bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prevalence of Depression Symptoms amongst Orphaned Adolescents at Secondary Schools in Townships of South Africa
Authors: Khoza Thembi V. , Mokgatle Mathildah M.
Published: August 2021

Introduction:

Depression among orphans is a matter of concern due to its impairing effect on functioning and emotions. This study determined the prevalence of depression symptoms and the extent of emotional and functional problems among orphaned adolescents in secondary schools.

Methods:

A cross-sectional descriptive observational design using a Children’s Depression Inventory 2 (CDI 2) test was conducted. The CDI 2 was used to measure the prevalence of depression symptoms among 301 orphaned adolescents. The CDI 2 T-scores of more than 65 indicated the presence of depression symptoms. Among 301 participants aged between 13 and 17 years old, 176 (58.4%) were females, 61% (n = 184) were double orphans, and 39% (n = 117) were maternal orphans.

Results:

The prevalence of depression symptoms was 21%, with 63 (20.9%) having elevated emotional problems, 77 (25.5%), elevated functional problems, 9.9% (n=30) very low self-esteem and 90% (n = 271) no self-esteem problems. Elevated negative mood was 20.6% (n = 26), 14.6% (n = 44) had an elevated level of ineffectiveness and 32.5% (n = 98) had elevated interpersonal problems.

Conclusion:

The results of this study preclude any conclusions about the comparison of common characteristics between orphaned and non-orphaned adolescents. The standardised tool used narrowed the number of participants of interest due to the cut-off age.
Stakeholders’ Perspectives on the Barriers to Accessing Health Care Services in Rural Settings: A Human Capabilities Approach
Authors: Chinyakata Rachel , Roman Nicolette V. , Msiza Fikile B.
Published: August 2021

Background:

Despite efforts to achieve universal access to health care by various stakeholders globally, most developing countries continue to face serious health delivery challenges, especially in rural areas.

Introduction:

These inhibit individuals and communities’ ability to obtain health care services when needed and the freedom to use health care. Although issues of access to health care have been widely researched in South Africa, a detailed account on access to health care in particular communities is necessary for developing interventions that are tailored to the specific needs of that community. Understanding the accounts of stakeholders to the perceived barriers to access to health care services can help comprehend the issues that hinder people from accessing health care. Therefore, this study explored the stakeholders’ perspectives on the barriers to accessing health care services in rural settings in South Africa.

Methods:

A qualitative approach was used to guide the collection and analysis of the data. Data were collected from a sample of stakeholders selected from three rural areas in South Africa and analysed through thematic analysis. According to the stakeholders interviewed, there are some barriers that exist in the community that impede access to health.

Reusults:

These are limited or lack of health care facilities and personnel, shortages of medicine, distrust in the health care providers, opening hours of health care facilities and financial constraints, which resulted in the perceived poor health status of the people in those rural areas.

Conclusion:

This study calls for multifaceted health care reforms and strategies to address infrastructure deficiencies, human resources and medicine shortages to ensure equitable provision of high-quality public services. These strategies or measures must be tailored to the specific needs of rural communities.
Genomics and Pharmacogenomics of Age-related Hearing Loss
Authors: Guerra Joaquin , Naidoo Vinogran , Cacabelos Ramon
Published: August 2021

Age-related hearing loss (ARHL) or presbycusis shares common features with conditions related to senescence and neurodegeneration. In this review, we explore the linking of genes involved in such processes with presbycusis, that has been proven to share important relationships with genes involved in dementia (APOE and MTHFR), ototoxicity (the GST group), and pharmacogenetics (NAT2). In this regard, we propose the construction of pharmacogenetics for the presbycusis database that could help better control side effects in this particularly vulnerable population susceptible to neurodegenerative disorders. Moreover, preliminary epigenetics studies have recently identified links in human genes involved in ARHL, which could serve as biomarkers or as therapeutic targets.
Microwave-assisted C-C and C-Heteroatom Bond Formations in an Aqueous Medium
Authors: Mitra Bijeta , Ghosh Pranab
Published: August 2021

In recent times, microwave-assisted chemistry has gained enormous attraction in organic
synthesis owing to its versatile advantages such as avoidance of harsh reaction condition, increase
of yield, elimination of by-product, shorter reaction time and removal of wastages. Besides,
water as a reaction medium further includes more benefits as it eliminates all the drawbacks of toxic
solvent, which may cause injuries for our mother earth. Furthermore, C-C and C-heteroatom
bond formation reactions are very significant as most of the drug as well as bioactive compounds
contain heterocycles or C-hetero bond, which is a key tool of chemistry. This article demonstrates
the advancement on the topic of microwave assisted C-C and C-heteroatom bond formation reactions
in aqueous medium.
Self-Efficacy in Coping Behaviors of Cancer Patients: Who Am I and What Can I Accomplish?
Authors: KIRCA Kamile , KUTLUTÜRKAN Sevinç
Published: August 2021

