bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Classification model for student dropouts using machine learning: A case study
Authors: Villarreal-Torres Henry , Ángeles-Morales Julio , Marín-Rodriguez William , Andrade-Girón Daniel , Cano-Mejía Jenny , Mejía-Murillo Carmen , Flores-Reyes Gumercindo , Palomino-Márquez Manuel
Published: June 2023

Information and communication technologies have been fulfilling a highly relevant role in the different fields of knowledge, addressing problems in various disciplines; there is an increased capacity to identify patterns and anomalies in an organization's data using data mining; In this context, the study aimed to develop a classification model for student dropout, applying machine learning with the autoML method of the H2O.ai framework; the dimensionality of the socioeconomic and academic characteristics has been taken into account, with the purpose that the directors make reasonable decisions to counteract the abandonment of the students in the study programs. The methodology used was of a technological type, purposeful level, incremental innovation, temporal scope, and synchronous; data collection was prospective. For this, a 20-item questionnaire was applied to 237 students enrolled in the master's degree programs in the education of the Graduate School. The research resulted in a supervised machine learning model, Gradient Reinforcement Machine (GBM), to classify student dropout, thus identifying the main associated factors that influence dropout, obtaining a Gini coefficient of 92.20%, AUC of 96.10% and a LogLoss of 24.24% representing a model with efficient performance.
NRC’s ICE-MACR 2018-2023: What Has Been Learned So Far
Authors: Neuteboom Martin , Dumont Christopher , Mason Jeanne , Chalmers Jennifer , Chow Philip
Published: June 2023

The Ice Crystal Environment Modular Axial Compressor Rig (ICE-MACR) was developed by the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) with support from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in response to the need to understand ice crystal icing of aircraft engines at high altitudes. Icing wind tunnel tests on static hardware lack some of the real physics of turbofan compressor such as centrifuging and fracturing of particles, and melting of particles due to compression heating, heat transfer through a casing wall, as well as annular geometry effects. Since the commissioning of ICE-MACR in 2019 new insights have been gained on the physics behind ice crystal icing of turbofan engines. Additionally, the results of various test campaigns have been used to validate engine ice accretion numerical codes. This paper summarizes the key insights into ICI of turbofans gained from the ICE-MACR to date.
Identification of an Electric UAV Propulsion System in Icing Conditions
Authors: Løw-Hansen Bogdan , Müller Nicolas C. , Coates Erlend M. , Johansen Tor Arne , Hann Richard
Published: June 2023

In-flight atmospheric icing is a severe hazard for propeller-driven unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that can lead to issues ranging from reduced flight performance to unacceptable loss of lift and control. To address this challenge, a physics-based first principles model of an electric UAV propulsion system is developed and identified in varying icing conditions. Specifically, a brushless direct current motor (BLDC) based propeller system, typical for UAVs with a wing span of 1-3 meters, is tested in an icing wind tunnel with three accreted ice shapes of increasing size. The results are analyzed to identify the dynamics of the electrical, mechanical, and aerodynamic subsystems of the propulsion system. Moreover, the parameters of the identified models are presented, making it possible to analyze their sensitivity to ice accretion on the propeller blades. The experiment data analysis shows that the propeller power efficiency is highly sensitive to icing, with a 40% reduction in thrust and a 16% increase in torque observed on average across the tested motor speeds and airspeeds. The resulting reduction in propeller efficiency can be as high as 70% in the worst-case scenario. These findings provide valuable insights into the impact of ice accretion on electric propeller systems and contribute to the development of effective ice protection systems for safer UAV operation in cold environments.
Experimental Investigation of a CRM65 Wingtip Mockup under Appendix C and Appendix O Icing Conditions
Authors: Puffing Reinhard , Neubauer Thomas , Moser Richard , Hassler Wolfgang , Schweighart Simon , Ferschitz Hermann , Diebald Stefan , Breitfuss Wolfgang , Kozomara David
Published: June 2023

Research institutes and companies are currently working on 3D numerical icing tools for the prediction of ice shapes on an international level. Due to the highly complex flow situation, the prediction of ice shapes on three-dimensional surfaces represents a challenge. An essential component for the development and subsequent validation of 3D ice accretion codes are detailed experimental data from ice shapes accreted on relevant geometries, like wings of a passenger aircraft for example. As part of the Republic of Austria funded research project JOICE, a mockup of a wingtip, based on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration common research model CRM65 was designed and manufactured. For further detailed investigation of electro-thermal de-icing systems, various heaters and thermocouples were included. The mockup was investigated in the Icing Wind Tunnel of Rail Tec Arsenal in Vienna, Austria under various Appendix C and Appendix O icing conditions with and without activated heating systems. The resulting ice structures were documented and analyzed by using 3D and 4D scanning systems. This paper provides information about the design of the mockup, the test setup in the Icing Wind Tunnel well as the applied documentation procedures. Furthermore, an overview of the conducted experimental investigations is given, and selected results and evaluations are presented.
Development and Demonstration of a Low Power Electrothermal Wing Ice Protection System for Regional Aircraft
Authors: Moser Richard , Roberts Ian , Plassnegger Bernd , Kuehnelt Helmut , Anich Max , Nugnes Giuseppina Giusy
Published: June 2023

