Precautionary Action Research Articles

The application of precaution in elasmobranch conservation and management in the Mediterranean Sea

This study examined the integration and application of the precautionary principle at national level for the conservation and management of elasmobranchs. Three countries, Greece, Malta, and Cyprus were assessed. Based on national legislation, policies, and reports, the assessment shows limited integration and application of the precautionary approach for the conservation and management of this group. The review of existing measures and relevant literature revealed potential applications of the precautionary principle for two model species, the blue shark (Prionace glauca) and the bull ray (Aetomylaeus bovinus). Sixteen measures, ranging from basic to strong precautionary actions, are proposed to aid the conservation and management of these two species.

EFFECT OF LOCKDOWN DUE TO COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON AIR QUALITY IN THE INDUSTRIAL CITY OF EASTERN INDIA

The lockdown due to coronavirus (COVID-19) was forced in India from March, 25 to May 3 2020 as precautionary actions in contradiction of the diffusion of infectious virus. The objective of this study is to analyse the changes in air quality between pre and during the lockdown in Asansol, the “coal mining city” of Eastern India is characterized by high pollution levels due to several industries leading to human discomfort and even health problems. Secondary data of seven parameters like CO, SO2, NO2, PM2.5, PM10, NH3, and O3 have been collected from the website of the Central Pollution Control Board, India and AQI were calculated as per the calculator provided by CPCB. The result displays a significant reduction of seven parameters from 33.31 % (SO2) to 60.44 % (PM2.5) due to the shut down of all manufacturing units and transportation throughout the lockdown period. The air quality index (AQI) was also upgraded from a very poor to a satisfactory state during this period. Plants are the main carbon sink, so, a green belt project proposal for this polluted city has been recommended to improve air quality management. This lockdown (temporarily) showed some vaccine effect on the air quality, but this is totally against economic growth.

Does Irrigation with Treated and Untreated Wastewater Increase Antimicrobial Resistance in Soil and Water: A Systematic Review.

Population growth and water scarcity necessitate alternative agriculture practices, such as reusing wastewater for irrigation. Domestic wastewater has been used for irrigation for centuries in many historically low-income and arid countries and is becoming more widely used by high-income countries to augment water resources in an increasingly dry climate. Wastewater treatment processes are not fully effective in removing all contaminants, such as antimicrobial resistant bacteria (ARB) and antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs). Literature reviews on the impact of wastewater irrigation on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in the environment have been inconclusive and mostly focused on treated wastewater. We conducted the first systematic review to assess the impact of irrigation with both treated or untreated domestic wastewater on ARB and ARGs in soil and adjacent water bodies. We screened titles/abstracts of 3002 articles, out of which 41 were screened in full text and 26 were included in this review. Of these, thirteen investigated irrigation with untreated wastewater, and nine found a positive association with ARB/ARGs in soil. Out of thirteen studies focused on treated wastewater, six found a positive association with ARB/ARGs while six found mixed/negative associations. Our findings demonstrate that irrigation with untreated wastewater increases AMR in soil and call for precautionary action by field workers, their families, and consumers when untreated wastewater is used to irrigate crops. The effect of irrigation with treated wastewater was more variable among the studies included in our review, highlighting the need to better understand to what extent AMR is disseminated through this practice. Future research should assess factors that modify the effect of wastewater irrigation on AMR in soil, such as the degree and type of wastewater treatment, and the duration and intensity of irrigation, to inform guidelines on the reuse of wastewater for irrigation.

Assessing the nurse’s knowledge regarding occupational hazards, its pre-disposing and preventive factors.

