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BACKGROUND Effective design and operation of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) ventilation systems is important to prevent hospital-acquired infections. Air purifiers may contribute to that. AIM In this study we aimed at detecting the number and types of microorganisms present in the air and on the high touch surfaces in the ICU; evaluating the effectiveness of the air purifying device in reducing the microbial load and thus the rate of nosocomial infections in the ICU. METHOD This interventional study was conducted in two similar ICUs between December 2019 and May 2020. Novaerus brand air purifiers were located in the "intervention ICU" for two months. Routine cleaning procedures and HEPA filtered ventilation continued in "control ICU" as well as in the "Intervention ICU". After two months the units were moved to the other ICU for the next two months to reduce any possible bias in the results. Air and surface samples were evaluated. FINDINGS The evaluation of the change in the interventional ICU over time revealed a significantly lower colony concentration in the air and on surfaces on Day 60 compared to Day 1 (pair

Although it is well known that the tropical easterly jet (TEJ) has a significant impact on summer weather and climate over India and Africa, whether the TEJ exerts an important impact on tropical cyclone (TC) activity over the western North Pacific (WNP) remains unknown. In this study, we examined the impact of the TEJ on the interannual variability of TC genesis frequency over the WNP in the TC season (June-September) during 1980−2020. The results show a significant positive correlation between TC genesis frequency over the WNP and the jet intensity in the entrance region of the TEJ over the tropical western Pacific (in brief WP_TEJ), with a correlation coefficient as high as 0.66. The intensified WP_TEJ results in strong ageostrophic northerly winds in the entrance region and thus upper-level divergence to the north of the jet axis over the main TC genesis region in the WNP. This would lead to an increase in upward motion in the troposphere with enhanced low-level convergence, which are the most important factors to the increases in low-level vorticity, mid-level humidity and low-level eddy kinetic energy, and the decreases in sea level pressure and vertical wind shear in the region. All these changes are favorable for TC genesis over the WNP and vice versa. Further analyses indicate that the interannual variability of the WP_TEJ intensity is likely to be linked to the local diabatic heating over the Indian Ocean-western Pacific and the central Pacific El Nino-Southern Oscillation.

PURPOSE Removable dentures are a reasonable option for prosthetic treatment. However, continuous residual ridge resorption and reline procedures are inevitable owing to the strong pressure exerted on the mucosa or inappropriate pressure distribution. This study aimed to elucidate the association between the gonial angle on orthopantomogram (GAO) with occlusal force and reline frequency in removable partial denture wearers. METHODS Participants were patients who had previously received removable partial denture treatment for a free-end defect. Age, sex, number of remaining teeth, remaining opposing teeth, and occlusal support were investigated. GAO was measured using panoramic radiographs. The mean relining interval was calculated as the mean number of days between denture insertion and the first relining or subsequent relining. The association between the mean relining interval and each factor was investigated. RESULTS Sixty-five subjects (33 females) were analyzed. The median value of the mean relining interval was 533.3 days, and the median GAO was 123o. There was a significant positive correlation between the mean relining interval and GAO (rs = 0.335). The number of remaining opposing teeth and occlusal support exhibited weak negative correlations with mean relining interval (rs = -0.187 and -0.214, respectively). Multivariate analysis using a generalized linear model showed that GAO was a significant explanatory variable for the m ean relining interval. CONCLUSIONS Within the limitations of this study, GAO was found GAO was found to contribute to the increased frequency of relining due to ridge resorption in patients with a small GAO.

El café es un cultivo de importancia social y comercial, se estima que es el sustento de 25 millones de familias en las regiones tropicales y subtropicales del mundo. Con el objetivo de evaluar el crecimiento, desarrollo y concentración de macronutrientes en genotipos de café con diferentes dosis de abono orgánico se realizó un ensayo en el centro experimental Sacha Wiwa, bajo un diseño de bloques aleatorios con arreglo factorial (genotipos x dosis de abono orgánico Bioabor®). Las variables que se midieron fueron altura de planta, diámetro del tallo, concentración y relación de macronutrientes en el tejido foliar, análisis físico y químico del suelo al inicio y final del estudio. Los datos fueron analizados con estadística descriptiva univariante y técnicas paramétricas. Para la comparación entre medias se empleó el test Tukey al 95% de probabilidad. La variedad Ecorobusta fue la que obtuvo la mayor altura y diámetro de tallo. El abono orgánico inhibe el crecimiento y desarrollo del cultivo de café. Las dosis de abono a 1000, 1500 y 2000 kg /ha aplicada en este orden en la variedad NapoPayomino, Ecorobusta y Conilón reducen la concentración de N en el tejido foliar. Se encontró una correlación positiva significativa entre la altura de planta y diámetro del tallo.

Background: Assertiveness is a particular mode of communication. It occupies the healthy middle ground between aggressiveness and submissiveness and helps to identify problems and facilitate decision making. Aim of the study: this study aimed to assess assertiveness among nurses in ELFayoum University Hospitals. Design: A descriptive design used in this study. Setting: This study carried out at EL Fayoum University Hospitals. These hospitals namely, Surgical University Hospital and Medical University Hospital. Subjects: Study subjects included staff nurses, head nurse and assistant head nurses who were working in aforementioned two hospitals. Their total number was (200) staff nurse and (42) head nurse and assistants .Data collection tools: two tools were used to collect data. First tool Self-administer questionnaire consisted of two parts, the first part is socio-demographic data Sheet and the second part is an assertiveness assessment scale. Second tool assertive behavior inventory. Results: the highest mean score of assertiveness dimensions was negotiating the system& active orientation while the lowest mean score was work habits. The majority of nurses were assertive. Also, the highest mean score of factors affecting assertive behavior was human relation factors while the lowest assertive factors score nurse's belief factors. Conclusion: there was a highly statistically significant positive correlation between assertiveness and factors affecting assertive behavior. Recommendation: Maintain periodical meeting for nurses from different hospitals by seeking their opinions, and exchanging their experiences. Enhance critical thinking abilities & assertive skills through training programs and workshops.

Clinicians and medical researchers increasingly turn to nonformal online platforms to promote research. Altmetric Attention Score (AAS) is a quantitative measurement of online influence of research in real time. The objective of this study is to determine if AAS correlates with traditional bibliometrics in the orthopaedic literature.From the 15 orthopaedic journals with the highest impact factor, the 10 most cited articles from each journal were reviewed for 2014 -2017. For each article, AAS was collected using the Altmetric Bookmarklet application and citation count from SCOPUS. Journal impact factor was recorded using Journal Citation Reports. Statistical analysis included Pearson's and Spearman's correlation coefficients.A total of 600 articles were analyzed. A significant positive correlation was found between citation count and AAS for 2014 (r = 0.3188, p0.0001), and no correlation for 2015 (r = 0.1504, P = 0.0653), 2016 (r = 0.0087, P = 0.9157), and 2017 (r = 0.0061, P = 0.9408). There was no significant correlation between impact factor and AAS in 2014 (r = 0.4312, P = 0.1085), 2015 (r = 0.3850, P = 0.1565), 2016 (r = 0.1460, P = 0.6035) and 2017 (r = 0.0451 P = 0.8732).AAS and traditional bibliometrics are currently not strongly correlated in orthopaedic literature. Citations take years to accumulate and AAS represents immediate influence of an article. An amalgamation of traditional bibliometrics and AAS may prove useful in determining the short- and long-term impact and influence of publications in orthopaedics.

