The Struggle Between Life and Death: A Case Study of Panapur Flood, District Saran, Bihar, India

The flood is one of the natural calamities that are the outcome of anthropogenic activities by humans. It is largely defined as the overflow of water on normally dry ground. The most common reasons are overflowing of river in short span of time, breaking of dam, or heavy rainfall. The most deadly flood that occurred in the history of Panapur is the flood of 2020 which worsened the condition of the native inhabitants. The most fragile section of society was pregnant women, elderly people, children and animals. The local inhabitants experienced fear of death from very close, submerging of houses in water, rampant rainfall, snake biting, lack of drinking water and food worked as the catalyst in worsening the condition. There was the rampant destruction not only of infrastructure but also of the wildlife. Large chunk of population lost their animals in the furious flood. Dear, pig, snake, and many other wild animals washed away from the forests of Nepal to Panapur block during flood. Many wild animals lost their lives in this nature’s fury, villagers somehow managed to save lives of eight floating dear and 32 wild pigs. People left from different corona infected state to take shelter in native village in month of April and May were left disillusioned due to the flood of July 2020. As officially reported eight people washed away and died during flood. The further unrest came when the prices of fodder surged up to 14/kg. This paper studies the impact of flood on inhabitants of Panapur block, Saran district, Bihar, India. This study is based on primary survey using sampling techniques. Six villages have been selected for survey. Result have been analysed and it was found that people lost their economy, crop, shelter, pet animals, forest, dignity and humanity. They are left under the utter disillusionment. They became homeless, helpless, hopeless and health less.

Assessment of Outdoor Lighting: Methods for Capturing the Pedestrian Experience in the Field

This study assessed whether methods for capturing the pedestrian experience of outdoor lighting, previously evaluated in a full-scale laboratory, were applicable in a real-world setting. It applied an approach capturing the human response to outdoor lighting in a systematic way, by assessing perception, evaluation and behaviour in the lit environment. The study involved 81 participants from two age groups (Young—n: 48, mean age: 26, 63% women; Elderly—n: 33, mean age: 69, 67% women) and was carried out on a pedestrian path in a park in the centre of Malmö, Sweden, in the evenings during wintertime. Two LED lighting applications, differing in light distribution, uniformity and horizontal illuminance, were presented, and the pedestrians’ perception (facial expression recognition and sign reading), evaluation (arousal, valence and perceived outdoor lighting quality) and behaviour (pedestrian flow) were assessed. The results from the perceptual tasks differed significantly between the lighting applications, in favour of the lighting application with greatest uniformity and horizontal illuminance. There was a significant difference in sign reading distance between the two age groups. The methods applied in this study are feasible to administer and could be used to assess lighting solutions in order to capture the needs of vulnerable groups.

Perception Of Witchcraft Practice In Oredo Local Government Area Of Edo State, Nigeria

Africa has long standing history of complex phenomenal as they relate to belief system, especially in the existence and powers of witches which pervades every segment of the society. This study is designed to ascertain the perception of witchcraft practice in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo state, Nigeria. The study used a cluster/multi stage random sample of 30 residents of Oredo Local Government Area whom were interviewed using FGDs and in-depth interviews to elicit information on the perception and practice of witchcraft in Edo state, Nigeria. Data generated were content analyzed and the result shows that majority of the respondent were of the opinion that witchcraft is widely practiced in Edo state and it has negative implications to victims. They emphasized its human right implications, noting that it could result in total violation of rights. Results further show that witchcraft accusation is gender biased as women (elderly) are mostly the victims of witchcraft accusation against their male counterparts, thereby raising concerns on gender based discrimination as well as human right violation respectively. It becomes highly imperative that social workers and other human rights professionals should raise awareness on the existence of these problems and carryout necessary advocacy, influencing the government to enact and enforce stronger laws and strategies to address all aspects of this issue.

