Greater Number Research Articles

Citation network analysis for viewpoint plurality assessment of historical corpora: The case of the medieval rabbinic literature.

Citation networks enable analysis of author groups, defining in-group dynamics, and mapping out inter-group relationships. While intellectual diversity and inclusiveness is one of the important principles of modern scholarship, it is intriguing to explore the extent to which these principles apply to historical communities of leaders and intellectuals. This paper introduces a novel methodological framework aimed at assessing the degree of viewpoint plurality and diversity of historical scholarship communities, through an in-depth analysis of the citations used in their literature, which has become possible due to the recently developed advanced computational analysis techniques. To achieve this goal, we have devised a set of new network-based indicators grounded in standard network metrics. These indicators can be applied at both the individual author and community levels. The developed methodology was applied to a citation network automatically constructed from a corpus of Rabbinic Halachic literature spanning the 10th to 15th centuries. This corpus includes over 5,000 citations from hundreds of books authored by approximately 140 Rabbinic scholars from six diverse geographic communities. We found that most of the authors and communities cite many more external resources from other communities than their own reflecting a willingness to engage with a diverse range of viewpoints. A more in-depth analysis based on the novel proportional diversity measures unveils more intriguing insights. Contrary to expectations, communities with the greatest number of external citations, such as Spain and Ashkenaz, surprisingly exhibit lower levels of viewpoint plurality compared to others, such as Italy and North Africa, elucidating a key finding of the study.

Quantifying stability and resilience of eco-social keystone species complexes for coastal marine ecosystems of the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific: applications in conservation and monitoring programmes.

The local stability and resilience of 13 eco-social keystone species complexes (eco-social KSCs)-considered as conservation and monitoring units-were quantified in coastal marine ecosystems located in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific. Based on Routh-Hurwitz's criterion and Levins' criteria, the eco-social KSCs corresponding to Islas Marietas National Park (Mexico) emerged as the most locally stable and resilient ecosystem. To the contrary, the eco-social KSCs determined for Guala Guala Bay (Chile) and Xcalak Reef National Park (Caribbean) were the least stable and resilient, respectively. In terms of sensitivity, the eco-social KSCs corresponding to El Cobre Bay (Chile) presented the greatest number of sensitive components. The ecological section of the KSCs is formed by a tri-trophic network, dominating self-negative feedbacks. In the case of the socio-economic section, the fisher could exhibit the three types of self-feedbacks, and instead, the demand should be controlled. The identification of eco-social KSCs and the quantification of their stabilities and resiliences allow us to approach ecosystem-based fisheries management under a climate change context. Therefore, we suggest assessing and monitoring the persistence of the eco-social KSCs herein analysed over time, as a way to conserve the fundamental network structure of these ecosystems intervened by fishing.This article is part of the theme issue 'Connected interactions: enriching food web research by spatial and social interactions'.

Greatest Good for the Greatest Number – the Role of Managers’ Ethical Meaning-Making and Subjective Wellbeing Complexity

AbstractDespite the appeal of ‘the greatest good for the greatest number’ as an ethical ideal for businesses to pursue, applying this utilitarian principle in practice proves challenging. This is not least due to fundamental disagreements as to what constitutes the ‘greatest good.’ For example, the concept of ‘wellbeing’ now commonly proposed as a way of apprehending the greatest good is itself subject to widely varying interpretations. Drawing on an in-depth qualitative study of 64 managers in different sectors and country contexts, we explore this variation through the lens of constructivist ethics, asking how and why managers systematically differ in their ethical meaning-making around wellbeing. Our theorizing advances constructivist ethics by relating these differences to developmental stages identified in constructivist psychology, finding that systematic variations in ethical meaning-making are shaped by differences in actors’ capacities to process complexity. Our analysis reveals that managers’ ethical meaning-making about wellbeing is subjective, socially constructed, dynamic, and evolutionary, progressing in stages that we differentiate with a novel concept of ‘subjective wellbeing complexity.’ We contribute to practice by discussing how managers’ ability to work with more complex conceptions of wellbeing can be purposefully enhanced through stage-by-stage capacity-building in the form of ‘vertical development.’

