuminate the
relational underpinnings of Baldwin’s work on the Atlanta child murders,
thereby foregrounding the complexities of Black life. This article recognizes
Baldwin’s work in Evidence as more than just a new-wave
logistical, strategic, textual model of resistance but also as a mode of
artistic production arising from a tradition that is deeply felt, collaborative,
improvisational, and ancestrally rooted.
Moment of Truth in Atlanta
Authors: Lowe Walter
Published: September 2023

James Baldwin Review offers readers a reprint of a rare archival
find, an article from Emerge magazine, first published in
October of 1989, which ran with this abstract: “A magazine editor recalls
working with his literary hero and getting to know the surprisingly vulnerable,
charming, and often exasperating man behind the legend.”
Methodology for analyzing the decision-making process in the political system according to the CACI method
Authors: Semenov Vitalii Andreevich
Published: September 2023

This article presents a method for analyzing the decision-making process in a political system. The subject of the study is represented by the core of political decision-making, which is one of the subsystems of the political system. The object of the study is the political system of society. The study examines how the core of political decision-making interacts with the rest of the subsystems of the political system within short and long political cycles, and analyzes the stages of the political decision-making process. At the same time, within the framework of this work, the political system itself is presented in the context of a synergistic paradigm, as an open dynamic system included in the contour of social processes. The novelty of the study lies in the development of the CACI (conditions-actors-competition-implementation) method used to analyze the core of political decision-making. In the process of research, a revision of the internal content of the political system is also carried out according to the model of G. Almond, in particular, the separation of such an element as the core of political decision-making was carried out, and the redistribution of functionality between the remaining subsystems was carried out based on the principle of abstract functionalism of T. Parsons. It should also be noted that scientific novelty is expressed in the development of a clearer and more detailed model of the political system.
Bactabolize: A tool for high-throughput generation of bacterial strain-specific metabolic models
Authors: Vezina Ben , Watts Stephen C. , Hawkey Jane , Cooper Helena B. , Judd Louise M. , Jenney Adam W. J. , Monk Jonathan M. , Holt Kathryn E. , Wyres Kelly L.
Published: September 2023

Metabolic capacity can vary substantially within a bacterial species, leading to ecological niche separation, as well as differences in virulence and antimicrobial susceptibility. Genome-scale metabolic models are useful tools for studying the metabolic potential of individuals, and with the rapid expansion of genomic sequencing there is a wealth of data that can be leveraged for comparative analysis. However, there exist few tools to construct strain-specific metabolic models at scale.Here we describe Bactabolize (github.com/kelwyres/Bactabolize), a reference-based tool which rapidly produces strain-specific metabolic models and growth phenotype predictions. We describe a pan reference model for the priority antimicrobial-resistant pathogen,
Klebsiella pneumoniae
(github.com/kelwyres/KpSC-pan-metabolic-model), and a quality control framework for using draft genome assemblies as input for Bactabolize.The Bactabolize-derived model for
K. pneumoniae
reference strain KPPR1 performed comparatively or better than currently available automated approaches CarveMe and gapseq across 507 substrate and 2317 knockout mutant growth predictions. Novel draft genomes passing our systematically-defined quality control criteria resulted in models with a high degree of completeness (≥99% genes and reactions captured compared to models derived from matched complete genomes) and high accuracy (mean 0.97, n=10).We anticipate the tools and framework described herein will facilitate large-scale metabolic modelling analyses that broaden our understanding of diversity within bacterial species and inform novel control strategies for priority pathogens.
Approach-avoidance reinforcement learning as a translational and computational model of anxiety-related avoidance
Authors: Yamamori Yumeya , Robinson Oliver J , Roiser Jonathan P
Published: September 2023

Although avoidance is a prevalent feature of anxiety-related psychopathology, differences in existing measures of avoidance between humans and non-human animals impede progress in its theoretical understanding and treatment. To address this, we developed a novel translational measure of anxiety-related avoidance in the form of an approach-avoidance reinforcement learning task, by adapting a paradigm from the non-human animal literature to study the same cognitive processes in human participants. We used computational modelling to probe the putative cognitive mechanisms underlying approach-avoidance behaviour in this task and investigated how they relate to subjective task-induced anxiety. In a large online study, participants (n = 372) who experienced greater task- induced anxiety avoided choices associated with punishment, even when this resulted in lower overall reward. Computational modelling revealed that this effect was explained by greater individual sensitivities to punishment relative to rewards. We replicated these findings in an independent sample (n = 627) and we also found fair-to-excellent reliability of measures of task performance in a sub-sample retested one week later (n = 57). Our findings demonstrate the potential of approach-avoidance reinforcement learning tasks as translational and computational models of anxiety-related avoidance. Future studies should assess the predictive validity of this approach in clinical samples and experimental manipulations of anxiety.
Exploring natural odour landscapes: A case study with implications for human-biting insects
Authors: Zung Jessica L. , Kotb Sumer M. , McBride Carolyn S.
Published: September 2023

