bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Boric acid as a potential substitute for conventional ethylene antagonists in mitigating postharvest flower senescence of Digitalis purpurea
Authors: Farooq Sumira , Haq Aehsan ul , Lone Mohammad Lateef , Altaf Foziya , Parveen Shazia , Tahir Inayatullah
Published: November 2021

Abstract In the floriculture industry, postharvest senescence is one of the glaring challenges restricting the marketability of cut flowers. Hence, maintaining good quality of cut flowers and extending flower longevity are considered to be the most crucial factors in the cut flower trade. Therefore, to gain better understanding of the specific physiological and biochemical aspects of petal senescence we conducted an experiment to evaluate the efficacy of Boric acid (BA) on flower longevity in excised flowers of Digitalis purpurea L. Isolated buds were harvested at stage IV i.e, 1 day before anthesis and divided into 5 sets, with one set of buds held in distilled water (DW) designated as control. The other 4 sets were supplemented with 24h pulse treatment of different concentrations of BA viz., 50, 100, 150 and 200 µM. The application of BA at 150 µM concentration was found to be most effective in increasing flower longevity by about 4 days as compared to control. The enhanced longevity coincided with higher values of floral diameter, fresh mass, dry mass and solution uptake. Flowers with delayed senescence also retained higher soluble proteins, sugars and phenols in addition to lower bacterial density compared to control. Moreover, this ameliorated flower longevity has also been shown to be positively associated with increased activities of various antioxidant enzymes viz., superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and reduced activity of lipoxygenase (LOX).
“É como se fosse um ringue de mentirinha”: brincadeiras de luta, cotidiano e culturas infantis na escola
Authors: Farias Mayrhon José Abrantes , Wiggers Ingrid Dittrich
Published: November 2021

RESUMO O presente artigo teve como objetivo compreender os sentidos/significados das brincadeiras de luta como práticas corporais vivenciadas no cotidiano de crianças do 1o ao 5o ano de uma escola pública da cidade de São Luís do Maranhão. Para tanto, propusemos um estudo de natureza qualitativa, a partir de uma pesquisa de campo, utilizando da observação participante, sob a referência de estudos da sociologia da infância. Foram identificadas 7 classificações de brincadeiras de luta a partir da análise de 27 episódios registrados e de desenhos produzidos pelas crianças. Concluímos que os sujeitos representam nas “lutinhas” aspectos forjados no cotidiano, (re)criando e compartilhando conceitos de lúdico e violência bem como das lutas como acervos das culturas infantis.
Clarificação de águas de lavagem de filtros em estações de tratamento de água por coagulação, floculação e flotação por ar dissolvido
Authors: Brazão Abraão Jhonny da Costa , Silva Renato Dantas Rocha da , Vivacqua Carla Almeida
Published: November 2021

RESUMO Este artigo apresenta estudos de coagulação, floculação e flotação por ar dissolvido que foram conduzidos com o objetivo de promover a clarificação de águas de lavagens de filtros (ALF) em uma estação de tratamento de água (ETA) com base em experimentos de bancada e piloto. A efetividade da coagulação-floculação foi analisada pela flotabilidade dos agregados obtidos sob diferentes níveis de pH e dosagem de cloreto de polialumínio, enquanto ensaios de flotação foram investigados com base na eficiência de saturação em bancada e na taxa de recirculação. Os resultados indicaram que o pH e a concentração do coagulante representaram condições críticas na etapa de coagulação. A variação do pH da ALF condicionada com 8 mg.L-1 de Al+3 destacou a formação de espécies hidrolisáveis e a elevada atividade das cargas dos coloides indicou a ocorrência de mecanismos diferentes da neutralização de cargas na coagulação. A máxima clarificação da água ocorreu com dosagem de 12 mg.L-1 de Al+3, razão de recirculação de 10%, tempo de floculação de 15 min e pH 6,5. Em configuração otimizada, a técnica alcançou remoção de 88% de turbidez e 86% de sólidos totais, o que pode resultar em mais de 11 quilogramas de sólidos removidos do sistema de tratamento em cada ciclo de lavagem em comparação com a sedimentação, implicando aumento de 33% da carreira de filtração e, consequentemente, redução de custos e melhor desempenho da estação.
Lightweight masonry block without Portland cement
Authors: Turgut Paki , Alas Mehmet Can , Gurel Muhammed Arif
Published: November 2021

ABSTRACT Huge amounts of fly ash - a substance that does not conform to the ASTM C618 classification due to its chemical properties - have been abandoned in landfills around the world, despite their self-cementing property. It has not been used in concrete making applications due to its large amounts of free lime and sulfate contents. The fly ash in these plants is dumped in landfills, causing serious environmental hazards. Fly ash is disposed to the landfills by belt conveyors after being humidified with water. Therefore, the fly ashes humidified in the landfill areas are hydrated in nature. This hydration is further intensified in landfills by rain and snow. Thus, the free lime content of fly ash decreases due to its long hydration process. In this work, the lightweight masonry blocks were produced by mixing normal and hydrated fly ashes or normal, hydrated fly ash and lime without Portland cement. The compressive strength, water absorption, sorptivity, density, porosity, and thermal conductivity values of the samples produced were determined. The results obtained from these tests showed that lightweight masonry blocks could be produced by using these waste materials in building applications.
Modelagem dinâmica e cenários urbanos de demanda de água: simulações em Campina Grande (PB)
Authors: Almino Laís Marques de Oliveira , Rufino Iana Alexandra Alves
Published: November 2021

