Distinct Districts Research Articles

Automatic Definition of Traffic Analysis Zones Based on Big Data

The planning process for any transport system can be considered complete if it is accompanied by a modeling system to evaluate the intervention. The study area should always be divided into traffic zones. Correct zoning is the key to any transport system study. The basic principles of zone creation require a thorough understanding of the area and local traffic conditions. However, this is not always a given, especially if a universally applicable assessment system is to be developed. This has led to the need to develop an algorithm that is able to provide an estimate for the definition of traffic zones based on some automatically observable or measurable phenomena or sequence of events. The aim of this research is to identify the observable events that are suitable for characterizing the area, so that an automatic zone definition procedure can be developed based on these. In this paper, automatic WAZE-generated congestion data were processed in a selected district of Budapest. During the processing, the area was divided into a grid network and time series were developed that show the traffic flow on the grid network as a function of the congestion level. The area subdivisions were then clustered using spectral clustering to create spatially distinct districts with identical traffic behavior.

Determining Factors Affecting Agricultural Credit Demand: A Research in Erzurum Province, Türkiye

The purpose of this research is to identify the variables that might influence the demand for low-interest business and investment loans given to Turkey's livestock and agricultural industries. A face-to-face survey of 384 producers who go on with their production operations in ten distinct Erzurum districts provided the data utilized in the study. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to identify the factors influencing credit use. The data shows that producers in the age groups of 20–30 are less likely to utilize credit than those in the 31–45 and 46–60 age groups. Credit use is higher among individuals involved in mixed production activities than in crop production only. Individuals who report being in excellent health have a higher likelihood of using credit than those who report being in bad health. Having a house of one's own increases the likelihood of using credit. Those whose production activity location is close to the district center are more likely to use credit. It has been shown that people are more likely to utilize if they say the guarantees that loan providers want are inexpensive, if they say they will carry on with their production, and if they say they are happy with the amount of expertise needed for production.

Exploring the Awareness Level of B. Ed. College Teachers on Copyright Laws for E-Content Protection

This research paper attempt to explore the awareness level of B. Ed. College Teachers in West Bengal, India, regarding copyright laws for e-content protection as an important aspect of intellectual property rights education. Basic objectives of this study is to measure the current awareness level among the B. Ed. College Teachers, understanding the factors that influence their awareness, and providing recommendations to enhance their awareness level. To achieve these objectives, a descriptive survey research design was adopted by the researcher, employing a semi-structured questionnaire to collect data from the B. Ed. College Teachers situated in three distinct districts of West Bengal; North 24 Parganas, Murshidabad, and Paschim Medinipur. Participants of this study were B. Ed. College Teachers in West Bengal, and a sample size of 151 respondents were purposively selected using the stratified sampling technique. Here in this study, researcher used descriptive statistics such as frequencies, percentages, means, standard deviations, and thematic analysis to analyse the data. Findings of this study revealed the existing level of awareness among B. Ed. College Teachers concerning copyright laws and regulations relevant to protection e-content. Additionally, this research identified various influential factors that shape their level of awareness. And this research significantly contributes to our understanding on the awareness level of B. Ed. College Teachers in West Bengal, India, pertaining to the copyright and e-content protection.

The Development of the Berliner as a Political Person under the Influence of the Urban Cultural Environment

