Multiple Purposes Research Articles

Developing the Tokelau National Health and Physical Education Curriculum: A case study

Background: National school curriculum statements detail what it is important to learn and are highly context- and discipline-specific. The health and physical education (H&PE) learning areas have multiple learning purposes, and facilitating this in curriculum design is a significant and challenging task. Objective: There is little reporting on ‘behind-the-scenes’ practices of H&PE curriculum writing, despite this being a key mechanism by which the shaping of curricula occurs. This article offers a descriptive case study of curriculum development for the Tokelau National Curriculum H&PE learning area for Years 0–13. Prior to 2021, this learning area did not formally exist in the Tokelau National Curriculum Framework. Design, Setting and Methods: The case reports on the processes and decisions of a multi-national transdisciplinary writing team from Tokelau, New Zealand and New Caledonia. We explore the questions: ‘Why the need for an H&PE curriculum, and who is it for?’ Document collection and team-based interviews formed the basis for deductive descriptive analysis of the writing processes. Results: Three key themes were developed. Related to ‘why’, findings illustrate the importance of formalising H&PE learning, representing knowledge, skills and capabilities useful for present and future generations of young people in Tokelau. Considering ‘for whom’, findings emphasise the involvement of the community in curriculum decisions, and the inclusion of distinctive features aligned with community values, needs and aspirations. Conclusion: The case study illustrates the requisite coming together of different groups and expertise in the creation of a curriculum, a synthesis of pre-existing and new knowledge and experiences. The focus on health promotion and health and physical literacies exemplifies the everyday use of school curriculum goals to support community health.

Emerging Trends in Contemporary Accounting - A Comprehensive Study

In the contemporary landscape of the corporate realm, the indispensability of accounting and its corresponding professionals cannot be overstated. The maintenance of accurate books of accounts is an essential requirement for every business entity, as it serves multiple crucial purposes. Firstly, it enables businesses to assess their profitability and effectiveness, providing them with valuable insights into their financial performance. This information is vital for making informed decisions and implementing strategies that can enhance the overall efficiency and success of the organization. Furthermore, accurate bookkeeping plays a pivotal role in ensuring the survival and sustainability of businesses in the highly competitive contemporary market. By meticulously recording and organising financial transactions, businesses can gain a comprehensive understanding of their financial position, enabling them to identify potential areas of improvement and address any existing shortcomings. This proactive approach allows businesses to adapt to changing market dynamics, optimise their operations, and maintain a competitive edge. Moreover, accurate bookkeeping facilitates compliance with legal and regulatory requirements imposed by relevant authorities. By maintaining meticulous records of financial transactions, businesses can demonstrate transparency and accountability, mitigating the risk of legal disputes and penalties. This adherence to legal obligations not only safeguards the business's reputation but also fosters trust and confidence among stakeholders, including investors, creditors, and customers. In conclusion, the imperative for businesses to maintain accurate books of accounts cannot be overstated.

SYMBOLS ENGRAVED ON BUDDHIST PARASOL: SPECIAL REFERENCE TO MATHURA MUSEUM

After the creation of the universe, the practice of consecration of statues and symbolic representation of gods-goddesses and nature as divinity began in civilizations across the world; proving its continued existence and practice across human history. These symbols serve the multiple purposes; from being an emblem representing the concept of religious faith, notions and beliefs in the psyche of the devotees to representing the desire for glory, protection and good fortune. These symbols communicate complicated human emotions through symbolic language in the simplest ways. From the prehistoric times to the contemporary age these symbols can be traced across the human civilizations with some variations in its physical form. These variations sometimes translate differently across religions and sometimes their expressions carry certain similarities. We find such instances in the iterations of some Buddhist symbols, when worshipping the idol of Gautama Buddha was prohibited in Pre-Sectarian Buddhist age. As a result, initially Lord Buddha was represented through the consecration of religious symbols. Gradually with the passage of time, due to cultural assimilation and the domination of Hinduism, Buddhism (Mahayana sect) came closer to Hinduism. We find early Buddhist sculptures in open natural spaces as the consecration of the statue of Gautama Buddha preceded the construction of temples. To protect these statues from Sun and Rain, these statues were soon covered by various forms of parasol like canopies (Umbrella) to the upper part of the idol as a unique feature on the upper side of the idol marking the influence of Kushan period. These parasols are engraved with various symbols like: Mangal Kalash, Swastika, Conch, Shrivatsa, Lotus, etc. The specimens of these parasols can be found protected in Mathura Museum. This paper studies the meaning of artistic and symbolic foundation of these engraved symbols.

