Effect Of Different Sources Research Articles

The Unique Role of Peer Support: Exploring the Effects of Various Sources of Social Support on the Mental Health of Unaccompanied Children in China under Residential Education.

This study investigates the impact of various sources of social support on the mental health of unaccompanied children under residential education in China. Unaccompanied children refer to those whose parents are still alive but unable to raise them due to various reasons. The study utilized self-reported questionnaires administered at two time waves, with the first wave (T1) evaluating family support, teacher support, and peer support, and the second wave (T2) evaluating depression, subjective well-being, and resilience. A total of 202 participants completed both surveys. To examine the predictive effect of different sources of social support on the mental health of these children, the study used the structural equation model with depression and subjective well-being as indicators. The results show that neither family support nor teacher support (T1) had a significant effect on the mental health (T2) of the children. However, peer support (T1) had a significant positive predictive effect on mental health (T2), indicating the unique role of peer support in promoting the mental health of unaccompanied children. The study also explored the mediating role of resilience between social support and well-being, revealing that though the direct effect of teacher support (T1) on mental health (T2) was not significant, the indirect mediating effect of resilience on the relationship between teacher support and mental health was significant. Both the direct and indirect effect of family support (T1) on mental health (T2) were not significant. These findings highlight the importance of creating a positive peer environment for unaccompanied children to promote their mental health. This study has important practical implications for the development of effective intervention programs aimed at improving the mental health of this population.

The role of various influence sources on sexual behavior in adolescents with type 1 diabetes in comparison to healthy peers: a cross-sectional study from Greece.

Patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D) are at increased risk of sexually risky behaviors, such as unintended pregnancies. Adolescents with T1D use different sources of information on sexual education such as parents, friends, teachers, and the media. The study aim was to investigate the effect of different sources of information in development of sexual risk behaviors in T1D adolescents in comparison to healthy peers. The study included 174 adolescents (58 adolescents with T1D and 116 healthy controls). Anonymous questionnaires were used to evaluate sexually risky behaviors. T1D adolescents were more frequently asking advice from friends on sexual matters concerning the opposite sex (p = 0.026) and from school teachers (p = 0.059) when compared to controls. The proportion of sexually active T1D adolescents who had ever consumed alcohol before any sexual intercourse was higher when informed by friends of the opposite sex (p = 0.039) and not informed by a physician (p = 0.025) and lower when informed by parents (p = 0.015). When comparing among sexually active adolescents those who felt that they were adequately informed to those not well informed, no significant difference in high risk behaviors was found. The majority of T1D adolescents felt that they were adequately informed on sexual matters compared to healthy peers. They mostly used friends of the opposite sex and teachers as information sources. Nevertheless, T1D adolescents were more likely to adopt a risky sexual behavior if they were not informed by their parents and medical professionals, or preferred friends of the opposite sex.

Effect of Different Sources of Organic Manures on Plant Growth and Flowering Parameters of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) var. Kashi Aman under Bundelkhand Region

The present investigation entitled “Effect of different sources of organic manures on plant growth and flowering parameters of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) var. Kashi Aman under Bundelkhand region” was carried out at Organic Research farm at Karguan ji, Department of Horticulture, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Bundelkhand University, Jhansi (Uttar Pradesh) during Rabi season of 2021- 2022. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design with 8 treatments and 3 replications. The detail of treatments were as T0 (Control), T1 (FYM100%), T2 (Poultry manure 100%), T3 (Vermicompost 100%), T4 (FYM 50% + Poultry manure 50%), T5 (Poultry manure 50% + Vermicompost 50%), T6 (Vermicpost 50% + F YM 50%), T7 (FYM 33% + Poultry 33% + Vermicompost 33%). The data were collected from five random ly selected plant of each treatment and subjected to statistical analysis. The results reflected that among 8 treatments under study, treatment T7 (FYM 33% + Poultry 33% + Vermicompost 33%) was best in all characters and recorded maximum in term of plant height (18.607 cm at 30 DAT), (46.333 cm at 60 DAT), (75.913 cm at 90 DAT) number of branches (5.467 at 30 DAT), (12.933 at 60 DAT), (16.533 at 90 DAT) stem diameter (3.167 cm at 30 DAT), (7.233 cm at 60 DAT), (12.140 cm at 90 DAT) plant spread (2.467 cm N-S & 22.023 cm E-W at 30 DAT), (42.633cm N-S & 41.200 cm E-W at 60 DAT),( 63.467 N-S & 62.300cm E-W at 90 DAT) and better plant growth of tomato promote the number of flower per clusters with the application of treatment T7 (FYM 33%+ Poultry 33%+Vermicompost 33%) which were significantly highest in terms of number of flower per cluster (18.517), days of first flowering (30.243) and days of 50% flowering (38.340), whereas similar trend was closely followed by the treatment T6 (Vermicpost 50%+FYM 50%) for these traits, while the constantly lower performance in similar growth and flowering traits at all growth stages was recorded with treatment T0 (Control). These findings are reliable for increasing organic and chemical free tomato production under Bundelkhand region.