Epidemiological Aspects in Nasopharyngeal Cancer

Nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) is an uncommon cancer. According to the Global Cancer Observatory, of the 129,000 new diagnoses in 2018, 85% has been made in the Asiatic population. In males the annual age adjusted rate of incidence (per 100,000) dramatically varied between 8 in South-Eastern Asia and <1 in Europe. In Europe (period of diagnosis 1999–2007), the annual incidence rate varied between 0.7 (South of Europe) and 0.2 (North of Europe). Incidence is three time higher in men than women. Elderly are more affected than young people. Five-year survival, from European population based cancer registries was 49% (period 1999–2007), survival was better in younger than in older patients (73% vs. 31%), prognosis was more favorable in women than men (54% vs. 47%). Geographical variation of survival was reported, with poor 5-year in the Eastern European countries (36%).Incidence and population based survival are crucial for public health and planning clinical study. Lifestyle and environmental factors are responsible of the decreasing trend of incidence in quite all the world countries.Being one of the rare diseases, NPC need to be centralized for diagnosis and treatment. In Europe, the European Joint Action of Rare Cancers and the European Reference Network for rare disease will play an important role to make progress and reduce geographical disparities.

Role of gender, age and BMI in prognosis of heart failure

The prognostic stratification of heart failure remains an urgent need for correct clinical management of the affected patients. In fact, due to the high mortality and morbidity rates, heart failure constantly requires an updated and careful management of all aspects that characterise the disease. In addition to the well-known clinical, laboratory and instrumental characteristics that affect the prognosis of heart failure, gender, age and body mass index have a different impact and deserve specific insights and clarifications. At this scope, the metabolic exercise cardiac kidney index score research group has produced several works in the past, trying to identify the role of these specific factors on the prognosis of heart failure. In particular, the different performances in the cardiopulmonary exercise test of specific categories of heart failure patients, such as women, elderly and obese or overweight individuals, have requested dedicated evaluations of metabolic exercise cardiac kidney index score power.

Understanding shelter from a gender perspective: the case of Hawassa, Ethiopia

The city of Hawassa is growing fast, driven by construction of a flagship industrial park that is expected to attract up to 60,000 workers by 2021, mostly young women, arriving without families or dependents, and living off very low wages. Along with these young women, female-headed households; divorced, separated and widowed women; elderly women; and women with disabilities all face severe/acute shelter vulnerabilities. These groups are most likely to struggle to access both formal and informal shelter, related to their below-average income levels but also to other forms of bias and discrimination. This paper draws out key findings on gender and housing from a collaborative study investigating shelter provision in Hawassa, part of a wider research study on inclusive cities in East Africa led by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED). It aims to highlight specific constraints faced by women in accessing shelter, and around such issues as informality, safety and security, and infrastructure provision.

Assessing the Role of Zinc in COVID-19 Infections and Mortality: Is Zinc Deficiency a Risk Factor for COVID-19?

ABSTRACTVariables responsible for the differential COVID-19 pandemic severity among countries remain undefined. Zinc, a micronutrient required for immunocompetence, is found deficient in populations. We hypothesized the differential COVID-19 severity observed among European countries could be associated with the Zn-deficiency prevalence. The COVID-19 data from different stages of pandemic i.e., 8 April, 12 and 26 May 2020, were analyzed for covariation with the estimated Zn-deficiency. A significant, relatively stable, but negative correlation of Zn-deficiency with cases per million for the time period (r(20): −0.4930 to −0.5335, R2=0.2431 to 0.2846, p-value: 0.02720 to 0.0154) and a steady improvement of covariation with deaths per million (r(20): −0.4056; R2=0.1645, p-value: 0.0760 on 26 May 2020) was observed. Considering, Zinc’s key immunomodulatory role, widespread deficiency along with the self- and prescribed intervention in different target groups, e.g. children, women, elderly, carefully planned dedicated exploratory studies to understand the basis of the observed association are advisable.

The Dynamics of Rejang Renteng Dance in Bali as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of the World

