Assessing the Existence of Food Security Projects in Limpopo Province of South Africa | Chapter 03 | Food Science and Agriculture: Research Highlights Vol. 5

 

As the world continues to face widespread food insecurity, achieving food security for all at all times remains a growing global challenge. Food Security Projects initiated by the government of South Africa in order to help alleviate poverty within Limpopo Province have proven unsustainable and have struggled to provide for what they were mandated to provide, to the satisfaction of the government, which is to create jobs and alleviate poverty. The purpose of this study is to verify the existence of food security projects in Limpopo province of South Africa. The study was conducted in all five districts of Limpopo Province, namely, Mopani, Vhembe, Capricorn, Sekhukhune, and Waterberg. A mixed-method approach was used in this study. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews, which were administered to one official from the Provincial Department of Health and Social Development, one official from the Department of Agriculture and five tribal council representatives who represented all the tribal authorities at the district level and are knowledgeable about developmental issues. Document analysis was also conducted at the two provincial departments. The coded data were then analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 22). The findings indicate that food security initiatives are widely distributed across Limpopo Province, with notable concentrations of vegetable and broiler projects in the Mopani, Vhembe, and Waterberg districts. This study also revealed that there are 347 food security projects in Limpopo Province, with 338 declared functional. Mopani district has more functional projects than other districts. This study will provide policymakers with policy directives on how a database of food security projects can be kept so that they can be made known. The study recommends that careful monitoring and evaluation are crucial for proper utilisation of funds and assessing the efficiency of food security projects in Limpopo Province.

 

Author(s)details:-

 

Nesengani, T. J.
University of Limpopo, Centre for Rural Community Empowerment, P/Bag X1106, Sovenga, 0727, South Africa.

 

Please see the book here:- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/fsarh/v5/6599

Psychogenic Nonepileptic Seizures: Evidence from Empirical Research | Chapter 11 | Medical Science: Recent Advances and Applications Vol. 5

 

Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) are defined as paroxysmal episodes which clinically resemble epileptic seizures but, unlike the latter, do not show an epileptiform discharge on ictal vEEG electrodes.  An estimated 15% to 30% of patients referred to epilepsy-monitoring units for drug-resistant epilepsy walk away with a diagnosis of PNES. Seizures that do not produce an epileptiform discharge on the ictal video electroencephalogram (vEEG) will likely garner the ‘rule in’ diagnosis of PNES, or Conversion Disorder in modern nomenclature. The absence of an epileptiform discharge is considered proof that the seizure is not epileptic and thus, it presumably has a psychological origin. For decades, the scalp EEG has been hailed as the ‘gold standard’ for distinguishing PNES from epilepsy and a great deal of empirical data has been amassed on the PNES patient population. Though the PNES diagnostic entity is treated as a proven fact, in truth, it rests on but one hypothesis that might explain a negative scalp EEG. The purpose of this paper is to review the literature and assess whether the hypothesis that underlies the PNES diagnosis is supported or refuted by the empirical data. Since not all epileptic seizures produce a scalp EEG correlate, an epileptic seizure is a recognised competing hypothesis for a negative scalp finding. Studies that gather data from both scalp and intracranial EEG recordings show that scalp-negative epileptic seizures are not uncommon, but in modern epilepsy-monitoring units, they are at high risk of being mislabeled PNES. Both epilepsy and PNES patient populations show pervasive brain disease, including structural alterations and both are considered network disorders. Both seizure types have remitted or failed to remit on AEDs, and both conditions demonstrate instances of prolonged seizure activity, designated status epilepticus and pseudo-status epilepticus in patients with epilepsy and PNES, respectively. To assess for such diagnostic error, it must turn to the empirical evidence, which shows that the clinical profiles of PNES and epilepsy patient populations are identical. The similarities are striking, and the only data the PNES hypothesis can explain is a negative scalp EEG. Conversely, the competing epileptic hypothesis seamlessly accounts for the bulk of the findings on patients with seizures labelled PNES. The diagnostic terrain is further muddied by the ongoing conflation of conscious feigning with conversion disorder, which represents a long-standing conceptual error. The data establishes that the PNES patient population consists primarily of patients with epilepsy, along with a smattering of factitious and likely psychotic disorders, thereby exposing the PNES diagnostic entity as a hypothetical construct that does not exist. Diagnostic theory and practice in epilepsy-monitoring units must be revisited.  Intracranial monitoring, seizure-alert trained dogs, high-density scalp EEG, scalp-negative seizure detectors, and scalp EEG zero-crossing patterns could all provide further proof that the PNES population consists primarily of patients with epilepsy.