Under the EU Clean Sky 2 research project InSPIRe – Innovative Systems to Prevent Ice on Regional Aircraft, numerical and experimental studies have been performed to investigate the potential to minimise the electrical power required for wing ice protection on a regional aircraft wing. In a standard electrothermal de-ice protection scheme there is a parting strip heater which runs along the full spanwise protected extent and is permanently powered. This splits the ice formation on the leading edge into an upper and lower region, which makes it easier to shed. However, the parting strip is relatively energy intensive and contributes a significant portion of the overall power demand. Developing a system which is able to provide the desired ice protection function without a parting strip would therefore offer a substantial power saving. The great difficulty with such a system is in ensuring that acceptable ice shedding occurs. Through numerical design studies a heater layout and power scheme was developed and a system demonstrator was then manufactured and tested in an icing wind tunnel. The testing confirmed the difficulties in achieving good shedding performance without the parting strip, but a number of cases, including down to -20°C, were successful in providing reasonable ice protection performance. The main outcome of the testing was the sensitivity of shedding performance to the aircraft condition. Whereas robust de-ice scheme solutions with a parting strip can generally be developed using relatively few aircraft parameters as input (e.g. Static and Total Air Temperature), the results from testing showed that there is a much higher sensitivity to parameters such as the angle-of-attack when no parting strip is used. Overall, the results show significant potential to deliver an electrothermal ice protection scheme with power much lower than would be achievable with a standard de-icing system.
Electromechanical De-icing of Rectangular Aluminum Plates with Forced Vibration Generated with an Amplified Piezoelectric Actuator
Authors: Bolzmacher Christian , Leroy Edouard
Published: June 2023

This paper describes the feasibility of a de-icing device based on forced vibrations induced in an ice-covered rectangular aluminum plate using an amplified piezoelectric actuator. The removal of the ice layer is caused by the creation of mechanical stresses induced by relatively fast time-varying mode shapes in the very low kHz-range large enough to overcome the adhesion forces at the material/ice interface.
Simulation of Drop Collection with Non-Uniform Cloud Distributions for Collection Efficiency Sensor Validation
Authors: McClain Stephen , Ahmed Shakib
Published: June 2023

Large icing wind tunnels typically have sufficient distance for drops from spray nozzles to spread evenly producing small spatial variations of cloud properties at the wind tunnel test section. As the size of a wind tunnel gets smaller, producing clouds with uniform properties becomes challenging because of 1) the reduced distance from the spray bar system to the test section and 2) the spray characteristics of most air-assisted nozzles used for spray generation. For this paper, discrete-phase simulations using FLUENT were used to explore droplet collection on a partial NACA 0012 model at different angles of attack in the Baylor Liquid Film and Cloud Tunnel (LFACT). McClain et al. (2022) used the LFACT to validate a new microwave sensor system to measure collection efficiency variations along the surface of a wind tunnel model. However, the sensors used in the investigation were essentially the same size as the measured non-uniform cloud features in the wind tunnel test section. A convolution approach was used to map the measured Liquid Water Content (LWC) variations onto the sensor areas, but this approach is based on critical assumptions about droplet trajectories. The FLUENT simulations were performed to further validate the collection efficiency sensors and to investigate water capture by wind tunnel models in the non-uniform clouds of the LFACT. The simulations were performed using the Spalart-Allmaras turbulence model, and the droplet injection pattern was generated using Matlab and a two-dimensional Gaussian random number generator. The injection pattern was then simulated using a non-interacting, spherical drop discrete-phase modeling system in FLUENT. The simulation results for two cloud conditions and two angles of attack demonstrate the validity of the convolution approach and further validate the measurements of the microwave sensor system.
Experimental Simulation of Natural-Like Snow Conditions in the Rail Tec Arsenal (RTA) Icing Wind Tunnel
Authors: Breitfuß Wolfgang , Ferschitz Hermann , Schwarzenboeck Alfons , Heller Romy , Pervier Hugo , Dupuy Regis , Jaffeux Louis , Berne Alexis
Published: June 2023

The simulation of natural-like snow conditions in a controlled environment such as an Icing Wind Tunnel (IWT) is a key component for safe, efficient and cost-effective design and certification of future aircraft and rotorcraft. Current capabilities do not sufficiently match the properties of natural snow, especially in terms of size and morphology. Within the Horizon 2020 project ICE GENESIS, a new technology has been developed aiming to better recreate natural snowflakes. The focus of the newly developed system was the generation of falling snow in a temperature range of +1°C to -4°C. Ground measurements and flight test campaigns have been performed to better characterize these conditions and provide requirements for wind tunnel facilities. The calibration results of the new snow generation system as well as snow accretion data on a NACA0012 test article with a chord length of 0.377 m are presented. The influence of different snow conditions on the accretion rate and the overall shape were investigated, revealing significant differences for different snow qualities.
Impact Ice Microstructure Segmentation Using Transfer Learned Model
Authors: Chen Ru-Ching , Stuckner Joshua , Giuffre Christopher
Published: June 2023