RESUMO Este trabalho propõe estimativas de demanda de água para cenários futuros de uso e ocupação do solo e de verticalização utilizando análises espaciais e modelagem dinâmica com base em autômatos celulares para uma fração urbana do município de Campina Grande (PB). Dados reais de uso e ocupação do solo e de verticalização dos anos de 2011 e 2018 são utilizados para identificar o processo de mudança nesses bairros. Um conjunto de variáveis estáticas e dinâmicas relacionadas é selecionado para subsidiar a parametrização do modelo e simular as mudanças no uso e ocupação do solo e na verticalização, ocorridas no período. Após a validação das simulações para o ano de 2018 com base nos dados observados, novos cenários futuros são propostos para os anos de 2040, 2070 e 2100, identificando, assim, uma tendência de ocupação com algumas características específicas, como a substituição de áreas residenciais de um ou dois pavimentos por novos empreendimentos verticais, seja residencial, empresarial ou de serviços. Dado o aumento de ocupação urbana, as demandas de água capazes de atender à população também aumentam, aumento este que se confirmou neste trabalho. Entre os anos 2018 e 2100, essa tendência de aumento foi estimada em 300%. Uma comparação de cenários futuros considerando usos convencionais e racionais de água (utilizando mecanismos poupadores) também é apresentada.
Análise ambiental e econômica para instalação de uma planta de biodigestão em uma comunidade isolada do Brasil
Authors: Renó Maria Luiza Grillo , Torres Pedro Jessid Pacheco , Marques Taís Eliane , Ribeiro Natalia de Souza
Published: November 2021

RESUMO Este trabalho analisa, dos pontos de vista ambiental e econômico, uma proposta de geração de eletricidade usando resíduos agrícolas, com a tecnologia da biodigestão anaeróbica. A área selecionada para tal proposta foi uma comunidade isolada da Região Norte do Brasil, cuja fonte de geração elétrica é uma planta que opera com o combustível diesel. Os resultados mostraram que a alternativa proposta apresenta alto custo em comparação com a planta diesel, porém terá menos impactos ambientais (com relação às emissões atmosféricas) e menor custo referente ao consumo de combustível, pois os resíduos são agrícolas.
Água de drenagem ou esgoto sanitário? Uma análise do sistema de macrodrenagem em cidade de médio porte na Região Nordeste
Authors: Henriques Juscelino Alves , Oliveira Rui de , Coura Monica de Amorim , Libânio Marcelo , Baptista Márcio Benedito
Published: November 2021

RESUMO A concepção dos sistemas de drenagem de águas pluviais como separador absoluto é uma característica marcante na gestão das águas urbanas, no entanto não é o reflexo da realidade de tal sistema na maioria das cidades brasileiras, onde frequentemente esgotos e águas pluviais escoam pelos mesmos condutos. Diante disso, o objetivo do presente trabalho foi investigar as contribuições de contaminação fecal dos canais de drenagem afluentes ao Canal do Prado, pertencentes ao sistema de macrodrenagem de águas pluviais da cidade de Campina Grande, na Paraíba. Para a realização da pesquisa de campo, foram definidos sete pontos de monitoramento ao longo do canal e, como indicadores de contaminação fecal, coliformes termotolerantes, Escherichia coli e os ovos dos helmintos Ascaris lumbricoides, Taenia sp, Hymenolepis nana, Hymenolepis diminuta, Enterobius vermicularis, Ancilostomideo sp e Trichuris sp. Os resultados apontaram que ovos de Ascaris lumbricoides foram os que apresentaram maior frequência nos pontos de monitoramento, relacionados à maior descarga de esgotos sanitários. Tais descargas também foram verificadas por elevados valores médios de coliformes termotolerantes que atingiram até 1,6 x 107 UFC.100 mL-1, valor típico de esgoto sanitário. Escherichia coli ocorreu em mais de 90% das amostras coletadas em todos os pontos de monitoramento.
Evaluation of soil contamination by heavy metals at public cemeteries in the municipality of Lages, southern Brazil
Authors: Baum Camila Angélica , Becegato Valter Antonio , Lavnitcki Laís , Vilela Pâmela Becalli , Duminelli Eduardo Costa , Becegato Vitor Rodolfo , Robazza Weber da Silva , Paulino Alexandre Tadeu
Published: November 2021

