bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Saneamento Ambiental e as Ocupações na Bacia do Isidoro
Authors: Resende Ana Raquel
Published: June 2024

This chapter explores actions undertaken to restore water quality in the streams of the Isidoro microbasin (Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais) within the Vitória occupation, following contamination caused by direct discharge of untreated domestic sewage. The study employed a multi-faceted approach, starting with a sanitation sectoral diagnosis that analyzed water supply, urban cleaning, solid waste management, sanitary sewage, and urban drainage systems through a combination of secondary data analysis and a socio-environmental survey conducted among residents of the occupation. This was followed by a legal, technical, and economic feasibility analysis that leveraged the collected data to identify households suitable for implementing the chosen individual sewage treatment system – the Evapotranspiration Tank (TEVap) – due to its inherent advantages in simplicity of implementation, maintenance, and operation.
Implementation of the Industrial Plantation Forest Development Policy to Increase the Productivity of Industrial Plantation Forests in North Gorontalo Regency
Authors: Bahtiar La Ode
Published: June 2024

The aim of this research is to find out how development policies are implemented industrial plantation forests in increasing the productivity of industrial plantation forests in North Gorontalo Regency; what factors hinder the implementation of development policies industrial plantation forests in increasing the productivity of industrial plantation forests in North Gorontalo Regency. This type of research is descriptive with a qualitative approach, where primary data is obtained from interviews and research observations. The main instrument in the research is to see to what extent the implementation of industrial plantation forest development policies can increase the productivity of industrial plantation forests in North Gorontalo Regency, where interviews were conducted from September to November 2016. The results of this research show that there is a need to organize work area boundaries, realize the planting of staple crops and superior plants, administration of forest products and supervision and control. Minimizing inhibiting factors through encroachment on forest areas, land conflicts with local communities and illegal logging.
Eksistensielle dimensjoner i musikkterapi - Utkast til et begrepskart
Authors: Garred Rudy
Published: June 2024

I denne artikkelen stilles spørsmålet om hvordan det kan ha seg at musikkterapi blir brukt innenfor et så vidt bredt og mangfoldig praksisfelt. Er musikken å regne som en panasé, et universalmiddel? Dette spørsmålet brukes som en ledetråd for å forsøke å tegne en kartskisse over musikkterapiens mulige rekkevidde. Tegningen gjøres ut fra et personsentrert, eksistensielt perspektiv, med sikte på å skape ett slags helhetsbilde. Fire eksistensielle dimensjoner settes opp, betegnet ved begrepene kropp, psyke, samfunn og ånd. Hver dimensjon innebærer ulike slags behov som musikken blir ansett å kunne bidra til å imøtekomme. Ikke i seg selv bare, men ut fra den sammenheng som musikkenden inngår i. Linjer trekkes videre i begrepskartet for at det kan tjene til å sette ulike musikkterapeutiske praksisformer og retninger i perspektiv i forhold til hverandre. Kulturelle behov blir ellers framhevet som en viktig, men kanskje noe oversett del av hele bildet som tegnes.
LARANGAN MEMBUNUH DAN SOAL KEPUTUSAN HUKUMAN MATI HAKIM (Analisis Kasus Vonis Mati Ferdy Sambo Berdasarkan Teori Fontes Moralitatis, Kitab Suci dan Ajaran Gereja)
Authors: Mariano Andreas
Published: June 2024

This article discusses the prohibition of killing with an analysis of Ferdy Sambo's death sentence. Lately there has been a lot of public discussion about this death sentence. This reveals as if society strongly supports the death penalty. In this analysis, moral theology seeks to find out the good and the bad if the sentence is carried out. This is also a dilemma because in fact, the Catholic Church does not support the death penalty. Such a model of punishment is very contrary to the main Christian teachings, namely, love. Apart from that, it is hoped that each individual will understand the meaning of life. This cannot be denied because basically, humans are God's creation so only He has the right to take back human life. In this paper, the method used is literature study which focuses on understanding the meaning of death penalty and murder in the light of the Bible and moral theology. These two things cannot be separated by remembering that in them there are many lessons about life. Therefore, avoiding killing is salvation for all human beings.
Keywords: Human Rights, Death, Theology
REPRESENTASI KEBENARAN (VERUM) DALAM DUNIA POLITIK DI INDONESIA
Authors: Bendianto Septian , Armada Riyanto , Adon Mathias Jebaru
Published: June 2024

The author in this paper tries to examine the representation of truth (verum) in the world of politics in Indonesia as an effort to create social justice, by referring to the thoughts of Immanuel Kant. Kant argued that truth is an essential moral foundation in the formation of a just and civilized society. In the midst of Indonesia's political dynamics, this study identifies various aspects of truth representation in the context of public policy, governance, and citizen participation. An in-depth analysis of Kant's concept of truth reveals that efforts to create social justice in Indonesia depend on a shared understanding of moral values and ethical obligations. Along with that, the research highlights the challenges and obstacles that arise in everyday political practice, including corruption, inequality, and social injustice. The results show the need for reforms in political practice and governance to realize Kant's vision of a just society. This involves changes in political mindsets, the eradication of corruption, and increased active participation of citizens in policy-making. This research makes an important contribution in designing concrete steps to achieve social justice in Indonesia by integrating Kant's thoughts on truth and moral obligation into everyday political practice.
BELAS KASIH ALLAH DAN PARTISIPASI ORANG KRISTIANI MENUJU KESELAMATAN
Authors: Simatupang Edwind Satri
Published: June 2024

