WHAT DETERMINES RECREATIONAL TELEVISION BEHAVIOUR OF PEOPLE? A STUDY WITH REFERENCE TO THE GAMPAHA DISTRICT

Although the television industry carries great importance in micro andmacroeconomic aspects and supports a great demand as a recreational orleisure source among people, it seems that the television industry is laggingbehind its actual capacity and is widely contributing to the domestic GDP.Less effective management and poor identification of choices of people hasdriven the industry toward poor conditions. Therefore, this studycontributes to identify the factors that support the television programpreferences of people, selection of public or private channels and timespent in front of the television. These identifications would indeed help thetelevision industry to achieve maximum capacity while competingeffectively in an oligopolistic market and achieving higher contribution tothe national GDP.In order to obtain the statistical analysis, primary data has been gatheredfrom four Grama Niladari Divisions of the Gampaha Divisional Secretariatin the Western Province, Sri Lanka. Simple random sampling procedurehas been carried out in the sample selection process and data has beengathered from 609 individuals in 168 households; from February 2015 toApril 2015, to identify determinants of programme preferences andpublic/private channel choices, the binary logistic regression model hasbeen applied. The semi log regression model is used to identify thedeterminants of television watching hours of the people.Results in the binary logistic model of programme preferences emphasizethat old, male, married and employed individuals are showing more interestin news and knowledge related programmes while creating positivesignificant relationships with the news and knowledge based programmedemand. When a person is being employed, public channels were mostlypreferred creating significant positive relationship while when a person ishaving specific political norm, they prefer mostly private channels andcreate significant negative relationship in the model. Regarding the hoursallocated for watching television by the people, age, marital status andemployment status shows positive relationships within the model.Considering the employed segment; when a person has more than 8 hoursof working time, it shows a significant negative relationship with televisionwatching hours. In descriptive statistics, it shows that old and middle agedpeople are more interested in watching news and politics related programmes while females mostly prefer programmes containing softcontent such as tele-dramas and religion based programmes. Considering news preference in separate, Hiru TV was leading among other channels. “Atapattama” on ITN was the most preferred knowledge based programme followed by “Doramadalawa” on ITN. “Satana” programme on Sirasa TV was the mainly preferred political programme among individuals. On the other hand, when it came to tele-dramas, the largely favoured Indian mega dramas were “Me Adarayai” and “Sapna”, telecast by Sirasa TV. “Hiru CountDown” was leading among the respondents when it came to their most preferred musical programmes. Keywords: Demand for Watching Television, Hours Spent Watching Television, Programme Specific Demand, Public/Private Channel Choice

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Metabolic reorganization in winter: Regulation of pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) during long-term freezing and anoxia

Wood frogs, Rana sylvatica, can undergo prolonged periods of whole body freezing during winter, locking as much as 65–70% of total body water into extracellular ice and imposing both anoxia and dehydration on their cells. Metabolic rate depression (MRD) is an adaptation used by R. sylvatica to survive these environmental stresses, where a finite amount of ATP generated through anaerobic metabolism is directed towards maintaining pro-survival functions, while most ATP-expensive cellular processes are temporarily reduced in function. Pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) is a vital metabolic enzyme that links anaerobic glycolysis to the aerobic TCA cycle and is an important regulatory site in MRD. PDH enzymatic activity is regulated via reversible protein phosphorylation in response to energetic demands of cells. This study explored the posttranslational regulation of PDH at three serine sites (S232, S293, S300) on the catalytic E1α subunit along with protein expression of four pyruvate dehydrogenase kinases (PDHK1-4) in response to 24 h Freezing, 8 h Thaw, 24 h Anoxia, and 4 h Recovery in the liver and skeletal muscle of R. sylvatica using Luminex multiplex technology and western immunoblotting. Overall, inhibitory regulation of PDH was evident during 24 h Freezing and 24 h Anoxia, which could indicate a notable reduction in glycoytic flux and carbon entry into the tricarboxylic acid cycle as part of MRD. Furthermore, the expression of PDHK1-4 and phosphorylation of PDH at S232, S293, and S300 were highly tissue and str

Crowdsourcing Perceptions of Fair Predictors for Machine Learning: A Recidivism Case Study

The increased reliance on algorithmic decision-making in socially impactful processes has intensified the calls for algorithms that are unbiased and procedurally fair. Identifying fair predictors is an essential step in the construction of equitable algorithms, but the lack of ground-truth in fair predictor selection makes this a challenging task. In our study, we recruit 90 crowdworkers to judge the inclusion of various predictors for recidivism. We divide participants across three conditions with varying group composition. Our results show that participants were able to make informed decisions on predictor selection. We find that agreement with the majority vote is higher when participants are part of a more diverse group. The presented work ow, which provides a scalable and practical approach to reach a diverse audience, allows researchers to capture participants’ perceptions of fairness in private while simultaneously allowing for structured participant discussion