Objective: This study was conducted to evaluate the relationship between hopelessness and perceived social support levels of parents with children with congenital heart disease (CHD). Material and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted with parents of children who underwent surgery for CHD, and data were collected from 100 parents who agreed to participate in the study. A descriptive information form for the sociodemographic characteristics of the parents, “Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS)” and “Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS)” were used to collect the data. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and Spearman’s correlation tests. Results: The mean score of the hopelessness level of the parents participating in the study was 6.15±4.23, and the mean perceived general social support score was 69.55±15.47. There was a significant negative correlation between the hopelessness levels of mothers and social support (SS) received from the family, from significant others, and general SS scores. There was a significant positive correlation between the hopelessness levels of the mothers and the SS level received from the family (p

Objectives: Herbal treatments are commonly used by Saudi women during pregnancy. However, the inappropriate use of some herbs can have side-effects for both the mother and the fetus. Thus, a comprehensive understanding of their use during pregnancy is crucial. This study aimed to explore the use of herbal treatments by Saudi women during pregnancy using the knowledge-attitude-practice model. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from September 2019 and April 2020 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on a convenience sample using an online Arabic-language questionnaire. Saudi women aged between 18–58 years who were pregnant or had been pregnant and were living in the Riyadh were included. Results: A total of 400 individuals participated in this study. All participants lacked knowledge about the side-effects of herbal treatment but 63% knew about unsafe herbs in general. Most participants (66%) had a neutral attitude towards herbal treatments. Almost half of the participants (48%) did not use herbs during pregnancy and a similar number (47%) sometimes used herbal treatments during pregnancy. There was a significant positive correlation between attitude and practice and a negative correlation between knowledge and attitude as well as between knowledge and practice (P

Negative effects of long‐term overgrazing have been seriously, grasslands temporal stability is an important ecological concern we need to research. Here, we performed a 12‐year‐long (2007–2018) two‐factor controlled experiment on Kobresia humilis meadow on the Tibetan Plateau. The manipulations included three clipping levels (no clipping, NC; moderate clipping, MC; heavy clipping, HC) and two fertilization levels (no fertilization, NF; fertilization, F). Our results revealed that the two clipping manipulations significantly increased the temporal stability of alpine meadow communities, whose significant increase was more pronounced under the MC than HC treatment. Species asynchrony had a significant positive correlation with species abundance along with compound community gradient. Moreover, asynchrony effects, portfolio effects, and facilitation interactions were all present in the communities under the six types of experimental treatment combinations. Additionally, a selection effect was detected in the compound communities, demonstrating characteristics that are common to different mechanisms. There were no significant differences in the effects of these mechanisms on community temporal stability between the NC–NF and MC–NF interactive communities. The portfolio effects predominated when clipping intensity was moderate under both fertilization and nonfertilization conditions. By contrast, in the compound communities, the selection effect predominated. In summary, we conclude that in meadow communities that undergo clipping and fertilization disturbances, facilitation interactions and weak interactions make a greater contribution toward maintaining their temporal stability., Under six experimental conditions of clipping and fertilization levels, we found that fertilization, as well as heavy and especially moderate clipping intensity, significantly increased the temporal stability of K. humilis. Asynchrony effects, portfolio effects, and facilitation interactions were all present under the six experimental treatment conditions in this study. Clipping mainly increased community temporal stability via the asynchrony effect, whereas this increase under fertilization treatment was mainly owing to facilitation and weak interactions.

Purpose: This study investigated the School administrators’ working experience and students’ academic performance in senior secondary schools in Bauchi, Dutse and Gombe states of Nigeria. Methodology: The study adopted the descriptive research designed of the correlation type. Thirty (30) senior secondary schools administrators were selected and used as the respondents to this study, ten school administrators from each state. The instruments used to collect relevant data were school administrators’ working experience check list and a self-designed questionnaire developed by the researcher, it was titled School Administrators’ Working Experience and Students’ Academic Performance (SAWESAP). The questionnaire was validated by two experts, one in the area of educational administration and planning, one in the measurement and evaluation both from Faculty of Education, Federal University, Kashere, Gombe State. Their suggestions and recommendations were incorporated into the final version and the reliability coefficient index of 0.73 was obtained after test-re-test with two weeks interval. Data collected were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS). One hypothesis was formulated and tested. Pearson Product Moment Correlation (r) Coefficient analysis procedure was used to test the hypothesis at 0.05 significant levels. Findings: The results of the analysis showed that, there was significant positive correlation between school administrators’ working experiences and students’ academic performance. Unique Contribution to Practice and Policy: Based on the findings, it was recommended among others that, school administrators’ experience will be considered when it comes to placement and promotion of school administrators that would enable them perform maximally in managing and handling human and material resources.

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly reduced human activities through city lock-downs and restricted traffic flows. It had been suggested that roadkill occurrences are strongly associated with traffic volume. I evaluated the association between traffic volume and roadkill during COVID-19, from March to May 2020, using 26,130 roadkill data points recorded from the highway network in Hokkaido from 2010 to 2020, Japan. Results showed that there was a significant positive correlation between roadkill numbers and traffic volume over the past decade. However, the roadkill during COVID-19 restricted human activity did not diminish, although traffic volume decreased during this period.

Ultrasound was considered as a means for determining mechanical properties of clear wood in six different Acacia mangium provenances from a trial forest planted in Vietnam. A total of 30 trees (5 trees from each provenance) with no major defects were selected, and a 50-cm-long log was obtained at 1.3 m above the ground from each tree for the assessment of mechanical properties. The measured average ultrasound velocities for provenances tested in the longitudinal direction ranged from 4094 m/s to 4271 m/s. The predicted average dynamic modulus of elasticity (Ed) values varied from 7.42 GPa to 8.70 GPa among provenances. The Ed indicated significant positive correlation coefficients with modulus of elasticity (0.64 to 0.96), modulus of rupture (0.44 to 0.87), and compression strength (0.54 to 0.92) for provenances examined in this study. The results indicated that the use of ultrasound was feasible to determine the mechanical properties of A. mangium provenances planted in Vietnam.

PURPOSE To identify the relationship between the perception of conscience and individualized nursing care. DESIGN AND METHODS A cross-sectional study. The sample of the study consisted of 326 nurses working in internal medicine and surgical clinics. The data were collected using the Nurses' Perceptions of Conscience Questionnaire and Individualized Care Scale-Nurse (ICSA) Version. FINDINGS Their mean score for the ICSA-Nurse was 3.96 ± 0.72. There was a statistically significant positive correlation between their scores for the ICSA-Nurse and Voice of Conscience and basic qualities of conscience. CONCLUSION The participants considered their conscience as a reference when performing their care actions and defined conscience as an expression of social and spiritual values. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS Nurses' awareness of perceptions of conscience and the effect of conscience on the patient-nurse relationship can help them to provide more sensitive care to their patients.

