Responsible Factors Research Articles

Mysterious ciliates: seasonally recurrent and yet hard to predict

Abstract Ciliates represent a crucial link between phytoplankton and bacteria and mesozooplankton in pelagic food webs, but little is known about the processes influencing the dynamics of individual species. Using long-term, high-frequency observations, we compared the diversity and the temporal variability in biomass and species composition of the ciliate community in large, deep, mesotrophic Lake Constance to that of the phytoplankton and rotifer communities in the same lake. Furthermore, we used boosted regression trees to evaluate possible environmental predictors (temperature, three prey groups, four predator/competitor groups) influencing ciliate net growth. The biomass of all ciliate species showed a common, recurrent seasonal pattern, often with peaks in spring and summer. The ciliate community was more diverse than the rotifer community, exhibited highly synchronous dynamics and its species were regularly encountered during the season. The top-down control by copepods likely contributes to the ciliates’ synchronized decline prior to the clear-water phase when food concentration is still high. The high temporal autocorrelation of the ciliate biomasses together with the inter-annual recurrent seasonal patterns and the low explanatory power of the environmental predictors suggest that the dynamics of individual ciliate species are strictly controlled, yet it remains difficult to determine the responsible factors.

Financial profitability analysis of dairy milk production in some selected areas of Bangladesh

The study analyzed profitability and productivity of dairy milk production from a survey of 70 respondents (farmers and market actors) in Dhaka region. Responsible factors that affect dairy milk production were identified using the Cobb-Douglas production function. The findings unveil that significant coefficients of variables exhibit positive impact on the dairy milk production. It is possible for dairy farmers to enjoy sufficient profits from milk production since earned gross return and net return were Tk. 1099 and Tk. 594, respectively against the total cost of production Tk. 487.83 per cow per day. Average production of milk per cow was 12.5 liters. The estimated Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR) was 2.17 that is dairy farmers earned Tk. 2.17 investing one taka in dairy farming. Int. J. Agril. Res. Innov. Tech. 12(1): 182-187, June 2022

Assessing heavy metal index referencing health risk in Ganga River System

ABSTRACT River Ganga, one of the largest perennial rivers, conserves the cultural heritage of the Indian sub-continent, supporting as the nectar of life to millions residing on the banks of the river basin. With unlimited use, the river also receives a large amount of untreated wastewater discharged from different industrial, commercial and residential complexes, unbalancing the nutrient concentration at many points along the stretch. The current study assesses water samples collected from 20 monitoring locations and the Ganga River System in the Himalayan region, evaluating the potential risk of heavy metal pollution. The concentration of Zn, Pb, Mn, Fe, Cu, Al, Ni, Cd, Mg and Co is determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS). Fe, Cd and Mg’s observed values exceeded various standards (WHO, BIS and USEPA) for drinking water. The pollution assessment index (heavy metal pollution index: HPI) and multivariate analysis (principal component analysis: PCA and cluster analysis: CA) were implemented to identify the intensity of pollution and its sources. The seasonal values of HPI were found 88.69, 90.32, 88.53 and 84.96 in winter, summer, monsoon and post-monsoon seasons. The index value on all monitoring locations varied between the range of PCA outcomes for three factors and explained 72.1% of the variance, indicating natural and man-made activities as responsible metal abundance factors in the river system. The hazard quotient (HQ) and hazard index (HI) are used to assess non-cancer health risks to humans. The seasonal evaluation recorded HQ < 1 for all the metals and HI > 1 was found for the entire study period. This study contributes to various conservation initiatives for the River Ganga System with factual datasets and characterization of various sampling locations using heavy metal indexing while sharing common masses’ findings for people participation at the regional level.