Introduction. The article explores the reasons for the emergence of ethnic diversity in the city of Berlin, encompassing political, historical, geographical, anthropological, and sociological aspects of the urban environment. It also outlines the current issues in German society that shape the political culture of its people. The relevance of the topic is driven by the political radicalization of migrants in Germany, particularly in Berlin, resulting from cultural globalization that impacts traditional political institutions and behavioral models of the city's residents. The crisis of the liberal-democratic model and the increase in the number of Eurosceptics also play a significant role in the transformation of the political culture of contemporary Berliners. Solving the problem of political radicalization of migrants is equally important for the Russian Federation, especially in St. Petersburg, combining characteristics of the European urban environment and the polyethnic Russian state, whose residents consider themselves Russians despite national and cultural differences. Methodology and sources. The research is grounded in Ernest Burgess's model of concentric zones. The study relies on research methods such as synthesis, comparison, analysis, and sociological approaches. Data from the Federal Statistical Office of Germany, the results of the 2016 elections to the Berlin House of Deputies, the 2021 elections, and the subsequent 2023 elections, historical data, and findings from other researchers on the topic served as sources for the study. Results and discussion. The study identifies features of urban culture shaping the polyethnic Berlin society, including the ethnic diversity of residents, unique self-identification of Berliners, the presence of distinct urban districts, squatter movements, and the influence of architectural and spatial characteristics on the formation of human social behavior. Some city problems were also highlighted, such as the crisis of formation of a distorted perception of right and left currents among Berliners, the failure of multiculturalism policies, the migration crisis, and housing shortages. Conclusion. The development of a Berliner as a political being is influenced by the characteristics of the urban environment and certain issues facing the city, where the residential district, properties of the city's political culture, and ethnic background impact the political views of its inhabitants

Unearthing Financial Wisdom Exploring the Factors Shaping Financial Literacy among Agribusiness Entrepreneurs in Zimbabwe

Unearthing Financial Wisdom Exploring the Factors Shaping Financial Literacy among Agribusiness Entrepreneurs in Zimbabwe

The Association of Dietary Inflammatory Index and Cognitive Function in Iranian Elders

Background: Cognitive impairment is amongst the most substantial mental health problems in elderly people, and inflammation is an underlying mechanism for cognitive impairment. The dietary inflammatory index (DII®) reflects the overall inflammatory potential of individuals’ diets. The current study aimed to assess the relationship between the DII and cognitive function among the Iranian old population. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 221 subjects≥65 years old in healthcare centers in five socioeconomically distinct districts of Tehran, Iran. Dietary intake data were obtained using a validated food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Energy-adjusted-DII (E-DIITM) scores were calculated for each participant according to a total of 35 food parameters, which were available from the FFQ. Mini mental state examination (MMSE), a brief screening questionnaire was used to assess cognitive function. Results: E-DII scores were not significantly associated with cognitive function, both in the crude model (β=-0.04, P-value=0.82) and after adjusting for potential confounders (β=0.22, Pvalue= 0.14). Additionally, in the unadjusted model, individuals in the highest tertile of E-DII score had increased odds of mild cognitive impairment (OR=1.13, p-trend=0.01) compared to those older adults in the lowest tertile of E-DII score. However, after controlling for potential confounders, these relationships faded (AOR=1.46, p-trend=0.12). Conclusion: The findings of the present study showed no significant relationship between E- DII and cognitive function among the Iranian elderly. Future prospective studies should be undertaken to explore the association between diet-associated inflammation and cognitive decline in the elderly.

Forensic analysis of illicit liquors in Himachal Pradesh: Assessing toxicity and composition for public health safety

Illicit liquors, also known as illegal, hooch, or bootleg liquors, refer to alcoholic beverages that are produced, distributed, or retailed in defiance of legal regulations and licensing requirements. These beverages are typically produced in clandestine operations, often circumventing taxation, quality control standards, and safety protocols mandated by authorities. The manufacture and consumption of illicit liquors present formidable hazards and complexities. Poisoning incidents linked to illicit liquors can result from contamination with hazardous substances, primarily methanol, alongside compounds such as esters, ketones, aldehydes, and acids, which can inflict deleterious effects on the human body, potentially culminating in fatality. The present study was conducted to perform forensic analysis of illicit liquors in different districts of Himachal Pradesh. In this research, 25 samples of illicit alcohol were meticulously collected from five distinct districts in Himachal Pradesh, namely Kangra, Una, Chamba, Mandi, and Bilaspur. The results of the color test revealed that ethanol might be present, but no other harmful compounds like methanol, or metals like copper and iron were detected. Furfural was found in samples S19, S22, and S23. Following that, samples were tested using an alcolyzer, which detected variations in alcohol percentage and density. Some samples had a higher alcohol percentage, indicating greater toxicity.To further corroborate these findings and identify additional constituents within illicit liquors, the samples underwent scrutiny employing Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Prospective research endeavours could expand upon this foundation by augmenting the sample size and employing advanced techniques like gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) for comprehensive quantitative analysis of the diverse components present in illicit liquors.