ABSTRACT The burial of bodies is a potentially polluting activity. Taking this into consideration, the aim of the present study was to verify the compliance of two cemeteries with environmental legislation and to quantify the concentrations of heavy metals in soils affected by burial activities. Physicochemical characterization of the soil was performed by analyzing control samples from areas near the cemeteries. Concentrations of cadmium, lead, chromium, nickel, zinc and copper were determined using high-resolution continuum source atomic absorption spectrometry. The two cemeteries had unsatisfactory properties for the retention of metal cations, with clay percentages ranging from 15.40 to 41.40% and sand percentages ranging from 28.75 to 66.85%. The control samples presented low cation exchange capacity (12.27 to 22.73 cmolc/dm³) and high aluminum (Al3+) saturation (66.74 to 90.16%). Although neither of the two cemeteries had concentrations above the limits established for the metals analyzed by Resolution No. 420/2009 of the National Environment Council, the contaminants may be leaching to groundwater due to inadequate soil characteristics.
Water Footprint of soybean, cotton, and corn crops in the western region of Bahia State
Authors: Costa Marisa Rodrigues , Moreira Michel Castro , Silva Demetrius David da , Alencar Kalesson Martins de , Coelho Clívia Dias
Published: November 2021

ABSTRACT Water catchment to subsidize agricultural activities is estimated at 70% of world consumption. In the western region of Bahia, the main agricultural center of the state, there is intensive use of water for the production of agricultural commodities. In regions with high water demand, quantification of the use of this resource can be performed using anthropic pressure indicators, such as the Water Footprint. Thus, this work determined the Water Footprint of the soybean, cotton, and corn crops produced in the western region of Bahia State. In order to determine the Water Footprint, data of the environmental characteristics and crop production in the region were used, were obtained from different Brazilian public and private institutions. The calculation of Water Footprint of the crops was performed by the sum of the green, blue, and gray components. The average Water Footprint between 2012 and 2017 for soybean corresponded to 1,972.3 m3 t-1, with cotton at 1,825.2 m3 t-1, and corn 512.4 m3 t-1. The analyses of the results and the comparison with the values of the Water Footprint of other regions demonstrate that the edaphoclimatic conditions of the western region of Bahia are propitious to the development of these crops.
Genetic diversity of Hepatozoon spp. in rodents from Chile
Authors: Alabí Amir Salvador , Monti Gustavo , Otth Carola , Sepulveda-García Paulina , Perles Livia , Machado Rosangela Zacarias , André Marcos Rogério , Bittencourt Pedro , Müller Ananda
Published: November 2021

Abstract This study aimed to investigate the genetic diversity of Hepatozoon spp. in rodents from Valdivia, Chile. A total of 74 rodents (synanthropic n=38; wild n=36) were trapped in Valdivia. We performed conventional PCR assays for Apicomplexa organisms targeting two overlapping 18S rDNA gene fragments (600 bp and 900 bp) followed by sequencing of selected amplicons. Hepatozoon spp. occurrence was 82.43% (61/74). Twelve sequences obtained from the 600 bp and ten from the 900 bp 18S rDNA fragments were identified as Hepatozoon sp. Six sequences obtained from 18S rDNA-based overlapping PCR protocols were used for concatenated (1,400 bp) phylogenetic, haplotype and distance analyses. Hepatozoon spp. 18S rDNA concatenated sequences from the present study were detected in Oligoryzomys longicaudatus, Rattus norvegicus, Mus musculus, and Abrothrix longipilis grouped with Hepatozoon species earlier described in rodents and reptiles from Chile and Brazil. Nucleotide polymorphism of the six 18S rDNA sequences (1,400 bp) from this study, and other Chilean sequences from rodents and rodent’s ticks, showed high diversity with a total of nine Chilean haplotypes. Three haplotypes from Valdivia were identified for the first time in this study, suggesting the circulation of novel haplotypes in rodents from southern Chile.
Seismic response of geogrid-reinforced fiber-cement soil walls using shaking table tests
Authors: Safaee A. M. , Mahboubi A. , Noorzad A.
Published: November 2021

Improving the characteristics of local low-strength soils at the construction site is one of the appropriate approaches to employ the soils as a backfill of geogrid-reinforced soil (GRS) walls. In this study, the fiber-cement-treated sand–silt mixture was used as the backfill of walls. The post-earthquake performance of the walls was evaluated by applying the sinusoidal waves on 1 m high reduced-scale physical models and conducting a series of 1g shaking table tests. A comparison of the wall models constructed with treated and untreated backfill indicated the advantages of geogrid-reinforced fiber-cement-treated soil walls subjected to strong ground motion. The results revealed the better behavior of the wall models backfilled with treated soil mixtures under dynamic loading. Such improved performance was more evident in (i) deformation responses, including the lateral displacement of wall facing, deformation mode, failure surfaces, and settlement of backfill surface and (ii) acceleration response in different locations, including facing, reinforced, and retained zones of walls.
TRENDS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE DIGITAL ECONOMY IN THE REGIONS OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
Authors:   «Institute for Strategic Studies of the Republic of Bashkortostan», Trofimova N.V. , Mamleeva E.R. ,   «Institute for Strategic Studies of the Republic of Bashkortostan», Shaykhutdinova G.F. ,   FSBEI HE «Ufa State Petroleum Technological University»
Published: November 2021