A process of using machine learning to segment impact ice microstructure is presented and analyzed. The microstructure of impact ice has been shown to correlate with the adhesion strength of ice. Machine vision techniques are explored as a method of decreasing analysis time. The segmentation was conducted with the goal of obtaining average grain size estimations. The model was trained on a set of micrographs of impact ice grown at NASA Glenn’s Icing Research Tunnel. The model leveraged a model pre-trained on a large set of micrographs of various materials as a starting point. Post-processing of the segmented images was done to connect broken boundaries. An automatic method of determining grain size following an ASTM standard was implemented. Segmentation results using different training sets as well as different encoder and decoder pairs are presented. Calculated sizes are compared to manual grain size measurement methods. Results show promise in accuracy as well as a possible improvement in repeatability and consistency. Next steps for improving the model are suggested.
Planar Microwave Sensor for Localized Ice and Snow Sensing
Authors: Shah Aaryaman , Niksan Omid , Zarifi Mohammad H.
Published: June 2023

Ice and snow accretion on aircraft surfaces imposes operational and safety challenges, severely impacting aerodynamic performance of critical aircraft structures and equipment. For optimized location-based ice sensing and integrated ‘smart’ de-icing systems of the future, microwave resonant-based planar sensors are presented for their high sensitivity and versatility in implementation and integration. Here, a conformal, planar complementary split ring resonator (CSRR) based microwave sensor is presented for robust detection of localized ice and snow accretion. The sensor has a modified thick aluminum-plate design and is coated with epoxy for greater durability. The fabricated sensor operates at a resonant frequency of 1.18 GHz and a resonant amplitude of -33 dB. Monitoring the resonant frequency response of the sensor, the freezing and thawing process of a 0.1 ml droplet of water is monitored, and a 60 MHz downshift is observed for the frozen droplet. Using an artificial snow chamber to create falling snow, a 1 mm thick accretion of snow shows a 35 MHz downshift in resonant frequency. The proposed sensor system can be extended using a novel radar-inspired method of Time-Domain Reflectometry (TDR). TDR based ice/snow sensors can be implemented in an array or network structure for reliable, local and distributed ice and snow accretion monitoring on aircraft structures. Applying Time-Domain Reflectometry (TDR) methods, three identical sensors with the same resonant frequency are monitored over an approximate length of 10 m and localized sensing of water is presented. This novel method offers a pathway towards implementation of large network-based resonant-microwave sensors for future reliable integrated localized icing and snow accretion rate-measurement sensors.
A CIRA 3D Ice Accretion Code for Multiple Cloud Conditions Simulations
Authors: Cinquegrana Davide , D'Aniello Francesco , de Rosa Donato , Carozza Antonio , Catalano Pietro , Mingione Giuseppe
Published: June 2023

This work presents the implementation and validation efforts of a 3D ice accretion solver for aeronautical applications, MESS3D, based on the advanced Messinger model. The solver is designed to deal with both liquid phase and ice crystal cloud conditions. In order to extend the Messinger model to 3D applications, an algorithm for the water run-back distribution on the surface was implemented, in place of an air flow stagnation line search algorithm, which is straightforward in 2D applications, but more complicated in 3D. The developed algorithm aims to distribute the run-back water in directions determined by air pressure gradients or shear forces. The data structure chosen for MESS3D allows high flexibility since it can manage the necessary input solutions on surface grids coming from both structured and unstructured solvers, regardless the number of edges per surface cells. The aim of the work is to present a validation of the model by examining the robustness of the solutions when it deals with 2D configurations and verifying the grid solution independence on 3D configurations in both liquid water droplets and ice crystals environments. The selected test cases are relative to well documented literature cases supported by experimental results from tests conducted at NASA Glenn IRT and NRCC RATFac wind tunnel.
A Three-Layer Model for Ice Crystal Icing in Aircraft Engines
Authors: Zhang Yue , Narayanasamy Karthik , Sandel Wolfgang , Nilamdeen Shezad , Ozcer Isik
Published: June 2023