Socio-economic Profile of the Beneficiaries of MGNREGA: A Study on the MGNREGA in the Nalanda District of Bihar

Background: Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, was notified by Ministry of rural development, GOI in September, 2005. Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act is the first statute in the history of India empowering rural India with the power of work. The present study aims to analyse socio-economic profile of the beneficiaries of MGNREGA: A study on the MGNREGA in Nalanda district of Bihar. Methods: In this research during the year 2022-2023. Nalanda district in Bihar is selected for the study. Hilsa block for the study since it contains the greatest number of MGNREGA beneficiaries. Six villages in total were purposefully chosen for the study. A random sample of 120 respondents was obtained. Pre-structured interview schedules were used to gather the data and relevant statistical analysis was carried out to determine the significant findings. Result: The findings of the study shows that the majority of respondents 42.50 percent belong to the middle age group; the majority of respondents 46.67 per cent were illiterate; the majority 47.50 per cent belonged to the schedule class caste; the majority 53.34 per cent held land holdings of less than one acre; the majority 39.17 per cent worked alone as their primary occupation; forty per cent had low annual incomes; the majority 50.83 per cent had a family of medium size; the majority 43.33 per cent were involved in social activities; the majority 48.33 per cent had medium-level social participation and most (47.50%) of the respondents were having medium level of extension contacts.

Willingness to pay for expanded non-invasive prenatal screening - An online discrete choice experiment from the perspective of women living in Western Australia.

Ongoing advances in genetic technology may soon provide prenatal screening for multiple genetic conditions. The aims were to investigate what prenatal screening test characteristics women prioritise and their willingness to pay for these tests. We designed an online survey incorporating a series of discrete choice scenarios. Dimensions and levels were selected based on existing prenatal tests and a hypothetical prenatal test that could non-invasively detect multiple genetic disorders in pregnancy. Participants were recruited from social media platforms. Data were analysed using conditional logistic regression and latent class analysis (LCA). A total of 219 women completed the survey. Women with higher incomes and those with a tertiary education were willing to pay more than other groups. The maximum willingness to pay was AUD1870 (95% confidence interval: 1630, 2112) for a hypothetical non-invasive test to detect multiple genetic conditions in early pregnancy. An LCA demonstrated considerable heterogeneity in preferences, differing in both overall preference for testing and test characteristics considered most attractive. Among the participants, decision factors cited by 14.5% of participants were the risk of pregnancy loss, making them less likely to undergo testing; for 32.1% participants, accuracy was a major factor, and they were very likely to have testing; for 12.9%, test availability early in pregnancy was a decision factor. If a non-invasive test that could detect the greatest number of genetic disorders in pregnancy was available, the priorities were test accuracy, risk of pregnancy loss and a test available early in pregnancy.

Research trends and hotspots in exercise interventions for liver cirrhosis: A bibliometric analysis via CiteSpace.

Cirrhosis is a chronic liver disease with severe consequences for a patient's health and survival. Exercise is an essential therapeutic strategy for both cirrhosis prevention and treatment. On the other hand, information regarding the present status of exercise-related research in cirrhosis is limited. Therefore, this study seeks to close the information gap in the scientific literature by using bibliometric techniques to analyze the trends, focal points, and cutting-edge research areas on exercise and cirrhosis. On September 22, 2023, research articles and reviews on exercise intervention for cirrhosis were obtained and downloaded from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC). Subsequently, we employed CiteSpace (version 6.1.R6) to conduct bibliometric and knowledge graph analyses. 588 papers in 301 scholarly journals were written by 673 authors from 460 institutions spread over 63 countries and regions. The most productive nation among them is the United States. Not only is Zobair M. Younossi 1 of the most prolific writers, but he also receives the most co-citations. Most articles were published by the University of Michigan in the US, with the University of Alberta in Canada coming in second. Meanwhile, the WORLD JOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY has the most published articles, whereas HEPATOLOGY has the greatest number of co-citations. Apart from the theme words, the most frequently utilized keywords were "quality of life," "insulin resistance," and "mortality." Future research may concentrate on "obesity," "sarcopenia," and "Mediterranean diet," according to the analysis of keyword emergence. CiteSpace is used in this work to visually represent the topic of exercise intervention in cirrhosis, offering valuable information to researchers regarding the field's current status and possible future direction.