Trade-offs exist for xerophytic shrubs between functional traits, involving in water loss and assimilate accumulation, can contribute to its survival and growth rate regulation in arid environments. However, growth analysis based on plant functional traits has been focused on the study of herbs and woody species. It is still unclear how the functional traits of xerophytic shrubs regulate their growth rate. In this study, we selectedeight xerophytic shrubs as samples to analyze the regulation process of the functional traits of shrubs on growth rate. Plants were cultivated for three years, and three harvests (every one year) were carried out. Factors explaining between-species differences in relative growth rate (RGR) varied, depending on whether different ages were considered. The results showed that RGR was positively correlated with net assimilation rate, but there was a significant negative correlation with leaf area ration (LAR), specific leaf area (SLA), and leaf biomass ratio in the age 1. However, in the age 2, RGR showed a significant positive correlation with the morphological traits (i.e., leaf area ration and specific leaf area), but not with physiological traits (i.e., net assimilation rate) and leaf biomass allocation. Our results suggested that the fluctuation of environmental factors affects the regulation path of the plant functional traits on RGR of xerophytic shrubs. However, the analysis of causality model showed that no matter in which age, net assimilation rate and leaf area ration principally drive the variation in RGR among xerophytic shrubs.

The present study investigates the relationship between parent and peer attachment bonds on the development of self-esteem during late adolescence. The sample was randomly selected. Data was collected from 387 participants including 166 male and 221 female students from seven high schools of the Shkoder Municipality in Albania. A self-developed Demographic Questionnaire, Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment (Armsden & Greenberg, 1987) and Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale (Rosenberg, 1965) were administered. A Pearson Correlation and Independent sample t-test were applied. Specific attention is focused on the assessment of attachment in adolescence. The results show the existence of a significant positive correlation between parental/peer attachment and self-esteem. Concerning gender differences during late adolescence, females showed higher attachment with parents and peers than males, but there were no gender differences in self-esteem. This research enables us to develop new insight into the importance of parent and peer attachment for a healthy adolescence.

The association between meteorological factors and COVID‐19 is important for the prevention and control of COVID‐19. However, similar studies are relatively rare in China. This study aims to investigate the association between COVID‐19 and meteorological factors, such as average temperature, relative humidity, and air quality index (AQI), and average wind speed. We collected the daily confirmed cases of COVID‐19 and meteorological factors in Shanghai China from January 10, 2020 to March 31, 2020. A generalized additive model was fitted to quantify the associations between meteorological factors and COVID‐19 during the study period. A negative association between average temperature and daily confirmed cases of COVID‐19 was found on lag 13 days. In addition, we observed a significant positive correlation between meteorological factors (AQI, relative humidity) and daily confirmed cases of COVID‐19. A 10 increase in AQI (lag1/7/8/9/10 days) was correlated with a 4.2%–9.0% increase in the daily confirmed cases of COVID‐19. A 1% increase in relative humidity (lag1/4/7/8/9/10 days) was correlated with 1.7%–3.7% increase in the daily confirmed cases of COVID‐19. However, the associations between average wind speed and the daily confirmed cases of COVID‐19 is complex in different lag days. In summary, meteorological factors could affect the occurrence of COVID‐19. Reducing the effects of meteorological factors on COVID‐19 may be an important public health action for the prevention and control of COVID‐19.

The current systematic review aims to investigate the role of grit in the Indonesian student setting. The search of the literature was conducted on two online databases, ScienceDirect and Google Scholar published between 2016 and 2020. There were seven studies identified using inclusive and exclusive selection criteria in this review. The primary findings demonstrated that grit has a positive influence on career decision-making and academic achievement. Perception of the father's involvement, the meaning of life, growth mindset, school wellbeing, self-control, and life satisfaction are known to have a significant positive correlation with grit. Finally, a positive variable such as self-efficacy can foster students' grit.

Objectives: To understand the surgeon’s role in inducing and correcting movement inaccuracies during intraocular membrane peeling procedures. Materials and Methods: Optical sensors were used to record movement errors during actuation at the distal tip of 23-gauge pneumatic forceps both when the handle was handheld and when fixed with no human contact. Movements were also recorded at the proximal part of the forceps shaft (near the sclerotomy site) and compared to movement recorded at the distal end. The root mean square (RMS) and range values of the signals obtained from the sensors were calculated before and after applying high (7-13 Hz) and low (

Burnout is progressively seen as an issue in the field of social work however there is limited knowledge about moderating influence of social support on burnout and the mental health of social workers. The present study intended to explore the impact of burnout on mental health and the connection between burnout and the mental health of social workers. Additionally, it also investigates the moderating effects of social support in this relationship. For the study, 300 subjects (188 males, 112 females) were approached by using the purposive sampling technique. The results of the study revealed that burnout has an impact on mental health and there is a significant positive correlation between burnout and mental health. Findings showed a weak effect of social support on the relationship between burnout and mental health. Moreover, the study revealed no gender differences in burnout, social support, and mental health. The outcomes involve a wide scope of interventions pointed toward advancing mental health among social workers for policymakers.

It has been suggested that the inner ear attains its final morphology already in utero and that environmental factors do not influence its size or shape after birth. Thus, direct comparison between the adult and the subadult bony labyrinths can be made. Herein, this hypothesis was tested in a sample of 170 subadult individuals. Three-dimensional (3D) models of the labyrinths were created for 170 French and Greek juveniles. Ten linear measurements of the 3D models were taken and the labyrinthine shape was evaluated by calculating 10 shape indices. All variables were subsequently analyzed in the context of postnatal development. Significant positive correlation between the chronological age and several variables was noted suggesting that age-related changes of the bony labyrinth occur in the postnatal period. Our findings contradict the simplified assumption that the bony labyrinth retains a stable morphology after birth. Further research should concentrate on evaluating postnatal changes to the temporal bone and their influence on the labyrinthine morphology.

