Availability of disaster preparedness and digitization in archives preservation in public libraries in rivers state

This study ascertained availability of disaster preparedness and digitization in archives preservation in public libraries in Rivers state. Two objectives and its corresponding research questions and hypotheses guided this study. The descriptive survey design was adopted for this study. The target population of this study comprised 514 library staff drawn from Rivers state library board and staff from Jubilee library Port Harcourt. The sample size for this study was 399 library staff comprising of 227 staff from Rivers state library board and 172 library staff from Jubilee library Port Harcourt. The sample size was determined by Taro Yamane sample size determination formula while a two-stage sampling technique of stratified and simple random sampling techniques was used to select the sample size. A self-structured questionnaire titled availability of disaster preparedness and digitization in archives preservation questionnaire was used as the instrument for data collection. Face and content validation was ensured by three experts. The instrument yielded reliability coefficients of 0.79 with the use of Cronbach Alpha reliability method. Meanand Standard Deviation was used in answering research questions while z-test was used for the inferential statistics. The findings revealed that disaster preparedness and digitization in the preservation of archives are supported and available in public libraries in Rivers state, Nigeria. Based on the findings, it can be concluded that there are significant differences in the responses of Rivers state library board staff and Jubilee library Port Harcourt staff on the terms of the availability of the disaster preparedness and digitization in archive preservation in the public libraries. It was therefore recommended that more librarians should be employed by the Rivers state government so as to make the process of archive preservation in the State’s public libraries through disaster preparedness and digitization less rigorous and efficient.

FXintegrity Publishing Fxintegrity publishing

Correlational study of vitamin d deficiency and dyslipidemia among adult libyan population

Vitamin D deficiency is a public health concern affecting many individuals as it is highly prevalent in all parts of the world. Recent studies have reported an association of vitamin D deficiency with cardiometabolic alterations such as dyslipidemia. The study aimed to evaluate vitamin D and lipid profile levels among the Libyan adult population and investigate the correlation of vitamin D deficiency with the alteration of lipid profile levels. A cross-sectional study was conducted at Janzour Hospital among 193 subjects (107 males and 86 females) whose ages ranged between 20 and 50 years over three months from Sept to Dec 2023. Vitamin D, cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein, and high-density lipoprotein levels were estimated. The total mean vitamin D levels were 8.31±4.74, 23.83±2.78, and 42.67±7.95 ng/dl for deficiency, insufficiency, and sufficiency, respectively. The findings revealed significant alterations in cholesterol (increase), triglyceride (increase), LDL-cholesterol (increase), and HDL-cholesterol (decrease) among subjects who had vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency as compared to subjects having vitamin D sufficiency. Vitamin D levels were negatively correlated with cholesterol, triglyceride, and LDL cholesterol, and they were positively associated with HDL cholesterol. The incidence of dyslipidemia is higher in the vitamin D deficiency group than in the insufficiency and sufficiency groups. It is essential to frequently monitor lipid profiles among vitamin D-deficient individuals to avoid subsequent disorders or damages associated with the alterations of lipid profile patterns.

Mediterranean Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Mediterranean journal of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences

Effects of yoga practices on selected physiological parameters of bharathidasan university inter-collegiate men football players

The purpose of this study was to find out the effects of yoga practices on selected physiological parameters of Bharathidasan University inter-collegiate men Football players. The study was conducted on thirty Football players from various colleges who have participated in Bharathidasan University Tiruchirappalli, Thanjavur Divisional tournaments 2019-2020. Subjects were randomly assigned equally into two groups, Group –I underwent yogic practices group (n=15) and group II (n=15) acted as control group. Resting pulse rate, Breath holding time and Cardio respiratory endurance were selected as creation variables. The training programme was restricted to 12 weeks and the number of session was 3 days per week. Resting pulse rate was assessed by Radial pulse method, Breath holding time was assessed by Manuel method and Cardio Respiratory Endurance was assessed by Cooper’s 12 minutes run/walk test. The data was collected from the experimental and Control Groups before and after the 8 weeks of training programme were statically examined with Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Resting Pulse Rate, Breath Holding Time and Cardio Respiratory Endurance showed significant difference between the groups.

