bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
PENINGKATAN KEMAMPUAN KONEKSI MATEMATIKA DAN MINAT BELAJAR MATEMATIKA SISWA SMP MUHAMMADIYAH KUPANG DENGAN MODEL PMRI
Authors: Maanana Sopia , Ralmugiz Uke , Fatmawati Agustin
Published: March 2023

This study aims to find out whether the application of the PMRI learning model can improve the ability of mathematical connections and mathematics learning interest in SMP Muhammadiyah Kupang students. The research used was Classroom Action Research (CAR) with the PMRI learning model. The subjects and objects in this study were 24 students in class VIIA Muhammadiyah SMP Muhammadiyah Kupang. Data collection techniques and instruments used by researchers are the final test questions to find out the ability of mathematical connections and questionnaire sheets to determine student learning interest. The data analysis technique conducted in this study is to draw conclusions from the data obtained, namely the results of the interview, the results of student evaluation and the questionnaire of mathematics learning interest. The results of research conducted in two cycles showed an increase in the ability of students' connections and learning interest through the PMRI approach. Mathematical connection capability test results increased with initial data with an average of  46.17 to 69.62 in cycle 1 then in cycle 2 to 77.29. And mathematics learning interest from the initial condition 41.66% to 70.83% in cycle 1 then in cycle 2 to 87.5%
Nursing interventions in patients after lung biopsy
Authors: Tomić Uroš
Published: March 2023

Introduction: Lung biopsy is a relatively frequent multidisciplinary procedure that is accompanied by a certain percentage of morbidity and mortality. The incidence of complications in a performed lung biopsy depends ona number of factors. In order to prevent and diagnose complications after the biopsy, it is necessary for a patient to be continuously monitored by a nurse. Objective: To consider the importance of nursing interventions in patients after lung biopsy. Respondents and method: The study involved 50 patients, hospitalized at the pulmonology department of the clinic for pulmonology of the Military Medical Academy in Belgrade, who underwent a lung biopsy. A specially created questionnaire for patients consisting of 15 questions was used as an instrument. Results: The largest percentage of surveyed patients is men, aged 50 to 69, who have finished high school and live in the countryside. One-fifth of the subjects had a chest drain inserted after a lung biopsy. The obtained results indicate that in the field of health care, after the lung biopsy, the most important thing is to monitor vital functions, place patients in a certain position and monitor the symptoms and signs of possible complications. Conclusion: Based on the conducted research, we came to the conclusion that nursing interventions in the patient after lung biopsy are of great importance. Adequate patient care results in quicker recovery of the patients and fewer complications.
Attitudes of clinical care specialist nurses about nursing research
Authors: Stojanović-Jovanović Biljana
Published: March 2023

Introduction: Research in nursing today has a major impact on current and future nursing practice. The aim was to examine the attitudes of nurses towards research in nursing, after completing their specialization of clinical care. Methods: The study involved 86 nurses - specialists in clinical care. The instrument used in the research was a modified version of the Boot nurses' attitudes scale about the research, which consists of subscales: Interest and support of the workplace environment, Cost-effectiveness and benefits, and Obstacles (difficulties). Results: The highest average score was recorded in the statement "I would like to conduct research," while the lowest in the statement "I believe that my job provides the time required to conduct the research." (on the subscale Interest and support of the workplace environment). The highest average score was recorded in the statement "The research results are useful for better health care of patients and can be applied in my workplace environment," while the lowest in claims " Nurses receive praise from their associates and colleagues when they conduct research" (on the Cost-effectiveness and benefit subscale). On the subscale Obstacles, the highest average result was recorded in the statement "Obtaining consent from the patient for the implementation of research is very difficult," while the lowest in the statement "Research in nursing should be conducted by nurses with a completed doctorate degree." Conclusion: According to the statements of clinical care specialist nurses, there is certain interest in participating in research activities, but there is a lack of free time for research.
Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis: Changes in phenotype during the last decade
Authors: Kravljanac Ružica , Palić Ilija , Vučetić-Tadić Biljana
Published: March 2023

Introduction: Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) is a rare, progressive, neurodegenerative disease with poor outcome. Anti-measles vaccination contributed to a decreasing number of SSPE patients, but not to its eradication. The aim of our study is to evaluate the course of the disease in our SSPE patients with a focus on vaccinated children. The main goal is considering possibilities for improving prevention of the disease. Methods: A retrospective study included the patients with SSPE treated in the period from December 2010 to December 2020 at the Pediatric Clinic of the Institute. The inclusion criteria were the patients with the diagnosis of SSPE based on clinical presentation, neuroimaging, electroencephalography and positive IgG anti-measles antibodies, both in serum and CSF. Results: Five children with fulminant course of SSPE were included. All these patients were suffering from measles at an early age. Three of them had been vaccinated against measles and two had not. All of them had previously been healthy, immune-competent children, with normal general development. The course was extremely fulminant with lethal outcome within three months since the initial symptoms in four cases. Progressive motor and cognitive decline, behavior changes, movement disorders, myoclonic jerks and seizures were dominant in clinical presentation. Conclusion: Despite vaccination, SSPE has not been eradicated. An increasing number of vaccinated immune-competent children with fulminant form of SSPE and history of measles infection at an early age were treated at our Clinic. As a measure for improving prevention, we suggest considering weaning of vaccine-derived immunity, and re-vaccination of girls at reproductive period.
The effects of various soil treatments on crop yield in Southeastern Nigeria
Authors: Chukwuemeka Orakwe , Pius Nwachukwu , Chinazom Anizoba
Published: March 2023