Effect of different sources of dietary zinc on sperm quality and oxidative parameters.

Zinc has a critical physiological role in sperm function. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of different sources of zinc on sperm quality. For this purpose, 18 Zandi lambs with an average weight of 32 ± 1.2 kg were subjected to three treatments in a completely randomized design. Experimental treatments include (1) control treatment of basal diet without zinc supplementation, (2) basal diet with 40 mg/kg of zinc supplementation from zinc sulfate source and (3) basal diet with 40 mg/kg of zinc supplementation with organic source. At the end of feeding period, lambs were slaughtered. To determine the effect of experimental treatments on sperm quality, the testes were transferred to the laboratory. After that, epididymal spermatozoa were evaluated for sperm motility parameters, abnormal morphology, viability, membrane functionality, malondialdehyde (MDA) and antioxidant activity [glutathione peroxidase (GPx), superoxide dismutase (SOD), total antioxidant capacity (TAC)], sperm concentration and testosterone level. Zinc sulfate administration decreased MDA levels compared to other treatments and increased GPx and TAC activity compared to the control (P < 0.05), although SOD activity was not affected by any supplementation. Also, the use of zinc sulfate supplementation increased the percentage of total and progressive motility compared to the control group (P < 0.05). Membrane integrity and sperm viability were also affected by zinc sulfate supplementation (P < 0.05). Therefore, the results of this study showed that the use of zinc sulfate, can improve sperm motility and survival indices and its antioxidant capacity.

Use of Optimism Software to Observe Effect of Different Sources in Optical Fiber

Abstract: Attenuation in fiber optics also known as transmission loss is the reduction in intensity of light beamwidth request respect to distance travelled through a transmission medium. Attenuation coefficient in fiber optics usually use units of db /km. The medium is typically fiber of silica glass that confines the incident light beam to the inside Attenuation in optical fiber is caused primarily by both scattering and absorption

Índices fisiológicos e clorofila em mangueira “Palmer” submetida a fontes de potássio

Grown in different regions of Brazil, mango is of great importance at the national level. However, mango cultivation is directly related to physiological factors such as photosynthesis, stomatal conductance and chlorophyll. Physiological factors are related to the nutritional balance of the plant. Among the nutrients, potassium (K) can be highlighted, which, despite not being a structural element for the plant, stimulates, or is part of several physiological plant processes. Therefore, an experiment was carried out with the purpose of evaluating, in the vegetative period of 'Palmer' mango, the effect of different sources of K to accelerate the maturation stage of mango branches and verify their influence on physiological indexes and chlorophyll. Treatments consisted of three ripeners and a control, which were applied directly to the branches and leaves of “Palmer” mango trees. The variables analyzed were chlorophyll A, B and Total indexes; Internal concentration of CO2; Stomatal conductance; transpiration rate; Net photosynthesis; Instantaneous Carboxylation Efficiency and Water Use Efficiency. After collecting, and analyzing the data, it was concluded that the vegetative period of the “Palmer” mango tree, in relation to the different evaluation dates, was not influenced by potassium sources. The use of T4 treatment (SpeedFol® induction mango) can provide a greater increment of chlorophyll A, B and Total than KCl and K2SO4.

A Comparative Study on the Effects of Different Sources of Carboxymethyl Poria Polysaccharides on the Repair of DSS-Induced Colitis in Mice.

