Medium Positive Correlation Research Articles

Impact of green hydrogen on climate change in Peru: An analysis of perception, policies, and cooperation

This research analyzed the impact of green hydrogen (GH) on the dynamics of combating climate change (CC) in Peru for the year 2024, contributing to Sustainable Development Goal 7, focused on affordable and clean energy. The study, quantitative and non-experimental in nature, used a cross-sectional design and focused on a sample composed of public and private sector officials, energy experts, and academics, evaluating their perception and knowledge about GH and its application in climate policies. The data collection instrument showed good internal consistency with a Cronbach’s alpha value of 0.793.The results revealed that although the adoption of GH is in its early stages, it is already considered a vital component in national CC mitigation strategies. A medium positive correlation was identified using the Spearman coefficient (0.418) between GH usage and the effectiveness of mitigation policies, as well as its capacity to influence public awareness and promote interinstitutional cooperation. Furthermore, it was concluded that the success of GH largely depends on the strengthening of regulatory frameworks, investment in infrastructure, and the promotion of strategic alliances to facilitate its integration into the national energy matrix.These findings highlight the importance of continuing to develop public policies that promote the use of GH, ensuring its sustainability and effectiveness in the fight against climate change in Peru.

Anti-Inflammatory and Wound Healing Properties of Different Honey Varieties from Romania and Correlations to Their Composition.

The complex composition of honey plays a crucial role in wound healing, exhibiting varying effects at different stages of the healing process. This study investigated seven honey varieties sourced from different regions of Romania using in vitro experimental models developed in macrophage-like, fibroblast, and keratinocyte cell lines to explore the mechanisms by which honey promoted the healing process. This study assessed the impact of honey on inflammatory cytokine production in macrophage-like cells, cell proliferation and collagen synthesis in fibroblasts, and cell proliferation and migration in keratinocytes. Additionally, correlation analysis was conducted to examine the relationship between honey composition and its biological properties. Honey varieties presented both anti- and pro-inflammatory effects. Moreover, they displayed dose-dependent pro-proliferative effects, stimulating collagen synthesis and cell migration, thereby enhancing the re-epithelialization process. The Pearson coefficient analysis indicated a strong positive correlation between biological activities and phenolic content. Additionally, there was a medium positive correlation with the ascorbic acid content and a medium negative correlation with the glucose content in the different honey varieties. Romanian honey varieties rich in phenolics showed potential in modulating inflammation, proliferation, collagen synthesis, and cell migration, suggesting their suitability for further evaluation and development of innovative dressings for skin tissue regeneration.

Investigating Correlation between Exercise Participation Motivation and Social Physique Anxiety and Their Differences across Exercise Stages of Change.

This study aims to investigate the correlation between exercise participation motivation and social physique anxiety and their differences across the exercise stages of change in individuals. A convenience sampling technique was used to gather data from 374 sedentary individuals aged 18 and over, using a questionnaire that included the Behavioral Regulations in Exercise Questionnaire-2 (BREQ-2), Social Physique Anxiety (SPA) scale, and Exercise Stages of Change Questionnaire (ESOCQ). Welch's ANOVA test was utilized to examine if there were significant differences between the average levels of behavioral regulations in exercise and SPA within exercise stages of change, respectively. Based on Welch's ANOVA results, it has been found that there are significant differences in the total score of SPAS according to exercise stages of change (F = 15.801, p < 0.001). Furthermore, the sub-factors intrinsic regulation, introjected regulation, and external motivation statistically significantly differ according to exercise stages of change (F=6.681, p < 0.001 for IR; F=30.186,p < 0.001 for introjected regulation; F=10.104, p < 0.001 for external motivation, F=0.481,p = 0.750 for AM). Pearson's r correlation coefficients were also computed to determine the relationship between behavioral regulations in exercise and SPA. A significant negative moderate correlation was found between intrinsic regulation and SPA (r = -0.645, p < 0.001). Furthermore, a significant medium positive correlation was found between introjected regulation and SPA (r = 0.534, p < 0.001), external motivation and SPA (r = 0.588, p < 0.001), and amotivation and SPA (r = 0.564, p < 0.001). The findings suggest that being self-motivated for exercise might decrease SPA. On the other hand, exercise motivated by external pressures could lead to increased SPA. The findings also suggest that those who started exercising with intrinsic motivation reached more advanced stages of exercise than those who started exercising with extrinsic factors. Finally, extrinsic motives may help in the first stages of the exercise, but intrinsic motives are required to continue the exercise. Consequently, these findings may guide physical activity specialists, trainers, etc., to develop more effective strategies to motivate exercise participation by considering social physique anxiety among individuals.