The article presents the genesis and stages of the digital economy development. The object of the study is the subjects of the Volga Federal District (PFD) of the Russian Federation. The subject of the study is determined by the assessment of the state and development of the digital economy using the tools of the Boston Consulting Group matrix and the grouping of statistical measurement indicators for 2005-2019. The chosen analytical tools made it possible to diagnose the level of digitalization of the economy: to determine the degree of digitalization of the region at the current moment, to identify regions with similar trends, to find best practices that allowed some regions to reach the forefront. The obtained indices are combined into a summary indicator, the results of which allowed us to divide the subjects of the Volga Federal District into 4 groups: "depressed", "lagging", "stable", "progressive". The resulting typology of the regions of the Volga Federal District will allow us to develop specific measures in the field of regional digital policy and accelerate the processes of digital transformation of the regions and the country as a whole. Among the regions of the Volga Federal District, the IT sector is developing most successfully in the Republic of Tatarstan, the Perm Territory and the Nizhny Novgorod Region. These regions are implementing a consistent and most effective digitalization policy, which creates the basis for the successful development of the economy and social sphere.
APPROACHES TO ALGORITHMIZATION OF CUSTOMS CLEARANCE IN THE GENERAL CONCEPT OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF FOREIGN ECONOMIC ACTIVITY
Authors:   Volga State University of Service, Nikolaeva N.A.
Published: November 2021

The article considers the main current global trends in the field of foreign economic activity. The modern perspective of the development of the world economic space is justified. The legislative basis for the introduction and application of customs clearance procedures is given. The transition to sustainable development through the creation of a balanced system that combines environmental safety, social justice and economic efficiency is justified from the point of view of the study of the functioning and development of participants in foreign economic activity. However, the activation of states in the development of foreign economic activity is currently at different levels of interest, which explains the differences in the forms and features of regulation, time characteristics and degree of control. The main point in ensuring the effectiveness of foreign economic activity is to ensure the synergy effect in the development of strategic directions for further development between the world economic system – the state and the participants in foreign economic activity. The article highlights several main directions of ensuring sustainable development: the trajectory of the economic development of the enterprise, the achievement of social goals, compliance with the norms and rules of environmental behavior and foreign economic activity of the enterprise. The definition of sustainable development is given as the ability of a set of elements that represent a system to acquire and maintain positive dynamics of development based on improving the capabilities of business process participants in relation to the effective functioning of the ecosystem as a whole. An integral part of any foreign trade transaction is a well-regulated customs clearance procedure. Often, the time spent on performing customs operations may exceed the transit time and even the production time of the goods. At the same time, each algorithmic step of customs clearance contains a number of risky situations that can potentially destroy the entire international supply chain and lead to a violation of obligations under foreign trade transactions. Currently, in the customs of the Russian Federation, there is no single approach to the sequence of the customs clearance process, which allows us to talk in the article about the development of an algorithm of actions.
Multiculturalism as the Basis for the Formation OF Legal Consciousness in the Period of Antiquity
Authors:   Siberian Transport University, Novosibirsk, Russian Federation, Rubantsova Tamara
Published: November 2021

The relevance of the study of the formation of legal consciousness in the ancient period lies in the lack of study of this phenomenon from the point of view of multiculturalism in the process of the formation of ancient legal consciousness. The ancient world of antiquity developed in conditions of multiculturalism, yet researchers hardly pay any attention to this side of the development of society. Ancient legal consciousness had a difficult and long process of development, and the problem of its formation is still debatable. The subject of the study is the process of influence of multiculturalism on the formation of legal consciousness in the ancient period, which had passed a long and difficult period of formation, development and design. The article uses the category ‘social representation’, which is used in the analysis of social legal preferences from the point of view of moral values. Law, as a specific social and legal phenomenon closely connected with other forms of regulatory and cultural social systems of various ancient states, was a leading factor in the process of the formation of legal consciousness in the Ancient World. The peoples of the ancient world actively interacted with each other and replenished their legal culture by borrowing the best legal patterns in the process of mutual cultural exchange. Roman lawyers assimilated the best achievements of the law of other peoples, and they were among the first to actively apply the multicultural legal models of other peoples in their legal practice. The ideas of ancient society concerning law differed from our modern understanding. They were based on cosmic harmony, justice, duty and morality. These ancient legal patterns are entrenched in stereotypes of the mentality of society, cultural patterns of antiquity, and with their help the process of forming a legal consciousness through the acculturation of legal consciousness takes place. Philosophical ideas about the law of Ancient Greece go back to mythology, however, it was these mythological ideas about divine justice, duty, morality in the process of cultural exchange, multiculturalism that became the basis for Western legal consciousness, the origins of which lie in Ancient Greece and Rome. The study was carried out using the culturological method in the analysis of the concept of multiculturalism of the formation of ancient legal consciousness. The historical method, analysis and synthesis, abstraction, concretization and generalization were also used.
Native Protein Analysis on TIMSTOF Pro mass spectrometer v2
Authors: Roberts David
Published: November 2021

Method described in David Robert et al., https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/jacs.1c02713
Impact of Conscious Self-Regulation, Engagement and Motivation on Academic Performance of Schoolchildren During Different Periods of Study
Authors: Ishmuratova Y.A. , Potanina A.M. , Bondarenko I.N.
Published: November 2021