Pathotypes Diversity of Puccinia striiformis causing Yellow Rust of Wheat in Nepal

Wheat (Triticum aestivum) is one of the major stable crop in Nepal. The area of cultivation of wheat is increasing compared to last decade; but its productivity is almost stagnant due to several limiting factors among them, yellow rust caused by Puccinia striiformis is one of the major responsible factors. Rust monitoring was carried out to determine the pathotypes diversity of P. striiformis during 2018-2021. A total of 109 samples were collected from 41 districts of seven provinces. Each yellow rust samples multiplied in susceptible cultivar and inoculated in differential set for rust pathotypes analysis. The diversity of pathotypes was observed across the country. Seven pathotypes (238S119, 110S119, 46S119, 47S103, 6S0, 78S84 and 110S84) were recorded with different severity level. The pathotypes 46S119, 110S119 and 238S84 found as predominant in different locations. The severity level ranged from resistant to highly susceptible depending on location and genotypes. The severity level was comparatively higher in western-mid-hill than eastern-mid-hill. The change in pathotypes diversity may be resulted by selection pressure due to the adoption of new wheat genotypes. Monitoring rust pathotypes is essential to develop a strategic plan for yellow rust management by deploying resistant gene/s in wheat genotypes.

Time-course differential expression of transcripts in resistant and susceptible groundnut genotypes challenged with Sclerotium rolfsii Sacc

Groundnut stem rot is one of the most devastating fungal diseases caused by Sclerotium rolfsii, resulting in significant yield loss. A transcriptome approach based on the cDNA-RAPD technique was employed to further understand the specific response of groundnut challenged with S. rolfsii. 35 cDNA-RAPD primers were employed to analyze the expression profiles of ICGV 86590 (resistant) and Narayani (susceptible) genotypes over a time course (0, 24, 48, 72 and 96 h after inoculation). The expression analysis found 3499 Transcript Derived Fragments (TDFs), of which 1431 TDFs with a qualitative difference and 128 quantitative differences (28, 27 up and 30, 43 down-regulated) in resistant and susceptible genotypes. A sharp increase in differentially expressed transcripts (DETs) in ICGV 86590 compared to susceptible Narayani at 24 h after inoculation indicated early recognition and timely activation of defense-related genes. A delayed response to pathogen infection was observed in susceptible genotype and also in the expression of a distinct set of DETs at different time intervals. However, more TDFs were differentially expressed in the resistant genotype compared to the susceptible genotype. As a result, these DETs were the responsible factors for the stem rot resistance and can be employed as functional markers in the development of stem rot resistant groundnut varieties. This study also reveals transcriptome changes before and after stem rot infection in groundnut, signifying the complex nature of stem rot resistance.

Expansion of the quality of care index on breast cancer and its risk factors using the global burden of disease study 2019.

Breast cancer (BC), as the top neoplasm in prevalence and mortality in females, imposes a heavy burden on health systems. Evaluation of quality of care and management of patients with BC and its responsible risk factors was the aim of this study. We retrieved epidemiologic data of BC from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 1990-2019 database. Epidemiology and burden of BC and its risk factors were explored besides the Quality of Care Index (QCI) introduced before, to assess the provided care for patients with BC in various scales. Provided care for BC risk factors was investigated by their impact on years of life lost and years lived with disability by a novel risk factor quality index (rQCI). We used the socio-demographic index (SDI) to compare results in different socio-economic levels. In 2019, 1,977,212 (95% UI: 1,807,615-2,145,215) new cases of BC in females and 25,143 (22,231-27,786) in males was diagnosed and this major cancer caused 688,562 (635,323-739,571) deaths in females and 12,098 (10,693-13,322) deaths in males, globally. The all-age number of deaths and disability-adjusted life years attributed to BC risk factors in females had an increasing pattern, with a more prominent pattern in metabolic risks. The global estimated age-standardized QCI for BC in females in 2019 was 78.7. The estimated QCI was highest in high SDI regions (95.7). The top countries with the highest calculated QCI in 2019 were Iceland (100), Japan (99.8), and Finland (98.8), and the bottom countries were Mozambique (16.0), Somalia (8.2), and Central African Republic (5.3). The global estimated age-standardized rQCI for females was 82.2 in 2019. In spite of the partially restrained burden of BC in recent years, the attributable burden to risk factors has increased remarkably. Countries with higher SDI provided better care regarding both the condition and its responsible risk factors.