Outcomes of Photorefractive Keratectomy in Patients Who Underwent Keratoplasty

&amp;lt;i&amp;gt;Purpose&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt;: To assess the efficacy of photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) in patients who underwent corneal transplantation, and to determine the influencing factors. &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;Methods&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt;: The present study was a retrospective chart review research that was conducted at Dhahran Eye Specialist Hospital between 2014 and 2017. &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;Results&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt;: Seventy-nine eyes were included in the study. The mean BCVA showed an improvement of two lines post-PRK as compared to that before PRK (0.73 ± 0.1 and 0.54 ± 0.2, respectively). There was a statistically significant decrease in the cylindrical value postoperatively as compared to that preoperatively (−2.15 ± 1.4 and−3.25 ± 1.8, respectively; p &amp;lt; 0.001). However, there was no statistically significant difference in spherical equivalent and sphere. Three eyes (4%) developed postoperative complications. There was a medium positive correlation between residual stroma and achieved spherical equivalent (SE) (r = 0.305, p = 0.006), as well as between optical zone and postoperative uncorrected visual acuity (r = 0.350, p = 0.001), in addition to post SE (r = 0.307, p = 0.006). However, the depth of ablation showed a medium negative correlation with achieved SE (r = −0.375, p = 0.001). &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;Conclusion&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt;: PRK may be an option for correcting refractive errors in patients who underwent keratoplasty. The optical zone and residual stromal thickness have a positive correlation with the effects of the outcomes, whereas the depth of ablation has a negative correlation with the outcomes.

Responsible Ecological Behavior in Participation, Resource Saving, Recycling and Reuse in Peruvian University Students

This paper analyzes, within the framework of responsible ecological behavior (REB), participation and environmental concern, resources saving, recycling and reuse of products in students from a Peruvian private university. Data for this study was obtained by completing self-administered questionnaires from a sample of 523 undergraduate students attending a university based in Lima and Ica, Peru. REB was segmented into three dimensions: Participation and Environmental Concern (PEC), Resources Saving (RS) and Recycling and Reuse (RR). A medium positive correlation was found between REB and PEC, while REB showed a positive correlation between the RS and RR dimensions at a significance level of 99%. A weak negative correlation was identified between REB and student gender; no correlation was found with age and region of origin. More than half of the students frequently practice habits that contribute to the protection of the environment; especially actions related to RS. RR behaviors reported less frequency in their usual practice, specifically reuse activities of aluminum cans and plastic containers, while PEC was the least common factor in pro-environmental practices. The apathy for externalization of environmental interest and lack of commitment in ecological campaigns demonstrate the low level of internalization of environmental culture in Peruvian university students.

Optical Biometry versus Ultrasound A-scan in Measuring Anterior Chamber Depth, Axial Length, and Lens Thickness in Patients Undergoing Cataract Surgery

Ocular biometry measurements use ultrasonography and optical biometry, offering high precision for noninvasive intraocular distance measurement in cataract surgery. This study aims to Compare agreement values between an optical biometry machine and an ocular ultrasound-based biometry device for axial length, anterior chamber depth, and lens thickness measurements. A study enrolled 64 eyes of 42 patients scheduled for cataract surgery at Benghazi Teaching Eye Hospital, Libya, from January 1st to February 1st, 2024. Patients' medical and ocular histories were taken, and slit lamp examinations were conducted. All eyes with visual impairment and good fixation were included. Axial length, anterior chamber depth, and lens thickness were measured using Aladdin optical biometer and an ellex eye-cubed ultrasonic contact biometer. The study involved 64 eyes with a mean age of 64.36 years, The most common type of cataract was posterior subcapsular cataract [46.9%], nuclear cataract [14.1%], and cortical cataract [14.1%]. Combined cataracts were also present in 31.3% of the participants. The ICC analysis showed a strong agreement [0.976] between the two measurement devices in assessing axial length. difference in measurements of the mean anterior chamber depth. ICC showed a high level of agreement between the two methods [0.545]. There was no significant difference in lens thickness as measured by optical biometry and A-scan ultrasound, with a medium positive correlation between lens thickness measurement by the two devices [P&lt;0.001]. The interclass correlation further supported these findings, with a strong correlation between lens thickness and cataract development [r = 0.753]. The study reveals consistency in the measurements between optical and ultrasound biometry, highlighting the need for future research, to address limitations like small sample size and potential biases.

