bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Historically Black Colleges and Universities Access to Digital Media
Authors: Roseboro Ashla C. Hill
Published: January 2021

Black women entrepreneurs have invested in and supported HBCUs since their inception. Communication and technologies are not neutral carriers of information, but transport messages that are embedded in histories of capitalism, exploitation, and inequality. Black women social entrepreneurs view education as a liberating force, with the potential to bring equality within social and political culture. This study will investigate (1) the role of HBCUs in broadband internet access, (2) distance learning at HBCUs, (3) Black women entrepreneurs as charitable givers, and (4) Black alumnae social networking for economic gains. Findings will identify how Black women social entrepreneurs can develop strategies for broadband digital connectivity in conjunction with HBCUs, where digital media communication technologies are used for instruction.
Optimization of Windspeed Prediction Using an Artificial Neural Network Compared With a Genetic Programming Model
Authors: Deo Ravinesh C. , Ghimire Sujan , Downs Nathan J. , Raj Nawin
Published: January 2021

The precise prediction of windspeed is essential in order to improve and optimize wind power prediction. However, due to the sporadic and inherent complexity of weather parameters, the prediction of windspeed data using different patterns is difficult. Machine learning (ML) is a powerful tool to deal with uncertainty and has been widely discussed and applied in renewable energy forecasting. In this chapter, the authors present and compare an artificial neural network (ANN) and genetic programming (GP) model as a tool to predict windspeed of 15 locations in Queensland, Australia. After performing feature selection using neighborhood component analysis (NCA) from 11 different metrological parameters, seven of the most important predictor variables were chosen for 85 Queensland locations, 60 of which were used for training the model, 10 locations for model validation, and 15 locations for the model testing. For all 15 target sites, the testing performance of ANN was significantly superior to the GP model.
An Improved Genetic Algorithm for Solving Multi Depot Vehicle Routing Problems
Authors: Singh Varimna , Ganapathy L. , Pundir Ashok K.
Published: January 2021

The classical Vehicle Routing Problem (VRP) tries to minimise the cost of dispatching goods from depots to customers using vehicles with limited carrying capacity. As a generalisation of the TSP, the problem is known to be NP-hard and several authors have proposed heuristics and meta-heuristics for obtaining good solutions. The authors present genetic algorithm-based approaches for solving the problem and compare the results with available results from other papers, in particular, the hybrid clustering based genetic algorithm. The authors find that the proposed methods give encouraging results on all these instances. The approach can be extended to solve multi depot VRPs with heterogeneous fleet of vehicles.
A Multi-Objective Approach for Materialized View Selection
Authors: Prakash Jay , Kumar T.V. Vijay
Published: January 2021

In today's world, business transactional data has become the critical part of all business-related decisions. For this purpose, complex analytical queries have been run on transactional data to get the relevant information, from therein, for decision making. These complex queries consume a lot of time to execute as data is spread across multiple disparate locations. Materializing views in the data warehouse can be used to speed up processing of these complex analytical queries. Materializing all possible views is infeasible due to storage space constraint and view maintenance cost. Hence, a subset of relevant views needs to be selected for materialization that reduces the response time of analytical queries. Optimal selection of subset of views is shown to be an NP-Complete problem. In this article, a non-Pareto based genetic algorithm, is proposed, that selects Top-K views for materialization from a multidimensional lattice. An experiments-based comparison of the proposed algorithm with the most fundamental view selection algorithm, HRUA, shows that the former performs comparatively better than the latter. Thus, materializing views selected by using the proposed algorithm would improve the query response time of analytical queries and thereby facilitate in decision making.
Application of Computational Intelligence in Network Intrusion Detection
Authors: Eid Heba F.
Published: January 2021

Intrusion detection system plays an important role in network security. However, network intrusion detection (NID) suffers from several problems, such as false positives, operational issues in high dimensional data, and the difficulty of detecting unknown threats. Most of the problems with intrusion detection are caused by improper implementation of the network intrusion detection system (NIDS). Over the past few years, computational intelligence (CI) has become an effective area in extending research capabilities. Thus, NIDS based upon CI is currently attracting considerable interest from the research community. The scope of this review will encompass the concept of NID and presents the core methods of CI, including support vector machine, hidden naïve Bayes, particle swarm optimization, genetic algorithm, and fuzzy logic. The findings of this review should provide useful insights into the application of different CI methods for NIDS over the literature, allowing to clearly define existing research challenges and progress, and to highlight promising new research directions.
Solving Nurse Scheduling Problem via Genetic Algorithm in Home Healthcare
Authors: İnanç Şahin , Eren Şenaras Arzu
Published: January 2021

The nurse scheduling problem (NSP) is the problem involving allocating the monthly shifts (day and night shifts, holidays, and so on) for nurses under various constraints. Generally, the NSP has a lot of constraints. As a result, it needs a lot of knowledge and experience to make the scheduling table with its constraints, and it has been made by the head nurse or the authority in the hospitals. This allocation of the shifts gives a lot of burden (time and efforts) to them, and it has been growing the demand for the automatic nurse scheduling system. This chapter aims to develop a genetic algorithm application for the Nurse Scheduling Problem (NSP). The application will be developed using Microsoft Visual Studio in C# programming language.
Harris Hawks Jaya Algorithm-Based Routing Protocol in Delay Tolerant Network
Authors: Gantayat Pradosh Kumar , Das Satyabrata
Published: January 2021

