bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Freelancer: "The spirit of the globally desirable stateless citizen": Mirjana Radović Marković, Dejan Radulović, Borislav Đukanović: Working from Home - Economic, Legal and Socio-Psychological Aspects of Working from Home, Izdavačka knjižarnica Zorana Stojanovića, Sremski Karlovci - Novi Sad, 2021
Authors: Živković Predrag
Published: July 2022

The review of the work "Working from Home - Economic, Legal and Socio-Psychological Aspects of Working from Home" lists the features of the culture and history of work that may be considered a map of information capitalism, although work from home can be traced back to not so modern or recent epochs. However, what is in the focus of this "research reformation" of the team of authors are definitely new models of (self)employment that, as it can be clearly seen in the authors' statements, arise or have arisen as independent paradigms in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. On the other hand, the pandemic encouraged the conduct of a number of compatible studies whose socio-psychological comparisons are used by the authors as a basis to justify their originality. The monograph clearly emphasizes the demarcation claims of working from home, as well as other "horizon of information existence", or a new entrepreneurial culture. Therefore, apart from the ever more present work culture that is reflected in working from home in informatic capitalism, our task is also to show the results of indicating the possibility of legal, economic and socio-psychological development of freelancers as an entrepreneurial layer in the Serbian society.
A new book of Serbian Encyclopaedia: A step forward in the revival of national self-respect - Group of authors: Serbian Encyclopaedia, Volume III, Book 2, Demokratija-Đuša, Matica srpska + Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Institute for Textbooks, Novi Sad + Belgrade, 2021
Authors: Ocić Dejana
Published: July 2022

When browsing through the recently published second book of the third volume of Serbian Encyclopaedia, which has been published since 2010, inevitable questions arise about the role and importance of each of those books and the entire project to the culture of the Serbian nation. By its basic characteristics, Serbian Encyclopaedia has the potential to open, awaken or refresh knowledge and memory of the facts about Serbian history, as well as of its up-to-dateness and perspective, i.e. to recover the national self-awareness that is so necessary to Serbs, which is not only one of the necessary prerequisites for national self-respect, but also a basic presupposition of survival and development.
Evaluating waterfront landscape aesthetics as a tourist attraction: Case study of the river Tisza, Hungary
Authors: Karancsi Zoltán , Hornyák Sándor , Szalma Elemér , Oláh Ferenc , Korom Annamária , Horváth Gergely , Győri Ferenc
Published: July 2022

This paper represents a methodological attempt to evaluate the natural and built riverside environment of the Tisza river, from the point of view of landscape-and environmental aesthetics and features, which might serve as background for river tourism. The research methodology was based on the theoretical division of the riverside into more or less homogeneous , easily observable sections (called visual units), and then they were evaluated one by one. Objectivity was one of the most important aims; researchers attempted to achieve it by applying the value-selection method. Following the evaluation of each sample section of the riverside area, all sections were then assigned to three different categories. Those sections which were capable of generating positive feelings were placed under the category 'Attractive', those which were capable of arousing less enthusiasm were assigned to the category of 'Neutral', and those which could be characterized by visually conflicting elements were categorized as 'Unattractive/Repulsive'. As a result of the findings of a tour of inspection and the compilation and survey of the photo documentation at the researchers' disposal, they were able to point out that the sample area was not characterized by visual conflicts of considerable significance, consequently , none of the chosen sample units fell into the category of 'Unattractive'.
Rennin and lecithin to treat vaginosis in a lesbian and bisex woman
Authors: Martini Lorenzo
Published: July 2022

Vaginosis seems to be more severe, fastidious and afflictive in lesbians, since they are accustomed to employ sexual toys and use to douche more frequently that women who lead a life more correct and regular (even having multiple sex encounters during the week). Many are the OTC remedies, especially acid syndets and detergents, or many infusions made with particular herbs (Aloe barbadensis, coconut milk, garlic decoction, tea tree oil, mauve or rhodiola extracts), even if they yield to relaps too often. Many Researchers have proposed the usage of amphoteric tensides for this scope of treating vaginosis, even there is no hitherto reliable sources in the international literature. The AA have made up their mind to create a cosmetic cocktail containg a biological protease that acts as an amphoteric surfactant (presenting the two hydrophilic and lypophilic moyeties) and the soy lecithin. Results appear to be interesting and satisfying.
An online innovation platform to promote collaboration and sustainability in short food supply chains
Authors: Chrysanthopoulou Foteini , Lameris Marieke , Greil Gunter , Vudragovic Dusan , Flynn Katherine
Published: July 2022