DNA barcoding of an endangered plant species, salvadora oleoides

Salvadora oleoides Decne is an endangered plant species. This species is important as the plant is used for multiple purposes. Natives use the plants for their medicinal needs in treating rheumatic pains and coughs, and many others. This species is threatened by over-exploitation and deforestation or illegal logging, as well as its very slow growth rate, so the accurate identification of this species is important. Knowledge about threats or even distribution is limited, making identifying species more difficult. Therefore, this research aimed at DNA barcoding of endangered species Salvadora oleoides to assess their potential at the meaningful taxonomic level. This study aims to amplify the rbcL and matK genes in Salvadora oleoides collected from the different regions of Pakistan. The plant DNA isolation was carried out by the CTAB method. PCR analysis was performed, which showed amplification of both rbcL and matK regions. The amplified products were purified and sent for sequencing. The results revealed a 100% sequencing rate for rbcL; however, the matK amplified product was not sequenced due to the high heterozygosity in this region, which might result in polymerase slippage during the Sanger sequencing method. The rbcL sequence was checked for homology by BLASTn and then submitted to NCBI for GenBank accession. The accession number assigned to Salvadora oleoides was OP046316 for rbcL. Keywords: DNA Barcoding, Medicinal Plants, matk, rbcl, BLAST, Species Identification.

Cloud-Based Platforms for Health Monitoring: A Review

Cloud-based platforms have gained popularity over the years because they can be used for multiple purposes, from synchronizing contact information to storing and managing user fitness data. These platforms are still in constant development and, so far, most of the data they store is entered manually by users. However, more and better wearable devices are being developed that can synchronize with these platforms to feed the information automatically. Another aspect that highlights the link between wearable devices and cloud-based health platforms is the improvement in which the symptomatology and/or physical status information of users can be stored and syn-chronized in real-time, 24 h a day, in health platforms, which in turn enables the possibility of synchronizing these platforms with specialized medical software to promptly detect important variations in user symptoms. This is opening opportunities to use these platforms as support for monitoring disease symptoms and, in general, for monitoring the health of users. In this work, the characteristics and possibilities of use of four popular platforms currently available in the market are explored, which are Apple Health, Google Fit, Samsung Health, and Fitbit.

Learning for multiple purposes: A Q-learning enhanced hybrid metaheuristic for parallel drone scheduling traveling salesman problem

In recent years, combining the artificial intelligence techniques with traditional operations research approaches for solving combinatorial optimization problems is an interesting issue in Operations Research (OR) community. There have been numerous studies in the literature that combine machine learning technique with metaheuristic algorithms for a single purpose to improve the latter’s performance. In this paper, we attempted to integrate the reinforcement learning technique Q-learning into a ruin-and-recreate based metaheuristic for multiple purposes, and thus proposed a hybrid heuristic Q-learning aided slack induction by string removals (QSISRs). Incorporating drones into last-mile delivery alongside trucks and couriers is an important trend in the development of urban logistics distribution. The parallel drone scheduling traveling salesman problem (PDSTSP) arises when a certain proportion (from 20%–100%) customers are located within a drone’s flight range from the depot, and drones can directly serve customers from the depot. In this problem, drones and trucks operate independently, and no synchronization is required. The proposed QSISRs was applied to the PDSTSP to evaluate its performance. Numerical experiments validate the effectiveness of the Q-learning technique for algorithm performance enhancement, and also demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed QSISRS for solving the PDSTSP. Furthermore, comparison results indicate that QSISRs is one of the state-of-the-art heuristic approaches for solving this problem.