A Comparative Analysis of Headteachers' Task-Oriented Leadership Behaviour and People-Oriented Leadership Behaviour at Secondary School Level

This study engages in a nuanced comparative analysis of the leadership behaviours of headteachers, with a specific focus on Task-oriented and People-oriented leadership styles, within public secondary schools across three distinct districts in South Punjab. Guided by Blake and Mouton's Leadership Theory, the research endeavours to classify these educational leaders as predominantly people-oriented or task-oriented. The study used a descriptive and quantitative research design and a survey methodology. Data collection was facilitated through a self-developed questionnaire administered to the teachers within the targeted South Punjab public secondary schools. The results indicated a stronger inclination among headteachers towards people-oriented leadership behaviours than task-oriented behaviours. The findings have profound implications for educational leadership, highlighting a potential path for headteachers in secondary schools to reevaluate and refine their leadership styles. Such a transformation may significantly enhance teacher motivation, improving student academic performance. Beyond its immediate context, this study is a foundational platform for future research in related fields, fostering a deeper understanding of leadership behaviours in educational settings.

Complete Genomic Characterization of Lumpy Skin Disease Virus Isolates from Beef Cattle in Lopburi Province, Central Thailand, during 2021-2022.

Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is a viral infection that impacts the cattle industry. The most efficient approach to prevent disease involves the utilization of live-attenuated LSD vaccines (LAVs), which stands out as the most successful method. However, LAVs might be subjected to changes to their genomes during replication that increase viral infectivity or virulence. The objective of this study was to monitor alterations in the genetic characteristics of the lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV) in beef cattle following the administration of LAVs in Lopburi Province of Central Thailand. A total of four skin samples from LSD cases were collected from non-vaccinated animals that exhibited LSD clinical symptoms from two distinct districts, spanning three subdistricts within the region. The samples of cattle were analyzed using real-time PCR targeting the LSDV074 p32 gene, the virus was isolated, and the entire genome sequences were evaluated through a single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) analysis, and phylogenetic trees were assembled. The investigations revealed that LSDVs from two isolates from Chai Badan district exhibited significant mutations in the open reading frame (ORF) 023 putative protein, while another two isolates from Lam Sonthi district had a change in the untranslated region (UTR). For a result, the most proficient disease diagnosis and control should be evaluated on viral genetics on a regular basis.

Live experience of community health workers on respectful maternity care in rural Odisha, India: a phenomenological study

Background: Every woman deserves respectful maternity care, throughout her journey to motherhood. However, disrespectful maternity care is prevalent in various settings. It has an effect on the utilization of services. It can be more explored from the witness of maternity. The aim of this study was to explore the experience of accredited social health activists on respectful maternity care in Odisha, India. Methods: A qualitative exploratory study was conducted among 24 ASHAs with more than two years of experience to gain a deeper understanding of the phenomenon. This study was conducted in three distinct Odisha districts, India. Results: Two main themes emerged: Community health workers’ experiences and perception towards disrespectful care, and Factors contributing to irrational care. Participants explained that verbal abuse was the most common use of health care providers. The consequences of such abusive behavior hinder the effective and efficient performance of their role, especially when it comes to their role in the facility. The study highlighted major gaps in the behavior and attitudes of healthcare providers at the facility level. Conclusions: Despite the lack of knowledge and training related to RMC, ASHAs acknowledged the abusive and disrespectful behavior of health care providers not only towards the child-bearing women but also towards the accompanying person, i.e., ASHA or a member of the family. Such mistreatment often acts as a barrier to the use of public health services, such as the institutional delivery of child-bearing mothers. A need for orientation and training on RCM among healthcare professionals, along with appropriate monitoring of implementation.

"Neuroimmunoendocrinology" in Children with Rheumatic Diseases: How Glucocorticoids Are the Orchestra Director.