This study focuses on the text of Jonah about God's saving work towards Jonah and the Ninevites. The journey of Jonah and the people of Nineveh brought the grace of salvation solely because of God's mercy in withholding His judgement on their disobedience. It also looks at the relevance of salvation for Christians today. The purpose of this article is to make a theological contribution to the vocation of Christians as believers to understand the concept of salvation. The methodology of this article uses a literature study by collecting actual and contextual sources from the Book of Jonah and the lives of Christians today with critical reflection. The research found that achieving salvation requires faith, repentance, humility, obedience and perseverance in prayer. The relevance of this research for Christians today is the guarantee of eternal salvation. The merciful God must be understood as a saving grace. Therefore, the participation and co-operation of humans to receive the grace of salvation is a fundamental task.
Pemanfaatan Daun Kelor Sebagai Produk Bernilai Jual Tinggi di Desa Salo Timur Kabupaten Kampar Riau
Authors: Susanti Awari , Susanti Meta , Aulia Muharani , Tiara Tiara
Published: June 2024

Kabupaten Kampar adalah salah satu Kabupaten yang berada di Provinsi Riau, Indonesia. Di samping julukan sebagai Bumi Sarimadu, Kabupaten Kampar yang beribu kota di Bangkinang ini juga dikenal dengan julukan Serambi Mekkah di provinsi Riau. Kabupaten ini memiliki luas 11.289,28 km² atau 12,26% dari luas provinsi Riau dan jumlah penduduk berdasarkan data Kementerian Dalam Negeri tahun 2020 berjumlah 790.313 jiwa. Tujuan PKM ini adalah untuk memberikan pengarahan dan sosialisasi kepada ibu-ibu di Desa Salo tentang keunggulan tanaman kelor yang dapat di kelola menjadi produk yang bernilai jual supaya mereka lebih paham dan lebih berdaya untuk menyelesaikan permasalahan ekonomi tentang mahalnya biaya obat-obatan. Program yang ditawarkan adalah supaya mitra termotivasi untuk meningkatkan kualitas kesehatan dan dapat memanfaatkan sumber daya alam yang tersedia sebagai usaha yang dapat meningkatkan ekonomi masyarakat. Namun salah satu permasalahan yang dihadapi mitra adalah kurangnya pengetahuan dan informasi yang dimiliki untuk memanfaatkan tanaman kelor. Adapun manfaat yang diharapkan dari kegiatan ini antara lain adalah agar masyarakat lebih berdaya dalam memanfaatkan tanaman-tanaman yang tersedia di alam dengan mewujudkan kemandirian usaha bahan makanan, minuman dan obat-obatan. Manfaat lain yang diharapkan adalah ibu-bu rumah tangga lebih produktif dan dapat membantu ekonomi keluarga memenuhi kebutuhan makanan dan obat-obatan.
Penyuluhan Nilai-Nilai Pancasila dan Toleransi Terhadap Siswa Usia Dini melalui Literasi Digital
Authors: Firmananda Fahmi Iqbal , Ependi Zulfan , Sumianto Sumianto , Jati Putri Zulia , Rianita Resti
Published: June 2024

Instilling Pancasila values and tolerance towards young students is an important thing to do, especially in the current digital era. This is because young students are the nation's next generation who are vulnerable to the influence of radicalism and terrorism. Radicalism and terrorism are serious threats to the integrity of the nation and state. The current digital era makes it easier to spread radicalism and terrorism. Early age students who actively use social media are vulnerable to being exposed to these ideas. Therefore, it is important to equip young students with adequate digital literacy so they can use social media wisely and avoid the influence of radicalism and terrorism. Based on the results of observations, MI Al Wathaniyah students' understanding of the importance of digital literacy in preventing radicalism and terrorism is still low. Students do not clearly understand what digital literacy is and how digital literacy can be used to prevent radicalism and terrorism. This community service activity aims to increase the digital literacy of MI Al Wathaniyah students in preventing radicalism and terrorism. This activity was carried out in two stages. The first stage is education about the importance of digital literacy in preventing radicalism and terrorism. The second stage is the practice of using digital literacy for learning about Pancasila and tolerance. Counseling material about the importance of digital literacy in preventing radicalism and terrorism includes: Understanding digital literacy The importance of digital literacy in everyday life How to use digital literacy wisely The dangers of radicalism and terrorism How to prevent radicalism and terrorism Practical material for using digital literacy for learning about Pancasila and tolerance include: Using social media to search for information about Pancasila and tolerance Making posters or videos about Pancasila and tolerance The results of this community service activity show that MI Al Wathaniyah students have a fairly good understanding of the importance of digital literacy in preventing radicalism and terrorism. Students can also use digital literacy to learn about Pancasila and tolerance well.
Information System Design of Sales Promotion and Production Inventory Management using Fifo Method
Authors: Putra Tri Andi Eka , Tamara Selvi Yona , Mayefis Reska
Published: June 2024

Toko Kerupuk Sanjai Bintang Baru This company produces and sells its products to consumers, but starting from production, production and sales inventory management still fully uses a manual system, starting from calculating production profits, production sales policies based on expiration dates, as well as the sales system. still conventional. The methods used in this research are interviews, observation, literature study, analysis, system design, testing, and implementation. From this research it is hoped that the information system created can provide convenience in the implementation of the Sanjai Bintang Baru Store will improve its production methods and sales promotion, so that collaboration with information system technology can help and provide benefits to the Sanjai Bintang Baru Store itself.
A checklist of damselfishes (Pomacentridae) from Palawan, Philippines
Authors: Villanueva Rochele , Mecha Niño Jess Mar , Villanueva Elmer , Maga-ao Michael Angelo , Dolorosa Roger
Published: June 2024