The paper is devoted to the problem of the relationship between conscious self-regulation, school engagement and motivation, as well as the specifics of their contributions to the academic performance of schoolchildren during different pe-riods of study. For the first time, a 5-factor structure of the relationship between self-regulation, engagement, personality traits, and academic motivation was described in a sample of 1103 students in grades 5—11 of general education schools. We evaluated the contribution of these factors to the academic achieve¬ment of students in three periods of school education (in middle school, during the transition from middle to high school, and in high school). It is shown that the factors “Goal-setting and engagement” and “Cognitive and social activity”, which include regulatory, motivational, personality features and engagement, make a significant contribution to the academic performance of students, regardless of the period of learning. Regulatory processes of modelling significant condi¬tions for achieving the goal and evaluating the results as part of the “Operational Regulation” factor provide high achievement for students in grades 5—6. We also revealed the negative influence of the “External Motivation” factor on the aca¬demic performance of high school students and the positive contribution of the “Neuroticism and Anxiety” factor to the annual final grades in this period of study. The results are discussed in the context of age-related and educational tasks that are solved by students during school education.
Cognitive Component in the Structure of Children’s Subjective Well-Being
Authors: Bruk Z.Y. , Ignatjeva S.V. , Volosnikova L.M. , Semenovskikh Т.V.
Published: November 2021

The subjective well-being of children today attracts researchers around the world and remains less studied than the subjective well-being of adults. The article presents the study of subjective well-being of 1719 schoolchildren from Tyumen at the age of 10 and 12 years. The research is a part of the International Survey of Children’s Well-being (ISCWeB) — Children’s Worlds. Family, children, their protection, support and provision of subjective well-being are fundamental values that determine world politics. The aim of the study was to analyze the cognitive component of children’s subjective well-being, carried out using factor analysis. We assume that the cognitive component of subjective well-being arises with a holistic picture of the world, the current life situation in which the child is happy. To collect factual material a questionnaire was used, consisting of eight main spheres of children’s life, reflecting the components of subjective well-being: social, material, physical, religious, psychological. The questions and judgments included in the questionnaire, revealed the specifics of the child’s attitude to himself and the world around him. Cluster analysis in the plane of the identified patterns of subjective well-being (intrareflective, interreflective) made it possible to distribute children into groups. Children are happy if they can make choices, decide for themselves how to relate to life, society and themselves. “Conditionally happy” children are happy with what they have. They are the ones who are really happy in the offered life circumstances and know how to appreciate and enjoy what they have in life. “Conditionally unhappy” children think that they have everything, they give “socially acceptable” answers, but they are not happy. Social attitudes prevent the child from finding “balance” between the real, external and his own, internal world. Ideally, a child experiences subjective well-being when the intrareflective and interreflective components are in balance.
The Specifics of the Components of Empathy of Volunteers Providing Social Assistance to the Population in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors:   Russian State Social University, Polyakova O.B. ,   Open Humanitarian and Economic University
Published: November 2021

the specificity of the components of empathy of volunteers providing social assistance to the population in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic was determined; the average degree of expression of the components of empathy, empathic empathy and empathy of an effective orientation; lower average severity of identification, general and penetrating empathy, intuitiveness, rationality and emotionality of empathy, empathic attitudes. Found: a marked connection between: effective and empathic empathy; identification and general empathy; intuitiveness of empathy and general empathy; general and penetrating empathy, and empathic attitudes; empathic empathy and empathy; moderate connection between: effective empathy and empathy; identification and empathic empathy, and empathic attitudes, and the intuitiveness of empathy, and the rationality of empathy; general empathy and rationality of empathy, and the emotionality of empathy, and empathy, and empathic empathy; penetrating empathy and emotionality of empathy, and empathy, and empathic attitudes; the rationality of empathy and empathic empathy; empathic empathy and emotionality of empathy; emotionality of empathy and empathy; weak link between: effective empathy and the emotionality of empathy; penetrating and empathic empathy; empathic and empathic attitudes. It has been proven that the higher the effective, identification, intuitive and empathic empathy, the higher the general and penetrating empathy, as well as empathic attitudes.
Electrophysiological studies in patients with seropositive/seronegative myasthenia gravis
Authors: Vahabi Zahra , Nazari Ferdos , Fatehi Farzad , Bayegi Valiolah , Saffarian Zahra , Saffarian Fatemeh , Nafissi Shahriar
Published: November 2021

Background: Myasthenia gravis (MG) affects the neuromuscular transmission, causing fluctuating muscle weakness and fatigue. This study is carried out with the aim to study the electrophysiologic findings of different subtypes of MG referred to our center in Tehran, Iran.
Methods: All patients with MG presenting to neurology department of Shariati Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences were enrolled. Clinically, patients with MG were categorized as ocular vs. generalized. The acetylcholine receptor (Ach-R) and muscle-specific receptor tyrosine kinase (anti-MuSK) antibodies were performed. Repetitive Nerve Stimulation (RNS) was performed using the standard method, with supramaximal stimulation of muscles at the 3 Hz frequency by surface electrode at rest. Abductor pollicis brevis (APB) (median nerve), anconeus (radial nerve), trapezius (accessory nerve), and nasalis (facial nerve) muscles were studied in all patients. Single fiber electromyography (SFEMG) was performed by standard method.
Results: 196 seropositive patients with MG were included in the study. In electrophysiological studies, RNS was performed for 146 patients of Ach-R-Ab positive MG, with positive results in 110 patients. In addition, SFEMG was conducted for 8 patients with negative RNS, which resulted in 7 positive tests.
Prevalence of coronavirus disease 2019 in patients with neuromyelitis optica in Isfahan, Iran, and a review on recent reports and literature
Authors: Etemadifar Masoud , Salari Mehri , Aminzade Zahra , Ebrahimi Sara , Tehrani-Fateh Sepand
Published: November 2021