This current study is intended to interpret a Balinese cultural product which has taken root in and connected to the Hindu religious system, namely the Rejang Renteng dance. Apart from becoming a cultural product, it also functions as a social cohesion as it involves a significant number of dancers who are children, women, elderly people and the homemakers who become the members of an organisation known referred to as PKK (Family Welfare Education). They interact with one another. The growth and development of the dance have been used as the icon of every Hindu religious activity in Bali, and also as an icon of different social activities. The question is why the Rejang Renteng dance has developed more rapidly than the other dance forms. This current study is also intended to answer different matters on the Rejang Renteng dance, which cannot be separated from the dynamics of the development of the Balinese society which is changing in the current globalisation era. It is also intended to explore the shift in its meaning, function and, which has taken place from the beginning until the current times. The current study was conducted at Masceti Temple Gianyar, Karangasem and Denpasar. The qualitative method, especially the observation, interview and documentary techniques, were applied to collect the data. The data were analysed through four steps; they are reduction, classification, interpretation and conclusion drawing. The informants were determined using the purposive method as they had been determined based on their capacities. The result of the study shows that (1) the Rejang Renteng dance (Rente) can only be performed by the women attaining menopause and are appointed by what is locally referred to as Ida Betara (the God who resides at the temple where the dance is performed) and may not be replaced by others; (2) a purification ceremony is held for the dance; therefore, it is classified as a sacred dance locally referred to as Tari Wali; (3) the Rejang Renteng dance (Rerejangan), which is seasonally performed, is referred to as the Balih-balihan dance; it is a result of the creative reconstruction made by the artists who were inspired by the sacred Rejang dance (Tari Wali). It is massively performed by the women who are the members of the PKK organisation for which no purification ceremony is held. Being a sacred dance, the Rejang Renteng dance is only performed at the temples or the other holy places; however, the creatively reconstructed Rejang Renteng dance can be performed as a part of different religious and social activities. Symbolically, it is a cosmic dance which refers to the concept of the event when the angels descend from the heaven to watch the ritual performed by human beings and is performed in the formation of a circle (renteng). Its sacred meaning empties into the concept of satyam (the truth), siwam (holiness), and sundaram (beauty).

Risk of acquiring listeriosis from consumption of chicken offal among high risk group

Listeria monocytogenes causes mild foodborne infection in healthy adults but serious complication in high risk group such as infant, pregnant women, immunocompromised and elderly. This study aims to estimate the probability of infection based on the survivability of L. monocytogenes in chicken offal, particularly chicken liver, gizzard and heart. A total of 20 µl of L. monocytogenes with inoculum size of 9.02 log CFU/ml was spiked on the chicken offal and stored at room temperature (28oC) for 0, 1, 3, and 6 h. This experimental design was aimed to simulate the contaminated chicken offal stored at temperature danger zone. It was found that chicken offal supported the growth of L. monocytogenes that it significantly grows at 3 and 6 h incubation. Risk assessment was performed by combining this result with the data from our previous studies as well as data from government agencies and other studies. Dose-response model was used to estimate the probability of listeria infection per year. Immunocompromised was the highest risk group, followed by pregnant women, elderly and general population with probability of infection per year estimated at 3.78 x 10-3, 1.76 x 10-4, 5.68 x 10-8 and 5.75 x 10-9, respectively. It can be concluded that high risk group requires extra caution in their food consumption in order to prevent listeriosis which can result in serious complication and death.

ER documents categorization and explanation

Background Emergency room reports are a specific kind of text, posing specific challenges to natural language processing techniques. In this setting, violence episodes on women, elderly and children are often under-reported. Categorizing textual descriptions as containing violence-related injuries vs. non-violence-related injuries, is thus a relevant task, to the ends of devising alerting mechanisms to track violence episodes. Methods We present a system to detect episodes of violence from the textual descriptions contained in emergency room reports. It employs a deep neural network for categorizing textual ER reports data. Additionally, the system complements such output by making explicit which elements corroborate the interpretation of the record as reporting about violence-related injuries. To these ends we designed a novel hybrid technique for filling semantic frames that employs distributed representations of the terms herein, along with syntactic and semantic information. Results We tested our system on a set of real data of emergency room reports, coming from an Italian branch of the EU-Injury Database (EU-IDB) project, annotated by hospital staff. Our experimentation shows that the system produces accurate categorization (of violent vs. non violent records), paired with interesting results on the explanation of such output. At times, it also allowed unveiling annotation errors committed by hospital staff. Conclusions In the last few years deep architectures and word embeddings have been compared to a tsunami hitting AI and the area concerned with natural language processing. Only at a later time we have been realizing that the stunning output of deep networks needed to be explained: our proposal, combining distributed and symbolic (frame-like) representations are a possible answer to this pressing request for interpretability. Although the present application is focused on the medical domain, the proposed methodology is general and, in principle, it can be extended to further application areas and categorization tasks.