This study was conducted to generate information on the number of damselfish species in Palawan, the most common tropical reef-associated fishes in the world. Photos of reef-associated fishes taken in conjunction with other reef surveys in 10 localities between 2019 and 2021 were used and evaluated for the presence of damselfishes. A total of 4,038 photos of reef-associated fishes were compiled and analyzed. Only 60 species of damselfishes were identified wherein Puerco Island in the municipality of Roxas had the highest number (14 genera and 32 species) while Hartman’s Beach in Puerto Princesa City had the lowest (3 genera and 8 species). Three of the identified damselfishes were potentially new records in Palawan: Amblypomacentrus clarus Allen & Adrim, 2000, Dischistodus darwiniensis (Whitley, 1928); and Pomacentrus aurifrons Allen, 2004. The current data make a total of 137 damselfish species already documented in Palawan. Continued photo-video documentation is encouraged to increase understanding on the species richness of damselfishes and other reef-associated fauna.
Meningkatnya Kepatuhan Pajak Bumi dan Bangunan: Peran Pengetahuan, Kesadaran, dan Pendapatan Wajib Pajak
Authors: Nanda Rahardika Dea , Kartiko Kusumo Wilyanto
Published: June 2024

Tujuan: Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis pengaruh pengetahuan, kesadaran, pendapatan, dan sosialisasi perpajakan terhadap kepatuhan wajib pajak di Kelurahan Batursari, Kabupaten Demak.Metode: Sampel 100 wajib pajak bumi dan bangunan dipilih melalui purposive sampling. Data primer dikumpulkan melalui kuesioner dan dianalisis menggunakan analisis regresi linier berganda.Hasil: Pengetahuan dan kesadaran pajak memiliki pengaruh positif dan signifikan terhadap kepatuhan wajib pajak, sementara pendapatan dan sosialisasi perpajakan memiliki pengaruh negatif dan signifikan.Implikasi Praktis: Hasil ini menyoroti pentingnya meningkatkan pengetahuan dan kesadaran pajak dalam meningkatkan kepatuhan wajib pajak. Selain itu, perlu dipertimbangkan upaya untuk memitigasi dampak negatif dari pendapatan dan sosialisasi perpajakan terhadap kepatuhan pajak.
Kajian Empiris Faktor-Faktot Penentu Kepatuhan Wajib Pajak Orang Pribadi
Authors: Sheli Indarwati Pitri , Ika Sulistyawati Ardiani
Published: June 2024

Tujuan: Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menyelidiki pengaruh Pemahaman, Kesadaran, Kualitas Pelayanan, Sanksi, dan Sosialisasi Pajak terhadap Kepatuhan Wajib Pajak Orang Pribadi, dengan fokus utama pada pemahaman dampak masing-masing faktor tersebut terhadap tingkat kepatuhan pajak individu.Metode: Penelitian ini menggunakan analisis regresi linier berganda. Data primer dikumpulkan dari 97 responden yang merupakan wajib pajak di suatu wilayah tertentu.Hasil: Analisis menunjukkan bahwa Pemahaman dan Kesadaran memiliki pengaruh signifikan terhadap kepatuhan wajib pajak, sedangkan Kualitas Pelayanan dan Sanksi tidak berpengaruh signifikan. Sosialisasi Pajak juga memiliki pengaruh signifikan terhadap kepatuhan wajib pajak.Kebaruan: Penelitian ini menambah wawasan baru mengenai faktor-faktor yang memengaruhi kepatuhan pajak individu, menyoroti pentingnya Pemahaman dan Kesadaran, serta mengidentifikasi keterbatasan pengaruh Kualitas Pelayanan dan Sanksi.Implikasi Praktis: Penelitian ini menekankan pentingnya edukasi dan sosialisasi untuk meningkatkan kepatuhan pajak. Hasil ini dapat membantu pemerintah dan lembaga terkait dalam merancang kebijakan yang lebih efektif guna meningkatkan penerimaan pajak negara.
Tata Kelola Perusahaan dan Penghindaran Pajak: Eksplorasi dalam Konteks Indonesia
Authors: Danang Saputra Aditya , Surya Wibowo Riyan , Muthohirin Muthohirin , Kassim Sesay Daniel , Rahman Turay Ibrahim
Published: June 2024

This research examines the relationship between corporate governance and tax avoidance in non-financial firms listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange from 2020 to 2023. Corporate governance factors such as the composition of the audit committee, proportion of independent directors, executive compensation, public ownership, and largest shareholding were analyzed. Tax avoidance was assessed using a performance-adjusted measure. The findings, derived from ordinary least squares regression analysis with controls for year and industry sector effects, reveal that public ownership and largest shareholding negatively influence tax avoidance, whereas firm performance positively affects it. However, the expertise background of the audit committee, proportion of independent directors, executive compensation, and firm size did not demonstrate significant impacts on tax avoidance. These results suggest that certain corporate governance mechanisms in Indonesia may not effectively serve shareholders' interests.
DBT is a metabolic switch for maintenance of proteostasis under proteasomal impairment
Authors: Hwang Ran-Der , Lu Yu-Ning , Tang Qing , Periz Goran , Park Giho , Li Xiangning , Xiang Qiwang , Liu Yang , Zhang Tao , Wang Jiou
Published: June 2024