Background: Nurses are an essential part of the healthcare team and require sound knowledge, safety, and protection from occupational health hazards they encounter at work. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the nurse's knowledge regarding occupational hazards, their pre-disposing, and preventive factors. 
 Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among nurses working in surgical, general, ENT, ICU, and gyne ward of the Ziauddin and Civil hospital located in Karachi, Pakistan. A total of 157 registered nurses with a minimum of 6 months of work experience with a valid PNC license were included in the study. Systematic random sampling was used to select participants for the research. The knowledge regarding occupational hazards, pre-disposing factors, and preventive measures were recorded using a structured questionnaire. 
 Results: Among 157 participants, the highest occurring occupational hazard was neck and back pain, 52.9%. The assessment of pre-disposing factors to occupational hazards revealed that 70.1% of nurses distinguished lack of adequate protective aids and equipment as one of the most common reasons for the occupational hazards. However, it is revealed by 77.7% of participants that proper training and retraining on safety measures, provision of protective aids and equipment could be possible ways of preventing occupational hazards.
 Conclusion: It is concluded that occupational health hazards are prevalent among nursing professionals, which can be reduced through owing responsibility, gaining appropriate knowledge and skills, warrant precautionary actions for avoidance to ensure their own and others' health and well-being.

COVID-19 health awareness among the United Arab Emirates population.

In response to the global COVID-19 epidemic, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) government is taking precautionary action to mitigate the spread of the virus. The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge and practices toward COVID-19 among the general public in the UAE during the current outbreak. A cross-sectional online survey of 1356 respondents in the UAE was conducted during the epidemic outbreak between 9th to 24th June-2020. The questionnaire consisted of three sections: Socio-demographic, knowledge, practices. Independent-samples t-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), chi-square and binary logistic regression was used. A p-value of (p < 0.05) was considered statistically significant. The total correct score of knowledge and practice questions was high 85% and 90%, respectively. Male’s sex, other marital status, and illiterate/primary educational levels had a lower level of knowledge and practices than others. Participants aged 18–29 had little higher knowledge than other ages but had a lower level in practices, people who live in Abu Dhabi had better knowledge and practices than other emirates, employed people had a lower level of knowledge but higher in practices. Binary logistic regression analysis presented that females, 18–29 years, and married participants significantly associated with a higher score of knowledge, while female, over 30 years old, the martial status of singles, college-level and higher, unemployed, were significantly associated with high mean practices score. This study provided a full screening of the knowledge and practices among a sample of residents in The UAE toward COVID-19, continuing to implement the health education programs pursued by the UAE is highly important to maintain the appropriate level of awareness among the public.

Barriers and Facilitators to COVID-19 screening at Jaipur International Airport, India.

Airports pose a possible threat in facilitating global disease transmission within the community which may be prevented by rigorous systematic entry-exit screening. Rajasthan Government has taken precautionary action at Jaipur International airport by screening passengers. The present article describes the entry-exit screening along with stakeholder perception on the barriers and facilitators associated with the screening. Secondary data was obtained from the Rajasthan Medical & Health Department team to categorize passengers for risk of COVID-19. A mix-method inductive-deductive thematic analysis was conducted. A total of 4565 passengers (Males=4073 and Females=492) with 23 suspected cases were screened during an outlined period of declaration of Pandemic to Lockdown in India (11 th to 24 th March 2020). The mean age of passengers was 40.95 ± 7.8 years. The average screening time per passenger was 2-3 minutes with a load of 25-90 passengers per team per flight. Fishbone analysis of screening revealed barriers like poor cooperation of passengers, masking symptoms, apprehension, and stigma related to quarantine. Inadequate human resources and changing guidelines overburdened healthcare providers. Perception of risk, and social responsibility of travelers together with supportive organization behavior act as facilitators. Overall, groundwork on airport screening was insightful to propose key action areas for streamlined screening in limiting transmission.

Early detection of lean blowout in a combustor using symbolic analysis of colour images