Dr.I. John Parthiban Dr.i. john parthiban

Nutritional value, ethnomedicine, phytochemistry and pharmacology of vigna radiata (l.) r. wilczek

Vigna radiata (L.) R. Wilczek, commonly known as Mung bean, is one of the most important pulse crops grown from tropical to sub-tropical areas worldwide. Mung bean is reported to help prevent the loss of nails and hair, reduce the risk of hypercholesterolemia and coronary heart disease, and decrease the absorption of toxic substances. Flavonoids and phenols are reported from this plant. Antioxidant, anti-diabetic and hypocholesterolemic activities are also shown by Vigna radiata

Dr. Salman Ahmed Dr. salman ahmed

Modelling and analytical proofing of low energy temperature control using earth/ground water heat exchanger

For given condition of (temperature and humidity) of suction air, the delivery air condition depends on the system parameters (depth, radius, length and air mass flow rate), thermo physical properties of the surrounding earth (thermal conductivity and specific thermal capacity) and earth surface environment (ambient temperature, ambient humidity and solar irradiance)[1,3].Sensitivity analysis of system performance is essential for understanding the relative importance of different parameters of design of a optimum system [2,5]. For the steady state periodic input air condition and the performance of the system can be measured in terms of heating potential during the winter period and cooling potential during the summer period. Sensitivity of the system performance parameters (heating potential in winter and cooling potential in summer) to the changes in system parameters or thermo physical properties of the surrounding earth has been analysed and the result is present is in this paper.

Dr H Shaheen Dr h shaheen

A study on mechanical properties and durability of vermiculite concrete

Concrete is a material which is used in construction. Weight of concrete plays a major role in the construction industry. If the weight of the concrete is increased, it will pose more structural problems on the later date of construction. It also increases the cost of construction, without any specific benefit. So if lightweight concrete is used, it not only reduces cost of construction, but also not poses any structural problems unnecessarily. Light weight concrete also aids workers in smooth handling of materials. In this study, vermiculite in the form of exfoliated form is used to replace partially natural sand. By this action dead weight of the structure is reduced. Once the dead weight of structure is reduced, it in turn reduces cost of construction. In this study three mixes were casted with the cement content of 383 kg/m3 in M20 concrete and the water cement ratio of 0.45 is chosen. Vermiculite at 10%, 20% and 30% are choosing to partially replace the natural sand. The Tests conducted on concrete for evaluating mechanical properties include compressive strength and split tensile strength. For evaluating durability properties, tests like acid resistance, sulphate resistance, chlorine penetration and water absorption.

Kiran kumar narasimhan

Antitussive effect of aerial parts of caesalpinia pulcherrima by sulphur dioxide induced cough in rats

Natural products have played an essential role in treating human diseases for thousands of years. According to WHO, 80% of the world’s population relies on traditional medicines to cure and prevent ailments. Numerous plants have been reported to have antitussive activity. Our present study aimed to evaluate the antitussive effect of aerial parts of ethanolic extract of Caesalpinia pulcherrima (Caesalpiniaceae) at 200 and 400 mg/kg doses in healthy albino rats. Caesalpinia pulcherrima is an ornamental plant, usually 3.7-4.3 m in height, known as Peacock flower and is used traditionally to treat cough, bronchitis and asthma. Cough significantly affects human health and is the most common reason to visit physicians. Cough may be produced due to disease, allergens, pollutants and respiratory infections. Any mechanical or inflammatory change provokes the afferent or sensory nerves in the larynx and tracheobronchial, resulting in a cough. In this study, cough was induced by using the sulphur dioxide induction method. Animals were divided into four groups of 7 animals each, and all the drugs were administered orally. Group I was a control group, while group II was a standard taking Prospane. The extract showed highly significant results at 200 and 400 mg/kg doses compared to the control. So, it proves and supports the traditional use of Caesalpinia pulcherrima to relieve cough.