A sustainable Short Food Supply Chain (SFSC) requires collaboration among all actors, which nowadays is facilitated by information and communication technologies (ICT). However, not all SFSC stakeholders network with others in this way, and it is not clear what will draw them to ICT interaction. A simple, user-friendly website, the SMARTCHAIN Innovation Platform, evolving since March 2019, may facilitate interaction and cooperation among SFSC stakeholders. This article presents the Platform's development and evaluates its efficacy and impact by analysing data from Google Analytics (GA) and other sources. Primary Platform features promote communication and information sharing: these are the 1) Innovation Hubs in 9 European countries, 2) Inventories including 150 SFSC innovations and 50 SFSC initiatives, 3) Resources databases of Publications and Weblinks, and 4) Training section. GA showed that visitors to the Platform increased slowly in the 16 months since its start, and the number of page views increased with the amount of time on the Platform. The most visited page of the Platform was the information-providing Innovation Inventory. Most Platform users were in partner countries of the SMARTCHAIN project, but not all Innovation Hubs had high numbers of users. Most users arrived at the Platform by direct link, but LinkedIn was the most important originating social network. Taken together, these data suggest growth potential for an easy-to-use website that provides useful and up-to-date information but little inclination for SFSC stakeholders to use an online Platform for communication.
Working as an ECE Professional During Covid-19 in Austria: Demands and Resources Profiles and Their Relations With Exhaustion and Work Engagement
Authors: Methlagl Michael , Taslimi Natascha, J. , Majcen Jutta
Published: July 2022

The current study explores patterns of intraindividual demands and resources of ECE professionals in Austria during covid-19 by adopting a person-centred analytic approach. Latent Profile Analyses reveal three distinct subgroups (high demands/low resources vs. moderate demands/high resources vs. high demands/moderate resources). Results show that individuals assigned to the subgroup, which is characterized by moderate demands and high resources are less exhausted and show higher work engagement, than individuals assigned to the other subgroups. Individuals classified in the high demands and moderate resources are also less exhausted and more engaged than the individuals in the high demands and low resources group.
Ephemeral data handling in microservices with Tquery
Authors: Giallorenzo Saverio , Montesi Fabrizio , Safina Larisa , Zingaro Stefano Pio
Published: July 2022

The adoption of edge and fog systems, along with the introduction of privacy-preserving regulations, compel the usage of tools for expressing complex data queries in an ephemeral way. That is, queried data should not persist. Database engines partially address this need, as they provide domain-specific languages for querying data. Unfortunately, using a database in an ephemeral setting has inessential issues related to throughput bottlenecks, scalability, dependency management, and security (e.g., query injection). Moreover, databases can impose specific data structures and data formats, which can hinder the development of microservice architectures that integrate heterogeneous systems and handle semi-structured data. In this article, we present Jolie/Tquery, the first query framework designed for ephemeral data handling in microservices. Jolie/Tquery joins the benefits of a technology-agnostic, microservice-oriented programming language, Jolie, and of one of the most widely-used query languages for semi-structured data in microservices, the MongoDB aggregation framework. To make Jolie/Tquery reliable for the users, we follow a cleanroom software engineering process. First, we define Tquery, a theory for querying semi-structured data compatible with Jolie and inspired by a consistent variant of the key operators of the MongoDB aggregation framework. Then, we describe how we implemented Jolie/Tquery following Tquery and how the Jolie type system naturally captures the syntax of Tquery and helps to preserve its invariants. To both illustrate Tquery and Jolie/Tquery, we present the use case of a medical algorithm and build our way to a microservice that implements it using Jolie/Tquery. Finally, we report microbenchmarks that validate the expectation that, in the ephemeral case, using Jolie/Tquery outperforms using an external database (MongoDB, specifically).
High-dimensional normalized data profiles for testing derivative-free optimization algorithms
Authors: Musafer Hassan , Tokgoz Emre , Mahmood Ausif
Published: July 2022

This article provides a new tool for examining the efficiency and robustness of derivative-free optimization algorithms based on high-dimensional normalized data profiles that test a variety of performance metrics. Unlike the traditional data profiles that examine a single dimension, the proposed data profiles require several dimensions in order to analyze the relative performance of different optimization solutions. To design a use case, we utilize five sequences (solvers) of trigonometric simplex designs that extract different features of non-isometric reflections, as an example to show how various metrics (dimensions) are essential to provide a comprehensive evaluation about a particular solver relative to others. In addition, each designed sequence can rotate the starting simplex through an angle to designate the direction of the simplex. This type of features extraction is applied to each sequence of the triangular simplexes to determine a global minimum for a mathematical problem. To allocate an optimal sequence of trigonometric simplex designs, a linear model is used with the proposed data profiles to examine the convergence rate of the five simplexes. Furthermore, we compare the proposed five simplexes to an optimized version of the Nelder–Mead algorithm known as the Genetic Nelder–Mead algorithm. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed data profiles lead to a better examination of the reliability and robustness for the considered solvers from a more comprehensive perspective than the existing data profiles. Finally, the high-dimensional data profiles reveal that the proposed solvers outperform the genetic solvers for all accuracy tests.
Araku Valley Coffee Production study in Visakhapatnam district of Andhra Pradesh, India
Authors: Sri Geddam Teja , Rohini A. , Kumar M. Chandra , Devi M. Nirmala , Deepa N.
Published: July 2022

Aims: This study mainly intends to analyze the production side of coffee that would throw light on the scenario of coffee growers to understand the cost structure and returns from coffee cultivation in the study area.

