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The researcher was influenced by best English language teaching standards in England to find TESOL best practices. The study was carried out in three reputable elementary schools where English as a second language was taught. The research was conducted at three prominent primary schools in Birmingham, England, where the majority of the kids were from ethnic minorities. The fieldwork resulted in the refining and validation of an audit that was initially based on literature. Following that, fieldwork was conducted in a developing nation using the same methodology as in the United Kingdom. This step entails conducting a TESOL audit in order to determine the strengths and limitations of TESOL services in Malaysian and international TESOL institutions. This article describes the technique and methods used to build and validate the audit tool, which is particularly useful for codifying and identifying TESOL best practices. The method begins with a brief description of quality and the two types of quality measurements that are employed, benchmarking and auditing. The grounded, iterative approach to the creation and implementation of research instruments was then discussed.

Introduction: Rabies is a highly fatal disease that is mostly caused by a dog bite. The Dog Bite Prevention KAP scale is a 30-item scale that is designed to measure children’s level of safety knowledge on dog’s behaviour, precautionary behaviour around dogs, perceived vulnerability towards dogs and help-seeking behaviour following a dog bite. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the test-retest reliability and validity of outcome measures. Methods: This questionnaire was administered to samples of school student aged from 13 years to 14 years at a secondary school located in Bau District, Sarawak. They were purposively selected for a baseline interview (Time 1) and a ten-day follow-up (Time 2). This study was conducted within four months, which were from 10 April to 31 August 2018. Descriptive analysis, content analysis, Cronbach’s alpha, intra-class correlation and exploratory factor analysis were performed in this study. Results: A total of 64 boys and 114 girls were involved in the study, whereby 79.2%, 10.1%, 7.9%, 2.2% and 0.6% of them were of Bidayuh ethnic, Chinese, Iban, Malays and other ethnic, respectively. The Cronbach's alpha was 0.796. The test-retest intra-class correlation was adequate, with 0.84 for perceived vulnerability towards dogs and 0.81 for precautionary behaviour around dogs. Principal components analysis with varimax rotation resulted in two factors, which explained 39% of the variance (perceived vulnerability towards dogs) and 49% of the variance (precautionary behaviour around dogs). Conclusion: The questionnaire is a valid and reliable tool for a dog-bite prevention survey.

Background Psychological conditions are experiences of the conscious and unconscious elements of the work context, which revolve around workers' perceptions of feeling either engaged or disengaged with the assigned tasks. In the psychosocial work environment of hazardous industries like petrochemicals where production lasts twenty-four hours a day and continues seven-days-a-week, a psychologically available worker is extremely important. Psychological availability refers to when workers who are physically, emotionally and psychologically engaged at the moment of performing tasks. Objective The broad objective of this study was to investigate the direct and indirect effects of behavioral factors on the psychological and physiological health of workers. Methods The latest, second generation technique, which is structural equation modeling, is used to identify the relationships between behavioral antecedents and health outcomes. A total of 277 technical workers participated, aged between 20 and 49 and were healthy in all aspects. Results The study results showed quantitative demands, emotional demands, work-family conflict, and job insecurity were significantly associated with both psychological (stress) and physiological (Body Mass Index) factors. The social support of colleagues produced mixed findings with direct and indirect paths. Stress also significantly mediates the psychosocial factors and burnout of the workers. Conclusion The study concluded that workers were physically available, but they experienced distractions as members of social systems, affecting their physiological and psychological health.

Food spoilage which makes food unsuitable for human consumption is one of the major concerns in the food industry. Although various chemical additives are being used commercially for food preservation to prevent spoilage, but these chemically synthesized preservatives cause severe ill-effects on human health. The increasing awareness of health hazards caused due to them among the consumers has led to a demand for availability of chemical-free food in the market. This in turn has created the need to look for new alternatives, which are natural but efficient and do not pose any health issues. In this context, naturally occurring, non-pathogenic lactic acid bacteria, or bacteriocins produced by them have attracted a lot of attention in the scientific community. Bacteriocins are ribosomally synthesized active proteins which show bactericidal mode of action against food spoiling bacteria and are considered to be safe additives for food preservation. However, several hurdles such as sensitivity to proteolytic enzymes, restricted antimicrobial spectrum, high dosage requirement and low yield limit the use of bacteriocins as efficient food preservatives. To combat some of these limitations, more recently bacteriocin-nanoconjugates have emerged as a promising solution. This review focuses on the limitations of bacteriocins in restricting the growth of food-borne pathogens and the potential of nanotechnology in enhancing the antimicrobial activity of bacteriocins.