Amac- COVID-19 pandemisi sonrasi, is yasaminda cok ciddi degisim ve donusumler beklenmektedir. Isletmeler, yeni kosullara uygun olarak yeniden yapilanma sureclerini baslatirken, beraberinde yetenekli calisana duyduklari ihtiyac her gecen gun daha da artmaktadir. Yetenegi elde tutmanin onemli unsurlarindan biri olan, aldiklari ucretten duyduklari tatmininin beklentilerini karsilamamasi calisanlarin isten ayrilma niyetini etkileyebilecektir. Bu arastirmanin amaci;yetenek yonetimi uygulamalarinin isten ayrilma niyeti uzerindeki dogrudan ve araci degisken olarak ucret tatmini etkisinin arastirilmasi olup, bu iliskinin nasil modellenebilecegini ortaya cikarmaktir. Metodoloji- Iliskisel tarama yontemi ile yapilan arastirmanin orneklemi;faaliyetlerine devam eden bir tesis yonetim (Dis Kaynak Hizmeti Saglayan) isletmesinin 200 calisanindan olusmaktadir. Bulgular- Yetenek yonetimi, ucret yonetimi ve isten ayrilma niyeti iliskisine yonelik yapilan calisma neticesinde;bagimli degisken olarak yer alan isten ayrilma algisi ile hem somut hem de soyut yetenek yonetimi iliskisinin negatif yonlu orta seviyeli bir iliski icinde oldugu, yetenek yonetimi faktorlerinin ucret tatmini ile iliskisinde ise oldukca yuksek pozitif korelasyon ve ucret tatmininin de oldukca guclu bir mediator yani araci etkisine sahip oldugu sonucuna ulasilmistir. Ozgunluk- Literaturde, yetenek yonetimi, ucret tatmini ve isten ayrilma niyeti iliskisine yonelik ayri ayri ya da ikili iliskiler halinde incelenmis calismalar olmasina ragmen, bu uc kavramin iliskisini bir arada ele alan bir calismanin olmadigindan yola cikilarak, yapilan bu calisma ile literature bu yonde katki saglanmaya calisilmistir.Alternate abstract: Purpose- Severe changes and transformations are expected in business life after the COVID-19 pandemic. While organizations initiate their restructuring processes by new conditions, their need for talented employees increases day by day. Failure to meet employees’ compensation satisfaction expectations, one of the critical elements of retaining talent, may affect turnover intention. The purpose of this study is to research the impact of talent management practices directly on turnover intention and as an intermediary variable on compensation satisfaction and to reveal how this relationship will be modelled. Methodology – The study sample, conducted with the correlational survey method, consists of 200 employees of a facility management (Outsourcing Service Provider) organization that continues its activities. Findings- As a result of the study on the relationship between talent management, compensation management, and turnover intention, the perception of leaving the job as the dependent variable has a negative and moderate relationship with tangible and intangible talent management. Moreover, there is a very high positive correlation between talent management factors;and compensation satisfaction and compensation satisfaction have a powerful intermediary effect. Originality- Although there are studies in the literature that have examined the relationship between talent management, compensation satisfaction and turnover intention, separately or as bilateral relations, considering that there is no study that deals with the relationship of these three concepts together, with this study, it has been tried to contribute to the literature in this direction.

Currently, the prevalence of salmonid alphavirus (SAV) in Norwegian Atlantic salmon farms is largely surveyed via sacrificing fish and sampling of organ tissue on a monthly basis. However, a more cost-efficient, straightforward, rapid, reliable, reproducible and animal welfare friendly method based on the detection of SAV in water could be considered as an alternative method. In the present study, such a method was developed and optimized through a 6 wk cohabitant challenge trial, using post-smolt Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L challenged with high or low doses of SAV subtype 3 (SAV3). Tank water and tissue samples from cohabitant fish were collected at 16 time points. SAV3 was concentrated from the water by filtration, using either electronegative or electropositive membrane filters, which were subsequently rinsed with one of 4 different buffer solutions. SAV3 was detected first in tank water (7 d post-challenge, DPC), and later in cohabitant fish organ tissue samples (12 DPC). The electronegative filter (MF-Millipore™) and rinsing with NucliSENS® easyMAG® Lysis Buffer presented the best SAV3 recovery. A significant positive correlation was found between SAV3 in the tank water concentrates and the mid-kidney samples. Based on these results, detection of SAV3 in filtrated seawater is believed to have the potential to serve as an alternative method for surveillance of SAV in Atlantic salmon farms.

Uncontrolled wildfires have a substantial impact on the environment, the economy and local populations. According to the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), between 2000 and 2013 wildfires burned up to 740 000 ha of land annually in the south of Europe, Portugal being the country with the highest percentage of burned area per square kilometre. However, there is still a lack of knowledge regarding the impacts of the wildfire-related pollutants on the mortality of the country's population. All wildfires occurring during the fire season (June–July–August–September) from 2001 and 2016 were identified, and those with a burned area above 1000 ha (large fires) were considered for the study. During the studied period (2001–2016), more than 2 million ha of forest (929 766 ha from June to September alone) were burned in mainland Portugal. Although large fires only represent less than 1 % of the number of total fires, in terms of burned area their contribution is 46 % (53 % from June to September). To assess the spatial impact of the wildfires, burned areas in each region of Portugal were correlated with PM10 concentrations measured at nearby background air quality monitoring stations. Associations between PM10 and all-cause (excluding injuries, poisoning and external causes) and cause-specific mortality (circulatory and respiratory) were studied for the affected populations using Poisson regression models. A significant positive correlation between burned area and PM10 was found in some regions of Portugal, as well as a significant association between PM10 concentrations and mortality, these being apparently related to large wildfires in some of the regions. The north, centre and inland of Portugal are the most affected areas. The high temperatures and long episodes of drought expected in the future will increase the probabilities of extreme events and therefore the occurrence of wildfires.

Introduction: Homosexuals community is one of the communities which have the possibility of spreading HIV/AIDS infections. According to the pilot study in a homosexual community in Sleman Regency, at least 78 people are teenagers and have a risk to be infected with HIV/AIDS. This study aimed to describe the knowledge and attitudes of young homosexuals about HIV/AIDS, and also the correlation between it in the Sleman Regency of Yogyakarta. Method: This research is descriptive-analytic. The number of samples is 30 young homosexuals with a total sampling method. Data are collected with questionnaires. Data analysis using univariate test and bivariate test with Spearman Rank correlation. Result: The results showed that knowledge about HIV/AIDS among young homosexuals is a moderate category about 56,7%, low category about 26,7%, and high category about 16,6%. The attitudes towards HIV/AIDS among the young homosexual majority is good about 43,3%, neutral attitudes about 33,3%, and worse attitudes about 23,3%. There was a significant positive correlation between knowledge of HIV/AIDS with the attitudes towards HIV/AIDS among the young homosexual in Sleman Regency indicated Spearman Rank correlation 0,541 with a p-value of 0,002. Conclusion: The knowledge about HIV/AIDS among the young homosexual majority is an average category. The attitudes towards HIV/AIDS among the young homosexual majority is good behavior. There was a correlation between knowledge and attitudes toward HIV/AIDS among young homosexuals in Sleman Regency Yogyakarta. It is important to nursing to give them health education continuously so the spreading of HIV/AIDS in teenagers can be controlled.

Besides human health risks, phycotoxins may cause physiological injuries on molluscan shellfish and, consequently, damages to marine ecosystems and global fisheries production. In this way, this review aimed to present an overview of HABs impacts on marine shellfish by evaluating the effects of cultivated molluscs exposure to microalgae and cyanobacteria that form blooms and/or synthesize toxins. More specifically, it was assessed the main molluscan shellfish responses to harmful algae, trophic transfer and dynamics of phycotoxins, and the risks for human health. Of the 2420 results obtained from literature search, 150 scientific publications were selected after thorough inspections for subject adherence. In total, 70 molluscan species and 37 taxa of harmful algae were assessed from retrieved scientific publications. A significant positive correlation was found between the marine production of molluscs and the number of available studies by molluscan category. Molluscan responses to HABs and phycotoxins were categorized and discussed in three sub-sections: effects on grazing and behavior, metabolic and physiological reactions, and fitness consequences. The main histopathological injuries and toxin concentrations in molluscan tissues were also compiled and discussed. Bivalves often accumulate more toxins than gastropods and cephalopods, occasionally exceeding recommended levels for safe consumption, representing a risk for human health. Harmful algae impact on molluscan shellfish are complex to trace and predict; however, considering the perspective of increase in the occurrence and intensity of HABs, the intensification of efforts to expand the knowledge about HABs impacts on marine molluscs is crucial to mitigate the damages on economy and human health.

