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Volume hasil tangkapan dan harga ikan kembung di Kota Bandar Lampung yang terus meningkat beberapa tahun terakhir, mendorong upaya penangkapan yang semakin intensif dan ekploitatif. Penelitian ini bertujuan menganalisis hubungan panjang-berat, sebaran panjang, faktor kondisi, dan pola petumbuhan ikan kembung lelaki (Rastrelliger kanagurta) yang didaratkan di PPP Lempasing, Kota Bandar Lampung. Penelitian ini diharpakan menjadi informasi dasar bagi pengelolaan sumberdaya ikan kembung lelaki di Perairan Teluk Lampung dan sekitarnya. Sampel ikan kembung lelaki diperoleh dari ikan yang di daratkan di PPP Lempasing sepanjang bulan Juli-September 2022. Sampel ikan diukur panjang dengan pita ukur, dan beratnya mengunakan timbangan digital dengan ketelitian 1 mm dan 0,1 gr, selanjutnya dianalisis sebaran panjangnya, faktor kondisi dan hubungan panjang-berat. Ukuran panjang ikan yang didaratkan di PPP Lempasing berkisar antara 170–282 mm. Ukuran ikan terkecil pada selang kelas 170–184 mm. Ukuran ikan yang paling banyak tertangkap selang kelas 230–240 mm. Faktor kondisi tertinggi bernilai 1,02 ditemukan pada selang kelas ikan terkecil. Nilai faktor kondisi menunjukkan nilai tidak berbeda nyata dengan 1. Hubungan panjang-berat menunjukkan persamaan W=0,0017L2,086 dengan nilai koefien determinasi (R²) sebear 0,811. Pola pertumbuhan ikan kembung lelaki bersifat allometrik negatif. Hal ini menggambarkan bahwa ikan kembung lelaki lelaki cenderung pipih. Penelitian lebih lanjut terkait pola reproduksi, indeks kematangan gonad, komposisi jumlah dan produktivitas hasil tangkapan, hubungannya parameter lingkungan secara periodik dan berkelanjutan sangat dibutuhkan dalam rangka upaya pengelolaan sumberdaya ikan kembung lelaki yang presisi dan berkelanjutan.

Background: Catechins are good free radical scavengers but exhibit low stability and permeability. Nanophytosomes are currently being developed as the delivery system for phytoconstituents to protect them from decomposition by oxidants or enzymes and increase their permeability. Objectives: To formulate gambier catechin-loaded nanophytosomes and perform the MTT assay on HeLa cell lines. Method:Five formulations were prepared using soya lecithin at various molar ratios of cholesterol by thin-layer hydration and sonication. The nanophytosomes were characterised by the determination of vesicle size, zeta potential, polydispersity index, morphology with Transmission Electron Microscope, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) analysis, freeze and thaw test, entrapment efficiency, and the in vitro cytotoxicity test. Result: The optimal formula (F4) with a molar ratio of 1:1:0.8 (catechin:lecithin:cholesterol) resulted in spherical vesicles with an average size (106 ± 0.218) nm, zeta potential -68 mV, polydispersity index 0.412, 93.5% entrapment efficiency and that were stable to temperature changes. FT-IR showed the formation of catechins and lecithin complexes. The activity of catechin-loaded nanophytosomes against HeLa cells showed an IC50 of 36.307 g/ml. There was a significant difference in the average percentage of cells undergoing apoptosis in all treatment groups (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Catechin-loaded nanophytosomes with a molar ratio of 1:1:0.8 (catechin:lecithin:cholesterol) showed moderate cytotoxic activity against HeLa cell lines.