Study Design: Purposive sampling technique was adopted for the current study on Araku valley coffee, where the primary data has been collected from 120 coffee growers.

Place and Duration of Study: The research was carried out in the Visakhapatnam district of Andhra Pradesh and the primary data was collected from April to July 2022.

Methodology: Costs and returns of coffee cultivation were estimated for Araku Valley Coffee in the study area.

Results: The establishment cost of Araku Valley coffee in the Visakhapatnam district was Rs. 144039.06/ha, which encompassed both the initial investment costs and maintenance costs during the coffee gestation period. The cost of cultivation during the coffee fruit-bearing period was Rs. 611353.67/ha. With this total cost per hectare, the cost per Kg of coffee produced turns out to be Rs 9.83/kg. Fresh fruit berries were sold on the market for an average price of Rs. 40/kg. Net profits were Rs. 2317053.55/ha while gross returns were Rs. 3072446.28/ha. The BCR, NPV@12% discount rate, and IRR recorded were 1.68, Rs.144581, and 28.7% respectively. It was an undeniable fact that raising coffee plantations in Andhra Pradesh was lucrative and could be operated on a commercial scale for fostering profits over a generation.

Conclusion: The pace of tribal development in the Visakhapatnam district was sustained in large part by coffee production. From a long-term viewpoint, this study signifies and validates the real economics of coffee production for sustainable resource management, profitable revenue generation, and expanded employment opportunities.
Effectiveness of WhatsApp Agro - Advisory Service by the Scientist of KVK of Cauvery Delta Zone
Authors: Sakthivel D. , Dhamodaran T. , Muralidharan C. , Selvarani G. , Prabakaran K.
Published: July 2022

Nowadays usage of Social media is increasing rapidly in the 21st century. WhatsApp is the most popular social media which is used by a large number of people. The present study was focused on how effectively KVK's farmers use WhatsApp groups for agricultural purposes. Three districts of Cauvery Delta Zone Nagapattinam, Thiruvarur, and Karaikal KVK WhatsApp groups were purposively selected for the study. Totally 120 farmers were selected for primary data, and from each district, 40 farmers were selected by the Simple Random Sampling method. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics. It reported that the overall effectiveness of the farmer's use of WhatsApp groups was at the medium level (74.17%) indicating that farmers were using the group for their agricultural activities. The easiness of understanding information on Whatsapp was found to be good, and image and video-based information, in addition to textual information aided in a better understanding of information. Based on the study recommended that is important to be placed on disseminate weather and market information to aid indecision making.
A Study on Relationship between Self-Confidence and Risk-Taking Ability among the Doctoral Students of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University
Authors: Aarthi M. , Jansirani R. , Balasubramaniam P. , Sridevy S. , Kumar G. Arun
Published: July 2022

Student life is a most important phase in a person’s life to learn many things and to do different tasks. Students pursuing their education overcome a lot of obstacles created under many circumstances. Many adversities are faced by the students during their studies. Many psychological attributes affects the life of students, among them the present study deals with self-confidence and risk-taking ability of the students. Self-confidence means recognizing your abilities, self-interest, and being aware of your feelings. Risk-taking ability is one of the personality traits that may be affected by confidence. The aim of this study is to study the relation between self-confidence and risk-taking among the doctoral Students of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore (Main campus). This study was conducted using ex-post facto research design. Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore (Main campus). A total of 111 students pursue their third-year doctoral programme on the main campus and from them, 90 students were randomly selected for the study. The data was collected using a well-structured pre-tested interview schedule. Study revealed that the respondents had medium-level of self-confidence (77.78%) and risk-taking ability (74.45%). The two psychological concepts were also found to have significant relationship with each other and are also positively correlated. This proves that the students are adequately confident with whatever they do and are taking risks in most needed situations. The study also projected that students didn’t hesitate to take a risk because they trusted themselves in the career/academic process.
Analyzing the Financial Performance of Indian Public Sector Banks before and after Megamerger by Using CAMEL Model
Authors: Reddy Lomada Baya , Murugananthi D. , Palanichamy N. Venkatesa , Vasanthi R.
Published: July 2022