Background: Despite many studies, it is still unclear how patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) would respond to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We conducted a research on prevalence of COVID-19 in patients with NMOSD in Isfahan, Iran. We have also reviewed the recent publications on this issue.
Methods: 149 patients with NMOSD who were under medications were monitored for confirmed cases of COVID-19. Prevalence of COVID-19 in addition to mean age, mean duration of disease, and mean age of onset of infected patients and uninfected patients were calculated via Microsoft Excel software.
Results: The prevalence of COVID-19 in studied patients with NMOSD was 5.37%. Mean age, mean duration of disease, and mean age of onset of eight patients (male to female ratio: 1:3) diagnosed with COVID-19 were 33.62 ± 5.20 years, 6.87 ± 6.05 years, and 26.75 ± 6.94 years, respectively, while they were 39.97 ± 11.37 years, 7.50 ± 3.91 years, and 32.46 ± 11.29 years for uninfected patients with NMOSD (n = 141). No significant association was observed between the type of medications and prevalence of COVID-19 (P > 0.05).
Conclusion: There is not a consensus in the literature on the prevalence of COVID-19 in patients with NMOSD and the effect of NMOSD medications on susceptibility to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The prevalence of COVID-19 in our sample was 5.37%. The impact of the kind of NMOSD medication on the prevalence of COVID-19 in patients with NMOSD was found to be insignificant. Moreover, the infected patients were relatively younger, and their disease started earlier in comparison to uninfected patients.
Environmental risk factors of multiple sclerosis in the Middle East and North Africa region: A systematic review
Authors: Maroufi Hossein , Mortazavi Seyyed Hosein , Sahraian Mohammad Ali , Eskandarieh Sharareh
Published: November 2021

Background: The environmental factors play a major role as risk factors of multiple sclerosis (MS). This study aimed at gathering environmental risk factors of MS in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
Methods: We used MEDLINE and EMBASE databases by a systematic review method. Out of a total of 123 studies, 16 studies met the eligibility criteria.
Results: Totally, 47 risk factors were assessed as follows: six studies found sunlight exposure as a protective factor with the odds ratio (OR) ranging from 0.06 to 0.57. Six studies evaluated smoking as a risk factor with the OR ranging from 1.69 in all patients to 6.48 in female patients. Four studies supported measles infection as a risk factor with the OR ranging from 1.60 to 3.77, and in 3 studies, stressful events had a significant association with the OR of 1.80, 1.90, and 32.57.
Conclusion: Among 47 assessed risk factors, sunlight exposure, cigarette smoking, measles infection, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection, and stressful events had a significant association with MS.
Heterosis of qualitative and quantitative characteristics in sweet gourd (Cucurbita moschata duch.ex poir)
Authors:   Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Jahan TA , Islam AKMA , Rasul MG , Mian MAK , Haque MM ,   Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University
Published: November 2021

The heterotic effects and genetic components of variation for qualitative and quantitative characters were estimated in sweet gourd. The phenotypic coefficients of variation were higher than genotypic coefficient of variation for all the characters indicating that environment played a considerable role on the expression of these characters. High heritability coupled with high genetic advance found in parents and hybrids for number of fruits per plant, individual fruit weight and fruit yield suggested that improvement would be effective through phenotypic selection. Both positive and negative heterosis was observed for different qualitative and quantitative characters in F1 hybrids of sweet gourd. None of the hybrids exhibited maximum heterosis for all the traits, but significant and desirable level of heterosis over mid parent and better parent was obtained in several hybrids for the different traits. For node number of first female flower, two hybrids, OP 10×OP 24 and OP 10×OP 20 recorded the highest significant positive mid and better parent heterosis, respectively. The highest significant (p<0.05) positive mid and better parent heterosis for female flowers per plant was exhibited by the hybrid OP 20×OP 02. Significant (p<0.05) and desirable level of mid and better parent heterosis was exhibited by six and four hybrids, respectively, for fruits per plant and fruit yield per plant. The hybrids OP 10×OP 20 and OP 20×OP 02 showed the highest significant (p<0.05) positive mid parent and better parent heterosis for % reducing sugar, respectively. None of the hybrids showed significant (p>0.05) heterosis over mid and better parent for brix content. The hybrids OP 10×OP 02 and OP 04×OP 02 showed significant mid parent heterosis for carotene content. Four hybrids, OP 10×OP 20, OP 20×OP 02, OP 10×OP 02 and OP 04×OP 02 exhibited significant (p<0.05) positive heterosis for majority of the characters studied and were identified as promising for commercial cultivation. We concluded that performance of these hybrids needs to be further evaluated in multi location or on farm trial prior to commercial use.
Screening of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria from maize (Zea mays) and wheat (Triticum aestivum)
Authors:   Bhojia Institute of Life Sciences, Karnwal A
Published: November 2021

Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are free-living soil-borne bacteria that colonize the rhizosphere and have great importance in governing the functional property of terrestrial ecosystems. In this study, rhizospheric bacteria were isolated from maize and wheat and screened for their plant growth promoting activities. These isolates were identified as Pseudomonas , Bacillus , Azospirillum and Azotobacter species. All isolates were tested for their indole acetic acid (IAA) production ability. All isolates produce the varying amount s o f IAA ranging from 0.6- 2.7 μg/ml. The highest concentration of IAA was produced by bacterial strain Bacillus subtilis AK31. A series of growth pouch and pot experiments were conducted to study the effect of bacterial inoculants on the growth of maize and wheat. It was concluded that IAA plays a key role i n the growth promotion of roots in maize and wheat in growth pouch study. In maize, isolate AK1, AK21, AK31 and AK8 showed high indole acetic acid (6.86, 7.11, 7.11 and 7.36 pmol/ml, respectively) and root elongation activity ( 4.10, 5.00, 5.00 and 3.80 cm, respectively) after 96h of growth. In wheat, bacterial strains AK31, AK2, AK14, AK32 and AK15 showed high IAA ( 6.59, 5.66, 5.35, 7.53 and 5.66 pmol/ml, respectively) and root elongation ( 6.07, 4.00, 5.20, 6.90 and 5.20 cm, respectively) activity after 96h of growth. In pot experiments, Bacillus sp. AK21, Bacillus subtilis AK31, Azotobacter diazotrophicus AK14, Microbacterium sp. AK19 and Pseudomonas fluorescens AK32 showed effective results in term s of increase in root and shoot dry weight in maize (123, 130, 121, 120, 124g and 116, 126, 116, 114, 120g/pot, respectively) and wheat (130, 135, 125, 118, 140g and 105, 106, 110, 102, 110g/pot, respectively), in comparison to controls of maize and wheat crops. Thus, it might be concluded that PGPR strains AK21, AK31, AK14, AK19 and AK32 could be used as crop- enhancer and bio- fertilizer for production of maize and wheat .
The WHO five keys to safer food: A tool for food safety health promotion
Authors:   World Health Organisation (WHO), Inter-Country Support Team for West Africa, Burkina Faso, Mwamakamba L , Mensah P ,   WHO, Regional Office for Africa, Djoue, Fontannaz-Aujoulat F ,   WHO, Headquarters, 1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland, Hlabana M ,   WHO, Country Office Lesotho, Maiga F ,   WHO, Country Office Mali, Bangoura F ,   WHO, Country Office Guinea, Mohamed C ,   WHO, Country Office South Africa, Ingenbleek L ,   WHO, Country Office Benin,
Published: November 2021

Foodborne diseases continue to be significant causes of morbidity and mortality within the African Region. Many cases of foodborne disease occur due to basic errors in food preparation or handling either in food service establishments or at home. Educating food handlers, including consumers, therefore, can significantly reduce the chances of contracting food-borne illnesses and the effects of outbreaks, as well as improve public health. Food safety education programmes need to particularly target certain segments of the population who, either directly have a role in food preparation and/or have increased vulnerability to foodborne diseases. In response to the increasing need to educate food handlers, including consumers about their responsibilities for assuring the safety of food, the World Health Organization (WHO) initiated a health promotion campaign around five simple rules, "the five keys to safer food" to help ensure food safety during food handling and preparation. The core messages of the WHO five keys to safer food are: keep clean; separate raw and cooked; cook thoroughly; keep food at safe temperatures; and use safe water and raw materials. These messages have been adapted to different target audiences and settings such as healthy food markets; emergency situations such as prevention of outbreaks; food safety for travellers; preparation of mass gathering events; street vended foods; training of women; and growing of safer fruits and vegetables. Educational projects targeting different types of food handlers, high-risk groups and settings are being implemented in several countries in the African Region. This article discusses how the WHO five keys to safer food have been used as a tool for food safety education. Experiences of selected countries in the African Region in the promotion of the WHO five keys to safer food in different settings are presented. It further discusses opportunities and future perspectives in the promotion of the WHO five keys to safer food in the African Region.
Developing and maintaining national food safety control systems: Experiences from the WHO African region
Authors:   World Health Organisation (WHO), Inter-Country Support Team for West Africa, Mwamakamba L , Mensah P ,   WHO, Regional Office for Africa, Djoue, Kwakye Takyiwa A ,   WHO, Country Office Ghana, Darkwah-Odame J ,   Food and Drugs Board, Ministry of Health, Ghana, Jallow A ,   WHO, Country Office Gambia, Maiga F ,   WHO, Country Office Mali
Published: November 2021