Performance Analysis of Fully Intuitionistic Fuzzy Multi-Objective Multi-Item Solid Fractional Transportation Model

An investigation is conducted in this paper into a performance analysis of fully intuitionistic fuzzy multi-objective multi-item solid fractional transport model (FIF-MMSFTM). It is to be anticipated that the parameters of the conveyance model will be imprecise by virtue of numerous uncontrollable factors. The model under consideration incorporates intuitionistic fuzzy (IF) quantities of shipments, costs and profit coefficients, supplies, demands, and transport. The FIF-MMSFTM that has been devised is transformed into a linear form through a series of operations. The accuracy function and ordering relations of IF sets are then used to reduce the linearized model to a concise multi-objective multi-item solid transportation model (MMSTM). Furthermore, an examination is conducted on several theorems that illustrate the correlation between the FIF-MMSFTM and its corresponding crisp model, which is founded upon linear, hyperbolic, and parabolic membership functions. A numerical example was furnished to showcase the efficacy and feasibility of the suggested methodology. The numerical data acquired indicates that the linear, hyperbolic, and parabolic models require fewer computational resources to achieve the optimal solution. The parabolic model has the greatest number of iterations, in contrast to the hyperbolic model which has the fewest. Additionally, the elapsed run time for the three models is a negligible amount of time: 0.2, 0.15, and 1.37 s, respectively. In conclusion, suggestions for future research are provided.

The Impact of Audio Voice Characteristics on Audience Positive Emotions in Podcasting Analysis

In this study, the researchers directed their attention towards the phenomenon of sound. Specifically, they sought to examine the emotional responses of the participants by analyzing electrodermal responses (EDRs). The study involved the comparison of two distinct sound conditions. Initially, it was observed that there was no discernible variation in the Electrodermal Response (EDR) pattern across different conditions. However, upon careful examination of the peak EDR outputs observed in various simulations, it became evident that the emotional content had a discernible impact on the spatial conditions. Furthermore, it was particularly noteworthy that the interaction between sound and the aforementioned spatial conditions played a significant role. It was observed that no distinct individuals stimulators could be identified, although there were notable trends and variations in Emotional Dysregulation Rating (EDR) under specific circumstances. In addition, it is worth noting that the participants in the study recognized the most prevalent instances of positive emotions across all experimental conditions. Furthermore, the utilization of a combination of arousal sound design and 3D sound mix elicited the greatest number of emotional responses. Conversely, the omission of data regarding participants' educational level, cultural background, and gender prevents a comprehensive exploration of these factors, thereby limiting the potential for generating more nuanced insights.

The Individual-Level and Community-Level Social Determinants of Burn Injuries: A Single-Institution Study From the Southwestern United States.

Burn injuries are a significant public health concern, causing life-threatening complications and substantial hospitalization costs for patients. It has been shown that burn injuries may affect individuals differently based on demographic factors and socioeconomic status, among other variables. In the Southwestern United States with high ambient temperatures, specific burn etiologies, such as pavement burns, may pose a disproportionately high risk for disadvantaged communities and homeless individuals. This study uniquely explores burn injuries in relation to patients' socioeconomic status in Las Vegas, Nevada by using the Distressed Community Index to quantify socioeconomic status utilizing individual-level and community-level indicators. This single-institution and retrospective study collected data from all patients admitted to a burn center located in Las Vegas. Data were analyzed through Chi-square, one-way ANOVA, and post-hoc analysis with Tukey's test. Patients residing in distressed communities contributed to the greatest number of burn injuries, however there was a lack of significant association between socioeconomic status and burn injury (p = 202). Additionally, specific burn etiologies and demographic characteristics were associated with variations in burn patient hospital course, complications, resources utilized and outcomes. Distressed patients were significantly associated with public insurance (p < 0.001), and public insurance users were associated with pavement burns-one of the most severe burn injuries (p < 0.001). This study emphasizes the importance of developing comprehensive burn prevention resources tailored to vulnerable populations, especially in regions with increased incidence of severe burn injuries, in order to reduce burn burden and mortality.

The Individual-Level and Community-Level Social Determinants of Burn Injuries: A Single-Institution Study From the Southwestern United States.