Troxerutin dampened hypothalamic neuroinflammation via microglial IL-22/IL-22R1/IRF3 activation in dihydrotestosterone-induced polycystic ovary syndrome rats

BackgroundPolycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common reproductive-endocrine condition in premenopausal women. Troxerutin, a common clinical anti-coagulant agent, was shown to work as a strong IL-22 boosting agent counteracting the hyperactivated gonadotrophin releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons and heightened GnRH release, the neuroendocrine origin of PCOS with unknown mechanism in rats. Exploring the off-label use of troxerutin medication for PCOS is thus sorely needed. MethodsSerum IL-22 content and hypothalamic IL-22 protein were detected. Inflammatory factor levels in hypothalamo-pituitary were evaluated. Immunofluorescence staining was employed to determine the activation and M1/M2-prone polarization of microglia in arcuate hypothalamus and median eminence. RNA-sequencing and transcriptome analysis were applied to explore the potential driver of microglia M2-polarization in response to IL-22 bolstering effect. The function of microglial IL-22/IL-22R1/IRF3 system was further verified using in vivo knockdown of IL-22R1 and a potent IRF3 inhibitor in BV2 microglial cell lines in vitro. ResultsTroxerutin augmented serum IL-22 content, and its consequent spillover into the hypothalamus led to the direct activation of IL-22R1/IRF3 system on microglia, thereby promoted microglia M2 polarization in arcuate hypothalamus and median eminence, dampened hypothalamic neuroinflammation, inhibited hyperactive GnRH and rescued a breadth of PCOS-like traits in dihydrotestosterone (DHT) rats. The salutary effects of troxerutin treatment on hypothalamic neuroinflammation, microglial M1/2 polarization, GnRH secretion and numerous PCOS-like features were blocked by in vivo knockdown of IL-22R1. Moreover, evidence in vitro illustrated that IL-22 supplement to BV-2 microglia cell lines promoted M2 polarization, overproduction of anti-inflammatory marker and limitation of pro-inflammatory factors, whereas these IL-22 effects were blunted by geldanamycin, a potent IRF3 inhibitor. ConclusionHere, the present study reported the potential off-label use of troxerutin medication, a common clinical anti-coagulant agent and an endogenous IL-22 enhancer, for multiple purposes in PCOS. The rational underlying the application of troxerutin as a therapeutic choice in PCOS derived from its activity as an IL-22 memetic agent targeting the neuro-endocrine origin of PCOS, and its promotive impact on microglia M2 polarization via activating microglial IL-22R1/IRF3 system in the arcuate hypothalamus and median eminence of DHT female rats.

Gender, rainfall endowment, and farmers’ heterogeneity in wheat trait preferences in Ethiopia

Wheat is a vital cereal crop for smallholders in Ethiopia. Despite over fifty years of research on wheat varietal development, consideration of gendered trait preferences in developing target product profiles for wheat breeding is limited. To address this gap, our study used sex-disaggregated survey data and historical rainfall trends from the major wheat-growing regions in Ethiopia. The findings indicated heterogeneity in trait preferences based on gender and rainfall endowment. Men respondents tended to prefer wheat traits with high straw yield and disease-resistance potential, while women showed a greater appreciation for wheat traits related to good taste and cooking quality. Farmers in high rainfall areas seemed to prioritize high straw yield and disease resistance traits, while those in low rainfall areas valued good adaptation traits more highly. Most of the correlation coefficients among the preferred traits were positive, indicating that farmers seek wheat varieties with traits that serve multiple purposes. Understanding men’s and women’s preferences and incorporating them in breeding and seed systems could contribute to the development of more targeted and effective wheat varieties that meet the diverse needs of men and women farmers in Ethiopia.

The Utilization of Information Technology for the Professional Development of Islamic Education Teachers in Indonesia

The professional development of Islamic Religious Education (PAI) teachers is crucial to enhancing the quality of PAI learning in schools. One effective means to support their professional growth is through the utilization of technology as a learning medium and information source. This article aims to explore the use of technology by PAI teachers in their professional development, focusing on three key aspects: (1) The Importance of Integrating Technology in Teacher Professionalism; (2) Types and Functions of Technology Used by PAI Teachers; (3) Challenges Encountered by PAI Teachers in Advancing Professionalism through Technology. The research methodology used the qualitative method with the literature review approach, encompassing data collection and analysis from diverse sources such as journals, books, reports, and websites. The findings reveal that PAI teachers in Indonesia employ various technologies, including computers, laptops, smartphones, tablets, internet connectivity, social media platforms, applications, and software, for multiple purposes like information retrieval, communication, collaboration, content creation, presentation, and assessment of learning. The use of technology among PAI teachers yields several advantages, including the enhancement of knowledge, skills, motivation, creativity, networking opportunities, and learning resources. However, they face challenges related to limited infrastructure, access, costs, and support. Moreover, there's a lack of readiness, competence, and awareness regarding ethics and security among these educators. PAI teachers encounter difficulties, obstacles, and risks such as network disruptions, viruses, malware, spam, phishing, hacking, cyberbullying, and plagiarism. The challenges of utilizing technology for teacher professional development encompass skills, attitudes, infrastructure, and ethical considerations. Therefore, PAI teachers must possess adequate competence and readiness to integrate technology into their professional development.

