bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Theoretical Estimation of the Influence of Some Main Design Factors on the Performance of International Twelve Meter Class Yachts
Authors: van Oossanen Peter
Published: June 2021

A theoretical study is carried out to determine the influence on performance of some main design factors of International Twelve Meter Class Yachts, such as length, sail area, beam, draft and stability. This is realized by designing a series of Twelve Meter Yachts in which the length, sail area, beam, draft and the position of the vertical center of gravity are systematically varied. For the design of the canoe body, a mathematical procedure is used. The yachts of this series are each analyzed with respect to the various points of sailing. On comparing boat speed, speed made good to windward, heel and leeway angles for the different yachts for various true wind speeds, a number of conclusions are reached on the optimum values of the design factors investigated. A main result of the study is that the most important question to be answered in designing a Twelve Meter is whether the yacht must perform best in the close­hauled condition in true wind speeds in excess of about 15 knots, or whether the yacht must perform best in wind speeds not exceeding 15 knots, in which case no differentiation is necessary between the different points of sailing.
A Microcomputer Beats to Windward
Authors: Glauser Milton U.
Published: June 2021

One of the new single chip microcomputers and a new single chip A-D converter have been used to help a small boat owner trim the sails and steer to improve the velocity made good to windward. The system also could have been programmed for reaching and running sailing conditions. The readily reprogrammable memory will make it easy to add further modifications and sophistication. Although use of the instrument does not assure a first place, it should help a knowledgeable skipper get his boat into the groove. With its low power and small size it could be used on any boat that could support battery operated instrumentation.
Les principes d’équité et d’utilité dans l’allocation des ressources limitées en
situation de pandémie
Authors: Saint-Arnaud Jocelyne , Mullins Gary , Ringuette Louise
Published: June 2021

La pandémie de COVID-19 remet à l’honneur la question éthique de l’allocation des
ressources limitées, en termes d’accès à des soins intensifs et à des respirateurs. Se pose
la question éthique suivante : sur quels principes éthiques se baser pour effectuer le
triage des patients qui auront accès aux ressources quand elles sont insuffisantes pour
répondre aux besoins de tous? Pour en débattre, deux références historiques de triage sont
d’abord présentées ; l’une s’appuie sur un principe égalitaire de réponse aux besoins
individuels, l’autre sur un principe d’utilité sociale. Après avoir défini les conditions
d’équité en tant qu’égalité procédurale et réponse adéquate aux besoins, deux types de
protocoles sont étudiés en mettant l’accent sur les critères d’équité et d’utilité qu’ils
préconisent. Les types de protocoles sont ensuite comparés en présentant leurs forces et
leurs limites dans la réponse qu’ils apportent aux besoins populationnels et individuels.
Notre analyse met en évidence la difficile conciliation entre les objectifs populationnels
et les objectifs cliniques en situation de pandémie, tout en montrant qu’un protocole qui
utilise comme outil le Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) facilite cette
conciliation.
Réflexion éthique sur les doubles rôles en régions éloignées et isolées
Authors: Trahan Chloé , Quintin Jacques
Published: June 2021

Certains professionnels de la relation d’aide interviennent régulièrement en région éloignée et isolée pour offrir différents soins et services. Cette situation est souvent vécue comme une épreuve dans la mesure où il devient difficile pour eux de satisfaire leurs besoins liés à la vie privée sans compromettre leur professionnalisme. Nous proposons une mise en situation qui interpelle plusieurs enjeux éthiques entourant la vie privée liée à l’usage de substances. Cette mise en situation sera analysée selon différents cadres conceptuels. Si la situation proposée soulève plusieurs enjeux éthiques, nous verrons que les cadres conceptuels utilisés pour réfléchir et délibérer sur la situation posent eux-mêmes des enjeux éthiques. Nous terminerons en montrant que si le professionnel vise le bien, le risque de nuire est également présent. Il en découle qu’il y a du tragique dans la vie éthique si la réflexion et la délibération s’appuient sur un seul cadre conceptuel.
Médicalisation et autonomie des femmes affectées par le syndrome des ovaires polykystiques
Authors: Doudenkova Victoria
Published: June 2021

Le syndrome des ovaires polykystiques (SOPK) est un trouble endocrinien répandu qui affecte environ 10% des femmes en âge de procréer. Bien qu’il soit principalement connu pour ses effets sur la fertilité, le SOPK est considéré comme un facteur de risque pouvant mener au diabète de type 2. Il est également associé à des conditions comme les cancers hormono-dépendants, les troubles psychiatriques ou encore les maladies cardio-vasculaires. La volonté de prévenir les conditions associées pourrait pousser à une plus grande médicalisation des femmes atteintes par le SOPK, notamment par d’éventuels dépistages. Cet article examine les facteurs potentiels pouvant contribuer à la médicalisation de ces femmes et la manière dont leur autonomie pourrait être affectée par ce phénomène. Entre autres, l’article met en évidence comment la médicalisation façonne des représentations collectives et individuelles par rapport aux notions de santé, de maladie et de traitement. Dans une perspective relationnelle de l’autonomie, il attire l’attention sur l’importance de reconnaitre comment la médicalisation influence ces représentations et l’impact potentiel que cela pourrait avoir sur les femmes. Encourager la démédicalisation du SOPK par une approche visant à soutenir la santé pousse à interroger ces représentations et fait partie des pistes de solution permettant de favoriser l’autonomie des femmes affectées par le SOPK. Il devient alors possible non seulement de contrôler la maladie, mais aussi de soutenir la santé, voire de faire les deux selon la situation individuelle.
Accessing Indigenous Long-Term Care
Authors: Gionnas Danielle , Bianchi Andria , Benoit Leonard , Rodrigues Kevin
Published: June 2021

