Second Week Of March Research Articles

Seasonal Correlation in Prevalence of Termite on Wheat Crop and Weather Parameters

The field experiment were conducted at instructional farm, S.K.N. College of Agriculture, Jobner during Rabi, 2021-22 and 2022-23 to know the seasonal incidence of termite in wheat and their relation to weather parameters. The incidence of the termite in wheat field was observed throughout the crop season however, the maximum population of termite i.e. 88.20 and 98.68 per stick was recorded in the second week of March and last week of February during Rabi, 2021-22 and 2022-23 respectively. The infestation of termite in wheat crop was recorded from seedling stage (50th SMW) to till maturity stage (10th SMW) which was ranged from 2.78 to 27.10 and 3.67 to 28.32 per cent plant damage during both the years of study. The termite population per stick and per cent plant damage by termite had significant positive correlation with maximum and minimum temperatures and evaporation during both the years while, with bright sunshine hours only during first year and non-significant correlation during second year. Whereas, with the morning and evening relative humidity it had significant negative correlation during both the years. The multiple linear regression (MLR) analysis explained that alone evaporation accounted about 84.60 and 92.70 per cent variation in termite population and 89.00 and 89.30 per cent variation in per cent plant damage by termite during both the years.

Population Dynamics of Tomato Fruit Borer <i>Helicoverpa Armigera</i>

In order to gain a better understanding of the seasonal development and dynamics of tomato fruit borer (Helicoverpa armigera) on tomato in the Zaid season 2022, an experimental study was carried out in the state of Punjab. The population distribution of fruit borer pest is influenced during the growth season of the crop by abiotic conditions, and these factors can have either a favourable or negative effect. As a result of the fact that tomatoes can be cultivated during a variety of seasons, one can see vivid population dynamics in case of fruit borer during the Standard Meteorological Weeks (SMW). In the current experiment, the first occurance of a fruit borer was noticed during the 11th standard meterological week (the second week of March), and the population reached its highest peak during the 18th and 19th SMW (the first week of May). According to the findings of the correlation studies, maximum and minimum temperature have a significant positive relationship in either enhancing or lowering the population of fruit borers.

Studies on population dynamics of major pests of okra

Okra [Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench] is known tobe infested by many insect pest among them the most important onesare sucking pests like aphids, leafhopper, whitefly and fruit borerslike Earias vitella and Helicoverpa armigera. Controlling these pestsis very much important to obtain good yield, hence knowledge aboutthese pest incidence needed for taking up management practices. Inthis context, okra was sown during last week of November (rabi2020-21) and observations were recorded at weekly interval. Peakincidence of aphid (23.44 aphids/3 leaves) and leafhopper (16.97leafhopper/3 leaves) noticed during last week of December, whitefly(12.70 whiteflies/3 leaves) during second week of March. Fruit borersduring third week of February and second week of March with percent fruit damage of 44.9 (Earias vitella) and 13.59 (Helicoverpaarmigera).Sucking pests incidence more up to 10th week old crop,there after the population declined. In case of fruit borers, theypersisted upto end of the season

Spatial distribution of COVID-19 patients in Sri Lanka

BackgroundA new type of viral pneumonia, which has been named Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) began in Wuhan, China in late 2019 and has spread across the world since then. It has claimed more than 370 million confirmed cases and over 5.6 million deaths have been reported globally by the end of January 2022. This study aimed to analyze the trends, highly-nuanced patterns, and related key results relative to COVID-19 epidemiology in Sri Lanka.MethodsData on COVID-19 from March 2020 to January 2022 were obtained from published databases maintained by the Epidemiology Unit of the Ministry of Health in Sri Lanka and information regarding populations in administrative districts was obtained from the Department of Census and Statistics, Sri Lanka. Descriptive spatiotemporal analysis and autocorrelations were analyzed using SPSS statistical software.ResultsIn Sri Lanka, the first case of COVID-19 was a Chinese national and the first local case was identified in the second week of March. As of 31st of January 2022, a total of 610,103 COVID-19 cases had been recorded in the country, and 15,420 patients had died. At the beginning, the disease was mainly concentrated in the Western province and with time, it spread to other provinces. However, very low numbers of patients were identified in the North, Eastern, North Central, and Uva provinces until April 2021. The peak of COVID-19 occurred in August and September 2021 in all provinces in Sri Lanka. Then a decreasing trend of COVID-19 cases showed after September 2021.ConclusionsCOVID-19 is an emerging public health problem in Western and Southern Sri Lanka where the population density is high. A decreasing trend of COVID-19 cases showed in all provinces after September 2021. Public awareness programs for the prevention and control of the disease in endemic regions are essential to reduce the incidence of this infection.

