Population distribution and habitat analysis of Rufous treepie (Dendrocitta vagabunda) in Abbottabad, Pakistan

The Rufous treepie (Dendrocitta vagabunda) belongs to family corvidae, order Passeriformes which includes about 100 species. The current study was conducted to gather information about the Population distribution and habitat analysis of D. vagabunda at District Abbottabad, Pakistan. The data were collected on monthly basis both morning and evening times (2018-2019). “The ‘’Point count Method” was used for population estimation and ‘’Quadrates Method” for habitat analysis of study area. The result shows an average month-wise population density of D. vagabunda was maximum at Jhangra 0.14±0.039/ha, whereas minimum at Havelian 0.11±0.022/ha. There was no significant difference (p>0.05) among monthly population densities of D. vagabunda, however, a significant difference (p<0.05) was found between morning and evening times population of the specie. The present study revealed that importance value index (IVI) of plants species at Sherwan, Bakot, Havelian, Langra and Jhangra were 59.6±12.6, 50.1±6.9, 53.4±6.3, 66.8±10 and 60.1±7.7. Likewise, the frequency of shrubs at Sherwan, Bakot, Havelian, Langra and Jhangra were 33.3±4.2, 45±9.4, 46.7±8.2, 55.6±22.2 and 37.5±8.5. Similarly, the frequency of herbs at Sherwan, Bakot, Havelian, Langra and Jhangra were 40.4±6.0, 37.5±5.6, 53.3±7.4, 48.5±5.2 and 46.9±7.4 respectively. Our results show the study area as suitable habitat for D. vagabunda.

The evaluation of Disaster Resilient Village Program to support National Security matters

Disaster Resilient Village is a village with capability to independently adapt and deal with disaster threat, and quickly recover from the adverse effect of disaster. This research employed Context, Input, Process, and Product (CIPP) evaluation model to evaluate the Disaster Resilient Village program in Tanjung Benoa Village. As the result, the Context aspect of the Disaster Resilient Village program in Tanjung Benoa Village is appropriate in accordance with the Regulation of the Head of the National Disaster Management Agency of the Republic of Indonesia Number 1 of 2012. On the Input aspect, Tanjung Benoa village has established a Disaster Risk Reduction Forum that consists of the local community representatives. On the Process aspect, the village has developed Disaster-Safe School and Communities that routinely conduct simulations on monthly basis and collaborate with the hospitality sector to develop evacuation sites in the event of a tsunami disaster. On Product aspect, namely community capacity building and community participation, the program resulted in the increasing trust among domestic and foreign tourists and the improvement of Tanjung Benoa people’s welfare. In conclusion, Disaster Resilient Village program in Tanjung Benoa Village has been going well.

Effect of precipitation and sediment concentration on the loss of nitrogen and phosphorus in the Pasikhan River

Natural and anthropogenic factors influence the entry of pollutants into surface waters and their accumulation in aquatic ecosystems. This study aimed to investigate precipitation and sediment concentration on the outflow of different forms of phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) in three primary land-use types along the Pasikhan River, the biggest river entering the Anzali Wetland in the Southern Caspian sea. Water sampling was performed on a monthly basis during the time bracket of 2017–2018. Different forms of P including total, soluble, particulate, total reactive, and dissolved reactive, and total Kjeldahl N, soluble N, particulate N, and were determined in the water samples. Total phosphorus and total Kjeldahl nitrogen contents lay within the range of 2.2–4.7 and from 0.14 to 0.33 mg l−1, respectively, downstream of the river. The highest monthly outflow of P from the watershed at the Agriculture station was recorded in October. Substantial conformity was found between the monthly trends of and and the trend of precipitation. The results indicated that sediment load intensified after an increase in the rainfall rate, leading to elevated N and P concentrations in the river water, mainly as particulate phosphorus and soluble nitrogen. It can also be inferred from the result that the concentration of N and P is directly related to the sediment concentration increase due to the rainfall. Increasing levels of nutrients such as N and P in the Pasikhan River can cause eutrophication in the Anzali Wetland, which needs conservative measures for reducing these elements' dynamic in the watershed.