The purpose of this commentary is to present and respond to the gap that currently
exists in providing culturally inclusive residential long-term care options for Indigenous
peoples in Ontario. After presenting statistics regarding the Indigenous population and
long-term care options, we argue that we have an ethical responsibility to offer more
culturally inclusive long-term care.
Medical Machines: The Expanding Role of Ethics in Technology-Driven Healthcare
Authors: Brenna Connor T.A.
Published: June 2021

Emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence are actively revolutionizing the healthcare industry. While there is widespread concern that these advances will displace human practitioners within the healthcare sector, there are several tasks – including original and nuanced ethical decision making – that they cannot replace. Further, the implementation of artificial intelligence in clinical practice can be anticipated to drive the production of novel ethical tensions surrounding its use, even while eliminating some of the technical tasks which currently compete with ethical deliberation for clinicians’ limited time. A new argument therefore arises to suggest that although these disruptive technologies will change the face of medicine, they may also foster a revival of several fundamental components inherent to the role of healthcare professionals, chiefly, the principal activities of moral philosophy. Accordingly, “machine medicine” presents a vital opportunity to reinvigorate the field of bioethics, rather than withdraw from it.
Lifting Health Professionals’ Morale During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Moderating Emotions to Support Ethical Decisions
Authors: Blasco Pablo González , de Benedetto Maria Auxiliadora C. , Levites Marcelo R. , Moreto Graziela
Published: June 2021

The current COVID-19 pandemic creates a difficult and unprecedented time. With each passing day, the care of the health team itself is essential; and not only physical care, but also for mental health. The authors describe their experience in disseminating recommendations through short videos to help professionals maintain an objective view of the reality they are experiencing. Thus, knowing how to tabulate daily the evolution of the patients that each professional has been entrusted to care for – the hospitalized, the deaths and, very importantly, the discharge of the recovered – provides a sense of reality. Cinema, an educational resource used in medical education, which is also included in these videos, helps to clarify the recommendations made above and to maintain emotional balance. The authors conclude that providing a realistic view of the situation that the team is experiencing in this crisis and highlighting the positive facts and achievements could be a valuable means of help from medical educators behind the scenes.
Necessity and Islamic juristic creativity
Authors: Al-Dawoody Ahmed
Published: June 2021

This article studies one of the humanitarian challenges caused by the COVID-19 crisis: the dignified handling of the mortal remains of individuals that have died from COVID-19 in Muslim contexts. It illustrates the discussion with examples from Sunni Muslim-majority states when relevant, such as Egypt, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Morocco and Pakistan, and examples from English-speaking non-Muslim majority states such as the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Canada and Australia as well as Sri Lanka. The article finds that the case of the management of dead bodies of people who have died from COVID-19 has shown that the creativity and flexibility enshrined in the Islamic law-making logic and methodology, on the one hand, and the cooperation between Muslim jurists and specialised medical and forensic experts, on the other, have contributed to saving people’s lives and mitigating the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in Muslim contexts.
Reflexiones sobre la sociología relacional-procesual de François Dépelteau
Authors: Leoni Birriel Mariana , Grisotti Marcia
Published: June 2021

Este texto está inspirado en el trabajo de François Dépelteau. Busca dar continuidad al diálogo y a los intercambios que tuvimos con el, honrando su legado. Especialmente, nos proponemos relfexionar sobre su propuesta relacional, focalizando en su valor explicativo y pragmático. La obra de Dépelteau muestra una manera de ver el mundo (la ontología plana), lo que implica redefinir el objeto de la sociología y, consecuentemente, el modo de actuar relacionalmente. Se proponen reflexiones que resaltan el valor de su propuesta como herramienta para el quehacer sociológico, colocando el foco en el mundo, en los procesos y relaciones que se suceden en la vida de los individuos, donde desde la perspectiva de Dépelteau: todo realmente sucede.
ICT-BASED STUDENT ENTREPRENEURIAL PROJECTS ANALYSIS OF SYSTEMATIC SUPPORT AND EVALUATION OF STUDENT INTEREST
Authors: Preradovic Dragana , Micic Ljubiša
Published: June 2021

