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2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 65-69
Author(s):  
Sunday Elijah Igwe ◽  
Hyacienth Uche Chiegwu ◽  
Christopher Chukwuemeka Ohagwu

Background: Miners and the people living close to mining sites are exposed to elevated levels of ionizing radiation with or without their knowledge. This study was designed to evaluate the outdoor background radiation levels in some selected mining locations and major activity areas of Ebonyi State, South-Eastern, Nigeria and their radiological impacts. Materials and Methods: The levels of background radiation in these mining areas were estimated using a well calibrated International Medicom CRM-100 Digital Radiation Monitor (survey meter). A cross-sectional survey was adopted for this study. Based on standard method, the radiation monitor was held at a distance of 1.0 meters above the ground and three readings taken at each location and the mean recorded. The radiation dose rates were calculated. A descriptive statistic and inferential statistic were used to summarize the data using statistical package for social Sciences SPSS version 21. Results: The mean dose rate for all the mining locations studied is 0.269+0.039(µSv/hr) and OAEDR of 0.470+0.068(mSv/yr). The excess life cancer risk for adult and children are 1.645 x 10-3 and 1.175 x 10-3 in the mining areas respectively. The mean outdoor Annual Equivalent Dose Rate (OAEDR) for the mining locations of Ebonyi States was 0.470±0.068 and mean of the radiation dose values recommended by UNSCEAR (2008) was 2.4± 0.48. There was statistically significance mean difference between the mean of OAEDR and the UNCEAR recommended value (p = 0.001). Conclusion: the outdoor background radiation levels emitted from the study area are within permissible limits for the general population. Therefore there is little risk of instantaneous radiation hazard within the mining areas of Ebonyi State. Key words: Absorb dose, excess life Cancer risk, radiation hazard.


2021 ◽  
Vol 26 ◽  
pp. 278-293
Author(s):  
M. J. Potgieter ◽  
A. Potgieter ◽  
P. R. Ramaila ◽  
L. Wildschut

This paper is an evaluation of the Science Learner Assisted Programme (SLAP) at the University of Limpopo Science Centre. The evaluation is intended to be useful for improving the program and informing social action aimed at amending educational problems (related to science education faced by schools in the Limpopo Province (South Africa). The purpose of the evaluation was to evaluate the design of SLAP and how it was being delivered to the target group (Grade 10-12 learners). Data were collected from August to October 2016. Data were collected via documentation review, semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, and observations. Forty-five learners completed the questionnaires. Qualitative and quantitative data analysis techniques were employed during the data analysis process. In terms of program design, the evaluation found that SLAP is aligned with the goals of the University of Limpopo Science Centre. With regard to program delivery, the evaluation found that the program's major activity is performing experiments. Methods of engaging learners include class discussions, presentations, and group discussions. The methods proved to be effective as the level of participation was high during lessons. Affordability of lessons, the performance of experiments, and information sharing was mentioned as aspects of implementation facilitating the success of the program, while overcrowding, small labs, insufficient resources, and learners being unprepared for lessons were reported as impeding the success of service delivery. Teachers reported that the program was of great assistance to them as they learn to simplify topics and improve their methods of engaging learners in class


2021 ◽  
pp. 136-152
Author(s):  
Camilla Toulmin

Wells are of great importance in this arid zone to provide for household needs and water livestock. Well-digging by individual households in Kala has become a major activity, the number growing from 16 in 1980 to 43 in 1983. Private wells are dug mainly to exchange water with visiting livestock keepers during the dry season, in exchange for the dung from the herd, which builds up soil fertility in the village fields, and produces higher millet yields. Analysis of the profitability of well-digging explores costs and returns, for the four different household types, A, B, C, D in order to understand the wide range in returns from this investment over time. Risks to the well’s capital value, ways to control this risk, and flexibility in such an investment are described before assessing the consequences for those households unable to invest in this asset.


2021 ◽  
pp. 245592962110479
Author(s):  
Samriti Singh

Identity of a place changes due to rapid modern alterations in a city. There are various factors leading to these changes in the identity of a place. This research article investigates those factors through the physical mapping technique through the case study of the city, Shimla. The article delves into how the city of Shimla was formed as a British summer capital of India and has evolved its character and identity into a state capital. Components of identity of a place are explored and those components are applied to find the identity of Shimla on the basis of three major nodes of the city with important government offices. The components used to find the identity of the city are—historical layers of the structures, take of social community towards them, the components of the built form of the major nodes and activities performed at the nodes. The identity of a place is investigated by integrating all the aspects of the physical components associated with the major activity nodes extracted from the history and evolution of the city. Multiple ways of looking into physical spatial components of the nodes led to define the predominant factors to form the identity of the city.


2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 186-195
Author(s):  
Anggra Paramita ◽  
◽  
Indra Wibowo ◽  
Muhamad Insanu ◽  
◽  
...  