This paper presents the current state of a three-layer surface icing model for ice crystal icing risk assessment in aircraft engines, being developed jointly by Ansys and Honeywell to account for possible heat transfer from inside an engine into the flow path where ice accretion occurs. The bottom layer of the proposed model represents a thin metal sheet as a substrate surface to conductively transfer heat from an engine-internal reservoir to the ice layer. The middle layer is accretion ice with a porous structure able to hold a certain amount of liquid water. A shallow water film layer on the top receives impinged ice crystals. A mass and energy balance calculation for the film determines ice accretion rate. Water wicking and recovery is introduced to transfer liquid water between film layer and porous ice accretion layer. Numerical tests have been conducted to verify new model behaviors like substrate surface heat absorption into the accretion layer in the form of meltwater, water recovery into the film, water saturation of the accretion layer with adhesion loss and shedding risk. The proposed model, along with a new compound sticking and erosion model, is validated against selected cases from NRC’s wedge icing tests. The bouncing and erosion effect is proven crucial in the modeling. In the end, simulation of ice crystal icing within a turbofan engine at high altitude is presented. Ice crystal cloud thermodynamics have been analyzed and correlation is explained among key crystal variables like wet-bulb temperature and melt ratio. Finally, the limitations of this model are clarified.
Resident Physician Perspectives on Mindfulness Education in Residency: A Multispecialty Qualitative Assessment of Clinical Care Impact
Authors: Minichiello Vincent , Webber Sarah
Published: June 2023

Background

Mindfulness training positively influences residents personally and professionally. Routine integration into residency may be impacted by limited understanding of the ways in which mindfulness training enhances clinical care.

Objective

We explored residents' direct experience and personal application of mindfulness in their clinical work following 10 hours of mindfulness training.

Methods

Mindfulness training sessions were facilitated between 2017 and 2019 for 5 groups of residents: pediatrics, ophthalmology, postgraduate year (PGY)-1 anesthesiology, and 2 different years of PGY-1 family medicine residents. Training was integrated into resident protected didactic time and attendance was expected, although not mandated, with the exception of pediatrics, in which the department mandated the training. Qualitative evaluation was conducted using a voluntary, semi-structured, de-identified phone interview within 2 months post-training. Reviewers independently coded the transcripts and then dialogued to reach consensus around emergent themes.

Results

Thirty-six of 72 residents (50%) who participated in the training completed interviews. Themes were similar across specialties. All residents acknowledged the potential usefulness of mindfulness training during residency. Six residents (17%) reported they had not applied the mindfulness training to their daily work by the end of the course. There were 4 emergent themes related to clinical application of mindfulness training: integrating brief moments of mindfulness practice, self-awareness, relational presence with patients, and maintaining perspective during clinical encounters and residency training as a whole.

Conclusions

After completing a 10-hour mindfulness training program, residents reported enhanced perspective-taking and relationship-building with themselves and their patients in clinical settings across medical and procedural specialties.
Anticipated Impact of Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health Organization on Training of Residents in Obstetrics and Gynecology: A Qualitative Analysis
Authors: Grimes Cara L. , Halder Gabriela , Beckham A. Jenna , Kim-Fine Shunaha , Rogers Rebecca , Iglesia Cheryl
Published: June 2023

Background

On June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court of the United States in the case of Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health Organization ended constitutional protection for abortion, thus severely restricting access to reproductive health care for millions of individuals. Concerns have arisen about the potential impact on medical students, residents, and fellows training in restricted areas and the effect on gynecologic training and the future provision of competent comprehensive women's health care in the United States.

Objective

To qualitatively explore the anticipated impacts of the Dobbs ruling on training in obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN).

Methods

A participatory action research approach employing methods of qualitative analysis was used. Trainees and leaders in national OB/GYN professional and academic organizations with missions related to clinical care and training of medical students, residents, and fellows in OB/GYN participated. Two focus groups were held via Zoom in July 2022. Using an iterative process, transcripts underwent coding by 2 independent researchers to identify categories and common themes. Themes were organized into categories and subcategories. An additional reviewer resolved discrepancies.

Results

Twenty-six OB/GYN leaders/stakeholders representing 14 OB/GYN societies along with 4 trainees participated. Eight thematic categories were identified: competency, provision of reproductive health care, residency selection, inequity in training, alternative training, law-based vs evidence-based medicine, morality and ethics, and uncertainty about next steps.

Conclusions

This qualitative study of leaders and learners in OB/GYN identified 8 themes of potential impacts of the Dobbs ruling on current and future training in OB/GYN.
Intraoperative Diagnosis of Gallbladder Agenesis: A Case Report
Authors: Ibrahim Abdullahi , Cosmas Mutisya , Moses Ngugi , Deborah Osiemo , Ester Gumbe , Dan Kiptoon , Eric Hungu , Mohamed Dahir , Daniel Ojuka
Published: June 2023

Gallbladder agenesis (GA) is an uncommon congenital anomaly with an incidence of 0.09%. Lack of awareness, coupled with vague clinical and  radiological characteristics, has led to infrequent preoperative diagnosis. This is the case of a 42-year-old female who presented with right upper  quadrant (RUQ) pain and features of obstructive jaundice. The patient was listed for open cholecystectomy and common bile duct (CBD) exploration for  cholelithiasis and choledocholithiasis. At laparotomy, diagnosis of GA with adhesion bands tethering the duodenum to the common hepatic duct (CHD)  resulting in biliary stricture, was made. Release of the adhesion bands (adhesiolysis) resulted in CHD stricture relaxation and complete biliary  decompression.
Development and Psychometric Validation of a Scale for Measurement of Tramadol Abuse
Authors: Zwawua Orfega , Ismail Rohani , Azhar Mohd Yasin Mohd , Noor Norhayati Mohd , Iorvaa Targema
Published: June 2023