The natural world is full of odours—blends of volatile chemicals emitted by potential sources of food, social partners, predators, and pathogens. Animals rely heavily on these signals for survival and reproduction. Yet we remain remarkably ignorant of the composition of the chemical world. How many compounds do natural odours typically contain? How often are those compounds shared across stimuli? What are the best statistical strategies for discrimination? Answering these questions will deliver crucial insight into how brains can most efficiently encode olfactory information. Here, we undertake the first large-scale survey of vertebrate body odours, a set of stimuli relevant to blood- feeding arthropods. We quantitatively characterize the odour of 64 vertebrate species (mostly mammals), representing 29 families and 13 orders. We confirm that these stimuli are complex blends of relatively common, shared compounds and show that they are much less likely to contain unique components than are floral odours—a finding with implications for olfactory coding in blood feeders and floral visitors. We also find that vertebrate body odours carry little phylogenetic information, yet show consistency within a species. Human odour is especially unique, even compared to the odour of other great apes. Finally, we use our newfound understanding of odour-space statistics to make specific predictions about olfactory coding, which align with known features of mosquito olfactory systems. Our work provides one of the first quantitative descriptions of a natural odour space and demonstrates how understanding the statistics of sensory environments can provide novel insight into sensory coding and evolution.
Contributions of associative and non-associative learning to the dynamics of defensive ethograms
Authors: Le Quan-Son Eric , Hereford Daniel , Borkar Chandrashekhar D. , Aldaco Zach , Klar Julia , Resendez Alexis , Fadok Jonathan P.
Published: September 2023

Defensive behavior changes based on threat intensity, proximity, and context of exposure, and learning about danger-predicting stimuli is critical for survival. However, the contributions of associative and non-associative mechanisms to dynamic defensive responses are currently unclear given the reductionist behavior elicited by most Pavlovian fear conditioning paradigms. To investigate defensive ethograms more thoroughly, we subjected male and female adult C57BL/6J mice to a Pavlovian threat conditioning paradigm that pairs footshock with a serial compound stimulus (SCS) consisting of distinct tone and white noise (WN) stimulus periods. To investigate how associative and non-associative mechanisms affect defensive responses, we compared the paired SCS-footshock group with control groups that either received randomly presented SCS and footshock presentations (unpaired) or received only footshocks during conditioning (shock-only). After conditioning, only the paired group exhibited robust freezing during the tone period with switching to explosive flight responses comprised of jumping and darting behavior during the WN period. The unpaired group expressed no cue-induced freezing and significantly less freezing overall. Furthermore, the unpaired group reduced freezing but rarely showed jumping or darting during WN. Following conditioning, we observed how defensive behavior changed over two extinction sessions. During extinction, only the paired group decreased tone-induced freezing. During WN, the paired group rapidly transitioned from escape jumping to freezing and darting. Comparatively, the unpaired and shock-only groups displayed stress-induced tail rattling to SCS, eschewing freezing and jumping. These findings demonstrate that while non-associative factors promote some defensive responsiveness, associative pairings are required for robust cue-induced freezing and flight expression.
A non-linear optimization based robust attribute weighting model for the two-class classification problems
Authors: Alhudhaif Adi
Published: September 2023

Background

This article aims to determine the coefficients that will reduce the in-class distance and increase the distance between the classes, collecting the data around the cluster centers with meta-heuristic optimization algorithms, thus increasing the classification performance.

Methods

The proposed mathematical model is based on simple mathematical calculations, and this model is the fitness function of optimization algorithms. Compared to the methods in the literature, optimizing algorithms to obtain fast results is more accessible. Determining the weights by optimization provides more sensitive results than the dataset structure. In the study, the proposed model was used as the fitness function of the metaheuristic optimization algorithms to determine the weighting coefficients. In this context, four different structures were used to test the independence of the results obtained from the algorithm: the particle swarm algorithm (PSO), the bat algorithm (BAT), the gravitational search algorithm (GSA), and the flower pollination algorithm (FPA).