Proteotoxic stress impairs cellular homeostasis and underlies the pathogenesis of many neurodegenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The proteasomal and autophagic degradation of proteins are two major pathways for protein quality control in the cell. Here, we report a genome-wide CRISPR screen uncovering a major regulator of cytotoxicity resulting from the inhibition of the proteasome. Dihydrolipoamide branched chain transacylase E2 (DBT) was found to be a robust suppressor, the loss of which protects against proteasome inhibition-associated cell death through promoting clearance of ubiquitinated proteins. Loss of DBT altered the metabolic and energetic status of the cell and resulted in activation of autophagy in an AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)-dependent mechanism in the presence of proteasomal inhibition. Loss of DBT protected against proteotoxicity induced by ALS-linked mutant TDP-43 in
Drosophila
and mammalian neurons. DBT is upregulated in the tissues from ALS patients. These results demonstrate that DBT is a master switch in the metabolic control of protein quality control with implications in neurodegenerative diseases.
Diffusion MRS tracks distinct trajectories of neuronal development in the cerebellum and thalamus of rat neonates
Authors: Ligneul Clémence , Qiu Lily , Clarke William T , Jbabdi Saad , Palombo Marco , Lerch Jason P.
Published: June 2024

It is currently impossible to non-invasively assess cerebellar cell structure during early development. Here we propose a novel approach to non-invasively and longitudinally track cell-specific development using diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance spectroscopy in combination with microstructural modelling. Tracking metabolite diffusion allows us to probe cell-specific developmental trajectories in the cerebellum and thalamus of healthy rat neonates from post-natal day (P) 5 to P30. Additionally, by comparing different analytical and biophysical microstructural models we can follow the differential contribution of cell bodies and neurites during development. The thalamus serves as a control region to assess the sensitivity of our method to microstructural differences between the regions. We found significant differences between cerebellar and thalamic metabolites diffusion properties. For most metabolites, the signal attenuation is stronger in the thalamus, suggesting less restricted diffusion compared to the cerebellum. There is also a trend for lower signal attenuation and lower ADCs with increasing age, suggesting increasing restriction of metabolite diffusion. This is particularly striking for taurine in the thalamus. We use biophysical modelling to interpret these differences. We report a decreased sphere fraction (or an increased neurite fraction) with age for taurine and total creatine in the cerebellum, marking dendritic growth. Surprisingly, we also report a U-shape trend for segment length (the distance between two embranchments in a dendritic tree) in the cerebellum agreeing with age-matching morphometry of openly available 3D-Purkinje reconstructions. Results demonstrate that diffusion-weighted MRS probes early cerebellar neuronal development non-invasively.
Regulatory genome annotation of 33 insect species
Authors: Asma Hasiba , Tieke Ellen , Deem Kevin D. , Rahmat Jabale , Dong Tiffany , Huang Xinbo , Tomoyasu Yoshinori , Halfon Marc S.
Published: June 2024

Annotation of newly-sequenced genomes frequently includes genes, but rarely covers important non-coding genomic features such as the
cis
-regulatory modules—e.g., enhancers and silencers—that regulate gene expression. Here, we begin to remedy this situation by developing a workflow for rapid initial annotation of insect regulatory sequences, and provide a searchable database resource with enhancer predictions for 33 genomes. Using our previously-developed SCRMshaw computational enhancer prediction method, we predict over 2.8 million regulatory sequences along with the tissues where they are expected to be active, in a set of insect species ranging over 360 million years of evolution. Extensive analysis and validation of the data provides several lines of evidence suggesting that we achieve a high true-positive rate for enhancer prediction. One, we show that our predictions target specific loci, rather than random genomic locations. Two, we predict enhancers in orthologous loci across a diverged set of species to a significantly higher degree than random expectation would allow. Three, we demonstrate that our predictions are highly enriched for regions of accessible chromatin. Four, we achieve a validation rate in excess of 70% using in vivo reporter gene assays. As we continue to annotate both new tissues and new species, our regulatory annotation resource will provide a rich source of data for the research community and will have utility for both small-scale (single gene, single species) and large-scale (many genes, many species) studies of gene regulation. In particular, the ability to search for functionally-related regulatory elements in orthologous loci should greatly facilitate studies of enhancer evolution even among distantly related species.
Comparative analysis of multiplexed in situ gene expression profiling technologies
Authors: Hartman Austin , Satija Rahul
Published: June 2024

The burgeoning interest in in situ multiplexed gene expression profiling technologies has opened new avenues for understanding cellular behavior and interactions. In this study, we present a comparative benchmark analysis of six in situ gene expression profiling methods, including both commercially available and academically developed methods, using publicly accessible mouse brain datasets. We find that standard sensitivity metrics, such as the number of unique molecules detected per cell, are not directly comparable across datasets due to substantial differences in the incidence of off-target molecular artifacts impacting specificity. To address these challenges, we explored various potential sources of molecular artifacts, developed novel metrics to control for them, and utilized these metrics to evaluate and compare different in situ technologies. Finally, we demonstrate how molecular false positives can seriously confound spatially-aware differential expression analysis, requiring caution in the interpretation of downstream results. Our analysis provides guidance for the selection, processing, and interpretation of in situ spatial technologies.
Establishing synthetic ribbon-type active zones in a heterologous expression system
Authors: Kapoor Rohan , Schwenzer Niko , Dresbach Thomas , Lehnart Stephan E. , Moser Tobias
Published: June 2024