Carboxymethyl poria polysaccharide plays important anti-tumor, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory roles. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the healing impacts of two different sources of carboxymethyl poria polysaccharides [Carboxymethylat Poria Polysaccharides I (CMP I) and Carboxymethylat Poria Polysaccharides II (CMP II)] on ulcerative colitis in mice caused by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS). All the mice were arbitrarily split into five groups (n = 6): (a) control (CTRL), (b) DSS, (c) SAZ (sulfasalazine), (d) CMP I, and (e) CMP II. The experiment lasted for 21 days, and the body weight and final colon length were monitored. A histological analysis of the mouse colon tissue was carried out using H&E staining to assess the degree of inflammatory infiltration. The levels of inflammatory cytokines [interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin-4 (IL-4)] and enzymes [superoxide dismutase (SOD) and myeloperoxidase (MPO)] in the serum were examined using ELISA. Additionally, 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing was used to analyze the microorganisms in the colon. The results indicated that both CMP I and CMP II alleviated weight loss, colonic shortening, and inflammatory factor infestation in colonic tissues caused by DSS (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the ELISA results revealed that both CMP I and CMP II reduced the expression of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, and MPO, and elevated the expression of IL-4 and SOD in the sera of the mice (p < 0.05). Moreover, 16S rRNA sequencing showed that CMP I and CMP II increased the plenitude of microorganisms in the mouse colon relative to that in the DSS group. The results also indicated that the therapeutic effect of CMP I on DSS-induced colitis in the mice was superior to that of CMP II. This study demonstrated that carboxymethyl poria polysaccharide from Poria cocos had therapeutic effects on DSS-induced colitis in mice, with CMP I being more effective than CMP II.

Effect of Different Sources of Phosphorus on Protein Content, Soil Fertility and Yield of Greengram

To study the effect of different sources of phosphorus on quality, fertility status and yield of greengram, an experiment was conducted during the kharif season of 2014 at Crop Research Farm, Department of Agronomy, SHIATS, Allahabad, UP. The experiment was conducted in randomized block design with 9 treatments viz. Control (No Phosphorus, 100% P through SSP, 100% P through URP, 50% P through SSP + 50% P through URP, 75% P through SSP + 25% P through URP, 100% P through SSP + PSB inoculation, 100% P through URP + PSB inoculation, 50% P through SSP + 50% P through URP + PSB inoculation, 75% P through SSP + 25% P through URP + PSB inoculation. Greengram variety Samrat was sown at a spacing of 30cm x 10 cm and it was fertilized with Phosphorus, SSP, URP, PSB as per the requirement of the treatments. The experimental results revealed that application of 100% P through SSP + PSB seed inoculation produced significantly higher grain yield (1496.77 kg ha-1), Stover yield (2920 kg ha-1) and protein (24.06%). There was a steady increase in the soil fertility status after harvesting of greengram. However, maximum available P2O5 (36.07 kg ha-1), available N (329.03 kg ha-1), available K2O (220.80 kg ha-1) was obtained with the application of 100% P through SSP + PSB seed inoculation. It also recorded higher net returns (Rs 47002.17 ha-1) and Benefit Cost (1.89). Thus, application of 100% P through SSP + PSB seed inoculation) helps in improving the quality and enhancing the yield in Greengram for resource poor farmers of India.

Effects of Oral Collagen for Skin Anti-Aging: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

This paper presents a systematic review and meta-analysis of 26 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving 1721 patients to assess the effects of hydrolyzed collagen (HC) supplementation on skin hydration and elasticity. The results showed that HC supplementation significantly improved skin hydration (test for overall effect: Z = 4.94, p < 0.00001) and elasticity (test for overall effect: Z = 4.49, p < 0.00001) compared to the placebo group. Subgroup analyses demonstrated that the effects of HC supplementation on skin hydration varied based on the source of collagen and the duration of supplementation. However, there were no significant differences in the effects of different sources (p = 0.21) of collagen or corresponding measurements (p = 0.06) on skin elasticity. The study also identified several biases in the included RCTs. Overall, the findings suggest that HC supplementation can have positive effects on skin health, but further large-scale randomized control trials are necessary to confirm these findings.