In this study, a PVC drip irrigation system was designed to investigate the effect of different soil treatments on crop yield, using Oba Super 13 maize variety as test crop, on three major plots, each representing a different tillage method. Each plot has three levels of each of the three soil treatments involved including irrigation deficit, tillage method and NPK Application rate, totaling 27 subplots. The three levels of irrigation treatments were 50%, 30% and 10% management allowable depletion levels; tillage treatments were conventional tillage, conservative tillage and no tillage methods, while the NPK application treatments were 400 kg/ha, 500 kg/ha and 600 kg/ha rates, and experimentally designed using the Central Composite Design (CCD) in Design Expert 11 software. The crop yield for all the subplots were determined, and maximum crop yield of 2540 kg/ha was obtained at conservative tillage with 10%MAD, and 600 kg/ha NPK application rate, while minimum tillage of 1234.67 kg/ha was obtained at no tillage, 50%MAD and 400 kg/ha NPK application rate. Controllable variables were optimized using response surface methodology (RSM) with crop yield for all the subplots. The optimum values based on the run gave irrigation deficit as 11.594%, NPK Application rate as 596.406 kg/ha, best tillage method as conservative tillage, crop yield of 2543.589 kg/ha. The highest maize yield was obtained in conservative tillage and the results confirm the viability of obtaining high yield in the study area using drip irrigation system during the dry season.
Physico-chemical properties of soils derived from different geologic formations in typical rainfall agro-ecological zone
Authors: Ekpo Akanimo , Orakwe Louis , Tom-Cyprain Ndamzi , Umobi Chukwuemeka , Maduegbuna John
Published: March 2023

Climatic conditions and geologic formations have been found to influence the nature of soils formed. Therefore, this study seeks to study the physical and chemical properties of the soils derived from the different geologic formations of a typical West African rainforest agroecological zone. 90 soil samples were generated from the field using standard field procedures. Standard laboratory method was used in carrying out the physico-chemical analysis of the collected soil samples. The results obtained showed the range of some selected soil properties coarse sand (32.25 to 61.62), fine sand (18.17 to 29.87%), total sand (62.22 to 85.93), silt (2.88 to 19.86%), Clay (10.3 to 18.46%), the structural code (1.77 to 3.77), porosity (50.55 to 61.20%), permeability (2.98 to 9.27 cm/hr), bulk density (1.35 to 1.57g/cm3 ) and a permeability class (1.77 to 2.87 cm/hr), pH (5.22 to 5.62), organic matter (5.17 to 6.60%), available phosphorus (19.43 to 28.37%), calcium (4.98 to 19.11%), magnesium (1.39 to 3.34%), sodium (0.06 to 2.8%), potassium (0.04 to 0.29%) and ECEC (8.96 to 17.14 Cmolc/kg). The results indicate the different physico-chemical properties of the formed from the different geologic formation of the study area. There is no statistical difference on the soils across the depth of the each geologic formation. The results obtained show that geologic formation have impact on the physicochemical properties of the soils. The results obtained in this research can served as a guide in soil management, utilization and conservation.
Instrumentation and evaluation process of some engineering characteristics of grain crops and utilization for mechanized production and processing in Nigeria: A review
Authors: Oduma Okechukwu , Glory Okeke , Onyekachukwu Nwosu , Agu C.S.
Published: March 2023

