Mental Hospitals and their Effect on Race and Gender in the 1920s

Mental illness in the United States has been part of a complex history. Many details of mental hospitals and the treatment of its patients have been omitted from popular literature and media. These patients were subjected to harsh treatment and forced to undergo extreme therapies that doctors claimed would improve their condition. In particular, female patients were also affected by the events that occurred during the early twentieth century, namely World War I and the Great Depression, and the stigmas of race and gender that they caused. Mental illness remained an understudied topic for much of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, but historians in recent decades have taken up the task of studying mental illness and revealing mistakes and challenges of the past. This paper incorporates the work of these historians, such as Joel Braslow and Gerald Grob, as well as the examination of two female patient files from Oregon State Hospital in the 1920s. These patients and their institutionalization served as a reflection of society and how it affected the concept of mental illness during that time period

Do Leader and Organizational Characteristics Affect Scientist's Productivity? A Multilevel Analysis of Nigerian Agricultural Research System

Organizations offer employees with opportunities to cultivate their innovativeness and facilitate greater productivity. In this paper we analyze preconditions for individual productivity of agricultural researchers in Nigeria, measured in terms of the self-reported number of scholarly publications and technologies produced; presence of external collaborators; number of dissemination events for publications produced; and perceived adoption level of technologies developed. It utilizes a multilevel analysis to systematically examine what characteristics of individual scientists and organizations promote greater individual productivity. The statistically significant random-effect estimates show that there is considerable variance across the 47 organizations after adjusting for the effects of differences in individual characteristics. Moreover, several measures of organizational characteristics are statistically significant in explaining variations in individual productivity. This paper contributes to limited studies that systematically analyze the influence of organizational factors and the organization head’s characteristics on individual researcher’s performance.organizational culture, multilevel analysis, poisson, productivity, research, motivation, Institutional and Behavioral Economics, Productivity Analysis, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies, Q16, L32, D23,

Developing An Expert System Framework for Supporting Diagnosis and Treatment of Dyspepsia and Gastric Cancer Disease Using Local Language

Dyspepsia is a pain of the upper abdominal and it has the problem of impaired digestion like abdominal disease or other abdominal disease, which has the symptoms of heartburn, nausea, and belching, upper abdominal fullness [1]. It also related to the problem of indigestion for a group of symptoms that cause pain in the abdomen, which affects at least 25% of the world population every year [2].  From related disease of dyspepsia, Gastric cancer is the stomach cancer that develops from the lining of the stomach that affects the cell of digestive system and it is the third leading cause of death worldwide [3]. Both dyspepsia and gastric cancer is diseases that affect gastrointestinal part of human body. Therefore, this type of disease requires timely diagnosis and treatment; otherwise it can cause death and other chronic diseases. In developing countries like Ethiopia, treatment option for dyspepsia and gastric cancer is not readily available which support medical professional and also there is a scarcity of medical professional, to address such medical problems a medical expert system can play a significant role, consequently, the main objective of this research study is to develop an expert system framework for supporting diagnosis and treatment of dyspepsia and gastric cancer using local language (Amharic language). To develop this medical expert system, knowledge was acquired using both structured and unstructured interview from domain expert which are selected using purposive sampling techniques from Arba Minch General Hospital, and from document analysis. Domain knowledge is modeled using decision tree and rule-based knowledge representation was used. This medical expert system is developed by using backward chaining to infer the rule and provide an appropriate diagnosis. Finally, the performance of the system was evaluated by preparing 15 test cases by provided to domain experts and for user acceptance test, users evaluate the system through nine criteria prepared by the researcher and the system has scored 80% system performance and 85.2% user acceptance this result shows that the study has a promising result that achieves the objective of the study. The researchers recommended that to apply data mining techniques and to extract the hidden knowledge. Keywords: Expert System, Dyspepsia and Gastric Cancer, Diagnosis, and Treatment. DOI: 10.7176/CEIS/12-1-03 Publication date: January 31st 202

Misconceptions on force and gravity among high school students

The goal of this study is to determine prevalent or dominant misconceptions on force and gravity among high school students. A survey instrument consisting of 12 qualitative questions requiring both answers and written explanations was used to gather students’ ideas and beliefs in situations involving force and gravity. Furthermore, it examined whether the proportion of students having misconceptions per question are correlated with gender and the type of school Physics background. The results show that the respondents have misconceptions that are similar to the misconceptions found in previous research. The number of misconceptions and the proportion of students having misconceptions per question are not correlated with gender. They are, however, correlated with the amount of Physics instruction. Both the number of misconceptions and the proportion of students having misconceptions diminish as the school Physics background progresses from Middle School Science to High School Physical Science, and finally to High School Physics

The Pursuit of Salvation

“Never waste your food,” my parents recited again at the dinner table. They continued, “If we had this much food growing up in the Philippines, we’d be so blessed. Please don’t take it for granted.” Throughout my childhood, nearly every family meal consisted of this conversation. My parents seized every opportunity to remind me of their early impoverished life in the Philippines. Their stories increasingly strengthened my gratitude for the life my brother and I were born into. Having back aches from stiff bamboo beds, depending on conveniently-priced junk food as nutrition, and rationing small portions among large families—these circumstances generated the everyday reality for my parents growing up in the province of Ilocos Sur. Still, the most difficult part for me is openly accepting that this reality isn’t only their past, but it is many people’s present

Strengthening innovation capacity of Nigerian agricultural research organizations:

Strong agricultural research and development (R&D) is crucial for improving agricultural productivity and efficiency, which in turn both lead to agricultural development, food security, and poverty reduction. However, several studies have shown that in many developing countries, in particular in sub-Saharan Africa, there is persistent underinvestment in R&D and weak research capacity, both of which continue to undermine agricultural productivity and growth in these countries.research system, innovation system, Capacity development, organizational culture,

Determination of Essential and Non-essential Elements in Moringa stenopetala Leaves and Flowers Using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES) in Dawuro Zone, Southern Ethiopia

This study aimed at determining concentration levels of essential elements (K, Ca, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Ni) and non-essential elements (Pb, and Cd) present in leaves and flowers of Moringa stenopetala. Dry ash digestion method was deployed. The absorption intensity of the elements in Moringa stenopetala leaves and flowers were recorded by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy. Results indicate that the mean concentration of the elements in Moringa stenopetala leave samples are (in mg/kg): Ca (5,713.86 - 6621.14), K (27,587.10 - 28,315.40), Pb (0.73 - 0.81), Zn (41.17 - 47.00), Cd (0.05 - 0.83), Cu (2.41 - 4.74), Ni (0.54 - 0.80), Mn (26.75 - 26.92), Fe (61.05 - 65.30). Moreover, the mean concentration of the elements in Moringa stenopetala flower samples are (in mg/kg): Ca (2,796.97 - 3,028.67), K (28,358.30 - 36,008.60), Pb (0.54 - 0.68), Zn (24.48 - 30.66), Cd (ND - 0.03), Cu (1.83 - 4.69), Ni (0.53- 0.61), Mn (12.37- 14.52) and Fe (108.97 - 114.03). Results show that the levels of elements are higher in the leaves than in the flowers, except K. The levels of most elements analyzed in M. stenopetala plant samples of this study were compared well with those reported for different medicinal plants from some other parts of the world and standards set by FAO/WHO. Leaves of M. stenopetala, commonly consumed part in Southern Ethiopia, showed appreciable mineral contents and thus are good source of essential nutrients while toxic elements are found less than permissible limits set by FAO/WHO and are safe for human consumption

First Generation Filipino Children and the Risk of Childhood Obesity: Influence of Screen Time

Background: Obesity is an epidemic in the United States and among all Asian subgroups, Filipinos are particularly at a much higher risk. Obesity raises the risk of acquiring other health complications, especially for those who develop obesity at a younger age. Research has shown that children who engage in higher levels of screen time are more likely to become obese, resulting in screen time restrictions and recommendations. Additionally, rates of obesity are higher in immigrants. There is a gap in the explanation of screen time’s effect on childhood obesity for first generation Filipino children. Aim: The purpose of the proposed study is to determine if a daily screen time above two hours affects the development of childhood obesity in first generation Filipino children. Methodology: This study will utilize a prospective cohort quasi-experimental design. Recruitment Strategy: Participants will be between 6-years-old to 12-years-old, recruited from the high-density Filipino populated cities in the Bay Area. Measurements: The independent variable will be screen time. The dependent variable will be weight. The researcher will control for: physical activity, sleep quality, diet, acculturation, first-generation immigration status, age, gender, location, income, school type, and screen time rules. Analysis: Regression analysis followed by stepwise elimination will be used to determine the relationship between screen time and obesity while controlling for covariates. Summary: Should this study yield significant findings, health recommendations may be promoted to help first generation Filipino youth to improve quality of life and overall health. This unique research design can be utilized for future studies involving childhood obesity. Keywords: childhood obesity, screen time, first generation immigrant, Filipin

Contract farming, contract design and smallholder livelihoods

Contract farming has gained in importance in many developing countries. Previous studies analysed effects of contracts on smallholder farmers' welfare, yet mostly without considering that different types of contractual relationships exist. Here, we examine associations between contract farming and farm household income in the oil palm sector of Ghana, explicitly differentiating between two types of contracts, namely simple marketing contracts and more comprehensive resource-providing contracts. Moreover, we look at different income sources to better understand how both contracts are linked to farmers' livelihood strategies. We use cross-sectional survey data and regression models. Issues of endogeneity are addressed through measuring farmers' willingness-to-participate in contracts and using this indicator as an additional covariate. Farmers with both types of contracts have significantly higher household incomes than farmers without a contract, yet with notable differences in terms of the income sources. Farmers with a marketing contract allocate more household labour to off-farm activities and thus have higher off-farm income. In contrast, farmers with a resource-providing contract have larger oil palm plantations and thus higher farm incomes. The findings suggest that the two contract types are associated with different livelihood strategies and that disaggregated analysis of different income sources is important to better understand possible underlying mechanisms

Smart Packing With QR - Improving Cal Poly\u27s Parking System for All Users

Cal Poly Smart Parking, herein referred to as CPSP QR Code Initiative, is developed to reduce the wait times student, staff, and guest drivers experience when searching for a parking spot on campus. Cal Poly is currently undergoing a large growth in student population, and, as a result, is experiencing congestion in parking lots. Drivers will commonly spend frustrating amounts of time vulturing these parking lots for an open spot. CPSP QR Code Initiative consists of a database that is controlled by user submitted data through QR codes scanned on a user’s smartphone. This system will provide drivers with a convenient tool that allows them to visualize which parking spots are available in each respective lot. The entire concept has been experimentally implemented on a Windows Server 2008 RS host using ASP.NET programs to interact with a smartphone which has QR Reader application installed at Cal Poly parking lot H-12