This paper introduces a trust-based multipath routing protocol for exploiting different paths between source as well as destination to mitigate energy constraints. The key idea is to determine optimal path from the entire paths available among source and target node. To improve the security in routing protocol, the factors, like trust factors, and distance are considered as major components. Based on these parameters, the multipath routing is carried out based on HH-Jaya Algorithm. The HH-Jaya is designed newly by integrating Harris Hawks Optimization (HHO) and Jaya Algorithm. After that, the reputation and trust-based context aware routing (RCAR) protocol is utilized to select the optimal path with more trust factor. Here, the trust is modelled by considering trust factors, like direct, indirect, history, forwarding rate, and availability factors, in addition to the utility function. The proposed HH-Jaya outperformed other methods with minimal delay of 0.007 sec, maximal throughput of 0.913 for 10 user and maximal packet deliver rate (PDR) of 0.991 for 20 users respectively.
Prediction of Heart Cancer Data Using Hybrid Optimization and Machine Learning Techniques
Authors: Passi Kalpdrum , Patel Prayushi , Jain Chakresh Kumar
Published: January 2021

The traditional methods of cancer diagnosis and cancer-type recognition have quite a large number of limitations in terms of speed and accuracy. However, recent studies on cancer diagnosis are focused on molecular level identification so as to improve the capability of diagnosis process. By statistically analyzing the heart cancer datasets using a set of protocols and algorithms, gene expression profiles are efficiently analyzed. Various machine learning classifiers are used to classify the selected data. Cross-validation was performed to avoid overfitting and different ratios of training, and testing data was used to conclude the best optimization technique and classification algorithm for the heart cancer datasets. The data is optimized using optimization techniques like particle swarm optimization (PSO), grey wolf optimization (GWO), and hybrid particle swarm optimization with grey wolf optimizer (HPSOGWO). Results show an improvement in the prediction accuracy of heart cancer by the hybrid algorithm as compared to PSO and GWO algorithms.
The Effects of Taping on Muscle Activity and Throwing Velocity in Fatigued Baseball Players
Authors: Harrison Kara-Lyn R. , Sanzo Paolo , Zerpa Carlos , Klarner Taryn
Published: January 2021

Due to the repetitive high forces and torques placed on an individual during a baseball pitch, shoulder pain is present in 46-57% of pitchers. Therapeutic taping has been proposed to have beneficial qualities in injury prevention, rehabilitation, and performance enhancement via muscular facilitation. Therefore, the purpose of this pilot study was to investigate the effect of taping on the velocity of an overhead baseball throw and muscle activation patterning of the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, and pectoralis major muscles in baseball players after muscle fatigue was induced. Participants were asked to complete three pre-test maximum velocity overhead throws, a fatiguing protocol, followed by three post-test maximum velocity pitches. There was no statistically significant difference in throwing velocity or muscle activity with the application of the different taping conditions in the three phases of an overhead baseball throw. These finding suggest Kinesio Tape® does not change muscle activation or velocity of overhead baseball throws when compared to a no tape condition.
Adoption of Micro-Strip Patch Antenna for Wireless Communication
Authors: Kaur Amandeep , Malik Praveen Kumar
Published: January 2021

The tremendous growth in wireless technology boosts the need for data transmission at high rates and with fast speed. The invention of wireless data transmission techniques cut down infrastructure costs by omitting the need for wires for long-distance communication. In every wireless application like wi-fi, Bluetooth, wi-max, GPS, mobile communication, satellite communication, etc. needs an antenna for signal transmission using radio wave, so the antenna is highly regarded for this. In this research article, an overview of wireless communication and the need for a microstrip patch antenna is discussed for wireless applications with gain and bandwidth enhancement techniques discovered by researchers till now after an extensive literature survey. Antenna performance is analyzed in terms of antenna parameters like VSWR, bandwidth, return loss, gain, and radiation pattern. This extensive literature survey is done to provide benefit to researchers and to analyze how much antenna efficiency is obtained at different frequencies in terms of the above-mentioned antenna parameters.
Social Demographic Factors and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Adoption Constrains Amongst Small and Medium Scale Farmers in Nigeria
Authors: Sunday Olufemi Akintelu  , Awojide Simon , Akinbola Amos Olufemi , Adegbite Waliu Mulero
Published: January 2021

This study examined the probable effects that socio-demographic factors and constraints has on ICTs employed in farm activities among two local governments of Edo State, Nigeria. A random sampling technique was used to collect data from 75 small and medium-scale farmers through 150 structured questionnaires. The data collected were analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The results showed that farmers in the location sampled uses ICT in farm activities, with the frequency of use influenced by age, educational status, and other allied factors. The result of ANOVA shows that educational variation is a strong factor (p< 0.05) influencing the adoption of ICT in the regions. Against the backdrop of these findings, it is suggested that a holistic approach towards the use of ICT in farm activities be developed and supported by government with respect to ICT infrastructural acquisition, farm extension services, ICT training, and financial support to farmers. These measures will no doubt help to modernize agricultural and consequently enhance productivity and innovation.
Person Re-Identification Based on Significant Color With the Spatial Correspondence
Authors: Vidhyalakshmi M. K.  , Poovammal E.  , Masilamani V.  , Bhaskar Vidhyacharan
Published: January 2021