Recently, lean combustion has been accepted as one of the preferable modes to run both small and large scale energy sectors as it reduces the level of NOx (oxides of nitrogen) emissions. However, ultra-lean combustion is more susceptible to lean blowout (LBO) which significantly reduces engine life and operating reliability. Therefore, early detection of LBO is important so that operator can get sufficient lead time to initiate precautionary actions. The current investigation proposes a novel technique based on the conversion of flame colour matrix into symbolic strings. The generation of symbolic strings is done based on the partitioning of the hue space obtained from transformation of RGB (Red-Green-Blue) to HSV (Hue-Saturation-Value) using uniform partitioning method. The partitions are determined at the reference state and kept fixed for other equivalence ratios (anomalous or non-reference states). Thus, the hue value at each pixel of the image is assigned a symbol depending on its belonging to a particular partition. Thereafter, an array of symbolic state probability vector at reference combustion state is determined based on the probability of pixel hue value being in a particular symbolic state or symbol (number of symbolic states is considered as 8). Also, for other anomalous or non-reference combustion states, symbolic state probability vectors are estimated using the partition formed at the reference state. The difference in symbolic state probability vectors between reference and anomalous combustion states gives the anomaly measure, which is used here to detect the flame blowout. The early increasing trend of anomaly towards the blowout for both premixed and partially premixed flames indicate that the measure can be helpful to detect the approach towards LBO. The estimation of anomaly is shown for using the flame images of different quantities. The random selection of five images from a flame video shows to be very effective in capturing the trend of anomaly which also ensures low computational effort. Thus, the tool based on symbolic colour image analysis (SCIA) may also be helpful in the mitigation of LBO.

917Stakeholder analysis to develop a national outbreak response plan for Q fever in Australia

917Stakeholder analysis to develop a national outbreak response plan for Q fever in Australia

Mental Health Challenges Faced During Covid-19 Pandemic: A Review

Objective: The precautionary actions taken to control the spread of the novel coronavirus made people stay at their houses for a longer period than usual. Although these precautions are meant for limiting the spread of the disease, the majority of the population has been negatively impacted mentally. We therefore, focus on the psychological impact on various peer groups in the general population. Study design: This is a systematic review and meta- analysis. Methods: PubMed and Scopus databases were reviewed, in addition to searches in Google Scholar. The methodology of systematic search (completed in October 2020) has been performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews (PRISMA). Results: Nine studies which included longitudinal, cross- sectional, self- reported and web- based surveys were selected. It was found that individuals varying with age and work established different patterns of psychological impact. Conclusion: It was found that the negative thoughts were provoked due to the decline in the economy, loss of a job, uncertainty about the plans, and the constant updates of the disease. Hence, self- coping strategies along with the support teams from government authorities and NGO’s is crucial in helping the public to manage their mental health.

Development of operational intervention levels for events with release of radionuclides

An essential part of a protection strategy for radiological emergencies is the development of national dose criteria and of operational intervention levels (OILs) to decide about protective measures for all ten scenarios Germany is preparing. For the process of planning and implementing such protection strategies as required by the German Radiation Protection Law the Federal Ministry BMU has commissioned the German Radiation Protection Commission (SSK) to recommend dose criteria and OILs for emergency response measures. OILs link a chosen dose criterion for a protective action with a suitable measurement of the contamination situation such as ambient dose rate (μSv h−1), contamination level on surfaces (Bq cm−2) or activity content (Bq g−1, Bq cm−3). This link should adequately model the exposure of persons during a defined exposure period (e.g. seven days, one year) caused by the measured contamination. Dose calculations to quantify OILs should apply assumptions and parameter values that are in tendency realistic and not unduly conservative. OILs have been developed for the following emergency response actions based on radiation measurements: Sheltering on the basis of dose rate (μSv h−1) and contamination level(Bq cm−2). Evacuation on the basis of dose rate (μSv h−1) and contamination level(Bq cm−2). Establishing a radiological hazard area to implement access andcontamination control on the basis of dose rate (μSv h−1) and contaminationlevel (Bq cm−2). Contamination control and possibly decontamination of persons and objects(items, goods, vehicles, etc) based on contamination level (Bq cm−2). A set of precautionary early actions: warning the population not toconsume freshly contaminated food and agricultural measures to reducefood contamination based on dose rate (μSv h−1). Application of maximum permitted levels of radioactive contamination offood and feed (Bq kg−1) according to Euratom Regulation.