In today’s modern world, more than ever before, students are faced with entrepreneurship based on the use of information and communication technology (ICT) as a reasonable and justified career choice. Whether their career choice would be successful or not depends a lot on the level of system support through entrepreneurial ecosystem during their education.The main objective of this paper is to present the current assessment, indicate the problems and possible solutions regarding the entrepreneurial infrastructure, culture and potential of higher education institutions in Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina. To achieve this, we have researched the level of the system support to students for development and launch of their ICT based start-ups during and after their university education respecting different educational profiles and demographic characteristics.The research covers the sample of 436 students from seven higher education institutions in Banja Luka at their bachelor studies and includes focus groups, survey, descriptive and inferential statistical methods.We have found significant discrepancy between university ICT programs and infrastructure and student needs. For instance, a quite large number of students interested in ICT industry attended some kind of informal education from this domain and at the same time they were unaware that those and similar programs were freely available at their universities. In this paper we have identified those and similar gaps and compared our research results with similar results in other countries.
ANALYSIS OF SUSTAINABLE GROWTH RATES OF COMPANIES INCLUDED IN THE MIXED HOLDING POWER UTILITY OF REPUBLIC OF SRPSKA
Authors: Radivojac Goran , Krčmar Aleksandra
Published: June 2021

This paper analyzes selected data on the performance of companies that are part of the power utility Elektroprivreda Republike Srpske with the aim of determining their sustainable growth rates. The energy sector was chosen because of its importance both for the Republic of Srpska capital market (measured by the participation in the total market capitalization of the Banja Luka Stock Exchange and the basic Stock Exchange index) and the entire Republic of Srpska economy (measured by the participation in gross domestic product). The analysis considered data from published financial statements for 2019, with an emphasis on the following: operating assets, liabilities, capital, operating income and net profit. The dividend policy was also considered, but it was concluded in the paper that none of the observed companies paid dividends from profit for 2019 by the end of this analysis. The research results show that the rate of sustainable growth exceeds 1% in only one case, while in several other cases there are negative rates of sustainable growth caused by the loss in the observed period. Such facts could raise concerns, but also indicate possible directions for future actions in order to improve the performance of the considered companies.
THE INFORMAL ECONOMY AND ECONOMIC GROWTH OF NIGERIA: A TIME-VARYING PARAMETER APPROACH
Authors: Lydia Aina Abiola
Published: June 2021

Studies on the relationship between the informal economy and economic growth have been inconclusive as to whether the positive or negative relationship dominates. These results are partly due to the type of estimation technique such as fixed-parameter techniques. Fixed parameter techniques have been used to observe the relationship between economic growth and the informal economy. A caveat to the fixed-parameter estimation techniques used to observe the relationship between the informal economy and economic growth is the inability to account for annual disruptions. This paper seeks to examine the relationship between the informal economy and economic growth in Nigeria in the period from 1991 to 2015 using the Time-Varying Parameter (TVP) model. The TVP model is estimated in two stages. First, an Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) multiple regression is estimated and the outcome is subjected to the flexible least-squares approach. The results show the dominance of the negative effects of the informal economy on economic growth. The outcomes also reveal that overtime movements of time-varying parameters in the informal economy and economic growth are connected with economic and political events. This paper recommends the absorption of the informal economy into the official economy through government policy.
SITUATIONAL LEADERSHIP IN SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS
Authors: Todorović Zdravko , Todorović Boris
Published: June 2021

The purpose of this paper is to present a situational leadership model. The model is universal and can be applied in small, medium and large enterprises of various industries. Numerous surveys on U.S. Fortune 500 companies and surveys on other companies around the world have shown its universality, but also the need to improve the model. The aim of this paper is to adapt the model to the needs of the service activity that deals with vehicle servicing. The paper presents the hypothesis that by adapting the situational leadership model in service activities, it will lead to better personnel leadership, increased profits and satisfaction of the demands and requirements of stakeholders. We used quantitative and qualitative methodology in our paper. We collected numerical data based on a situational questionnaire, and we collected qualitative data based on interviews with employees and leaders. The results of the conducted research confirm that by adjusting the situational leadership model, the profit of the organization can be improved. The extension of the model refers to the clear definition of business objectives, and the requirements of the CEO that leaders must have the highest knowledge and skills to effectively manage staff in given situations. The limitation of the research refers to a small sample, because we applied and adjusted the model only to one service organization. The originality of the work refers to the adaptation of the model of situational leadership in a service organization that deals with vehicle servicing. For the first time, the development of leaders is assessed in situational leadership models at the request of the CEO. Based on the results, the CEO analyses the development of leaders and the development of employees. To achieve the defined goals, the CEO requires from leaders to be at the highest level of development. Therefore, the introduction of continuous training of leaders is necessary. There are several ways to assess employee development. For the first time, employees are developed based on their ability to perform jobs. Leaders must be able to adapt their leadership style to all employees, to train employees as quickly as possible to perform tasks independently.
“Agents of Description”. Animals, Affect, and Care in Thalia Field’s Experimental Animals: A Reality Fiction (2016)
Authors: Lambert Shannon
Published: June 2021