IMPACT OF SEASONAL VARIATION ON UNDERGROUND WATERQUALITY IN BBN AREA, HIMACHAL PRADESH, INDIA

The present investigation was carried out in BBN (Baddi-Baroutiwala-Nalagharh) area of Solan districtof Himachal Pradesh. The sources, Hand pumps and bore wells taken for the sampling ofunderground water in this study area. This study of underground water is focused on seasonalvariation of the quality of groundwater and level of pollution in underground water sources inBBN area. The analysis of physico-chemical parameters of six sampling stations during April, 2018to December, (2018). Parameters such as Temperature, pH, turbidity, Total alkalinity, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), sodium, cadmium, copper, iron, lead etc. The analysis results were carried out according to APHA, 2012 procedures. The results obtained have been compared with BIS standards for drinking water (BIS: IS: 10500, 2012). The result revealed that the concentration of mostly physico-chemical parameters found higher in monsoon season as compared to summer and winter seasons. The assessment shows that underground water of this area is not suitable for drinking purpose without purification. Domestic sewage and Chemicals or industrial effluents are the main responsible factors for quality degradation of underground water in the BBN area.

Corporate Social Responsibility and Firm Performance: Evidence from Vietnamese Listed Companies

This study investigates the impact of socially responsible factors on corporate performance, including industries from the manufacturing and service /non-manufacturing sector. The study analyzes data of 50 Vietnamese private companies from 2015 to 2019. The analyses use five groups of stakeholders, including shareholders, employees, consumers and suppliers, environment, and general community to measure the performance of corporate social responsibilities (CSR). Meanwhile, company performance was estimated using Tobin’s Q index, return on assets, return on equity, and earnings per share. CSR activities have a positive and significant effect on the development of the companies. However, these effects are not intensive. Among CSR groups, social dimension has the most influence, while environmental aspects are the least influential. Private small- and medium-sized companies in Vietnam should focus more on social responsibility activities to enhance their brand image and benefit their stakeholders while bringing sustainable values in financial activities. This study is one of the first CSR-based research in Vietnam under the proxy of Hexun framework.

Nearly five decades of changing shoreline mobility along the densely developed Lagos barrier-lagoon coast of Nigeria: A remote sensing approach

Lagos is the old capital and largest port city in Nigeria. There are increased ecological and environmental problems around this coastal area with fast-growing industrialization and a population of 14 million in 2020. In this study, we utilized satellite images to study the shoreline evolution of Lagos Lagoon Barrier coast, Nigeria from 1973 to 2019. The Lagos Lagoon Barrier coast is divided into three sections: Section I (Marginal Lagos), section II (Eko Atlantic City), and section III (Lekki peninsula). Section I coast was stable compared to other sections with around 77% of the section experiencing erosion with the averaging rate of −1.73 m/yr, and the remaining 23% accreting at the rate of +0.57 m/yr throughout the study period. Around 92% of Section II was eroded at the rate of −3.59 m/yr, and 8% of this section accreting at the rate of +4.46 m/yr from 1973 to 2008, with a serious erosion rate of −11.79 m/yr from 1986 to 1999. After the Eko Atlantic City project from 2008 to 2019, Section II experienced advancement up to +92.16 m/yr (53%) and a retreat of up to −6.50 m/yr (47%). Along section III, erosion dominates with around 90% of this section being eroded at the averaging rate of −3.55 m/yr with only 10% accreting at the averaging rate of +1.10 m/yr for the study period. Along the westernmost edge of section III, intense erosion up to +7.10 m/yr dominates and continues eastward of Victoria Island from 2012 to 2019. Furthermore, we recorded shoreline erosion up to −11 m/yr along the Ibeju-Lekki axis and Lagos Free Trade Zone (eastern fringe of section III) from 1999 to 2012.Extrapolating the responsible factors for the shoreline fluctuations along the Lagos Lagoon Barrier coast, this study has identified a combined impact of sea-level rise, limited sediment supplied by longshore current from adjacent rivers due to construction of dams along the several tributaries in the Bight of Benin, hard coastal engineering procedure such as the Eko Atlantic City (section II) and Lekki deep seaport projects, and intensified population along the coastline to have contributed to the erosion feature observed along the study area. Moreover, this study has revealed that Eko Atlantic City may have contributed to the eroding coast along section III. Our final deduction shows that section I is dominated by natural shoreline change patterns and therefore primarily responded to the effect of sea-level rise. Section III is influenced by both natural and human forces while section II is influenced by human intervention through coastal protection as a result of reverse-engineering the effect of climate change and sea-level rise. Conclusively, this study has recommended that current coastal management policies and plans in Lagos State need to be reconsidered and revised to ensure the sustainable use of the coastal zone.