Seasonal Activity and Diversity of Insect Fauna Collected through Light Traps in Protected and Unprotected Conditions during rabi Season

The present investigation was carried out by installing two light traps with different light sources in the experimental site one is inside the polyhouse and the other is outside the poly house. Insects were collected regularly from the third week of September 2019 to the second week of March 2020. During the study, in all 8 predaceous and 6 harmful species were observed in the light trap inside the polyhouse. Seven major insect pest species and some unidentified Lepidopteran moths were identified and collected outside the polyhouse, as important positively phototropic insect pest in rabi crops. The light sources used in light trap SMV-4 models were 8+8 watt UV (10”tubes) and 15 watt UV (15” tube).

Some Biological and Ecological Factors of Olive Moth, Prays oleae (Bern.) in Al-Quneitra Governorate, Southern Syria

Al-Jouri, E., N. Diab and M. Dawoud. 2023. Some Biological and Ecological Factors of Olive Moth, Prays oleae (Bern.) in Al-Quneitra Governorate, Southern Syria. Arab Journal of Plant Protection, 41(3): 233-245. https://doi.org/10.22268/AJPP-41.3.233245 This study was carried out during the 2017 and 2018 seasons in three locations in Al-Quneitra governorate (Saida, Khan Arnabeh, and Hadar), with different heights above sea level, in order to monitor the activity of adult males of the olive moth Prays oleae (Bern.) (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutidae). using pheromone traps. The results obtained showed that the olive moth has three generations per year, and the timing of adult males emergence and the duration of each generation differed according to the studied location and season. Adults of the first generation (Anthophagous) began to appear from the first and second week of March for the seasons 2017 and 2018, respectively, in Saida site, and were delayed until the first and second week of April in Hadar location for the two study seasons, respectively. The duration of the first-generation range was 11-12 weeks, and the butterflies of the second generation (Carpophagous) appeared in the first week of June in the Saida location and the last week of June in Hadar location, and the duration of the generation range was 12-21 weeks. Adults of the third generation (Phyllophagous) began to appear in the second and third week of November for the Saida location in the two study seasons, and the fourth week of September for the locations of Khan Arnabeh and Hadar, with generation duration of 8-11 weeks. The monthly abundance differed during the same season according to the study location, and the population peak of adult olive moths was in Saida location during the two seasons of the study in April (635.67 and 664.33 males/trap, respectively), which significantly outperformed the rest of the months. The two locations of Khan Arnabeh and Hadar had the highest number of adults during the two study seasons in May, with a significant difference compared with the rest of the months with an average of 514.33 and 316.00 males/trap for the 2017 season, respectively, and 651.67 and 411.67 males/trap, respectively, for the 2018 season. By studying the correlation between the population density of adult males and temperature and humidity, it was found that there was a positive correlation with temperatures during the first generation (+0.63), and a weak negative correlation during the second generation (-0.21), and weak positive correlation during the third generation (+ 0.165). Whereas, the correlation was weakly negative between mean relative humidity and moth adults population in all three generations (-0.359, -0.39, -0.264), respectively. Keywords: Olive moth, Prays oleae, biological factors, ecological factors, Al Quneitra governorate, southern Syria.

Major trauma presentations and patient outcomes in English hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic: An observational cohort study.