A review of Instrumentation and Evaluation Process of some Engineering Characteristics of Grain Crops and Utilization for Mechanized Production and Processing in Nigeria was conducted. Various related works which were relevant to the study were explored and used for the review. Proper evaluation and utilization of engineering characteristics of grain crops would enhance the design and/or development of equipment which would effortlessly boost up the production and post-harvest handling/processing process of grain crops and minimize unnecessary damage/loss of the seeds. The review revealed that moisture content had great influence on the engineering properties of grain kernels. Results of researchers showed an increase in mass of coriander seed from 8.89 to 9.826 g when the moisture content was increased from 8.5 % to15.89 % (w.b.); angle of repose increased from 25.5 to 31o with increase of moisture content from 8.5 % to 15.89 % (w.b.). The coefficient of friction for various surfaces increased with the increase in the moisture content while the bulk density decreases with the increase in moisture content. Furthermore, the compression force required to initiate grain kernel rupture decrease with the increase in moisture content. Thus, the deformation at the grain rupture increases as the moisture content increases. Results from the review indicated a decrease in fracture forces range from 63 t0 38 N for IT86D-I0I0, 64 to 40 N and 70 to 46 N, respectively for IAR-339-1 and Ife Brown cowpea varieties at moisture content varying from 15 to 30 % (w.b). The review further showed that most studies were focused on a few grain crops and that data on engineering properties obtained for various grains seeds vary from one crop to another and from one variety to another. This variation requires studies of engineering properties of different types and varieties of grain crops at different moisture content levels that would guide farmers, processors and designers/manufacturers of machine tools in developing and selecting appropriate machines for their operations at any level in order to increase their production at reduced loss or damage of the seeds.
Student population mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Božović Marija , Radević Svetlana , Janićijević Katarina , Miljanović Ana , Uskoković Nikola , Radovanović Jovana , Selaković Viktor
Published: March 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic has not only affected the physical but also the mental health and well-being, causing many mental problems in the population around the world. This paper is trying to offer answers to questions about the impact of the pandemic on the level of stress, anxiety, depression and life satisfaction of the student population. The survey was conducted as a cross-sectional study. The studied population comprised students of the Faculty of Mechanical and Civil Engineering in Kraljevo and the Kraljevo Medical College. The standardised depression, anxiety and stress self-assessment scale - DASS-21 was used as the survey instrument. The largest number of students felt the fear of one of their relatives getting infected (80.2%), that is of endangering their family (77.6%). Approximately one in three students felt the fear of death (34.4%), the fear of getting infected (29.7%) and of ending up in hospital (36.5%). One in six respondents felt vulnerable during the state of emergency (16.3%), and one in ten felt very vulnerable (9.8%). 14.6% of them stated that the epidemic had affected their student responsibilities a lot, and 22.3% of students expressed the negative impact of isolation on them. The results of our study indicate a high percentage of reported symptoms of stress (44.2%), anxiety (47.1%) and depression (34.9%) among the student population. Pandemic conditions have led to considerable changes in the daily life of all people, while the impact of the pandemic and the consequences that are yet to emerge still cannot be fully understood. That is why it is of utmost importance to take care of the mental health of those who are in a sensitive period of life.
Analysis of impact toughness and the critical stress intensity factor KIc in ferrite-austenite welded joints with different heat input
Authors: Bukvić Aleksandar , Petrović Dalibor , Radisavljević Igor , Dimitrić Saša
Published: March 2023

Introduction/purpose: Constructions always have several critical points that can be sources of possible defects. All these critical places must be taken into account in safety assessment where the most unfavorable exploitation factors are considered and the local safety of a joint is assessed. Today, joints of various compositions are becoming more frequent in metal constructions. Due to the requirements of economy and ecology, welded joints of microalloyed ferritic steels with high-alloyed austenitic steels are increasingly encountered during the construction of power plants, chemical facilities, etc. Tests of such welded joints have been performed on tanks for oil derivatives, where parts of the tank shell are made of microalloyed ferritic steel and the roof structure is made of high-alloyed austenitic steel. Methods: In the paper, an experimental analysis of crack propagation in an austenitic-ferritic welded joint was performed. The welding was performed by the MIG welding process with two different heat inputs, and the same filler material MIG 18/8/6 was used. Two types of welded plates were tested. the characteristics of the base, filler and auxiliary materials and welding 16 technologies are given. Notched test specimens with an initiated crack-type fracture were made in order to determine the impact properties and fracture mechanics parameters. The results: The research carried out within this study aimed to compare the obtained results of the impact toughness and fracture toughness at flat deformation in a ferrite-austenitic welded joint. An evaluation of the results obtained during the testing of the experimental plates welded with different amounts of heat input is also given. Conclusion: These test results established the dependence of the geometry of a propagating crack and the stress conditions for further crack propagation. It is possible to determine the values of the parameters that describe the behavior of the material, both in linear-elastic and in elastoplastic fracture mechanics.
Classification and analysis of the MNIST dataset using PCA and SVM algorithms
Authors: Al-Hamadani Mokhaled
Published: March 2023

Introduction/purpose: The utilization of machine learning methods has become indispensable in analyzing large-scale, complex data in contemporary data-driven environments, with a diverse range of applications from optimizing business operations to advancing scientific research. Despite the potential for insight and innovation presented by these voluminous datasets, they pose significant challenges in areas such as data quality and structure, necessitating the implementation of effective management strategies. Machine learning techniques have emerged as essential tools in identifying and mitigating these challenges and developing viable solutions to address them. The MNIST dataset represents a prominent example of a widely-used dataset in this field, renowned for its expansive collection of handwritten numerical digits, and frequently employed in tasks such as classification and analysis, as demonstrated in the present study. Methods: This study employed the MNIST dataset to investigate various statistical techniques, including the Principal Components Analysis (PCA) algorithm implemented using the Python programming language. Additionally, Support Vector Machine (SVM) models were applied to both linear and non-linear classification problems to assess the accuracy of the model. Results: The results of the present study indicate that while the PCA technique is effective for dimensionality reduction, it may not be as effective for visualization purposes. Moreover, the findings demonstrate that both linear and non-linear SVM models were capable of effectively classifying the dataset. Conclusion: The findings of the study demonstrate that SVM can serve as an efficacious technique for addressing classification problems.
A more advanced theoretical model of the sphere earth's EM in a foreign homogeneous EM field
Authors: Bjelić Slobodan , Marković Nenad
Published: March 2023