Encoding of several sensory modalities into neural signals is mediated by ribbon synapses. The synaptic ribbon tethers synaptic vesicles at the presynaptic active zone (AZ) and might act as a super-scaffold organizing AZ topography. Here we employed a synthetic biology approach to reconstitute ribbon-type AZs in HEK293 cells for probing their minimal molecular requirements and studying presynaptic Ca
2+
channel clustering. Co-expressing a membrane-targeted version of the AZ-protein Bassoon and the ribbon core protein RIBEYE, we observed structures recapitulating basic aspects of ribbon-type AZs, which we call
synthetic
ribbons or
SyRibbons
.
SyRibbons
with Ca
2+
channel clusters formed upon additional expression of Ca
V
1.3 Ca
2+
channels and RIM-binding protein 2 (RBP2), known to promote presynaptic Ca
2+
channel clustering. Confocal and super-resolution microscopy along with functional analysis by patch-clamp and Ca
2+
-imaging revealed striking similarities and interesting differences of
SyRibbons
in comparison to native IHC ribbon-type AZs. In summary, we identify Ca
2+
channels, RBP, membrane-anchored Bassoon, and RIBEYE as minimal components for reconstituting a basic ribbon-type AZ.
SyRibbons
might complement animal studies on molecular interactions of AZ proteins.
HSDNet: a poultry farming model based on few-shot semantic segmentation addressing non-smooth and unbalanced convergence
Authors: Liu Daixian , Wang Bingli , Peng Linhui , Wang Han , Wang Yijuan , Pan Yonghao
Published: June 2024

Poultry farming is an indispensable part of global agriculture, playing a crucial role in food safety and economic development. Managing and preventing diseases is a vital task in the poultry industry, where semantic segmentation technology can significantly enhance the efficiency of traditional manual monitoring methods. Furthermore, traditional semantic segmentation has achieved excellent results on extensively manually annotated datasets, facilitating real-time monitoring of poultry. Nonetheless, the model encounters limitations when exposed to new environments, diverse breeding varieties, or varying growth stages within the same species, necessitating extensive data retraining. Overreliance on large datasets results in higher costs for manual annotations and deployment delays, thus hindering practical applicability. To address this issue, our study introduces HSDNet, an innovative semantic segmentation model based on few-shot learning, for monitoring poultry farms. The HSDNet model adeptly adjusts to new settings or species with a single image input while maintaining substantial accuracy. In the specific context of poultry breeding, characterized by small congregating animals and the inherent complexities of agricultural environments, issues of non-smooth losses arise, potentially compromising accuracy. HSDNet incorporates a Sharpness-Aware Minimization (SAM) strategy to counteract these challenges. Furthermore, by considering the effects of imbalanced loss on convergence, HSDNet mitigates the overfitting issue induced by few-shot learning. Empirical findings underscore HSDNet’s proficiency in poultry breeding settings, exhibiting a significant 72.89% semantic segmentation accuracy on single images, which is higher than SOTA’s 68.85%.
Iron Deficiency and Hypoferritinaemia in Patients with Subclinical Hypothyroidism: A Retrospective Observational Study
Authors: Krishna D Shiva , Kumari J Ashwini , Sreedevi NN , Khan Siraj Ahmed , Bhaskar M Vijaya , Baba KSS Sai , Mohan Iyyapu Krishna
Published: June 2024

Introduction: Iron acts as a cofactor in Thyroid Peroxidase (TPO) activity, and low iron levels can impact thyroid hormone metabolism. The function of ferritin and iron has been extensively documented in various studies in patients with Overt Hypothyroidism (OH), but their role in Subclinical Hypothyroidism (SH) remains largely unexplored. Aim: To evaluate the serum ferritin and iron levels in patients who have SH. Materials and Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted between March 2018 and October 2018 at the Biochemistry Department of Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences, Hyderabad, Telangana, India. For the study, a total of 100 cases of SH were enrolled, and these patients were matched in terms of age and sex with 50 healthy controls. A fasting sample was obtained and analysed for serum ferritin, Total Iron Binding Capacity (TIBC), TT3, TT4, and Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH). MedCalc software was used to perform statistical analysis. Results: In the SH group, there were 32 males (32%) and 68 females (68%); in the control group, there were 21 males (42%) and 29 females (58%). The median values of TT3 (nmol/L), TT4 (μg/ dL), and TSH (μIU/mL) were 1.55 (1.4-1.95), 7.8 (5.9-9.75), and 3 (1.9-3.75) for controls, and 1.4 (1.1-1.75), 6.85 (5.5-8.15), and 6.2 (4.8-8.05), respectively, for cases. In comparison to controls, the TSH level was significantly higher (p<0.0001) in cases. The median iron (μg/dL), ferritin (ng/mL), TIBC (μg/dL), and % saturation in cases were 56.5 (41.5-82), 110 (31.5-194.5), 329 (258-390), and 19 (11.25-26.75), respectively, while in controls they were 84 (68.5- 96.5), 195 (121.5-338.5), 233 (188.5-294), and 25 (18-37.5). There was a significant decrease in iron level (p<0.00001), % saturation (<0.00001), and ferritin level (p<0.00001), and a significant increase in TIBC (p<0.0001) in cases when compared to controls. Conclusion: In conclusion, the present study showed a significant negative correlation between SH and iron deficiency. Patients with this condition should be evaluated for ferritin and iron levels and treated appropriately to prevent hypothyroidism.
Antifungal and Antibiofilm Activities of Ozonated Sunflower Oil against Candida albicans Strains: A Pilot Study and Clinical Perspectives
Authors: Araújo Matéus Simplício , Prado Júlio César Sousa , Aguiar Francisca Lidiane Linhares de , Silva Flávia de Araújo , Viana Yann Nobre , Dantas Joelson Pessoa , Anzolin Ana Paula , Bastos Poliana Lima , Fontenelle Raquel Oliveira dos Santos , Barbosa Francisco Cesar Barroso
Published: June 2024