Effect of different sources of organic fertilizers on crop growth and yield of cabbage

Cabbage is (Brassica oleracea var. capitata) a popular leafy vegetable in Nepal, but depleted soil fertility and inefficient production techniques can limit productivity. To address this, we conducted a study in the Jumla district of Karnali Province, Nepal during the 2022 main cropping season. We evaluated the impact of different organic fertilizers on the growth and yield of cabbage using a Randomized Complete Block Design with seven treatments and three replications with the hybrid cultivar 'Green Coronet'. The treatments included Farm Yard Manure, Poultry Manure, FYM + Vermicompost, Vermicompost, Black Wonder, FYM + Poultry Manure, and Sheep Manure. The parameters, including plant height, stem diameter, leaf length and width, head weight, polar and equatorial diameter, head circumference, root and shoot weight, and weight of the head (g) of cabbage were taken for measurement. Our findings showed that organic fertilizers significantly influenced the growth and yield of cabbage, with Vermicompost showing the most potential as a nutrient source for achieving higher growth and yield. The Vermicompost treatment resulted in the largest size of cabbage head (1026 g), while the Farm Yard Manure and Poultry Manure treatments had limited impact. Our results suggest that the use of organic fertilizers such as Vermicompost can lead to higher cabbage production, improved soil fertility, and reduced reliance on chemical fertilizers and pesticides. This has significant implications for promoting sustainable agriculture practices, improving food security, and providing economic benefits for farmers and communities in Nepal and beyond.

The Effect of Different Zinc Sources on Biochemical Parameters, Intestinal Morphology, Carcass Characteristics and Performance in Finishing Lambs.

To investigate the effect of different sources of zinc supplements on blood serum parameters, nutrient digestibility, growth performance, carcass characteristics, and intestinal morphology, 18 male Zandi lambs (with initial body weight of 31 ± 1.2kg and 120 ± 8days old) were divided into three groups, six animals each in a completely random design. Experimental treatments include (1) control treatment of basal diet without zinc supplementation, (2) basal diet with 40mg/kg of zinc supplementation from zinc sulfate source, and (3) basal diet with 40mg/kg of zinc supplementation with origin it was organic (Zn-peptide). All lambs were kept in individual pens with cemented floor and provision of individual feeding and watering. Mean daily weight gain increased with zinc supplementation (P < 0.05), but feed intake and feed conversion ratio were not affected by zinc supplementation in the diet. Zinc supplementation increased the apparent digestibility of the dry matter (P < 0.05), but the digestibility of dietary fat, neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and acid detergent fiber (ADF) were not affected by zinc supplementation. In this experiment, the addition of organic and inorganic supplements to the diet of fattening lambs had no significant effect on serum triglyceride, cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and glucose concentrations, and carcass traits. The concentration of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) enzyme in the zinc sulfate group was significantly higher than the control and organic zinc groups (P < 0.05). Concentrations of blood urea nitrogen were lower in zinc fed lambs, compared to control (P ≤ 0.05). The villi width in the duodenum was higher in the zinc supplementation treatments (P < 0.05). Also, in the ileum section, the height of the villi in the treatment of zinc sulfate supplement was higher, compared to the complement and control (P < 0.05). The results of this study showed that Zn supplementation, regardless of its source, improved growth performance in fattening lambs. However, no effect was observed on feed intake and efficiency, carcass traits, and blood parameters.

Dissemination of public health research to prevent non-communicable diseases: a scoping review

BackgroundDissemination is a critical element of the knowledge translation pathway, and a necessary step to ensure research evidence is adopted and implemented by key end users in order to improve health outcomes. However, evidence-based guidance to inform dissemination activities in research is limited. This scoping review aimed to identify and describe the scientific literature examining strategies to disseminate public health evidence related to the prevention of non-communicable diseases.MethodsMedline, PsycInfo and EBSCO Search Ultimate were searched in May 2021 for studies published between January 2000 and the search date that reported on the dissemination of evidence to end users of public health evidence, within the context of the prevention of non-communicable diseases. Studies were synthesised according to the four components of Brownson and colleagues’ Model for Dissemination of Research (source, message, channel and audience), as well as by study design.ResultsOf the 107 included studies, only 14% (n = 15) directly tested dissemination strategies using experimental designs. The remainder primarily reported on dissemination preferences of different populations, or outcomes such as awareness, knowledge and intentions to adopt following evidence dissemination. Evidence related to diet, physical activity and/or obesity prevention was the most disseminated topic. Researchers were the source of disseminated evidence in over half the studies, and study findings/knowledge summaries were more frequently disseminated as the message compared to guidelines or an evidence-based program/intervention. A broad range of dissemination channels were utilised, although peer-reviewed publications/conferences and presentations/workshops predominated. Practitioners were the most commonly reported target audience.ConclusionsThere is a significant gap in the peer reviewed literature, with few experimental studies published that analyse and evaluate the effect of different sources, messages and target audiences on the determinants of uptake of public health evidence for prevention. Such studies are important as they can help inform and improve the effectiveness of current and future dissemination practices in public health contexts.