Relationship between musculoskeletal discomfort and cell phone use among young adults: A cross-sectional survey.

Cell phone usage is highly prevalent among young adults. They are used for multiple purposes including communication, studies, social networking and entertainment. However, its excessive usage has been associated with adverse health outcomes. The objective was to find the association of cell phone usage with musculoskeletal discomfort (MSD) and its associated factors. A cross-sectional study was conducted on young adult students from a low-middle income country over a period of 3 months from December 2018 to February 2019. A structured questionnaire based on the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (QuickDASH scoring) was used to record the musculoskeletal discomfort. Out of 803 questionnaires, data of 754 (94%) were entered and the remaining questionnaires (n = 49) were discarded due to incomplete answers. The mean age was 20.83 (1.62) years. In our study, there were 194 (25.7%) males and 560 (74.3%) female participants. Neck and shoulder were the most frequently affected regions. A significant difference in QuickDASH score was observed between genders (p-value p ≤ 0.001). Left-handed individuals scored significantly higher on QuickDASH score compared to right-handed individuals (p < 0.05). Increased musculoskeletal discomfort was reported by individuals with daily cell phone use of more than four hours (p < 0.05). A positive significant correlation was found between continuous one hour cell-phone use and higher mean QuickDASH scores (correlation coefficient 0.124, p value 0.001). Shorter eye-to-screen distance was significantly associated with MSD (p < 0.05). Musculoskeletal discomfort is associated with the female gender, duration of cell phone use and a small eye-to-screen distance.

Spatiotemporal development of national botanic gardens worldwide and their contributions to plant diversity conservation from 1593 to 2023

The national botanic garden is not only a primary means of global ex situ conservation but also a key indicator of biodiversity conservation capacity in a country. To understand the contributions of national botanic gardens from around the world to plant diversity conservation, we generated a long time-series dataset to investigate the spatiotemporal development of national botanic gardens and then explored their functional expansion from 1593 to 2023. The results showed that the development of national botanic gardens was driven by the development demands of human society and could be divided into three stages, i.e., the initial exploration stage of early botanic gardens (1593–1765), the colonial development stage of modern botanic gardens (1765–1945), and the rapid development stage of modern botanic gardens (1945–2023). The first national botanic garden was established in Western Europe, followed by other national botanic gardens being established in the rest of the world. The functions of national botanic gardens evolved from the collection of medicinal and plant resources to multiple purposes, including scientific research, plant diversity conservation, education, and dissemination of knowledge. Contemporary national botanical gardens have played a crucial role in plant diversity conservation and scientific research on the response and adaptation of plant diversity to global change. Future development and management of national botanic gardens will play a crucial role in achieving future targets of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework, which meets the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

USING GEO-SPATIAL DATA AND DATASET FOR CROPLAND MONITORING IN DARKHAN-UUL AND SELENGE PROVINCES, MONGOLIA

Abstract. The central agricultural region is relatively pleasant in terms of nature and climate of our country, and due to the use of land for multiple purposes, the ecological status of the land has been greatly changed. It is necessary to use many types of layered data and use many types of thematic image results in agricultural monitoring and research, which is a necessary land use. These data will be carried out by various branches of research, and the modelling of each data into a unified database with geographical connections will allow for integrated evaluation and thematic drawing, and the use of geo-spatial analysis decision-making system is required. The purpose of this work is to carry out agricultural land monitoring research using remote sensing methods and advanced technology, to develop a unified methodology, to enrich the data of the points of the monitoring network database, to create an interdisciplinary geo-database, and to develop recommendations for further measures to be taken. It will cover 304,000 hectares of 17 soums of Selenge province and 36,000 agricultural lands of 3 soums of Darkhan-Uul province. A geodatabase was created for the monitoring survey of agricultural land, and a map and route for the field survey was prepared before starting the field survey. The database includes 21 sub-district boundaries, team boundaries and agricultural monitoring points, cadastral data of cultivated and agricultural land, agricultural soil data, satellite data and topography data.