Results

As a result of these processes, a control group from unweighted attributes and four experimental groups from weighted attributes were obtained for each dataset. The classification performance of all datasets to which the weights obtained by the proposed method were applied increased. 100% accuracy rates were obtained in the Iris and Liver Disorders datasets used in the study. From synthetic datasets, from 66.9% (SVM classifier) to 96.4% (GSA Weighting + SVM) in the Full Chain dataset, from 64.6% (LDA classifier) to 80.2% in the Two Spiral datasets (weighted by BA + LDA). As a result of the study, it was seen that the proposed method successfully fulfills the task of moving the attributes to a linear plane in the datasets, especially in classifiers such as SVM and LDA, which have difficulties in non-linear problems, an accuracy rate of 100% was achieved.
Phenology and predictors of spring emergence for the Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus)
Authors: Jesper Andrew C. , Eckert Scott A. , Bielema Brian J. , Ballard Scott R. , Dreslik Michael J.
Published: September 2023

Many temperate reptiles survive winter by using subterranean refugia until external conditions become suitable for activity. Determining when to emerge from refugia relies on the ability to interpret when above-ground environmental conditions are survivable. If temperate reptiles rely on specific environmental cues such as temperature to initiate emergence, we should expect emergence phenologies to be predictable using local climatic data. However, specific predictors of emergence for many temperate reptiles, including the Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus), remain unclear, limiting our understanding of their overwintering phenology and restricting effective conservation and management. Our objectives were to identify environmental cues of spring emergence for C. horridus in Illinois to determine the species’ emergence phenology, and to examine the applicability of identified cues in predicting emergence phenology across the species’ range. We used wildlife cameras and weather station-derived environmental data to observe and predict the daily surface presence of C. horridus throughout the late winter and early spring at communal refugia in west-central and northern Illinois. The most parsimonious model for predicting surface presence included the additive effects of maximum daily temperature, accumulated degree days, and latitude. With a notable exception in the southeastern U.S., the model accurately predicted the average emergence day for eight other populations range wide, emphasizing the importance of temperature in influencing the phenological plasticity observed across the species’ range. The apparent broad applicability of the model to other populations suggests it can be a valuable tool in predicting spring emergence phenology. Our results provide a foundation for further ecological enquiries and improved management and conservation strategies.
Relationship between Profile Characteristics of Televiewing Farmers and Effectiveness of Farm Broadcast Programmes in Andhra Pradesh State of India
Authors: Krishnaji. M. V.  , Gopi Krishna. T.
Published: September 2023

The present study was taken up to investigate the relationship between the profile characteristics of televiewing farmers and the effectiveness of farm broadcast programmes. Andhra Pradesh state was selected purposively. Out of 13 districts of Andhra Pradesh, four districts were selected randomly. Two mandals from each district and two villages from each mandal were selected randomly. After listing out the total number of farmers who have television sets, 15 farmers from each village were chosen by simple random sampling method, there by the total sample size became 240. The primary data were collected by using pre – tested interview schedule. To convert the data into meaningful findings, statistical tools such as; Correlation coefficient (r) and Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) were used. The summary of the findings indicated that, out of sixteen profile characteristics selected, thirteen viz., age, education, farming experience, socio-economic status, innovativeness, mass media exposure, marketing orientation, risk orientation, economic orientation, scientific orientation, extension contact, social participation and training exposure had significant relationship with effectiveness of farm broadcasts. The other profile characteristics such as farm size, annual income and cropping intensity did not show any relationship. The MLR analysis found that all the 16 profile characteristics of televiewing farmers put together, explained about 78.64 per cent variation in the effectiveness of farm broadcasts. Remaining 21.36 per cent is due to the extraneous profile characteristics which were not considered under study. The profile characteristics namely socio-economic status, mass media exposure, risk orientation, economic orientation, scientific orientation, extension contact and annual income were found to be positively significant at 0.01 level of probability. The variable social participation found to be positively significant at 0.05 level of probability.
What Drives Voluntary Intellectual Capital Information Disclosure? Evidence from Deposit Money Banks in Nigeria
Authors: Onuoha Nnachi Egwu , Okoye Gregory Onuora
Published: September 2023

