Journal of Scientific Research and Reports

For the storage of crops, various drying processes are used. It should be synthesized on the basis of drying time, product quality such as colour texture and the taste of the product when uses. To study the drying characteristics of Abelmoschus esculentus (bhindi) thin piece was performed for a temperature range of 38°C and 88°C and velocity of air is fixed at 1.1 m/s in the fabricated tunnel. For the investigation of drying, characteristics experiment was performed, the result was found, the drying rate was falling. The sample studied at 38°C was much good in colour texture and aroma than sample studied at 58°C to 88°C. The experimental data were used on different models proposed, by equating the determination coefficient , Mean Bias Error (MBE), decreased  and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) measured along with investigated moisture ratio.

Aims: To determine the prevalence of cryptococcal infection among HIV hospitalized patients, to evaluate clinical characteristics and outcomes in Latvia.

Study Design:  Cross-sectional study.

Place and Duration of Study: Riga Eastern Clinical University Hospital, Latvian Center of Infectology, between January 2014 and February 2017.

Methodology: We conducted the study reporting demographics, epidemiological (age, sex, clinical aspects, paraclinical results (cryptococcal antigen in cerebrospinal fluid, serum, urine, cryptococcal DNA, HIV RNA and lymphocyte T CD4+ count), treatment and outcome aspects. We analyze 69 patients (71% men, 29% women) with HIV infection and cryptococcosis.

Results: 69 cases of cryptococcosis were confirmed for 699 HIV infected hospitalized patients tested, giving a prevalence of 9.9%. 38% (n=26/69) of patients were with clinical signs of infection with the central nervous system involvement, 19% (13/69) patients had pulmonary involvement.

Other 43% (n=30/69) of patients had disseminated non-CNS disease (elevated serum cryptococcal Ag or DNA). Most patients had advanced HIV disease (Median lymphocyte T CD4+ count=48, 5 cells/uL, (1-1041), the average was 112, 9 cells/ uL (SD 184.98). 87% (n=59/68) of patients had lymphocyte T CD4+cell count < 200 cells/μL Only 25% (n=14) of the patients known to have HIV infection (n=56/69) were receiving antiretroviral therapy at the time of presentation. Overall mortality rate was 59% (n=41/69).

Conclusion: Prevalence of cryptococcal antigenemia was 9.9%, indicating that the prevalence  of cryptococcal infection among HIV patients in Latvia may be high enough to consider targeted screening.HIV positive patients have high mortality (35%) following cryptococcal infection which persists beyond their initial hospitalization. Follow-up studies of late mortality would be beneficial.

To increase awareness of Tetrapleura tetraptera potential uses, enhance its utilization and promote its domestication as a fruit trees, a potential use of organic manure as soil amendment in afforestation, reforestation, agroforestry, fruit tree orchards, and bio-energy plantations cannot be over emphasized. Therefore, the study to determine the efficacy of organic manure (sole application and its interaction) on the   growth of Tetrapleura tetraptera under a screen house condition was carried out in Federal College of Forest, Ibadan located within the government Reserve Area (GRA) Jericho Ibadan.  The experimental design was a 2 x 8 factorial arranged in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with seven (7) replicates each making a total of 112 experimental samples. The treatments used were as follows: vermicast at two levels (20t/ha, 40t/ha), oil palm bunch at two levels (20t/ha, 40t/ha), interaction of vermicast and oil palm bunch (1:1, 1:2 and 2:1) and Control (no amendment). Data on plant height number of leaves, collar diameter and dry matter yields were generated and subjected to analysis of variance and significant means separated using Duncan’s Multiple Range Test at 5 % level of significance. The results shows that, the collar diameter  of Tetrapleura tetraptera increased (P=0.05) with the sole application of oil palm bunch at 40t/ha with a mean value of 2.16mm , however, this increase can also be comparable to the sole application of oil palm bunch at 20t/ha  with a mean value of 2.04 mm. Oil palm bunch at 20t/ha   recorded the highest plant of Tetrapleura tetraptera with a mean value of 18.00 cm while the interaction of VC+OB (2:1) and VC 40t/ha are also relatively comparable to the control (no amendment) to improve the plant height. The highest leaves number was observed when oil palm bunch 20t/ha was used as an amendment with a mean value of 14.0 while the lowest number of leaves was recorded with the interaction VC+OB 1:1 with a mean value of 12.0. From the results obtained, oil palm bunch residue as an organic fertilizer improves the growth of Tetrapleura tetraptera.

Background: Cancer is the leading cause of death for both men and women in Canada. Professionally or nonprofessionally led support groups have been recognized as a significant source of psychosocial support for cancer survivors. However, the participation rate was low and reasons for leaving a support group were not explored fully.

Purpose: To explore the reasons why Chinese cancer survivors left or did not attend a cancer support group in Toronto.

Methods: In-depth individual qualitative interviews were conducted. Five Chinese cancer survivors participated in in-depth interviews. Colaizzi’s phenomenological method was used to analyze the interview data.

Results: Four themes were extracted from the in-depth interviews: “not fit in”, “not satisfied with the information provided”, “tried to be a normal person”, and “lack reliable transportation and convenient scheduling”.

Conclusion: Cancer support groups can improve cancer survivors’ physical and psychosocial outcomes. The services can also help cancer survivors to obtain health related information and connect with professionals and peers. In recognizing the reasons why cancer survivors left support groups, health-care providers need to evaluate and be aware of the needs and difficulties for cancer survivors to attend support groups. They should match cancer survivors with appropriate groups. More language-friendly groups need to be launched, so cancer patients can easily find a suitable one from their neighborhood. 

Domestic violence against women persists to be a major challenge and a threat to women’s empowerment in Ethiopia, while Ethiopia is among the countries which have legal and policy provisions to enhance the rights of women. This study was held based on data obtained from 2016 Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey. The objective of the study was to indicate the level of domestic violence across categories of various socio-demographic variables and identify major risk factors associated with domestic violence against women in Ethiopia. Descriptive analysis result showed that out of 2663 sampled women involved in the study about 765(28.5%) were experienced domestic violence perpetrate by current husband or partner. A total of 191(25%) women were experienced emotional violence only, 143(18.7%) were experienced physical violence only, 37(4.8%) were experienced sexual violence only and about 394(51.5%) women were experienced more than one form of violence perpetrated by current husband or partner. The multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that husband’s or partner’s education level, sex composition of living child, alcohol consumption, wealth index and region had statistically significant (P<0.05) effect on domestic violence against women. The results of my investigation have demonstrated that higher educational level and better economic status have been identified as protective factors against domestic violence. Domestic violence against women could be mitigated through enhancing access to better education, encouraging school completion, improving the economic status of women and organizing public educational campaigns that focus on changing gender related attitudes.