Single-centre studies suggest that successive Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related "lockdown" restrictions in England may have led to significant changes in the characteristics of major trauma patients. There is also evidence from other countries that diversion of intensive care capacity and other healthcare resources to treating patients with COVID-19 may have impacted on outcomes for major trauma patients. We aimed to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the number, characteristics, care pathways, and outcomes of major trauma patients presenting to hospitals in England. We completed an observational cohort study and interrupted time series analysis including all patients eligible for inclusion in England in the national clinical audit for major trauma presenting between 1 January 2017 and 31 of August 2021 (354,202 patients). Demographic characteristics (age, sex, physiology, and injury severity) and clinical pathways of major trauma patients in the first lockdown (17,510 patients) and second lockdown (38,262 patients) were compared to pre-COVID-19 periods in 2018 to 2019 (comparator period 1: 22,243 patients; comparator period 2: 18,099 patients). Discontinuities in trends for weekly estimated excess survival rate were estimated when lockdown measures were introduced using segmented linear regression. The first lockdown had a larger associated reduction in numbers of major trauma patients (-4,733 (21%)) compared to the pre-COVID period than the second lockdown (-2,754 (6.7%)). The largest reductions observed were in numbers of people injured in road traffic collisions excepting cyclists where numbers increased. During the second lockdown, there were increases in the numbers of people injured aged 65 and over (665 (3%)) and 85 and over (828 (9.3%)). In the second week of March 2020, there was a reduction in level of major trauma excess survival rate (-1.71%; 95% CI: -2.76% to -0.66%) associated with the first lockdown. This was followed by a weekly trend of improving survival until the lifting of restrictions in July 2020 (0.25; 95% CI: 0.14 to 0.35). Limitations include eligibility criteria for inclusion to the audit and COVID status of patients not being recorded. This national evaluation of the impact of COVID on major trauma presentations to English hospitals has observed important public health findings: The large reduction in overall numbers injured has been primarily driven by reductions in road traffic collisions, while numbers of older people injured at home increased over the second lockdown. Future research is needed to better understand the initial reduction in likelihood of survival after major trauma observed with the implementation of the first lockdown.

1st International Conference on Biomedical Sciences, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi Pakistan.

Institute of Biomedical Sciences (IBMS) at Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS), organised a two day's conference on Biomedical Sciences. IBMS being the part of one of the largest public sector health universities of Pakistan, is now transforming the research trends to be effectively translated at the community level. Currently with a strong PhD faculty line in basic and clinical sciences, DUHS has a significant contribution in research output of the country. The scientific data however represents a small population per scientific study and the generalization of results may not be inferred. It must be extended through translational research for effectiveness. The conference was planned with a theme to bridge the gap between basic and translational research. The two day's conference conducted in second week of March 2023 at Dow International Medical College Ojha Campus DUHS was able to attract more than 300 participants. The scientific sessions encompassed a vast variety of health issues and their proposed solutions including neurosciences, virtual biopsies, metabolomics, medical writings and incorporation of engineering and artificial intelligence to facilitate detection and prognosis of disease. The conference was able to conclude that the multidisciplinary research studies with collaboration of two or more institutes/organizations are the need of time. Young researchers need an effective platform to showcase their research and make collaborations. Moreover, the incorporation of artificial intelligence would enhance patient care within health systems.

Flame Retardant Polymer Composite and Recent Inclusion of Magnesium Hydroxide Filler Material: A Bibliometric Analysis towards Further Study Scope

Fire accidents occur frequently and pose a great threat to high-rise buildings with flammable construction materials. Recently, researchers have been doing significant work on this topic to improve the flame retardancy of composites by adding inorganic metal hydroxide, such as magnesium hydroxide (MH), due to its higher thermal decomposition temperature and low toxicity. Research on flame retardant polymer composites with magnesium hydroxide is rapidly moving toward a more sustainable and safer future. This article provides a comprehensive review of the research trend along with the most cited publications. Most cited articles were chosen to observe the developments. The data collected from the Scopus database in the second week of March 2023 were also categorised to present country-wise improvement, the subject areas involved, and the author’s contribution to the topic. Some issues and challenges have also been highlighted from the analysis. By observing the research direction and highly cited articles, some of the further study scopes are also pointed out to develop fire-rated polymer composites for use as sustainable cladding materials for high-rise buildings.

