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Dogon Culture of Arts from the central plateau region of Mali, in West Africa, South of the Niger bend, near the city of Bandiagara, and in Burkina Faso - (Kneeling Maternity Figure)
No full textThis kneeling Maternity figure is a carved abstract bombou-toro style and originates from the Dogon people of Mali. Dogon figures are predominantly associated with the ancestor cult. Carved for personal or family use, they commemorate the foundation of a community and are worshiped by the villagers.https://digitalcommons.pvamu.edu/african-sculptures-and-masks/1046/thumbnail.jp
The morphological and anatomical variability of the stems of an industrial hemp collection and the properties of its fibres
No full textIndustrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) is identified as a leading fibre crop and there is increasing interest in C. sativa fibre due to its new range of industrial applications. However, the complexity of hemp germplasm resulted in insufficient information on the effect of genotypes on fibre quality and quantity. In this study, 16 fibre and non-fibre type hemp genotypes were evaluated to compare the morpho-anatomical differences of stems and physico-mechanical fibre properties under three retting methods and to understand the effect of stem colour on the properties of hemp fibres. Morphological markers were scored and stem anatomy was examined using live and herbarium collections. Stems were retted using chemical, enzymatic, and microbiological methods. The resulting fibres were tested for tensile strength, moisture retention, colour, bast and hurd dry weights. Hemp genotypes showed morphological variations that affect fibre processing and a unique pattern of fibre wedges in cross-sections of the basal internode. Fibre yield, tensile strength, colour, and moisture retention significantly varied among the genotypes. The hemp collection used in this study formed three clusters in principal component analysis and traits such as internodal length, node number, hurd yield, and tensile strength highly contributed to the total variability. Additionally, non-fibre type hemp genotypes that showed important fibre properties were identified. The hemp genotypes that were selected based on our approaches can be tailored towards the specificities of the end-usage of choice. Our methods will enable the exploration of hemp genetic diversity pertaining to fibre properties and contribute to the preliminary identification of genotypes as a supplement to genetic analyses
(R2022) Mathematical Modelling of Tuberculosis and COVID-19 Co-infection in India: A Real Data Analysis on Concomitant Diseases
Get PDFIn this paper, we have proposed an epidemiological model to study the dynamics of two concomitant diseases Tuberculosis (TB) and COVID-19. Here, we have formulated a deterministic compartmental model as an extended form of the classical SIS model. First, the basic reproduction number R0 is derived and then stability analysis of the model is done. It is observed that the disease-free equilibrium is stable when R0 is less than one and the endemic equilibrium is stable only when R0 is greater than one. Numerical simulation is carried out to illustrate the theoretical findings and to study the transmission dynamics of both the concomitant diseases during the first and second waves of COVID-19 in India
A Case Series on Unusual Neck Masses
No full textNeck masses can be defined as any abnormal swelling or growth from the level of base of skull to clavicle. They can be benign or malignant so a thorough investigation is necessary to reach to a final diagnosis. Here we report a case series of three unusual neck masses presenting to the Out patient Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery in R. G. Kar Medical College, a tertiary care hospital of Kolkata in a span of 1.5 years. The rarity of the etiology behind the neck masses makes this case series unique
(R1899) Asymptotic Normality of the Conditional Hazard Function in the Local Linear Estimation Under Functional Mixing Data
Get PDFIn this study, we are interested in using the local linear technique to estimate the conditional hazard function for functional dependent data where the scalar response is conditioned by a functional random variable. The asymptotic normality of this constructed estimator is demonstrated under some extreme conditions. Our estimator’s performance is demonstrated through simulations
(R1884) Motion of Variable Mass Body in the Seventh-Degree Henon-Heiles System
Get PDFThe goal of this paper is to reveal numerically the generalized Henon-Heiles system, that is, in the seventh-degree potential function where the smallest body mass varies. Utilizing the seventh degree potential function, we determine the equations of motion for the variable mass generalized Henon-Heiles system. Then we perform the graphical works such as locations of parking points, allowed regions of motion, and attracting domain basins. Lastly, using the Meshcherskii space transformations, we investigate stability states for these parking points