Synthesis and Characterization of Silver-Plated Gold Nanostars for Biomedical and Sensing Applications

The physiochemical and optical characteristics of nanoscale colloids rely on their chemical composition, shape, and size. Gold nanostars are anisotropic multibranched nanoparticles with a central core and several sharp delicate tips, command significant attention in nanodiagnostic, imaging and sensing applications. Anisotropic nanoparticle’s shape, size and tips are of a great importance dominating their properties and performance in biomedical applications and sensing strategies which require optimization. Several factors can affect these features. In this regard, silver seed mediated goldnanostars were synthesized and characterized using different characterization techniques. Furthermore, the effect of the gold solution concentration on the morphology of the synthesized gold nanostars was investigated. Result indicated successful synthesis of gold nanostars with high yield and multiple sharp branches. EDX line scanning profile of the gold nanostars showed that there is a thin coating of silver in the shell of the nanostructures. Moreover, further analysis of TEM images of AuNSs in atomic scale resolution demonstrated that there are no dislocations and defects in the structure of the synthesized gold nanostars. Positive zeta potential of 42.3 mV confirmed good stability against aggregation in terms of charge stabilization. Synthesized anisotropic gold nanostars with near-infrared surface plasmon resonance in which tissue absorption and autofluorescence are minimized, can be used for multiple purposes on the biomedical field and sensing assays.

Diverse Roles of Seaweed in the Blue Carbon Economy and Sustainable Development: A Comprehensive Review

The imperative to replace fossil fuels with renewable fuels, such as marine ecosystem-derived fuel and food, has spurred the development of a blue carbon economic model. Seaweed emerges as a pivotal element in this framework, demonstrating potential as a substantial carbon sink. Seaweed serves multiple purposes, encompassing climate change adaptation and mitigation and contributing to advancing a bioeconomy by reducing dependence on fossil fuels. Seaweed also holds promise as a source of human food, cattle feed, biofuels, renewable feedstocks, and other versatile applications. Numerous contemporary scientific publications, reputable organizations, and business resources offer illuminating insights and fresh perspectives on how seaweed can effectively contribute to the growing blue carbon economy, providing innovative tools for combating long-term climate change. This comprehensive review delves into the multifaceted potential of seaweed, concentrating on its contributions to carbon sequestration, its role as a blue carbon precursor, and the carbon-neutralization capabilities of both wild seaweeds and seaweed farming. Moreover, it explores the specific role of seaweed in the blue carbon economy, mainly as cattle feed in ruminant diets. In addition, seaweed cultivation has the potential to mitigate global climate change, promote economic development, and support sustainable livelihoods, offering a versatile solution to address pressing environmental and socioeconomic challenges.

Relation of Hydrogeology and Contaminant Sources to Drinking Water Quality in Southern Kazakhstan

Southern Kazakhstan is one of the fastest-growing regions of this country and continued development depends on a sustainable supply of freshwater for multiple purposes. Groundwater in Southern Kazakhstan occurs in a wide variety of hydrogeological conditions with varying levels of quality and vulnerability to contamination. The aim of this paper is to investigate the present groundwater quality through sampling and laboratory analysis of source water from public supply wells, compare results to hydrogeology and known contaminant sources, and indicate where future protections may be needed. Protection from surface-borne contaminants is mainly determined by the thickness of the vadose zone, depth of the groundwater level, presence, thickness and composition of aquifers, and mobility of pollutants. Forty-five wells were sampled, yielding 106 samples of groundwater presently used for drinking water, which were evaluated to investigate the occurrence of potential pollutants and hydrogeology of the region. Of the samples collected, 46 samples were used for analysis of inorganic water chemistry, 30 for individual indicators including metals, and 31 samples for determination of petroleum products. A contaminant inventory database and geospatial database aided the interpretation of the results and allowed the prediction of future water issues. Kazakhstan’s maximum permissible concentrations (MPCs) for metals were exceeded in areas associated with industrial enterprises, while fluoride and nitrate were more closely associated with mining and agricultural sources. Groundwater quality is dependent on hydrogeology and environmental contaminants resulting from historical land uses and must be regularly monitored for drinking water safety. Petroleum hydrocarbons were not detected in any of the drinking water sources.