Introduction: This study aims to understand the burden of invoice costs of outpatients with mild Covid-19 symptoms on Social Security Institution (SSI); also, how it may have influenced the current economic situation. Material and Method: This research is a cross-sectional, retrospective, and descriptive study. The study universe includes the cases who applied to the emergency room (ER) with the symptoms of Covid-19. The sample group was the patients who applied to the Sakarya Training and Research Hospital (SEAH) pandemic ER between 01/09/2020 and 30/06/2021. Results: During the study period, 130,975 patients were admitted to the pandemic ER. The mean emergency service bill of the cases was $10.6 (± 9), and the lowest was $2.2; the highest was $201.7. There was a weak but significant positive correlation between the patients' age and invoice amount (spearman= 0.051, p=0.001). It was perceived that the emergency service bills of the inpatients (mean=21.9 $) were more than twice that of the outpatients (mean=10.3 $). Conclusion: In pandemic ER, mild symptomatic young patients' bills can be cheap. It was observed that emergency physicians did not apply too many tests and imaging methods in this patient group and were content only with Rt-PCR scanning. Also, ER bills can increase with age.

Peroxiredoxins (Prdxs) are known to play a critical role in regulating male fertility as antioxidant enzymes. Although several studies have suggested a close association between Prdxs and male fertility, few studies have explored the efficacy of Prdxs to predict male fertility. Therefore, the current study was designed to discover the most efficient biomarkers among the Prdxs with six isoforms. Our study showed a significant positive correlation between the litter size and the levels of PRDX 4 among all isoforms in spermatozoa. Subsequently, a regression analysis using a combination of markers was conducted to increase efficacy for fertility prediction. Nevertheless, PRDX4 had the highest efficacy compared to other combination models to predict litter size. The prediction accuracy of male fertility was further evaluated through receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, which showed that PRDX 4 could predict the litter size with high overall accuracy of 95%. Moreover, litter size was increased by 1.55 piglets after predicting high litter size using PRDX 4. This is the first study to comprehensively elucidate the role of all isoforms of PRDXs on male fertility to the best of our knowledge. PRDX 4 was tested and evaluated up to a practical level. Data here reported suggesting PRDX 4 marker allowed the highest accuracy for male fertility prediction and diagnosis, leading to a measurable improvement in the male fertility outcome.

In this study, the precipitation concentration index (PCI), the seasonal PCI (SPCI), the precipitation concentration degree (PCD), and the precipitation concentration period (PCP) were analyzed using monthly precipitation data from Serbia during the period from 1946 to 2019. The spatial distribution of annual PCI showed a uniform-to-moderate precipitation concentration over the country. The SPCI maps showed a uniform distribution of precipitation over the whole region in spring and winter and a uniform-to-moderate seasonal precipitation concentration from west to east in summer and autumn. The correlation decay distance (CDD) was calculated for each station to show the spatial variability of precipitation and to provide complementary information for precipitation concentration analysis. The obtained map showed a decreasing gradient from southwest to the north of Serbia. According to the obtained PCD maps for two sub-periods (1946–1989 and 1990–2019), it was realized that the precipitation concentration of the southern part was decreasing over time. The pattern of PCD is in line with the pattern of annual PCI and a significant positive correlation of 0.65 is observed between the PCD and annual PCI. Comparing the maps produced by the CDD and PCD, it can be concluded that the region with lower spatial variability of precipitation has the highest precipitation concentration and vice versa. The topography of the region also showed a direct relation with the spatial variability of precipitation and an indirect relation with the precipitation concentration. Hence, the higher the elevation, the higher the spatial variability of precipitation and the lower the precipitation concentration. The highest correlations are also observed between the PCD for the second sub-period and latitude, and the summer PCI and longitude at 0.75 and 0.73, respectively.

BACKGROUND Lead (Pb) is not an essential element for the growth of tea trees, but it is an important index for evaluating the quality and safety of tea. Lead is a sensitive metal to pH. Exploring the changing trend of soil Pb and enrichment coefficient of Pb in tea leaves affected by soil acidification is significant for tea planting and tea quality safety control. RESULTS A percent of 37.57% of the 364 tea plantations in Anxi county of China showed soil acidification that is a soil pH value

Background: Head nurses play a vital role in supporting staff nurses in carrying out their duties. Staff nurses' creativity is a pivotal in promoting health and wellbeing of patients. So, they need strong support from head nurses to facilitate their creativity. Aim: This study aimed to assess the staff nurses' perception of head nurses' support for their creativity. Subjects and Method: Research design: Descriptive research design was used in the study. Setting: The study was conducted at Tanta University Main Hospital. Subjects: Consisted of all staff nurses 710 from the above mentioned setting. Tools: two tools were used to collect the data. Tool I: Head nurses' support scale. Tool II: Staff nurses' creativity scale. Results: Majority of staff nurses had high perception of head nurses' support as a total. Regarding to staff nurses' creativity, majority of staff nurses had high percentage of creativity as a total. Conclusion: There were statistically significant positive correlation between staff nurses' perception of head nurses' support for their creativity. Recommendation: it was recommended that heath care organization managers including head nurses should provide suitable, supportive environment for staff nurses to create new ideas and supporting their creativity. Head nurses have to provide opportunities for staff nurses to express their ideas and opinions, as well as setup an orientation programs for newly staff nurses about the importance of creativity and its role in developing heath care systems.

Background: Hearing impairment is the most common disabilities that have negative impact on the quality of life of affected children and their families. The aim of this study was to: assess parents' perception level of quality of life of their elementary school children with hearing impairment using hearing aids. Subjects and method: Study design: A descriptive study design was utilized in this study. Study settings: This study was conducted in audiology out-patient clinic of the School Health Insurance Hospital at Tanta City. Study subjects: A convenient sampling of 150 of elementary school students who diagnosed with hearing impairment using hearing aids and their parents which constitute 150 were included in the study. Tool of data collection: one tool was used by the researcher to collect the necessary data. Tool I: A structured interview schedule: this tool included five parts: Part (1): Socio-demographic characteristics of the students and their parents. Part (2): History of hearing impairment and using hearing aids. Part (3): History of the academic achievement of the students. Part (4): Children using hearing devices quality of life. Part (5): Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory. Results: about half (47.3%) of the child's performance after fitting of hearing aids was fair, while less than half (42.7%) of them had good, less than two thirds (61.3%) of the studied school children' parents had a fair score regarding quality of life and nearly one fifth (20.0% and 18.7% respectively) of the studied school children' parents had a good and poor score. Also there was a highly significant positive correlation between levels of pediatric quality of life inventory of the studied school children and the levels of the studied school children parents of their children using hearing device quality of life as (p=0.000) and (r=0.407). Conclusion: It can be concluded that, less than two thirds of studied school children parents had a fair score according to their children using hearing devices quality of life. Recommendations: It was recommended that, written instructions about hearing aids in the form of booklets or brochures should be provided to each child with hearing impairment using hearing aids and their parents in order to encourage them in effective adherence to the plan of care.