Epstein-Barr Virus et lupus systémique : quels liens ?

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a complex multifactorial autoimmune disease depending on both intrinsic and environmental factors. Among the latter, the Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) has long been suggested as one of the responsible factors for the onset and activity of lupus disease. It is a herpes virus with a very specific tropism for B lymphocytes and therefore closely linked to the immune system. EBV infection almost always precedes the onset of lupus disease and in vitro data and animal models suggest that anti-EBV response may favor the development of autoantibodies and lupus disease in some subjects. Also, there are abnormalities in humoral and cellular responses to EBV and lupus patients have impaired control of EBV, with higher blood viral loads. Interstingly, this virus seems to be able to promote disease activity, by promoting the survival of autoreactive B lymphocytes and the production of interferon-α, which are two pivotal mechanisms in the pathophysiology of lupus disease.

Recent advancements in the challenges and strategies of globally used traffic noise prediction models.

It is the need of an era to develop efficient traffic noise prediction models with optimum accuracy. In this context, the present work tries to comprehend the performance-related potential parameters based on earlier published articles worldwide that are responsible for deviation in noise values for different traffic noise prediction models and find out critical gaps. This study reviewed the process involved in source modeling and sound propagation algorithms, applicability, limitations, and recent modification in 9 principal traffic noise prediction models adapted by different countries all around the globe. The result of this review shows that many researchers had carried out comparative analysis among various traffic noise prediction models, but no emphasis was made on the recent modifications, limitations associated with those models, and strategies involved without ignoring the propagation and attenuation mechanism in the developing phase of these models. The findings of this study revealed that the major challenge for any traffic noise prediction model to be efficient enough is the inclusion of all the factors responsible for the generation and deviation of traffic noise before reaching the receiver. These responsible factors include a factor for source emission, sound propagation and attenuation, road characteristics, and other miscellaneous factors such as absorption characteristics of building facades, honking, and dynamic behavior of traffic. This study adds to the broader domain of research and will be used as reference material for future traffic noise modeling strategies.

Happiness of ex-refugees in the Indonesia border after two decades of Timor Leste referendum.

This study aimed to find out how happy the ex-East Timor refugees who chose to become Indonesians after more than 20 years of the Timor Leste referendum were. Descriptive statistics and thematic content analysis were employed for investigating the responsible factors for their happiness level. An open survey method and the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire (OHQ) scale distribution were used in this study with 173 Indonesians who participated in the 1999 Timor Leste referendum. The results show that on a scale of 1 to 6 participants are in the second or third lowest levels of happiness. Five main factors determine the happiness of the refugees, including economic condition, recognition and appreciation from the Indonesian government, security, family, and education access. These research findings offer a deeper understanding of the ex-refugee studies to obtain psychological well-being rights in their country of choice.

Clinical and Biochemical Factors of Portosystemic Encephalopathy in Cirrhosis

Aim: Responsible factors in patients with portosystemic encephalopathy and their relation with the severity of encephalopathy using “west haven scoring”. Methods: This cross-sectional study was done in the Gastroenterology Department, Hayatabad Medical Complex Peshawar. After ethical approval, a sample of 500 patients was calculated by universally accepted sample calculators. 95% confidence intervals and 5%margin of error. The sample was taken by a non-probability consecutive sampling technique. Results: Out of 500 patients, 307 were male and 193 females. The mean age was 57.36(±17.65 SD). Electrolyte imbalance (79.2%) was the most prevalent responsible factor, followed by infection (47.4%) and dehydration (24.4%). The number of patients with Grade 1, 2, 3 and 4 encephalopathy were 48, 187, 223, 42 respectively. In the majority of patients with encephalopathy, more than one responsible factor was present. Conclusion: Portosystemic encephalopathy is one of the most serious and life-threatening complications of liver failure and cirrhosis. Keywords: Portosystemic encephalopathy, responsible factors, gastrointestinal bleeding.