The main motive of this research was to assess the financial performance of public sector banks before and after the Megamerger announced by the Government of India consolidating 10 public sector banks into 4. The impact of the merger on the bank’s performance was measured and compared to judge its effectiveness. One of the most crucial practices of evaluating the performance of a bank involves critical examination of account statements and assessment of CAMEL model ratios i.e., Capital Adequacy, Asset quality, Management efficiency, Earnings, and Liquidity to meet monetary obligations of the bank. The four acquirer banks including Punjab National Bank, Canara Bank, Union Bank of India, and Indian Bank was purposively selected to study the impact of mergers on their financial performance. The study was performed by collecting data for two years before and two years after the merger. The data for the research was collected from the annual financial statements of the selected banks for a period of four years 2018-19 to 2021-22. The paired t-test is used as inferential statistics to draw a conclusion based on a comparative analysis. Based on the results of the analysis it could be concluded that there observed a significant difference in the financial performance of Indian banks after the merger, whereas for the other banks there was no significant difference in the performance.
Adoption of Farm Mechanization in Rice Cultivation in Villupuram District
Authors: Dhinesh M. , Dhamodaran T. , Muralidharan C. , Selvarani G. , Prabakaran K.
Published: July 2022

Rice is a predominant food crop that was extensively cultivated and consumed in India. Recently, small and fragmented land holdings and labour scarcity during the peak season are driving farmers toward farm mechanization. Villupuram is one of the prominent districts with the maximum area under rice cultivation. The study was conducted to examine the adoption level of various recommended implements and machinery by rice farmers in the Villupuram district. Of the 13 blocks of Villupuram district three blocks were selected for this study. A total of 120 farmers were selected for the study using a proportionate random sampling method. This study was conducted during April and may 2022. Ex-post facto research design was used for the study. Data were collected using a well-structured and pre-tested interview schedule. The findings of the study revealed that most respondents had a medium level of adoption of farm implements and machinery in rice cultivation. Most respondents adopted a combined harvester, tractor, power tiller, rotavator and power sprayer. None of the respondents adopted bund maker, seed cum fertilizer drill, rice cum Daincha seeder, rotary weeder, power weeder, drone operated sprayer, reaper and thresher. Custom hiring facilities are required to rent the equipment on a payment basis and awareness should be made on specific equipment like, seed cum fertilizer drill, power weeder, Conoweeder and rotary weeder.
A Study on Students’ Attitude towards Online Learning Using Paired Comparison Technique
Authors: Raahalya Sandipamu , Karthikeyan C. , Devi M. Nirmala
Published: July 2022

The purpose of this paper is to assess students’ attitude towards online learning using a paired comparison technique. A total of five stimuli were selected and paired in 10 combinations. A shift in the ranking of stimulus when compared with other stimulus would indicate a change in attitude. The questionnaires were distributed to 45 college students using google forms. Analysis of the paired comparisons resulted in rankings for the stimulus from least to most preferred. Findings of the study shows that online learning is effective and it reported that online learning makes learning interesting followed by it motivates the students to taking up advanced courses often developed a positive attitude of students towards online learning.
Association of LPAR1 Gene Variants with Type 2 Diabetes in Local Population
Authors: Raza Waseem , Rao Bushra , Abbas Syeda Zahra , Naqvi Syeda Tahira Qousain , Muhammad Syed Aun
Published: July 2022

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is the most prevailing worldwide health challenge of the 21st century and the 5th leading cause of death worldwide. About 90% of diabetic patients are diagnosed as having T2DM. LPAR1 gene codes LPA protein that is involved in the regulation of many biological processes. In this study, we have investigated the association of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of LPAR1 gene variants rs494605 and rs558347 with T2DM in our local population. This association was analyzed by amplification of the target gene through Tetra ARMS PCR. The study involved 200 participants with equal ration of cases and controls. Both genetic variants of LPAR1 rs494605 and rs558347 have allelic origin T/C. The allelic frequency of LPAR1 was calculated through the Hardy Weinberg Equilibrium. re found that in LPAR1 rs494605 mutant allele, C was 47% in cases compared to controls (39%) and in LPAR1 rs558347, heterozygosity allele (TC) was 46% compared to mutant allele C (13%), while wild T allele was 17% in cases. Many demographic and lifestyle risk factors were significantly associated with LPAR1 gene variants. The heterogeneity of genetic variants with T2DM also showed a strong correlation with obesity, hormonal imbalance, and depression with p-value of 0.001, and 95% confidence interval. Smoking and alcohol consumption are major risk factors of T2DM. Variations in LPAR1 can be used as a biomarker and diagnostic tool for T2DM.
Effect of Sales Promotion on Sales Performance of Kenya Tea Packers Ltd
Authors: Ndung’u Gitaka Michael , Obuba Robert
Published: July 2022