Marine wildlife in Brazilian zoohandicrafts: assessing the expansion of an uncontrolled trade

The trade of wild animal parts as souvenirs, hereafter termed zoohandicrafts, has witnessed significant growth in Brazil due to increasing tourism and the associated demand for souvenirs. This study aimed to investigate the diversity of marine wildlife traded as zoohandicrafts along the Brazilian coast, identify the prevalent categories for these products, and assess the extent of this trade across the country. Sampling was conducted in 23 markets at tourist destinations, covering 11 states from the Northern, Northeastern, Southeastern, and Southern regions of Brazil, between 2017 and 2022. A total of 160 items or voucher specimens were examined, revealing the presence of 68 invertebrate species and two fishes. Statistical analysis indicated significant variations in the number of species across different categories of use and within the visited states and regions. Several species were found to serve multiple purposes. Whole mollusk shells constituted the most frequently traded item, with 58 identified species. Non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) revealed two distinct groups—one including species with diverse uses in all regions of Brazil and the other encompassing species predominantly associated with decoration and religious purposes—particularly in the Northeastern and Southeastern regions of Brazil. An increasing diversity of species and a lower frequency of use were observed in the Southeastern region, relative to the Northeastern region. Approximately 20% of the species recorded are exclusively from the Indo-Pacific Ocean and are regarded as non-native to Brazil. Only 12 of the species were listed in the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, and two are regulated by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). This research sheds light on the status of the zoohandicraft trade in Brazil and highlights the lack of regulatory measures, the potential threats posed to biodiversity loss, and the economic importance of these species for people’s livelihoods. Further investigations are required to gain a comprehensive understanding of the actual social, economic, and ecological impacts of the trade in zoohandicrafts in Brazil and to devise strategies that promote both conservation and the socioeconomic wellbeing of all people involved in this commerce, from sourcing, production, distribution, and sale.

Simultaneous Docking of Antiviral Drugs and Cyanine Dyes with Proteins Using Multiple Ligand Approach

The protein-based nanosystems for targeted drug delivery of a wide array of substances, ranging from small drugs and therapeutic proteins to nucleic acids and genes, attract increasing attention due to their biocompatibility and biodegradability, extraordinary binding capacity for different ligands, accessibility from natural sources, effective drug protection and gentle encapsulation conditions. Due to the multitude of binding pockets and functional groups on the protein surface, these nanocarriers seem to be highly efficient multifunctional nanotheranostic systems that could incorporate both a therapeutic drug and a visualizing agent. This integration serves multiple purposes, including the regulation of drug release, monitoring the alterations at the target site in response to treatment, and offering crucial insights into the efficacy of the intervention in its early stages. The development of these advanced nanosystems necessitates a thorough comprehension of the potential interactions within these intricate systems. In the present study we assessed the potential of six trimethine and seven pentamethine cyanine dyes to serve as visualizing agents in the drug-protein-dye systems which include functionally significant proteins (cytochrome c, serum albumin, lysozyme and insulin and four antiviral drugs, viz. favipiravir, molnupiravir, nirmatrelvir and ritonavir. The ternary systems with the highest dye-protein surface shape complementarity were established for all groups of the examined cyanine dyes. The influence of the cyanine dye structure on the stability of the drug-protein-dye complexes was assessed. The obtained results indicate that the dye-protein affinity is not solely dependent on the length of the polymethine chain. It was found that the most prospective drug delivery systems containing the trimethines and pentamethines as visualizing agents are AK5-6-, AK5-8- and AK3-11-drug-albumin complexes.

FC7: Social Support, Relationship Satisfaction, and Meaning and Purpose in Life as Predictors of Loneliness among Older Adult Couples