Cancer symptoms make patients less able to cope with their health conditions, more vulnerable to negative outcomes, and more likely to develop negative self-efficacy. Self-efficacy is one’s judgment and belief in how successfully one can overcome possible future challenges. The self-efficacy theory holds that people are likely to engage in activities which they believe they can accomplish and avoid those in which they perceive themselves to be incompetent. Self-efficacy is of paramount significance for cancer patients to cope with treatment-related physical, social, and psychological problems and to adapt to new life situations. It should, therefore, be considered an integral part of well-being and success in symptom management. Nurses play a significant role in health-promoting behavior development. Nurses also manage such variables as maintaining activities of daily living, increased success rates, adaptation to change, involving family and social support mechanisms in the process, and encouraging and informing patients. Thus, nurses also support patients to increase their self-efficacy perceptions. The purpose of this review is to present the literature on the concept of self-efficacy, which is a determinant of the coping behaviors of patients with cancer.
Gebelikte Kişisel Bakım ve Kozmetik Ürün Kullanımı ile Fetal Sağlık İlişkisi
Authors: SARI Canan
Published: August 2021

Kozmetik ve kişisel bakım ürünleri, insanoğlunun çağlar boyunca görünümünü güzelleştirmek, temizlenmek, bakım yapmak ve hoş olmayan kokuları vücudundan uzaklaştırmak amacıyla kullandığı maddelerdir. Kozmetik ürünler, kullanılmaya başlandığı ilk dönemlerde içeriğini bitki ekstreleri ve bitkisel yağlardan oluşturmuştur. Yıllar sonra gerek kozmetik ürünlerin ciltten emilimini artırmak gerekse kalıcılık süresinin uzatılması amacıyla içeriğinde kimyasal maddelerin kullanımı sıklıkla tercih edilmeye başlanmıştır. Embriyoda konjenital anatomik anomalilere sebebiyet veren çevresel ajanlara teratojen denilmektedir. Kozmetik ürünlerin içinde yer alan çevresel kimyasallar, gebelikte teratojenik etkisi yüksek olan maddelerdir. Kozmetik ürünlerde bulunan zararlı kimyasalların insan vücuduna girişi; deriden emilim, ağız veya inhalasyon yoluyla gerçekleşmektedir. İçeriğinde oldukça fazla toksik madde barındıran kozmetik ürünlerin kullanımının en riskli olduğu dönemlerden biri, gebelik sürecidir. Bu ürünlerin içerisinde bulunan çevresel kimyasallar, fetüste konjenital anatomik anomalilere ve abortusa sebep olmaktadır. Gebelikte kozmetik ürünlerin fetüste oluşturabileceği teratojenik etkiye yönelik yapılan deneysel çalışmalar, oldukça sınırlıdır. Bu sebeple bu ürünlerin tamamen zararsız olduğu belirleninceye kadar kullanımının sınırlı tutulması gerektiği ifade edilmiştir. Bu derlemede; gebelik sürecinde teratojen olarak kabul görülen kişisel bakım ve kozmetik ürünlerin içeriğinde yer alan çevresel kimyasalların fetal sağlık üzerine etkisi, değerlendirilmeye çalışılmıştır.
Composition of Outward Foreign Direct Investment from India
Authors: Manoj Kumar Sinha  , Shalini Rawal
Published: August 2021

After the liberalization regime of 1991, the major policy changes undertaken regarding overseas investment, such as, industrial deregulation and trade liberalization, led to major changes in the Indian economy. This leads to increase competence in Indian investors to compete on a global level on a sustained basis. The paper intends to drag attention towards the composition of outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) from India. It also examines the competition for Indian overseas investment among different sectors. Indian overseas investment in manufacturing sectors is getting the utmost importance, followed by service sectors in different country groupings from 2008 to 2019, using the rank dominance index
COVID -19 and Indian Financial Markets: A Review
Authors: Sarna Kamaldeep Kaur
Published: August 2021

COVID-19 is aptly stated as a Black Swan event that has stifled the global economy. As coronavirus wreaked havoc, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) contracted globally, unemployment rate soared high, and economic recovery still seems a far-fetched dream. Most importantly, the pandemic has set up turbulence in the global financial markets and resulted in heightened risk elements (market risk, credit risk, bank runs etc.) across the globe. Such uncertainty and volatility has not been witnessed since the Global Financial Crisis of 2008. The spread of COVID-19 has largely eroded investors’ confidence as the stock markets neared lifetimes lows, bad loans spiked and investment values degraded. Due to this, many turned their backs on the risk-reward trade off and carted their money towards traditionally safer investments like gold. While the banking sector remains particularly vulnerable, central banks have provided extensive loan moratoriums and interest waivers. Overall, COVID-19 resulted in a short term negative impact on the financial markets in India, though it is making a way towards V-shaped recovery.
In this context, the present paper attempts to identify and evaluate the impact of the pandemic on the financial markets in India. Relying on rich literature and live illustrations, the influence of COVID-19 is studied on the stock markets, banking and financial institutions, private equities, and debt funds. The paper covers several recommendations so as to bring stability in the financial markets. The suggestions include, but are not limited to, methods to regularly monitor results, establishing a robust mechanism for risk management, strategies to reduce Non-Performing Assets, continuous assessment of stress and crisis readiness of the financial institutions etc. The paper also emphasizes on enhancing the role of technology (Artificial Intelligence and Virtual/Augmented Reality) in the financial services sector to optimize the outcomes and set the path towards recovery.
Socio- Economic Empowerment of Women in Global Era: With Special Reference to India
Authors: Dubey Shikha , Ajay Dwivedi
Published: August 2021