Introduction/purpose: The paper describes a more advanced theoretical model of the Earth's EM field based on two-component hypotheses. A defined mathematical model that shows the rotation of the magnetically conducting sphere of Tthe magnetization M in a foreign magnetic field and the components of the magnetic field that may arise due to the rotation of the Earth around its axis. According to the established model, in relation to the reference values of the planet Earth, the values of the components of the other planets in the solar system were calculated and the results were tabulated. Methods: The solution to the problem highlighted in the title of the paper was determined using the combined, for that purpose, formalized methods of physics and mathematical analysis, in order to develop a new, more advanced mathematical model. For this purpose, the method of analogy was used, related to the application of similar structural forms and systems for researching electromagnetic processes and planetary rotation. The method of analogy was applied for two interrelated reasons. The first one is that all values that characterize the function of any natural system are subject to change, and the second one is that the applied solutions do not determine the conditions of the structure's function in each specific case. Results: The solutions in the form of original analytical formulas and numerical values arranged in Table 2, referring to the influence of the rotation of the planets and especially the Earth, will be applied to research the effects of the EM field emitted by the Sun towards the planets, especially the role that the process plays in protecting the planet Earth. The results given in Table 2 are particularly important. Conclusion: The paper discusses the appearance and effect of the Earth's EM field in a way that is understandable at the current level of scientific development. Scientific findings in science and measurements in geoand astrophysics indicate the Sun as a possible source of the EM field that extends through interplanetary space and the component of the Earth's magnetic field is only a response to the influence of that source. Natural phenomena and processes on the Earth can be defined in system theory by a model that contains changes in the parameters of the state of the planet.
Implementing NIST infiltration correlations
Authors: Teo Jyrteanna , Ng Lisa C
Published: March 2023

This tutorial is a guide on how to implement the NIST infiltration correlations [1] into EnergyPlus building energy simulation software for the US Department of Energy prototype commercial buildings. The implementation can also be generalized to other building energy simulation software and other building models. Revision is documented in Appendix B: Change Log.
Ciliopathies in pediatric endocrinology
Authors: Cicolini Ilenia , Blasetti Annalisa , Chiarelli Francesco
Published: March 2023

Ciliopathies are a group of disorders that involve many organs and systems. In this review, we consider the role of the cilium in multiorgan pathology with a focus on endocrinological aspects. Identification of new genes and mutations is the major challenge in development of a tailored and appropriate therapy. It is expected that new mutations will be identified to characterize ciliopathies and promote new therapies.
TRINIDAD ARCOS PEREIRA (ed.), Retórica e ideología en las aulas del Humanismo: los progymnasmata, Vigo, Academia del Hispanismo, 2021. [ISBN: 978-84-17696-42-9]
Authors: Grau Codina Ferran
Published: March 2023

És una ressenya
Comprehensive sentimental analysis of tweets towards COVID-19 in Pakistan: a study on governmental preventive measures
Authors: Ali Muhammad Faisal , Irfan Rabia , Lashari Tahira Anwar
Published: March 2023

Sentiments are the key factors that lead to influence our behavior. Sentiment analysis is a technique that analyzes people’s behaviors, attitudes, and emotions toward a service, product, topic, or event. Since 2020, no country has remained untouched by COVID-19, and the governing bodies of most countries have been applying several anti-pandemic countermeasures to combat it. In this regard, it becomes tremendously important to analyze people’s sentiments when tackling infectious diseases similar to COVID-19. The countermeasures taken by any country to control the pandemic leave a direct and crucial impact on each sector of public life, and every individual reacts to them differently. It is necessary to consider these reactions to implement appropriate messaging and decisive policies. Pakistan has done enough to control this virus’s spread like every other country. This research aims to perform a sentimental analysis on the famous microblogging social platform, Twitter, to get insights into public sentiments and the attitudes displayed towards the precautionary steps taken by the Government of Pakistan in the years 2020 and 2021. These steps or countermeasures include the closure of educational institutes, suspension of flight operations, lockdown of business activities, enforcement of several standard operating procedures (SOPs), and the commencement of the vaccination program. We implemented four approaches for the analysis, including the Valence Aware Dictionary and sEntiment Reasoner (VADER), TextBlob, Flair, and Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERT). The first two techniques are lexicon-based. Flair is a pre-trained embedding-based approach, whereas BERT is a transformer-based model. BERT was fine-tuned and trained on a labeled dataset, achieving a validation accuracy of 92%. We observed that the polarity score kept varying from month to month in both years for all countermeasures. This score was analyzed with real-time events occurring in the country, which helped understand the public’s sentiment and led to the possible formation of a notable conclusion. All implemented approaches showed independent performances. However, we noticed from the classification results of both TextBlob and the fine-tuned BERT model that neutral sentiment was dominant in the data, followed by positive sentiment.
Transport Layer Security 1.0 handshake protocol formal verification case study: How to use a proof script generator for existing large proof scores
Authors: Tran Duong Dinh , Wai Mon Thet , Ogata Kazuhiro
Published: March 2023