In this article, I explore questions of laboratory animal agency in dialogue with Thalia Field’s literary text “Experimental Animals: A Reality Fiction” (2016). Using the framework of “care” (understood, following María Puig de la Bellacasa 2017, as a multi-dimensional concept comprising affect, ethics, and practice), I consider how Field’s synaesthetic descriptions of animal suffering create an affective response in readers, alerting them to a shared carnal vulnerability. Indeed, rather than anthropomorphizing animals through narration or focalization, Field “stays with the body” to consider how animals call to us not as experimental objects, but as ethical subjects, how they become – in other words – agents of the description (Stewart 2016). To develop this idea, I introduce the “practiced” dimension of care. More specifically, I explore how Field uses narrative strategies like first-person narration and second-person address, “bridge characters” (James 2019), and juxtaposition to morally structure the text and encourage “transspecies alliances” between readers and represented animals. I argue that such devices direct and train affect, allowing us to better appreciate how conceptions of nonhuman animal agency are always contextualized within particular sets of social, cultural, historical, and disciplinary frames and practices.
Negative Schoch displacement of two-dimensional acoustic metamaterials with near-zero refractive index
Authors: Liu Xiang-Dong , Wu Fu-Gen , Yao Yuan-Wei , Zhang Xin ,   School of Materials and Energy, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China,   School of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
Published: June 2021

In this paper, the Schoch displacement at the interface between different two-dimensional triangular phononic crystal metamaterial and natural material is studied by using finite element software. As is well known, the Schoch displacement is highly dependent on the surface wave and leakage wave excited at the interface between different materials. So, the negative Schoch displacement can be more easily obtained by adding a suitable thickness of covering layer at the interface between metamaterial material and natural material. The numerical results show that when the negative Schoch displacement happens, the effective parameters of metamaterials are close to zero. It means that the effective refraction index is near to zero and the reduced frequency of the incident acoustic wave is correlated with the reduced frequency of the band gap. It is also found from the results that the reduced frequency of the incident acoustic wave is located at the edge of the band gap when the negative Schoch displacement occurs. The maximum of the metamaterial effective impedance and the maximum of the reflection coefficient are almost at the same frequency. The phase of the imaginary part of the reflection coefficient has a phase mutation in π rad at the corresponding frequency. The frequency of negative Schoch displacement is located in the first band gap of MK direction and near the upper boundary. The Schoch displacement at the interface between conventional materials is usually positive and negligible in previous reports. In this paper, the negative Schoch displacement is obtained by using the near-zero refraction index metamaterials. This not only enriches the physics contents of Schoch effect but also provides a theoretical reference for designing the acoustic devices based on acoustic wave displacement at the interface.
Stimulus-induced gamma rhythms are weaker in human elderly with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Murty Dinavahi VPS , Manikandan Keerthana , Kumar Wupadrasta Santosh , Ramesh Ranjini Garani , Purokayastha Simran , Nagendra Bhargavi , ML Abhishek , Balakrishnan Aditi , Javali Mahendra , Rao Naren Prahalada , Ray Supratim
Published: June 2021

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in elderly adds substantially to socioeconomic burden necessitating early diagnosis. While recent studies in rodent models of AD have suggested diagnostic and therapeutic value for gamma rhythms in brain, the same has not been rigorously tested in humans. In this case-control study, we recruited a large population (N = 244; 106 females) of elderly (>49 years) subjects from the community, who viewed large gratings that induced strong gamma oscillations in their electroencephalogram (EEG). These subjects were classified as healthy (N = 227), mild cognitively impaired (MCI; N = 12), or AD (N = 5) based on clinical history and Clinical Dementia Rating scores. Surprisingly, stimulus-induced gamma rhythms, but not alpha or steady-state visually evoked responses, were significantly lower in MCI/AD subjects compared to their age- and gender-matched controls. This reduction was not due to differences in eye movements or baseline power. Our results suggest that gamma could be used as a potential screening tool for MCI/AD in humans.
miR-125-chinmo pathway regulates dietary restriction-dependent enhancement of lifespan in Drosophila
Authors: Pandey Manish , Bansal Sakshi , Bar Sudipta , Yadav Amit Kumar , Sokol Nicholas S , Tennessen Jason M , Kapahi Pankaj , Chawla Geetanjali
Published: June 2021

Dietary restriction (DR) extends healthy lifespan in diverse species. Age and nutrient-related changes in the abundance of microRNAs (miRNAs) and their processing factors have been linked to organismal longevity. However, the mechanisms by which they modulate lifespan and the tissue-specific role of miRNA-mediated networks in DR-dependent enhancement of lifespan remains largely unexplored. We show that two neuronally enriched and highly conserved microRNAs, miR-125 and let-7 mediate the DR response in Drosophila melanogaster. Functional characterization of miR-125 demonstrates its role in neurons while its target chinmo acts both in neurons and the fat body to modulate fat metabolism and longevity. Proteomic analysis revealed that Chinmo exerts its DR effects by regulating the expression of FATP, CG2017, CG9577, CG17554, CG5009, CG8778, CG9527, and FASN1. Our findings identify miR-125 as a conserved effector of the DR pathway and open the avenue for this small RNA molecule and its downstream effectors to be considered as potential drug candidates for the treatment of late-onset diseases and biomarkers for healthy aging in humans.
Variations of intracellular density during the cell cycle arise from tip-growth regulation in fission yeast
Authors: Odermatt Pascal D , Miettinen Teemu P , Lemière Joël , Kang Joon Ho , Bostan Emrah , Manalis Scott R , Huang Kerwyn Casey , Chang Fred
Published: June 2021