Central Java is a province that ranks in the top three with the highest number of cases exposed to Covid-19 in Indonesia. During the pandemic situation, the Central Java Provincial Government intensively carried out a digital campaign to fight the spread and transmission of the virus. The digital campaign contains a number of health protocol educational videos conducted by the governor and published through official social media accounts, such as Youtube and Instagram. This study aims to describe the public's attitude towards health protocol education carried out by Governor Ganjar Pranowo through this digital campaign. Rhetoric theory is used as a basis for explaining the success aspects of digital campaigns. This type of research is descriptive quantitative research. Primary data were obtained through online surveys. As many 19 questions were asked to respondents. A total of 121 respondents participated by voluntary sampling in the online survey. Respondents' answers were then processed using SPSS. The research findings show that the respondents show a positive attitude towards the Covid-19 digital campaign conducted by the Central Java Provincial Government. Respondents considered that the digital campaign was a creative step taken by the Central Java Provincial Government to educate the public in the midst of a pandemic situation.

Targeting the activation of immune checkpoints is recognized as an effective strategy for triggering anti-tumour immune responses in cancer cells. Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) and programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) were identified as potential crucial targets for cancer treatment. Overexpression of CTLA-4 and PD-1 proteins in primary tumour and human cell lines is well documented. In contrary, lack of data was available using animal cell lines. The presence study aims to optimize the expression of CTLA-4 and PD-1 proteins in EMT6 mouse mammary cancer cells using Western blot, and provide basic understanding of their association with breast cancer cell progression. Proteins extracted from EMT6 parental cells were adjusted to 30ng for gel electrophoresis. Afterwards, the protein was transferred to a nitrocellulose membrane for blotting. The membrane was then subjected to chemiluminescent for band detection. Results obtained using beta-actin as a housekeeping gene show that both CTLA-4 (32 kDa) and PD-1 (34 kDa) proteins were expressed by using a 1:1000 dilution for each antibody from the lysate of EMT6 mouse mammary cancer cells. The relative expression of PD-1 (4.0 ± 0.26) is higher compared to CTLA-4 (1.2 ± 1.8). As a conclusion, both CTLA-4 and PD-1 proteins were indeed expressed in EMT6 mouse mammary cancer cells and this outcome provide the platform for extensive in vivo research on the link of both proteins with breast cancer using animal model.

Perusahaan yang maju umumnya berkembang dari perusahaan yang menganggap HRD sebagai alat bagi pekerja, kini berubah menjadi penghargaan bagi sumber daya manusia yang kompeten. Tren saat ini adalah pekerja yang memiliki pengetahuan baru sesuai dengan dinamika perubahan yang sedang berlangsung. Modal manusia yang mengacu pada pengetahuan, pendidikan, pelatihan, keahlian, keahlian tenaga kerja perusahaan sangat penting, dibandingkan dengan masa lalu. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui apakah pendidikan dan pelatihan berpengaruh terhadap kinerja karyawan pada CV. Percetakan Fajar. Dalam penelitian ini jumlah sampel adalah 65 orang. Teknik sampel yang digunakan adalah teknik sampel jenuh. Dengan menggunakan teknik analisis regresi linier berganda dengan menggunakan software SPSS versi 25. Hasil yang diperoleh dalam penelitian ini membuktikan bahwa terdapat pengaruh positif yang signifikan antara pendidikan terhadap kinerja karyawan, artinya semakin tinggi faktor pendidikan maka kinerja karyawan semakin tinggi. Pelatihan berpengaruh positif signifikan terhadap kinerja karyawan. Artinya pelatihan yang tinggi akan berpengaruh terhadap kinerja karyawan

Ecosystem health is one of the most important topics for ecosystem management and it is also the main core in ecosystem assessment. In this study, a regional ecosystem health assessment (REHA) method is adopted to develop a spatial ecosystem health framework for Gorgan Township, North-Eastern Iran. The REHA methodology refers to an ecosystem mosaic's ability to both maintain physical health and guarantee the supply of the Ecosystem Services (ES) necessary for human communities. In order to spatially quantify ecosystem health, an integrated evaluation of land use land cover (LULC) change and ecosystem services modelling was implemented. The analysis revealed that during 1987–2005, there was a slight decline in the mean regional ecosystem health that occurred in Gorgan Township (−0.86), especially within urban vegetation and suburban areas. The built-up areas and expansion of agricultural fields into natural lands were influential factors affecting the overall regional ecosystem health value. Our result showed that among all the ecosystem health indicators, ecosystem resilience and ecosystem vigour were the most important factors positively and negatively influenced the REH in the study area. Relations between land use patterns, Ecosystem Health (EH), and ES in the study area indicate high intricacy of the structure-functional interaction within the landscape. Providing local managers with their integrative model may become a useful tool for efficient natural resource management on the one hand, and the protection of valuable ecosystems on the other.