The Transport Layer Security (TLS) 1.0 protocol has been formally verified with CafeInMaude Proof Generator (CiMPG) and Proof Assistant (CiMPA), where CafeInMaude is the second major implementation of CafeOBJ, a direct successor of OBJ3, a canonical algebraic specification language. The properties concerned are the secrecy property of pre-master secrets and the correspondence (or authentication) property from both server and client points of view. We need to use several lemmas to formally verify that TLS 1.0 enjoys the properties. CiMPG takes proof scores written in CafeOBJ and infers proof scripts that can be checked by CiMPA. Proof scores are prone to human errors and CiMPG can be regarded as a proof score checker in that if the proof scripts inferred by CiMPG from proof scores are successfully executed with CiMPA, it is guaranteed that no human error is lurking in the proof scores. We have used the existing proof scores to show that TLS 1.0 enjoys the two properties. We needed to revise the proof scores so that CiMPG can handle them. Through the revision process, we discovered that one additional lemma is required for the revised proof scores. There are about 20 proof scores and each proof score is large. It is not reasonable to handle all proof scores at the same time with CiMPG. Thus, we handled each proof score one by one with CiMPG. There is one proof score that it took a long time to handle with CiMPG. For that proof score, we handled each induction case one by one to reduce the time taken. We describe how to revise the existing proof scores, how to find the new lemma, the lemma, how to handle each proof score one by one, and how to handle each induction case one by one as tips on checking existing large proof scores with CiMPG and CiMPA.
Design of a 14-bit Pipelined ADC using Ring Amplifier
Authors: Luo Pan , Guan Yu , Tang Zhiyuan
Published: March 2023

With the progress of integrated circuit technology, the intrinsic gain of transistors has become increasingly low, and the power consumption and complexity of OTA operational amplifiers have become higher, increasing the overall design difficulty of pipeline ADC. In order to improve the gain of the operational amplifier, improve the overall accuracy of the ADC, and reduce circuit power consumption, a 14-bit 20MSPS analog-to-digital converter with a pipeline structure of 2.5bit-2.5bit-2.5bit-2.5bit-2.5bit-2.5bit-2.5bit-2.5bit-2bit was designed using the SMIC 40nm process and analog drive digital technology under a 1.2V power supply voltage based on a new type of ring amplifier.The simulation results show that the SNDR of the input low-frequency signal pipeline ADC is 70.47dB, the SFDR is 85.5dB, and the ENOB is 11.45bit. When inputting high-frequency signals, the SNDR of the pipeline ADC is 68.35dB, the SFDR is 81.3dB, and the ENOB is 11.07bit.
6G and Blockchain Communication: Applications, Challenges, and Predictions
Authors: Singh Omkar , Singh Navanendra , Singh Abhilasha , R Vinoth
Published: March 2023

In today's era 5G network is being used globally, and research/technical officialdoms worldwide started work with 5G communication. But providing high-quality services (QoS) and power proficiency 6G communication is predictable in the network. This paper includes a comprehensive analysis of the development of 6G communication. In this paper, we have discussed diverse network generations with specifications and growths, detailed study of different technologies used in 6G communication has been elaborated. This chapter also deliberates on upcoming challenges in 6G communication for canvassers. Various 6G application areas are also presented in this survey. The critical focus is associated with 6G architecture which includes protocols stacks, coverage, and artificial intelligence. This paper aims to give informative direction for consequent 6G communication research.
Fuzzy Evaluation Algorithm of Third-Party Scientific and Technological Achievements in Library Information Service Aided by Big Data
Authors: Li Hairong
Published: March 2023

With the deepening reform of scientific and technological management methods, a new type of third-party scientific and technological achievement evaluation has gradually become a scale. Through the analysis of the current situation and dilemma of the evaluation of third-party scientific and technological achievements, this paper points out that the big data-assisted library can play a positive role in the authenticity, professionalism, scientificity and standardization of the third-party evaluation, and discusses the third-party evaluation-oriented evaluation methods. Contents of library information services. The purpose of this research is to explore and research new information services in which libraries are deeply involved in the evaluation of third-party scientific and technological achievements. By analyzing the problems existing in the evaluation of third-party scientific and technological achievements at this stage, the extension methods of library information services under the demand of third-party evaluation are discussed, and the development strategies of libraries for the evaluation of third-party scientific and technological achievements are put forward.
Status of Lac Production and Marketing in West Karbi Anglong District of Assam
Authors: Maibangsa Mercydi , Bathari Manha , Terangpi Hunmili
Published: March 2023