Yakima County, Washington was subject to the extrordinary Washington Wildfire Season of 2020 in which unhealty air (PM2.5) persisted for a 14-day period. This remarkable fire and smoke season began in tandem with the COVID-19 pandemic. SARS-CoV-2 virus, like inhaled particulate matter is known to cause respiratory illness or injury. This study sought to determine through publicly available data whether increased levels of PM2.5 were associated with increased cases of COVID-19. Using a 12-day lag analysis, Pearson product correlations were performed between PM2.5 24-hour averages in Yakima County Washington and daily confirmed cases of COVID-19 for data available on March 1, 2020-October 15, 2020. In addition, total running cases of confirmed COVID-19, daily mortality and total running mortality rates were compared in the lag analyses. All days (PM2.5) in the lag analysis were found to have a statistically significant positive correlation with COVID-19 case counts and total running counts of COVID-19 (p

Currently, K-pop girl groups are some of the favorite celebrities who often become the ideal standard for young girls. K-pop girl figures are often displayed with ideal body standards, such as having a slim body, white skin, thin face, and high nose, thus making fans adore and want to have a physical appearance like their idol. This study aimed to examine the relationship between celebrity worship and body image among female adolescents who idolized K-pop girl groups. A sample of 414 female adolescents aged 18-22 years participated online in the current study by filling in the Celebrity Attitude Scale (CAS) and the Multidimensional Body-Self Relation Questionnaire-Appearance Scale (MBSRQ-AS). Results showed that the entertainment-social aspect of celebrity worship proved a significant positive correlation with the appearance orientation dimension of body image. In contrast, the borderline-pathological aspect had a significant negative correlation with the body areas satisfaction dimension. Nonetheless, the intense personal aspect of celebrity worship did not correlate significantly with all dimensions of body image among young girls fans of K-pop girl groups. Thus, each level of celebrity worship correlates differently with each dimension of body image. Entertainment-social is the most common celebrity worship among adolescent girls fans of K-pop girl groups and affects young girls' body image by increasing their attention to appearance.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect parental attitudes have on the dental caries experience in children. Methods: Cross-sectional observational data was collected via clinical examinations and questionnaires. The study included 258 mothers of children who came to Yeditepe University, Faculty of Dentistry, Department of Paediatric Dentistry for the treatment of their children. Multi-variable Poisson regression model was run to predict prevalence of dental caries (DMFT + dmft: decayed, missing, filled teeth in permanent and primary teeth, respectively). Mothers’ attitudes in family were measured by the Parental Attitude Research Instrument [PARI] questionnaire scores.. Results: Among the five factors of PARI scores, PARI Factor 3 (Rejection of Traditional House-Wife Role) and PARI Factor 5 (Level of Discipline) exhibited a statistically significant negative correlation with prevalence of caries. PARI Factor 4 (Level of Marital Conflict) had a statistically significant positive correlation with prevalence of caries. Conclusion: A healthy family environment and an empowering parental style have positive effects on the oral health of children. Continuous...

The aim of this descriptive and cross-sectional study was to evaluate smoking characteristics and smoking cessation behaviors among smoking coal miners according to the Health Belief Model (HBM). The population of this cross sectional study consisted of 582 coal miners, while the sample consisted of 473 miners who agreed to participate in the study. The miners working above ground obtained significantly higher scores compared to those who worked underground (p = 0.027). There was a significant positive correlation between smoking costs and perceived susceptibility (p

Some studies have shown that maternal perfluoroalkylated substances (PFAS) exposure may be associated with low birth weight (LBW) of offspring. We conducted a meta-analysis to assess the association between maternal PFASs exposure and LBW in offspring. The researchers searched PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and Embase to find all the articles before October 2020. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used to evaluate the quality of the studies. Finally, six articles were included for meta-analysis. Our meta-analysis showed were no significant correlation between maternal perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) exposure and LBW of offspring: odds ratio (OR) = 0.90, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) = 0.80–1.01, with low heterogeneity (I2 = 18.4%, P = 0.289); there was a significant positive correlation between maternal perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) exposure and LBW of offspring (OR = 1.32, 95% CI = 1.09–1.55) with no heterogeneity (I2 = 0.00%, P = 0.570). The grouping analysis of PFOS showed was a significant positive correlation between maternal PFOS exposure and LBW of offspring in America (OR = 1.44, 95% CI = 1.15–1.72). This study provided a systematic review and meta-analysis evidence for the relationship between maternal PFASs exposure and LBW of offspring through a small number of studies. Researchers should conduct further studies between different regions.

Introduction and Aim: The maintenance of fluid balance in the intracellular and extracellular compartmentsis by two major electrolytes, namelysodium and chloride. An increase in sodium is associated with an increase in chloride level and vice versa. The normal reference ranges of sodium and chloride in blood differ by 40mmol/L.On this basis, chloride values can be calculated manually by subtracting 40 from the estimated sodium value. Methods: The study population included 150 normal subjects and 150 diabetic patients.Sodium and chloride, as estimated by the ISE method, were noted in75 random and fasting samples of diabetic group and non-diabetic group. Chloride values were calculated by the new formula(Serumchloride=Serumsodium-40). Mean values of chloride obtained by estimation and calculation were then compared in both diabetics and normal controls. Correlation analysis of estimated chloride and calculated chloride was done by Pearson’s correlation. Results: Chloride determined by the ISE method showed a statistically significant positive correlation with calculated value both in normal and diabetic groups. Further,estimated chloride and calculated chloride values were comparable within the groups in controls and diabetics irrespective of the type of sample collected, ther > 0.95, p=0.0001 in fasting samples of both groups and r = 0.899, p=0.0001 in random samples of both groups. The percentage error calculated between fasting and random samples of both the groups was negligible (less than 1%) ,clearly indicating the accuracy and reliability of the value obtained by using the new simple formula for chloride estimation. Conclusion: On the availability of estimated sodium, chloride values can be calculated by subtracting forty from the same. The values so obtained are reliable in normal as well as the diabetic state where dysnatremia is common.

Spiritual well-being has been evaluated as an important factor for both physical and mental recovery. The aim of this study was to determine the correlation between spiritual well-being and medication adherence in individuals diagnosed with mental illness. The study was conducted as a correlational descriptive study. The study sample consisted of 410 individuals diagnosed with mental illness. The study was conducted in the psychiatry clinic of a university hospital. The data were collected using a descriptive information form, the spiritual well-being scale, and the Morisky medication adherence scale. There was a statistically significant positive correlation between spiritual well-being and treatment adherence (r = 0.856, p = 0.002). Patient spiritual well-being was significant in explaining medication adherence (R2 = 0.48, p = 0.000). This study showed that spiritual well-being affected medication adherence in individuals diagnosed with mental illness.