 

 

Author (s) Details

Catherine A Carlson
Psychological Services Division, Minnesota Judicial Branch, USA.

 

Please see the book here:- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/msraa/v5/5144

Influence of Pre-drying and Drying Treatments on the Physicochemical and Functional Properties of Purple Sweet Potato Flour | Chapter 1 | Current Perspectives in Agriculture and Food Science Vol. 5

 The study was attended to determine the belongings of pre-drying and drying treatments on purple sweet vegetable flour's physicochemical, working, antioxidant activity, and phytochemical components (PSPF). The flours were groomed from purple-fleshed sweet vegetable slices soaked in water, 1% citric acid solution, and steam for 15 min before drying. The piping hot process increased the antioxidant project of raw purple-fleshed sweet vegetable roots by 28.56% and presented PSPF with intense color attributes, an nearly neutral pH, the maximal total soluble complete content, highest water absorption index, water-dissolved index, swelling ability, gelation capacity, and antioxidant activity but shortest fat absorption competency values compared to added pre-drying treatments. pH was shortest, and total phenolic, flavonoid, and anthocyanidin contents were best in samples soaked in 1% citric acid solution before drying. Based on b*/a* percentages, all flours were red main and were more peonidin rich. Therefore, the best quality crush into fine grains was produced when sweet vegetable slices were steamed before drying.

Author(s) Details:

Queenie Ann L. Curayag,
Department of Food Science, College of Human Ecology, Central Mindanao University, University Town, Musuan, Bukidnon 8714, Philippines.

Erlinda I. Dizon,
Institute of Food Science and Technology, Food Science Cluster, College of Agriculture, University of the Philippines Los Baños, College, Laguna 4031, Philippines.

Please see the link here: https://stm.bookpi.org/CPAFS-V5/article/view/11743

The Future of Intelligence Lies in Its Social Flourishing | Chapter 5 | Research Highlights in Science and Technology Vol. 4

 We try to present an answer to the following question. What endure we take account of when designing and utilizing AI systems so they help the development of the philosophically embodied human brilliance on which human fulfilment depends? Speculations proliferate on the potential and influence of Artificial Intelligence (AI), specifically "Superintelligence," which is represented as a promising challenge by few and a terrifying menace by remainder of something. To traverse these talks without suitable bogged down in the complications and uncertainties of AI, we must continue their original simplicity, their beginning. That is, all technosciences are founded on a fundamental creative capacity that we all share: human intelligence. As a result, I offer a enlightening and humanistic outlook to intelligence in this place paper.  I contend that the current challenge to intelligence is not in allure artificial progress, but in its public embodiment and flourishing. The danger should be the decline of human wit, not the rise of'super-inventive' machines.  We believe that calculatings do not understand anything: AI methods merely estimate. We should design and use AI wholes in such a way that they enhance the development of socially incorporate human intelligence, that is essential for human fulfillment. My basic goal search out emphasize the importance of benevolence living from a condition of healthy, mature, and congenial creative judgment. This, I believe, is the secret to truly representative peaceful civilizations, that I call creative democracies. Creative democracies are public manifestations of imaginative intelligence. The underlying capacity of the people is a shapely and mature creative judgment.

Author(s) Details:

Jaume Agusti-Cullell,
Artificial Intelligence Research Institute, CSIC Higher Council for Scientific Research, Spain.