MANAGEMENT ASPECTS OF ADAPTATION OF THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR OF THE ECONOMY TO CLIMATE CHANGE

Topicality. Climate change is one of the global challenges for humanity. It is formed over the decades and become more and more obvious, change the conditions of management and have a number of negative consequences for many areas of economic activity and, in particular, the agricultural sector of the economy. The global climate is the result of the interaction of factors of natural and man-made origin. If the former are objective in nature, the latter are due to the combined effects of global economic activity. Addressing climate anomalies has two global vectors: addressing the factors that accelerate climate change and developing adaptive measures to prevent the negative impact of these changes to ensure that land is protected from degradation, to maintain the financial capacity and resilience of businesses. The managerial aspect in the conditions of market, economic-ecological and information uncertainty acquires relevance for the maintenance and strengthening of competitive positions of land users. The problem of developing adaptation measures should be considered at the state, regional and local levels, which determines the direction of work. Aim and tasks. The aim of the study is to develop effective management measures to adapt agribusiness to profitable farming in the new climate. Realization of the purpose has led to the decision of research tasks: to estimate tendencies of transformations of natural and climatic conditions of agricultural management; propose precautionary measures and management actions to ensure efficient management in the context of intensifying climate change in southern Ukraine. Research results. According to the results of the analysis, the need for a comprehensive approach to solving the problem of adaptation of the agricultural sector to changes in natural conditions of agricultural production, based on the revival of irrigation in the zone of risky agriculture, which is the steppe zone and especially its southern part. The priority management actions at all levels of the management vertical are defined. Conclusion. The problem of adaptation of the agricultural sector to climate change should be considered not only as a vector of increasing the production of export-oriented agricultural products, but as a way to preserve highly productive lands that have a high percentage of humus and degrade due to moisture deficit. Given that the field of land reclamation has felt all the effects of transformation processes, lost support from the state, and in some cases controllability, the very strategy of this area will determine the most rational scenario for its development. The main areas of search are the following vectors of possible solutions: right-establishing; institutional; technical and technological; organizational and managerial; innovation and investment; economic; informative; alternative. Modern challenges are not limited to solving the problem of irrigation at the expense of existing water supply sources. The whole world today is inventing ways to accumulate water for the needs of the agricultural sector, using local conditions and opportunities. Determining their list, feasibility of implementation, expected effect and scope is an important scientific problem that needs to be studied.

Assessment of knowledge, attitudes, and precautionary actions against COVID-19 among medical students in Egypt

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has become a significant public health threat. Therefore, the purpose of this survey was to assess knowledge, attitudes, and precautionary measures related to COVID-19 among college students. MethodsA convenient sample of 3263 volunteers responded to a self-administered electronic questionnaire during the period from October to December 2020. The knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) score level was calculated with a range of 0–34 points. ResultsThe mean age of the participants was 21 (+/−1.2) years, 69% were female, and 60.3% were urban. The majority of respondents received information about COVID-19 symptoms (93.9%), how to protect yourself (92.5%), and how it is transmitted (86.8%). The most cited sources of information were social media (75.7%), and the most credible were government websites and international organizations. More than half (65%) expressed concern regarding contracting COVID-19, and 89.2% believed that COVID-19 is a dangerous infection due to the rapid spread of the virus. The mean total KAP score was 26.1 (+/−4.2), which differed significantly between gender groups and residential areas. Logistic regression analysis showed that volunteers with good knowledge were 1.3 and 1.0 times more willing to volunteer and maintain a physical distance than those with less knowledge. Female students were 40% less likely to volunteer than males, yet they were 1.8 times more cautious about practicing protective measures such as washing their hands with soap and water than male students. Classifying the COVID-19 pandemic as a serious infection, urban communities have twice been careful to wear masks outdoors and maintain a social distance of at least 2 m from one another compared to rural inhabitants. ConclusionThe current survey revealed that medical students have good knowledge regarding COVID-19, a positive attitude towards the use of protective measures, which were necessary to limit the spread of the disease. However, improvement is still required, and community education should occur as usual with a commitment to utilizing all the strategies that can support knowledge to improve and change attitudes as well as practices of the population.

Fish sounds and boat noise are prominent soundscape contributors in an urban European estuary

Passive acoustic monitoring is a valuable tool for non-intrusive monitoring of marine environments, also allowing the assessment of underwater noise that can negatively affect marine organisms. Here we provide for the first time, an assessment of noise levels and temporal soundscape patterns for a European estuary. We used several eco-acoustics methodologies to characterize the data collected over six weeks within May 2016 - July 2017 from Tagus estuary. Biophony was the major contributor dominated by fish vocalizations and the main driver for seasonal patterns. Maritime traffic was the major source of anthropogenic noise, with daily patterns monitored using 1584 Hz third-octave band level. This indicator avoided biophony and geophony, unlike other indicators proposed for the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive. Furthermore, the frequency overlap between anthropophony and biophony demands precautionary actions and calls for further research. This study provides an assessment that will be useful for future monitoring and management strategies.