Purpose: India has the distinction of developing one of the world's longest continuing cultures, which has continuously adapted to theevolving political and socio-economic material and unique events of its history. It is often presumed that, by an unquestionable lack ofwork or elevated jobs, women will bear the cost of economic liberalization. but the theory of trade shows that women, particularly inemerging economies can contribute a lot due to trade liberalization and increase in foreign trade, women have proven to be a remarkablecohesive unit of the community, which in the stage of rapid societal changes has demonstrated great resilience and adaptability.Design/ methodology/ approach: This research is qualitative in nature and based on both primary and secondary data both.Research objective and implications: The research's primary emphasis is to explore the impact of globalization in raising the socioeconomicstatus of women and to highlight the positive as well as the negative impact of globalization on women’s livelihood.This paper will be helpful for various policymakers, researchers, government bodies, and various stakeholders of the society to know thecontribution of microfinance in rebooting the Indian economy by poverty alleviation.
A Study of Factors Affecting Residential Property Buying Decisions Postcovid-19 Pandemic
Authors: Tushar Jindal  , Singh Tribhuvan Pratap , Nitesh Rohilla  , Anupam Saxena
Published: August 2021

More than 90% of people make their most expensive purchases when they buy a residential property. This expensive purchase takes muchtime to decide what, where, when, why, and how to buy. Many factors are involved to answer all the questions to make an accuratedecision. These factors impact the decision-making capacity of the buyers. Factors like demographics, physiographic, motivational,aspirational, the tendency of herd behavior all impact the decision-making capacity.In comparison to common purchases which involves less effort like our daily routine purchase takes less amount of time and money tomake an accurate decision, Residential property buying requires high involvement in terms of time, effort, and money with a lot of factorsanalysis which can affect the buying decision of the prospective buyer.This research paper aims to analyze all those factors which are going to impact the decision-making capacity of residential property buyers,especially in the post-Covid 19 situations, what all factors are going to become crucial for buyers while buying a property? and what relevancethey hold in respect of each other? The paper aims to help both developer and buyer to tick all those boxes which are going to satisfythe requirements of both. Also, while considering these factors it will be easy for developers to channelize sales and prospective buyers willget what they really want.
Mergers, Acquisitions and the Financial Performance: An Empirical Analysis from Indian Manufacturing Sector
Authors: Sarna Kamaldeep Kaur
Published: August 2021

Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) are one of the most preferred strategies of corporate restructuring across the globe. Companies opt forM&A as they tend to generate operational synergies as well as improve the financial performance of the firms. The present study evaluatesthe financial performance of fifty-four acquiring manufacturing firms in India that occurred between the financial year 2006-07 and 2013-14. The study follows a positivist approach with a focus on quantitative analysis of financial data over the period of ten years (five years preand five years post) for five parameters. Determinants of financial performance of acquiring firms before and after the M&A have alsobeen examined. Paired Samples t-test, Principal Component Analysis, and Principal Component Regression have been employed for theanalysis. Findings suggest that profitability and cost of utilization significantly decline after M&A. Efficiency, Profit Margin, Cost ofUtilization, Interest Cover has remained significant factors contributing to the Return on Capital Employed both pre and post-M&A.Failure of M&A in the creation of synergies in the Indian manufacturing sector suggests a lack of strategic fit between the firms. It is important formanagers to clearly define the motives behind the M&A not just for growth but for survival as well.
Predictability of Mortality in Patients With Myocardial Injury After Noncardiac Surgery Based on Perioperative Factors via Machine Learning: Retrospective Study (Preprint)
Authors: Shin Seo Jeong , Park Jungchan , Lee Seung-Hwa , Yang Kwangmo , Park Rae Woong
Published: August 2021

BACKGROUND

Myocardial injury after noncardiac surgery (MINS) is associated with increased postoperative mortality, but the relevant perioperative factors that contribute to the mortality of patients with MINS have not been fully evaluated.

OBJECTIVE

To establish a comprehensive body of knowledge relating to patients with MINS, we researched the best performing predictive model based on machine learning algorithms.

METHODS

Using clinical data from 7629 patients with MINS from the clinical data warehouse, we evaluated 8 machine learning algorithms for accuracy, precision, recall, F1 score, area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve, and area under the precision-recall curve to investigate the best model for predicting mortality. Feature importance and Shapley Additive Explanations values were analyzed to explain the role of each clinical factor in patients with MINS.

RESULTS

Extreme gradient boosting outperformed the other models. The model showed an AUROC of 0.923 (95% CI 0.916-0.930). The AUROC of the model did not decrease in the test data set (0.894, 95% CI 0.86-0.922; P=.06). Antiplatelet drugs prescription, elevated C-reactive protein level, and beta blocker prescription were associated with reduced 30-day mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

Predicting the mortality of patients with MINS was shown to be feasible using machine learning. By analyzing the impact of predictors, markers that should be cautiously monitored by clinicians may be identified.
Media Use During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Cross-sectional Study (Preprint)
Authors: Rivest-Beauregard Marjolaine , Fortin Justine , Guo Connie , Cipolletta Sabrina , Sapkota Ram P , Lonergan Michelle , Brunet Alain
Published: August 2021

BACKGROUND

Throughout the pandemic, the general population was encouraged to use media to be kept informed about sanitary measures while staying connected with others to obtain social support. However, due to mixed findings in the literature, it is not clear whether media use in such a context would be pathogenic or salutogenic.