The aim of this study is to explore the determinants of intellectual capital(IC) information disclosure from the perspective of signaling and proprietary cost theories. This study adopted ex-post facto research design. In particular, a data set was drawn from the five-year (from 2012 to 2016) annual reports of 12 Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) operating in Nigeria. The data set collected was analysed by means of panel corrected standard error (PCSE). The study results indicate that whereas corporate age and size have significant positive relationship with IC information disclosure, intellectual capital performance has significant negative association with IC information disclosure. Additionally, corporate profitability is found to have insignificant negative relationship with IC information disclosure. The study results offer useful insights that would assist policymakers and regulators in formulating policies and developing reporting guidelines that, at the moment, are not included in the existing accounting reporting guidelines. Moreover, the paper confirms prior study results in this area and includes such unusually explored IC disclosure driver as IC performance and, thus, extends and deepens existing literature on the determinants of IC information disclosure.
Management of Biomedical Waste in the South of the Democratic Republic Congo: Current Situation
Authors: Kasamba I. E.  , Aimé Kasongo , Kayomb Nathalie Kaj , Katshiez Cyrille , Kabwe Delly Ngoyi , Malangu M. E. P.
Published: September 2023

Effective management of biomedical waste is mandatory for healthy human beings and a safe environment. Poor management of biomedical waste is a community health problem. This article reviews the methods of biomedical waste management. The management of biomedical waste is a significant challenge in the south of DR Congo in terms of the implementation of the types of bins, the concentration of bleach used and the method of waste disposal. Staff training and awareness of waste management waste is of great interest to the community and the associated employees.
Effect of Diversification on System Productivity and Profitability under North Bihar Condition
Authors: Kumari Alisha , Kumar Rajan , Sinha Trisha , Kumari Sweeti , Kumar Rahul
Published: September 2023

A field experiment was conducted during three seasons of 2019-20 at RPCAU, Pusa to evaluate the Effect of Diversification on System Productivity and Profitability under North Bihar Condition. Treatment comprised cropping systems in main plots: C1 - Rice - Wheat - Fallow, C2 - Rice - Wheat - Green Gram, C3 - Rice - Maize - Dhaincha, C4 - Rice - Maize + Potato - Dhaincha, C5 - Rice - Maize + Green Pea - Dhaincha and moisture regimes in sub plots with 3 days disappearance of ponded water in kharif season, three levels of IW/CPE ratio in rabi season I1: IW/CPE = 0.6, I2: IW/CPE = 0.8, I3: IW/CPE = 1.0 and one or two irrigation in zaid season if required. Maximum rice grain yield (5.36 t/ha) was observed at C5 cropping system which was significantly superior to C1 and at par with C2, C3 and C4 cropping system. Maximum Production Efficiency (92.13 kg/ha/day) and Profitability (1156.49 ₹/ha/day) was found at C4 cropping system which was significantly superior to   C1, C2, C3 and C5 Cropping system. In sub plots maximum Production Efficiency (56.72 kg/ha/day), and Profitability (685.88 ₹/ha/day) was found at I3 which was significantly superior to I2 and I1. Relative Production efficiency was found to be maximum in C4 (204.36 %) and I3 (13.58 %) cropping system.
Effect of Soil Propagation Media and Bio-fertilizers on Seedling Germination and Seedling Vigour in Aonla (Emblica officinalis Gaertn.)
Authors: Vyas Dipmala , Sonkar Priyamvada , Kanpure R. N. , Ausari Praveen Kumar , Ninama Nilesh , Suresh
Published: September 2023

Aims/ Objectives: Effect of soil propagation media and bio-fertilizers on seedling germination and seedling vigour in Aonla.

Study Design: Completely Randomized Block Design.

Place and Duration of Study: Research Field, Department of Fruit Science, College of Horticulture, Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh during 20th February 2021 to 05th April 2021.

Methodology: The experiment was laid out using Completely Randomized Block Design with 18 different combinations of growing media. In the preparation of media and filling of polybags the soil was sieved and mixed FYM, Vermicompost and Neemcake in the ratio of 1:1:1:1 then added the bio-fertilizers.