Dr. Salman Ahmed Dr. salman ahmed

The effects of different forms of risk communication on judicial decision making

When mental health experts provide information to courts on the results of a risk assessment conducted on a defendant or patient, they engage in “risk communication.” We examined the effects of four different forms of risk communication (prediction, categorical, risk factors/risk management, or hybrid) on judges’ (n = 253) perceptions of risk assessment evidence introduced in a case where they must decide whether to release from the hospital an individual found not guilty by reason of insanity. Judges who received information in the risk factors/risk management form were more likely to release the patient than were those who received prediction-based or categorical risk information. Judges with greater experience hearing cases involving risk assessment evidence were also more likely to release. Moreover, judges who had positive attitudes towards risk assessment and social science evidence in general, were more likely to find the risk assessment evidence introduced in the particular case to be understandable, relevant, and dispositive. Implications of the results for how mental health experts communicate risk information to the courts are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)

John Dolores John dolores

Critical race theory pdf

Critical race theory (CRT) is an intellectual movement that seeks to understand how white supremacy as a legal, cultural, and political condition is reproduced and maintained, primarily in the US context. While CRT is part of a much longer research tradition investigating race and racism, which includes such key fgures as W. E. B. Du Bois, Frantz Fanon, Angela Davis, Audre Lorde, Gloria Anzaldúa, Cherríe Moraga, and many more, CRT distinguishes itself as an approach that originated within legal studies (in part building from and responding to critical legal studies); aims to be a vehicle for social and political change; has been adopted interdisciplinarily across many fields, including perhaps most notably education; and, in certain contexts, has come to be the umbrella term for studies of race and racism generally. CRT originated as an extension and critique of critical legal studies (CLS). It was also an outgrowth of Marxist critical theory that challenged the rationality, impartiality, and purpose of the legal system. According to the tenets of both CRT and CLS, the legal system is a political and ideological institution that, in part, rationalizes and justifies the existence of the state. Te legal system also requires mastery of an arcane and intentionally inaccessible vocabulary and a set of knowledge and power processes that limit ordinary people’s access to it. Te arbiters of law pretend to rely on reason but actually rely on subjective, politically motivated, culturally biased, and quasi-religious rationale for making and enforcing their decisions. CRT maintains the critique of legalistic thinking found in critical legal studies, but then adds a framework for understanding white supremacy as an immutable fact of a neocolonial state, as well as a praxis for changing it. What separates CRT from other forms of racial critique is that, “Unlike most of the earlier genres of race cholarship, critical race scholarship does not treat race as an independent variable; rather, it regards race as a site of struggle” (Orbe & Allen, 2008, p. 209).

Kamal Singh Kamal singh

General meaning relation - definite / indefinite meaning in noun class

The general meaning of a word is the representation of the type from it, in linguistic contexts and certain grammatical forms and this meaning is opposed to the individualized meaning, the separation of a unique item of the type, distinguishable from others. The general meaning seems like a grammatical meaning that is not formally sufficiently marked, but the indefinite articles and the suffixes, in addition to other grammatical meanings, can also express a general meaning in certain contexts. A definite meaning of the noun is generally considered the meaning of the noun in the definite form and indefinite meaning the one of the indefinite noun. But how does the general meaning relate to them? Nouns with general meaning, whether in the indefinite form or in the definite form are meaningfully definite. Both the speaker and the listener know the class that the general noun marks. Despite the formal indefiniteness / definiteness, nouns with a general meaning are semantically definite.