Video surveillance has played a key role to find an individual just in case of a criminal offense. More studies were done to make the surveillance process autonomous. In this, the person re-identification technique helps to identify people. The surveillance cameras are normally mounted at a height above the head of a person. With such a position of camera, it is difficult to identify the person. Therefore, video surveillance is an application in real time. The images of the same individual may vary appreciably based on different camera field of view. Color content in an image remains an important cue to identify a person. Under the assumption that the clothing color remains unchanged over the period of surveillance, a method based on significant colors with its spatial correspondence in image is proposed. The method is applied on standard data sets like GRID, PRID450s and VIPER. The results are plotted as cumulative matching characteristic curve and compared with other methods. The approach is both computationally efficient and delivers better performance.
Behaviour of Conventional Concrete Treated with Robo Sand and Iron Shavings
Authors: Sathyanarayana D. , Padmapriya R.
Published: January 2021

This paper deals with impact of M-sand utilization rather than ordinary fine total (N-Sand) and iron shavings as far as volume of cement to improve the elastic nature of the matrix material. Basically, concrete is a composite material invented in ancient period for construction purpose. Out of the total volume of concrete 30% of volume filled with fine aggregate which is brought from digging of rivers, lakes, and canals, which causes serious tread to environment by land sliding. Now this research is carried out to identify the suitability of alternative material instead of natural sand. In this context manufactured sand produced from crushing of basalt stone is being replaced in various percentages as 0%, 20%, 40%, 60%, 80% and 100% in the place of natural sand for M25 Grade concrete. Also Iron shavings was added at 0%, 2%, 4%, 6%, 8% and 10% for total volume of concrete.
Dielectric Studies of Ferrimagnetic-Piezoelectric Composites
Authors: Devidas G. B. , Khader Sunar Abdul , Parveez Asiya , Das Nityananda , Sankarappa T.
Published: January 2021

Magneto-electric composites of two distinct phases, ferrimagnetic-piezoelectric system with general compositional formula (x) ferromagnetic + (1-x) piezoelectric were synthesized using a hybrid technique, mechano-chemical method by sintering the mixtures of piezo-electric BaTiO3 (BTO) and ferri-magnetic Mg0.2Cu0.5Zn0.3Fe2O4 (MCZF). Here, ferri-magnetic phase component MCZF (Mg0.2Cu0.5Zn0.3Fe2O4) was prepared using auto-combustion method, whereas piezo-electric BTO was procured commercially from Sigma-Aldrich. Here, the general composition of composites is given by (x) Mg0.2Cu0.5Zn0.3Fe2O4+(1-x) BaTiO3(x=15%, 30% and 45%). Presences of two phases in these magneto-electric composites were probed using X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies. Peaks observed in the XRD spectrum indicated spinel cubic structure for MCZF ferrite and tetragonal perovskite structure for BTO and, both spinel and pervoskite structures for synthesized composites. Micro-structure of the samples has been investigated using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM). Frequency dependent dielectric properties of synthesized composites were measured from 100 Hz to 1 MHz at room temperature using a precision HIOKI make LCR HI-TESTER. Dielectric dispersion was observed at lower frequencies for the synthesized composites.
Surface Modification TiO2 Nanotubes on Titanium for Biomedical Application
Authors: Sivaprakash V. , Narayanan R.
Published: January 2021

Electrochemical anodization is a unique surface modification technique for modifying the titanium surface. Electrochemical alteration of titanium surface increases the material efficiency in biomedical applications. The present research work analyses the fabrication of TiO2nanotubes by increasing the water content and the various results and characterization enhance the cell viability. The influence of water content in electrolytes improves cell viability and at the same time, it is non-toxic. The surface morphologies were studied with HR-SEM, phase transformation was characterized using X-ray diffraction and cell viability was investigated with MTT assay by NIH-3T3 fibroblast cells incubation time for 48 hours (standard time incubation).
Development of Composite Using Recycled PET Reinforced with Fiberglass Powder, Sawdust and Gypsum
Authors: Mathu Ananya , Asif Syed Arham , Chandra Kinnal , Motru Suneel , Patel Devji , Syed Rayyan
Published: January 2021

There is an increasing amount of plastic waste generated all around the world, especially by developed countries. Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) is one of the most widely used plastics in the world and after recycling it should be used economically and productively. The need to develop an appropriate use for recycled material is imminent. A composite is developed using recycled PET matrix reinforced with fiberglass powder, sawdust and gypsum to maximize the sustainable potential of recycled materials. Izod Impact test specimens with varying weight fraction of fiberglass powder as 12%, 15%, and 19% made as per ASTM D256 standard are tested and the results are discussed in this paper.
Role of NASA 10-minute Lean Test in diagnosing postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome: a preliminary study in young population
Authors: Bashir Musharaf , Ahluwalia Himani , Khan Tazeen , Sayeed Sheikh Imran
Published: January 2021

Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) is a form of autonomic imbalance characterized by abnormally increased heart rate (HR) and various symptoms of orthostatic intolerance (OI). This study aimed to determine POTS in adolescents using the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) 10-minute Lean Test. This cross-sectional study was conducted at Government Medical College, Srinagar, J&K, India, between October 2017 and November 2019. Adolescents with symptoms of OI were enrolled for this study, and the NASA 10-minute Lean Test was performed. Characteristics of the POTS group were compared with the non-POTS group. There was a significant difference in BMI (P<0.0001) between the POTS and non-POTS groups. However, the number of females with features of POTS was greater than males. There was a significant difference in resting HR between the two groups (P<0.0001). During upright posture, there was a significant difference in maximum upright HR between the two groups (P<0.0001), the highest increment in upright HR also differed significantly (P<0.0001). POTS group had significantly higher HR than the non-POTS group. It may be inferred from this preliminary study that NASA 10- minute Lean Test can be used to diagnose POTS.
COVID-19 and its impact on acute coronary syndrome in-hospital epidemiology: a multifactorial analysis from a single-center Hospital in the north-east region of Italy
Authors: L’Angiocola Paolo Diego , Monti Manuel
Published: January 2021

We analyze all possible, multifactorial correlations between coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and epidemiological in-hospital epidemiologic variations in ischemic heart disease burden. We developed a simple retrospective study surveying all acute coronary syndrome cases reporting an epidemiological analysis of a single-center University Italian Hospital located in the north-east area of Italy in the city of Gorizia, comparingdata collected in two months (February and March) about the definite diagnosis of myocardial infarction in the years 2019 and 2020 (COVID-19 peak exposure interval) respectively. We retrospectively analyzed data regarding the two months of February and March 2020 about admissions to our Intensive Cardiac Care Unit (ICCU) with a confirmed diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome. Differences among the two study periods were assessed using the χ2 test. Statistical significances were set at P<0.05. All analyses were conducted using IBM SPSS software version 24.0 (IBM Corp. Armonk, NY, USA). We showed a remarkable decrease of acute coronary syndrome cases diagnosed and admitted to our Intensive Cardiac Care Unit when comparing the interval period between February and March 2019 to the same months of 2020. This rate was significantly lower than either the rate during the earlier period in the same year [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.63 to 0.80; P<0.001]. We showed an overall decrease in diagnosis of acute coronary syndromes during the COVID-19 pandemic; we relate this amount decrease in diagnosis to general underuse of cardiologic public services leading to a reduced number of admissions for acute coronary syndrome cases and possibly undertreatment and death of out-of-hospital, silenced critical clinical cardiologic pictures due to a generalized fear of COVID-19 in-hospital contagion.
High-resolution mapping of glacial landscapes in central mainland Nunavut using ArcticDEM data and Landsat 8 imagery
Authors: McMartin I , Godbout P -M , Campbell J E , Tremblay T , Behnia P
Published: January 2021

A new glacial geomorphology map covers approximately 415,000 km2 in a core region of the Laurentide Ice Sheet in Nunavut. The compilation builds on recent and legacy maps and is supplemented by visual digitization of glacigenic features using high-resolution
digital elevation data (ArcticDEM) and Landsat 8 images. From this unprecedented, detailed inventory of >156,000 features and >14,000 field observations, we identify various glacial landsystems, many of which are entirely new and others that are significantly modified or
updated. This poster provides an overview of the mapping methods, examples of mapped features and interpreted landsystems and a list of related publications.
Suggested modifications in oncology/hematology inpatient service in Saudi Arabia during coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic
Authors: Elsamany Shereef , Hassanin Fayza , Al-Abdulwahab Amal , Tashkandi Emad
Published: January 2021

Background: Management of cancer patients in the current era of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic poses significant challenges on health-care systems. However, it is mandatory to keep the required level of care of cancer patients while taking the necessary precautions to maintain the safety of both patients and health-care professionals (HCPs). The present survey explores suggested modifications of inpatient oncology/hematology care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and Methods: A web-based questionnaire using SurveyMonkey was distributed to HCPs taking care of inpatient hematology/oncology service including oncologists, hematologists, and inpatient nurses in Saudi Arabia. The 25 items selected for the survey focused on five domains including characteristics of HCPs, COVID-19 infection risk among admitted patients, possible modifications related to physicians/nursing practice, and suggested infection control measures. Clinical sensibility assessment was conducted to evaluate the comprehensiveness, clarity, and face validity of our instrument on a scale of 1–5. The percentages of HCP responses to the suggested modifications in the survey were assessed in descriptive statistics to summarize data and report views of participants. Results: Of 215 HCPs, 195 responded and completed the survey. Of the respondents, 30.4% were medical oncologists, whereas hematologists and nurses constituted 6.7% and 62.9% of the participants, respectively. The majority of respondents (87.6%) work in governmental hospitals. The majority of participants (82%) have diagnosed patients with COVID-19 in their hospitals and modifications in inpatient practice during the COVID-19 pandemic were supported by 95% of respondents. The supported modifications by participants include enhanced use of oral medications (83.5%), phone calls to admitted stable patients by physicians, instead of physical interview (77%), decreasing frequency of vital signs assessment in stable patients (91%), decreasing the duration of stay in patients rooms (89%), using peripheral instead of central lines (76%), using video-based educational materials to patients through hospital TV network (91%), testing for COVID -19 before scheduled radiology imaging and procedures (74%), and performing routine nasopharyngeal swabs for HCPs (67%). Conclusion: Several modifications in inpatient oncology/hematology practice were supported by the survey participants. These suggestions need to be discussed on local basis considering local infrastructure, available resources, and level of required care.
Associations of physical activity at work and household income with obesity: a cross-sectional study among rural adults in Korea
Authors: Kye Su Yeon , Cho Heeyoun , Thao Tran Thi Phuong , Oh Jin-Kyoung , Lim Min Kyung
Published: January 2021