OBJECTIVE

Therefore, the associations between COVID-19–related stressors and frequency of media use for information-seeking on trauma- and stressor-related (TSR) symptoms were examined while also investigating how social media use for support-seeking and peritraumatic distress interact with those variables.

METHODS

A path model was tested in a sample of 5913 adults who completed an online survey.

RESULTS

The number of COVID-19–related stressors (β=.25; P<.001) and extent of information-seeking through media (β=.24; P=.006) were significantly associated with the severity of TSR symptoms in bivariate comparisons. Associations between levels of peritraumatic distress and both COVID-19–related stressors and information-seeking through media, and social media use for support- and information-seeking through media were found (βCOVID-19 stressors: Peritraumatic Distress Inventory=.49, P<.001; βseeking information: Peritraumatic Distress Inventory=.70, P<.001; βseeking information–seeking support=.04, P<.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Results suggest that exposure to COVID-19–related stressors and seeking COVID-19–related information through the media are associated with higher levels of peritraumatic distress that, in turn, lead to higher levels of TSR symptoms. Although exposure to the stress of the COVID-19 pandemic may be unavoidable, the frequency of COVID-19–related information consumption through various media should be approached with caution.
Predicting Mental Health Status in Remote and Rural Farming Communities: Computational Analysis of Text-Based Counseling (Preprint)
Authors: Antoniou Mark , Estival Dominique , Lam-Cassettari Christa , Li Weicong , Dwyer Anne , Neto Abìlio de Almeida
Published: August 2021

BACKGROUND

Australians living in rural and remote areas are at elevated risk of mental health problems and must overcome barriers to help seeking, such as poor access, stigma, and entrenched stoicism. e-Mental health services circumvent such barriers using technology, and text-based services are particularly well suited to clients concerned with privacy and self-presentation. They allow the client to reflect on the therapy session after it has ended as the chat log is stored on their device. The text also offers researchers an opportunity to analyze language use patterns and explore how these relate to mental health status.

OBJECTIVE

In this project, we investigated whether computational linguistic techniques can be applied to text-based communications with the goal of identifying a client’s mental health status.

METHODS

Client-therapist text messages were analyzed using the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count tool. We examined whether the resulting word counts related to the participants’ presenting problems or their self-ratings of mental health at the completion of counseling.

RESULTS

The results confirmed that word use patterns could be used to differentiate whether a client had one of the top 3 presenting problems (depression, anxiety, or stress) and, prospectively, to predict their self-rated mental health after counseling had been completed.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that language use patterns are useful for both researchers and clinicians trying to identify individuals at risk of mental health problems, with potential applications in screening and targeted intervention.
A Review on Mechanical Motion Rectifier for Energy Harvesting
Authors: Suryawanshi Sagar
Published: August 2021

Abstract: The conventional vehicle suspension dissipates the mechanical vibration energy in the form of heat which waste considerable energy. The regenerative suspensions have attracted much attention in recent years for the improvement of vibration attenuating performance as well as the reduction of energy dissipation. In fact, the vibrations in some situations can be very large, for example, the vibrations of tall buildings, long vehicle systems, railroads and ocean waves. With the global concern on energy and environmental issues, energy harvesting from large-scale vibrations is more attractive. This paper introduces the existing research and significance of regenerative shock absorbers and reviews the potential of automotive vibration energy recovery techniques; then, it classifies and summarizes the general classifications of regenerative shock absorbers. Keywords: Mechanical vibration, regenerative suspension, energy dissipation, railroads, ocean waves, vehicle.
Alih Kode dalam Tuturan Penyiar Radio Swasta
Authors: Tarmini Wini
Published: August 2021

Penelitian ini membahas  alih kode tuturan penyiar radio swasta.  Tujuan penelitian  mendeskripsikan bentuk alih kode yang terjadi dalam tuturan penyiar radio swasta beserta penyebab yang melatarbelakanginya. Penelitian ini  menggunakan desain deskriptif kualitatif.  Sumber data dalam penelitian ini adalah tuturan penyiar radio swasta. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa peristiwa alih kode yang terjadi dalam tuturan penyiar radio swasta terdiri atas tiga jenis alih kode yang ditemukan yaitu jenis tag switching, intrasentential switching, dan intersentential switching Alih kode jenis tag switching disebabkan oleh beralihnya suasana, terpengaruh lawan bicara, dan perpindahan topik. Jenis alih kode intrasentential switching disebabkan oleh mengutip pembicaraan orang lain, perpindahan topik, ingin dianggap ‘terpelajar”, terpengaruh lawan bicara yang beralih ke bahasa Inggris, dan menghindari adanya penggunaan bentuk kasar. Alih kode jenis intersentential switching disebabkan oleh mengutip pembicaraan orang lain, beralihnya media/sarana, ingin dianggap ‘terpelajar”, terpengaruh lawan bicara yang beralih ke bahasa Inggris, perpindahan topik, dan kehadiran orang ketiga.
A Case Study of Interactive Teaching in a Listening Session at a Language Institute
Authors: Safitri Hilma
Published: August 2021