Aims: This study aimed to assess the antifungal and antibiofilm activities of ozonized (OGOZ) and non-ozonized (OG) Helianthus annuus (sunflower) oil against Candida albicans strains.
Study Design: Laboratory-based study.
Place and Duration of Study: Microbiology Laboratory of the Federal University of Ceará and State University of Vale do Acaraú, from August 2023 to Decembrer of the same year.
Methodology: Seven clinical strains and one reference strain (ATCC 90028) were examined. Initially, antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) was performed using a modified disk diffusion method with both OGOZ and OG. Strains that displayed sensitivity were then subjected to a broth microdilution assay to determine the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Minimum Fungicidal Concentration (MFC). The biofilm assay was conducted specifically with the C. albicans reference strain.
Results: AST results showed that all strains exhibited inhibition zones with OGOZ, while non-ozonized oil did not produce inhibition zones. MIC values ranged from 0.15 to 2.50 mg/mL, with one clinical strain (LABMIC H10) demonstrating an MIC value 16 times lower than other strains. None of the strains reached MFC at the tested concentrations. In terms of biofilm formation, application of MIC and twice the MIC resulted in a 48,6% and 85% reduction in mature biofilms, respectively.
Conclusion: The findings indicate that OGOZ has fungistatic and antibiofilm effects, highlighting its potential as a promising agent for bioprospecting. Further clinical trials are essential to evaluate its therapeutic potential for managing infectious diseases such as oral candidiasis.
Optimization of Processing Parameters for Mechanized Production of Thabdi
Authors: Baldha Kinjal , Patel S. M. , Rathva Arpita , Pinto Suneeta
Published: June 2024

Present investigation has been aimed to study the effect of various processing parameters for mechanized production of Thabdi. The mechanized system based on steam jacketed kettle was used to manufacture Thabdi. Trials were conducted with different operating conditions with batch size of 6 kg milk. In research trials operation conditions were studied at steam pressure (0.8 kg/cm2, 1.5 kg/cm2, 2.0 kg/cm2) and scraper speed (15,20 and 25 rpm) for first and second stage, while (2.0 and 2.5 kg/cm2) steam pressure and (10 and 15 rpm) for last stages in mechanized kettle. Optimization of process parameters of product manufacturing was done by judging sensory attributes of final product. The sensory quality of Thabdi was found superior by adopting steam pressure 1.5 kg/cm2, scraper speed 25 rpm and batch size 6 kg during first and second stage. The third stage involved quiescent holding for fixed period of time. For the fourth stage, steam pressure 2.5 kg/cm2, scraper speed 10 rpm and batch size 6 kg were optimized for manufacture of Thabdi. In present study also compare the product manufactured under optimized conditions were compared with market sample, and it showed better results in terms of cost and sensory attributes.
Assessing the Effects of ICT Resource Use on Enhancing Clothing and Textile Teaching and Learning in Ghanaian Colleges of Education: A Case Study in the CENTWEST Zonal Colleges of Education
Authors: Nyamekye Patricia , Ampaafo Emelia Serwaa , Tetteh Abraham , Baidoo Alexander , Issah Sumaila , Osei Dinah Bridget Oduraa
Published: June 2024

Aims: To assess the Effects of ICT resource use on enhancing Clothing and Textile teaching and learning.
Study Design:  Cross-sectional descriptive survey research design.
Place and Duration of Study: Central and Western (CENTWEST) zonal Colleges of Education in Ghana.
Methodology: The researcher adopted a quantitative research design. The target population of students' teachers in levels 100 to 400 is 415 people, with 8 teachers. Purposive sampling was used to select all of the students’ teachers and teachers in levels 200 and 300 for the study. In all four colleges of education, there are 230 students' teachers and 8 teachers at levels 200 and 300, respectively. The research instrument used for the data collection was a questionnaire. The usage of a data analysis application known as the International Business Machine, Statistical Package for Social Sciences, and Microsoft Excel assisted the data analysis (IBM SPSS).
Results: 66.7% of student teachers indicated that hardware resources like computers, laptops, projectors etc. were not available. 82.5% of student teachers reported that software for teaching clothing and textiles was not available. 50% of student teachers said storage resources like pen drives, CD/DVDs were available, while 33.7% said they were not. 58.3% of students indicated their colleges have internet/WiFi resources. 88% of teachers agreed that software for teaching clothing and textiles was not available, though they reported hardware, storage and internet resources were available but inadequate. Both students (mean 3.88) and teachers (mean 4.2) agreed that using ICTs makes teaching and learning of clothing and textiles easier (student mean 4.58, teacher mean 4.57). ICTs enhance learners' understanding of concepts (student mean 4.03, teacher mean 4.42) and make assessment easier (student mean 4.54, teacher mean 4.35). However, there was a high coefficient of variation of 55.33% among students on whether ICTs enhance collaborative learning.
Conclusion: The results indicated both students and teachers agreed ICT usage positively impacted the teaching and learning of clothing and textiles despite the inadequate resources available.
Print Media Coverage on Environmental Issues: An Analysis of Local Newspapers of Rangpur, Bangladesh
Authors: Rahmatullah Md.
Published: June 2024