There are indications that the practices or behaviour involving tramadol use have not been measured with valid and reliable tools in the past. A scale that can be used to identify tramadol abuse practices in both clinical and non-clinical settings would be useful for possible intervention efforts. The objective of this study was, therefore, to develop and validate a scale to measure tramadol abuse. The scale items were sourced from the literature and outcomes from focus group discussions (FGDs) with 16 longterm tramadol users who were screened with Q-cup urine drug test kit (Q-CUDTK). Six experts and 30 long-term tramadol users were engaged for content and face validations of the items respectively. For construct validation, 180 tramadol users participated. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was applied to identify the underlying factor structure of the scale and Cronbach’s alpha was computed for the scale internal consistency. Two items failed to meet the I-CVI (item-content validity index) cut-off point (I-CVIs < 0.83) and were deleted leaving 18 items with the S-CVI (scale-validity index) of 0.93. Three more items were deleted for having factor loadings below 0.50 leaving 15 items. The EFA resulted in the extraction of three factors: frequency of use (7 items), intensity of use (5 items) and pattern of use (3 items) with the reliability coefficients of 0.95, 0.96 and 0.89 respectively. We named this scale ‘Tram-BEHAV’ because it can be used to identify tramadol abuse behaviour for possible intervention. It can also be used for the evaluation of tramadol abuse intervention programmes.
Prevalence, Distribution and Attributable Risks of Cannabis Use in Young Adults with Generalised Anxiety Disorder at a University in Botswana
Authors: Amone-P’Olak Kennedy , Omech Bernard
Published: June 2023

Worldwide, cannabis is the most commonly used drug after tobacco and alcohol, especially among young adults. In Africa, cannabis use is often associated with mental health problems. However, few studies have been conducted to assess which mental health problems are linked to cannabis use, particularly among young adults. This study examined the prevalence, distribution and risks of cannabis use attributed to generalised anxiety disorders. Data from 615 young adults (Mean age = 22.15, ±2.55, 18 – 25; 60.2% female) were used to compute the prevalence and distribution of cannabis use and binary logistic regression models fitted to quantify the risk of using cannabis attributed to different levels of anxiety severity. Of the 615 respondents, 13.8%, 20.4% and 31.7% reported using cannabis in the past month, the past year and lifetime, respectively. Similarly, 11.2% were hazardous users and 5.2% had possible cannabis use disorders. The odds of using cannabis varied with the severity of anxiety symptoms. Compared to those with minimal anxiety problems, the risks of using cannabis ranged from 2.61 (95% Confidence Intervals (CI) 1.65-4.93) to 3.72 (95% CI: 2.10-6.61) for mild anxiety and from 3.68 (95% CI: 2.08 – 6.98) to 6.32 (95% CI: 2.40-16.64) for severe anxiety. Interventions to reduce cannabis use and its concomitant long-term negative consequences should target reducing anxiety problems among young adults. Practitioners should prioritise mental health literacy and programmes such as relaxation techniques and guided selfhelp interventions, which are known to be cheap, effective, and efficient in alleviating anxiety problems.
Implementation of the “unplugged” school-based prevention programme in Nigeria: Results of process evaluation
Authors: Vigna-Taglianti Federica , Alesina Marta , Donati Laura , Emelurumonye Ifeoma Nneka , Mehanović Emina , Ibanga Akanidomo , Pwajok Juliet , Prichard Glen , Van der Kreeft Peer , Virk Harsheth Kaur , Unplugged Nigeria Coordination Group
Published: June 2023

Process evaluation can improve the quality of program implementation and the achievement of program outcomes. This paper aims to describe the fidelity of implementation of the school-based prevention program 'Unplugged' in Nigeria, i.e., the degree to which the intervention was delivered as intended, and the satisfaction of teachers and students. The program aims to prevent tobacco, alcohol, and substance use and consists of 12 standardized units, one-hour each, delivered by class teachers. Sixteen schools implemented the program. Eleven schools, 33 classes, 27 teachers, 993 students provided process evaluation data. Eighty-two percent of classes implemented the entire program, with lower rates of activities implementation at the beginning and at the end of the program. Each unit took on average 55 minutes. More than 90% of teachers perceived high students' interest for units 1, 4, 5, 8, and 9, high interactivity for units 1, 2, 8, and 9, and declared high comfort in implementing most units. About 80% of teachers reported an improvement in knowledge, teaching skills, and relationships with students due to the program. More than 75% of students declared the program changed their way of seeing themselves, was helpful to answer questions about themselves, and improved their relationships with mates and teachers. About 95% of students reported an increase in knowledge of the consequences of substance use. Students declared Unplugged educative, informative, helpful, impacting on change, interesting and suggested the program should be spread to other schools.
A systematic review on water accessibility and safety in Ghana: The plausibility to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 6.1 by 2030
Authors: Hagan Victoria Mensah , Mohammadnezhad Masoud , Nwankwo Bilkisu , Barasa Emily Bukachi , Garatsa Christopher
Published: June 2023

Background: Water is essential in everyday life hence, there is a need  for it to be available in quality and quantity to all. This study  aimed to review relevant published studies on water accessibility and  safety in Ghana from 2015 to 2022 to determine the plausibility  of Ghana achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6.1 by 2030.