Civic knowledge and self-reported political astuteness of academic nurse educators in the United States

BackgroundA nurse's perspective is unique and invaluable to health policy. Although political astuteness is essential for nurses and nurse educators to be effective participants in health policy, there is a gap in the nursing literature on civic knowledge and its potential relationship to political astuteness. PurposeThis research aimed to assess the civic knowledge and self-reported political astuteness of academic nurse educators, their associated factors, and the relationship between these two concepts. MethodsThis cross-sectional study used a national sample of academic nurse educators who answered 10 questions taken from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Naturalization test and completed the Political Astuteness Inventory (PAI). ResultsOver 51 % of the sample (n = 122) did not provide enough correct answers to pass the Naturalization test and over 35 % were determined to be either completely or slightly unaware politically. There was a medium positive correlation (r = 0.313, p < .001) between civic knowledge and self-reported political astuteness. ConclusionAlthough nurse educators could be well-positioned to impact health policy, they may not have the knowledge or skills to fulfill this potential. Strategies for improving political astuteness include increasing civic knowledge and encouraging professional collaboration to promote nursing solidarity, influence, and power.

Contribution of Protected Areas to Mitigate the Effect of Landscape Fragmentation in Slovakia

Abstract The main aim of the research is to identify landscape fragmentation (LF) in Slovakia with special emphasis on the contribution of protected areas (PAs) to mitigate the effect of LF. Results are presented in the final raster output (10 m grid). The raster contains 490,321,151 individual 10 m raster grids, with the LF average value of 59.12 % (where 0 represents fragmented landscape, 100 represents fully connected landscape by natural or semi-natural ecosystems) on the national level. Most of the territory of Slovakia falls within the range of values 55 – 65 %, which confirms the presence of significant continuous unfragmented areas. Based on the Ordinary Least Square (OLS) statistics results, there is a positive correlation of lower LF within the PAs network (p &lt; 0.05, Table 1) in comparison to the unprotected part of Slovakia. The results of geographically weight regression (GWR) proved a medium positive correlation (r2=0.36; r2adj=0.36; n=49,003), thus confirming to a certain extent the role of PAs in the mitigation of the effect of LF. On the other hand, the level of protection does not correlate significantly with fragmentation values, where a higher level of protection is not significantly connected with a lower level of LF. For each category of PA, individual statistics of quality and quantity of LF are estimated and subsequently compared with unprotected parts of Slovakia. The comparison of all PAs with each other resulted in 1,132 unique assessments. The overall average value of LF of unprotected parts is still rather high (56.42 %) and it shows that there are still significant areas existing, which are situated in unprotected parts of the country. Spatial analysis revealed, that these important parts are covering 93,065 hectares, and are variously spread across the whole of Slovakia. The average value of LF for these newly identified areas is 68.5 %. As output, the results of this research present a comprehensive national map of the level of LF and lists of PAs ranked according to the overall assessment of LF.