This study aims at identifying the real scenario of coverage of environmental issues of two local daily newspapers of Rangpur city in Bangladesh. A mixed method was applied to conduct the study following issue-attention cycle and agenda setting theory as the theoretical framework. This study was conducted on a total of 102 newspapers of 2023 through content analysis and observation method. The study found that The Daily Juger Alo (DJA) published 113 (3.02%) and The Daily Dabanol (DD) published 42 (2.34%) environment related news. Both dailies covered 120 (77.42%) simple news ignoring in-depth reporting. They mainly emphasized on climate change, natural disaster, weather, environment education and protection and flood related news. They covered the environmental issue in mostly inner page and provided less space, one way reporting and ignored the diversity of presentation on the issue. Special training on effective environment journalism, social responsibility of the newspapers and integrated participation should be ensured to improve the condition for the betterment of the environment in the study area.
Nanoscale Zero-valent Silver and Graphene Oxide Nanoparticles: Facile Synthesis and Characterization
Authors: Yousri Nouran , H. El-Feky Hesham , Y. Nassar Mostafa , S. Amin Alaa
Published: June 2024

We herein report a direct and facile hydrothermal method for the preparation of zero-valent silver nanoparticles using a mixture of ascorbic acid/starch as a reducing agent. The average crystallite size of the prepared Ag0 nanoparticles was ca. 46.7 nm. The zero-valent silver nano-products were characterized by using FT-IR, FE-SEM, and XRD analyses. In addition, this work shows an improved synthesis of graphene oxide nanoparticles. The average crystallite size of the prepared graphene-oxide nanoparticles was ca. 6.0nm. The graphene oxide nanoparticles were also characterized by using FT-IR, FE-SEM, and XRD analyses.
Effect of Plant Density on Yield and Yield Components of Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.) in the Semi Arid Region of Brazil
Authors: Santos Maria Eduarda Pereira dos , Linhares Paulo César Ferreira , Dantas Thiffany Louhanne Alves , Alves Lunara de Sousa , Sousa Roberto Pequeno de , Silva Uilma Laurentino da , Rodrigues Walter Martins , Pereira Joaquim Odilon , Sampaio Pedro Ramualyson Fernandes , Costa Diego Zidane Fernandes da , Alves Débora Viviane , Medeiros Joyce Fernandes de , Carlos Irene Leticia de Lima Cipriano
Published: June 2024

Cowpea cultivation is of great importance for farmers who work in this agricultural activity, in this sense, we evaluated the agronomic characteristics of cowpea {Vigna unguiculata (L.)} Creole cultivar (Semper verde), in the semi-arid region of Brazil.
The experiment was carried out from November 2021 to February 2022 at the Rafael Fernandes experimental farm, in the district of Alagoinha (5º03'37 "S, 37º23'50" W), northwest of Mossoró, State of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, with an area of 400 hectares.
A randomized complete block design was used with five treatments, which will consist of planting densities (35,714; 71,428; 107,142; 142,856 and 17,8570 plants ha-1) with four replications. Each plot consisted of dimensions of 5.0 m x 4.0 m, with six rows of 5.0 m in length, with a total area of 20.0 m2. The spacing used between rows was 0.70 m, while intra-row spacing was 0.40m.
The characteristics evaluated were: pod length, expressed in cm (PL), number of grains, expressed in pod-1 units (NG), Pod weight, expressed in grams (PW), number of grains, expressed in pod-1 units (NG), Weight of 100 grains, expressed in grams (P100G) and grain production, expressed in kg ha-1 (PG) of cowpea, Creole cultivar (Sempre verde).Planting densities contributed greatly to cowpea productivity, with productivity of 184.82 kg ha-1, at a density of 142,856 plants ha-1.
The cowpea cultivar (Semper Verde) is agronomically viable for planting in the semi-arid region.
Phytochemical Composition, Antibacterial Activities against Multi-Resistant Strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii of the Bark Extract of Ficus platyphylla Dell. Holl.
Authors: Bredou Jean Brice , Adou Demel Axel , Sahi Zlankeuhon Jérôme , Yeboué Koffi Appolinaire , Kabran Guy Roger Mida , Boua Benson Boua
Published: June 2024

Ficus platyphylla Ficus platyphylla belongs to the Moraceae family which contains nearly 1400 species divided into around forty genera. It is used to manage several diseases in folklore medicine. This study focused on the phytochemical screening and evaluation of the antibacterial potential against Pseudomona aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii of hydroethanolic extract from Ficus platyphylla (FP) bark. Phytochemical and antibacterial activity were carried out according to the literature procedure. Qualitative analyses of FP revealed the presence polyphenols, flavonoids, coumarins, tannins, alkaloids, sterols and terpenes. Quantitative analysis by spectrophotometry showed a phenolic compound content to be 0.878 ± 0.02 mg EAG/g DM. The flavonoids content was 0.084 ± 0.02 mg EQ/g DM, while flavonic aglycones, anthocyanins and condensed tannins were 0.014 mg EQ/g DM, 0.018 mg EQ/g DM and 0.189 mg EC/g DM, respectively. In vivo antibacterial activity showed that (FP) was ineffective against six (06) multi-resistant strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii.
The Effect of Coconut Shell Biochar on the Growth and Yield of Chilli (Capsicum annum L.) in Acidic Alfisols Soil
Authors: S. Bramarambika , B. Mamatha , K. N. Jakir Hussain , K. M. Srinivas Reddy , Desai Nagappa
Published: June 2024