The production and distribution of face masks to other countries: a strategic approach of Taiwan during COVID-19 outbreak

PurposeCOVID-19 pandemic has exposed that even the best of the developed nations have surrendered to the devastations imposed on the global supply chains. The purpose of this study is to explore how COVID-19 has exaggerated the supply chain of production and distribution of Taiwan-based face masks and also investigate the conscientious factors and subfactors for it.Design/methodology/approachIn this study, an analytical hierarchy processes (AHP)-based approach has been used to assign the criterion weights and to prioritize the responsible factors. Initially, based on 26 decision-makers, successful factors were categorized into five main categories, and then main categories and their subcategories factors were prioritized through individual and group decision-maker’s contexts by using the AHP approach.FindingsThe results of this AHP model suggest that “Safety” is the most important and top-ranked factor, followed by production, price, work environment and distribution. The key informers in this study are stakeholders which consist of managers, volunteers, associations and non-governmental organizations. The results showed that good behavior of the employees under the “Safety” category is the top positioned responsible factor for successful production and distribution of face masks to the other countries with the highest global percentage of 15.7% and using sanitizers to protect health is the second most successful factor with the global percentage of 11.7%.Research limitations/implicationsThe limitations faced in this study were limited to only Taiwan-based mask manufacturing companies, and it was dependent on the decisions of the limited company’s decision-makers.Originality/valueThe novelty of this study is that the empirical analysis of this study has been based on a successful Taiwan masks manufacturing company and evaluates the responsible factors for the production and distribution of Taiwan masks to other countries during COVID-19.

Awareness, perception and outlook of oro-dental health among North Indian population: an online survey

&lt;p class="abstract"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background:&lt;/strong&gt; Oral diseases have contributed enormously to a majority of public health problems and are highly prevalent with significant social impact. Oral health is a precious plus point and a fundamental branch of general health. In India, oral health has been ignored since a long time and people have underestimated the pitfalls of bad oral health Therefore, the aim of the study was to look upon a variety of different contusive and responsible factors which all and all relate to dental health awareness in North Indian population. Also, this study objected to consider the acquaintance, outlook, practices and perceptions of patients attending the outpatient departments of dental hospitals enrooting North India.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="abstract"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods:&lt;/strong&gt; A self-administered structured questionnaire including demographic characteristics and oral health awareness attributes was distributed among 200 people in the age group 20-50 years using random sampling technique and the results were analyzed using percentage. The survey was cross-sectional, descriptive and hospital based and the technique was convenient sampling. SPSS version 17.0 was used to analyse the data.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="abstract"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results:&lt;/strong&gt; The result of this study shows an acute lack of oral hygiene awareness and limited knowledge of oral hygiene practices. Routine dental check-up was more commonly seen in people living in cities. In addition to this, the country side people visited the dental clinic only when they have extreme pain. Few people have the habit of oral rinsing after the meals. About 67% people used tongue cleaner and the use of interdental aids is very less and uncommon.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="abstract"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusions: &lt;/strong&gt;Results of this study also show that use of accessible dental service is mainly for urgent situations such as pain relief and very infrequently for regular oral health protection. There is an urgent need for comprehensive educational programs to promote good oral health and impart education about correct oral hygiene practices. Based upon these results, methodical district-oriented oral health endorsement programs are obligatory to mark the lifestyles in poles apart broad-spectrum population groups.&lt;/p&gt;

Relationship Between Poor Sleep Quality and Injury Experience in Korea

To develop preventive policies to reduce injuries, the responsible factors should be identified. In this study, causative factors were identified by analyzing data from the Korean Community Health Survey. Logistic regression was used to analyze the data of 192 480 individuals in the survey. Correlations were found between the injury experience and the following socioeconomic factors: age, sex, monthly income, smoking status, education, marital status, and neuropsychiatric factors: depressive symptoms, cognitive decline, and stress. The study subjects were divided into two groups based on sleep quality, as determined by Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Indices of ≤5 or >5. Logistic regression analysis adjusted for potential confounders revealed a correlation between sleep quality and injury experience. The odds ratio (OR) of poor sleep quality was associated with higher odds of injury (OR: 1.26), and it was also associated with higher odds of severe injury (OR: 1.23), even in the adjustment of socioeconomic factors only as well as in the adjustment of socioeconomic and neuropsychiatric factors. Poor sleep quality was associated with higher odds of several injury mechanisms of severe injury, such as slipping, poisoning, and falling into water.