Digital phenotyping of individual feed intake in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) with the X-ray method and image analysis

The primary barrier to research into feed efficiency of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) is the lack of a reliable method to assess individual feed intake in large cohorts of fish over a growth period. A method with potential is the X-ray method, which images radio-opaque markers (beads) in feed consumed by fish. However, the time taken to count the markers in the digestive tract of fish is extremely onerous and the method has previously been shown to have low repeatability. Furthermore, the method has not been assessed and optimized for Atlantic salmon. Firstly, we made use of image analysis to count beads within the digital radiographs, which was highly correlated to manual counting by human observers (R2 = 0.99). Remarkably, image counting was up to 6 times faster than human counting when the number of beads per fish was high (&amp;gt; 300 per fish). We investigated the potential effect of different sources of error on the feed mass to bead count calibration equation and found the effects of X-ray exposure setting and the position of pellets on the X-ray plate to be negligible on the bead counts of both human and image analysis. We tested different feeding periods with the time of the X-ray images to minimize the loss of beads through defecation. We found that fish should be X-rayed within 6.5–11 hours of first being offered feed for a 6-hour feeding period which fed the entire daily ration. Lastly, we assessed the repeatability of feed intake over a 70-day growth period from 80–300 grams and found feed intake to be significantly and moderately repeatable (r = 0.45 ± 0.11), indicating developments in the method result in a consistent ranking of individual fish based on feed intake from three repeated measurements. The X-ray method combined with image analysis greatly reduces counting time without compromising accuracy, achieves promising repeatability, and is feasible in Atlantic salmon parr.

Comparison of the effects of 3 kinds of oils rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on glycolipid metabolism and lipoprotein subfractions

Dietary omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 PUFAs) can be classified into animal- and plant-derived ω-3 PUFAs. Patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) are frequently accompanied by dyslipidemia, which is closely related to the high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C) subfractions change. This study aimed to determine the effects of different sources ω-3 PUFAs on glucolipid metabolism and lipoprotein subfractions in T2DM with dyslipidemia. Ninety T2DM patients with dyslipidemia were randomly assigned to take 3 g/day fish oil (FO, containing eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)), 3 g/day perilla oil (PO, containing α-linolenic acid (ALA)), or 3 g/day blend oil (BO, containing EPA, DHA and ALA) for 3 months. 90 patients completed the intervention. There was a significant reduction of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) in all the groups. The triglycerides (TG) in the FO group were significantly different with a group × time interaction (P = 0.043), which was higher compared with the other two groups. The serum small HDL-C subfractions in the PO group was higher and the serum large HDL-C subfractions in the PO group was lower than those in the BO and FO groups. Plant-derived ω-3 PUFAs are more effective at controlling blood glucose than animal-derived ω-3 PUFAs. However, animal-derived ω-3 PUFAs have a significant lowering effect on TG compared with plant-derived ω-3 PUFAs. Particularly, large HDL-C subfractions after animal-derived ω-3 PUFAs intake were higher than plant-derived ω-3 PUFAs intake; while small HDL-C subfractions were lower. Both the animal- and plant-derived ω-3 PUFAs have practical value in improving glucose and lipids metabolism in T2DM patients with dyslipidemia.

COVID-19 and employee job performance trajectories: The moderating effect of different sources of status.