Burn injuries are a significant public health concern, causing life-threatening complications and substantial hospitalization costs for patients. It has been shown that burn injuries may affect individuals differently based on demographic factors and socioeconomic status, among other variables. In the Southwestern United States with high ambient temperatures, specific burn etiologies, such as pavement burns, may pose a disproportionately high risk for disadvantaged communities and homeless individuals. This study uniquely explores burn injuries in relation to patients' socioeconomic status in Las Vegas, Nevada by using the Distressed Community Index to quantify socioeconomic status utilizing individual-level and community-level indicators. This single-institution and retrospective study collected data from all patients admitted to a burn center located in Las Vegas. Data were analyzed through Chi-square, one-way ANOVA, and post-hoc analysis with Tukey's test. Patients residing in distressed communities contributed to the greatest number of burn injuries, however there was a lack of significant association between socioeconomic status and burn injury (p = 202). Additionally, specific burn etiologies and demographic characteristics were associated with variations in burn patient hospital course, complications, resources utilized and outcomes. Distressed patients were significantly associated with public insurance (p < 0.001), and public insurance users were associated with pavement burns-one of the most severe burn injuries (p < 0.001). This study emphasizes the importance of developing comprehensive burn prevention resources tailored to vulnerable populations, especially in regions with increased incidence of severe burn injuries, in order to reduce burn burden and mortality.

Bibliometric analysis of the application of deep learning in cancer from 2015 to 2023

BackgroundRecently, the application of deep learning (DL) has made great progress in various fields, especially in cancer research. However, to date, the bibliometric analysis of the application of DL in cancer is scarce. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the research status and hotspots of the application of DL in cancer.MethodsWe retrieved all articles on the application of DL in cancer from the Web of Science database Core Collection database. Biblioshiny, VOSviewer and CiteSpace were used to perform the bibliometric analysis through analyzing the numbers, citations, countries, institutions, authors, journals, references, and keywords.ResultsWe found 6,016 original articles on the application of DL in cancer. The number of annual publications and total citations were uptrend in general. China published the greatest number of articles, USA had the highest total citations, and Saudi Arabia had the highest centrality. Chinese Academy of Sciences was the most productive institution. Tian, Jie published the greatest number of articles, while He Kaiming was the most co-cited author. IEEE Access was the most popular journal. The analysis of references and keywords showed that DL was mainly used for the prediction, detection, classification and diagnosis of breast cancer, lung cancer, and skin cancer.ConclusionsOverall, the number of articles on the application of DL in cancer is gradually increasing. In the future, further expanding and improving the application scope and accuracy of DL applications, and integrating DL with protein prediction, genomics and cancer research may be the research trends.

A Rapid Human Lung Tissue Dissociation Protocol Maximizing Cell Yield and Minimizing Cellular Stress.

The human lung is a complex organ comprised of diverse populations of epithelial, mesenchymal, vascular and immune cells, which gains even greater complexity during disease states. To effectively study the lung at a single cell level, a dissociation protocol that achieves the highest yield of viable cells of interest with minimal dissociation-associated protein or transcription changes key. Here, we detail a rapid collagenase-based dissociation protocol (Col-Short), which provides a high-yield single cell suspension suitable for a variety of downstream applications. Diseased human lung explants were obtained and dissociated through the Col-Short protocol and compared to four other dissociation protocols. Resulting single cell suspensions were then assessed with flow cytometry, differential staining, and quantitative real-time PCR to identify major hematopoietic and non-hematopoietic cell populations, as well as their activation states. We observed that the Col-Short protocol provides the greatest number of cells per gram of lung tissue with no reduction in viability when compared to previously described dissociation protocols. Col-Short had no observable surface protein marker cleavage as well as lower expression of protein activation markers and stress-related transcripts compared to four other protocols. The Col-Short dissociation protocol can be used as a rapid strategy to generate single cells for respiratory cell biology research.

Prevalence and transmission of the most relevant zoonotic and vector-borne pathogens in the Yucatan peninsula: A review.