El presente estudio tuvo como objetivo determinar la influencia de las habilidades sociales en el trabajo colaborativo en los estudiantes de una universidad privada peruana de la ciudad de Trujillo, en el año 2021. La investigación es de tipo básica, con enfoque cualitativo, con diseño no experimental, correlacional causal. Se aplicó dos cuestionarios, uno de habilidades sociales y otro de trabajo colaborativo, a una muestra de 155 estudiantes. En los resultados se obtuvo que, en las habilidades sociales de los estudiantes, se muestran en el nivel muy alto el 55%, en nivel alto el 43% y en un nivel regular el 2% y en el trabajo colaborativo de los mismos estudiantes, se muestran en un nivel muy alto el 57%, en un nivel alto el 41% y en un nivel regula el 2%. Así mismo, se obtuvo un r = .97, además, un p=.000 que es menor que el nivel de significancia de .05. En la presente investigación se llegó a la conclusión principal que las habilidades sociales inciden 49,35% en el trabajo colaborativo debido a que existe una correlación positiva alta y estadísticamente significativa entre las variables de estudio.

Introduction: In fuel stations, gasoline induces a wide range of toxicological effects on body tissues and biochemical changes, which pose grave health risks to humanity. Aim: This study aims to assess the effects of gasoline on hematological parameters, liver and kidney functions among sample of fuel station workers in Sohag governorate, Egypt. Methods: A cross-sectional case control study was done on 100 males working in fuel stations and 50 males didn’t work in fuel stations in Sohag governorate, in the duration of one year from first of April 2019 to end of March 2020. Each participant was interviewed with a detailed questionnaire and CBC, liver and kidney function tests were done. Results: The study revealed statistically high significant differences between the studied and the control groups as regards RBCs count and the levels of ALT, AST, total protein and urea. There was a statistically significant effect of smoking on RBCs count, WBCs count, AST level, creatinine and urea level of the studied group. There was statistically significant positive correlation between parameters of CBC, liver and kidney function tests and ages of the workers of fuel station and there was only positive correlation between ALT level and the duration of work. Conclusion: this study concluded that exposure to gasoline associated with significant decrease of RBCs count and total protein level and significant increase of ALT, AST and urea levels among workers in fuel stations and these effects increase with advancing in age and most of them get worse with increased duration of work at fuel stations and with smoking. Recommendations: Our study recommends improving working conditions and using natural gas for cars as an alternative to gasoline

We studied the effects of temperature and solar radiation on rice yield with the aim of understanding the temperature and solar radiation requirements for high yield rice production in the lower reaches of the Huai River, China. Field experiments were conducted with two medium-maturing japonica rice (MMJR) varieties and four late-maturing japonica rice (LMJR) varieties in 2017 and 2018. Seeds were sown on May 10 (T1), May 17 (T2), May 24 (T3), May 31 (T4), June 7 (T5), June 14 (T6), and June 21 (T7). The whole growth duration (WGD) of rice was shortened when sowing date was delayed, especially for the duration from sowing to heading (S–H). The effective accumulated temperature (EAT), mean daily temperature (Tmean), cumulative solar radiation (CSR), and mean daily solar radiation (Rmean) over the WGD decreased when sowing date was delayed. Compared with T1, yields in T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, and T7 decreased by 0.12–0.35, 0.45–0.89, 0.74–1.56, 1.41–2.24, 2.16–2.90, and 2.69–3.64 t ha−1, respectively. There was a significant positive correlation between rice yield and EAT in different growth stages. Temperature was the main factor that affected the yield of good eating-quality rice in the lower reaches of the Huai River. We found that a relatively high yield can be obtained when the optimal Tmean for medium-maturing japonica rice (MMJR) and late-maturing japonica rice (LMJR) was 25.8–27.0°C and 26.6–27.1°C in the stages from sowing to heading (S–H), and 20.3–23.3°C and 20.3–22.1°C in the stages from heading to maturity (H–M), respectively. The optimal sowing dates for MMJR and LMJR in the lower reaches of the Huai River were May 15–31 and May 15–18, respectively.

Made available in DSpace on 2022-04-29T08:29:39Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2021-07-01 Introduction: Stroke patients often exhibit an altered perception of verticality, but there are no studies evaluating verticality perception in the first 72 h after stroke and its relationship with trunk control. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze visual and haptic verticality in the acute phase of stroke. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted with two groups: (a) 13 individuals with stroke and (b) 12 healthy participants. We assessed verticality via the subjective visual vertical (SVV) and the subjective haptic vertical (SHV); and we measured trunk control with the Trunk Impairment Scale (TIS). We performed t-tests to compare the SVV and SHV between groups. Pearson correlation was performed between verticality tests with National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and the TIS. Results: Participants with recent stroke presented higher true and absolute SVV deviation values than did the control group. There was significant negative correlation between absolute (r = −0.57; p = 0.02) and true SVV (r = −0.54; p = 0.01) with TIS scores There was also significant positive correlation between absolute (r = 0.63; p = 0.009) and true SVV (r = 0.61; p = 0.003) with NIHSS. A significant negative correlation between NIHSS and TIS scores also was found (r = −0.80; p = 0.005). Conclusion: Individuals with acute stroke presented larger variability in their perceptions of visual verticality than did healthy controls, and verticality perceptions were positively correlated with trunk impairment. Master's Program in Physical Therapy Universidade Federal do Triângulo Mineiro (UFTM) Department of Neurology Botucatu Medical School (UNESP) Department of Applied Physical Therapy Universidade Federal do Triângulo Mineiro (UFTM) Department of Neurology Botucatu Medical School (UNESP)

Aims: The purpose of this study was Assessment of Selected Anthropometric Variables of Male Basketball, Football and Cricket Indian University Participation Players. Materials and Methods: There was seventy five (N=75) trained male basketball, football and cricket players between the ages of 17 and 25 years volunteered for this study. In other words, twenty five players participated in the study from each game i.e. basketball, football and cricket. Little is done to observe the effects of the training of each game on anthropometric profile or body size of male basketball, football and cricket players. Results: The mean age, height and weight of male basketball, football and cricket players was 22.12±1.61 year, 183.32±12.82cm and 78.08±12.18 Kg, 22.12±1.61 year, 183.32±12.82cm and 78.08±12.18 Kg and 21.12±1.66 year, 174.40±6.66cm and 63.28±3.92 Kg respectively. The study shows the relationship among body girths (circumferences). A statistical significant positive correlation was found between arm girth relaxed and arm girth flexed & tensed (r = .913 P

El presente artículo ha considerado como objetivo determinar la influencia del uso de la Plataforma Moodle en el desarrollo del Pensamiento Crítico en estudiantes del semestre I de la Universidad Nacional de Trujillo, Trujillo 2021. con enfoque cuantitativo de tipo no experimental, explicativo y diseño correlacional causal. Los resultados fueron que el 78% de estudiantes se encuentra en nivel intermedio en Plataforma Moodle y 89% en nivel avanzado de pensamiento crítico. Al contrastar la hipótesis por medio de Rho Spearman obteniendo un 0,844** correlación positiva alta y muy significativa con significancia menor a 0,05.

