Pop the “maths anxiety” bubble : an approach to support nursing students to self-manage anxiety while studying drug calculations

This is a report on an informal action research undertaken between 2013 to 2014 to find solutions to support tertiary nursing students experiencing anxiety while studying drug calculation. The literature identifies traditional “Maths Anxiety” and modern-day specific categorisations of “Dyslexia” and “Dyscalculia”, yet offers no clear solution on how to support students. Exploring the constructive-developmental perspective of human development, the conception of the triune brain and the Psychosynthesis conceptual map of body-feelings-mind enabled me to develop an approach to base on all this wisdom in order to help students navigate their daily experience on campus and consciously express their will to succeed. These techniques proved to be successful, evidenced in the overwhelmingly positive feedback from both students and maths tutors. This article invites colleagues within the broader ATLAANZ community to adapt and apply this approach in their practice to support students with anxiety to succeed while studying.

Formulation and Evaluation of Benzoyl Peroxide Injection

Objective: The present research has been undertaken for the formulation and evaluation of Benzoyl Peroxide Injection. It is used for Antiacne activity. Methods: Benzoyl peroxide is used as Antiacne. Methyl paraben, Propyl paraben and benzalkoniumchloride were used as preservatives. Water for injection is used as a vehicle. The following parameters were evaluated such as clarity test, leakage test, chearity test, assay and Sterility test. Results: The clearity test shows clear solution. Drug chearity test shows no chear in the vials. Leakage test shows no leakage in the vials. pH and drug content show the F1 batch was better the other batches. IR confirmed that all functional groups are same as benzoyl Peroxide. Conclusion: It was concluded that F1 batch is the good than the other batches. So F1 batch is good for the Parenteral use.

Formulasi dan Uji Stabilitas Fisik Sediaan Hair Tonic Ekstrak Daun Cabai Rawit (Capsium Frutescent L). Dengan Variasi Propilenglikol Dan Etanol 96%

Cayenne pepper leaf (Capsicum frutescents L) is one of the natural ingredients that contains chemical compounds including saponins, alkaloids, terpenoids, quinones and flavonoids. Saponin and flavonoid compounds in cayenne pepper leaves have a role to stimulate hair growth. So that it can be used to overcome the problem of hair loss, where hair loss often occurs in the community dueto lack of nutritional intake and excessive use of chemicals. To overcome this, this research was carried out which aims to use preparations from natural ingredients of ethanol extract of cayenne pepper leaves which were made into hairtonic preparations with variations of propylene glycol and 96% ethanol Hairtonic formulations used 96% ethanol, menthol, propylene glycol, methyl paraben, propyl paraben, and aquades. Then a physical stability test was carried out to determine at what concentration the hairtonic preparation produced good physical stability. Hairtonic physical stability test was carried out for 14 days of storage with organoleptic results. Brownish orange color in the form of a clear solution and distinctive aroma of cayenne pepper leaf extract, the pH test was from the last cycle Formulation 1: 4.9 then Formulation 2: 5.0 and Formulation 3. : 5.1. Still in the skin pH range of 4.5-6.5, the Viscosity test is from the last cycle of Formulation 1: 1.01 Cps then Formulation 2: 0.95 Cps and Formulation 3: 1.06 Cps. Still in the hair tonic viscosity specification, which is below 5 Cps, in the Specific Gravity test in Formulation 1: 0.9950 gram/ml. then Formulation 2: 0.9951 gram/ml. and Formula 3: 0.9978 gram/ml. Still in the hair tonic viscosity specification, which is ±1 gram/ml. From these results, it can be seen that at concentrations of propylene glycol 10%, 15%, 20% and ethanol 5%, 10%, 15% produced good physical stability

Setting Thresholds to Define Indifferences and Preferences in PROMETHEE for Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment of European Hydrogen Production

The Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (LCSA) is a proven method for sustainability assessment. However, the interpretation phase of an LCSA is challenging because many different single results are obtained. Additionally, performing a Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) is one way—not only for LCSA—to gain clarity about how to interpret the results. One common form of MCDAs are outranking methods. For these type of methods it becomes of utmost importance to clarify when results become preferable. Thus, thresholds are commonly used to prevent decisions based on results that are actually indifferent between the analyzed options. In this paper, a new approach is presented to identify and quantify such thresholds for Preference Ranking Organization METHod for Enrichment Evaluation (PROMETHEE) based on uncertainty of Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) methods. Common thresholds and this new approach are discussed using a case study on finding a preferred location for sustainable industrial hydrogen production, comparing three locations in European countries. The single LCSA results indicated different preferences for the environmental, economic and social assessment. The application of PROMETHEE helped to find a clear solution. The comparison of the newly-specified thresholds based on LCIA uncertainty with default thresholds provided important insights of how to interpret the LCSA results regarding industrial hydrogen production.

Degradation of Methylene Blue Using Microplasma Discharge – A Relative Study with Photodegradation

Large-scale production and application of synthetic dyes have become a matter of concern as it is a major factor responsible for environmental pollution. Most dyeing effluents are discharged into water bodies and lands without being treated, which ultimately pollutes the groundwater making it unfit for consumption. The present study explains the degradation of one of such synthetic dyes Methylene blue (MB), using non-thermal Microplasma treatment. The aqueous solution of MB was treated with an array of air microplasma discharge at atmospheric pressure. Different concentrations (10 ppm, 20 ppm) of MB solution were treated for various treatment time and chemical parameters like pH, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids and salinity was measured. The degradation percentage reached 100% in 15 min of treatment for 10 ppm MB solution, and 20 min of treatment for 20 ppm MB solution indicated by the color change from blue to a clear solution. The reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) formed during the microplasma treatment are responsible for MB degradation. Same volume of MB solution was irradiated by direct sunlight for photodegradation and was found to degrade the solution of 10 ppm by 96% and 20 ppm by 93% in 10 hours of treatment. Experimental results indicated that microplasma treatment was effective for dye degradation, without the need for pretreatment process or chemicals.

Mouth Rinsing With a Pink Non-caloric, Artificially-Sweetened Solution Improves Self-Paced Running Performance and Feelings of Pleasure in Habitually Active Individuals

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether mouth rinsing with a pink non-caloric, artificially sweetened solution can improve self-selected running speed and distance covered during a 30 min running protocol.Methods: Ten healthy and habitually active individuals (six males, four females) completed two experimental trials in a randomised, single-blind, crossover design. Each experimental trial consisted of a 30 min treadmill run at a self-selected speed equivalent to 15 (hard/heavy) on the rating of perceived exertion scale. During exercise, participants mouth rinsed with either a pink or a clear non-caloric, artificially sweetened solution, with performance, perceptual and physiological measures obtained throughout.Results: Self-selected running speed (+0.4 ± 0.5 km·h−1, p = 0.024, g = 0.25) and distance covered (+213 ± 247 m, p = 0.023, g = 0.25) during the 30 min running protocol were both improved by 4.4 ± 5.1% when participants mouth rinsed with the pink solution when compared to the clear solution. Feelings of pleasure were also enhanced during the 30 min treadmill run when participants mouth rinsed with the pink solution, with ratings increased from 3.4 ± 0.7 in the clear condition to 3.8 ± 0.6 in the pink condition (+0.4 ± 0.5, p = 0.046, g = 0.54).Conclusion: Mouth rinsing with a pink non-caloric, artificially sweetened solution improved self-selected running speed, total distance covered, and feelings of pleasure obtained during a 30 min running protocol when compared to an isocaloric and taste-matched clear solution.