MOLECULAR PROPERTIES, BIOACTIVITY SCORES, AND TOXICITY PREDICTIONS OF THE PHYTOCONSTITUENTS PRESENT IN BAUHINIA ACUMINATA

ABSTRACT:&#x0D; To develop the herbal drug with the least side effects, there are superior opportunities to discover the medicinal and other biological properties. Natural products serve as sources of beneficial chemical molecules. For this study, Bauhinia acuminata an important medicinal plant of the Indian subcontinent that belongs to the family Fabaceae was chosen. The plant is well known for its precautionary action in tuberculosis. It has been established to possess some pharmacological activities such as membranes Stabilizing activity1, antibacterial2, anti-nociceptive3, thrombolytic activity4, antioxidant5, anthelmintic6, anti-diarrheal7, Hepato-protective 8.&#x0D; Phytoconstituents present in Bauhinia acuminata obey Lipinski's rule (MiLog P &lt;5) except Kaempferol-3-glucoside indicated their drug-likeness property. Rhoeagenine, 9, 12, 15-octadecatrienoic acid, and 9, 12-octadecadienoic acid are the phytoconstituents showing all types of binding with all types of receptors binding except Kinase inhibitor activity.&#x0D; Rhoeagenine, Alpha humulene, 9, 12, 15-octadecatrienoic acid, 9, 12-octadecadienoic acid, Alpha muurolol, Beta-sitosterol, Kaempferol-3-glucoside are the phytoconstituents that are free from any type of toxicity. The accurate prediction scores can be used as monographs by researchers and scientists for the development of potential Semisynthetic and synthetic drugs for multifarious usage.

Sparse rail network robustness analysis: Functional vulnerability levels of accidents resulting from human errors

Transportation network vulnerability analysis has developed increasingly in the last decade with the goal to identify the most critical locations against incidences. In this domain, many of the previous researches have focused on congested urban networks; however, there is still a need to consider regional and interurban sparse rail networks, specifically those networks in developing countries. In such sparse rail networks, there are limited possibilities to redirect trains if a link is disrupted, there might be less possibility of finding redundant alternative routes, and network failures are usually accompanied by a phenomenon called ‘unsatisfied demand.’ The study reported in this paper stemmed from research aimed to design precautionary actions for a developing country's sparse railway system. Our study framework deemed to find the most vulnerable part of an inter-urban sparse rail network using a network scan approach, which found the consequences of network disruptions. A number of criteria were defined to determine the total cost including unsatisfied demand and additional transportation costs due to disruptions. The results showed that how well the process of the vulnerability analysis, considering the features of both supply and demand sides, can be a guide for railway authorities in applying system safety measures.

Swiss ADME properties screening of the phytochemical compounds present in Bauhinia acuminata

In modern years, conventional medicinal plants analysis have constantly increased multinationally because plants allow them to complement modern pharmacological approaches. As computer mechanics approach, i.e in silico screening and pharmacokinetic screening can augment active compounds among the candidates and indicate mechanism of action of medicinal plants. The plant is well known for its precautionary action in tuberculosis. It has been established to possess some pharmacological activities such as Cytotoxic [1], antibacterial [2, 3], anti-nociceptive [4], thrombolytic activity [5], antioxidant [6], anthelmintic [7], anti-diarrheal [8], Hepatoprotective [9]. The present focus on the use of in silico ADME tool called Swiss ADME for pharmacological and pharmacognostic profiling of Bauhinia acuminata. The results of these studies can be further carried forward by researcher to investigate the in vitro and in vivo studies to reveal the pharmacological basis of traditional medicinal plants.