Intracellular density impacts the physical nature of the cytoplasm and can globally affect cellular processes, yet density regulation remains poorly understood. Here, using a new quantitative phase imaging method, we determined that dry-mass density in fission yeast is maintained in a narrow distribution and exhibits homeostatic behavior. However, density varied during the cell cycle, decreasing during G2, increasing in mitosis and cytokinesis, and dropping rapidly at cell birth. These density variations were explained by a constant rate of biomass synthesis, coupled to slowdown of volume growth during cell division and rapid expansion post-cytokinesis. Arrest at specific cell-cycle stages exacerbated density changes. Spatially heterogeneous patterns of density suggested links between density regulation, tip growth, and intracellular osmotic pressure. Our results demonstrate that systematic density variations during the cell cycle are predominantly due to modulation of volume expansion, and reveal functional consequences of density gradients and cell-cycle arrests.
SORBS2 is a genetic factor contributing to cardiac malformation of 4q deletion syndrome patients
Authors: Liang Fei , Wang Bo , Geng Juan , You Guoling , Fa Jingjing , Zhang Min , Sun Hunying , Chen Huiwen , Fu Qihua , Zhang Xiaoqing , Zhang Zhen
Published: June 2021

Chromosome 4q deletion is one of the most frequently detected genomic imbalance events in congenital heart disease (CHD) patients. However, a portion of CHD-associated 4q deletions without known CHD genes suggests unknown CHD genes within these intervals. Here, we have shown that knockdown of SORBS2, a 4q interval gene, disrupted sarcomeric integrity of cardiomyocytes and caused reduced cardiomyocyte number in human embryonic stem cell differentiation model. Molecular analyses revealed decreased expression of second heart field (SHF) marker genes and impaired NOTCH and SHH signaling in SORBS2-knockdown cells. Exogenous SHH rescued SORBS2 knockdown-induced cardiomyocyte differentiation defects. Sorbs2-/- mouse mutants had atrial septal hypoplasia/aplasia or double atrial septum (DAS) derived from impaired posterior SHF with a similar expression alteration. Rare SORBS2 variants were significantly enriched in a cohort of 300 CHD patients. Our findings indicate that SORBS2 is a regulator of SHF development and its variants contribute to CHD pathogenesis. The presence of DAS in Sorbs2-/- hearts reveals the first molecular etiology of this rare anomaly linked to paradoxical thromboembolism.
Sex- and age-specific variation of gut microbiota in Brandt’s voles
Authors: Xu Xiaoming , Zhang Zhibin
Published: June 2021

Background

Gut microbiota plays a key role in the survival and reproduction of wild animals which rely on microbiota to break down plant compounds for nutrients. As compared to laboratory animals, wild animals face much more threat of environmental changes (e.g. food shortages and risk of infection). Therefore, studying the gut microbiota of wild animals can help us better understand the mechanisms animals use to adapt to their environment.

Methods

We collected the feces of Brandt’s voles in the grassland, of three age groups (juvenile, adult and old), in both sexes. We studied the gut microbiota by 16S rRNA sequencing.

Results

The main members of gut microbiota in Brandt’s voles were Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria. As voles get older, the proportion of Firmicutes increased gradually, and the proportion of Bacteroides decreased gradually. The diversity of the microbiota of juveniles is lower, seems like there is still a lot of space for colonization, and there are large variations in the composition of the microbiome between individuals. In adulthood, the gut microbiota tends to be stable, and the diversity is highest. In adult, the abundances of Christensenellaceae and Peptococcus of female were significantly higher than male voles.

Conclusions

The gut microbiota of Brandt’s vole was influenced by sex and age, probably due to growth needs and hormone levels. Gut microbiota of wild animals were much influenced by their life-history reflected by their age and sex. Future studies will be directed to identify functions of these “wild microbiota” in regulating physiological or behavioral processes of wild animals in different life stage or sexes.
Dental health care providers’ concerns, perceived impact, and preparedness during the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Javed Muhammad Qasim , Chaudhary Farooq Ahmad , Mohsin Syed Fareed , AlAttas Mustafa Hussein , Edrees Hadeel Yaseen , Habib Syed Rashid , Riaz Arham
Published: June 2021

Background

Dental health care providers (DHCPs)are at high risk of cross-infection during clinical practice therefore, the aim of the study was to evaluate the DHCPs Covid-19 related concerns, its perceived impact, and their preparedness in Saudi Arabia.