Upsurge in the instances of antibiotic-resistant uropathogenic Escherichia .coli (UPECs) strains has repositioned the attention of researchers towards a century old antimicrobial approach popularly known as phage therapy. Rise of extended spectrum beta lactamase (ESBL) and biofilm producing strains has added another step of hurdle in treatment of uropathogens with conventional antibiotics, thus providing a further impetus for search for exploring new therapeutic measures. In this direction, bacteriophages, commonly called phages, are recently being considered as potential alternatives for treatment of UPECs. Phages are the tiniest form of viruses which are ubiquitous in nature and highly specific for their host. This review discusses the possible ways of using natural phages, genetically engineered phages, and phage lytic enzymes (PLEs) as an alternative antimicrobial treatment for urinary tract infections. The review also sheds light on the synergistic use of conventional antibiotics with phages or PLEs for treatment of uropathogens. These methods of using phages and their derivatives, alone or in combination with antibiotics, have proved fruitful so far in in vitro studies. However, in vivo studies are required to make them accessible for human use. The present review is a concerted effort towards putting together all the information available on the subject.

In this paper we investigate the presence of math anxiety (MA) among University Engineering students at all levels of undergraduate study. In an effort to assess the presence and severity of MA over the course of an undergraduate degree, as well as to quantify the number of highly math anxious students in this STEM discipline, a 29-question survey was conducted in each of five levels of undergraduate Engineering students. Using non-parametric statistical methods such as Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney tests as well as pairwise proportion comparisons, MA was compared across years of study. Utilizing existing anxiety classifications of Math Evaluation Anxiety (MEA), Learning Mathematics Anxiety (LMA) and Numerical Anxiety (NA), it was found that MEA showed the highest anxiety scores, while LMA and NA remained at or below a neutral anxiety score in all years of study. MEA questions related to anticipation of evaluation and the receipt of grades revealed the highest scores and the greatest discrepancy in anxiety by year (with Year 1 students more highly anxiously than later years in nearly all cases). Although earlier research suggests that MA tapers off by grade 10, this research suggests that while first-year university students exhibit low levels of LMA and NA, they continue to exhibit high levels of MEA. This result may be in part due to the level of questions on traditional MA assessment questionnaires addressing lower level mathematical concepts (such as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division). Since students gain comfort and mastery of concepts as they use them more frequently, this study suggests that such metrics for MA must be adjusted in order to accurately assess students as they progress through later years of study. https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.18.7.4

An ever-growing demand for food products with minimal chemical additives has generated a necessity for exploring new alternatives for food preservation. In this context, more recently, bacteriocins, the peptides having antimicrobial property, synthesized ribosomally by numerous bacteria have been attracting a lot of attention. They are known to possess the potential to restrict the growth of microorganisms causing food spoilage without causing any harm to the bacteria themselves owing to the presence of self-defensive proteins. In particular, the bacteriocins of lactic acid bacteria have been considered harmless and safe for consumption and are indicated to evade the development of unwanted bacteria. Use of bacteriocins as biopreservatives has been studied in various food industries, and they have been established to elevate the shelf life of minimally processed food items by exerting killing mechanism. They restrict the growth of undesirable bacteria by breaking the target cell membrane and finally resulting into pore formation. The current article provides an insight on bacteriocins of lactic acid bacteria, their biosynthesis, mechanism of action, and promising applications of these antimicrobial peptides in the food sector.

The complete genome sequence of the unique virulent bacteriophage BRock, isolated from compost on Streptomyces sp. strain SFB5A, was determined. BRock is a myovirus with a 112,523-bp genome containing a GC content of 52.3%. There were 188 protein-coding genes predicted, including structural and enzymatic proteins, but none predicted for lysogeny. Twenty-nine tRNAs were predicted. School of Integrated Sciences at James Madison University; Harry G. M. Jopson Endowed Chair Fund at Bridgewater College; Fulbright We thank the School of Integrated Sciences at James Madison University for support. The research was also financed through the Harry G. M. Jopson Endowed Chair Fund at Bridgewater College to S.F.B.; Annotation was performed at Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram University of Science and Technology, Murthal, Haryana, India, by undergraduate and MS students in a program funded by Fulbright to L.M.