Successful promotion is a substantial aspect on which business establishments anchor their success. This study aimed at evaluating the effect of sales promotion on sale performance of Kenya Tea Packers Ltd. The study was informed by the AIDA Theory developed by Elmo Lewis, in (1898). To answer the research questions, a descriptive research design was used, targeting all customers who buy KETEPA products from the seven (7) KETEPA exclusive distribution points in Nairobi region. (Eastleigh, Baba-Dogo, Rongai, Athi-River, Wangige, Kawangware and Ngong) The researcher targeted 100 customers from each of the 7 distributors thus a total target of 700 customers were targeted for the study. Determination of the sample size followed a systematic random sampling technique to gather data from KETEPA Customers. Prior to data collection the validity and reliability of the research tools was tested by use of supervisor’s comments and Cronbach's alpha test respectively. The study participants were interviewed through a one-on-one interview guided questionnaire, to gather the relevant data for the study. The study revealed that respondents agreed on the parameters used to measure the effect of sales promotion on sales performance of Kenya Tea Packers Ltd. Particularly, the study revealed that Sales Promotions improve sales volumes for KETEPA brands and promote customer loyalty. The study recommended for further studies to be conducted to other organizations to determine other elements that would contribute to high sales performance and show how they can be integrated to achieve optimal performance.
Do Brand Community Pages Matter for Consumer Attitude? Evidence from Youth Of Hyderabad, Pakistan
Authors: Noor Ayesha , Hussain Taha , Sidra Syeda
Published: July 2022

The high growth of social media users has allowed marketers to analyze the potential of using social media sites for targeting the customers all around the world. Different platforms of social media has become the richest source for promotional tool and forming consumer’s attitude. Marketers use every possible marketing tactic to gain the positive consumer attitude which ultimately helps in making a good brand image. The aim of the current study is to identify that how social media brand community pages impacts consumer attitude and in order to find out this the current study is based on a framework comprising four independent variables (Trust, Informativeness, Perceived Usefulness & Hedonism) and the dependent variable Consumer Attitude. The sample size used for this study was 200 and the data was collected through online questionnaire based on 5-Likert Scale from the people of Hyderabad Pakistan. The findings of the study showed that people of Hyderabad consider Trust, in formativeness and perceived usefulness the important factors as these variables showed significant and positive relationship with dependent variable while hedonism did not show any relationship with consumer attitude formation.
Hybrid Working Model: A pathway to Success or Failure
Authors: Nisa Noor ul , Ali Shehrayar , Naeem Naqash
Published: July 2022

The purpose of this case study is to find out how Covid-19 has impacted the working environment all across the globe. Remote workers and Hybrid Working Model are some of the concepts that many companies have started to adopt and implement for their employees. Here, the case of a Company has been presented – the Company’s management has tried to implement the Hybrid Working Model to see if it will be a success or not. This case study mentions the challenges they had to face and opens the floor for the readers to see the problems management faces in real life and encourages them to put forward their knowledge on how companies can overcome such hurdles. The study also presents the success story of the implementation of the hybrid working model and explains how modern businesses can expand their talent pool with the help of this model.
Comparative Analysis and Development of Mobile Device Authentication Framework for Corporate Networks
Authors: Peter Mboto , Ocen Gilbert Gilibrays , Owomugisha Godliver , Egwar Alunyu Andrew , Davis Matovu , Semwogerere Twaibu , Samson Rwahwire
Published: July 2022

Several systematic reviews on mobile device technologies have been undertaken mostly identifying mobile security threats and challenges to corporate organisations' sensitive private information. This paper surveyed the existing level of secure authentication achieved by various mobile device-related frameworks against their listed goals. The solutions and security level of the existing authentication approaches among these categories were compared and improved on the KANYI BYOND framework by introducing a Radius server with the 802.11 authentications supported feature that provides access control to wireless routers, access points, hotspots in EAP/WPA-Enterprise/WPA2-Enterprise modes as means to achieve multiple authentications to mobile device users in corporate networks. Testing and validation of the resulting framework were done with the help of a riverbed modeler and a Denial of Service attack was simulated on all mobile devices' nodes in the designed network. The results indicated that the resulting framework provides multiple authentications and is thought to overcome self-reassuring by mobile device users on the network.
The Study and Prediction of Corrosion Rate of Ductile Iron in Cassava Fluid Using Java Oriented Program
Authors: Shittu M. D. , Soneye T. J. , Ibitoye S. A.
Published: July 2022

This work studied the corrosion rate of ductile iron in cassava fluid and developed prediction software for the process using Java programming language. The work measured the corrosion effect of the cyanotic cassava fluid on ductile iron by determining the corrosion rate using gravimetric method. Cassava tubers were procured, grated and their fluid were manually squeezed out. The ductile iron samples used were slightly machined and treated with silicon carbide papers and were immersed in the cassava fluid for a period of 30 days. The corrosion specimens were weighed with a digital chemical weighing balance and recorded, this continued at regular interval of 5 days. The results achieved from the experiment were used to model and simulate a Java-oriented program that is capable of predicting the longtime effect of corrosion rate of ductile iron in cassava fluid. Exposure time in days and specific area of samples are the required parameters to generate corrosion rate, weight lost, and the graph of weight loss versus exposure time using the software. This Java application was also expanded to accommodate other metals in different environments.
Gluten-Free Crackers Preparation
Authors: El-Hadidy Gamal Saad , Shaban Hala H. , Mospah Wael Mospah
Published: July 2022