Contrasting responses of two typical plant communities to precipitation variability in horqin sandy land, northeast China

The ongoing modification of precipitation regime highlights the necessity to further investigate underlying vegetation processes. To figure out the key precipitation characteristics that largely affected the biomass and species richness of different plant functional groups in the semiarid sandy land, we compared the 15-year (from 2005 to 2019) variation in the aboveground biomass (AGB), precipitation use efficiency (PUE) and species richness of two typical biotopes (fixed dune and sandy grassland) in Horqin Sandy Land, a semiarid sandy land in northeast China. Results showed that the sandy grassland had higher AGB and PUE, lower species richness than the fixed dune; the annuals contributed 60.16% of the AGB and 60.32% of the species richness in sandy grassland, while contributed 53.40% and 75.77% in fixed dune, respectively; the AGB and species richness in the fixed dune had medium positive correlation with annual precipitation, while that in the sandy grassland had medium positive correlation with the total amount of specific rainfall events in the growing season (e.g. cumulative precipitation of 10–40 mm rain events and number of ≥ 10 mm rain event). There was no significant correlations were detected between PUE and annual precipitation, and weakly positive correlations were detected between PUE and amount and number of medium rainfall events in growing season. Our results suggested that the biomes dominated by annual plants were more responsive to the variability of growing season rainfall pattern rather than annual precipitation. In semiarid sandy grassland communities, the frequent medium rainfall events (5–50 mm) have significant role on the biomass, and the high species richness is likely to depend on the number of larger ones (≥ 10 mm). The AGB and species richness of grassland communities in semi-arid sandy land was the result of the combined effect of amount size, number and interval of rain event.

Relationship between Success Attributions and Academic Achievement of Secondary School Students in Anambra State, Nigeria

The study focused on the relationship between success attributions and academic achievement of secondary school students in Anambra State. Six research questions and six null hypotheses guided the study. Using a multi-stage sampling technique, the study adopted a correlation design with a sample size of 600 senior secondary two students drawn from the population of 11,417 co-educational students. The instrument for data collection was the Students’ Attribution Style Questionnaire. Students’ Achievement Scores were used to obtain students’ academic achievement. The reliability of the instrument was established using the Cronbach Alpha method, which yielded a reliability of .84. The Pearson Product Moment correlation was used to answer the research questions, while the t-test of the significance of the correlation was used to test the null hypotheses at a .05 level of significance. Findings from the study revealed a medium positive correlation between attributions and academic achievement scores of students with internal success attributions. Also, the finding revealed a significant relationship between attributions and academic achievement scores of students with internal success attributions. Based on these findings, it was recommended that teachers always emphasize the effort to adopt the success attribution approach in the learning process as the basis for students’ success in their academic activities and also improve the learning environment to minimize environmental constraints.

Spider vs. guns: expectancy and attention biases to phylogenetic threat do not extend to ontogenetic threat.

Attention bias plays an important role in specific fears and phobias. Previous studies revealed that a-priori expectancies affect attention toward neutral stimuli but not threatening stimuli. The aim of the current study was to test whether this selective influence of expectancies on attention is specific to phylogenetic threat (i.e., spiders) or whether it can be generalized to ontogenetic threat (i.e., guns). Correspondingly, we directly compared expectancy effects on attentional allocation to phylogenetically vs. ontogenetically threatening stimuli. Expectancies were manipulated by presenting a cue indicating the likelihood of the appearance of a deviant picture in a visual search array. The array included eight distractors and one neutral (phone/bird) or threatening (gun/spider) deviant picture. In a comprehensive design, we examined the effects of stimulus type (phylogenetic/ontogenetic) and visual background (white and sterile/complex and ecological). Individual differences such as intolerance of uncertainty and spider fear were also measured. Results showed that attention bias toward spiders does not extend to threatening ontogenetic stimuli (i.e., guns). Our previous findings on attention bias toward spiders were replicated and a small to medium positive correlation was found between reaction time to bird targets and pre-existing fear of spider levels. Cues were used to detect threatening as well as neutral targets on both background types, except for spider targets on a complex background, replicating previous results. A small to medium positive correlation was also found between fear of spiders and intolerance of uncertainty. Together, these results suggest that expectancy and attentional processes may differ between ontogenetic and phylogenetic threat. Importantly, the effects of expectancy on attentional allocation depend on an interaction between the type of threat (ontogenetic/phylogenetic), visual factors, and individual differences.