OBJECTIVES: This study was performed to identify the effect of physical activity at work on obesity and to analyze the contribution of socioeconomic factors and health behaviors to this association, which has been relatively little studied.METHODS: From the Korean National Cancer Center Community Cohort, a total of 5,587 adults (2,125 men; 3,462 women) aged more than 30 years living in rural areas were enrolled. Information on socio-demographic factors, health behaviors, and body mass index was gathered using face-to-face interviews and measurements of height and weight.RESULTS: Inverse associations were identified between vigorous-intensity physical activity at work and obesity in both men and women, while no association was found between vigorous-intensity physical activity during leisure time and obesity. High household income was independently associated with a lower risk of obesity among those who had low levels of vigorous-intensity physical activity at work. Vigorous physical activity at work showed an inverse association with obesity in rural areas where heavy manual labor is common.CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate the necessity to account for various types of physical activity to improve the assessment and prevention of obesity.
Полигомоморфизмы локально компактных групп
Authors: Neretin Yurii Aleksandrovich
Published: January 2021

Пусть $G$ и $H$ - локально компактные группы с фиксированными двусторонне инвариантными мерами Хаара. Полигомоморфизм $G\rightarrowtail H$ - это замкнутая подгруппа $R\subset G\times H$ с фиксированной мерой Хаара $\rho$, причем проекции $\rho$ на $G$ и на $H$ мажорируются мерами Хаара на $G$ и $H$. Полигомоморфизм можно рассматривать как многозначное отображение, переводящее точки в подмножества, снабженные "равномерной" мерой. Для двух полигомоморфизмов $G\rightarrowtail H$, $H\rightarrowtail K$ корректно определено произведение $G\rightarrowtail H$. Множество всех полигомоморфизмов $G\rightarrowtail K$, снабженное топологией Шаботи-Бурбаки, является метризуемым компактным пространством, произведение является раздельно непрерывным. Полигомоморфизмy $G\rightarrowtail H$ канонически соответствует оператор $L^2(H)\to L^2(G)$, являющийся частичной изометрией с точностью до постоянного множителя. В качестве примера мы рассматриваем локально компактные линейные пространства над конечными полями и находим замыкания групп линейных операторов в полугруппах полигомоморфизмов.
Библиография: 40 названий.
Топологический анализ биллиарда, ограниченного софокусными квадриками, в потенциальном поле
Authors: Pustovoitov Sergey Evgen'evich
Published: January 2021

Рассмотрим биллиард в плоской области, ограниченной софокусными эллипсами и гиперболами. На материальную точку действует гуковский потенциал. Оказывается, эта динамическая система вполне интегрируема по Лиувиллю. В работе проведен топологический анализ слоения Лиувилля изоэнергетических многообразий всевозможных уровней гамильтониана и построены их полные инварианты Фоменко-Цишанга (меченые молекулы).
Библиография: 14 названий.
Relationship between the perceived effects of the implementation of strategic planning process and head teachers' performance in public day primary schools in Kericho County of Kenya
Authors: Kibett J.K. , Manduku J.G. , Chepkwony William Kiprotich
Published: January 2021

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between perceived effects of the implementation of strategic planning process and head teachers’ performance in public day primary school in Kericho County of Kenya. The study used an ex-post-facto research design. The research approach used was quantitative and qualitative. The target population comprised of 524 head teachers of public primary schools in Kericho County. The research instruments used to collect the data were questionnaires and interview schedules. A sample of 227 headteachers and Six (6) Sub County Directors was obtained using Stratified Random Sampling and Purposive sampling technique respectively. Data was collected using a questionnaire that was developed by the researcher. Simple random sampling technique was used to select schools in each sub County. A pilot study was done on 23 headteachers who were not included in the final study to determine reliability of the research instruments. Cronbach alpha formula was used to determine reliability coefficient. A score of 0.7 and above was deemed acceptable. Data was analysed for descriptive statistics (frequencies and percentages) and inferential statics (Pearson correlation and Regression analysis). The results were presented in form of tables and figures. The results show that implementation of strategic planning process did not have a statistically significant relationship with head teachers’ performance in primary day schools in Kericho County. There was a positive correlation between results of strategic planning process and head teachers’ performance at (r = 135; p = 0.056).
Evaluation de la fertilité des sols et les rendements de cotonnier, maïs et sorgho à >Gliricidia sepium (Jacq.) Kunth ex. Walp
Authors: Doumbia Salif , Dembele Sidiki G. , Sissoko Fagaye , Samake Odiaba , Sousa Fernando , Cicek Harun , Adamtey Noah , Fliessbach Andreas
Published: January 2021