Methodology: A systematic review was conducted based on the PRISMA guidelines using four databases including ProQuest, Science Direct, Web of  Science and Scopus. Studies with data on specified keywords and published in English from January 2015 to June 2022 were included in this study.  Duplicated titles were removed and the title, abstract and full text of remained studies were reviewed by two independent coders. Thematic analysis was conducted to identify themes.

Results: Ten studies met the criteria and the majority of them used qualitative design (60%). Five main themes were identified including; causes of water  contamination, the prevalence of waterborne diseases, types of water sources, implemented policies and challenges for policy implementation. The  government implemented policies to provide safe and potable drinking water for the citizen and now, about 72% of the population have access to treated  pipe water. Some challenges facing implemented policies include political interest in illegal mining, inadequate waste disposal facilities, and  poverty.

 Conclusion: This study shows that Ghana can achieve Sustainable Development Goal 6.1which is "Access to clean and affordable water for all" by 2030.  The government, public health organizations and stakeholders should work together to alleviate the challenges faced in achieving this goal.
Knowledge and practices of the adult population on diarrheal diseases, transmission, and prevention in Sierra Leone: A community-based cluster survey
Authors: Sesay Bockarie Pompay , Hakizimana Jean Leonard , Elduma Adel Hussein , Gebru Gebrekrstos Negash
Published: June 2023

INTRODUCTION

There is limited information on the knowledge and prevention practices of diarrheal disease transmission among adults in Sierra Leone. We assessed the level of knowledge and practices of adults on diarrheal disease transmission and prevention in Sierra Leone.

METHODOLOGY

A community-based cross-sectional cluster survey was conducted in four districts of Sierra Leone. A pre-tested, structured questionnaire was used to collect demographic, knowledge and practices on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), diarrheal diseases transmission and prevention. On Knowledge questions, a score above 50% was categorized as adequate and below 50% was categorized as poor. We calculated frequencies, proportions and chi-square to compare knowledge and practice differences between urban and rural settings.

RESULTS

Of the total 926 study subjects, 676 (73%) were female, with a median age of 29 years (range:18 - 96 years). Almost, 75% (671/926) of study participants had adequate knowledge of the critical moments of hand washing, higher in urban (79%) compared to rural areas (66%), (p<0.001). Forty-one per cent (377/926) of the study participants had limited knowledge of diarrheal diseases transmission with 48% in urban and 33% in rural areas (p<0.001), 87% (801/926) had limited knowledge of the measures of diarrheal diseases prevention, higher in rural, 416 (92%) compared to urban, 385 (81%), (p<0.001).

CONCLUSION

Study participants had adequate knowledge on the importance of handwashing, and the critical times to wash hands. Study participants had limited knowledge about the transmission and prevention of diarrheal disease. The majority of the study subjects practice hand hygiene and safe water treatment method in urban as compared to rural settings. We recommend developing a WASH-related sensitization program to improve community awareness of diarrheal disease transmission and prevention.
Use of Principal Component Analysis for Evaluation of Causes of Insecurity and Crime Rate Investigation in Niger State, Nigeria
Authors: Ahmed S. S. , Usman N. M. , Jibrin M. , Saidu U. , Ahmed R. T.
Published: June 2023

In this research, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) is utilized for evaluation of causes of insecurity and crime rate investigation in Niger State, Nigeria. Data obtained based on the Principal Component Analysis reveals 76.74% total variation. The outcome extracted three PCs out of the 13 original variables, which implies a great dimensionality reduction, namely: Population, Population Density and Sex Ratio. The paper suggested that, addressing the root causes of crime such as population, drug/arrest, domestic product and sex-ratio will mitigate the insecurity and as well as crime rate in Niger state, Nigeria.
Nutritional composition, Phytochemical analysis and Antioxidant capacity of Ethanol extract of Picralima nitida fruit (bark and pulp)
Authors: Olumese F. E. , Aihie P. A. , Oriakhi K.
Published: June 2023