Study for Assessment of Mental Health in Survivors of COVID-19

Background: The authors aimed to study the levels of anxiety, depression, and stress in survivors of COVID-19, and to correlate their level with severity of COVID-19 infection. Methodology: This study was conducted on a total of 200 survivors of COVID-19 as an observational cross-sectional study. The cohort reported to the Hamidia Hospital, Bhopal, India, during the study period of 21 months. The Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS21) was used for assessment of mental health. Results: Overall, depression, anxiety, and stress were observed in 38.5% of cases, 38.5% of cases, and 11.0% of cases, respectively. The authors reported a significant association of worst saturation recorded with depression and severity of depression (p&lt;0.05); significant association of depression and severity, and anxiety and its severity; and severity of stress with moderate-to-severe high-resolution CT findings (p&lt;0.05). The authors also documented a medium positive and significant correlation of the severity of COVID-19 infection with stress and DASS21 overall score (analysis of variance: r=&gt;0.40; p&lt;0.05). However, a weak positive but significant correlation of severity with depression and anxiety was noted (r=0.20–0.40; p&lt;0.05). The authors reported a weak positive correlation of worst saturation with depression and anxiety, as well as overall DASS21 score (r=0.20–0.40; p&lt;0.05). Conclusion: COVID-19 has long-term effects, especially in the form of psychological morbidity. Patients have recovered from the physical illness, but psychological distress and mental problems are still persistent among the survivors as the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress is reported to be high among them.

Intelligent system for analyzing battery charge consumption processes

The article develops an intelligent system of analysis and neural network forecasting of battery charge consumption for automated vehicles (AGVs). For this purpose, the types of AGV and the methods of effective forecasting of their battery charge consumption were analyzed. It is established that they are based on optimal robot control processes; application of technologies to increase capacity and extend service life. The data for the forecast was collected using the UAExpert OPC UA client, which allowed to convert the informative components of the data vector into a format suitable for further processing (csv). To eliminate outliers in the signals, a dispersion analysis of each parameter of AGV was carried out. Data for which the sigma value exceeded 1.5 were considered partialle lost and were replaced by a moving average of 12 points (the number of ANN inputs). For training, verification and testing of neural networks, parameters with high and medium positive correlation dependence were selected according to the Pearson correlation coefficient. Short-term and medium-term forecasting of battery charge consumption for AKTZ was carried out on the basis of ANN with deep learning, the model of which was tested in two modes: forecasting and prediction. The effectiveness of the developed system was investigated by testing it on the data obtained from Formica-1 AGV. The average absolute testing error was less than 1%. The highest value of the prediction error was less than 9 % when predicting such parameters as current position and X-coordinate, which are correlated with battery charge consumption for AGV. It has been established experimentally that the accuracy of the forecast of battery charge consumption for various types of AGV has been improved.

Translational and Rotational Postural Aberrations Are Related to Pulmonary Functions and Skill-Related Physical Fitness Components in Collegiate Athletes.

This study assessed the relationship between body posture displacements, cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET), and skill-related physical fitness tests. One hundred male (60%) and female collegiate athletes (22.2 ± 4 yrs) with normal body mass indexes (BMI up to 24.9) were assessed via the PostureScreen Mobile® app to quantify postural displacements such as head, thorax, and pelvis rotations and translations. CPET and physical performance tests, including the agility t-test, vertical jump test, stork static balance test (SSBT), and dynamic Y-balance test (YBT), were performed. Spearman correlation (r) and p-values are reported. The postural parameters were found to have moderate-to-high associations with the CPET and agility test, moderate correlations with the vertical jump test and SSBT (head and pelvic postures only), and weak correlations with the YBT. As the postural parameters were more asymmetric, both the CPET and performance skills scores were worse. For example: (1) a medium positive correlation was found between cranio-vertebral angle (CVA) and the vertical jump test (r = 0.54; p-value < 0.001) and SSBT (r = 0.57; p-value < 0.001), while a strong negative correlation was found between CVA and the agility test (r = -0.86; p-value < 0.001). (2) A strong positive correlation was found between CVA and oxygen uptake efficiency slope, load watts VO2 at VT, VO2/kg, and load watts at the respiratory compensation point (RCP) (r = 0.65 and r = 0.71; p < 0.001). Conversely, a significant negative correlation was found between CVA and VE/VO2 at VT (r = -0.61; p < 0.001). Postural rotations and translations of the head, thorax, and pelvis were statistically correlated with the physical performance skills and CPET in the young collegiate athletes. There were moderate-to-high associations with cardiopulmonary functions and the agility tests, moderate correlations with the vertical jump test, and weak correlations with the YBT. Postural alignment may be important for optimal physical performance and optimal cardiopulmonary function. Further research is necessary to elucidate the reasons for these correlations found in our sample of young and healthy athletes.