Peranan Guru dalam Meningkatkan Keaktifan Peserta Didik Melalui Media Audio Visual Pada Mata Pelajaran PPKN di Kelas XI SMK Negeri 2 Penyabungan Tahun Ajaran 2022/2023

This study aims to examine the teacher's role as educator, facilitator, and motivator in increasing student activity through audio-visual media in Civics subjects in Class XI SMK Negeri 2 Penyabungan in the 2022/2023 academic year. This research was conducted at SMK Negeri 2 Penyabung, and used Civics teachers as resource persons to support data acquisition in this study. This research was conducted from February to the second week of March 2023. Data collection was carried out through gathering information by observing and checking into the classroom when the teacher was teaching using audio-visual media and then adding in-depth questions to further strengthen the results of the research data. From this study it was found that the role of the teacher as an educator in increasing the activity of students through Audio Visual learning media in PKn subjects at SMK Negeri 2 Panyabungan was carried out by providing a fair attitude for students in using audio visual media and having a strong mentality in dealing with participants. students who are taught, have extensive knowledge in educating students properly, and always provide good examples or examples to students in using learning media in the classroom; The role of the teacher as a facilitator in increasing the activity of students through learning media in Civics subjects at SMK Negeri 2 Penyabung, namely by providing audio-visual media that can attract the attention of students so that students' interest in learning becomes higher, and the role of the teacher as a motivator in increasing the activeness of students through learning media in Civics subjects at SMK Negeri 2 Panyabungan, namely the teacher always provides direction and encouragement so that students' interest in learning in using audio-visual media becomes more effective.

Documentation of different pests and their natural enemies on tomato

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is one of the most popular and widely grown vegetable crop of both tropicsand subtropics of the world. Itis a member of the family Solanaceae. Low tomato yields have been ascribed to a variety ofissues, including poor seed quality, pest infestations and severe weather conditions. The field study conducted in MainAgriculture Research Station, Dharwad revealed that, there are totally 8 species of pests, 3 species of coccinellids and 10different species of spiders were recorded in tomato ecosystem. The peak incidence of aphid, leafhopper, whitefly, thripsand mites was observed during last week of January, second week of January, first week of March, last week of Februaryand third week of February, respectively. The peak incidence of leaf miner, fruit borer and pinworm was observed duringlast week of February, second week of March and third week of February, respectively. Correlation coefficient betweendifferent weather parameters and population of tomato pests revealed that, maximum temperature recorded significantpositive correlation with population of whitefly, thrips, mites, leafminer, fruit borer and pinworm but negatively correlatedwith aphid and leafhopper.

The case of cultural schizophrenia: Alleged tampering with DNA codes via Covid-19 vaccines

The covid pandemic, which started in December 2019, was announced with a delay of two months in many developing countries like Turkey. With the announcement of the first cases in Turkey in the second week of March 2020, it became clear that a precise different situation would be experienced in the socioeconomic and health fields, whichpeople had never faced before. Also, It took time for the World Health Organization to decide whether Covid-19 was a pandemic or an endemic. Meanwhile, the first problem faced by the public was the contradictory statements made by politicians about what happened. However, the issue that everyone discussed the most was the immune system and the biopolitics of politicians regarding the covid -19 vaccine and its development process. Public understanding of science has led governments to be unable to eliminate covid-related manipulations during covid’s evolution from endemic to the pandemic. After a while, governments tried to cover up the lack of vaccination by using these manipulations by the media. This whole process was built on the biopolitics of immunization and eventually led to the strengthening of public opposition to vaccines. The first aim of this article is to present how the government’s science communication strategy in Turkey has developed a collective resistance to vaccines through a case study. This analysis applies the “Four Moments” processes from Michael Callon’s article “Law, Power, action, and Belief: a new sociology of knowledge.” In addition, the article aims to show the underlying reasons for the anti-vaccination opposition that has been experienced in Turkey in the last two years and has grown stronger over time.