Gluten free crackers enriched with rice flour ,lentil flour and quinoa flour is an innovative and highly nutritious snacks product. The current study was carried out to make gluten free crackers of high quality for celiac disease patients. The chemical analyzed included as minerals and amino acids of broken rice, lentil and quinoa flour and its blends was determined. Also, chemical composition for gluten free crackers blends was determined and the results showed that ash, protein, ether extract and fiber contents were higher in all blends prepared using rice flour, quinoa flour and lentil flour than that blend prepared using rice flour. All sensory properties of free gluten crackers blends B2, B3, B4 and B5 prepared using rice flour, lentil flour, and quinoa flour were somewhat higher than crackers prepared from rice flour B1. Hardness decreased from 74.97 newton in blend (1) made from 100% rice flour to 35.19 newton in blend (5) made from 50% rice flour, 25% lentil flour and 25% quinoa flour. Finally, it could prepare some bakery products using raw materials free of gluten such rice flour, lentil flour and quinoa flour with high quality that are proper for celiac disease patients.
Economic Analysis of Agricultural Growth and Crop Diversification in Tamil Nadu
Authors: Senthilnathan S. , Elamathy S. , Kiruthika N. , Gurunathan S. , Prahadeeswaran M. , Rameshkumar D. , Krishnakumare B.
Published: July 2022

Tamil Nadu is one of the largest state with an area of 130.33 lakh haandwith the population of 6 percent of nation. Agriculture sector contributes 13 percent of state income. Nearly 56 percent of people depends on agriculture for their livelihood. In this scenario, the present study has been undertaken to analyse the agriculture growth as it determines the trend in terms of production, area and productivity. In this study, compound growth rate is used to measure the agricultural growth. The study was conducted based on secondary data.The data is analysed for the period of 50 years (1967-68 to 2017-18) for the important crops such as Rice, Maize, Cotton, Banana, Groundnut, Sorghum, Sugarcane, Oilseeds, Pulses, Vegetables, Fruits and Spices.The growth rates of the production of the major crops revealed that rice, maize, banana, pulses, vegetables and fruits were showing a positive growth rate. In contrast, crops such as cotton, groundnut, sorghum, oilseeds, and spices were showing negative trend. In recent decades, there is a vast change in the climate and other environmental factors which makes farmers to shift in their cropping pattern. Hence to analyse the changes crop diversification is calculated using the indices such as Herfindal Index and Modified Entropy Index (MEI). The estimates of indexes revealed that crop diversification is increased in over years.
Processing Techniques affects the Vitamin Quality of Edible Insects – Potential for Use in Complementary Foods
Authors: Wambui Virginia , Nyambaka Hudson , Kimiywe Judith , Tanga Chrysantus
Published: July 2022

Aims: To assess the vitamin content of locusts, lake flies, grasshoppers, and termites when fresh, sun-dried, oven-dried, and defatted.

Study Design:  Whole insect samples were sun-dried and oven-dried. Due to their high-fat content, termites and grasshoppers were subjected to an additional defatting step after the sun-drying and oven-drying.

Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried out in Kenyatta University's food science lab from August to December 2020.

Methodology: Prepared insect samples were ground and analyzed for vitamins using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Analysis was done in triplicates and results were expressed in mg/100g of dry insect sample.

Results: Fresh insect samples had higher vitamin concentrations compared to the processed samples. For ascorbic acid, there was no significant difference between; a) sun-dried and defatted sun-dried termites (p=0.79), b) oven-dried and defatted oven-dried termites (p=0.51), c) defatted oven-dried and defatted sun-dried grasshoppers (p=0.22) and d) sun-dried, and defatted oven-dried grasshoppers (p=0.59). For thiamine, pyridoxine, riboflavin, and α-tocopherol there was a significant difference for all the samples in all the insects (p<0.0001). For niacin, fresh, sun-dried, oven-dried, and defatted oven-dried termites showed no significant difference in concentration (p=0.22). However, there was a significant difference for the other insects (p<0.0001). For beta-carotene, only oven-dried and sun-dried grasshoppers didn’t significantly differ (p=0.76). Degradation for water-soluble vitamins was highest in sun-dried samples, while fat-soluble vitamins were highest in oven-dried samples.

Conclusion: Fresh insects contain vitamins that meet the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) values for children up to 36 months, except for beta-carotene. Processing significantly reduces the vitamin levels to below RDA values except for ascorbic acid, thiamine, and alpha-tocopherol in lake flies and termites, which can be used to formulate complementary foods to meet 100% of the RDA.
Infection Prevention and Control Practices, and Barriers to Compliance among Medical Doctors and Clinical Medical Students, in a State University Teaching Hospital, Southeast Nigeria
Authors: Ndibuagu Edmund O. , Chime Onyinye H. , Orji Chinonyelum J. , Aneke Tonna J.
Published: July 2022

Aim: Objective of study was to assess infection prevention and control practices, and barriers to compliance among doctors, and students in a state university teaching hospital.