Background: Trimethylamine N-Oxide (TMAO), as a gut microbiota-derived metabolite, has been associated with a number of chronic diseases like cardiovascular diseases. Objective: Considering the increasing prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), we conducted a systematic review to discuss the TMAO association with NCDs. Methods: A comprehensive search has been conducted on PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases up to December, 2020. The inclusion criteria were all related observational studies that surveyed the association between TMAO levels and non-communicable diseases. Interventional studies, animal experiments, reviews, case reports, letters, congress abstracts, and studies that were not published in English were excluded. Moreover, related review studies were separately discussed. Results: Within 2191 recorded studies, 99 cross-sectional, case-control and cohort studies met the inclusion criteria. The most common diseases associated with TMAO levels are cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, kidney disease, stroke, inflammatory diseases, neurological disorders, and cancer. Elevated TMAO levels as a consequence of alteration in gut microbiota composition and dietary intake can lead to the incidence of NCDs. The high levels of TMAO can disrupt the homeostasis of glucose and lipids and induce inflammation that leads to serious NCDs. Conclusion: There is a dose-response relationship between TMAO levels and NCDs progression. Therefore, it can be studied as a therapeutic target or prognostic biomarker for dealing with NCDs.

Different clones of community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) are dominating geographically. One of the significant, hypervirulent, CA-MRSA and a significant health concern clones is USA3000, found worldwide regionally with varying frequencies. The clone harbors several mobile genetic elements (MGEs) including, arginine catabolic mobile element (ACME) and copper and mercury resistance genes (COMER), accomplished by horizontal gene transfer from S. epidermidis. Evidence suggests that ACME and COMER have a more prominent role in enhancing biofilm capacity and ultimately persistent infections. This review highlights the comprehensive view on ACME and COMER structure, their distribution, and the mechanism of action along with pathogenetic features of USA3000 encompassing their role in biofilm formation, adhesion, quorum sensing, resistance to antibiotics, chemotaxis, and nutrient uptake. We also provided an insight into the role of ACME and COMER genes in the survival of bacterium. Our results shed light on the emergence of two independent clones possessing ACME (North American) and COMER (South American) elements which later disseminated to other regions. ACME and COMER both are adjacent to staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec type IV (SCCmec IV). The acquisition of mecA, followed by COMER or ACME has been shown as a significant factor in the rise and fall of MRSA strains and their complex ability to adapt to hostile environments. The presence of ACME increases fitness, thereby allowing bacteria to colonize the skin and mucous membrane while COMER contributes to genetic stability by knocking over the copper-mediated killing in macrophages. Evidence suggests that ACME and COMER have a more prominent role in enhancing biofilm capacity and ultimately persistent infections. Interestingly, ACME strains have been shown to possess the ability to counteract skin acidity, thereby allowing increased skin colonization. A profound understanding of MGEs in S. aureus plays an important role in the prevention of epidemic clones.