Please see the link here: https://stm.bookpi.org/RHST-V4/article/view/10911

Linkage between Dizziness and Balance in Vertigo | Chapter 12 | Current Overview on Disease and Health Research Vol. 1

There is a sensory component and a motor component to the vestibular system. The central nervous system (CNS) receives information from the vestibular system, a sensory system, concerning the position and motion of the head as well as the direction of gravity. The CNS makes use of this data as well as data from other sensory systems. The otolith organs can detect tilts in respect to gravity and slowly drifting motions, but only if the movements are linear rather than circular. The aim of the study was to investigate the association between dizziness and balance in BPPV patients using the outcome measures Berg Balance Scale and Dizziness Handicap Inventory. 56 individuals in all were included in the research. between the ages of 18 and 65, both sexes. Possibility of three months of symptoms; mobility from sitting to standing and independent walking. We were able to endure the exercise and do an inquiry that was descriptive, analytical, and correlational. In this study, the dizzy handicap inventory and the berg balance scale were used as outcome measures, and data from patients who underwent a 9-week exercise programme were collected. By measuring the level of correlation between the Berg balance scale and the physical, functional, and emotional components of the DHI subscales and overall DHI score, validity was examined. The study discovered that the balance of BPPV-induced vertigo improved with increasing dizziness improvement, and that the functional aspect of co-relationship is stronger.

Author (s) Details:

S. D. Shahanawaz,
Department of Physiotherapy, College of Applied Medical Sciences, University of Hail, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Please see the link here: https://stm.bookpi.org/CODHR-V1/article/view/7434

Precise Estimates for the Solution of Stochastic Functional Differential Equations with Discontinuous Initial Data: A Mathematical Approach | Chapter 01 | Novel Research Aspects in Mathematical and Computer Science Vol. 1

 We have established a uniform error bound for the Euler approximation to the solution process of the Stochastic Funtional Differential Equation (S.F.D.E.) (1.11) over the entire time span in this chapter. We discovered the upper bound for the difference between the actual solution process and its Euler approximation by computing the difference between the actual solution process and its Euler approximation. The reliance of this difference on the starting data has also been investigated. We've also shown that the solution process's Euler approximation has a significant convergence order.

Author(S) Details

Tagelsir A. Ahmed
Department of Pure Mathematics, Faculty of Mathematical Sciences, University of Khartoum, Sudan.

J. A. van Casteren
Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Antwerp (UA), Middelheimlaan 1, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium.

View Book:- https://stm.bookpi.org/NRAMCS-V1/article/view/6547

Uniform Convergence of Euler Approximation of the Solution of Stochastic Functional Differential Equations with Discontinuous Initial Data | Chapter 03 | Recent Recent Advances in Mathematical Research and Computer Science Vol. 9

 Because model Delay SDEs are often non-linear and do not allow for explicit solutions, numerical approximation approaches for solutions of delay stochastic equations are clearly required. Early explorations in this area were conducted in [1] and [2]. Many physical phenomenon models are stochastic equations. Many of these stochastic differential equations do not have an explicit solution, but we can apply an appropriate approximation approach to obtain an approximate solution for our ordinary SDE. "Stochastic Functional Differential Equations (S.F.D.E's)" in this context refers to "Delay Stochastic Differential Equations." We developed an Euler approximation scheme for the solution process of a Stochastic Functional Differential Equation with possibly discontinuous initial data in this work, and we demonstrated that this Euler scheme (under appropriate conditions) converges to the solution process as the mesh of the partition approaches zero, see also[3] and [4].

The approximation theorem we proposed provides a mechanism for approximating the solution of S.F.D.E's with potentially discontinuous initial data. It's worth noting that we're looking at S.F.D.E. here, which contains both drift and diffusion coefficients. The current approximation study extends the approximation work in [1] to include S.F.D.E's with both drift and diffusion coefficients. Prof. Salah-E. A. Mohammed recommended the work on approximation in [1], which was completed by Tagelsir A. Ahmed under Prof. Salah-E. A. Mohammed's supervision.

Author(S) Details

Tagelsir A. Ahmed
Department of Pure Mathematics, Faculty of Mathematical Sciences, University of Khartoum, Sudan.

J. A. Van Casteren
Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Antwerp (UA), Middelheimlaan 1, 2020 Antwerp, Belgium.

View Book:- https://stm.bookpi.org/RAMRCS-V9/article/view/6021