Impact of Herzberg Two-Factor Theory on Teachers’ Job Satisfaction: An Implication to the Private Universities of Bangladesh

This paper examines to identify the responsible factors for increasing academician’s job satisfaction of private universities in the northern part of Bangladesh. This study seeks to investigate the suitability of Herzberg Two Factor theory by using five point Likert scale for data collection. To measure these, the researcher has applied descriptive statistics including frequency analysis, mean and standard deviation. The results have been conducted and analyzed of 92 respondents that show the teachers are less satisfied with the working conditions and the research opportunities in their workplace. Furthermore, the salary and fringe benefits as well as the quality of working life (Job security) might have a strong tendency to create job resentment among the teachers. The findings of this study are emphasizing that the hygiene factors, including the Job security, salary and fringe benefits, physical working conditions, research potentials are the most responsible factors causing job dissatisfaction along with some motivational factors such as job autonomy, the way of recognizing teachers' achievement. The researcher ended up that the authority should put high emphasis on faculty job satisfaction by taking care of the hygiene factors as well as the job dissatisfaction avoidance issues (Motivational factors) for a favorable workplace.

Impact analysis of macro-economic factors on non-life insurance sector in India

The development of global economy has pushed up the importance of insurance industry in the growth of an economy. This paper intends to study the non-life insurance sector with an objective to identify the macro-economic factors that influence its growth. Time series data of 37 years is considered using Johansen &amp; Engle Granger Cointegration and Ordinary Least Square method. It was found that Final Consumption Expenditure plays a negatively significant role in influencing non-life insurance sector in India. The practical implication of this study lies in controlling the responsible factors through appropriate policy measures to ensure a sustainable growth of the non-life Insurance sector.

Metabolomics of Multimorbidity: Could It Be the Quo Vadis?

Multimorbidity, the simultaneous presence of two or more chronic diseases, affects the health care to a great extent. Its association with health care cost, more disability, and poor quality of life makes it a major public health risk. The matter of worry is that management of a multimorbid condition is complicated by the fact that multiple types of treatment may be required to treat different diseases at a time, and the interaction between some of the therapies can be detrimental. Understanding the causal factors of simultaneously occurring disease conditions and investigating the connected pathways involved in the whole process may resolve the complication. When different disease conditions present in an individual share common responsible factors, treatment strategies targeting at those common causes will certainly reduce the chance of development of multimorbidity occurring because of those factors. Metabolomics that can dig out the underlying metabolites/molecules of a medical condition is believed to be an effective technique for identification of biomarkers and intervention of effective treatment strategies for multiple diseases. We hypothesize that understanding the metabolic profile may shed light on targeting the common culprit for different/similar chronic diseases ultimately making the treatment strategy more effective with a combinatorial effect.

Knowledge Attitude and Practices of Mitanin's (Community Health Workers) in Chhattisgarh: Malaria Elimination Perspective.

BackgroundFor the success of any program, its implementation plays a crucial role. Community health workers are of immense importance for malaria elimination from India.ObjectiveThis study was aimed to assess the knowledge gaps and the responsible factors for mitanins' knowledge on various aspects of and problems faced by mitanins during their work.MethodsStructured interviewer-based questionnaire was used to collect the data, and ordinal regression was applied to analyze the data.ResultsOnly 26% of the mitanins were having a good knowledge attitude and practices (KAP) score about malaria. Malaria endemicity of area [odds ratio (OR) = 0.26, 95% CI = 0.13–0.50), P < 0.001] and education (OR = 0.35, 95% CI = 0.18–0.69, P = 0.002) were the two significant factors affecting the KAP of mitanins.Conclusion:This study shows that prioritizing education while recruiting the mitanins and training them in the low endemic areas with a focus on malaria, which will help achieve the malaria elimination goal.