COVID-19, the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 (1), was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) in March 2020 (2). While awaiting a vaccine, several antivirals are being used to manage the disease with limited success (3, 4). To expand this arsenal, we screened 4 compound libraries: a United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved drug library, an angiotensin converting enzyme-2 (ACE2) targeted compound library, a flavonoid compound library as well as a natural product library. Of the 121 compounds identified with activity against SARS-CoV-2, 7 were shortlisted for validation. We show for the first time that the active form of Vitamin D, calcitriol, exhibits significant potent activity against SARS-CoV-2. This finding paves the way for consideration of host-directed therapies for ring prophylaxis of contacts of SARS-CoV-2 patients.

Enterovirus A71 (EV-A71) is one of the aetiological agents for the hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) in young children and a potential cause of neurological complications in afflicted patients. Since its discovery in 1969, there remains no approved antiviral for EV-A71 and other HFMD-causing enteroviruses. We set out to address the lack of therapeutics against EV-A71 by screening an FDA-approved drug library and found an enrichment of hits including pyrimidine antimetabolite, gemcitabine which showed 90.2% of inhibition on EV-A71 infection. Gemcitabine and other nucleoside analogs, LY2334737 and sofosbuvir inhibition of EV-A71 infection were disclosed using molecular and proteomic quantification, and in vitro and in vivo efficacy evaluation. Gemcitabine displayed a significant reduction of infectious EV-A71 titres by 2.5 logs PFU/mL and was shown to target the early stage of EV-A71 viral RNA and viral protein synthesis process especially via inhibition of the RNA dependent RNA polymerase. In addition, the drug combination study of gemcitabine’s synergistic effects with interferon-β at 1:1 and 1:2 ratio enhanced inhibition against EV-A71 replication. Since gemcitabine is known to metabolize rapidly in vivo, other nucleoside analogs, LY2334737 and sofosbuvir conferred protection in mice against lethal EV-A71 challenge by potentially reducing the death rate, viral titers as well on virus-induced pathology in the limb muscle tissue of mice. Additionally, we found that gemcitabine is competent to inhibit other positive-sense RNA viruses of the Flaviviridae and Togaviridae family. Overall, these drugs provide new insights into targeting viral factors as a broad-spectrum antiviral strategy with potential therapeutic value for future development and are worthy of potential clinical application.

Bacteriocins produced by lactic acid bacteria are safer alternatives to the more popularly used chemical preservatives which exhibit several adverse effects. The bacteriocins have an advantage of being efficient in controlling food pathogens without possessing any side-effects. However, the bacteriocins have a limitation of exhibiting a narrow antimicrobial spectrum and having a high-dosage requirement. With an aim to combat these limitations, the present study involved the biosynthesis of bacteriocin-capped nanoparticles, using two bacteriocins (Bac4463 and Bac22) extracted and purified from Lactobacillus strains. Nanoconjugates synthesised at optimum conditions were characterized using various physico-chemical techniques. The interaction of bacteriocin-capped silver nanoparticles with the pathogenic bacteria was observed using scanning electron microscopy, wherein the deformed and elongated cells were clearly visible. In vitro antimicrobial efficacy of both Bac4463-capped silver nanoparticles and Bac22-capped silver nanoparticles against different food pathogens was observed to be enhanced in comparison to the antimicrobial activity of bacteriocins alone. Minimum inhibitory concentration was observed to be as low as 8 μg/ml for Bac4463-capped silver nanoparticles against Staphylococcus aureus, and 2 μg/ml for Bac22-capped silver nanoparticles against Shigella flexneri. This study, therefore, recommends the use of bacteriocin-capped nanoparticles as food preservatives to control the growth of food spoiling bacteria.