Correlation between Students' Motivation and Their Grammar Achievement at English Department of Halu Oleo University

This study discussed the correlation between students’ motivation and their grammar achievement at English Department of Halu Oleo University. The objective of this study is to find out the correlation between students’ motivation in learning grammar and their grammar achievement at English Department of Halu Oleo University. The sample of this study is class A of 2021 who programmed Basic Grammar Course. In collecting the data, this study was distributing questionnaires and collected students’ basic grammar scores from their lecturer. In analyzing the data, the questionnaires were assessed by Likert’s scale rating then conducted correlational research in SPSS 16. The result of this study shows that there is medium positive correlation between students’ motivation in learning grammar and their basic grammar achievement. It is proved by the pearson correlation is 0.458 and categorized as a medium correlation. Although students’ motivation and their basic grammar achievement correlate each other, the contribution of students’ motivation to students’ basic grammar achievement is only 20% and 80% is from other factors that are not examined in this study. After testing the hypothesis, it is found that H1 is accepted which means that there is significant correlation between students’ motivation and their basic grammar achievement. In conclusion, there is a medium positive correlation between students’ motivation in learning grammar and their grammar achievement at English Department of Halu Oleo University.

MORPHOTYPIC COMPOSITION AND DIFENOCONAZOLE SENSITIVITY OF APPLE SCAB PATHOGEN POPULATIONS THAT DIFFER IN THE HISTORY OF FUNGICIDE APPLICATION

Scab is one of the most harmful diseases of the world's main fruit crop, the apple tree.&#x0D; Purpose. To evaluate the fungicide influence on the population structure of Venturia inaequalis, by its sensitivity to difenoconazole and morphotypic composition.&#x0D; Materials and methods. The study was conducted on 88 monospore isolates isolated from two populations of V. inaequalis. The baseline population, which was not treated with fungicides, was selected from natural populations of Malus orientalis. A population of commercial apple orchards was treated with difenoconazole. The sensitivity of isolates was evaluated under laboratory conditions by mycelial growth at different fungicide concentrations and expressed as effective 50% concentration (EC50). Morphotypes were distinguished by comparing photo-images of isolates with morphotype images in a database.&#x0D; Results. The populations differed in their sensitivity to difenoconazole at a high level of significance (p≤0.003), with median EC50 values of 0.5 and 2.5 mg a.i./l. The resistance factor of the orchard population had a value of 22. Morphological analysis of the isolates also showed an uneven distribution of morphotypes in the populations. Of the 15 morphotypes isolated, 73 % were unique to a particular population. A medium positive correlation between the traits "morphotype" and "fungicide sensitivity" was found.&#x0D; Conclusion. For the first time, a change in the population structure of Venturia inaequalis under the influence of a fungicide was shown not only for a trait under selection pressure (sensitivity), but also for an evolutionarily neutral trait, morphotypic composition.

Increased plasma levels of circPTP4A2 and circTLK2 are associated with stroke injury.

Accumulating studies have shown that circulating circular RNAs (circRNAs) represent novel biomarkers for many human diseases. We investigated whether plasma circPTP4A2 and circTLK2 levels are associated with stroke severity, infarct volume, stroke etiology, and functional outcome in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients. We applied quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) to measure plasma circPTP4A2 and circTLK2 levels of 236 AIS patients within 72 h of symptoms onset and 136 healthy controls. We further assessed the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), infarct size, the Trial of Org 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment (TOAST) classification and the 90-day modified Rankin scale (mRS) for each patient. At admission, plasma circPTP4A2 and circTLK2 levels in patients with moderate to severe stroke were significantly higher compared to those with mild stroke. Logistic regression and receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses indicated that they might function as predictive biomarkers for moderate to severe stroke. We also observed a medium positive correlation between these two circRNAs and NIHSS. Plasma circPTP4A2 and circTLK2 levels were slight positively correlated with cerebral infarct volume only in anterior circulation infarction (ACI) patients. Levels of both circPTP4A2 and circTLK2 were closely related with large artery atherosclerosis (LAA) stroke. Moreover, changes within 7 days after admission in circPTP4A2 and circTLK2 were able to predict unfavorable clinical outcome 90 days after AIS. These results demonstrate that plasma circPTP4A2 and circTLK2 strongly correlated with severity, subtypes and prognosis of AIS, and they could serve as promising biomarkers.