Improving listening skills is one of urgent problems in education. Insufficiency of students’ linguistics and non-linguistics knowledge or background knowledge to comprehend ideas during listening could be solved by providing them with interactive tasks since to learn to listen is to learn to respond and to continue a chain of listening and responding. This study aims to uncover interactive teaching in a listening session at LBPP-LIA Kalimalang Jakarta. The subjects of the study were the students of Intermediate 3 together with their teacher. The object of the study were the aspects covered by classroom interaction: student-student and student-teacher interactions. Data collection consisted of audio-recording of the spoken exchange and note taking of all observed activities during the listening session.  As a qualitative study, the findings were described in terms of words. The result showed the teacher seemed to be aware that interactive tasks in pair/group work would benefit the students. The interaction patterns taken place among participants involved in a discussion reflected an interactive teaching. However, the teacher should have developed his roles. He needed to vary his techniques in maintaining the interaction, therefore, the students were motivated to volunteer information, comment, or questions.
Evolution of Tariff Government Regulation in Energy and Communal Markets on the Basis of Smart Regulation System
Authors: Popov N. V.
Published: August 2021

The Aim. Analysis of eﬀects according to digital pricing system advent in energy and communal sphere in Russia as a part of new industrial revolution.

Purpose of a research. Review of a current world trends on energy markets, determination of ways and instruments for tariﬀ regulation digital development on the energy and communal markets, deﬁnition of possible results from complex digitalization of tariﬀ regulation system.

Methodology of a research. During research of this article were widely applied instruments of complex theoretical analysis, cause-eﬀect relations were tested between theoretical hypothesis and practical realization of digital tariﬀ regulation models.

Result of a research. By the author were written and systematic deﬁned concept of pricing digitalization system on the Russian energy and communal markets according to analysis of main world trends in this economic sphere. The term of digital platform of tariﬀ regulation was developed.

Output. Digitalization of tariﬀ regulation could develop premises for deregulation of energy and communal spheres in Russia enable the competence development and lower the entrance barriers for new market players what can lead to higher innovation and investment level recruited in these important markets.
Black Disparities in Targeted Therapy Clinical Trials – A Call for Future Reset
Authors: Venkatachalam Shobi , Al-Jumayli Mohammed
Published: August 2021

Studies show marked disparities in the relative risk of cancer death between Black Americans and White Americans even after adjusting for the stage at diagnosis and age. This may be explained by disparities in different aspects of cancer care including providing equal screening opportunities, availability of proper treatment options and inclusivity in clinical trials. To our knowledge, our study is the first descriptive study on Black disparities in targeted therapy clinical trials. We collected data on Black inclusivity from pivotal clinical trials as well as trials of special interest involving targeted therapies in some of the commonly encountered cancers. Our results show that most targeted therapy trials included in our review were multinational including some participating countries with very few or no Blacks and therefore had very poor Black representation with an average of around 1-3%. Also, some trials lacked transparent data on the racial demographics raising concerns on the generalizability of data when extrapolated to treat the Black population. We have reviewed existing literature on differences in cancer biology and host biology depending on the race and end with suggestions to improve Black inclusivity in clinical trials.
The Effectiveness of Coloring in Reducing Anxiety and Improving PWB in Adolescents
Authors: Emanuela Cindy , Satiadarma Monty P. , Roswiyani Roswiyani
Published: August 2021

Anxiety is a normal reaction to stressful situations. Excessive anxiety can affect various aspects of life, especially in adolescents. Adolescents who have anxiety tend to experience sleep disorders, substance abuse, and suicide. Therefore, intervention is needed for adolescents who experience anxiety. One of the appropriate interventions for adolescents is art therapy with coloring techniques. Previous research has obtained evidence that coloring can reduce anxiety and improve psychological well-being (PWB). This study aims to determine the effectiveness of coloring activities in reducing anxiety and increasing PWB in adolescents. By using a quasi-experimental design pretest-posttest, total participants in this study were 26 students aged 15-18 years, were divided into two groups, such as mandala and other shapes coloring groups. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) is used to measure anxiety and the PWB questionnaire is used to measure psychological well-being. Using paired sample t-test showed that both coloring groups experienced a decrease in state anxiety before and after the intervention, but there was no significant increase in PWB. Further analysis found that mandala coloring activities were more effective in reducing anxiety than other forms of coloring activities, and PWB of the two groups did not increase. It can be concluded that coloring activities can reduce state anxiety but has not been able to increase PWB.
Big data analytics of sustainable ecotourism development in Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park
Authors: Wibowo Joshi Maharani , Muljaningsih Sri , Satria Dias
Published: August 2021

Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park (BTSNP) are designated as the 10 new Bali of Indonesia. As a protected area, BTSNP has unique ecotourism characteristics that distinguish it from other ecotourism destinations. This study seeks to examine the appropriateness of BTSNP sustainable development-based ecotourism through the Sustainable Livelihoods Approach (SLA) approach. This study used TripAdvisor reviews related to BTSNP in 2019 as the main data. The data were analyzed using a qualitative approach. The results of this study revealed the extent to which the process of developing BTSNP ecotourism on the basis of sustainable development as observed from economic, tourism, socio-cultural, and environmental aspects. The results of this study are expected to be considerations for policy-making to develop tourism that pays attention to the environment by not imposing BTSNP boundaries as protected areas for conservation.
Determination of a sex-related RAPD marker in Carob (Ceratonia siliqua L.)
Authors: Kaya Dilek , Dalkiliç Zeynel
Published: August 2021