Bioethanol Production from an Underutilized Plant, Calabash (Crescentia Cujete) Using Co-Culture of Saccharomyces Cerevisiae and Cronobacter Malonaticus

Response surface methodology (RSM) model was used to optimize ethanol production from calabash (Crescentia cujete) pulp juice using co-culture of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Cronobacter malonaticus. The calabash pulp was squeezed with muslin cloth, and vacuum filtered to clear solution before use. The clear juice was tested for reducing sugars using the Dinitrosalicylic acid (DNS) method. Twenty three runs (23), including 3 controls, of the fermentation were conducted at varying temperatures, pH, and volumes of inoculum. The process parameters (input variables): volumes of inoculum, temperature, and pH were subjected to response surface model, using the Central composite design (CCD). Fermentation was done in conical flasks covered with cotton wool and foil in a stationary incubator for four days (96 hours). Active co-culture of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Cronobacter malonaticus was used, with inoculum developed using Marcfaland’s method. Samples were collected every 24 hours, centrifuged, filtered and analyzed for measurement of the output variables: reducing sugar, cell density and ethanol concentration. The concentration of reducing sugars from Calabash pulp was 3.2 mg/ml. Results obtained also revealed that the fermentation can take place on a wide range of temperature; 29-31.60C . The optimal pH range for performance of the co-culture for the fermentation process was pH range 7.9- 8.0. The optimum volume of inoculum was 5.5%v/v (ie 5.5 ml in 94.5ml juice). The optimized process using the RSM model gave 6.97% v/v bioethanol at 29oC and pH 7.9. The bioethanol yield from Calabash substrate is reasonable with co-culture considering the concentration of reducing sugars obtained from the juice and the duration of the fermentation.

Part 2 National and Regional Reports, Part 2.1 Africa: Coordinated by Jan L Neels and Eesa A Fredericks, 18 Tunisia: Tunisian Perspectives on the Hague Principles

This chapter focuses on Tunisian perspectives on the Hague Principles. The main source of private international law in Tunisia is the 1998 Code of private international law (CPIL). Tunisia has not signed any convention on choice of law in international contractual matters. However, it is worth mentioning that, in the field of international arbitration, some conventions to which Tunisia is party include an express reference to party autonomy. As a matter of principle, Tunisian courts are bound only by Tunisian law and other international instruments duly ratified by Tunisia. Nevertheless, it is not uncommon that Tunisian courts refer to foreign laws, international conventions not ratified by Tunisia, model laws, foreign case law, or even foreign legal literature when such reference is deemed persuasive. Therefore, it can be safely said that nothing prevents Tunisian courts from referring to the persuasive authority of the Hague Principles. This would be the case if the parties invoked the Principles in support of their arguments in the case where a clear solution is lacking under Tunisian law.

Expanding Our Understanding of COVID-19 from Biomedical Literature Using Word Embedding

A better understanding of the clinical characteristics of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is urgently required to address this health crisis. Numerous researchers and pharmaceutical companies are working on developing vaccines and treatments; however, a clear solution has yet to be found. The current study proposes the use of artificial intelligence methods to comprehend biomedical knowledge and infer the characteristics of COVID-19. A biomedical knowledge base was established via FastText, a word embedding technique, using PubMed literature from the past decade. Subsequently, a new knowledge base was created using recently published COVID-19 articles. Using this newly constructed knowledge base from the word embedding model, a list of anti-infective drugs and proteins of either human or coronavirus origin were inferred to be related, because they are located close to COVID-19 on the knowledge base. This study attempted to form a method to quickly infer related information about COVID-19 using the existing knowledge base, before sufficient knowledge about COVID-19 is accumulated. With COVID-19 not completely overcome, machine learning-based research in the PubMed literature will provide a broad guideline for researchers and pharmaceutical companies working on treatments for COVID-19.

The Basic Conception of Epistêmê at Work

If epistêmê’s defining object is Being, then cognition of Being constitutes Plato’s basic conception of epistêmê: we should be able to appeal to this in order to see why Plato attributes to epistêmê all the various features that he does. In this chapter I aim to show that this expectation is borne out. The Basic Conception can explain the requirement that epistêmê is of truth, that it involves the ability to give explanations, and that it is clear, precise, and stable. Moreover, it can explain and indeed motivate all the evidence that epistêmê is restricted to Forms. What about the objection, however, that the Republic’s philosophers’ epistêmê qualifies them to rule, and hence must apply to perceptibles? I argue that Plato provides a clear solution: since perceptibles are images of Forms, epistêmê of the Forms enhances one’s cognition of perceptibles without directly applying to them.