The neural, the endocrine, and the immune systems are studied as distinct districts in physiological and pathological settings. However, these systems must be investigated with an integrative approach, while also considering that therapeutic agents, such as glucocorticoids, can induce a reversible or irreversible change of this homeostasis. Children and adolescents affected by rheumatic diseases frequently need treatment with corticosteroids, and the treatment must sometimes be continued for a long time. In the biological era, the treat-to-target strategy allowed a real revolution in treatment, with significant steroid dose sparing or, in many patients, steroid treatment withdrawal. In this review, the impact of glucocorticoids on endocrine, immune, and neurologic targets is analyzed, and the crosstalk between these systems is highlighted. In this narrative review, we explore the reasoning as to why glucocorticoids can disrupt this homeostasis, we summarize some of the key results supporting the impact of glucocorticoids treatment on endocrine, immune, and neurologic systems, and we discuss the data reported in the international literature.

Comparison of Rajvanshi and Nepali languages on the basis of sentences

In this research article, the sentence structure of the Rajvanshi language is compared to that of the Nepali language, and their similarities and differences are examined. This article is based on qualitative field and library research. This article's information was gathered from both primary and secondary sources. For this purpose, primary data was gathered from Rajwansi native speakers in three distinct Jhapa district locations, and secondary data was gathered from Rajwansi and Nepali language grammar and language (especially Rajwansi language) writings. Thus, the available facts have been interpreted and analyzed using the descriptive method and comparative analysis as a theoretical foundation. The conclusion of this study is that the construction process (structural structure) of all sentence categories (simple sentences, complex sentences containing infinitive verbs, compound sentences, and mixed sentences) in the Rajwanshi and Nepali languages is identical.

A comparative co-simulation analysis to improve the sustainability of cogeneration-based district multi-energy systems using photovoltaics, power-to-heat, and heat storage

For an extensive decarbonization of district multi-energy systems, efforts are needed that go beyond today’s cogeneration of heat and power in district multi-energy systems. The multitude of existing technical possibilities are confronted with a large variety of existing multi-energy system configurations. The variety impedes the development of universal decarbonization pathways. In order to tackle the decarbonization challenge in existing and distinct districts, this paper calculates a wide range of urban district configurations in an extensive co-simulation based on domain specific submodels. A district multi-energy system comprising a district heating network, a power grid, and cogeneration is simulated for two locations in Germany with locally captured weather data, and for a whole year with variable parameters to configure a power-to-heat operation, building insolation/refurbishment, rooftop photovoltaic orientation, future energy demand scenarios, and district sizes with a temporal resolution of 60 s, in total 3840 variants. The interdependencies and synergies between the electrical low-voltage distribution grid and the district heating network are analysed in terms of efficiency and compliance with network restrictions. Thus, important sector-specific simulations of the heat and the electricity sector are combined in a holistic district multi-energy system co-simulation. The clearly most important impact on emission reduction and fuel consumption is a low heat demand, which can be achieved through thermal refurbishment of buildings. Up to 46% reduction in CO2 emissions are possible using the surplus electricity from photovoltaics for power-to-heat in combination with central heat storage in the district’s combined heat and power plant. Domestic hot water heated by district heating network in combination with power-to-heat conversion distributed in the district reduces the load on the distribution power grid. Even though the investigated measures already improve the sustainability significantly, providing the energy needed for the production of synthetic fuels remains the crucial challenge on the further path towards net-zero.

A Quantitative Positive Energy District Definition with Contextual Targets

This paper presents the goals and components of a quantitative energy balance assessment framework to define Positive Energy Districts (PEDs) flexibly in three important contexts: the context of the district’s density and local renewable energy supply (RES) potential, the context of a district’s location and induced mobility, and the context of the district’s future environment and its decarbonized energy demand or supply. It starts by introducing the practical goals of this definition approach: achievable, yet sufficiently ambitious, to be inline with Paris 2050 for most urban and rural Austrian district typologies. It goes on to identify the main design parts of the definition—system boundaries, balancing weights, and balance targets—and argues how they can be linked to the definition goals in detail. In particular, we specify three levels of system boundaries and argue their individual necessity: operation, mobility, and embodied energy and emissions. It argues that all three pillars of PEDs, energy efficiency, onsite renewables, and energy flexibility, can be assessed with the single metric of a primary energy balance when using carefully designed, time-dependent conversion factors. Finally, it is discussed how balance targets can be interpreted as information and requirements from the surrounding energy system, which we identify as a “context factor”. Three examples of such context factors, each corresponding to the balance target of one of the previously defined system boundaries, operation, mobility, and embodied emissions, are presented: density (as a context for operation), sectoral energy balances and location (as a context for mobility), and an outlook on personal emission budgets (as a context for embodied emissions). Finally, the proposed definition framework is applied to seven distinct district typologies in Austria and discussed in terms of its design goals.