The establishment of effective food safety systems is pivotal to ensuring the safety of the national food supply as well as food products for regional and international trade. The development, structure and implementation of modern food safety systems have been driven over the years by a number of developments. These developments include: a reorientation of quality assurance protocols; emphasis on the development of integrated and holistic food safety systems with a farm-to-table approach; increased recognition of the respective roles of the different stakeholders along the food chain; increased food trade coupled with obligations under trade agreements; and advances in the control of foodborne hazards. At its core, a modern food safety system includes enabling food laws, policies, regulations and standards; mechanisms for coordination; operational food inspection and laboratory services as well as national information, education and communication programmes. While progress has been made in some countries in the WHO African Region at modernizing their food safety systems, many others are still grappling with the basics for development of effective food control systems. The traditional food control systems in a number of African countries do not provide the concerned agencies with a clear mandate and authority to prevent food safety problems. Effective food control in a number of these countries is undermined by a number of challenges including limited awareness about food safety, inadequate enabling policy, outdated legislation and regulations; inadequate coordination; and inadequate capacity and resources for food safety. This paper reviews the components of a modern national food safety control system and examines efforts at strengthening national food safety control systems in the African Region. It includes experiences from countries that have made efforts at strengthening their national food safety control systems in view of current developments. The paper further discusses some of the challenges of food control systems in the Region and prospects for improvements. It concludes by suggesting the way forward for improving national food safety control systems in the Region.
Public health and food safety in the WHO African region
Authors:   World Health Organisation Regional Office for Africa, Congo, Mensah P , Mwamakamba L , Nsue-Milang D , Mohamed C ,   WHO Country Office, South Africa
Published: November 2021

Contaminated food continues to cause numerous devastating outbreaks in the African Region. In Africa, a large proportion of ready-to-eat foods are sold by the informal sector, especially as street foods. The hygienic aspects of vending operations and the safety of these foods are problematic for food safety regulators. The global food crisis has worsened an already precarious food situation because when food is in short supply people are more concerned about satisfying hunger than the safety of the food. The aetiological agents include various pathogenic bacteria, parasites and viruses. Chemical contaminants are becoming increasingly important. Human factors including: unhygienic practices and deliberate contamination, environmental factors, such as unsafe water, unsafe waste disposal and exposure of food to insects and dust, undercooked food, and prolonged storage of cooked food without refrigeration are the main predisposing factors. WHO’s position is that food safety must be recognised as a public health function and access to safe food as a basic human right. The work of WHO in food safety is in line with its core functions and various global and regional commitments, especially the document entitled “Food Safety and Health: A Strategy for the WHO African Region (AFR/RC57/4) adopted in 2007. WHO has been supporting countries to strengthen food safety systems and partnerships and advocacy; to develop evidence-based food safety policies; strengthen laboratory capacity for foodborne disease surveillance; enhance participation of countries in the standard-setting activities of the Codex Alimentarius Commission; and strengthen food safety education using the WHO Five Keys to Safer Food . The implementation of the Regional Food Safety Strategy adopts a holistic farm-to-fork approach which addresses the entire food control system. Much has been achieved since the adoption of the document Food Safety and health: A Strategy for the WHO African Region, but commitment to food safety still remains low due to competing priorities. In particular, countries are now shifting away from fragmented food control implementation towards multi-agency and coordinated as well as single agency systems. The Codex Trust Fund has facilitated participation and capacity building for Codex work. Although funding for the Food Safety Programme has increased as compared to the levels in 2002, this remains inadequate. WHO will continue to support countries to strengthen food safety systems in line with its core functions and as enshrined in the regional food safety strategy.
Introducing new agricultural technologies and marketing strategies: A means for increasing income and nutrition of farm households in Ethiopia
Authors:   International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), Syria, Yigezu AY , Sanders JH ,   Purdue University
Published: November 2021

Many developing regions have excellent potential agricultural resources. However, historically, the population has become so concentrated in these regions that acute poverty and malnutrition now predominate. The food scientists’ response to the chronic nutrition problem has often been subsidized by bio-fortification with nutrition supplements or more recently cultivars with higher nutrient levels. Where much of the population is in this inadequate nutrition category as in the highland of Ethiopia, the supplements are neither financially feasible nor sustainable. The cultivars can provide a few critical nutrients but are not a comprehensive solution. To improve nutrition, it is necessary to increase income so that an increased quality and quantitative diet can be obtained. Here, a strategy to introduce Striga resistant sorghum varieties, inorganic fertilizers, tied ridges and inventory credit in the Qobo valley of Ethiopia is evaluated. Using the behavioralist criteria defined by the farmers as constraints, a mathematical programming model is built to analyze the effects of different potential combinations of technologies and supporting agricultural policies on the household nutritional gaps and on farmers’ incomes. Striga resistance alone has little effect unless combined with fertilization, water harvesting and an improved credit program. The credit program improvement involves the substitution of inventory credit for the existing input credits that are repayable at harvest. Inventory credit enables the farmer to take advantage of the seasonal price variation and repay after the prices have recovered from the usual price collapse at harvest. An integrated approach, involving the combined technologies of water harvesting, fertilization and Striga resistance along with inventory credit increases farm household income by 31% and eliminates under-nutrition except in extreme drought years (10% probability), during which public assistance will be still needed. Both the treatment of the nutritional deficits and the decision making criteria defined by farmers are expected to be useful techniques in other developing country technology analysis as well.