Methods

This cross-sectional study on DHCPs was carried out at five dental teaching hospitals/colleges in four provinces of Saudi Arabia from October to December 2020. A 35-item valid and reliable questionnaire was used to assess the concerns, perceived impact, and preparedness of DHCPs in the COVID-19 pandemic. Chi-square tests and logistic regression were used to compare parameters between the clinical and non-clinical staff.

Results

A total of 320 DHCPs participated in this study with proportion of clinical staff (57.5%) surpassing the non-clinical staff (42.5%). The clinical DHCPs felt greater odds of falling ill with COVID-19 than non-clinical workers (OR, 2.61) and willing to look for another job (OR, 3.50). The higher proportion in both groups was worried that people close to them would be at higher exposure risk (96.3%) however, slightly more clinical DHCPs were concerned for their children than a non-clinical worker (OR, 3.57). The clinical DHCPs have greater odds of worrying that people would avoid them and their family members because of their job (OR, 2.75). A higher proportion in both groups (75.0%, 63.2%) felt that they would feel stress at work. More non-clinical DHCPs (94.1%) had received training for infection control than clinical (94.1% vs 63.0%: OR 0.10). Similarly, more DHCPs in the nonclinical group received adequate personal protective equipment training (88.2%; OR, 0.48). Most participants practiced self-preparation such as buying masks and disinfection (94.4%, 96.9%).

Conclusion

The majority of DHCPs felt concerned about their risk of exposure and falling ill from infection and infecting friends/family. These concerns could potentially affect the working of DHCPs during this pandemic. Measures to improve protection for DHCPs, minimize psychological implications, and potential social stigmatization should be identified at the planning phase before any pandemic.
Effects of short-term grazing prohibition on soil physical and chemical properties of meadows in Southwest China
Authors: Zhu Guiqing , Yuan Chaoxiang , Gong Hede , Peng Yanling , Huang Changjiang , Wu Chuansheng , Duan Huachao
Published: June 2021

Background

Grassland plays an important role in the ecosystem, but overgrazing harms the grassland system in many places. Grazing prohibition is an effective method to restore grassland ecosystems, and it plays a great role in realizing the sustainable development of grassland systems. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out research on the influence of regional grazing prohibition on the physical and chemical properties of different grassland systems.

Methods

In Potatso National Park, Southwest China, we selected experimental plots in the artificial grazing meadow area to study the effects of grazing prohibition on plant and soil indexes in subalpine meadows and swamp meadows. We investigated the biomass and species diversity of grazing prohibition treatment and grazing treatment plots and sampled and tested the soil index. The variation percentage was used to remove the original heterogeneity and yearly variation, allowing us to compare differences in plant index and soil index values between grazing prohibition and grazing treatments.

Results

Grazing prohibition increased the aboveground biomass, total biomass, total meadow coverage, average height, richness index, Shannon diversity index and evenness index and reduced the belowground biomass and root/shoot ratio in the subalpine meadow and swamp meadow. Additionally, grazing prohibition reduced the pH and soil bulk density and increased the soil total carbon, soil organic carbon, soil total nitrogen, soil hydrolyzable nitrogen, soil total phosphorus and soil available phosphorus in the subalpine meadow and swamp meadow. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) analysis showed that both plant indexes and soil indexes were significantly different between grazing and grazing prohibition treatments and between meadow types. Short-term grazing prohibition had a great impact on improving the fertility of meadow soil in the study area. We suggest that long-term and extensive research should be carried out to promote the restoration and sustainable development of regional grassland systems.
Design Passive Optical Network Using Multiclass Classification Neural Network
Authors: Dewantara Firman Pratama , Pramono Sholeh Hadi , . Rahmadwati
Published: June 2021

To require the order of last mile and the increasing demands of high quality of internet, the network architecture of FTTH (Fiber to the Home) has been chosen by numerous ISP (Internet Service Provider). Poor planning does not only increase the infrastructure costs, but it also increases maintenance costs. In this study, the authors focus on the design of passive optical network by using multiclass classification [9] in backpropagation neural network to shorten the FTTH network planning based on passive optical network design to determine final splitter type which refers to the feasibility of QoS (Quality of Service) and Cost Efficiency. Dataset in this study utilizes GIS (Geographic Information System) report with 33 sub-districts in Malang Regency in 2019 data layer. As a result, after 7300 epoch, the accuracy training was 99.99% and the splitter classification accuracy was 98.76%.
Prevalence of Non-Dermatophytic Molds Associated with Cutaneous Mycoses in Cattle in Abia and Imo States, Nigeria
Authors: Nwofor C. N. , Oyeka C. A. , Onyenwe N. E. , Echeta M. O. , Tatfeng Y. M.
Published: June 2021

Aims: To study the prevalence and identification of non-dermatophytic molds associated with cattle in Abia and Imo States, Nigeria.

Study Design: The systematic random sampling method was adopted.

Place and Duration of Study: A total of 2255 cattle was encountered, out of which 451 skin samples from both infected and asymptomatic animals were sampled from six cattle markets in Abia  and Imo States, Nigeria between January and August, 2018.