Study Design: The study was of descriptive, cross sectional design.

Place and Duration of Study: Conducted in the departments of Medicine, and Surgery, Enugu state University Teaching hospital, Southeast Nigeria. Four weeks in August 2019 was used in collecting data from 61 doctors, and 100 students.

Methodology: Self-administered questionnaire was used in collecting information from respondents, selected through Convenience sampling method. Data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22. Results were expressed in frequencies and percentages of responses.

Results: More than 50.0% doctors reported compliance with hand hygiene, face mask use, eye goggle use, protective gown use, head cover use, hand gloves use, and disposal of sharps in Safety boxes. However, 95.1% of doctors recap used needles. Also, more than 50.0% of medical students reported good compliance with the above-stated items except for the use of eye goggles and use of hand gloves when attending to fever patients. Up to 76.0% of students recap used needles. Respectively, 70.5% of doctors and 67.0% of students identified inadequate supply of personal protective equipment as a barrier to compliance with infection prevention and control practices. Also, 67.2% of doctors and 65.0% of students forget to wash their hands as prescribed. 19.7% of doctors and 37.0% of students didn’t know that needles/sharps should be disposed of in safety boxes.

Conclusions: Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) practices are relevant components of the healthcare system, and involve different methods designed to mitigate the risk of spreading infectious diseases in healthcare facilities. Most of the respondents in this study, had good hand hygiene, and personal protective equipment uses and practices, but the embarrassing level of recapping used needle practice.
Knowledge and Attitudes of Health Professionals on the Influenza Vaccine
Authors: Theofanidis Dimitrios , Fountouki Antigoni
Published: July 2022

Introduction: Seasonal influenza is a condition that can be prevented by vaccination and annual vaccination against influenza is the most effective way to prevent the flu. Vaccination is especially important for people at higher risk of serious influenza complications such as patients with chronic diseases, pregnant women, young children, the elderly and healthcare personnel.

Aim: To investigate the knowledge and attitudes of healthcare professionals towards the seasonal flu vaccination.

Methods: The sample consisted of 120 healthcare workers. This small survey was conducted at a provincial hospital in Greece, where questionnaires were distributed to healthcare professionals on the subject of seasonal flu vaccination. The answers were analyzed by SPPS v.20 and the chi square test was employed for group comparisons. Results were analyzed for gender, age, educational level and occupational status, so that inferences could be made.

Results: 58% of the sample was female and the majority was aged between 31-41 years, while 40% were tertiary education graduates. The majority of the sample was nurses (52.5%). The majority of health professionals involved in our study agreed that vaccination is an important preventive measure for disease, such as seasonal influenza, and consider it dangerous if one is not vaccinated while working in a healthcare facility.

Discussion: The majority of our sample was vaccinated or was to be vaccinated during this survey. In the opinion of health professionals about the seasonal flu vaccine, they find it important to do so with those who come in contact with other people, and especially with patients.

Conclusions: This sample from a Greek provincial hospital was informed about the safety of the seasonal influenza vaccine and thus was happy to have the flu shot. However, further research on this important issue of influenza vaccination is needed.
Evaluation of the Serum Zinc Level in Some Pigmentary Skin Disorders
Authors: Ali Sally Hosni , Mabrouk Maaly M. , Fawzy Mohamed M. , El-Tatawy Rania Ahmed
Published: July 2022

Background: Pigmentary disorders are a common presentation in dermatology and the appearance of either hypopigmentation or hyperpigmentation can be a major psychosocial problem to the patients. Melanin pigment is the most important substance determining human skin color. It produced by melanocyte cells during melanogenesis. Zinc in combination with other micronutrients has an essential function in melanogenesis process.         

Aim of Work: The aim of the study was to assess serum zinc level in patients with pigmentary disorders compared to healthy control subjects.

Patients and Methods: This study was carried out on a total of 189 patients with pigmentary disorders (96 with hypopigmented and 93 with hyperpigmented disorders) and 50 apparently healthy controls. Serum zinc level was measured in all groups using a Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer.

Results: The mean serum zinc level was in the hypopigmented, hyperpigmented disorders patients were 71.87 ± 20.23 and 72.36 ± 18.69, respectively, while the mean serum zinc level in controls was 87.48 ± 31.50, with the serum zinc level in patients with hypopigmented disorders was significantly lower than in healthy controls (P < 0.05). The average zinc level in the three groups was found to be within the normal reference range.

Conclusion: Serum zinc level was within normal range in both patients and control groups. On the other hand, serum zinc level in pigmentary disorders was lower than that of control group with a statistically significance difference only between hypo pigmented disorders and control group.
Development and Evaluation of Fast Dissolving Liquisolid Haloperidol Tablets
Authors: M. Eisa Aya , El-Megrab Nagia A. , El-Nahas Hanan M.
Published: July 2022

Aim: The aim of this study was to design fast dissolving tablets (FDT) of the anti -psychiatric drug, Haloperidol in liquisolid forms as a way to enhance its dissolution profile and anti-psychiatric effect.