The utilization of coconut shell biochar in acidic soils has shown promise in enhancing the growth and yield of chilli (Capsicum annum L.), presenting a sustainable solution for improving crop productivity in challenging environments. This study investigates the specific effects and potential benefits of biochar application on chilli cultivation in acidic Alfisols soil conditions. A field experiment was conducted at ZARS, UAS, GKVK Bengaluru-65 during Rabi season 2020-21, to assess the “Effect of coconut shell biochar on growth of chilli in acidic Alfisols soil”. The experiment was laid out in a RCBD with eight treatments replicated thrice. The results revealed that biochar application significantly increased the growth parameters of chilli. Significantly higher plant height (72.67 cm, 18-25%), number of leaves per plant (107.83, 25-35%), number of primary branches per plant (6.87, 25-35%) and chilli fruit length (8.12 cm, 10-15%) was recorded in treatment recommended NPK + Biochar @ 30 t ha-1 and was found on par with different levels of biochar applied plots (Recommended NPK + Biochar @ 10, 15, 20 and 25 t ha-1) in most of the growth parameters. However, the diameter of chilli fruits was found non-significant with the different treatments. The lowest plant height, number of leaves, number of branches per plant, fruit length and diameter were found in treatment absolute control. Results showed significant enhancements in plant height, number of branches, leaves, flowers and fruit yield with biochar use, particularly at 30 t ha-1. These improvements are attributed to biochar's ability to improve soil pH, nutrient availability, water retention and microbial activity. The potential of biochar as a sustainable solution for enhancing crop productivity in challenging acidic soil conditions.
Response of Different Levels of Plant Growth Regulators on Gerbera (Gerbera jamesonii) cv. Pink Elegance under Protected Cultivation
Authors: Sabu Shinnu , Topno Samir E , Bahadur Vijay , Joseph Annjoe V , Paul Anupriya
Published: June 2024

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the influence of plant growth regulators on the growth, flower quality and yield of gerbera (Gerbera jamesonii Adlam) cv. Pink Elegance under a naturally ventilated polyhouse in the Department of Horticulture at SHUATS, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India, during 2023-24. The design for experiment is Randomized Block Design with three replications and ten treatments. Gerbera plants were sprayed with GA3, Cycocel and NAA at different concentrations of 50, 100 and 150 ppm along with control. The results from the study concluded that the treatment GA3 @150 ppm was found in superior among other treatments in terms of plant height, number of leaves per plant, plant spread, leaf area, leaf area index, number of flowers per plant, flower weight, flower diameter, root length, stalk length, shelf life, flower yield per m2, flower yield per 1000 polybags and minimum days to first flowering. Thus, the 150 ppm GA3 treatment was identified as the most effective for promoting both excellent vegetative and reproductive growth. Thus, GA3 @150 ppm can be recommended for plant growth and flowering of Gerbera proving the multifaceted role of plant growth regulator (PGR) in gerbera cultivation, helping growers optimize plant growth, flowering and yield while maintaining high-quality flower production.
Recurrent Spontaneous Pneumothorax Revealing Marfan Syndrome: A Case Report
Authors: Benjelloun Hanane , Rachid Safia , Rattal Asmaa , Harraz Hanaa , Zaghba Nahid , Chaanoun Khadija , Yassine Najiba
Published: June 2024

The present study reports about recurrent spontaneous pneumothorax revealing Marfan syndrome. Marfan syndrome is a rare autosomal dominant disease that affects connective tissue and affects several organs, including the lung. It appears at a variable age and can be unrefined. This is a case of patient aged 16 years, eldest of two siblings, without toxic habits, treated for pulmonary tuberculosis confirmed bacteriologically 2 years ago and operated on 5 years ago for a left inguino-scrotal hernia. The patient presented to the department on day 7 after discharge following spontaneous stabbing left chest pain associated with dyspnea at the slightest effort. On clinical examination, there was a syndrome of air effusion in the left hemithorax. The frontal chest X-ray revealed a large total left pneumothorax which was drained. Lung involvement rarely modifies the respiratory functional prognosis. The occurrence of a pneumothorax is rarely a mode of entry into the disease, hence the interest in discussing the diagnosis in cases of recurrent spontaneous pneumothorax or thoracic deformation.
Impact of Organic Fertilizers on Guava (Psidium guajava L.) Yield
Authors: Kumar Harish , Sunita  , Singh Tejvir , Singh Jogendra
Published: June 2024

The study was conducted at horticulture farm, Aroma College, Haridwar during summer season of 2022-23 to evaluate the performance of different organic source of nutrients on growth of Thai guava cv. VNR bihi. Therefore, biofertilizers were applied as per various treatments under the tree canopy. This experiment was designed in Randomized Block Design with three replicates. The highest fruit length (10.08 cm), Fruit breadth (12.90 cm), Average fruit weight (616.30 g), Number of fruits per plant (35), Yield (21.60 kg/plant), Number of seeds per fruit (287.00) to were found in T12 (Farmyard Manure + Poultry manure + Azotobacter + Phosphate Solubilizing Bacteria) From March to December every month followed by T11 ( FYM + Poultry manure + PSB).The lowest of all these parameters were found in control T14 (8.77 cm, 9.97 cm, 524.02 g, 25. Number of fruits/plant, 13.28 kg/plant, 225.25 Number of seeds/ fruit) was recorded.