Anglisticum

Competencies and professional development needs of kindergarten teachers

The study identified the level of competencies and the extent of professional development needs of kindergarten teachers in the Sultan Kudarat Division, during the school year 2019 - 2020. The study employed a descriptive method. The study involved 54 kindergarten teachers in the division in accomplishing the 12-item self-assessment instrument. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The results revealed that kindergarten teachers have a high level of competencies in content knowledge and pedagogy, learning environment and diversity of learners, curriculum and planning, and assessment and reporting. These indicate that they possess almost all of the competencies of efficient teachers. Results further revealed a very high extent of professional needs in content knowledge and pedagogy and the learning environment and diversity of learners, while they had a high extent of professional needs in the remaining domains. Since they reported very high priorities in content knowledge and pedagogy and the learning environment and diversity of learners, these areas would be the main considerations in the crafting of a professional development plan.

Manuel Caingcoy Manuel caingcoy

Pheochromocytoma in pregnancy: a case report and updated management review

Pheochromocytoma is a catecholamine-producing neuroendocrine tumor leading to hypertensive crises in untreated patients. Presentation in pregnancy can mimic gestational hypertension or pre-eclampsia. Physicians need to keep a high index of suspicion to have timely diagnosis and management of pheochromocytoma during pregnancy. We report a 27-year-old female who was diagnosed with pheochromocytoma at 18 weeks of gestation and she underwent laparoscopic adrenalectomy at 22 weeks of gestation with a good pregnancy outcome and with no recurrence over 8 years of follow-up.

Karishma Karishma

Blue brain technology

How great would it be if you never forgot anything or never lost the ability to think and be creative? And just imagine how much more great it would be if your brain can be reconstructed so that it can stay young forever and be used to create wonders even after your death? It would be a great leap in the field of science if the brains of great minds like Steve Jobs or Albert Einstein can be recreated. That is exactly what the blue brain does. The blue brain project is an attempt to reconstruct the brain piece by piece and building a virtual brain in a supercomputer. It began in 2005 with an agreement between the EPFL and IBM, which supplied the Blue Gene/L supercomputer acquired by EPFL to build the virtual brain. The computing power needed is considerable. Each simulated neuron requires the equivalent of a laptop computer. A model of the whole brain would have billions. Supercomputing technology is rapidly approaching a level where simulating the whole brain becomes a concrete possibility. The main aim is to update the brain into a computer. As a first step, the project succeeded in simulating a rat cortical column. Efforts are now being made to simulate the human brain. In five years of work, Henry Mark ram’s team has perfected a facility that can create realistic models of one of the brains essential building blocks. This process is entirely data driven and essentially automatically executed on the supercomputer. This modeling will expand to all the areas of the brain and if successful, shed light on the relationships between genetic, molecular and cognitive functions of the brain. These models will be basic building blocks for larger scale models leading towards a complete virtual brain.

Dr H Shaheen Dr h shaheen

A progressive review on the synthesis of atovaquone (an anti-malarial drug), empowered by the critical examination of prior-art disclosures

In this article, a systematic flow of contents was provided with regard to the synthesis of Atovaquone 1a on critical examination of the prior-arts. Several patents and study articles were published, disclosing different synthetic methods for the preparation of Atovaquone 1a at various scales. Based on the starting materials used, there are a few one-step, two-step and multi-step synthetic routes were reported with varied yields. In this work, we have put in our sincere effort to collect all the synthetic routes of Atovaquone 1a in detail with distinct and elaborate reaction schemes for a better and collective process clarity. From this review, global researchers will get a platform to re-design or re-work on the synthetic approach of Atovaquone 1a with better atom economy and purity. In addition, the drug commercialization angle could also be looked in during the design stage itself alongside green chemistry concepts. We have done the chronic analysis of study articles to highlight the commercial feasibility of the disclosed synthetic methods. A special emphasis was given to the synthetic routes with process development initiatives towards, recovery/reuse of costly starting materials/reagents/solvents and their feasibility for large scale manufacturing of drug Atovaquone 1a.