Efficacy of Some Predators and Lecanicillium lecanii Fungus in Controlling of Aphis gossypii (Glover) and Myzus persicae (Sulzer) in Potato Crop

Lokma, N., A.A.A. Saleh, S.A.M. Amer and M F.M. Zawrah. 2023. Efficacy of Some Predators and Lecanicillium lecanii Fungus in Controlling of Aphis gossypii (Glover) and Myzus persicae (Sulzer) in Potato Crop. Arab Journal of Plant Protection, 41(2): 152-160. https://doi.org/10.22268/AJPP-041.2.152160 This study was conducted to evaluate the efficiency of predators and Lecanicillium lecanii suspension as bicontrol agents against Myzus persicae and Aphis gossypii in potato crop, whereas Aphis gossypii had two peaks in the third week of March and April in 2020 and 2021 seasons. In addition, M. persicae had two peaks for both seasons in the fourth week of March and third week of April in 2020 and in the third week of March during 2021. The common predators observed in potato fields were: Coccinella undecimpunctata L., Chrysoperla carnea Steph., Coccinella septumpunctata, Metasyrphus corollae F. and Cydonia vicina isis (Muls.). Regarding potato predators, one peak was found in the second week of March (60 predators/25 leaves) during the 2020 season, and two peaks were found in the third week of March and second week of April (53 and 38 predators/25 leaves, respectively), in 2021 season. On the 8th day after treatment, the entomopathogenic fungus L. Lecanii produced maximum aphid mortality at highest concentration of 108 conidia/ml and 50% concentration of fungal metabolites for both M. persicae and A. gossypii. Meanwhile, L. lecanii 50% metabolites solution had more latent effect by decreasing the longevity and the number of nymphs than when using the spore suspension of 108 conidial/ml. Keywords: A. gossypii, M. persicae, aphid predators, Lecanicillium lecanii, potato.

Seasonal incidence and effect of abiotic factors on population dynamics of major insect pests on Brinjal crop

Experiment was carried out on Seasonal incidence and effect of abiotic factors on population dynamics of major insect pests on Brinjal (Solanum melongena L.) at College Farm, N. M. College of Agriculture, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari during summer-2020. The results revealed that incidence of shoot borer infestation on shoot was commenced from second week of March (11th SMW) to third week of May (21st SMW) while, infestation of fruit damage was noticed at first picking of the brinjal fruit in the first week of April (14th SMW) with maximum in fourth week of May (21st SMW). Shoot and fruit borer infestation exhibited significant and positive correlation with maximum temperature (r= 0.8129) and minimum temperature (r= 0.8444) and wind velocity (r= 0.5871), respectively. Whitefly population was started from second week of February (9th SMW) with 0.93 whitefly per leaf, increased gradually to reach its peak in the last week of April, i.e.17th SMW (15.95 whiteflies/leaf) and positively and significantly correlated with and maximum temperature (r= 0.8062). The jassid infestation started from first week of March, i.e. 10th SMW (0.34 jassids/ leaf), initially increased slowly and reached to its peak level (11.89 jassids/leaf) at last week of April (17th SMW) and positively and significantly correlated with maximum (r= 0.7202) and minimum (r= 0.5712) temperatures. Aphid population started from the first week of March (10th SMW) with a minimum level of 0.60 aphids/leaf, increased slowly and reached to its peak level (5.04 aphids/leaf) at third week of April (16th SMW) and exhibited positive and significant correlation with maximum temperature (r= 0.7849).

Determination of Tropinota hirta (Poda) (Coleoptera: Cetoniidae) Caught in Different Traps Feeding on Almond (Prunus amygdalus Linnaeus) Flowers