According to San Fillipo (2006), death is not the end of one’s existence, but rather than a transition from one life to another. However, it is different based on how the society and individuals see the concept of death itself and how they understand about it. Thus, this article aims to explore the understanding of the relationship between culture and religion that become their identity in terms of death and life after. Qualitative approach is adopted for this study. Indeed, interview and empirical observation were used to obtain quality data.Keywords: Buddhism, Chinese, community, culture, life after death, Taoism

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is an alphavirus that causes a febrile illness accompanied by myalgia and arthralgia. Despite having re-emerged as a significant public health threat, there are no approved therapeutics or prophylactics for CHIKV infection. In this study, we explored the anti-CHIKV effects of proteasome inhibitors and their potential mechanism of antiviral action. A panel of proteasome inhibitors with different functional groups reduced CHIKV infectious titers in a dose-dependent manner. Bortezomib, which has been FDA-approved for multiple myeloma and mantle cell lymphoma, was further investigated in downstream studies. The inhibitory activities of bortezomib were confirmed using different cellular models and CHIKV strains. Time-of-addition and time-of-removal studies suggested that bortezomib inhibited CHIKV at an early, post-entry stage of replication. In western blot analysis, bortezomib treatment resulted in a prominent decrease in structural protein levels as early as 6 hpi. Contrastingly, nsP4 levels showed strong elevations across all time-points. NsP2 and nsP3 levels showed a fluctuating trend, with some elevations between 12 to 20 hpi. Finally, qRT-PCR data revealed increased levels of both positive- and negative-sense CHIKV RNA at late stages of infection. It is likely that the reductions in structural protein levels is a major factor in the observed reductions in virus titer, with the alterations in non-structural protein ratios potentially being a contributing factor. Proteasome inhibitors like bortezomib likely disrupt CHIKV replication through a variety of complex mechanisms and may display a potential for use as therapeutics against CHIKV infection. They also represent valuable tools for studies of CHIKV molecular biology and virus-host interactions., Author summary Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a mosquito-transmitted virus that causes an illness with debilitating muscle and joint pain. CHIKV has infected millions in a continued wave of outbreaks worldwide. Despite this, there are no approved antivirals or vaccines against CHIKV infection. In this study, we explored the inhibitory effects of proteasome inhibitors against CHIKV. A panel of proteasome inhibitors was found to reduce CHIKV titres in CHIKV-infected cells. We selected bortezomib, an FDA-approved drug, for further investigation into its antiviral mechanism. We confirmed the anti-CHIKV effects of bortezomib using different cell lines and CHIKV strains. We found that bortezomib resulted in a major decrease in levels of CHIKV structural proteins, which are involved in formation of progeny virus particles. Bortezomib treatment also prominently increased synthesis of viral replicase components and increased CHIKV RNA synthesis. We propose that proteasome inhibitors like bortezomib are likely to inhibit CHIKV through various mechanisms that ultimately lead to a decrease in structural proteins and infectious viral progeny. This study suggests that proteasome inhibitors display a potential for further development as antivirals against CHIKV infection and may be useful tools to study CHIKV molecular biology and virus-host interactions.

Hansen’s disease or leprosy is one of the stigmatized skin afflictions in human history. The afflicted persons who are clinically cured often received persisting discrimination and suffer the consequences of the affliction. Stigmatization, physical restrictions, economic disadvantage and loss of self-dignity are the main elements to be considered in promoting inclusion to these former sufferers. The idea of social inclusion is initiated by World Health Organization in a five-years global elimination programme for Hansen’s disease, the Global Leprosy Strategy 2016-2020. One of the strategic pillars of the programme is to end prejudice and discrimination, and to promote inclusion among the persons affected by Hansen’s disease. By using an ethnographic approach that involves in-depth interviews and participant observations, 15 former sufferers and their family members from Kampung Sinar Baru, a village settlement in a sub-district of Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia have been selected. Findings reveal the impacts of being affected by Hansen’s disease on the lives of the former sufferers and their families such as having to separate from the family. Despite that, the affected persons have taken positive initiatives by building their own community in Rajah Charles Brooke Memorial Hospital and eventually, in Kampung Sinar Baru. By highlighting the social impacts of Hansen’s disease, inclusion then can be demonstrated by understanding the contexts and social needs of those experiencing Hansen’s disease as well as changing negative attitudes and perception towards former sufferers. By letting their voices be heard, it will provide awareness in society about the misconceptions of Hansen’s disease, in the hope to build an inclusive society that accepts differences of people.