Results: In this study we found that treatment GM18- Soil + Neemcake + Vermicompost + FYM + Rhizobium + Trichoderma spp. @ 2.5 g  found minimum days taken to seed germination (10.00 days), maximum number of seedling sprouted (13.32), maximum survival percent (81.03 %), maximum germination percentage (94.54 %), maximum seedling height (8.94 cm), maximum number of leaves per plant (7.27), maximum leaf area (17.80 cm2),maximum fresh weight of shoot (4.34 g), maximum dry weight of shoot (2.21 g), maximum length of roots (7.21 cm), maximum diameter of roots (1.05 mm), maximum fresh weight of roots (1.04 g), maximum dry weight of root (0.44 g), maximum speed of germination (7.56), maximum mean daily germination (3.53), maximum peak value (1.33), maximum germination value (4.68).

Conclusion: On the basis of results obtained in present investigation it is concluded that treatment GM18 (Soil + Neemcake + Vermicompost + FYM + Rhizobium + Trichoderma spp. @ 2.5 g) was found to be the best for seed germination characters and seedling vigour characters.

Directions of Further Use: The experiment should be done with different concentrations of growth regulator to find the best combination.
Specialised Pheromone and Lure Application Technology (SPLAT-Tuta): Novel Approach for the Management of Tomato Leaf Miner, Tuta absoluta (Meyr.)
Authors: Sreenivas A. G.  , Markandeya G.  , Abinaya S.  , Shashidhar B.  , Hanchinal S. G.  , Sushila N.  , Badariprasad P. R.  , Sunkad Gururaj
Published: September 2023

The second most popular and widely cultivated vegetable in the world after potatoes is the tomato (Solanum lycopersicum M.).  Tomato leaf miner, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) is one of the major invasive pests of tomato which is a destructive pest of tomato in field as well as greenhouse condition. Novel SPLAT (Specialized Pheromone & Lure Application Technology) for Tuta absoluta is a proprietary base matrix formulation of biologically inert materials used to control the release of semiochemicals and/or odors with or without pesticides. To check the efficiency of SPLAT technique three treatments were taken. When comparing the SPLAT field and conventional farmers practices field, SPLAT applied field (32.80 tonnes per ha) performed far superior than conventional field (21.50 tonnes per ha) in respective of leaf minor infestation and yield. Specialised Pheromone and Lure Application Technology (SPLAT) adoption favours sustainable pest management and reduces plant protection cost to the farmers.
Integrated Nutrient Management for Sustainable Sprouting Broccoli (Brassica Oleracea L. Var. italica) Production
Authors: Singh Pranjal , Singh Sanjive Kumar , Singh Ram Batuk , Upadhyay Ashutosh , Lal Bankey
Published: September 2023

Aim: The objective of the research was to study the effect of Integrated Nutrient Management on the vegetative growth of sprouting broccoli (Brassica Oleracea L. Var. italica) Var. Green Magic.

Study Design: The field experiment was conducted in Randomised Block Design (RBD).

Place and Duration of Study: The experiment was conducted at the Research Farm of the Department of Vegetable Science, Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture & Technology, Kanpur U.P during the Rabi seasons of 2021-22 and 2022-23.

Methodology: During bed preparation, the required quantity of farmyard manure (FYM), vermicompost and biofertilizers was mixed into the soil in individual specified plots according to the treatment.  The treatments included T0: Control, T1: 100% RDF @ 120: 80: 60, N: P: K (kg/ha), T2: 75% RDF + 25% N through FYM, T3: 75% RDF + 25% N through Vermicompost, T4: 75% RDF + 25% N through FYM + Biofertilizer, T5: 75% RDF + 25% N through Vermicompost + Biofertilizer, T6: 75% RDF + 12.5% N through FYM + 12.5% N through Vermicompost, T7: 75% RDF + 12.5% N through FYM + 12.5% N through Vermicompost + Biofertilizer, T8: 50% RDF + 50% N through FYM, T9: 50% RDF + 50% N through Vermicompost, T10: 50% RDF + 50% N through FYM + Biofertilizer, T11:  50% RDF + 50% N through Vermicompost + Biofertilizer, T12: 50% RDF + 25% N through FYM + 25% N through Vermicompost  and T13: 50% RDF + 25% N through FYM + 25% N through Vermicompost + Biofertilizer. Observations were recorded on plant height (cm) and plant spread (cm) at 30 DAT, 60 DAT and at maturity and on stalk length (cm) and stalk diameter (cm) at maturity.

Results: The treatment T11: 50% RDF + 50% N through Vermicompost + Biofertilizer outperformed all the other treatments in terms of plant height (cm), plant spread (cm), stalk length (cm) and stalk diameter (cm).