A clinical trial to evaluate the dayzz smartphone app on employee sleep, health, and productivity at a large US employer

Sleep deficiency is a hidden cost of our 24–7 society, with 70% of adults in the US admitting that they routinely obtain insufficient sleep. Further, it is estimated that 50–70 million adults in the US have a sleep disorder. Undiagnosed and untreated sleep disorders are associated with diminished health for the individual and increased costs for the employer. Research has shown that adverse impacts on employees and employers can be mitigated through sleep health education and sleep disorder screening and treatment programs. Smartphone applications (app) are increasingly commonplace and represent promising, scalable modalities for such programs. The dayzz app is a personalized sleep training program that incorporates assessment of sleep disorders and offers a personalized comprehensive sleep improvement solution. Using a sample of day workers affiliated with a large institution of higher education, we will conduct a single-site, parallel-group, randomized, waitlist control trial. Participants will be randomly assigned to either use the dayzz app throughout the study or receive the dayzz app at the end of the study. We will collect data on feasibility and acceptability of the dayzz app; employee sleep, including sleep behavioral changes, sleep duration, regularity, and quality; employee presenteeism, absenteeism, and performance; employee mood; adverse and safety outcomes; and healthcare utilization on a monthly basis throughout the study, as well as collect more granular daily data from the employee during pre-specified intervals. Our results will illuminate whether a personalized smartphone app is a viable approach for improving employee sleep, health, and productivity. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04224285.

Probability studies of rainfall and crop production in coastal Tamil Nadu

Studies are made of the probability of Occurrence of annual and seasonal rainfall, wet and dry spells on monthly basis throughout the year and on weekly basis during the northeast monsoon season for various stations in coastal Tamil Nadu. It has been observed that amount of rainfall received is more in the stations north of Alangudi and north of Tondi in the northeast and southwest monsoon seasons respectively at all the probability levels. However, the quantum of rainfall is more in stations south of Adiramapattinam during the hot weather period. Number of wet spells are more from July to September in the stations of north costal Tamil Nadu. During the northeast monsoon season also wet weeks are mainly confined to the stations of north coastal Tamil Nadu. Analysis of production figures of some rainfed crops shows more productivity (k8I1\a) in north than in south coastal Tamil Nadu.

A Critical View on Pension Savings in Slovakia

In almost all countries around the world, pension systems are based on several pillars. This is also the case of Slovakia with its three-pillar pension system. The paper presents a case study underlying the risks that can seriously affect the amount of future pensions. The case study clearly indicates that current pensions in Slovakia paid under all three pillars do not correspond with the expectations from the implementation of the three-pillar pension system. The aim of the paper is to the risks that can seriously affect the amount of future pensions. Our own contribution is the determination of the amount of pension for a specific pensioner specified in the presented case study. Within the saving phase of pension contributions the development of investment fund returns, the amount of future pensioner´s contributions, as well as administrative costs are analyzed on a monthly basis. The payout phase is modelled using actuarial functions applying the mortality tables of Slovakia.

Analysis of the condition of karst springs included in the National Groundwater Monitoring Network

Approximately 20% of the monitored points in the National Groundwater Monitoring Network (NGMN) of Bulgaria are karst springs. The number of monitored karst springs is changing over time for various reasons and currently there are 33 springs monitored continuously and 53 on monthly basis. The monitoring points are distributed over 39 karst basins around the whole country. There are between 1 and 5 monitored springs per karst basin and no monitoring points in 23 karst basins. The present analysis includes the determination of some of the main statistical characteristics of karst springs and it is based on the monitoring data series. The obtained data allow us to make some conclusions of the nature of their water regime. Based on the analysis, some suggestions and recommendations are made with regard to improvements in the monitoring of karst springs in Bulgaria.