De nos jours, la carence en fertilité des sols est un problème très répandu dans la plupart des pays subsahariens. G. sepium a été testé en association avec le cotonnier, le maïs et le sorgho afin de développer les meilleures pratiques dans deux stations de recherche et en milieu paysan dans les zones soudaniennes et soudano-guinéenne du Mali. L'objectif de cette étude était de développer, avec les producteurs participants, une technologie agro-forestière basée sur le Gliricidia sepium dans le système de culture en couloir. Le dispositif expérimental utilisé a été le Split plot à quatre répétitions. Le pH, le carbone organique du sol et l'azote ont été analysé dans des échantillons de sol de 0 à 20 cm de profondeur prélevés en 2016 au début de l'expérience et en 2018. Les rendements grains moyens de coton, de maïs et de sorgho associés au G. sepium étaient respectivement de 812, 1457 et 1377 kg.ha-1, alors qu'ils étaient significativement plus faibles sans G. sepium, avec 623, 1014 et 807 kg.ha-1 respectivement. Pendant la troisième année suivant la plantation de G. sepium, la teneur en carbone organique et en azote total du sol a augmenté de 5% dans les sols situés entre les allées. Le G. sepium en association avec les cultures a le potentiel d'améliorer leurs rendements et le sol.Mots clés : Carbone organique, azote, rendements, zones soudanienne et soudano-guinéenne, Mali

English Title: Evaluation of Gliricidia sepium (Jacq.) Kunth ex. Walp effect on soil fertility, yields of cotton, maize and sorghum

Nowdays, soil fertility deficiency is a widespread issue in most Sub-Saharian countries specially where the application of less input is the common agricultural practices. Thus the legume plant, G. sepium was established with cotton, maize and sorghum to develop best practices for increasing crop yield and soil fertility at two research stations and farming environment in the Sudanian and Sudano-Guinean zones of Mali. The objective of this study was to develop an agroforestry technology with farmers based on Gliricidia sepium in alley cropping system. The experimental design was Split plot with four replications. Soil pH, soil organic carbon and nitrogen were analyzed from 0-20 cm deep soil samples taken in 2016 at the beginning of the experiment and in 2018. Mean grain yields of cotton, maize and sorghum associated with G. sepium were 812, 1457 and 1377 kg.ha-1, respectively, while they were significantly lower without G. sepium with 623, 1014 and 807 kg.ha-1 as respectively cotton, maize and sorghum yield. In the third year after planting G. sepium, the soil organic carbon and total nitrogen content increased by 5% between the alleys. G. sepium in association with crops has the potential to improve crop yields and soil fertility.Keywords: Gliricidia sepium, organic carbon, nitrogen, yields, Mali.
Prévalence du pré-diabète et du diabète avec profil lipidique évalué, en milieu hospitalier urbain: étude rétrospective sur 3538 patients reçus au CHU Campus de Lomé
Authors: Kouassi Kafui Codjo , Fétéké Lochina , Etassoli Santrao , Gbekley Efui Holaly , Karou D. Simplice
Published: January 2021

Les sujets en état de pré-diabète sont exposés à un risque élevé de diabète et de dyslipidémies. La présente étude avait eu pour but de mesurer la prévalence du pré-diabète et du diabète chez des sujets reçus à l’hôpital, puis de déterminer le profil lipidique des pré-diabétiques. Il s’est agi d’une étude rétrospective à visée descriptive, portant sur 3538 patients âgés de 3 à 120 ans, reçus en 2013 au Centre Hospitalier Universitaire nommé Campus. La glycémie, la cholestérolémie totale, la HDL-Cholestérolémie, et la triglycéridémie ont été dosées sur l’automate SELECTRA PRO M. La non-HDL- Cholestérolémie a été calculée. La prévalence du pré-diabète a été déterminée suivant les critères de l’Organisation Mondiale de la Santé (OMS) et du « American Diabetes Association » (ADA). La prévalence du pré-diabète suivant les critères de l’OMS était de 8,1% contre 21,5% selon les critères de l’ADA. La prévalence du diabète était de 12,9%. Elle était de 15,3% chez les sujets âgés de 45 à 59 ans. Au sein de la population pré-diabétique 42,3 à 45,6% avaient des dyslipidémies. La prévalence du pré-diabète à l’hôpital était importante. Une prise en charge de ce dernier permettrait de prévenir le diabète de type 2 et réduire les risques de dyslipidémies.

Mots clés : Glycémie, dyslipidémies, pré-diabétiques, Togo.

 

English Title: Prevalence of pre-diabetes and diabetes with evaluated lipid profile, in urban hospital: retrospective study on 3538 patients seen at the Lomé campus university hospital.