Molecular markers are used in the characterization and breeding of organisms.
Carob (Ceratonia siliqua L.) is a species with both dioecious and
hermaphrodite flower forms. The determination of sex at an early stage of
growth in this species, whose juvenility period is long, is important in
breeding studies. The objective of this study was to identify the
sex-related markers using RAPD method. Ten genotypes were obtained from
natural F1 hybrids between a naturally grown a female and a male carob tree.
DNA was extracted from the leaves of 12 carob plants. Using BSA, the female
and male bulks were formed from five female and five male plants,
respectively, using equal amounts of DNA from each plant. In this study, 130
RAPD primers were tested. That of 21 primers tested showed polymorphisms
between male and female bulks. While the fragment of 750 bp from the OPA17
RAPD primer was not detected in the female parent, female bulk, and female
F1 hybrids; it was observed in the male parent and four out of five male F1
hybrids. This is the first report in the literature that one RAPD marker,
namely OPA17-750, related to 80% reliability to male sex in carob was
determined.
Genetic diversity analysis through cluster constellation in Brinjal (Solanum melongena L.)
Authors: Kaur Sukhninder , Sidhu Mohinder , Dhatt Ajmer
Published: August 2021

In present investigation, 110 locally developed genotypes from different
breeding programmes in brinjal were classified into eleven clusters on the
basis of their D2 values computed from Mahalanobis D2 statistics of twelve
morphological traits, wherein inter-and intra-cluster distances highlighted
the genetic divergence of the genotypes grouped among and within different
clusters. Among all, fourth cluster was the largest with 33 genotypes;
however, each of second, fifth, ninth, tenth and eleventh clusters contained
only single genotype. The genotypes of eighth and tenth clusters were highly
diverse (1584.40) followed by third and eighth (1431.31), eighth and ninth
(1302.69), sixth and eighth (1126.33) and first and eighth (1042.91)
clusters. Intra-cluster (within cluster) variation was the highest in
seventh cluster (74.43) followed by eighth (61.20) and sixth (54.36) that
described the diverse nature of eighteen, five and nineteen genotypes in
these groups, respectively. However, PBL-268, PBGL-401, PBL-243, PSR 308 and
PBOB-518 were grouped individually in IInd, Vth, IXth, Xth and XIth
clusters, respectively. Overall, fifth cluster had most vigorous and high
yielding ((2.82 kg/plant) genotype (PBGL-405); eighth cluster included
genotypes with big round fruits and maximum fruit weight (317.43g); and
tenth cluster had the earliest genotype (PSR-308) with the maximum number of
fruits per plant (43.17). Out of twelve morphological traits, 94.19%
diversity was brought by average fruit weight (67.86%), number of fruits per
plant (17.26%), fruit yield per plant (5.37%) and fruit breadth (3.70%),
however, other traits had negligible share towards the variation. This study
created the foundation for future hybridization programmes in brinjal, where
the parents can be selected on the basis of highly diverse groups as well as
traits.
Cytogenetic aspects of miscarriage
Authors: Petrovic Bojana , Komnenic-Radovanovic Milica
Published: August 2021

Chromosomal aberrations account for approximately 50% of fetal losses prior
to the 15th week of gestation. The aim of this study was to determine the
differences in frequencies and distribution of chromosomal aberrations in
sporadic and habitual abortions. During a seven year period (2007.-2014.),
we have analyzed 380 samples of chorionic villi after missed abortion in the
Clinic for gynecology and obstetrics, Clinical center of Serbia. After first
misscariage we analyzed 268 samples, and after habitual abortions 112
samples. For statistical analysis, we used ?? test. Karyotype analysis
revealed chromosomal aberrations in 22,4% (85/380) of all samples. In the
group after first abortion, we found an aberrant karyotype in 15,7% (42/268)
of cases. In the group with habitual abortions, chromosomal aberrations were
detected in 38,4% (43/112) of cases. Statistical analysis showed significant
difference between these two groups, ?2=11,34> ?2(1 I 0,05)=3,841i p<0,05.
The distribution of chromosomal aberrations was similar in both groups.
Also, in both groups, numerical chromosomal aberrations were the most
common. The identification of cytogenetic causes is an important component
in miscarriage etiology investigation, and it is recommended in order to
improve genetic counseling of an involved couple.
Genetic diversity and population structure of Iranian pistachio (Pistacia vera l.) cultivars
Authors: Mahdavi Mojdeh , Sharifnia Fariba , Salimpour Fahimeh , Esmaeili Akbar , Larypoor Mohaddeseh
Published: August 2021