Conclusion: The study emphasizes the vital necessity of transitioning to INM with organic and inorganic fertilizers to preserve soil fertility, ecosystem health, and sustainable food production for future generations.
Optimizing Irrigation and Nutrient Management in Agriculture through Artificial Intelligence Implementation
Authors: Kumar Jeetendra , Chawla Ritik , Katiyar Drishty , Chouriya Arjun , Nath Dibyajyoti , Sahoo Sweta , Ali Abeer , Singh Bal veer
Published: September 2023

Agriculture plays a pivotal role in sustaining global food security and addressing the challenges of a growing population. However, the efficient use of water and nutrients in agriculture is crucial to mitigate environmental impact while maximizing crop yield. In recent years, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) techniques into agricultural practices has gained momentum, offering innovative solutions for optimizing irrigation and nutrient management. This review paper examines the diverse applications of AI in agriculture, focusing on its role in enhancing irrigation scheduling and nutrient management for improved productivity and resource conservation. The paper presents an overview of various AI technologies, such as machine learning, remote sensing, and data analytics, and their contributions to sustainable agricultural practices. It also discusses the challenges and opportunities associated with the adoption of AI in agriculture, including data quality, model interpretability, and farmer acceptance. Through a comprehensive analysis of recent research and case studies, this review underscores the potential of AI to revolutionize irrigation and nutrient management strategies, ultimately fostering a more resilient and productive agricultural sector.
Studies on Dynamics of Growth Pattern in Chickpea and Their Correlations to Seed Yield under Different Sowing Dates in North– West India
Authors: Kumar Ajeev , Kumar Neeraj , Devi Sarita , Dhaka Anil Kumar , Preeti
Published: September 2023

The experiment was conducted with ten genotypes of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) viz ICCV 88503, ICCV 92944, HC- 1, HC-3, HC-5, H12-64, H13-01, H13-02, H14-01 and H14-04 for three dates of sowing i.e 15th October, 15thNovember and 15thDecember at the field in randomized block design during Rabi season of 2017-18 and 2018-19 at Pulses Section, Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar to observe the effect of sowing dates on vegetative and reproductive growth rate of chickpea genotypes at different intervals i.e 30, 60, 90, and 120 DAS with their correlations to seed yield. The dry weight of leaves, stem, pods, plant height, crop growth rate, relative growth rate and pollen viability were minimum in 15thDecember sowing and maximum in 15thOctober sowing at all intervals. Among genotypes, maximum dry matter and growth rate were observed in H12-64 and H13-01 while minimum were found in H14-04. Seed yield exhibited significant positive correlation with all traits in 15th October and 15th November sowing while non-significant was on 15th December sowing.
Evaluating the Primary Macronutrients and their Correlations with pH, Electrical conductivity, Organic Carbon and Soil Nutrient index in the Arid and Semi-Arid Climatic Zones of Anantapur District, Andhra Pradesh, India
Authors: Gudla Sri Likhitha , Devarakonda Nikhitha , Ray Sumit , Varikuppala Manisha
Published: September 2023

In the year 2022, the study was carried at Agricultural Research Station, Anantapur aimed to assess macronutrient levels and their correlation with soil physico chemical properties in the arid and semi-arid regions of Anantapur district, Andhra Pradesh. A total 42 samples were collected from farmers field under different land use. The soil analysis revealed a pH range of 6.53 to 8.94, with a mean pH of 7.89 and a majority of samples exhibiting alkaline properties. Soil electrical conductivity (EC) varied from 0.05 to 0.83 dS/m, with a mean EC of 0.22 dS/m, and most samples falling within the non-saline and very low salinity categories. Organic carbon content ranged from 0.07% to 1.15% with a mean of 0.38%, and a significant proportion of samples displayed low organic carbon levels. Available nitrogen content ranged from 50.4 to 264.6 kg/ha (mean: 139.44 kg/ha), mostly below the critical threshold. Phosphorus availability was medium (range: 16.1 to 44 kg/ha, mean: 29.97 kg/ha), while available potassium content varied widely (range: 15.68 to 311 kg/ha, mean: 129.65 kg/ha), with a substantial proportion of samples indicating low levels. The nutrient index categorized nitrogen and potassium as low in fertility and phosphorus as medium, reflecting values of 0.71, 1.37, and 1.09 (L, M, L) respectively. Correlations showed EC negatively related to pH (-0.056), while organic carbon positively correlated with EC (0.288*), and nitrogen displayed positive correlations with both organic carbon (0.283*) and pH (0.257). Phosphorus exhibited a positive correlation with organic carbon (0.224), and potassium displayed robust positive correlations with EC (0.592**) and moderate positive correlations with organic carbon (0.392**), nitrogen (0.311*), and a slight negative correlation with pH (-0.253). This result helps to understand nutrient status in the arid and semi-arid areas of Anantapur and recommended to incorporate compost, crop residues and green manure crops and use cover crops as live mulching helps to increase organic carbon, nitrogen and potassium and it also decrease nitrogen losses through volatilization.
The Politics in Aspirations and transformation of the Agricultural Sector through Megaprojects in Cameroon
Authors: Ngochembo G. G.  , Lufung N. L.
Published: September 2023