West Karbi Anglong district of Assam State is historically a major lac producing area in the North Eastern India from where lac was used to be exported to China and Japan during 17th and 18th. The farmers in these areas have been cultivating making lac (cultivation)delete since time immemorial. .Among several indigenous communities inhabiting West Karbi Anglong district, Karbis are rearing lac insects (Kerria lacca Kerr), locally called Laha, on naturally growing host plants in forests and on pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) in a traditional practice. The present investigation attempted to examine the present status of production and marketing of lac in West Karbi Anglong. The primary data was collected from 75 lac farmers to find out the present status of production and marketing of lac. More than 35tons of lac are exported to other states from West Karbi Anglong districts annually. Due to their traditional practice these producers are receiving a low price for their product as low as compared to the market rate. The product is marketed to local intermediaries, local traders and distant traders. Lack of awareness and knowledge on value addition and the prevailing market price, marketing agencies and industries resulted in lower price of the product. Lack of scientific knowledge on production and processing of lac is the major problem encountered by the farmers. Lack of processing unit is another major problem for which the lac producers received a low price for their product.
Performance of Salicylic Acid and Hydrogel on Water Use Efficiency and Productivity of Indian Mustard (Brassica juncea L.) in Jammu Region
Authors: Bharat Rajeev , Gupta Meenakshi , Kour Sarabdeep , Arya Vivak M. , Gupta R.
Published: March 2023

Aims: To study the effect of salicylic acid and hydrogel on water use efficiency and productivity of Indian mustard in Jammu.

Study Design: Randomized Block Design (RBD).

Place and Duration of Study: Oilseed Experimental Area, Research Farm, SKUAST-Jammu, Chatha, Jammu & Kashmir (UT).

Methodology: The field experiment was conducted during the rabi season of 2014-15 and 2015-16 at the Research Farm, Chatha of the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Jammu which is situated at 320 40’ N latitude and 740 58’ E longitude with an altitude of 332 m above mean sea level. The experiment comprised of nine treatments with 3 replications.

Results: The application of Salicylic acid @ 200 ppm at flowering and siliquae formation stage in combination with use of hydrogel @ 2.5 kg/ha resulted in increase in the yield attributes, and seed yield of Indian mustard besides concomitant increase in the rainfall water use efficiency and cumulative water use of Indian mustard and was found to be the most economical treatment than other treatments in comparison.

Conclusion: Based on average of two years of experimentation, application of Hydrogel @ 2.5 kg/ha + Salicylic acid 200 ppm at flowering stage & siliquae stage with maximum average benefit: cost ratio may be recommended for mitigation of moisture stress in Jammu region for obtaining higher crop yield, better rainfall water use efficiency, cumulative water use and profitability due to better average economic returns (2.50) in rainfed areas of Jammu region.
Diurnal Analysis of the Performance of Photovoltaic Systems under the Guinea Savannah Atmosphere in Ogoja, Cross Rivers State, Nigeria
Authors: Njok Armstrong O. , Archibong Effiong A. , Fischer Gertrude A.
Published: March 2023

A thorough experimental investigation was carried out to diurnally analyze the performance of photovoltaic systems deployed for domestic purposes under the guinea savannah atmosphere in Ogoja, Cross River State, Nigeria. In this study, the time of day to expect maximum efficiency from the photovoltaic (PV) module is shown, and the time of day that the panel temperature will exceed it maximum operating cell temperature is also shown. Instruments employed in the process include a digital solar power meter, digital hygrometer, digital infrared gun thermometer and a digital high precision photovoltaic panel maximum power point tracker (MPPT) to track and determine the maximum power, voltage and current produced by the photovoltaic module. The result shows that the highest level of efficiency was attained at 14:30 which reveals that the climatic condition which occurs at 14:30 is the most favorable for PV systems deployed for domestic purposes at the location. The study shows that 42% and 400C is the best relative humidity and PV temperature level for optimum PV efficiency at this location. In addition, the temperature of the study location appears encouraging as on average, the panel temperature will rarely exceed the maximum operating cell temperature for months besides January and march in which a cooling mechanism to regulate the panel temperature may be needed to avoid a massive loss in efficiency. An altitude of 85m above sea level makes the location relatively favorable for receiving intense solar radiation. With 90% efficiency assured, the location can be seen as suitable for generating electricity via PV technology and installing solar farms for commercial purposes.
Metal Oxides‐Based Nano/Microstructures for Photodegradation of Microplastics
Authors: Kumar Rajesh
Published: March 2023