Habitat modification and land use changes impact ecological interactions and alter the relationships between humans and nature. Mexico has experienced significant landscape modifications at the local and regional scales, with negative effects on forest cover and biological biodiversity, especially in the Yucatan peninsula in southeastern Mexico. Given the close relationship between landscape modification and the transmission of zoonotic and vector-borne diseases, it is essential to develop criteria for identifying priority zoonoses in the south of the country. We reviewed 165 published studies on zoonotic and vector-borne diseases in the region (2015-2024). We identified the most frequent vectors, reservoirs, and hosts, the most prevalent infections, and the factors associated with transmission risk and the anthropogenic landscape modification in urban, rural, ecotone, and sylvatic habitats. The most relevant pathogens of zoonotic risk included Trypanosoma cruzi, arboviruses, Leishmania, Rickettsia, Leptospira, and Toxoplasma gondii. Trypanosoma cruzi was the vector-borne agent with the largest number of infected vertebrate species across habitats, while Leishmania and arboviruses were the ones that affected the greatest number of people. Dogs, cats, backyard animals, and their hematophagous ectoparasites are the most likely species maintaining the transmission cycles in human settlements, while rodents, opossums, bats, and other synanthropic animals facilitate connection and transmission cycles between forested habitats with human-modified landscapes. Pathogens displayed different prevalences between the landscapes, T. cruzi, arbovirus, and Leptospira infections were the most prevalent in urban and rural settlements, whereas Leishmania and Rickettsia had similar prevalence across habitats, likely due to the diversity and abundance of the infected vectors involved. The prevalence of T. gondii and Leptospira spp. may reflect poor hygiene conditions. Additionally, results suggest that prevalence of zoonotic and vector-borne diseases is higher in deforested areas and agricultural aggregates, and in sites with precarious health and infrastructure services. Some hosts, vectors, and transmission trends of zoonotic and vector-borne diseases in the YP are well known but others remain poorly recognized. It is imperative to reinforce practices aimed at increasing the knowledge, monitoring, prevention, and control of these diseases at the regional level. We also emphasize the need to perform studies on a larger spatio-temporal scale under the socio-ecosystem perspective, to better elucidate the interactions between pathogens, hosts, vectors, environment, and sociocultural and economic aspects in this and many other tropical regions.

How disciplinary detail obscures the metacognitive potential of curriculums

AbstractThis paper analyses five junior secondary curriculums for their emphases on metacognition. Metacognition is an emergent skill that prepares students for their inscrutable futures, where they will need to apply their knowledge strategically to complex contexts, guided by self-knowledge. Its development requires experiential pedagogies that introduce problematic knowledge, and it is difficult to measure. English, humanities, mathematics and science curriculums for students aged between 11–16 years were coded using a qualitative, deductive approach. Semantic information was ascribed to three epistemic and seven cognitive or metacognitive themes, and code totals compared for their relative emphases. All five curriculums provided pathways that could support metacognitive development, but only two, the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (MYP) and the New Zealand Curriculum (NZC), explicitly recommended strategies likely to provoke the dispositions of teachers towards engaging students in complex, problematic tasks. Code totals revealed curriculum tightness. Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE) courses provided the greatest number of codes, but the Common Core State Standards (CC) and the Australian Curriculum (version 9) (ACv9), were similarly detailed, with up to three times as many cognitive and metacognitive references as the NZC and MYP. Although all the curriculums claimed to develop thinking skills, the three that used mandatory external assessment or benchmarking tests (CAIE, ACv9 and CC) did not offer mechanisms likely to build teacher capacity to engage their students in tasks that had intrinsic educational benefit.

Total Flavonoids Isolated from the Leaves of Eucommia ulmoides Augment Peak Bone Mass in Female Rats and Show no Side Effects in Other Organs.