Methodology: The 451 samples were analysed for their colonial and microscopic morphology and molecular analysis. Polymerase chain reaction of the 16SrRNA internal transcriber spacer (ITS) sequence techniques were carried out on the isolates. Pathogenicity of the isolates were determined.

Results: A  total of 16 non-dermatophytic  molds were obtained from 451samples analysed at different frequency of  occurrences from  the cattle skins in both states and these  include  Aspergillusfumigatus (3.6%),  Aspergillus  terreus (2.7%),  Aspergillus wewitschiae (13.5%), Aspergillus flavus (10.0%),  Aspergillus aculeatus (9.0%),  Aspergillus sydowii (5.0%),  Fusarium solani (3.2%),  Fusarium lichenicola (17.9%), Fusarium succisae (12.0%), Fusarium oxysporum (2.0%), Penicillium citrinum (3.0%), Curvularia kusanol (0.6%), Cladosporium tenuissimum (4.9%), Pestalotiopsis microspora (0.1%), Talaromyces kendrickii (0.1%) and Absidia specie (12.9%).

Conclusion: The study revealed that non-dermatophytic molds were highly prevalent and are possible causative agent of cutaneous mycoses in cattle. Pathogenicity evaluation carried out in this study revealed that Aspergillus welwitschiae, Cladosporium tenuissimum and Absidia sp. were highly virulent.
Education, Women Empowerment and National Development in Nigeria
Authors: Aimua Ehigocho Peace
Published: June 2021

This study examines the role of Education in women empowerment for effective participation in National Development. Education is a very important tool in improving the status of women in any society. It is indispensable as it enables women to gain Knowledge about the world which helps women upgrade their status, gain positive self-esteem, self-confidence, and necessary strength needed to face challenges in life. Therefore, educated women have a vital role to play in governance, agricultural sector, industrial sector, and the commerce sector for the nations building. Although Nigeria women are faced daily with some grassroots challenges that have hindered their participation in the nations building.  The challenges faced by women daily which have limited their contributions to the development of Nigerian economy includes; cultural and traditional belief system, religion, illiteracy and low standard of living. The study concluded that, across the country women access to education is still low as the gender disparity in the enrolment of women into all level of educational institutions has widened over the years. To bridge this gap, the government should as a matter of urgency create and implement policies capable of promoting gender balance in access to education across the country, by insisting on the enrolment of a higher percentage of girl child in schools from primary schools. The government should also create policies that can remove institutional and artificial barriers based on culture, religion and traditional considerations impeding women from contributing to economic development.
Microbial Pesticides for Insect Pest Management: Success and Risk Analysis
Authors: Rajashekhar Mandla , Rajashekar Banda , Sathyanarayana Eetela , Keerthi M. C. , Kumar Padala Vinod , Ramakrishna K. , Vanisree Kalisetti , Neelima Guptha , Madhuri G. , Shaila Ongole
Published: June 2021

Biotic stress is a major cause for pre and postharvest losses in agriculture. Food crops of the world are damaged by more than of 10,000 species of insects 30,000 species of weeds, 1,00, 000 types of diseases (due to fungi, viruses, bacteria and various microbes) and a 1,000 species of nematodes. Modern day management practices for the above specified stress factors largely depends on the utilization of synthetic pesticides. Pesticide misuse in numerous sectors of agriculture frequently has often linked to health issues and environmental pollution around the world. Thus, there is a growing interest in replacing or possibly supplementing the prevailing control strategies with new and safer techniques. One of the promising management tools in this new state of affairs for crop protection is microbial pesticides. At present, only 3% of plant protectants used globally are covered by bio pesticides, but their growth rate indicates an increasing trend in the past two decades. The discovery of insecticidal property of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) indicated a more extensive part of organism based natural control. Microbial pesticides comprise of a microorganisms (bacterium, fungus, virus or protozoan) or toxins produced by them as the active ingredient. The most commonly used microbial pesticides are entomopathogenic fungi (Metarhizium, Beauveria and Verticillium), entomopathogenic bacteria (Bt), entomopathogenic nematode (Steinernema and Heterorhabditis) and baculoviruses (NPV and GV) which able to cause disease in insects. Microbial insecticides are promising alternative to ecologically disruptive pest control measures as they are no longer harmful to the environment and non target organisms. If deployed appropriately, microbial insecticides have capability to bring sustainability to global agriculture for food and food safety.
Bacteriological and Physicochemical Quality Assessment of a Segment of Asa River Water, Ilorin, Nigeria
Authors: Jimoh Fausat Abimbola , Kolawole Olatunji Matthew
Published: June 2021