The Wide Sargasso Sea - (1966). After years of contemplating Charlotte Bronte's Creole madwoman Bertha Mason, Jean Rhys set out to give voice to what is mute in Bronte’s Jane Eyre. Rhys lets Antoinette narrate her tale, revealing the "other side" of Bronte's story: what occurred in the years before and after Mr. Rochester's first marriage in Jamaica. As a twentieth-century West Indian writer, Rhys was able to expose implicit assumptions and ideals in Bronte's writing, such as imperialist England's attitude toward her colonies. The natural environment is a mirror of interior states of being and emotion, a remark on the novel's characterization and action. Even though the two books seem to be identical, they are not. Rhys flips Bronte's Victorian Romantic symbols, Wide Sargasso Sea appears more contemporary and realistic. This paper aims to highlight the victimized characters in both novels and gives a real comparison of the most victimized ones. Both works, respectively, show women fighting patriarchy and injustice at any historical time. From a feminist standpoint, this study compares, Bertha Mason, in the two narratives. Even though Wide Sargasso Sea is a forerunner to Jane Eyre, Rhys expressed a more progressive and revolutionary feminist viewpoint. Bertha Mason is a more victimized female than Jane of the patriarchal system and colonization. These feminist works have left an indelible effect on literature. Most literary commentators have concentrated on Jane, the protagonist of Charlotte Bronte's narrative, on the other hand, there is Bertha Mason, the insane lady on the upper floor imprisoned, as just Jane's evil twin. Bertha has received much less attention than Jane, not as an evil side of Jane, but as a stand-alone figure. This study compares Bertha Mason's representation in Jane Eyre and Wide Sargasso Sea. Bertha, who acts as an impediment to Jane's pleasure in Jane Eyre, is recognized as a victim of society.

Background/ObjectiveCompelling evidence indicates that myokines act in an autocrine, paracrine and endocrine manner to alter metabolic homeostasis. The mechanisms underlying exercise-induced changes in myokine secretion remain to be elucidated. Since exercise acutely decreases oxygen partial pressure (pO(2)) in skeletal muscle (SM), the present study was designed to test the hypothesis that (1) hypoxia exposure impacts myokine secretion in primary human myotubes and (2) exposure to mild hypoxia in vivo alters fasting and postprandial plasma myokine concentrations in humans.MethodsDifferentiated primary human myotubes were exposed to different physiological pO(2) levels for 24 h, and cell culture medium was harvested to determine myokine secretion. Furthermore, we performed a randomized single-blind crossover trial to investigate the impact of mild intermittent hypoxia exposure (MIH: 7-day exposure to 15% O-2, 3x2h/day vs. normoxia: 21% O-2) on in vivo SM pO(2) and plasma myokine concentrations in 12 individuals with overweight and obesity (body-mass index >= 28 kg/m(2)).ResultsHypoxia exposure (1% O-2) increased secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC, p = 0.043) and follistatin like 1 (FSTL1, p = 0.021), and reduced leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) secretion (p = 0.009) compared to 3% O-2 in primary human myotubes. In addition, 1% O-2 exposure increased interleukin-6 (IL-6, p = 0.004) and SPARC secretion (p = 0.021), whilst reducing fatty acid binding protein 3 (FABP3) secretion (p = 0.021) compared to 21% O-2. MIH exposure in vivo markedly decreased SM pO(2) (approximate to 40%, p = 0.002) but did not alter plasma myokine concentrations.ConclusionsHypoxia exposure altered the secretion of several myokines in primary human myotubes, revealing hypoxia as a novel modulator of myokine secretion. However, both acute and 7-day MIH exposure did not induce alterations in plasma myokine concentrations in individuals with overweight and obesity.

This paper discusses one of the Muslim intellectuals who played a major role in the development of the interpretation of the Koran, namely Fazlur Rahman. He is known for his theory of interpretation of the Koran which is called the double movement theory. This theory is interesting to discuss because it is a form of renewal of the methodology of interpreting the Koran in the modern era. So in this paper will be presented the definition of the theory and also how it is applied in life. Fazlur Rahman himself received religious education from an early age from his father and continued his studies to become a professor in the field of Islamic thought. This double movement theory has two movements, namely first by starting from looking at contemporary times towards the time when the Qur'an was revealed, then the second movement returns to the present. In general, this movement has a combination pattern of induction and deduction reasoning. This paper uses the method of analytical description of sources related to the research theme. So it can be concluded that the theory of the double movement is said to be relevant for use in the modern era where the meaning of the Koran becomes contextual and applicable. So that we are no longer trapped in the meaning of the Koran which is only textual. So it is hoped that in the future new contemporary interpretations of the Qur'an will emerge from this double movement theory.