Eucommia ulmoides is a unique monophyletic and tertiary relict in China and is listed as a national second-class precious protected tree species. Eucommia ulmoides, recognized as a traditional Chinese medicine, can tonify the liver and kidneys and strengthen bones and muscles. Modern pharmacological research has proved that Eucommia ulmoides has multiple osteoprotective effects, including prohibiting the occurrence of osteoporosis and arthritis and enhancing the healing of bone fractures and bone defects. To check its osteotropic effects, which may provide ideas for its potential use for the development of novel drugs to treat osteoporosis, this study evaluated the effect of total flavonoids from Eucommia ulmoides leaves (TFEL) on the acquisition of Peak Bone Mass (PBM) in young female rats. TFEL was isolated, and its purity was confirmed by using a UV spectrophotometer. TFEL with a purity of 85.09% was administered to 6-week-old female rats by oral gavage at a low (50), mid (100), or high (200 mg/kg/d) dose, and the control group was administrated only with the same volume of water. After 13 weeks of treatment, the rats were sacrificed, and serum, different organs, and limb bones (femurs and tibias) were harvested, and the bone turnover markers, organ index, Bone Mineral Density (BMD), biomechanical property, and microstructure parameters were assayed. Furthermore, molecular targets were screened, and network pharmacology analyses were conducted to reveal the potential mechanisms of action of TFEL. Oral administration of TFEL for 13 weeks decreased the serum level of bone resorption marker TRACP-5b. As revealed by micro-computer tomography analysis, it elevated BMD even at a low dose (50 mg/kg/d) and improved the microstructural parameters, which were also confirmed by H&E histological staining. However, TFEL showed no effects on body weights, organ index, and micromorphology in the uterus. In our network pharmacology study, an intersection analysis screened out 64 shared targets, with quercetin, kaempferol, naringenin, and apigenin regulating the greatest number of targets associated with osteoporosis. Flavonoids in Eucommia ulmoides inhibited the occurrence of osteoporosis potentially through targeting signaling pathways for calcium, VEGF, IL-17, and NF-κB. Furthermore, AKT1, EGFR, PTGS2, VEGFA, and CALM were found to be potentially important target genes for the osteoprotective effects of flavonoids in Eucommia ulmoides. The above results suggested that TFEL can be used to elevate the peak bone mass in adolescence in female individuals, which may prevent the occurrence of postmenopausal osteoporosis, and the good safety of TFEL also suggests that it can be used as a food additive for daily life to improve the bone health.

Clonal micropropagation and ex-situ conservation of Rhycncholaelia digbyana (Lindley) Schltr

Objective: To obtain protocols for clonal micropropagation, crop planning, and in vitro conservation of Rhycholaelia digbyana (Lindley) Schltr. Methodology: The effects of the Kundson C basal medium and benzylaminopurine concentration were evaluated for clonal micropropagation. The treatment with the greatest number of shoots formed per apex was selected for crop planning. Experiments were conducted to determine the effect of basal medium Murashige and Skoog concentration at 2.2 gL-1 and 4.4 gL-1; sorbitol, mannitol, and sucrose at 1, 2, and 3% on slow growth. Results: The best treatment for clonal micropropagation and crop planning was identified as 21.60 gL-1 Knudson C with 8.80 µM benzylaminopurine. This treatment resulted in uniform-sized shoots produced. The multiplication process can yield 10,240 seedlings in 12 months. Slow growth was achieved using Murashige and Skoog basal media at 2.2 gL-1 with 1% mannitol. Implications: More experiments must be conducted to determine the best shoot induction conditions and improve resource efficiency. Conclusions: These findings represent the first report on micropropagation and ex-situ conservation to preserve germplasm for this species as an important resource for the floriculture industry.

One Justice for All? Social Dilemmas, Environmental Risks and Different Notions of Distributive Justice

A just or fair distribution of environmental bads and goods is important for solving environmental social dilemmas and is a core idea of environmental justice politics and research. Environmental justice is mostly associated with egalitarianism as the sole justice principle for all people. In contrast, we argue that it is important to uncover and consider heterogeneity in justice concerns to achieve socially accepted solutions to environmental social dilemmas. With noise pollution as an example, we explore citizens’ preferences for justice principles regarding the allocation of politically initiated environmental benefits. In our survey in four European cities, respondents were asked to choose between different outcomes of a program to reduce road traffic noise in line with the following four notions of distributive justice: equal shares, equal outcomes, the greatest benefit for the least advantaged (Rawls), and the greatest benefit for the greatest number (Bentham). We found that most respondents chose Rawls’ principle, a preference that was stable over time but weaker when explicitly introducing the veil of ignorance. The preference for Rawls notwithstanding, we observed substantial heterogeneity in justice preferences. Multinomial logit analyses of survey and geo-referenced data on noise exposure showed that respondents with a higher socio-economic status and lower exposure to traffic noise were more likely to choose Rawls’ principle. Taken together, our study confirms the prominence of Rawls’ principle, demonstrates empirically the heterogeneity of justice preferences, and calls for more direct measurements of such preferences in research on environmental social dilemmas, environmental justice, and beyond.