Background and purpose: Zingiberaceae family has been widely used as an herbal medicine from generation to generation. This review aimed more in-depth into information and correlation about the empirical uses, bioactive compounds, and biological activities, a literature review genus Zingiber was conducted. Methods: Articles about genus Zingiber were collected from databases (e.g., DOAJ (Directory of Open Access Journal), PubMed, ResearchGate, ScienceDirect, and Springer), they were sorted based on inclusions criteria such as; related to bioactive compounds and biological activities of the samples and also articles for the last ten year. Results: The screening results obtained 52 reports to review and grouped according to each plant's bioactive content and pharmacological effect. The extensive constituent in genus Zingiber is essential oil. Therefore, the major activity found in this genus was related to antimicrobial and anti-oxidant. Furthermore, the other activities of plants were related to their factual use during this time. Conclusion: The empirical uses of these rhizomes were in line with the bioactive compounds and biological activities.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (19) ◽  
pp. 387-393
Author(s):  
Leinar Septar ◽  
Cristina Moale ◽  
Larisa Tilinca ◽  
Ioan Stoli

Irrigation is a major activity in arid and semi-arid regions for many crops, including orchards. The deficit irrigation is an alternative in the context of global warming. The crop studied was apricot, 'Orizont' cultivar, 16 years old, grafted on the 'Constanta 14' rootstock. The planting distance was 4 m between the rows and 5 m between trees in the row. Fruit size and weight are important qualities and yield traits in apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.), but the factors that influence fruit size and weight remain to be explored. The fruit biometrical characteristics was influenced by the irrigation regime, with the irrigated treatment with 100% AHI (T1) showing significantly (P <5%) higher differences versus T2 and T3. As with fruit biometrical characteristics, the fruit weight determined on the fruits of the studied treatments had the same trend. In this study, we investigated the impact of stress hydric on fruit size and weight at 'Orizont' apricot cultivar in 2019-2020 period.


Blood ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew W. Roberts ◽  
Andrew H Wei ◽  
David Ching Siang Huang

BCL2 and MCL1 are commonly expressed pro-survival (anti-apoptotic) proteins in hematological cancers and play important roles in their biology either through dysregulation or by virtue of intrinsic importance to the cell-of-origin of the malignancy. A new class of small molecule anti-cancer drugs, BH3-mimetics, now enable specific targeting of these proteins in patients. BH3-mimetics act by inhibiting the pro-survival BCL2 proteins to enable the activation of BAX and BAK, apoptosis effectors which permeabilize the outer mitochondrial membrane, triggering apoptosis directly in many cells and sensitizing others to cell death when combined with other anti-neoplastic drugs. Venetoclax, a specific inhibitor of BCL2, is the first approved in class, demonstrating striking single agent activity in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and in other lymphoid neoplasms, as well as activity against acute myeloid leukemia (AML), especially when used in combination. Key insights from the venetoclax experience include that responses occur rapidly, with major activity as monotherapy proving to be the best indicator for success in combination regimens. This emphasizes the importance of adequate single agent studies for drugs in this class. Furthermore, secondary resistance is common with long-term exposure and often mediated by genetic or adaptive changes in the apoptotic pathway, suggesting that BH3-mimetics are better suited to limited-duration, rather than continuous, therapy. The success of venetoclax has inspired development of BH3-mimetics targeting MCL1. Despite promising preclinical activity against MYC-driven lymphomas, myeloma and AML, their success may particularly depend on their tolerability profile given physiological roles for MCL1 in several non-hematological tissues.


Author(s):  
Nicole Gaudenti ◽  
Emmeleia Nix ◽  
Paul Maier ◽  
Michael Westphal ◽  
Emily Taylor

Global climate change is already contributing to the extirpation of numerous species worldwide, and sensitive species will continue to face challenges associated with rising temperatures throughout this century and beyond. It is especially important to evaluate the thermal ecology of endangered ectotherm species now so that mitigation measures can be taken as early as possible. A recent study of the thermal ecology of the federally endangered Blunt-Nosed Leopard Lizard (Gambelia sila) suggested that they face major activity restrictions due to thermal constraints in their desert habitat, but that large shade-providing shrubs act as thermal buffers to allow them to maintain surface activity without overheating. We replicated this study and also included a population of G. sila with no access to large shrubs to facilitate comparison of the thermal ecology of G. sila in shrubless and shrubbed populations. We found that G. sila without access to shrubs spent more time sheltering inside rodent burrows than lizards with access to shrubs, especially during the hot summer months. Lizards from a shrubbed population had higher midday body temperatures and therefore poorer thermoregulatory accuracy than G. sila from a shrubless population, suggesting that greater surface activity may represent a thermoregulatory tradeoff for G. sila. Lizards at both sites are currently constrained from using open, sunny microhabitats for much of the day during their short active seasons, and our projections suggest that climate change will exacerbate these restrictions and force G. sila to use rodent burrows for shelter even more than they do now, especially at sites without access to shrubs. The continued management of shrubs and of burrowing rodents at G. sila sites is therefore essential to the survival of this endangered species.


Psichologija ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 63 ◽  
pp. 24-39
Author(s):  
Algimantas Švegžda ◽  
Rytis Stanikūnas ◽  
Kristina Augustinaitė ◽  
Remigijus Bliumas ◽  
Henrikas Vaitkevičius

The aim of this study was to record facial electromiograms (EMG) while subjects were viewing facial expressions of different pain levels (no-pain, medium pain and very painful) and to find objective criteria for measuring pain expressed in human’s face. The study involved 18 students with age 21 years. The magnitude of the EMG response of m. corrugator supercilii depended on voluntary performed facial pain expression in the subjects. EMG responses of voluntary performed facial pain expressions to mirrored pain reactions were detected at two time span intervals: 200–300 ms after stimulation in m. zygomaticus major, and 400–500 ms after stimulation in m. corrugator supercilii. These differences disappear after 1300 ms. In the second time interval, differences in EMG responses of both muscle groups occur 1600 ms after stimulus presentation, but disappear differently: 3100 ms after stimulation in m. zygomaticus major and 4000 ms in m. corrugator supercilii. Constant responding with “medium pain” expression when recognizing faces of different pain expressions have an effect on the voluntary EMG responses of individual subjects. Images with emotional expression “no pain” reduce m. corrugator supercilii activity and increase m. zygomaticus major activity for those observers.


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