Meningkatnya permintaan pasar akan ikan mas najawa (Cyprinus carpio) perlu didukung oleh pasokan benih yang berkualitas dan tersedia secara konsisten. Salah satu kendala dalam pemenuhan kebutuhan benih ikan mas najawa adalah rendahnya kelulushidupan akibat penurunan kualitas air media budidaya. Metode sederhana yang dapat diaplikasikan dalam pengelolaan kualitas air adalah sifon dan aerasi. Penelitian ini bertujuan mengetahui efektivitas sifon dan aerasi dalam mempertahankan kualitas air serta pengaruhnya terhadap pertumbuhan dan kelulushidupan benih ikan mas najawa. Percobaan dilakukan pada pemeliharaan benih mas najawa selama 21 hari, pada perlakuan A (sifon setiap 3 hari sekali dan aerasi 15 jam sehari); B (sifon dua hari sekali dan aerasi 20 jam) dan C (sifon setiap hari dan aerasi sepanjang 24 jam). Pengukuran kualitas air, pertumbuhan panjang, berat dan pertumbuhan spesifik serta kelulushidupan dilakukan setiap 1 minggu sekali. Hasil penelitian menujukkan pertumbuhan panjang-berat dan pertumbuhan spesifik benih ikan mas tertinggi pada perlakuan B tetapi tidak berbeda nyata dengan perlakuan C, sedangkan nilai terendah ditemukan pada perlakuan A. Sebaliknya, kelulushidupan benih ikan mas najawa, pada perlakuan C menghasilkan nilai tertinggi sebesar 67,00%, diikuti perlakuan B (38,02%) dan perlakuan A (21,66%). Perbedaan kelulushidupan benih ikan sangat berpengaruh terhadap bobot total dan jumlah ikan yang dapat dipanen. Selanjutnya, perbedaan bobot total dan jumlah benih ikan yang dapat dipanen sangat berpengaruh terhadap keuntungan yang dapat diperoleh oleh petani ikan.

This service activity related to Instagram business training for young entrepreneurs was carried out in Tumbrep Village, Bandar District, Batang Regency. The purpose of this service is to provide additional knowledge for young entrepreneurs who use a digital approach in carrying out their business activities, especially Instagram. The methods used are observation and interviews, presentation of material or lectures, focus group discussions and technical training, exhibitions or MSME bazaars. At first, the young entrepreneurs from Tumbrep Village still managed personal Instagram accounts for personal and business activities. In addition, the results of posting photos are still not conceptualized. Through community service activities, participants are invited to take advantage of Instagram for business and edit product photos to be posted. The conclusion from this service is that managing Instagram accounts for business activities requires special concepts and techniques. The training conducted by the service team who has this competence is really needed by the young entrepreneurs of Tumbrep Village.

Kemampuan pemecahan masalah peserta didik pada penyelesaian soal matematik dapat dibagi dalam berapa kategori, dan kebanyakan tergolong pada kategori rendah ke bawah. Dalam memperhatikan pembuatan soal, maka aspek yang akan dinilai dalam pengerjaan soal lebih efesien untuk mengetahui kemampuan pemecahan masalah matematis siswa. Hal tersebut sesuai dengan hasil penelitian yang sudah dijelaskan dengan mendeskripsikan kemampuan pemecahan masalah matematik peserta didik kelas VII MTs Nurul Huda yang mencakup kemampuan pemecahan masalah yaitu subjek KT, subjek KS, dan subjek KR. Sesuai dengan penjelasan data hasil penelitian dan hubungannya terhadap langkah-langkah pemecahan masalah menurut Polya pada kajian pustaka yang telah disimpulkan, dikatakan bahwa peserta didik Kelas VII MTs Nurul Huda dengan kategori tinggi dapat menjalankan tahap pemecahan masalah menurut Polya dan mampu menjelaskan proses penyelesaian soal bangun ruang segiempat. Untuk peserta didik dengan kategori sedang mampu menjelaskan proses penyelesaian soal, akan tetapi masih kurang dalam menjalankan tahap pemecahan masalah menurut Polya. Sedangkan peserta didik dengan kategori rendah tidak dapat menjalankan langkah-langkah pemecahan masalah menurut Polya dalam menyelesaikan soal.