People with pre-diabetes are at high risk for diabetes and dyslipidemia. The aim of the present study was to measure the prevalence of pre-diabetes and diabetes in hospital patients, and then to determine the lipid profile of pre-diabetics. It was a retrospective descriptive study, involving 3538 patients aged 3 to 120 years, received in 2013 at the University Hospital Center called Campus. Blood glucose, total cholesterol, HDL-Cholesterolemia, and triglyceridemia were measured on the SELECTRA PRO M automatic analyzer. Non-HDL-Cholesterolemia was calculated. The prevalence of pre-diabetes was determined according to the criteria of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the "American Diabetes Association" (ADA). The prevalence of pre-diabetes according to WHO criteria was 8.1% compared to 21.5% according to ADA criteria. The prevalence of diabetes was 12.9%. It was 15.3% in subjects aged 45 to 59 years. In the pre-diabetic population 42.3 to 45.6% had dyslipidemia. The prevalence of pre-diabetes in hospital was high. Management of the latter would prevent type 2 diabetes and reduce the risk of dyslipidemia.

Keywords: Glycemia, dyslipidemia, pre-diabetics, Togo.
Hatch traits of artificially incubated ostrich eggs as affected by setting position, angle of rotation and season
Authors: Brand Z. , Cloete S.W.P. , Brown C.R.
Published: January 2021

High levels of hatching failure in artificially incubated ostrich eggs cause considerable loss in income for the industry. During the 2015 - 2016 breeding seasons, between 846 and 1 549 egg records were used to determine the effect of various setting positions during artificial incubation. Fresh eggs were placed in trolleys to be turned automatically through a 60-degree or a 90-degree angle hourly in the setter. Additional treatments in a factorial design consisted of eggs set in the horizontal position for the total period of five weeks in the setter; eggs set horizontally for three weeks and vertically for two weeks; and eggs set vertically for five weeks in the setter. These treatments were repeated over two production years to represent various seasons, namely winter (June to August), spring (September to November) and summer (December). Late embryonic mortalities were improved significantly in eggs set in trolleys to turn through an angle of 90 degrees (0.16 ± 0.02) compared with eggs set in trolleys to turn through 60 degrees (0.28 ± 0.02), regardless of season and setting position. The preferred way of setting ostrich eggs would thus be in the vertical position in a trolley that turns hourly through an angle of 90 degrees with the air cell upwards to utilize incubator space optimally.

Keywords: chick weight, embryonic mortalities, moisture loss, ostrich, pipping time
Quantitative sperm characteristics of Tankwa goats with special reference to hyperactivated motility
Authors: Ngcauzele Ngcauzele , Van der Horst G. , Kotze A. , Jonker T. , Maree L.
Published: January 2021

Computer-assisted semen analysis (CASA) is an automated and objective method of evaluating structural (e.g. morphology) and functional sperm parameters (e.g. motility and hyperactivation). Sperm hyperactivation is essential for successful fertilization and is thus an important aspect in determining the fertility potential of a male. In the current study, CASA was used for standard semen analysis and for comparison of the ability of phosphate buffered saline (PBS), BO sperm wash (10 mM caffeine), 4% lignocaine, and 5 mM procaine hydrochloride to induce hyperactivation in Tankwa goat spermatozoa. Twenty-nine ejaculates were collected from randomly selected male goats by electroejaculation. Although none of the four media affected percentage total sperm motility, lignocaine caused a significant decrease (P >0.05) in percentage progressive motility. Exposure to procaine resulted in an increase in swimming speed (P ≤0.05) and star-spin motility tracks, which are typical of sperm hyperactivation. Using PBS and procaine motility data from individually selected spermatozoa, receiver operator characteristic curves were constructed to distinguish the kinematic parameters employed as cut-off values for sperm hyperactivation. PBS and BO sperm wash did not induce hyperactivation (0.1 + 0.2% and 0.04  0.2% respectively), while lignocaine induced little hyperactivation (3.4 + 3.0%) and procaine hydrochloride had the highest percentage hyperactivation (25.3 + 13.6%). The large variation in hyperactivation (0–54.5%) may reflect inter-individual differences in sperm quality among these males. This study indicated procaine hydrochloride was the most promising hyperactivation-inducing medium for Tankwa goat spermatozoa and should be considered for similar assessments in other animal species

Keywords: computer-aided sperm analysis, procaine hydrochloride, sperm kinematics, sperm morphometry, sperm motility
Stabilization of iron-arsenic deposits by encapsulation with montmorillonite inorganic gels
Authors: Yan Jingmin , Wang Yongliang , Wang Yanhua , Liu Xiang , Ye Shufeng
Published: January 2021

Encapsulation is recognized as an effective technique for enhancing the stability of hazardous waste by coating it with an inert material. In this work, an eco-friendly montmorillonite (Mt) inorganic gel with the characteristics of high viscosity, adsorption and easy preparation was developed and coated on the surface of iron-arsenic deposits (IAD) to restrain the release of arsenic (As). The encapsulation system investigated involves Mt/IAD mass ratio and aging temperature of the coated iron-arsenic deposits (C-IAD). The C-IAD was characterized by XRF, XRD, SEM-EDS, TEM, FTIR and BET. The results revealed that the IAD was completely encapsulated by the montmorillonite inorganic gel. From the experiment of stability, when IAD was coated with montmorillonite inorganic gel (Mt/IAD mass ratio 0.75) and aged at 25℃, As release decreased from 3.15 mg/L to 0.64 mg/L at pH 5 after 24 h, and then dropped to 0.11 mg/L after 7 d. Furthermore, the results indicated that the IAD encapsulated with montmorillonite inorganic gel was effective in suppressing the release of As under both weakly acidic and alkaline conditions.
Sanat ve Sonsuzluk İlişkisi İçinde Roman Opalka Örneği
Authors: ARIKAN Hakan
Published: January 2021