Background:Meaning and purpose in life has demonstrated positive effects on physical and mental health and loneliness. We wanted to understand whether, among older adult couples, the impact of meaning and purpose in life on loneliness was mitigated by their assessment of the quality of their relationship with their partner, and their social support from family and friends.Method:Participants were 101 nondemented older adults living with a spouse or partner and participating in an ongoing longitudinal study of couples. As part of their baseline visit, they completed a series of questionnaires to measure demographic information, physical and psychological well-being, loneliness, meaning and purpose in life, quality of dyadic relationship (measured by the Dyadic Adjustment Scale), and various aspects of social support (instrumental, informational, and emotional).Results:The average age of participants was 74.7 (SD = 6.71) and 49% were female. Bivariate correlations demonstrated statistically significant relationships between loneliness and meaning and purpose in life, relationship satisfaction, and emotional, informational and instrumental support but not age and gender. In a multiple regression analysis, meaning and purpose in life was the strongest predictor of loneliness (β = - 0.322, p &lt; 0.001); relationship quality (β = -0.263, p = 0.005), emotional (β = -0.229, p = 0.048) and instrumental support (β = -0.203, p = 0.024), also predicted loneliness, F(5,95) = 12.19, p &lt; 0.001, adjusted R2= 0.36.Discussion:In this study, all participants were older adults and members of a couple. Even when they rated their relationships with their partners as having high quality, they nevertheless expressed more loneliness when they had less meaning and purpose in life. While satisfaction with instrumental and emotional support had a positive impact on loneliness; perhaps surprisingly, relationship quality was less important than meaning and purpose in life. Apparently, having a sense of meaning and purpose in life is an ongoing need that extends to old age. This finding, if replicated in a larger longitudinal study has implications for social policy that facilitates inclusion of older adults in meaningful roles, rather than having them age out.

An Assessment On The Knowledge Level Of Farmers Regarding Paddy Straw Management In Ludhiana, Punjab

Managing paddy straw in conservation agriculture is crucial for long term sustainability of agriculture. Rice straw, which is often scattered or burned in the fields, serves multiple purposes like mushroom production, fuel for cooking, ruminant fodder, stable bedding, and paper making. The study has put forth the knowledge level of farmers regarding paddy straw management. The present study was carried out in the Ludhiana district of Punjab purposively on the basis of availability of rice growers using multistage sampling technique with 100 respondents. The study revealed that 47 per cent belong to middle age group ranging from 35-50 years. Among all, 39 per cent of the farmers have completed senior secondary education. Agriculture was the major occupation of the respondents. It has been reported that more than half of the farmers belonged to nuclear families and majority of farmers had small sized family of 2 to 5 members. The operational land holding data of the respondents was categorized into marginal, small, semi-medium, medium and large categories and the majority of farmers have large land holdings of more than 25 acres. Notably, maximum respondents demonstrated a medium knowledge level regarding paddy straw management. The overall result regarding paddy straw management indicates a mixed level of awareness. While the majority of farmers were knowledgeable about certain aspects such as preferred rice variety for extending time period for straw management and the use of a baler. The study established a positive and highly significant relationship between knowledge level and and factors like education and training.

Производственный символизм макролитических каменных орудий труда в погребальном ритуале ямной культуры Южного Приуралья и Среднего Поволжья

The paper summarizes for the first time a special study data of macrolithic stone tools from the burials of the Yamnaya culture in the Western Orenburg and the Samara Volga regions. The study is based on the results of traceological analysis of 16 stone macrotools. All the tools were mainly products in the form of massive and heavy elongated pestles made of large pebble stone. The following groups of tools were identified: 1) tools for metal production; 2) pestles for rubbing and processing plants; 3) impact tools, chippers for stone processing. The tools associated with metalworking predominate numerically and include pestles for crushing ore, blacksmith hammers, anvils and tools for surface treatment of finished copper products. Often the tools were used for multiple purposes: at first in metal production, and later, perhaps already in the course of the funeral ceremony, for processing plants used in the manufacture of bedding, bedspreads and pillows for decorating graves. As a result, attention was drawn to the placement of metalworking tools in extraordinary kurgans with extraordinary burials including Utevka I, Krasnosamarskoe I, Boldyrevo I, and Tamar-Utkul VII. All the burials in which this group of artifacts was found are characterized by high labor costs significantly exceeding the standards of most known Yamnaya culture kurgan. The finds made of stone in the burials were found in combination with metal tools, weapons, sacral symbols and metal ornaments. The conclusion is made that there is a symbolic indication made by the stone tools of a specific occupattion of the buried individuals and their belonging to certain clans associated with the most important industries for pit collectives, primarily with metal production, mining of copper ore and its processing. According to the authors, a complex combination of both industrial and military, and cult-religious symbols in the largest and most significant burial structures of the Yamnaya culture in the Volga-Urals is typical of the burials of super leaders at the pre-political stage of society development.