Mediterranean Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Mediterranean journal of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences

Strain improvement studies for the production of l-asparaginase by beauveria bassiana ss18/41

Strain improvement studies were conducted for the production of L-asparaginase from a marine fungus Beauveriabassiana SS18/14 by employing physical and chemical mutagens, in a systemic manner to obtain mutants that have higher L-asparaginase production. The wild strain produced 6.32 IU/mL of L-asparaginase activity while the UV mutant UVF-4 yielded 8.34 IU/mL and nitrous acid mutant UVF4-N-2 exhibited 10.44 IU/mL enzyme activity. The overall strain improvement programme increased L-asparaginase activity 1.65 times with respect to the parent wild strain.

Dr.P.V.Kamala Kumari Dr.p.v.kamala kumari

A lightweight deep learning framework using resource-efficient batch normalization for sarcasm detection

Communication is not always direct; it often involves nuanced elements like humor, irony, and sarcasm. This study introduces a novel two-level approach for sarcasm detection, leveraging Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs). Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) are crucial for many deep learning applications, yet their deployment on IoT devices is challenged by resource constraints and the need for low latency, particularly in on-device training. Traditional methods of deploying large CNN models on these devices often lead to suboptimal performance and increased energy consumption. To address this, our paper proposes an energy-efficient CNN design by optimising batch normalisation operations. Batch normalisation is vital for deep learning, aiding in faster convergence and stabilising gradient flow, but there has been limited research on creating energy-efficient and lightweight CNNs with optimised batch normalisation. This study proposes a 3R (reduce, reuse, recycle) optimisation technique for batch normalization. This technique introduces an energy-efficient CNN architecture. We investigate the use of batch normalization optimization to streamline memory usage and computational complexity, aiming to uphold or improve model performance on CPU-based systems. Additionally, we evaluate its effectiveness across diverse datasets, focusing on energy efficiency and adaptability in different settings. Furthermore, we analyze how batch normalization influences the performance and effectiveness of activation functions and pooling layers in neural network designs. Our results highlight batch normalization's ability to enhance computational efficiency, particularly on devices with limited resources.

Jiby Mariya Jose Jiby mariya jose

Barriers affecting uptake of cervical cancer screening in low and middle income countries: a systematic review

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer is the second‑most common cancer among women in the developing world and approximately 500,000 cases are diagnosed each year. In developed countries, cervical cancer (CCa) accounts for only 3.6% of newly diagnosed cancers. OBJECTIVE: The present study aims to identify the most effective barriers associated with CCa screening uptake in low and middle-income countries (L and MICs) and aid to adopt effective measures to overcome prevailing barriers to the attainment of CCa uptake in the community. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Health sciences electronic databases like MEDLINE, PubMed, Cochrane library, and Google Scholar were searched for studies published until August 2017. Keywords used for the search were ("cervical cancer screening"), ("barriers"), AND ("low income countries" OR "Middle income countries"). Articles were reviewed and data were extracted by using Mendeley Desktop Software (V‑1.17.10). Income-level classification of countries was done as per the World Bank 2017 report. Statistical software like SPSS‑V.23 and Medical‑V.14 were used for the statistical application. RESULTS: A total of 31 studies met the inclusion criteria with a total of 25,650 participants. The sample size of the included studies ranged from 97 to 5929 participants. Articles majorly reported data on participants from African region (51.6%) and minimally in the Western Pacific region (3.2%). Sampling methods among studies varied from convenience sampling‑12 (39.7%) to consecutive sampling‑1 (3.2%). Besides, two studies (6.5%) did not discuss their sampling procedures. It was observed that “Lack of information about CCa and its treatment” (Barrier of lack of knowledge and Awareness); “Embracement or shy” (Psychological Barrier); “Lack of time” (structural Barrier); and “Lack of family support” (Sociocultural and religious barrier) were the most commonly reported among all 22 barriers. CONCLUSION: There is a need of policies advancement of CCa screening programs by focusing on aspects of accessibility, affordability, CCa education, and the necessity of screening to improve screening uptake to control the CCa morbidity and mortality rate in L and MIC’s.