Prevalence and Determinants of Early Antenatal Care Visits Among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Care in Rural Gambia

An estimated 303,000 maternal deaths occurred worldwide in 2018. The Gambia has a MMR of 400/100,000 live births. In the Gambia, 24% of pregnant women receive antenatal treatment four times. Insufficient knowledge of the value of prenatal care and lack of subsidized ANC services are the main causes of the growing maternal and newborn mortality rate in Gambia. The study's major goal was to investigate factors influencing pregnant women in rural Gambia who attend early prenatal care. A cross-sectional community-based survey using structured questionnaires was used for the investigation. Cluster random sampling was utilized in the study to choose samples from 5 distinct districts. The study found that socioeconomic factors, economic factors, and accessibility to antenatal care service center influenced early ANC Attendance. After multivariate analysis, marital status, number of children, mother's occupation, cultural acceptance, and education level significantly correlate with early ANC attendance. The Foni district's early ANC attendance rate (ANC) was comparatively low compared to WHO criteria and fell short of the national requirement. This finding may explain the high mother and child mortalities observed in the Foni districts. The study found significant knowledge of ANC services, but this did not help increase early ANC attendance rate.

Genetic diversity and antifungal activities of the genera Streptomyces and Nocardiopsis inhabiting agricultural fields of Tamil Nadu, India

Actinomycetes receives much attention as plant-beneficial bacteria due to their distinct morpho-physiological, plant growth promoting and antifungal properties. Among the actinomycetes, members of the genus Streptomyces are of specific interest due to their metabolic versatility and ubiquity. The diversity of Streptomyces in different crop fields of Tamil Nadu has not been explored early. In this study, we explored phylogenetic diversity, morphological heterogeneity, and antifungal properties of cultivable actinomycetes isolated from the rhizosphere and bulk soils of different crops collected from 20 distinct districts of Tamil Nadu. A total of 65 actinomycetes were isolated from 40 soil samples including rhizosphere and bulk soils of different crops, and their diversity was analyzed using the 16S rRNA gene sequence. They were then characterized for cultural characteristics and antifungal activity against four fungal strains Fusarium udum, Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. ciceri, Macrophomina phaseolina and Sclerotium rolfsii. Out of the 65 isolates sequenced, 45 were found to be closely related to Streptomyces spp. while the remaining 20 showed similarities with Nocardiopsis spp. Cultural characterization on four different ISP media showed immense diversity among the members of the genera Streptomyces and Nocardiopsis. The strains of Streptomyces spp. and Nocardiopsis spp. showed varying levels of antifungal activity with all strains found antagonistic against both Fusarium udum and Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. ciceris. All the strains obtained in this study have been accessioned at the National Agriculturally Important Microbial Culture Collection (NAIMCC) to increase the database of characterized strains belonging to these two genera in the collection.

From Attendance to Collaboration: Contextual Differences in Teacher Perceptions of Multilingual Family Engagement