The present research was designed with an aim to attempt enhancement of antimicrobial efficacy of bacteriocins against food-borne pathogens. Bacteriocin Bac23 was extracted from a lactic acid bacterium which was isolated from raw milk, and identified as Lactobacillus plantarum using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The purified Bac23 was found to be stable over a broad temperature (20 °C - 100 °C) and pH (2–12) range, its molecular weight was estimated as 5.1 kDa using SDS-PAGE, and the amino acid sequence determined using LCMS/MS identified it as plantaricin. Bac23 exhibited antimicrobial response against only three (S.flexneri, S.aureus, and P.aeruginosa) out of a total of six test food-borne pathogens. The purified Bac23 was further used for green synthesis of bacteriocin-capped silver nanoparticles (SNPs), which displayed a particle size of 31 nm and a hydrodynamic diameter of 79.19 nm. The capped SNPs exhibited an antibacterial response against all the six test food-borne pathogens displaying MIC value as low as 4 μg/ml for S.flexneri and P.aeruginosa; thus, resulting into an almost 50% increase in the antimicrobial spectrum when compared with the antimicrobial activity of Bac23 alone. The present study therefore reports that the capping of a bacteriocin onto silver nanoparticles can enhance its antimicrobial response; hence aiding in combating food-borne pathogens.

Now a days every organization is migrating towards cloud computing as cloud computing is considered being more flexible and scalable as compared to other technologies. The technology simply means to provide the computing resources and services through a network. This paper discusses the existing approaches for scheduling algorithms that can maintain the load balancing and provides better improved strategies through efficient job scheduling and modified resource allocation techniques. The load can be CPU load, memory capacity, delay or network load. Load balancing is the process of distributing the load among various nodes of a distributed system to improve both resource utilization and job response time while also avoiding a situation where some of the nodes are heavily loaded while other nodes are idle or doing very little work. Load balancing ensures that all the processor in the system or every node in the network does approximately the equal amount of work at any instant of time.

Cloud computing is a hot topic all over the world nowadays, through which customers can access information and computer power via a web browser. As the adoption and deployment of cloud computing increase, it is critical to evaluate the performance of cloud environments. Currently, modeling and simulation technology has become a useful and powerful tool in cloud computing research community to deal with these issues. Cloud simulators are required for cloud system testing to decrease the complexity and separate quality concerns. Cloud computing means saving and accessing the data over the internet instead of local storage. In this paper, we have conducted a survey on the models of cloud environment, benefits and issues related to it.

Benzo[b]thiophene heterocycles are important components of many important small molecule pharmaceuticals and drug candidates as well as organic semiconducting materials. Many methods have been developed for the construction of a benzo[b]thiophene core via cyclization reaction of alkynes. Although few catalytic reactions were disclosed, most methods rely on stoichiometric activation of alkynes. Here we report an efficient method for the synthesis of 2-substituted benzo[b]thiophenes from 2-alkynyl thioanisoles catalyzed by a gold(I)–IPr hydroxide that is applicable to a wide range of substrates with diverse electronic and steric properties. Additionally, we demonstrate experimentally that the acid additive and its conjugate base are essential to catalyst turnover.

Ageing is a barrier for old people to fully engage in social activities. The population of senior citizens is growing at a fast pace globally. Therefore, certain organizations have been making effort to ensure that they stay happily and contribute to society, thus reducing social problems. One of the services organized is adult day care services. Due to the modern medical technology and professional health care system, the longevity of a person has advanced. The purpose of this research is to investigate the role of adult day care services in this modern era. The samples of this research were eight senior citizens and ten care workers. This research was carried out in five branches of Kenneth Care home which are located in Kuching, Sarawak. This study used qualitative method to get more information and detail answers from the respondents. Indepth interview using questionnaires and systematic observation were utilised in this research. Findings of this study show that the use of adult day care in Kuching is not attractive and conducive to the respondents. Moreover, the majority of the respondents showed great concerns about the provision of services. This study would benefit the care-workers, the senior citizens, and their stakeholders. Subsequently, it will help to improve the provision provided.