The ubiquitous presence of microplastics in the environment has raised serious environmental and health concerns. These tiny plastic particles can enter the food chain, posing a significant threat to human health. Researchers worldwide have focused their efforts on developing strategies to mitigate microplastic pollution. This review focuses on the potential of nano/microstructured metal oxide semiconductors as effective photocatalysts for microplastic degradation. The review is divided into two sections: static metal oxides and dynamic micromachines based on metal oxides. The modifications made to nano/microstructured metal oxides such as TiO2, ZnO, bismuth oxyhalides (BiOX), NiO, Cu2O/CuO, perovskite‐like Bi2WO6, Fe3O4, etc., to enhance their degradation efficiency are thoroughly discussed and reviewed. Additionally, the photocatalytic pathways for the conversion of microplastics into C2 fuel and other value‐added products are also elaborated. The current developments in the realm of dynamic, self‐propelled, and controlled micromotors for the photodegradation of microplastics are also highlighted. The review concludes by proposing future perspectives and challenges to facilitate the remediation of microplastics in water and wastewater systems in a more effective, scalable, and environmentally friendly manner. Overall, the review emphasizes the potential of photocatalysis using nano/microstructured metal oxide semiconductors as an eco‐friendly and promising approach for microplastic degradation.
Recent Advances in Triboelectric Nanogenerators for Marine Exploitation
Authors: Zhang Chuguo , Hao Yijun , Yang Jiayi , Su Wei , Zhang Hongke , Wang Jie , Wang Zhong Lin , Li Xiuhan
Published: March 2023

The ocean, as one of the most important areas for human production and living, plays a vital role in transportation, food production, and energy supply. However, it is greatly desired to develop relevant advanced technologies to achieve efficient and safe ocean exploitation and utilization. The advanced triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG), which can transform mechanical motion into electric energy to achieve the harvesting of related mechanical energy and obtain corresponding mechanical motion characteristics by the corresponding electronic signal, is a significant choice to develop the corresponding advanced technologies for marine exploitation. According to the application field, TENG based marine exploitation researches can be divided into three kinds of researching directions, which contain the in situ ocean energy harvesting, self‐powered ocean monitoring, and self‐powered marine electrochemical technologies. The latest representative research works, which are based on TENG technology for marine exploitation, are classified in detail and summarized comprehensively in this review. More importantly, the specific prospects of TENG in the marine exploitation are discussed in detail to promote future research.
Solventless Amination of Lignin and Natural Phenolics using 2‐Oxazolidinone
Authors: Liu Li‐Yang , Wan Xue , Chen Siwei , Boonthamrongkit Panpipat , Sipponen Mika , Renneckar Scott
Published: March 2023

Reactive amine compounds are critical for a vast array of useful chemicals in society, yet a limited number of them are derived from renewable resources. This study developed an efficient route to obtain aminated building blocks from phenolic resources derived from nature, such as lignin and tannic acid, for enhancing their utility in applications such as epoxy resins, nylons, polyurethanes, and other polymeric materials. The reaction utilized a carbon storage compound, 2‐oxazolidinone as a solvent and as a reagent circumventing the need of hazardous chemistry of conventional amination routes such as those involving formaldehyde. Both free acids and hindered phenolics were readily converted into aminoethyl derivatives resulting in aromatics with primary amine functionality. The aminated compounds, with the potential for enhanced reactivity, can pave the way toward more advanced renewable building blocks.
Long‐term health effects of a school construction program
Authors: Rizal Muhammad Fikru , Black Nicole , Johnston David W. , Sweeney Rohan
Published: March 2023

Non‐communicable diseases (NCDs) disproportionately affect people in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs), yet context‐specific evidence on policies that impact NCD risk factors is lacking. We estimate the impact of a massive Indonesian primary school expansion program in the 1970s on NCD risk factors in later life using data from two surveys with very large sample sizes. We find that in non‐Java regions of Indonesia, the program led to significant increases in the likelihood of overweight and high waist circumference among women, but not among men. The increase for women can be partly explained by increased consumption of high‐calorie packaged and take‐away meals. We find no meaningful impacts on high blood pressure for either sex. Despite the increase in body weight, the program had a negligible impact on diabetes and cardiovascular disease diagnosis. It led to an improvement in women's self‐reported health outcomes in their early‐40s, but these benefits largely disappeared once they reached their mid‐40s.
Investigation on polymer design to enhance dissolution inhibition effects of photochemical acid generators for hexafluoroisopropylalcohol‐containing polystyrene in non‐chemically amplified resists
Authors: Doi Takashi , Sudo Shotaro , Shimokawa Tsutomu
Published: March 2023