Background/Context: There is a growing need for schools to examine the best ways of working with immigrant and multilingual families, as it is ever more likely that all teachers will work with multilingual newcomers and their children during their career. However, teachers often view multilingual families in deficit ways, and many teachers lack experience in designing culturally responsive school–family partnerships. Although professional development (PD) has been shown to positively impact teachers’ beliefs regarding actively engaging culturally and linguistically diverse families, it is not clear from the literature how such PD is taken up across different district contexts. Purpose/Objective/Research Question or Focus of Study: This article explores teachers' perceptions of multilingual family engagement across four distinct school districts involved in a PD project. We specifically asked: (1) How have teachers’ perceptions of immigrant/multilingual family engagement changed over the first year of a PD program? (2) How do teachers’ perceptions of multilingual family engagement differ across district contexts? Research Design: In this mixed-method study, we examine teacher survey responses, reflections, and researcher field notes from our first cohort of teachers ( n = 25) participating in our National Professional Development (NPD) grant project. We completed descriptive statistics to address our initial research question before exploring how context could be shaping the ways teachers implemented ideas from the PD. Next, teacher reflections and researcher field notes were analyzed following an ethnographic approach. Conclusions/Recommendations: We found that power-sharing approaches to family engagement were conceptualized by teachers along a continuum of relationship-building and power-sharing across districts. While PD can support teachers to develop family engagement beyond common and traditional practices, buy-in by teachers can be limited by district context and opportunities. Researchers providing PD need to recognize that discussions around power-sharing will look different depending on district context. Furthermore, providing this type of PD will require relationship-building with districts/teachers, ongoing support, and different amounts of time specific to the context(s) they are serving.

Loyal lists, distinctive districts: how dissent-shirking and leisure-shirking affect mixed-candidate selection

In parliamentary systems, party leaderships accomplish party unity by promising positive incentives to their members of parliament (MP) and threatening them with negative incentives. Regarding reselection, ‘loyal’ and active MPs should be rewarded with promising list positions, while rebellious and ‘slacking’ MPs should be punished with worse list positions or even denied renomination. Although this assumption is central to explaining party unity induced by party discipline, empirical evidence for this practice has been scarce. The study combines data on roll-call voting, parliamentary speeches and questions in the German Bundestag from 1990 to 2017 with novel data on renominations including renomination failures. Investigating list position changes and renomination failures in the German mixed-member system, the results indicate that selectorates of list candidates punished dissenting voting behaviour, while selectorates of district candidates considered the degree of parliamentary activity. The findings have broader implications for the representatives’ accountability in parliamentary systems.

Shrimp Farming in the North Eastern Coastal Plain Zone of Odisha: A Micro-economic Analysis

The Present experiment examines and evaluates the socioeconomic status of the household of shrimp farmers, aspects of shrimp cultivation, and the cost and return structures of shrimp farming. Through random selection, farmers from two distinct Balasore district blocks have been purposefully chosen for the study. Additionally, information on various costs and return streams from 40 farmers, twenty (20) from each block, has been gathered. The information was gathered from chosen farmers with the goal of examining the cost and return structure of shrimp farming. Step-by-step regression analysis was used to identify the elements that affect shrimp farming yield when compared to seasonal paddy cultivation. To identify the important variables the Cob-Douglas production function has been used through a stepwise regression model where the cost of feed, amount of labor both for operation and management, and the duration of cultivation in a particular pond are highly significant and the model is also significant in the selected region. From the correlation matrix, the degree of association has also been presented in the discussion. The model is finally 96.8% significant with a 5% threshold of significance in the fifth stage. As a result, it is clear that this model is highly significant at the 5% level of significance, meaning that the independent variables can account for 96.8% of the dependent variable (productivity). It is found that each of the models is highly significant at a 5% level of significance.

Teachers’ TPACK in Teaching EFL during Covid-19 Pandemic

This study explores the TPACK of EFL teachers in two distinct school districts during the Covid-19 pandemic. This study comprised two English teachers from rural and urban schools in Bengkulu, Indonesia, with 2 to 10 years of experience teaching English. The researchers collected the data utilizing an interview-based comparative descriptive methodology to address research questions. Following the interview, the collected data was transcribed. The findings of this study indicate that urban teachers have a higher level of TPACK than rural teachers in terms of their ability to use technology and manage classes when teaching English during the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly concerning online learning applications such as Zoom meetings, WhatsApp, Google Classroom, and the YouTube app. On the other hand, rural EFL teachers have insufficient TPACK. Due to a lack of time to design technology lesson plans, technology training, and inadequate supporting facilities and infrastructure, such as limited internet network availability and power outages, teachers lack knowledge of technological advances for online learning. Even though teachers in rural and urban areas had never utilized an online learning system during the previous school year, they had varying capacities for addressing problems that developed while utilizing this system.