(R1518) The Dual Spherical Curves and Surfaces in Terms of Vectorial Moments
Get PDFIn the article, the parametric expressions of the dual ruled surfaces are expressed in terms of the vectorial moments of the Frenet vectors. The integral invariants of these surfaces are calculated. It is seen that the dual parts of these invariants can be stated by the real terms. Finally, we present examples of the ruled surfaces with bases such as helix and Viviani’s curves
Utilization Of Joint National Committee 8 (JNC 8) Guidelines In The Evaluation And Treatment Of High Blood Pressure By Health Care Providers In A Primary Care Setting: A Quality Improvement Project
No full textHypertension (HTN) is a leading cause of death in the United States. Many hypertensive patient subgroups, including African Americans, experience disparities in care. Evidence-based practice has sought to identify these disparities, increase provider awareness of inequalities, and improve overall care. This quality improvement (QI) project asks if an HTN educational session will enhance adherence to the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure (JNC) 8 guidelines by providers treating hypertensive patients, including African- American patients. This QI project measures and evaluates provider adherence to the JNC 8 Hypertension Algorithm, which promotes the management, self-care, and improved outcomes for hypertensive patients. The Iowa Model of Evidence-Based Practice to Promote Quality Care was used as the theoretical framework to guide the project formulation. The data collection tool used assisted in evaluating that provider adherence did improve with the use of an educational session of the JNC 8 algorithm
Progress towards the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets among pregnant women in South Africa: Results from the 2017 and 2019 national Antenatal HIV Sentinel Surveys
No full textObjectives The UNAIDS 95-95-95 global targets for epidemic control aim to ensure by 2030 that 95% of HIV-positive people know their HIV status, 95% of people diagnosed with HIV receive sustained antiretroviral therapy (ART), and 95% of people on ART have viral suppression. While data on the first and second 95 targets are routinely reported nationally, data on the third 95 target are not available for pregnant women in South Africa. The lack of data on the third 95 target limits the inclusion of low viral suppression as one of the contributing factors in MTCT root cause analyses. This study assessed progress towards the 95-95-95 targets among pregnant women between the ages of 15–49 years attending public health facilities in South Africa. Method Data were obtained from two consecutive national cross-sectional antenatal HIV sentinel surveys conducted between 1 October and 15 November in both 2017 and 2019. In each survey, data on age, knowledge of HIV status, ART initiation, and geographical location (province) were extracted from medical records. A blood specimen was collected from each woman and tested for HIV. Viral load tests were performed on HIV-positive specimens. Descriptive and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to examine association between province and viral suppression (defined as viral load \u3c50 copies/mL) using the combined dataset (i.e., both 2017 and 2019 data combined). All analyses considered the survey design. Results Of 10 065 and 11 321 HIV-positive women included in the 2017 and 2019 surveys, respectively, 96.0% (95% confidence interval (CI): 95.6–96.4%) and 97.6% (95% CI: 97.3–97.8%) knew their HIV-positive status; 86.6% (95% CI: 85.9–87.3%) and 96.0% (95% CI: 95.6–96.4%) of those who knew their HIV status were receiving ART; while 64.2% (95% CI: 63.2–65.2%) and 66.0% (95% CI: 65.1–66.8%) of those receiving ART were virally suppressed. Achievement of the third 95 target significantly varied by province ranging from 33.9–72.6% in 2017 and 43.4–77.3% in 2019. Knowledge of HIV-positive status, ART initiation, and viral suppression increased in both 15–24 and 25–49 year age groups between 2017 and 2019. In a multivariable analysis adjusting for survey year, gravidity, and education, the odds of viral suppression significantly varied by province (except KwaZulu-Natal and Western Cape, other provinces were less likely to attain viral suppression compared to Gauteng), age (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) for 15–24 years vs 25–49 years: 0.7, 95% CI: 0.6–0.8), and timing of ART initiation (AOR for ART initiation during pregnancy vs before pregnancy: 0.4, 95% CI: 0.5–0.6). Conclusion Although in 2019 the first and second 95 targets were achieved among pregnant women, meeting the third 95 target remains a challenge. This study highlighted the importance of promoting early ART initiation and the need to target young women in efforts to improve progress towards the third 95 target. Additionally, the provincial variation in viral suppression could be further investigated in future studies to identify and address the root causes underlying these differences