Scholars have increasingly studied megaprojects owing to their transformational impact on society and businesses. However, more comprehensive empirical research on factors influencing the success or failure of mega-agricultural projects is needed. This study investigated critical factors affecting the success and failure of large-scale agricultural projects in Cameroon. Data were collected by interviewing experts involved (in) directly with the management of large-scale projects and consultants that offered services to such projects. The interview questions followed a semi-structured approach, where the respondent and the interviewer were allowed to add follow-up questions to clarify the predetermined questions on five project management categories identified from the literature. The results indicated that large-scale agricultural projects' success depends on all 30 critical factors identified. Many critical success factors may be attributed to the sector's complexity. Critical factors are more likely to continue hindering large-scale agricultural project success. Therefore, achieving economic growth, food security, and poverty alleviation requires an alternative conception of mega projects. Novel methodologies are needed, and the suggestion is to focus on impact-driven components of such projects, such as the creation of seed farms, fertiliser plants, tractors and other machinery assembly units, which can assist in offering inputs and services to actors in the sector at a reduced rate as opposed to the current high cost of imported inputs and machinery.
The Study of Mean Value Theorems of K-analytic Functions
Authors: Sang Lingyun , Li Hongliang
Published: September 2023

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LITERASI PENGELOLAAN SAMPAH UNTUK GURU SEKOLAH DASAR
Authors: Ismawati Anastasia Filiana , Marlina Maria Asumpta Evi , Septina Fanny , Radianto Wirawan Endro Dwi
Published: September 2023

Kecamatan Lakarsantri, Surabaya, Jawa Timur memiliki beberapa Sekolah Dasar. Pentingnya pendidikan pengelolaan sampah sedari dini membantu untuk menumbuh-kembangkan kecintaan terhadap lingkungan dengan cara yang bertanggungjawab sekaligus memberdayakan potensi untuk dikembangkan baik bagi para guru Sekolah Dasar maupun siswa siswi Sekolah Dasar. Pengembangan program pengelolaan sampah pada masyarakat dapat menganut model 3R (Reuse, Reduce, Recycle). Pengelolaan sampah pada masyarakat yang dimulai sedari dini akan semakin meningkatkan nilai tambah baik bagi masyarakat ataupun bagi lingkungan. Tujuan dari pelaksanaan pengabdian masyarakat untuk memberikan pemahaman mengenai pola pikir masyarakat yang selama ini memandang sampah sebagai suatu objek yang tidak ada manfaatnya. Pengabdian masyarakat yang diharapkan dapat menjadikan para guru Sekolah Dasar memiliki peran penting sebagai kader dalam mengajarkan literasi pengelolaan sampah sedari dini untuk para siswa siswi Sekolah Dasar. Pelaksanaan kegiatan dengan metode training of trainer (tot) dan memberikan simulasi serta contoh mengenai pengelolaan sampah rumah tangga. Pendekatan yang dilakukan adalah partisipatif. Para guru Sekolah Dasar diajak untuk aktif memberikan ide dan pendapat dalam pengelolaan sampah terutama untuk diterapkan ke siswa Sekolah Dasar masing-masing. Pengabdian masyarakat ini dilaksanakan berkolaborasi dengan Program Studi Akuntansi dan Lembaga Penelitian dan Pengabdian Masyarakat Universitas Ciputra Surabaya. Pemahaman mengenai pengelolaan limbah rumah tangga memberikan dampak positif dan menjaga lingkungan sekitar. Respon dari para guru Sekolah Dasar Kecamatan Lakarsantri sangat baik dapat dilihat dalam proses diskusi dan sesi tanya jawab.