Potential of bryophytes in prevention and medication of COVID-19

Severe acute respiratory syndrome Corona Virus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the latest adherent in the family Coronaviridae. It is an extremely transmissible and transmits through interaction/droplets. Early response in an infected person includes deregulations of cytokine followed by failure of the immune system. World Health Organization (WHO) stated it as worldwide wellbeing emergency regarding this pandemic. The death tally is ever increasing since the first report in Wuhan (China) in December 2019. Consequently, the scientific community of the world started the work on his remedy and suggested the obligatory precautionary actions. Though, few vaccines have been developed, yet the best option is still to take preventive measures at present in future also. Among all preventive measures, the use of herbs in our diet is the easiest and best. Many herbs with great antioxidant profiles and antiviral potential are known to us. But, usually angiosperms are the first choice to be utilized and other plants such as bryophytes have been neglected for their use as remedy to treat many diseases caused by viruses. The purpose of this review to explore and compile those bryophytes which would be the possible candidates as remedy against coronavirus as immunity boosters.

Marine food web perspective to fisheries‐induced evolution

Fisheries exploitation can cause genetic changes in heritable traits of targeted stocks. The direction of selective pressure forced by harvest acts typically in reverse to natural selection and selects for explicit life histories, usually for younger and smaller spawners with deprived spawning potential. While the consequences that such selection might have on the population dynamics of a single species are well emphasized, we are just beginning to perceive the variety and severity of its propagating effects within the entire marine food webs and ecosystems. Here, we highlight the potential pathways in which fisheries‐induced evolution, driven by size‐selective fishing, might resonate through globally connected systems. We look at: (i) how a size truncation may induce shifts in ecological niches of harvested species, (ii) how a changed maturation schedule might affect the spawning potential and biomass flow, (iii) how changes in life histories can initiate trophic cascades, (iv) how the role of apex predators may be shifting and (v) whether fisheries‐induced evolution could codrive species to depletion and biodiversity loss. Globally increasing effective fishing effort and the uncertain reversibility of eco‐evolutionary change induced by fisheries necessitate further research, discussion and precautionary action considering the impacts of fisheries‐induced evolution within marine food webs.

Under Threat, Weaker Evidence Is Required to Reach Undesirable Conclusions.

Critical decisions, such as in domains ranging from medicine to finance, are often made under threatening circumstances that elicit stress and anxiety. The negative effects of such reactions on learning and decision-making have been repeatedly underscored. In contrast, here we show that perceived threat alters the process by which evidence is accumulated in a way that may be adaptive. Participants (n = 91) completed a sequential evidence sampling task in which they were incentivized to accurately judge whether they were in a desirable state, which was associated with greater rewards than losses, or an undesirable state, which was associated with greater losses than rewards. Before the task participants in the “threat group” experienced a social-threat manipulation. Results show that perceived threat led to a reduction in the strength of evidence required to reach an undesirable judgment. Computational modeling revealed this was because of an increase in the relative rate by which negative information was accumulated. The effect of the threat manipulation was global, as the alteration to evidence accumulation was observed for information which was not directly related to the cause of the threat. Requiring weaker evidence to reach undesirable conclusions in threatening environments may be adaptive as it can lead to increased precautionary action.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT To make good judgments, people gather information. As information is often unlimited, a decision has to be made as to when the data are sufficiently strong to reach a conclusion. Here, we show that this decision is significantly influenced by perceived threat. In particular, under threat, the rate of negative information accumulation increased, such that weaker evidence was required to reach an undesirable conclusion. Such modulation could be adaptive as it can result in enhanced cautious behavior in dangerous environments.

SOCIAL DISTANCING DETECTOR USING DEEP LEARNING

This paper presents a methodology for detecting social distance using deep learning and computer vision between people to control the spread of covid-19. This application is developed to give alerts to people for maintaining social distance in crowded places. By using pre-recorded video as input and the open-source object detection pretrained model using the YOLOv3 algorithm We can tell if people are following social distancing or not and based on that we are creating red or green bounding boxes over it. It is also working on web cameras, CCTV, etc, and can detect people in real-time. This may help authorities to redesign the layout of public places or to take precautionary actions to mitigate high-risk zones.it can be used in other fields also like autonomous vehicles, human action recognition, crowd analysis.