Cultural and Spiritual Adaptations to Extreme Weather Events of Ethnic Farming Communities of the Three Watersheds Situated at Different Altitudinal Locations along Agno River Basin, Benguet and Pangasinan, Philippines

Ethnic farming communities in Agno River Basin face climate stressors that threaten their agricultural production. This paper investigated and assessed the cultural/spiritual adaptations to climate variabilities and extremes of ethnic farming communities in Agno River Basin, Philippines. How the presence of these cultural/spiritual practices moderate or mitigate the effects of climate variabilities and extremes were likewise investigated. The climate-related hazards considered in this study which are pronounced in the river basin are prolonged and extreme rainfall intensity, typhoons and extreme winds, drought, flood and occurrence of pests and diseases. These hazards are becoming more frequent and intense resulting to limited agricultural production. This paper considered only the sectors of agriculture/socioeconomic, water and health. The descriptive method employed in this study was based on the works of Oppenheimer et al (2014); Saroar, Routray and Leal Filho (2015) and Brooks and Adgers(undated). The data-gathering activities were household survey using pre-tested questionnaires, focused group discussions and key informant interviews. The ethnic affiliations of the farming communities were I-Karao, Ibaloi, Kankanaey and Kalanguya tribes. Secondary data on changing rainfall and erratic temperature characteristics were consistent with the general perception of the ethnic farming communities. Cultural/ spiritual traditions of Ethnic farming communities in the Agno River Basin form part of their adaptations to climate extremes and variabilities. The greatest number of rituals and activities (5) such as childless couples raising plant materials, burning of rice straws and Alay, Leppas, Maepdesan, and Ibkas or maboteng. are dedicated to ensuring a good harvest. Canyao, Libot, and Begnas are undertaken to prevent the occurrence of hazards. On the other hand, Ubob, Bayanihan, and Sakdo are adaptations to mitigate the impact of climate extremes and variabilities. Both Canyao and Leppas are also thanksgiving activities while Tagainep or dream interpretation serves as a coping mechanism.

Trends in Inpatient Dermatology and The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic at A Tertiary Care Facility in Western India

Background: Little is known regarding the effect of the coronavirus pandemic on the characteristics of dermatology admissions, particularly in the Indian context. Objectives: To conduct a retrospective analysis of the discharge records of all patients admitted to a tertiary care centre in Western India from 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2022. Methods: Patient records were reviewed and compiled. Diagnoses were grouped to achieve consistency with international studies. Finally, the effect of COVID on admissions was determined. Data samples were assessed using descriptive statistics. Continuous variables were expressed as median or mean. The student’s t-test and chi-square test were utilised to investigate wherever appropriate. Results: Inpatient care was required for 1,817 patients. Males (1000, 55.04%) were significantly more likely to be admitted than females (817, 44.96%). The leading causes of hospitalisation were bacterial infections (26.42%), vesiculobullous disorders (17.45%), and psoriasiform disorders (11.34%). The greatest number of admissions occurred in 2019, followed by a substantial decline in 2020. Admission rates for vesiculobullous disorders, psoriasiform disorders, and malignancies were significantly higher during the pandemic period. Conclusions: Our study offers an analysis of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the patient profiles of patients admitted to a dermatology ward.

Assessment of the Need for Surgical Debridement of Periapical Tissues Among Patients of Older Age Groups as a Manifestation of Ageism

Endodontic therapy is aimed at cleaning the root canal system and creating barriers to prevent re-infection of roots and peripical tissues. The presence of persistent bacteria or reinfection of a previously mechanically treated and disinfected root system causes the development of apical periodontitis and the need to implement surgical aids. Against the background of an increase in the number of patients of older age groups, characterized by obliteration of the root canal system, the relevance of surgical aids for apical periodontitis increases. At the same time, based on their own life experience, patients of older age groups may perceive the refusal to perform orthodontic therapy and the offer of surgical benefits as age-related egoism. Purpose of work: to study the severity of periapical changes and indications for surgical intervention among patients of older age groups. Materials and methods. The endodontic and periapical status of 300 patients was assessed in the 1st subgroup aged 60 to 70 years and the 2nd subgroup aged over 71 years. The results of the study. The greatest number of ageist conclusions in assessing the feasibility of providing surgical benefits was revealed in women with higher education.