Iran has a rich pistachio germplasm, thereby, the diversity and number of
Iranian pistachio cultivars is unique in the world. Genetic diversity is
crucial for sustainable use of genetic resources and conservation. As one of
the oldest nut crops in human history, pistachio nuts have a high
nutritional value and are commercially important. In the present study, the
genetic variation of pistachio genotypes was investigated by nuclear ISSR
markers. In this study, genetic relationships among 11 cultivars was
assessed by using 12 inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) primers. The total
of 53 bands of which 44 (83%) were polymorphic were amplified by the 12
primers, an average of 4.4 bands per primer. The total number of amplified
fragments was between 2 to 6 and the number of polymorphic fragments ranged
from two to six. The amplified allele sizes ranged from 300 to 1600 bp.
Pair-wise genetic similarity coefficients varied from 0.70 to 0.95. The
UPGMA dendrogram differentiated the genotypes into two major clusters. The
Mantel test showed correlation between genetic and geographical distance.
AMOVA revealed a significant genetic difference among cultivars and showed
that 35% of total genetic variation was due to within- cultivars diversity.
The present results may be used for the conservation, core collection and
future breeding of the pistachio.
Expression of caveolin-2 in patients with oral cancer and correlations with clinicopathological parameters
Authors: Wan Chao , Zhang Fang , Zhu Liangming
Published: August 2021

We aimed to analyze the expression of caveolin-2 (CAV2) in patients with oral
cancer and its correlations with clinicopathological parameters.The
expression of CAV2 in oral cancer and its influence on the survival curves
of oral cancer patients were inquired through the Human Protein Atlas
Database. The cancer tissue specimens and normal paracancerous tissue
specimens (?2 cm away from cancer tissues) were collected from 173 patients
with oral cancer confirmed by pathology. Moreover, real-time quantitative
reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and
immunohistochemistry were performed to detect the messenger ribonucleic acid
(mRNA) and protein expressions of CAV2 in oral cancer tissues and
corresponding paracancerous tissues, respectively, and their associations
with the clinicopathological characteristics and survival conditions of oral
cancer patients were analyzed.It was shown in the Human Protein Atlas
Database that the expression of CAV2 was increased significantly in oral
cancer tissues compared with that in normal tissues (P<0.05), and patients
with a low expression of CAV2 had a longer survival time than those with a
high expression of CAV2 (P<0.05). The results of qRT-PCR and
immunohistochemistry manifested that the mRNA expression level of CAV2 and
the percentage of CAV2-positive cells were significantly higher in oral
cancer tissues than those in paracancerous tissues (P<0.05). The CAV2
expression was correlated with clinical stage and pathological
differentiation degree (P<0.05). In comparison with those in patients with a
low CAV2 expression, the overall survival (OS) curve, relapse-free survival
(RFS) curve and survival rate declined significantly in patients with a high
CAV2 expression (P=0.001). Besides, the CAV2 expression, clinical stage and
pathological differentiation degree were independent influencing factors for
the postoperative OS and RFS of patients. The expression of CAV2 had
relatively high predictive value for the OS and RFS of patients with oral
cancer within 5 years after operation, of which the area under curve was
0.827 and 0.874, and the optimal cut-off value was 27.97% and 32.84%,
respectively.CAV2 is highly expressed in oral cancer. With rising CAV2
expression level, the survival time of patients is shortened and the relapse
risk is elevated, suggesting a poor prognosis.
Association study of RS535296987 in TEX14 gene in azoospermiamen: RFLP and DNA sequencing
Authors: Vahedi Mohammad , Sheidai Masoud
Published: August 2021

Azoospermia is one of the kinds of male infertility, with clinically the most
severe phenotype as the natural conception cannot occur. It has been
estimated to affect 0.1 to 1% of all men and 10-15% of men in infertile
couples. TEX14 (Testis expressed 14, intercellular bridge forming factor) is
a protein coding gene, which is located in human chromosome 17, (17q22).
Tex14 gene appears to be crucial for perfect spermatogenesis and functional
studies indicate the role of TEX14 in the intercellular bridges between
developing male germ cells. The gene contains 32 exons and spans 137 kb. A
heterogeneousresultis available on the association TEX14 gene and
azoospermia. Therefore, it is suggested to investigate this gene in
different populations. We analyzed about 200 men in two categories of
azoospermia and healthy persons by RFLP as well as DNA sequencing to
indicate an association between rs535296987 in TEX14 and its adjacent
nucleotides to azoospermia. We found no significant association based on
RFLP data and also by clustering of case and control specimens based on DNA
sequencing. In general, a low level of nucleotide variability was observed
in DNA sequences. Therefore, both eternity in the studied samples and low
degree of mutations in this genetic region, may be the reason for
heterogeneous reports on association of TEX14 and azoospermia.
Gene flow and population structure in Allochrusa (caryophylloideae, caryophyllaceae) with the use of molecular markers
Authors: Chen Weimiao , Khayatnezhad Majid , Sarhadi Nima
Published: August 2021