Almond (Prunus amygdalus Linnaeus) is very beneficial for human health in terms of high oil, calcium and other mineral substances it contains. It is consumed as fresh almonds, dried nuts, and roasted almonds (with or without salt), as well as in the food industry in the confectionery, chocolate and pastry industries, almond oil, cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries, and also as animal feed because its green peel contains sugar. One of the factors that negatively affect production in almond cultivation is plant protection factors. One of these factors is Tropinota hirta (Poda) (Coleoptera: Cetoniidae). In many parts of the world, it causes damage by feeding on the flowers of the trees in commercial almond orchards and is considered as an economically important pest because it causes product losses. In this study, it was carried out to determine the trapping of T. hirta, which is harmful in almond orchards in Mardin province, has an important potential and economic importance in almond production, in different types of traps. The studies were carried out in a garden with at least 100-150 trees at weekly intervals between February and May in 2018. In the experiments, funnel, basin, bucket and sticky plate-shaped pheromone and blue-colored trap types without pheromones were studied. As a result of 13 counts made in 8 different traps, 4 with pheromone and 4 without pheromone, 6,518 T. hirta were caught. In the experiments, it was determined that in terms of the number of traps of T. hirta in both pheromone and non-pheromone traps, the most in funnel-type traps, followed by washtub, water bearer and blue-colored sticky sheet traps. The first emergence of the pest into nature was the beginning of the phenological flowering of almond trees on March 01, when the daily air temperature was 8-10 °C on average. In the period between the second week of March and the second week of April, where the average daily temperature is between 13-15 °C and the average daily humidity was between 40-60% in the gardens, the population density of the pest was at maximum levels and it only fed on flowers during this period. It was determined that the population density of the pest started to decrease rapidly with the end of the flowering period and ended in the third week of May.

Studying the effect of environmental conditions in the seasonal abundance of lesser date moth (Batrachedra : Amydraula : Meyrick) on date palm, Phoenix dactylifera L. in Central and Southern Iraq

A field study was conducted for the 2019/2020 season, which included a field survey to determine the infestation percentages and determine the sensitivity of some date palm varieties to the infestation with the lesser date moth (B.amydraula M.). Besides, determining the date of insect appearance and its population density is based on temperatures, relative humidity, and thermal accumulation. The study showed that infestation with the lesser date moth includes all areas planted with palm trees and the infestation percentages range between medium and severe, especially in dense orchards, and according to the prevailing environmental conditions. Basra Governorate / Abu Al-Khaseeb district gave a severe infection in the total infestation percentage of 67.00%, while the lowest infestation percentage was recorded in Babylon Governorate, Al-Madhatia district, at a percentage of 17.66 %, which considered a weak infection. The study also gave a clear indication that all date varieties were infested with lesser date moths at varying percentages, where the Al - Zahdi cultivar recorded the highest infestation percentage of 58.71%, while Al - Halawi cultivar recorded the lowest infestation percentage amounted to 39.97%. The study recorded the first appearance of the insect adults at the beginning of the second week of March in both Basra and Babylon governorates, with a population density of (2.80, 2.80) insect/in2 respectively at an average temperature (14.26, 15.20) ºC, respectively, and average humidity of (49.86, 51.67) % respectively. The study showed that the insect has three overlapping generations during the year, starting from the beginning of March to the beginning of March of the next season, as the duration of the first and second generations was one month each, while the duration of the third generation extends to approximately nine months. The insect has three peaks in which the insect population density increases significantly. In Basra, the increase reached its peak at the beginning of the second week of April and during the second week of May and June, with a population density of (7.71, 7.39 and 6.88) insect/in2 respectively, and an aggregate temperature of (445.20, 665.52 and 814.65) thermal units, respectively. However, in Babylon, the seasonal abundance of the insect reached its peak at the end of the first week of April and the second week of May and during the third week of June, with a population density of (6.71, 6.40, and 6.60) insect/in2 and a thermal accumulation of (358.08, 418.56 and 586). 08) thermal unit.

Among-years rain variation is associated with flower size, but not with signal patch size in Iris petrana.

Among-years rain variation is associated with flower size, but not with signal patch size in Iris petrana.

Religion and Commodification: The Ghanaian Churches' COVID-19 Economy

Ghana had its first COVID -19 pandemic victim in the second week of March 2020. This prompted the government to introduce restrictive measures such as a partial lockdown, which included halting economic activities, restricting movement, and banning public gatherings. Later, restrictions were relaxed to allow twenty-five people to attend funerals. These presidential directives, known as Number 1 in Ghana, meant a total shutdown of religious gatherings that constitute an economy of itself. While some church leaders tried to open their churches for worship and were arrested for doing so, most moved their services to virtual spaces to reach their members. The fascinating phenomenon that emerged was the creative ways various religious leaders used to monetise the services offered to members. Using the cyber-ethnographic method, we examine the various means deployed by five selected churches to manage church finances and membership. The results show that the churches' monetary interests and survival strategies were paramount amidst the pandemic. The financial, spiritual, and physical well-being of members/clients was dominant at the time.