This study investigates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on employee job performance trajectories, and further examines the moderating effects of different sources of status. Drawing from event system theory (EST), we propose that employee job performance decreases upon COVID-19 onset, but gradually increases during the postonset period. Furthermore, we argue that status from society, occupation, and workplace functions to moderate such performance trajectories. We test our hypotheses with a unique dataset of 708 employees that combines survey responses and job performance archival data over 21 consecutive months (10,808 observations) spanning the preonset, onset, and postonset periods of the initial encounter with COVID-19 in China. Utilizing discontinuous growth modeling (DGM), our findings indicate that the onset of COVID-19 created an immediate decrease in job performance, but such decrease was weakened by higher occupation and/or workplace status. However, the postonset period resulted in a positive employee job performance trajectory, which was strengthened for employees with lower occupational status. These findings enrich our understanding of COVID-19's impact on employee job performance trajectories, highlight the role of status in moderating such changes over time, and also provide practical implications to understand employee performance when facing such a crisis.

Effect of Different Sources of Sulphur on Sulphur Fractions in a Calcareous Soil

An incubation experiment was conducted to study the S release pattern by different S sources and grades. The bulk soils were collected from the Esanai village which has deficient in sulphur. The treatments were replicated thrice in completely randomized design. Treatment details are Ammonium sulphate, Single Super Phosphate, Gypsum were the three sources of sulphur applied at the intervals of 0, 20, 40 kg S ha-1 along with the recommended dose of N, P and K. Destructive soil sampling was carried out at 15, 30, 60, 90 days after incubation and analyzed for S fractions as per standard procedures to understand the effect of S sources and S dynamics in those areas. Soil samples were analysed for sulphur fraction i.e. Water soluble sulphur fraction, Exchangeable sulphur fraction, CaCl2extractable sulphur fraction, Occuled sulphur fraction, Organic sulphur fraction and Total sulphur fraction. The soil sulphur fractions were arranged in the order of occluded sulphur &gt; water soluble sulphur &gt; exchangeable sulphur &gt; CaCl2 extractable sulphur &gt; organic sulphur. The results emerged out in this experiment indicate that that application of sulphur in the form of Ammonium Sulphate @ 40 kg S ha-1 was found to be applied for better release of available sulphur. The zero fertilization led to decline in the levels of all the forms of sulphur as compared to rest of treatments.

Effects of different sources of cellulose on mechanical and barrier properties of thermoplastic sweet potato starch films

Sweet potato starch and different celluloses were mixed by thermoplastic extrusion and then thermoplastic starch/cellulose composite films were prepared using a casting method. The effect of different celluloses on the mechanical and barrier properties of thermoplastic sweet potato starch films were studied and compared. The results indicated that among thermoplastic starch/cellulose composite films, the hydrogen bond interaction between starch and sugarcane cellulose was more obvious and the crystallization melting temperature difference was smaller, indicating better compatibility between sugarcane cellulose and sweet potato starch. Thermoplastic starch/sugarcane cellulose film had the largest FTIR ratio values of 1047 cm−1/1022 cm−1, resulting in the highest tensile strength (3.75 MPa), largest contact angle (68.44°), or stronger surface hydrophobicity. Thermoplastic starch/cornstalk cellulose film had the highest thermal degradation temperature (325 °C). Thermoplastic starch/wheat or bamboo cellulose film had lower UV transmittance (about 36%), indicating stronger UV Resistance. Thermoplastic starch/rice bran cellulose film had the largest elongation at break value (49.03%). Thermoplastic starch/bamboo or cornstalk cellulose films had lower water vapor permeability, whereas thermoplastic starch/rice bran cellulose had higher water vapor permeability. The outcoming would provide a new theoretical basis for choosing an optimal cellulose compatible with thermoplastic sweet potato starch to enhance mechanical properties, water resistance and barrier property of thermoplastic starch films.

The Effects of Different Sources and Modalities of Stuttering Disclosure on Listeners’ Perceptions of a Child Who Stutters