Picralima nitida (Apocynaceae) is an African pepper tree known for its medicinal benefits. This paper aims to investigate the nutritional composition, phytochemical analysis, and Antioxidant capacity of Ethanol extract of Picralima nitida fruit (bark and pulp) using standard methods. The proximate analysis of the dried powdered fruit (bark and pulp) had high carbohydrate, crude fiber content, moderate ash content, low moisture content, and low crude fat composition. The metal composition analysis showed the presence of various essential and non-essential elements, with sodium, potassium, and iron having the highest concentrations. The qualitative phytochemical screening showed the presence of saponins, alkaloids, tannins, terpenoids, phenols, flavonoids, glycosides, steroids, and phytosterols in varying concentrations in the ethanol extract. The quantitative phytochemical analysis revealed that the total phenol, total flavonoid, total tannins, proanthocyanidin, and total saponin contents had concentrations of 92.45 mg GAE/g extract, 331.64 mg QE/g extract, 64.89 mg TAE/g extract, 129.00 mg AAE/g extract, and 213.79 mg DE/g extract respectively. The ethanol extract of P. nitida fruits exhibited strong antioxidant activities, with the FRAP assay showing the highest activity, followed by DPPH radical scavenging activities. These findings suggest that P. nitida stem bark has significant potential as a natural source of antioxidants and essential minerals, which could be useful in developing functional foods and nutraceuticals.
Investigation of Some Oxidative Stress Parameters in Drosophila Melanogaster Exposed to Lead and Treated with Picralima Nitida
Authors: Osunbor J. O. , Orobor A. D.
Published: June 2023

Picralima nitida is a plant used as herb in ethno-medicine for management of several health conditions. . Drosophila melanogaster is a species of fly referred to as the fruit fly. The objective of this study was to induce oxidative stress using lead in Drosophila melanogaster and to investigate its effects on the levels of selected oxidative stress parameters (malondialdehyde, nitric oxide and hydrogen peroxide) using standard method after dividing 250 flies into nine groups (A-I). Survival studies and biochemical assays were determined by spectrometry with the homogenized flies. The mean±SD of malondialdehyde, nitric oxide and hydrogen peroxide (90.40±.11.67, 0.29±0.04, 0.6978±0.04 respectively) were significantly lower in the control group than the flies induced with lead of different concentrations. When the lead induced flies were treated with Picralima nitida (10mg and 100mg), the level of malondialdehyde, nitric oxide and hydrogen peroxide were significantly reduced in all groups treated. Data from this study showed that lead at various concentrations has deleterious effects on the level on biomarkers (malondialdehyde, nitric oxide and hydrogen peroxide) in Drosophila melanogaster. While Picralima nitida had a modulatory effect on these oxidative stress parameters.
Analgesic and anti-inflammatory studies of the methanol extract of Globimetula braunii (Loranthaceae) growing on Terminalia catappa Linn (Combretaceae)
Authors: Alhassan Aisha Muhammad , Lawal Nafisah Bisallah , Danladi Suleiman
Published: June 2023

This study was carried out to investigate the phytochemical constituents, analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity of methanol stem extract of Globimetula braunii. Preliminary phytochemical screening was done using standard protocols, median lethal dose (LD50) was determined by Lorke’s method. Analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities of extract were determined using acetic acid induced writhing and hot-plate model and the carrageenan-induced rat's paw edema model respectively at graded doses of 1000 mg/kg, 500 mg/kg and 250mg/kg. The phytochemical screening revealed the presence of flavonoids, steroid, triterpenes and saponins. Intraperitoneal median lethal dose of the extract was estimated to be greater than 5000 mg/kg bodyweight in mice. The extract exhibited highest percentage inhibition of writhing (99.24%) at a dose of 1000 mg/kg. However, the extract showed no central analgesic activity. Furthermore, the extract at lowest and highest dose (250 mg/kg and 1000 mg/kg) significantly (p<0.05) reduced paw size when compared to control group. The findings of this study suggest that the methanol stem extract of Globimetula braunii contains bioactive compounds with peripherally mediated analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity.
Antimycotic effects of synthetic fungicides and plant extracts on Aspergillus flavus
Authors: Ndifon E.M. , Lum A.F.
Published: June 2023

Aspergillus flavus contaminates the seeds of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) and produces mycotoxins. This study was carried out to proffer solutions to the infection caused by A. flavus on cowpea seeds. The in vitro trial was set up using two rates (50 and 100%) of each potential control agent (mancozeb, COPMET (Copper-I-oxide + metalaxyl), and aqueous extracts of Eucalyptus and neem) and a control (0%). The botanical extracts and pesticides inhibited the fungus growth significantly (P≤0.05) at different times. Both concentrations of mancozeb gave 100% inhibition of the fungus at 24–168 hours after incubation (HAI). At 24 HAI, Eucalyptus extract (50 and 100%) completely inhibited the fungus growth similar to mancozeb. Eucalyptus extract was more effective than neem extract and COPMET throughout. Though the extracts of both botanicals inhibited the growth of A. flavus at 168 HAI, Eucalyptus (83.8-89.2%) was more potent than neem (20.3–28.4%). At 48-168 HAI, both concentrations of neem extract and COPMET had similar effect on the fungus. The early stage of the antimycotic intervention is critical to the control of the fungus. This can be achieved by dressing cowpea seeds with mancozeb or Eucalyptus. However, due to the high cost and toxicity of synthetic chemicals, Eucalyptus extract could be used as an alternative for management of the fungus or incorporated into integrated disease management programmes for A. flavus. Research on the effects of long-term storage of cowpea using these botanicals is highly admonished.
Clean energy technologies: assessing advantages and risks
Authors: Leal-Arcas Rafael , Nacht Yael , Madeleine Laure , Pelegri Javier , Mizrachi Guy , Siebenhirter Julia
Published: June 2023