Trend Analysis of Climatic and Hydrological Parameters in Ajora-Woybo Watershed, Omo-Gibe River Basin, Ethiopia

BackgroundIdentifying hydro-meteorological trends is basic for assessing change in climate and river discharge at watershed level. This study examined the long-term trends of rainfall, temperature, and discharge in the annual, monthly and seasonal time scale of Ajora-Woybo watershed in Ethiopia. The data span of rainfall and temperature is between 1990 and 2020 and that of discharge is between 1990 and 2015. Homogeneity test was performed by using Pettit and SNHT tests. Then Mann-Kendall and Sen's slope test for trend analysis and different variability measures were used. ResultsResults indicate that inhomogeneity was detected in annual rainfall data of Angacha and Areka stations. On annual basis, rainfall and discharge exhibited insignificant trends over time while showing a general decreasing pattern. On monthly basis, February and March were found to have significantly decreasing trend for rainfall. During the Kiremt season, rainfall increases and discharge decreases insignificantly. In contrast, maximum, minimum and mean annual temperatures exhibited significant trends with annual increment of 0.04oC, 0.01oC, and 0.025 oC per year respectively. Correlations of discharge with both temperature and rainfall have found to be weak in this study.ConclusionsThis trend, combined with population growth and increasing demand of water for agricultural activities exacerbates competing demands for water resources. Caution is therefore required when it comes to developing appropriate measures for the planning and sustainable development of the water resources in the watershed.

The Impact of COVID-19 on the Romanian Hospitals’ Expenses. A Case Study Toward the Financial Resilience after the Pandemic

The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) affect­ed almost all activities worldwide. The medical sec­tor was one of those which were most significantly impacted because the medical infrastructure was not sized for such a high scale shock, specialized human resources and medical infrastructure prov­ing to be much undersized and with slow growth potential. Many changes were required, important financial resources being mobilized in order to mo­tivate medical staff, offer treatments for the most severely affected patients, but also to create new fa­cilities where the increasing number of sick persons could be cured. In our research we want to offer a hospital cost perspective based on empirical analysis of the COVID-19 impact on different categories of expens­es made by Romanian hospitals that treated patients with COVID-19 in different stages of their disease. The period analyzed was January 2019 to December 2020 on a monthly basis. Our results showed that expenses with goods and services, drugs, reagents and human resources are influenced by COVID-19 in a significant manner.

Potential of Floating Photovoltaic Technology and Their Effects on Energy Output, Water Quality and Supply in Jordan

In this work, floating photovoltaic systems were experimentally studied under Jordan’s weather conditions to determine their effects on energy output, water quality and supply. A limited number of studies have addressed the effect of floating photovoltaic systems on water quality and evaporation reduction especially in a semi-arid region like Jordan. Energy measurements were taken from August 2020 to January 2021 using an Arduino board with data logging sensors. Water quality parameters were tested for collected samples on a monthly basis from August 2020 to February 2021 using a spectrophotometer. Results revealed that the floating panel temperature was lower than the ground-mounted counterpart. An average increase of 1.68% in voltage and 4.40% in current were observed for the floating panel compared to the ground-mounted panel which translates to an average increase of 5.33% in power generation over the ground-mounted panel. Furthermore, efficiency and fill factor increased by 4.89% and 5.51%, respectively. Evaporation results showed that covering water bodies with panels can save a considerable amount of water. Over a period of 30 days, the 30% coverage pan saved 31.2% (36 mm) of water while the 50% coverage pan saved 54.5% (63 mm) of water in the same period compared to the uncovered pan. Moreover, this study involved examining the effect of shading caused by the floating structure on water quality. Results showed a reduction in pH, improvement in transparency, and an increase in total organic carbon indicating water quality enhancement and algal biomass reduction. However, due to the respiration of algae, the dissolved oxygen declined significantly, accompanied by the release of phosphate due to algae decomposition. Overall, findings of this research provided better understanding of floating photovoltaic systems and their applicability in Jordan to provide a safe and reliable supply of water and energy. Additionally, such systems can help to diversify the energy mix and help Jordan to alleviate some of the problems associated with limited energy and water resources.