Introduction: Research reveals the clinical efficacy of both verbal and written stuttering disclosure statements provided by a child who stutters (CWS) and his advocates (i.e., mother or teacher) [Lang Speech Hear Serv Sch. 2020 Jul;51(3):745–60 and Lang Speech Hear Serv Sch. 2021 Aug;52(4):1031–1048]. Although existing data reveal that both the source (i.e., self- vs. advocate disclosure) and modality (i.e., verbal or written) of stuttering disclosure yields significant improvements in the perceptions of speech skills and personality characteristics of CWS, there is a paucity of research directly comparing the modality (verbal vs. written) and source (self, mother, teacher) of disclosure statements. Accordingly, this study analyzes listeners’ perceptions of a 12-year-old male CWS’ speech skills and personal characteristics, as a function of both the source and modality of factual stuttering disclosure statements [Lang Speech Hear Serv Sch. 2020 Jul;51(3):745–60 and Lang Speech Hear Serv Sch. 2021 Aug;52(4):1031–1048]. Methods: A total of 641 college-aged adults participated in this analysis; study participants reported their perceptions of speech skills and personality characteristics of a 12-year-old CWS as a function of stuttering disclosure. Participants were randomly assigned to view one video containing one of two disclosure modalities (verbal or written), one of three stuttering disclosure source conditions (self-disclosure, mother disclosure, and teacher disclosure), or a no-disclosure control condition. Participants in the control group viewed a brief video of a 12-year-old CWS reciting a short reading passage; participants in the experimental groups viewed their assigned disclosure statement followed by the same video used in the control condition. Immediately following the video, all participants completed a survey quantifying their perceptions of the CWSs relative to his speech skills and personal characteristics. Results: Results reveal optimal results via verbal self-disclosure and verbal teacher disclosure. A limited number of nominally positive perceptual differences were noted within the written mother disclosure group, while written CWS self-disclosure yielded significantly negative perceptions of the CWS. Overall, verbal disclosures yield far more significant and desirable perceptions of CWS’ speech skills and personal characteristics when compared to written stuttering disclosure. Discussion: Results of this analysis reveal that verbal stuttering disclosure is significantly more effective in improving listeners’ perceptions of a CWS, when compared to written stuttering disclosures. Despite the widespread adoption of written communication over digital media (e.g., email and text messages), these data support the notion that face-to-face or video verbal stuttering disclosure provides the most desirable perceptual benefits for CWS. Within verbal stuttering disclosure, verbal self-disclosure appears to be the single best overall disclosure methodology relative to clinical application.

The Role of Selenium on the Status of Mineral Elements and Some Blood Parameters of Blood Serum of Lambs.

Selenium is one of the compounds belonging to the trace minerals group, which needs less than 100 mg/day. This element is one of the main constituents of selenoproteins, and the function of selenoproteins is to help make DNA and protect cells from damage and infection. This experiment aimed to evaluate the effect of different sources of selenium on some mineral elements in the blood serum of lambs. This experiment was conducted using twenty 4-month-old lambs with an average weight of 37±2.2 kg, 4 treatments, and 5 replications in a completely randomized design (CRD). The treatments tested included control, sodium selenite, nano selenium, and VitEsel. The experiment duration was 30 days, and blood sampling of lambs was performed at the beginning of the experiment (zero), 15, and 30 days. Different sources of selenium significantly affected the concentrations of iron, copper, and zinc (P<0.05). Different sources of selenium in this experiment decreased the concentration of iron and copper and increased the concentration of zinc and plasma selenium in different periods (P<0.05). Using different sources of selenium changed the concentration of the studied elements and showed the difference in their bioavailability.

An ocean acoustical ray-tracing tool based on Fermat's least time principle in real a environment

Recently the Underwater Acoustics Modelling and Sonar Prediction - SeaRider tool was developed by the Portuguese Naval Academy. Based on Fermat's least-time principle, 2D and 3D models of propagation of acoustic rays in the ocean were developed. These models consist of an algebraic differential system of equations. In this work we considered additionally the possibility of calculating the trajectory, addressing the occurrence of acoustic ray reflections either on the water surface or on the ocean floor. The reflections in the boundaries were assumed specular and were modelled based on Snell's law. We also considered the possibility of calculating the trajectories, taking into account the actual data of the speed of sound in the ocean as well as the bathymetry of the bottom. For this purpose, the 2D and 3D ocean-acoustic ray tracing developed can use existing data bases (GEBCO, NOAA, WOD18 and TEOS-10), extracting information onthe topography and climatology to compute the acoustic ray trajectories in a real environment. This tool allows us, for example, to identify positions of ecosystems subjects to the effects of different sources of noise. The developed algorithms were submitted to several numerical simulations and compared with other ocean-acoustic modelling programs.