This paper presents the origin and mechanism of a dissolution inhibition effect of a photochemical acid generator (PAG) for a non‐chemically amplified resist based on hexafluoroisopropylalcohol (HFA)‐containing styrene (HFASt) in an alkaline developer. For the photoresist systems consisting of copolymers of HFASt/another p‐substituted St and a sulfonium salt‐type PAG, solubility tests for coating films in the alkaline developer and proton nuclear magnetic resonance analysis and theoretical calculations for mixtures of the monomers and PAG were performed. It was found that p‐substituted St monomers with a highly polar functional group and an electron‐dense aromatic ring were effective in the dissolution inhibition. Since the interaction between p‐substituted St monomers and the cationic part of PAG was well predictable and quantifiable with theoretical calculations, which was consist well with the experimental data, the study method adopted in this study enables rational structural design of the polymers/PAG system that exhibits a high dissolution inhibition effect, which can lead to the development of non‐chemically amplified positive tone‐type resist materials usable for the formation of high‐resolution patterns.
On the Piezophototronic Effect in Heterojunction Photodiode with Type‐II Energy Band: Theoretical Model for Anisotype Heterojunction
Authors: Xie Wanli , Peng Wenbo , Wang Yitong , Li Fangpei , He Yongning
Published: March 2023

The piezophototronic effect has been widely explored to improve the performance of optoelectronic devices. However, modulation of piezoelectric charges varies with different energy band structures. Thus, it is important to investigate the specific role of the piezophototronic effect from a theoretical perspective. Herein, the piezophototronic effect in anisotype p‐Si/n‐ZnO heterojunction photodiodes with type‐II energy band diagrams through analytical derivation and numerical simulation is thoroughly studied. It is found that both the depletion region and quasineutral region have a decisive effect on photocurrent in their respective regions. Specifically, modulations of piezoelectric charges on depletion region current and quasineutral region current are opposite and compensate each other, resulting in reduced piezophototronic effect. Heterojunctions under short diode conditions are preferred for better piezophototronic effect as modulation on quasineutral region current is weakened while that on depletion region current remains unchanged. The effects of doping concentration, absorption coefficient, and minority carrier lifetime of semiconductor materials on device characteristics are also studied. This work provides deeper insight into the underlying device physics of the piezophototronic effect.
Qualitatively recognizing the dimensions of student environmental identity development within the classroom context
Authors: Simms Wendy , Shanahan Marie‐Claire
Published: March 2023

This study qualitatively explored the process of student environmental identity development (sEID) within the highly social and structured context of elementary school science. Social practice theory was used as the lens to distinguish the dimensions of sEID that were visible during a curriculum‐based, in‐school program focused on the issue of pollution. Student narratives, collected from small group interviews and reflective journals, were prioritized to capture the process of students in context identifying as “being for the environment.” Data collected from 35 grade six students were qualitatively coded, a network diagram was used to visualize the relationships in the data, and a research vignette was constructed. Eight dimensions were recognized as contributing to sEID; the opportunity to be an environmental actor with peers, increased awareness of environmental threat, emotional responses, self‐recognition for environmental action, perceived agency, changed behavior across social contexts, social recognition for identity actions, and personal meaning. While many of these dimensions have been directly or indirectly discussed in the research on adult environmentalists, shifting the emphasis from group membership to the individual student in context led to the addition of two dimensions—personal meaning and emotional responses. Recognizing the eight dimensions of sEID is an important contribution to the literature as students engaging in environmental action as a requirement of school is distinct from the existing research. Identifying the dimensions of sEID can support the intentional design of learning sequences that foster environmental identities in school and beyond.
The Effectiveness and Safety of Exenatide Versus Metformin in Patients with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: Ye Zheng-Rong , Yan Can-Qun , Liao Nianchun , Wen Si-Hua
Published: March 2023

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is an endocrine disorder that affects women of childbearing age, resulting in reproductive dysfunction, hyperinsulinemia, and obesity. While several drugs are currently approved for use in these patients, their relative effectiveness remains controversial. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the reproductive efficacy and safety of exenatide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist, versus metformin, an insulin sensitizer, in the treatment of patients with PCOS. Nine randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included, comprising 785 PCOS patients, of whom 385 received exenatide and 400 received metformin. Compared with metformin, exenatide was significantly more effective in treating these patients, as demonstrated by increased pregnancy rate (relative risk (RR) = 1.93, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.28 to 2.92, P = 0.002), greater ovulation rate (RR = 1.41, 95% CI 1.11 to 1.80, P = 0.004), decreased body mass index (mean difference =  − 1.72 kg/m2, 95% CI − 2.27 to − 1.18, P = 0.00001), and improved insulin resistance (standard mean difference =  − 0.62, 95% CI − 0.91 to − 0.33, P < 0.0001). There was no significant difference in the occurrence of adverse events (gastrointestinal reactions, hypoglycemia, etc.) between the two therapies. However, given the moderate to high quality and possible bias of the included studies, the available evidence is inconclusive. More high-quality studies are needed to assess the effects of exenatide in order to provide stronger evidence for its use in this patient population.
A turn-on fluorescent Zn(ii) metal–organic framework sensor for quantitative anthrax biomarker detection
Authors: Hong Chao , Li Ling , Zou Ji-Yong , Zhang Li , You Sheng-Yong
Published: March 2023

A Zn(ii) MOF for turn-on fluorescent sensor matrix of DPA detection is synthesized. DFT calculations show the sensing behavior was induced by the intermolecular PET transition and hydrogen-bonding interaction.