Oxidation of kraft pulp using hydrogen peroxide under mild acidic conditions can be applied in order to obtain new functionality of the fibres, in the form of carbonyl groups. The hydrogen peroxide concentration must, however, be higher than consumed by the oxidation reactions meaning that the liquid must be recirculated to fully utilize the hydrogen peroxide. This paper investigates the consequences of recirculation of the oxidation liquor. It was found that recirculation results in an accumulation of ions of transition metals (copper, iron and manganese) in the oxidation liquor. The transition metal ions are known for catalytic decomposition of hydrogen peroxide, producing radicals which may react with carbohydrates, forming carbonyl groups as well as causing carbohydrate degradation. This was confirmed through the recirculation of oxidation liquor as well as through controlled addition of transition metals. At high transition metal ion concentration the reactions were fast and a severe degradation of carbohydrates was observed, accompanied by a rapid hydrogen peroxide consumption. The consequence of this, in an industrial context, is that the concentration of metal ions must be carefully controlled in order to add functionality to the cellulose without causing excessive degradation of carbohydrates or consumption of hydrogen peroxide.

Background: In recent decades, non-communicable diseases have been increasing for various reasons. This study aimed to evaluate health-promoting behaviors (HPBs) and self-efficacy of health behaviors (SHEBs) in patients with ischemic stroke admitted to the neurology ward. Methods: The statistical population of this cross-sectional descriptive study included all patients with ischemic stroke during the first six months of 2019. The participants completed a demographic checklist, SHEBs questionnaire, and HPBs questionnaire. Independent t-tests, analysis of variance, and correlation coefficient were used to analyze the data. Results: Data analysis showed that interpersonal support and stress scores were higher in men, and scores of taking responsibility, exercise, and HPBs were higher in non-natives. Stress score was higher in smokers, drug users, and people with primary education (P

The Kosovo Specialist Chambers embody a remarkable project involving elements of the domestic law of the Republic of Kosovo, the EU’s external relations law, and international criminal law. The Chambers’ hybrid nature is not only unique, but also atypical in regards to its influence in Kosovo’s constitutional order. The Specialist Constitutional Chamber is one of the instances of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers sitting in the Hague. The Specialist Constitutional Chamber resembles Kosovo’s Constitutional Court on a specific, though exclusive, area of law—the law surrounding the court in general. The two courts not only exercise the same generic function—on the basis of exclusive material criteria—but also possibly parallel and compete with each other. The relationship between the “two courts” is at best explained with the term “fragmentation of constitutional jurisdiction.” While the two courts are forced to endure under the same normative roof—the Constitution—they inherently exercise often conflicting functions and protect irreconcilable ideological perspectives. The article examines the interaction between the two courts primarily in a normative and jurisdictional perspective. It also presents recent tendencies of both courts to divert in divergent pathways. The article concludes that while the two courts present an unobserved case in comparative constitutional law, they also reveal an interesting and unconventional constitutional controversy appearing in the context of a sovereign country’s relationship with international law obligations.