The existence of all living organisms depends on water resource which is continually polluted, and is therefore of public health importance. This study investigated river water samples for physicochemical and bacteriological quality of post-office segment of Asa river in Ilorin using standard procedures and the isolates were also identified with standard methods. Eight selected antibiotics used were in this study to determine the trend of susceptibility of the microorganisms to some of the antibiotics. The values recorded for physicochemical parameters of the water samples were within the limits of WHO standard for safe drinking water. The temperature of the water samples ranged between 21.0 and 28.40C while water pH ranged from 7.1 to 7.5. The total heterotrophic count values ranged between 1.2×104 and 7.8×104 cfu/ml, total coliform count values ranged between 4.0×102 and 1.0×104 cfu/100ml, total fecal count values were between 0 and 5.9×103 cfu/100ml some of which were found to be higher than the WHO stipulated values prescribed for river water. Large amount of the bacteria isolated from this water indicated that the water source is a reservoir for many waterborne pathogens; this includes Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis, Salmonella sp., Shigella sp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella sp., Staphylococcus aureus  and Streptococcus sp. Approximately 75% of the isolates were sensitive to ofloxacin and 50% of the isolates were sensitive to gentamicin, while the entire organisms were resistant to augmentin, cefuroxime, ceftazidime, ceftriaxone. It was inferred that, the selected of segment of the river analyzed revealed high levels of pollution with antibiotic resistant organisms hence not suitable for human consumption without implementing appropriate purification and  treatment regimen.
GDP-PMI Nexus: Nigeria in Focus
Authors: Abraham Ochoche
Published: June 2021

This study seeks to contribute to extant literature on the relationship between the manufacturing and non-manufacturing purchasing manager’s index (PMI) and the real gross domestic product  (GDP)  in Nigeria. The study was carried out at Statistics Department, Central Bank of Nigeria, Abuja, Nigeria between 2010:Q1 – 2019:Q3 (for seasonally adjusted quarterly real gross domestic product (GDP)) and 2014:M7 – 2019:M9 (for monthly PMI). Pearson correlation test and plots  are the adopted methods. The uniqueness of this study is the utilization of growth rates for both variables as well as employing a disaggregated approach in other to drill down to discover the true drivers of the relationship between the two variables. Results shows that CBN PMI is the most reliable of the three PMI indices computed for Nigeria. In addition, input price, output   prices and quantity purchased, are the true determinants (from the manufacturing sector) of the direction of real GDP growth. Output price has a strong negative relationship with real GDP (-83%, contemporaneous), while input price too has a strong negative relationship with real GDP (-88% contemporaneous and -90% at lag 1) and quantity of purchases has a strong positive relationship with real GDP. From the non-manufacturing sector, average input price has a strong negative relationship with real GDP (-84%, with 2 periods lag), new export orders have a strong positive relationship with real GDP growth (77% with 3 periods lag) and imports also has a strong positive relationship with real GDP growth (85% with 1 period lag). Because prices have such a significant effect on GDP growth, it is recommended that both the monetary and fiscal authorities work together to curb inflation growth which has been trending upwards.
Evaluation of Antibacterial Activity and GCMS Analysis of Zanthoxylum Ovalifolium Fruit Extracts
Authors: Pavani P. , Naika Raja
Published: June 2021

Herbal medicines have played a vital role in the evolution of humanity and civilization. The fruits of the plant Zanthoxylum were collected from the study field, washed, dried in the shade and powdered. Soxhlation method was used to make different solvent extract of fruit. The different fruit extracts were examined against P. aeruginosa, P. syringe, S. aureus, S. typhi, K. pneumonia and E. coli by agar well diffusion method and for the detection of biochemical components present in the Zanthoxylum fruit, methanolic fruit extract was analyzed using GC-MS. Results showed that, the methanolic extract of fruit is found to be exhibit activity against P. aeruginosa, P. syringe, S. aureus, S. typhi, K. pneumonia and E. coli when compared to the hexane and ethyl acetate. The discovery of 46 bioactive compounds in methanolic fruit extract was verified by their molecular formula, molecular weight, and area peak percentage. In which 6 bioactive compounds such as 6-octadecanoic acid, Pentadecanoic acid, Ethyl oleate, 9-octadecenoic acid (Z)-, methyl ester, Glycerin and 1, 2-dimethoxy-4-(2-methoxyethenyl) benzene compounds showed highest peak area percentage of 26.14, 13.61, 8.56, 6.12 and 6.08% respectively. The compounds found in this research may be responsible for some of the medicinal action of the Z. ovalifolium fruit and may be useful in the development of new medicines.
Exraction of Secondary Metabolites Using Bacillus endopyticus and Its Applications
Authors: Kalima S. , Mariappan K. Thanga , Johney Jesteena , Ragunathan R.
Published: June 2021

Bacillus Species was isolated from a soil sample, the isolate was cultivated, identified and its culture medium was extracted. Specific media called Gibbon’s media used for the cultivation and confirmation of the bacteria. 16S rRNA study was done for the morphological identification of the isolate. The crude which was collected from Bacillus endopyticus was purified by column chromatography. The antibacterial activity of the crude extract was identified by agar diffusion test by measuring the minimum inhibitory concentration by dilution assay. The purified extract was active against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cerues, Escherichia coli. The study suggest that Bacillus Sps have the potential to produce antibiotics and can be used to control the growth in future. The further work was able to bring the microbial strains under control. The percentage of cell death was calculated the cell death was 97.95%.