Methodology: Solubility studies of Haloperidol in various solvents and surfactants were conducted. The solvent with high solubilizing ability was tween 20 (80%), selected and absorbed into the carrier and then coating material added with other solid powder excipients, finally all powder compressed into tablets. The resulting liquisolid tablets were evaluated according to British Pharmacopoeia (B.P.) specifications. Pre- and post-compression studies were performed to determine the flow properties and evaluate the liquisolid systems, followed by in vivo studies through forced swimming test (FST).

Results: Pre-compression studies showed adequate flowability and compatibility of liquid and solid excipients with haloperidol. The selected liquisolid tablet (LS4) demonstrated the best disintegration and water absorption ratio in addition to satisfactory friability and hardness. Attempts of in vivo dissolution results and thermodynamic stability studies showed acceptable results for the F4 formulation containing 80% Tween 20,Avicel and aerosel (0.22:81.6:10.2%), respectively. The in vivo study of (LS4) formulation revealed the highest immobility time to rats compared to control rats and others treated with purchased halonace®.

Conclusion: Fast dissolving liquisolid tablets expressed rapid onset of action with enhanced anti-psychiatric effect of haloperidol.
Methodological Strategy for the Conservation of Ecosystem Services
Authors: Marín Silvia Milena Corrales , Tarquino Inés Restrepo , Marín Diego Fernando Corrales
Published: July 2022

Ecosystem Services (ES) are the benefits that human beings receive from nature and that contribute to improving the quality of life. However, at present, precisely the human activities through which ES are used are generating negative impacts on ecosystems that hinder their provision. It is a vicious circle that needs to be corrected. To do so, this article, the result of postdoctoral research, proposes an ES sustainability strategy that includes a methodology to assess its status and generates actions to follow in order to contribute to the recovery and conservation of natural resources. The methodology implies identifying the ES of the place of interest, measuring a series of indicators constructed to be applied at home or in the community by the inhabitants of the territory, making an evaluation of them and, according to the results, actions to be followed are generated. In addition, an application is presented to Tocotá, a village in the municipality of Dagua in Valle del Cauca (Colombia) that is characterized by the visit of tourists attracted by the biodiversity of the place, but whose natural resources are being compromised by the activity that it has become the main economic resource of the community.The application of the methodological strategy indicates that the state of the ecosystem services in Tocotá is acceptable, although it is not in bad conditions, actions are suggested for its improvement. This methodological strategy allows identifying the state of ecosystem services in Tocotá, but it is replicable to hydrographic basins with similar conditions.
Susceptibility of Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi and Shigella spp to Ethanoic Extract of Lawsonia inermis
Authors: Bassi Paul Amos , Kaur Manpreet , Kaur Manavjot , Crown Ramyil M. S.
Published: July 2022

Background: The acceptance of traditional medicine as an alternative form of healthcare and the development of microbial resistance to the available antibiotics has led researchers to investigate the antimicrobial activity of plant extracts.

Aim: This was to evaluate antibacterial activity and potential effect of Lawsonia inermis leaves against three tests organisms namely: Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi, and Shigella.

Methodology: Ethanoic extracts of Lawsonia inermis was obtained. The extracts were boiled, macerated, soaked and the implementation of the extracts to determine the antimicrobial activities on culture was performed by diffusion method. Three antibiotics (Gentamicin, Ciprofloxacin and Cefataxime) were used as control for the test organisms respectively.

Results: The inhibition of each test organism was achieved in one or two extracts. Escherichia coli had the highest (7.25mm) zone of inhibition from soaked extract with lowest (5.00mm) zone of inhibition from boiled extract, Salmonella typhi had the highest (11.63mm) zone of inhibition from boiled extract with lowest (8.25mm) zone of inhibition from macerated extract, and Shigella had the highest zone of inhibition 19.50mm from soaked extract, and had the lowest zone of inhibition 12.63mm from boiled extract. Furthermore, the soaked ethanoic extract had a zone of inhibition ranging from 7.25mm- 19.50mm. Also, the ethanoic extract boiled had zones of inhibition ranging from 5.00mm – 12.63mm, and the ethanoic extract macerated had a zone of inhibition range of 6.63mm- 17.75mm. The zones of inhibition produced by the controls are; gentamicin produced zones of inhibition ranging from 25.00mm – 26.00mm, ciprofloxacin produced zones of inhibition ranging from 20.00mm – 22.00mm, and cefataxime produced zones of inhibition ranging from 18.00mm – 21.00mm. The Statistical analysis was applied to the result using the one-way ANOVA test to compare the differences in the means.

Conclusion: The results indicated that there was no significant difference in the effects of the ethanoic extracts of Lawsonia inermis on the tests organisms S. typhi, E. coli and Shigella and the controls. (p<0.05, F Cal = 0.103, F Tab = 4.257).