Recycling is one of the best ways to have a positive impact on the world in which we live in. In this modern hectic world of ours, people are indulging in activities which harm the environment. It is vital to educate our future generation in the preservation of our pleasant environment by not only polluting but also spreading crucial diseases. The purpose of this research is to understand the recycling practices and perceptions among rural primary school children. The sample for this study included Primary Three to Primary Six (N=16, M=11.31 years) school children with different ages and ethnic groups. The research was carried out in SJK Chung Hua Asajaya, Samarahan, Sarawak. This study used both qualitative and quantitative methods to collect the data. Face-to-face interviews guided by questionnaires as a tool determine the habits and practices on recycling activity. Findings of this study indicated that majority of the school children have good habits of recycling in both school and at home. Their perceptions indicated that they were aware on the importance of recycling in preserving the environment. This study would benefit the people in rural areas to be aware on the importance of recycling and how they can practice and improve their habits in recycling. School plays an important role in cultivating this practice. Recycling will help the town council and related institutions to giveindividuals a better quality of living.

In the early 19th century in Sarawak, Hansen’s disease or leprosy became a reportable disease where the unfortunate victims were forcibly segregated to a leprosarium, leaving behind family, relatives and future. The image of claw hands or toes and rot noses were associated with the unclean and the sinful. This chronic transmissible affliction made a great panic to the state government to ostracize sufferers in an isolated settlement back in the 1920s. Fortunately, the infection can be cured but negative attitudes towards the former leprosy patients persist until now. This paper is based on ethnographic work that explores the stigma experienced and challenges faced by former leprosy patients and their generation. The research findings are based on three months of fieldwork with seven former sufferers and three children of former sufferers who live in Kampung Sinar Baru, Kota Padawan, Sarawak, a resettlement village for the former leprosy patients. The findings reveal their dreadful past experiences on compulsory segregation in Rajah Charles Brooke Memorial Hospital (RCBMH) where they were forced to be separated from family and hometown which still haunt them till today. In addition, former patients suffer mental health consequences and humiliation from the effects of treatment and also from visible deformities. Nevertheless, they believe that the stigmatization is less severe now than in the past and empathy from society makes them become more independent.

Nanoscience deals with the structural and functional aspects of materials with a size range of 1–100 nm. Such small size range offers a high surface to volume ratio which in turn proves advantageous over macromolecules of similar chemical compositions. Contributing to their unique properties and biocompatibility with human cells is the possibility of their biogenic synthesis, which further makes them an attractive alternative option for use in human medicine. Nanostructures of various shapes, sizes, and configurations have been facing extensive investigation since the last few decades. Initially, nanoparticles were majorly researched for the inspection of their antimicrobial properties, but as the field expanded, it has further extended to uncovering their potential applications in therapeutics, drug delivery, and nanomedicine. The present chapter aims at discussing the potential of metallic nanoparticles as antimicrobial and therapeutic agents, the major focus being on the various proposed mechanisms used by nanoparticles for the inhibition of microbial cells and the various applications of nanoparticles in the field of therapeutics and drug discovery. Besides the potential benefits of nanoparticles, there is a mounting apprehension about the risk associated with their use on living beings and environment. There is a tremendous need to study their toxic effects before using them as routine therapeutic agents. Hence, the studies related to the toxic effects of nanoparticles on nontarget population which are essential for their implementation as therapeutic agents have also been reviewed.

An ever-growing demand for food products with minimal chemical additives has generated a necessity for exploring new alternatives for food preservation. In this context, more recently, bacteriocins, the peptides having antimicrobial property, synthesized ribosomally by numerous bacteria have been attracting a lot of attention. They are known to possess the potential to restrict the growth of microorganisms causing food spoilage without causing any harm to the bacteria themselves owing to the presence of self-defensive proteins. In particular, the bacteriocins of lactic acid bacteria have been considered harmless and safe for consumption and are indicated to evade the development of unwanted bacteria. Use of bacteriocins as biopreservatives has been studied in various food industries, and they have been established to elevate the shelf life of minimally processed food items by exerting killing mechanism. They restrict the growth of undesirable bacteria by breaking the target cell membrane and finally resulting into pore formation. The current article provides an insight on bacteriocins of lactic acid bacteria, their biosynthesis, mechanism of action, and promising applications of these antimicrobial peptides in the food sector.