Deri në shpalljen e Pavarësisë dhe krijimit të shtetit të parë të pavarur shqiptar madje deri në prag të viteve Njëzet të shekullit të kaluar, Shqipëria nuk kishte asnjë mundësi që të përgatiste ushtarakë brenda vendit dhe arsyet për këtë ishin të shumta. Së pari sepse ajo nuk kishte ushtri dhe, për rrjedhojë, as shkollë ushtarake kombëtare, në të cilën të mund të arsimonte dhe të formonte ushtarakë, të cilët do të shërbenin për qëllime mbrojtëse të vendit dhe të popullit shqiptar. Po për këto motive, për pasojë dhe për fat të keq, nuk mund të realizohej në Shqipëri, në ato vite, por edhe gjatë viteve Dyzet të këtij shekulli, as edhe kualifikimi i ushtarakëve nëpër akademi apo shkolla të larta pasakademike. Arsyet ishin po ato të mësipërmet, thjeshtë nuk kishte institucione arsimore të këtyre përmasave dhe niveleve. Për këto shkaqe, në ato vite, qysh nga fillimet e Fuqive të Armatosura Shqiptare, të ideuara dhe të krijuara me nismën dhe mbështetjen e Qeverisë së Përkohshme të Vlorës, e formuar më 4 Dhjetor të vitit 1912, dramatik dhe historik njëherësh për shqiptarët, masa më e madhe e ushtarakëve shqiptarë vinin pikërisht nga shkolla ushtarake dhe nga radhët e Ushtrisë turke. Nga ajo ushtri dolën dhe u vunë në shërbim të Ushtrisë Kombëtare Shqiptare dhe të Xhandarmërisë në formim e sipër, afro 70 oficerë dhe 150 nënoficerë. Midis tyre në faqet e historisë ushtarake shqiptare u shkrua edhe emri i gjeneralbrigade Mehmet Pashë Deralla (Tetova) (1843-1919).

A number of researches have been done in the world basing on Communicative Approach in teaching English language as a second and a foreign language, Tanzania in Particular. However, the use of this approach in Tanzania is not free of challenges. Thus, this paper tries to enlighten the current challenges that English language learners of primary schools encounter when the approach is used in teaching and learning of English language in Morogoro Municipality. The study was guided by two research questions; first, what would be the current challenges encountered by primary school learners when CA is used? Second, what would be the learners’ views on the possible ways to overcome the existing challenges? The study was led by the theory of communicative competence by Hymes (1972). The data were collected through concurrent research design which is within pragmatic research approach. The data collection method used was questionnaire method of data collection. The findings revealed that, large class sizes, inadequate teaching and learning materials, learners’ negative attitudes towards English language, and lack of enough time to practice English language are among the challenges of using the approach at public primary schools. Nevertheless, ensuring enough teachers and classes, adding time for practicing English, exposing learners to English language from standard one are among the suggestions of overcoming the existing challenges. Furthermore, basing on the findings of the recent study, the researcher provided recommendations for action to solve the existing challenges and for further studies including to do the same study in other municipal areas

Idiopathic dilatation of the pulmonary artery defines the presence of a benign enlargement of the pulmonary trunk with or without the involvement of the rest of the arterial tree in the absence of a detectable cardiac or arterial systemic disorder. An IDPA patient’s symptoms and physical examination are not significant in diagnosis confirmation. Imaging techniques such as contrast-enhanced computed tomography, right heart catheterization, and angiocardiogram constitute the foundation of IDPA diagnosis. But an extended observation period is also necessary to exclude other possible dilatation explanation. Our patient, a forty-six-year-old female, was admitted to the Pulmonology clinic of “ShefqetNdroqi” University Hospital with dyspnea, dry cough, vertigo, and fatigue for several months before admission. The patient's contrast-enhanced Computed Tomography revealed a dilatation of the pulmonary trunk. The dilatation of the pulmonary trunk was confirmed with the Cardiac CT, and other abnormalities were excluded.

BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) detection with B-mode and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CUS) imaging often varies between subjects, especially in patients with background cirrhosis. Various factors contribute to this variability, including the tumor blood flow, tumor size, internal echoes, and its location in livers with diffuse fibro-cirrhotic changes. OBJECTIVE: Towards improving lesion detection, this study evaluates a vasodilator, hydralazine, to enhance the visibility of HCC by reducing its blood flow relative to the surrounding liver tissue. METHODS: HCC were analyzed for tumor visibility measured for B-mode, CUS, and hydralazine-augmented-contrast ultrasound (HyCUS) in an autochthonous HCC rat model. 21 tumors from 12 rats were studied. B-mode and CUS images were acquired before hydralazine injection. Rats received an intravenous hydralazine injection of 5 mg/kg, then images were acquired 20 min later. Four rats were used as controls. The difference in echo intensity of the lesion and the surrounding tissue was used to determine the visibility index (VI). RESULTS: The visibility index for HCC was found to be significantly improved with the use of HyCUS imaging compared to traditional B-mode and CUS imaging. The visibility index for HCC was 16.5 ± 2.8 for HyCUS, compared to 5.3 ± 4.8 for B-mode and 4.1 ± 3.8 for CUS. The differences between HyCUS and the other imaging modalities were statistically significant, with p-values of 0.001 and 0.02, respectively. Additionally, when compared to control cases, HyCUS showed higher discrimination of HCC (VI = 6.4 ± 1.2) with a p-value of 0.003, while B-mode (VI = 6.7 ± 1.4, p = 0.5) and CUS (VI = 6.4 ± 1.2, p = 0.3) showed lower discrimination. CONCLUSION: Vascular blood flow modulation by hydralazine enhances the visibility of HCC. HyCUS offers a potential problem-solving method for detecting HCC when B-mode and CUS are unsuccessful, especially with background fibro-cirrhotic liver disease. Future evaluation of the approach in humans will determine its translatability for clinical applications.

Semantic segmentation of aerial data has been one of the leading researches in the field of photogrammetry, remote sensing, and computer vision in recent years. Many applications, including airborne mapping of urban scenes, object positioning in aerial images, automatic extraction of buildings from remote sensing or high-resolution aerial images, etc., require accurate and efficient segmentation algorithms. According to the high potential of deep learning algorithms in the classification of complex scenes, this paper aims to train a deep learning model to evaluate the semantic segmentation accuracy of UAV-based images in urban areas. The proposed method implements a deep learning framework based on the U-Net encoder-decoder architecture, which extracts and classifies features through layers of convolution, max pooling, activation, and concatenation in an end-to-end process. The obtained results compare with two traditional machine learning models, Random Forest (RF) and Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP). They rely on two steps that involve extracting features and classifying images. In this study, the experiments are performed on the UAVid2020 semantic segmentation dataset from the ISPRS database. Results show the effectiveness of the proposed deep learning framework, so that the U-Net architecture achieved the best results with 75.15% overall accuracy, compared to RF and MLP algorithms with 52.51% and 54.65% overall accuracy, respectively.

Pigments and chlorophyll are essential for the process of photosynthesis and are characteristic of each species of phytoplankton. This study aims to provide an overview of the pigment quantification method and its potential to identify and estimate biomass of phytoplankton. A literature review has been carried out to identify methods for the extraction and quantification of phytoplankton. The results of the study found that there are at least two main methods most commonly used for the extraction and quantification of phytoplankton, namely spectrophotometric analysis and HPLC. Spectrophotometric is considered a good and practical method for estimating chlorophyll. However, the HPLC has also become the main method for investigating the taxonomic composition of phytoplankton populations. The researchers concluded that there was no significant difference in results between two methods. Spectrophotometric analysis is much cheaper and faster than HPLC, make it a good tool for routine evaluation of chlorophyll. However, the use of HPLC has been proven to be the most appropriate for determining concentration of various pigments in the community of phytoplankton. Regardless of the various advantages and disadvantages of both methods, a good understanding of each method should be a concern in terms of selecting the method to be used according to its designation.

New products and their development are of vital importance to all organizations, in particular, it is of great importance to banks, whose existence depends heavily on the new products they launch on the market. This paper analyzes the development of new products in the most profitable sector of the Kosovar economy — the banking sector. This paper is based on the research of Hasani and Beqaj (2021) and Harz et al. (2022). Therefore, theoretical and empirical evidence enable the elaboration of this topic more easily and better. The statistical methods that were used to derive the results of 37 respondents (bank workers) and 387 respondents (bank clients) are Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin (KMO) and Bartlett’s tests, correlations, and multiple linear regression. The relevance of this research lies in the fact that it has addressed a very current topic that made Kosovar banks very competitive in a dynamic market. The main recommendation of this paper is that Kosovar commercial banks should create an interstructural communication plan that consists of obtaining updated and accurate information about customer preferences.