Nagarjuna narayanasetti

Ascorbic acid has an anxiolytic-like effect in the presence of flumazenil in rats

Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) is a water-soluble vitamin; it is present in the highest concentration in the brain. Ascorbic acid in high doses acts as a potential treatment for various neuropathological and psychiatric conditions. Flumazenil is a benzodiazepine antagonist; it competitively inhibits the activity of benzodiazepine and non-benzodiazepine substances that interact with benzodiazepine receptors site on the GABA/benzodiazepine receptor complex. This study aims to investigate the effect of flumazenil on the anxiolytic action of ascorbic acid using an elevated plus maze model of anxiety in rats. Male Albino Wistar rats weighing between 250 and 320 grams were used. Rats were divided into four equal groups of seven rats each and treated as follows: Group I, the control group received a single dose of 1.0% tween 80; Group II treated with a single dose of 125 mg/kg ascorbic acid; Group III was injected by a single dose of 1.0 mg/kg flumazenil; Group IV received a combination treatment of 125 mg/kg ascorbic acid and 1.0 mg/kg flumazenil. Behavioural measurements using a plus maze were scored 30 min after the administration. The parameters scored are the time spent on the open and closed arms, the lines and number of entries into open and closed arms, and the anxiety measure. Ascorbic acid decreased anxiety measure and increased the total lines and total number of entries; this effect was abolished by the administration of flumazenil with ascorbic acid. Thus, ascorbic acid produces an anxiolytic-like effect in rats; this effect was abolished by flumazenil administration with ascorbic acid. This may indicate that the GABA/benzodiazepine receptor complex has to be stimulated to produce the anxiolytic effect.

Mediterranean Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Mediterranean journal of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences

A comprehensive glimpse on globally used antiurolithiatic plants of convolvulaceae, costaceae, ebenaceae, fagaceae, hypericaceae, lauraceae, liliaceae and lythraceae

Urolithiasis is a common worldwide problem with high recurrence. This review covers Convolvulaceae seven (07), Costaceae four (04), Ebenaceae four (04), Fagaceae six (06), Hypericaceae eight (08), Lauraceae nine (09), Liliaceae twelve (12) and Lythraceae three (03) plants used globally in different countries. Hopefully, this review will be helpful for the general public and attract the scientific world for antiurolithiatic drug discovery.

Dr. Salman Ahmed Dr. salman ahmed

Prevalence of comorbidity and polypharmacy among hospitalized elderly patients

Aging seldom comes alone and it is considered to be the major factor for many diseases and comorbidities and disabilities. The objectives of the study are to examine demographic characteristics and prevalence of comorbidities and polypharmacy of elderly patients who were admitted at Sebha Medical Center according to the selected period. This study is descriptive and retrospective cross-sectional study conducted in Sebha during 2021. From 195 participants of the study, the highest rate of patients was from the age group of 65 - 74 years which accounted for 86 participants (44%) and followed by those age group of 75 - 84 years which was reported by 65 participants (33%). The majority of elderly patients have hypertension, (n = 116, 59%) and over one-third of the patients (n = 73, 37%) have diabetes mellitus while nearly one-quarter of patients have both diseases at the same time (n = 47, 24%). Nearly, three-quarters of patients have electrolytes imbalance (n = 142, 72%). Nearly, two-thirds of the patients had three to five comorbidity diseases (n = 122, 63%). Whereas, over one-third of the patients had just one or two comorbidities (n = 70, 36%). Almost all the participants have polypharmacy (n = 187, 96%). Just above half of the patients have five - ten medications (n = 100, 51%) compared with 45% of the patients from those who have more than ten medications (n = 87). This study showed that there is a strong relationship between the prevalence of polypharmacy and the number of comorbidities. A Spearman correlation test indicated that rate of comorbidities was related to polypharmacy with a significant correlation (P < 0.01). The present study found high prevalence of comorbidities and polypharmacy among elderly inpatients. Based on this high prevalence, practicing pharmaceutical care could play an effective role to reduce the risk of inappropriate polypharmacy among hospitalized elderly patients through encouraging clinical pharmacist to engage in clinical activities in hospitals.

Mediterranean Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Mediterranean journal of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences

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