Sonsuzluk, herkesin bildiği fakat tanımlanması, tartışılması ve üzerinde uzlaşılması oldukça güç kavramlardan biridir. Bunun nedeni bütün insani deneyimlerin ötesinde olmasıdır. İnsan aklı sonlu düşüncelerle dile getirilen sonlu şeyleri ele almaya alışmıştır. Ucu bucağı olmayan bu kavramı tanımlamak, onu sınırlandırmak anlamına gelebileceği için içeriğiyle ters düşme ihtimali de bulunmaktadır. Matematik, din ve felsefe alanlarında sıklıkla kullanılan sonsuzluk kavramının geçmişi Antik Yunan Dönemi’ne kadar uzanmaktadır. Sonsuzluk kavramının felsefe ve bilim dışında en farklı, en özgün hale büründüğü bir başka alan da sanattır. Sanat belirlenmiş, alışılmış olan kalıpları kırma çabasındadır. Bu yönüyle, bir anlamda sonsuzun kapısını aralayan bir mecradır. Kavramsal sanatın önemli temsilcilerinden biri olan Roman Opalka da sonsuzluk teorisinden hareket ederek eserlerini üretmiş, sonsuzluk kavramına yeni bir bakış açısı kazandırmıştır. Sonuç olarak; araştırma kapsamında, öncelikle sonsuzluk ve sanat kavramına dair yaklaşımlarda bulunan felsefe ve bilim insanlarının görüşlerine yer verilmiş ve bu kavramlar ekseninde, kavramsal sanat içinde yer alan Roman Opalka’nın eserlerinde sonsuzluk kavramının izleri sürülerek, sanatçının yaklaşım biçimi felsefi yaklaşımı ile birlikte incelenmeye çalışılmıştır.
Presentación de la Primera Parte número 10-1 (2020): Las defensorías del pueblo y los derechos sociales
Authors: Escobar Roca Guillermo
Published: January 2021

La protección de los derechos sociales y de las personas en situación de vulnerabilidad probablemente es el eje central del trabajo del Ombudsman en Iberoamérica. Sobre esta temática versan los trabajos que siguen y que dan cuenta de cuestiones novedosas y discutidas en la doctrina. Cuya lectura sin duda enriquecerá notablemente el acervo científico sobre el Ombudsman y contribuirá a mejorar el trabajo futuro de esta institución. Estos estudios parten de una descripción de lo realizado por el Ombudsman, desde una perspectiva muchas veces crítica, lo contrastan con el Derecho vigente (con especial atención al internacional, incluyendo el soft law), y sugieren líneas de trabajo futuro.
Perceptions of Two Older Adults Regarding the Factors and Barriers that Influence their Oral Health Care: A Case Study
Authors: Hernandez-Santos Dinorah Munira , Diaz-Garcia Irma Fabiola
Published: January 2021

This paper presents the results of a case study about the perceptions of oral health care, factors that influenced current oral health, and barriers to dental attention of two older adults; the study was conducted by researchers from a hospital-school of dentistry at a public university in Mexico. Two adults aged 64 and 70 years participated in this study. First, the oral health status was clinically evaluated using the Decayed/Missing/Filled/Teeth (DMFT) Index. A semi-structured interview was then conducted to learn about the perceptions of oral health care. Thematic content analysis was used to explore the data obtained using the ATLAS.ti software 7.0 version. Four main themes and their subthemes were developed. The main finding of the case study was that oral health was directly and strongly associated with the impact that it has on a participant's life, especially in the functional field of chewing. Also, the participants recognized the importance of having good oral health and see it as a necessity for living. Aspects that influenced the current status of oral health were mainly the care received during their childhood, as well as the previous dental beliefs and treatments. Finally, some of the perceived barriers to dental care treatment were lack of time, finances, and education. These findings challenge professionals to be more sensitive to past and current experiences of older adults at the time of receiving dental care. Knowing their perceptions can support health professionals to strengthen patients’ commitment to prioritizing oral health care needs.
Game PAUD Berbasis Matematika (GEMPITA) Guna Meminimalisir Ketakutan Matematika Pada Anak Usia Dini
Authors: Yolanda Anne Mudya , Mahmudiati Imtikhanah Anis
Published: January 2021

Math seems to be one of the scourges in learning that children are afraid of, even though the use of math is very close and needed in everyday life. This specter or fear is also born from the assumption that the number of calculations and formulas that must be studied is added to the monotonous and rote-only factor of giving material. Therefore, this research was conducted as an effort to improve mathematical logic skills in early childhood thorugh the use of more interesting method in order to be accepted by children. It was the GEMPITA program (a math-based PAUD game). This study uses a literature approach with documentation techniques as a data collection method. In the implementation, the use of various tools and technology is able to increase children the attractiveness to learning mathematical concepts. So that the results are in the form of recommendations for math-based games that are easy and fun to minimize math fear in early childhood.