Loneliness and Unmet Needs of Older Adults Living in Publicly Supported Housing.

Guided by the RE-AIM framework, the current study sought to examine the relationship between perceived needs of older adults living in publicly supported housing and loneliness. Participants were males and females aged 70 to 83 years who identified as White or Chinese. Using the Camberwell Assessment of Need Short Appraisal Schedule and UCLA Loneliness Scale, the relationship between residents' needs and loneliness was assessed to guide the development of interventions. Results revealed residents self-reported 54% of their needs were met and rated their loneliness at a score of 36.5 (moderate level). Furthermore, there was a medium positive correlation between unmet needs and loneliness whereby high unmet needs were associated with higher loneliness scores. Findings suggest that these older adults living in publicly supported housing are vulnerable to the negative consequences of loneliness. Implementing equitable and inclusive interventions to address the impact of loneliness in the context of social determinants of health is warranted. [Research in Gerontological Nursing, 16(5), 217-223.].

A Study on Prescribing Patterns of Drugs in Geriatric Patients in a Tertiary Care Hospital: A Cross-sectional Study

Abstract: Background: Rational drug use plays even more significant role in case of geriatrics as they are the majority of drug consumers compared to the rest of the population. Objectives: The main objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of PIMs in geriatric prescriptions and to determine the association between number of PIMs prescribed with total number of drugs prescribed, number of comorbidities and age. Materials and Methods: The data of 110 patients who were all above 60 years of age were collected. And analysed and interpreted using google forms and IBM SPSS Statistics 28.0 version. In this study, prevalence of PIMs and the association between number of PIMs prescribed with total number of drugs prescribed, number of comorbidities and age will be determined. Results: Most prescriptions that is 22.7% prescriptions had 4 PIMs present. The correlation between number of drugs prescribed and number of PIMs is having medium positive correlation as R=0.570 and correlation between number of PIMs and Age is having low positive correlation as R=0.262 and correlation between number of PIMs and number of comorbidities is having medium positive correlation as R=0.317. Conclusion: The study revealed that the prescribing patterns in the hospital was irrational as there was at least one PIM present in each prescription that was studied. This study accentuates the fact that physicians and pharmacists must be made aware of guidelines or criteria like the Beers criteria to practise safer prescribing patterns in elderly. Keywords: Beers criteria, Geriatrics, Potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs), Rational drug use, Polypharmacy.

English

Wild fruits contribute significantly to food security, thus becoming an important global discussion. This study evaluated the physicochemical and nutritional properties of Syzygium cumini (L.) Skeels fruits from two microclimates in Kenya as essential contributors to the human diet. Analysis was done using standard methodologies including the use of inductively coupled plasma - optical emission spectrometer for elemental analysis and high-pressure liquid chromatography for the determination of Vitamin C. The T-test showed significant differences in the fruit breadth, pH, total ash, sodium, calcium, manganese, copper, and zinc. The Pearson correlation matrix showed a small positive association between total soluble solids and titratable acidity with altitude, a medium positive correlation with rainfall, and a strong positive correlation between sunshine and skin colour intensity. Larger fruits contained substantial amounts of protein and crude fiber with a significant increase in energy values in fruits with high crude fat and carbohydrates, all correlating positively with the microclimate conditions; altitude, and rainfall. This study exemplifies the potential of Syzygium cumini as an alternative feed supplement to strengthen food security. It provides information on the variation of the physicochemical and nutritional composition of the fruits with climatic conditions, for the industries to employ the best strategies in obtaining marketable products. Key words: Food security, fruit quality, microclimate, nutritional, physicochemical, Syzygium cumini