Allochrusa Bunge is a genus of subfamily Caryophylloideae Rabeler & Bittrich
contains about 8 species distributed in Turkey, Central Asia, Afghanistan,
Caucasus, Transcaucasus and Iran. Three species of Allochrusa versicolor, A.
bungei and A. persica occur in Iran show some degree of morphological
overlaps that make the species delimitation difficult. Till present time,
there has been no detailed information available on morphological and
genetic structure of these species in the country. The aims of the present
study are: 1) to find the diagnostic value of SCoT markers in delimitation
of Allochrusa species, 2) to find the genetic structure of these taxa in
Iran, and 3) to investigate the species inter-relationship. For this study,
97 randomly collected plants from 7 geographical populations in three
Allochrusa species were used. We encountered extensive within species
genetic and morphological diversity. SCoT molecular markers could delimit
the studied species. AMOVA and STRUCTURE analysis revealed that the species
of Allochrusa are genetically differentiated. The Mantel test showed
correlation between genetic distance and geographical distance of the
populations studied. Genetic affinity of the studied species has been
discussed.
Study on genetic diversity between Erodium (Geranaiceae) species based on inter-simple sequence repeat markers
Authors: Mowang Shu-Chen , Chen Fu-Ji , Zeenat Z
Published: August 2021

Identifying the accurate boundaries of a species is critical to have a better
perspective of any biological studies. Therefore, species delimitation is a
subject of extensive part of studies in the framework of biology. Erodium
species possess significant pharmacological and biological activities. The
whole plant was used as astringent and haemostatic in uterine and other
bleeding Therefore, due to the importance of these plant species, we
performed a molecular data analysis for this species. For this study, we
used 60 randomly collected plants from 5 species in five provinces.
Amplification of genomic DNA using 10 primers produced 52 bands, of which 50
were polymorphic (98.48%). The obtained high average PIC and MI values
revealed high capacity of ISSR primers to detect polymorphic loci among
Erodium species. The genetic similarities of five collections were estimated
from 0.77 to 0.91. According to Inter-Simple sequence repeats (ISSR) markers
analysis, E. cicutarium and E. malacoides had the lowest similarity and the
species of E. malacoides and E. oxyrrhynchum had the highest similarity. The
aims of present study are: 1) can ISSR markers identify Erodium species, and
2) to investigate the species inter-relationship? The present study revealed
that ISSR markers can identify the species.
Effects of genotype and bradyrhizobium inoculation on morphological traits, grain yield and protein content of soybean varieties
Authors: Miladinovic Vladimir , Kolasinac Stefan , Pecinar Ilinka , Kiprovski Biljana , Mutavdzic Dragosav , Ugrenovic Vladan , Dajic-Stevanovic Zora
Published: August 2021

Soybean crop production in Serbia involves seed inoculation by N-fixing
bacteria just before sowing time. The main objective of the current work was
to assess the impact of the genotype and inoculation on range of
morphological and yield traits of soybean (Glycine max L. Merrill), as well
as the total protein content. The experiment was conducted on chernozem
soil, where soybean was previously grown. The six local varieties were used,
where each variety was sown, in three replicates for both inoculated and
non-inoculated treatment. The following morphological traits were analysed:
the plant height, number of lateral branches, distance to the first pod,
number of pods per plant, pods (containing seeds) weight per plant, seed
weight per plant, and the total grain yield. The total protein content in
seeds was determined by standard analytical method, while subtle differences
in qualitative protein composition were assessed using Raman spectroscopy.
The total protein content varied from 39.6 to 42.15 %. Performance of
inoculation resulted in an increase of the plant height and the distance to
the first pod, although not in all tested varieties. The highest and the
lowest plant height values were observed for non-inoculated variety Dana
(59.23cm) and Sava (80.03cm), respectively. The effect of genotype was much
more expressed causing differences in almost all tested characters, except
for the total protein content. However, Raman spectroscopy analyses revealed
distinct discrimination among surveyed varieties, and differences between
inoculated and non-inoculated plants in qualitative composition of seed
proteins.
Effect of Diet Quality and Genetic Predisposition on Hemoglobin A1c and Type 2 Diabetes Risk: Gene-Diet Interaction Analysis of 357,419 Individuals
Authors: Zhuang Pan , Liu Xiaohui , Li Yin , Wan Xuzhi , Wu Yuqi , Wu Fei , Zhang Yu , Jiao Jingjing
Published: August 2021

OBJECTIVE

To assess the interactions between diet quality and genetic predisposition to incident type 2 diabetes (T2D).

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Between 2006 and 2010, 357,419 participants with genetic and complete dietary data from the UK Biobank were enrolled and prospectively followed up to 2017. The genetic risk score (GRS) was calculated on the basis of 424 variants associated with T2D risk, and a higher GRS indicates a higher genetic predisposition to T2D. The adherence to a healthy diet was assessed by a diet quality score comprising 10 important dietary components, with a higher score representing a higher overall diet quality.

RESULTS

There were 5,663 incident T2D cases documented during an average of 8.1 years of follow-up. A significant negative interaction was observed between the GRS and the diet quality score. After adjusting for major risk factors, per SD increment in the GRS and the diet quality score was associated with a 54% higher and a 9% lower risk of T2D, respectively. A simultaneous increment of 1 SD in both the diet quality score and GRS was additionally associated with a 3% lower T2D risk due to the antagonistic interaction. In categorical analyses, a sharp reduction of 23% in T2D risk associated with a 1-SD increment in the diet quality score was detected among participants in the extremely high GRS group (GRS >95%). We also observed a strong negative interaction between the GRS and the diet quality score on the blood HbA1c level at baseline (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The adherence to a healthy diet was associated with more reductions in blood HbA1c levels and subsequent T2D risk among individuals with a higher genetic risk. Our findings support tailoring dietary recommendations to an individual’s genetic makeup for T2D prevention.