Temporal trend and spatial clustering of the dengue fever prevalence in West Java, Indonesia

Dengue fever is a notable vector-borne viral disease, currently becoming the most dreaded worldwide health problem in terms of the number of people affected. A data set of confirmed dengue incidences collected in the province of West Java has allowed us to explore dengue's temporal trends and spatial distributions to obtain more obvious insights into its spatial-temporal evolution. We utilized the Richards model to estimate the growth rate and detect the peak (or turning point) of the dengue infection wave by identifying the temporal progression at each location. Using spatial analysis of geo-referenced data from a local perspective, we investigated the changes in the spatial clusters of dengue cases and detected hot spots and cold spots in each weekly cycle. We found that the trend of confirmed dengue incidences significantly increases from January to March. More than two-third (70.4%) of the regions in West Java had their dengue infection turning point ranging from the first week of January to the second week of March. This trend clearly coincides with the peak of precipitation level during the rainy season. Further, the spatial analysis identified the hot spots distributed across central, northern, northeastern, and southeastern regions in West Java. The densely populated areas were likewise seen to be associated with the high-risk areas of dengue exposure. Recognizing the peak of epidemic and geographical distribution of dengue cases might provide important insights that may help local authorities optimize their dengue prevention and intervention programs.

Outcomes of Visual Acuity After Paediatric Cataract Surgery: A Systematic Review

Background: In Saudi Arabia, cataract is considered the major cause of blindness as 55% of the total cases are caused by cataract. Moreover, 35.5% of visual loss is caused due to cataract making it the second leading cause of visual loss. Therefore, the aim of the study was to determine the outcome of visual acuity after paediatric cataract surgery. Methods: The preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis (PRISMA) were used in this systematic review. Cochrane handbook guidelines were used for all aspects of this study. It includes published and unpublished studies with different study designs. Such studies were found from databases including Google Scholar, Medline, PSYCHInfo, Embase Google, and Cochrane library, from their inception through the second week of March 2022 without any language restriction and identified all RCTs related to the results of visual acuity after Cataract Surgery in children. We used the following search keywords: ‘‘visual’’, ‘‘visual acuity’’, ‘‘cataract’’, ‘‘childhood blindness’’, ‘‘visual impairment’’, ‘‘amblyopia’’, ‘‘cataract surgery’’ and ‘‘pediatric cataract surgery’’ and ‘‘randomized controlled trial’’. In addition, we manually reviewed the references of a few journals to uncover more works that might be linked. Result: All RCTs connected to outcomes of visual acuity after pediatric cataract surgery were found using a total 376 articles from the electronic databases PubMed, Embase, PSYCHInfo, and the Cochrane Library, which were searched without language barriers from their inception. "Visual", "visual acuity", "cataract", "childhood blindness", "visual impairment", "amblyopia", "cataract surgery", and "pediatric cataract surgery" and "randomized controlled trial" were some of the search keywords. In addition, the references of a few journals were searched to find more potentially relevant studies. Due to redundancy, 92 articles were excluded from the total of 376. A total of 167 articles were reviewed, with 108 being rejected following a preliminary review. There were 59 full-text papers reviewed for eligibility, and 7 of them met the inclusion requirements, with all of the selected articles being of high quality. The parameters of the trials differed greatly in terms of treatment length and population investigated. Conclusion: According to the findings, most pediatric cataracts are inherited. Cataract extraction with Intraocular Lens (IOL) implantation with primary posterior capsulectomy and anterior vitrectomy (PPC+ AV) is the preferred method for pediatric cataract therapy. Active case discovery, parent counseling, and clear referral paths, are required to address cataract blindness. There may be a refractory surprise after the surgery in pediatric cataract instances, most often due to incorrect measuring, as the youngsters will be uncooperative for precise measurement or under the anesthetic influence. The surgery should be done in a fully equipped unit with qualified cooperative staff, and various techniques might be necessary to improve follow-up after the surgery. Keywords: visual acuity, cataract, childhood blindness, visual impairment, blindness