Our society increasingly depends on power and fuel in daily life. This reliance encourages legislators and regulators to place the ongoing energy supply at a relatively low and fixed price – what is often referred to as energy security – as one of their most crucial policy goals. Contemporary research has already established that energy diversification (i.e., adding renewables to non-renewable sources) is remarkably beneficial to this objective. The main reason for this is that the different origin of energy is affected by different uncertainties and thus may remain stable when the conventional courses fail. This article aims to provide arguments for energy sources diversification. It explains why policymakers should encourage the development of specific clean energy technologies. Moreover, it assesses the advantages and risks of such a decision, and explores the involvement of the public sector in renewable technologies.
Control of Activities of Public Administration Agencies: Financial, legal and administrative regulation and international experience
Authors: Denysova Alina , Baranov Serhii , Kryvonos Maksym , Chupryna Liudmyla
Published: June 2023

The objective of the research was to consider financial and legal, administrative regulations and international experience in the exercise of control over the activities of public administration bodies. The main evaluation measures are defined to ensure the effectiveness of control measures; this evaluation is carried out according to the following stages: determination of quantitative and qualitative parameters for assessing the effectiveness of control; evaluation of the competence of control bodies or evaluation of the effectiveness of internal and external control, etc. The methodological basis of the research is presented as comparative-legal and systematic analysis, formal-legal method, method of interpretation, hermeneutic method, as well as methods of analysis and synthesis. In addition, it has been concluded that the following criteria are proposed to evaluate the effectiveness of public administration control bodies: quality and completeness, reliability of information received by control bodies; timeliness of control, regularity of control, objectivity of control, lightness of control measures.
Implementation of an effective system for monitoring the application of gender equality policy: Experience from European Union countries
Authors: Liasota Alina , Kobets Yuliia , Dobkina Kateryna , Yakubina Valentyna , Penyuk Vadim
Published: June 2023

The European Union has been pursuing the policy aimed at achieving equality between women and men for a long time. The adoption of the Law "On Ensuring Equal Rights and Opportunities for Women and Men" is an important step forward. However, the aspects of the control of compliance with the legislation in the field of gender policy remain poorly advanced and need to be adapted following the experience of developed European countries. The aim of this article was to outline the legislative mechanism for ensuring equal rights and opportunities for women and men, and to compare it with European legislative experience and practice. During the research, the methods of analysis and synthesis, deduction and induction and comparative analysis were used. As a result of the research, the mechanism for ensuring equal rights and opportunities in Ukraine was determined; the bodies, institutions and organizations empowered in the specified area were described along with the main aspects of gender equality legislation in Ukraine. It is concluded that government officials can use the results obtained during the research to improve some legislative aspects of control over gender policy implementation.
Development of territorial communities’ potential as a factor of socio-ecological development of territories
Authors: Rossikhin Vasyl , Babichev Anatoliy , Marukhlenko Oksana , Kravchuk Olha , Shtykun Olha
Published: June 2023

The objective of the article was to clarify the concept and classification of the potential of territorial communities; to determine the main indicators of the development of their territorial spaces; to outline the methodology for establishing the socioecological development potential of a particular territorial community and; furthermore, to determine strategic directions for its improvement. The research involved the following methods: economic statistics; BCG matrix; SWOT analysis; graphic methods. As a result of the study, the main statistical indicators related to community development were determined and, similarly, the potential for social-ecological development and the main strategic directions for increasing the potential for social and ecological development were also determined through the use of SWOT analysis. The results of the study can be used by local self-government bodies to increase the potential for social and ecological development and determine strategic directions for its improvement in terms of public policies. Everything allows to conclude that, future research on the topic should be focused on the study of directions of social-ecological development potential in the context of post-war recovery in Ukraine.
Legislative Support Standards in the European Union in the Field of Building a System of Local Self-Government
Authors: Lychenko Iryna , Lesko Natalia , Pavliuk Nataliia , Dobosh Zoryana , Bundz Rostyslav
Published: June 2023

Through a documentary research design that combined induction and deduction, comparison and systematization, synthesis and analysis with abstract-logical thinking. The main objective of the study was to identify the key aspects of the legislative support rules in the countries of the European Union, in the field of building a system of local self-government. The European Union during the history of its existence has developed a set of rules on which the systems of local self-government of member states and applicants for this status are built. The complexity and importance of legislative regulation of the functioning of this system is evidenced by the fact that the legislation and principles of international law used by the union in the field of local self-government are among the "youngest". It is concluded that this is due to the role of local self-government in the development of a democratic political system, as well as the search for an optimal balance between centralization and decentralization. As a result of the study, current trends and prerequisites for legislative support standards in European Union countries were investigated.