This study was aimed at identifying the effect of organizational trust, resilience and compassion fatigue on the performance of clinical nurses. The participants were 174 nurses who worked at four 200 to 300 hospitals in Busan, Korea. They responded to a structured self-report questionnaire administered from January 2 to January 31, 2020. The collected data were analyzed for frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, t-test, Pearson’s correlation coefficients, and hierarchical regression via the SPSS/WIN 25.0 program. Nursing performance has a significant positive correlation with organizational trust. The sub-categories, supervisory trust and peer trust also have significant positive correlations with nursing performance. There is also a significant positive correlation between nursing performance and resilience. This study found that nursing performance is influenced by resilience, gender, working style, and experience in the current unit. In order to improve the performance of clinical nurses, it is necessary to identify gender and work style based characteristics, develop programs, and improve measures to increase each nurse’s resilience.

Objective: To evaluate the severity of depression and anxiety among patients of burns and correlate depression and anxiety with areas of body involved in burns. Study Design: A cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: The departments of Psychiatry and department of Plastic Surgery, Combined Military Hospital Multan, from Oct 2019 to Mar 2020. Methodology: Through consecutive sampling, 56 patients of burns reporting to burns unit were assessed for anxiety and/ or depression based on the diagnostic criteria of International Classification of Diseases version 10. Symptom severity was assessed using Beck Depressive Inventory for depression and Beck Anxiety Inventory for anxiety. Descriptive statistics like mean with standard deviation was calculated for age. Frequency along with percentages was calculated for sociodemographic variables, Anxiety and depression. Results: Depression was present among 30 (53%) of participants out of which 16 (53.5%) had mild, 11 (37.9%) had moderate while only 3 (12.5%) had severe depression. Anxiety was seen among 50 (89%) of participants out of which sixteen (32.1%) had mild, 26 (51.7%) had moderate while 8 (16%) had severe anxiety. Significant correlation existed among the major area involved in burn with both anxiety and depression (p

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is becoming a global health menace associated with joints swelling, pain, stiffness, and progressive loss of function of extremities etc. This study aimed at evaluating the Body Mass Index (BMI), Serum Rheumatoid Factor (RF) and C-Reactive Protein (CRP) among RA Patients in Kano Metropolis.Methods: A total of 111 participants comprising 74 Rheumatoid Arthritis patients and 37 apparently healthy controls were recruited for this study. Exactly 29 were males while 44 were females aged between 25 to 75 years. Using standard techniques, BMI was calculated using the weight and height taken from the participants. Blood samples were collected for serum RF and CRP and were analysed using Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay technique. Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 21 was used for the analysis of data.Results: Our findings reveal that, females recorded higher percentage frequency of 45 (60.8%) while males recorded a lower percentage frequency of 29(39.2%) of RA patients with the ratio of 1.55:1, the higher percentage frequencies of 35(47.3%) was observed in overweight BMI patients of between 25-29.9 kg m-2. The mean serum value of RF was significantly (p = 0.00) higher in case group (4.4 ±1.5 ng/ml) compared with the control group (2.0±1.5 ng/ml) and also the mean serum value of CRP was significantly (p = 0.00) higher in case group (13.0 ±5.0 mg/L) compared with the control group (5.5±5.0 mg/L). A significant positive correlation was established between serum RF and CRP (r = 0.48, p=0.00).Conclusion: Our findings show increased RF and CRP in RA case group. Quantitative evaluation of immunological parameter such as RF, CRP and BMI monitoring may aid in proper management of RA patients. Annals of Medical Laboratory Science (2021) 1(2), 59 - 67

SLE disease activity score (SLE-DAS) is a novel, rapid, continuous and comprehensive score that overcomes the drawbacks of SLEDAI-2 K. Low lupus disease activity state (LLDAS) has been targeted as an endpoint in many clinical trials and as a favourable outcome in clinical practice. Therefore, our objective in the current study is to evaluate the validity of SLE-DAS for defining LLDAS as an objective in the treat-to-target strategy. A cross-sectional study was carried out on 117 SLE patients who were diagnosed according to Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC) classification criteria for SLE. Patients were evaluated for disease activity by both SLEDAI-2 K and SLE-DAS. Additionally, patients were divided according to the SLEDAI-2 K-derived LLDAS definition into two groups: low disease activity (LDA) group and high disease activity (HDA) group. The validity of SLE-DAS for the definition of LLDAS was evaluated in comparison to SLEDAI-2 K. SLE-DAS shows highly significant positive correlation (r = 0.743, p

Improving the knowledge on Himalayan glaciers mass balance is a key to understand the present and past annual atmospheric variations and future water availability in the region. Here, we present glaciological mass balance for Patsio Glacier, located in Himachal Pradesh (India), western Himalaya. Annual glacier-wide mass balance was measured for 7 consecutive years (2010/11 to 2016/17) and winter mass balance for 6 years (2011/12 to 2016/17). The cumulative mass balance over this period was −2.35 ± 0.37 m w.e. The corresponding mean mass balance was −0.34 m w.e. a−1. The mean annual ablation gradient excluding the debris-covered area was 0.47 m w.e. (100 m)−1. The annual ablation over the debris-covered area is reduced by an average of −1.0 m w.e. compared to the clean ice surface. Winter mass balance was consistently positive with a maximum of 1.34 m w.e. in 2014/15 and a minimum of 0.88 m w.e. in 2011/12. Multiple regression analysis between annual mass balance versus annual and winter precipitation of the Lahaul-Spiti region shows a significant positive correlation. Our results highlight the importance of monitoring seasonal mass balance and consideration of non-climatic parameters (debris and aspect) while estimating the glacier-wide mass balance.

Vibrio cholera, the bacteria that cause cholera, is endemic in Haiti with a presence in both cities and remote areas. Improved access to drinking water testing and treatment in remote areas may reduce the impact of the disease. This case study uses correlation and regression analysis to identify the main factors that hinder access to water testing and that lead to high cholera infection rates among communities in the Northern Corridor of Haiti. Poor road conditions, mountainous terrain, and limited transportation options lead to high travel times up to 5.7 min/km between remote communities and drinking water testing facilities. The presence of springs in a community has a significant positive correlation with cholera infection rates in the Northern Corridor. However, socioeconomic factors had no significant correlation with cholera infection rate. The results of this study will be used to plan the implementation of a new drinking water testing laboratory near the city of Cap-Haitian and other programs for vulnerable remote areas. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Topography and road conditions may be more important than distance in determining the accessibility of water testing facilities for rural communities. A lack of access to private vehicles is a substantial challenge for many rural communities in accessing water testing. The presence of springs in a community had a significant positive correlation with cholera infection rate.