Microchemistry of archaeological and present-day snapper (Chrysophrys auratus) otoliths from the Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand

We sampled the archaeological and modern-day snapper otoliths used for this analysis from sites in the Hauraki Gulf, on the east coast of the North Island of New Zealand. Long Bay (AL) samples were radiocarbon dated using Bayesian modelling to between 1430-1485 AD, while the Omaha (AO) samples were dated to between 1530-1640 AD (Campbell et al. 2004, 2019). For comparison we acquired modern samples from as close as possible to the archaeological middens. Kawau Island (MO, 2016 AD) served as the modern comparison to the Omaha midden and outside of the current Long Bay marine reserve (ML, 2020 AD) provided samples to compare with the Long Bay midden. Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) analysis was conducted to measure Barium (138Ba) and Strontium (88Sr) compositions along an ablation path though the core to the proximal tip of each otolith. For each of the four sites, ten sagittal otoliths were transverse-sectioned and then mounted on a geological slide for laser ablation. Instrumentation was an Applied Spectroscopy RESOlution M-50 laser ablation system powered by a Coherent 193 nm ArF excimer laser and an Agilent 7900 quadrupole ICP-MS, located in the Centre for Trace Element Analysis in the Department of Chemistry, University of Otago (Dunedin, New Zealand). Slides with mounted otoliths were placed in an ablation cell in an atmosphere of pure helium to minimize any possibilities of experiencing re-condensation of ablated materials and elemental fractionations (Eggins et al. 1998). The video imaging system had suitable magnification to identify the core and was used for mapping transect pathways. Prior to obtaining measurements the 75 µm diameter transects were pre-ablated from core to the edge of the otolith to remove surface contaminants. The spot size employed for the transects was selected as a compromise between spatial sensitivity and detection power of the overall system (Taddese et al. 2019). The ablation with a laser firing frequency of 10 Hz and an on-sample fluence of 2.5 J/cm2 was operated along the pre-ablated transects with the sample stage moving at 10 µm/s, for determining elemental concentrations in correspondence to life cycle of the fish. The ICP-MS instrument was tuned to minimize oxide formation, double charge formation and mass fractionation. Signal intensities of Ba and Sr were maximized after carrying out gas tuning processes on software-controlled gas flows of He and N2 along with ICP-MS controlled Ar. Standards were run regularly with NIST610, NIST 612 and MACS3 used for instrument calibration, verification and matrix matched quality control respectively. Data reduction of the raw count data to molar ratios (element of interest/Ca) was conducted using Iolite 3.63 (School of Earth Sciences, University of Melbourne) which subtracts gas backgrounds and corrects for any drift in instrument response (Paton et al. 2011). Accuracy and precision of the analyses were assessed using NIST 612 and the MACS-3 otolith reference material (United States Geological Survey - USGS). For the glass control precision was excellent RSD <3% and the accuracy was within ± 5% for all elements. For the otolith reference material precision was better than 5% with recoveries percentages of 97% and 96% for Sr and Ba, respectively

Microbiological agents associated with childhood diarrhoea in the dry zone of Sri Lanka

Between March and July, 1987, faecal specimens from 371 diarrhoeal children reporting to four hospitals in the district of Kurunegala, Sri Lanka and from 121 controls with other diseases were investigated for enteric pathogens. All specimens were tested for Shigella spp, Salmonella spp and enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC). In addition, parasitic pathogens, heat labile enterotoxigenic Esherichia coli (ETEC LT), Campylobacter and rotavirus were sought among subsamples of the cases and controls. One or more pathogens were detected in the faecal specimens of 53.7% of the diarrhoeal children and 19.6% of the controls (P 0.10). Other pathogens had prevalence rates of less than 5%. Vomiting was associated with rotavirus diarrhoea (p < 0.001), and fever with shigellosis (p = 0.02). In view of the different transmission routes and characteristics of the most important pathogens detected in this study it appears unlikely that a single environmental intervention can solve the public health problem posed by diarrhoeal diseases in Sri Lanka.link_to_subscribed_fulltex

Abrupt shortening of bird W chromosomes in ancestral Neognathae

As a result of suppressed recombination, heterogametic sex chromosomes (either Y or W) are usually assumed to gradually shorten over evolutionary time as a way to remove accumulated mutations. However, suppressed recombination removes the most obvious mechanism for excising portions of sex chromosomes. We examined ratios of W/Z chromosome size across 224 bird species from 146 genera. Much of the data were obtained from a previous study (Rutkowska et al. 2012. Biology Letters 8: 636-638), who, similar to ourselves, found no gradual decrease in W chromosome length over evolutionary time. However, we show an abrupt decrease in W chromosome length at or just after the phylogenetic split between the two extant bird superorders, Paleognathae and Neognathae, indicating that the key to understanding sex chromosome evolution may have little to do with gradual suppression of recombination

Removal of Phosphate from Aqueous Solutions Using Chemically Synthesized Vaterite Polymorph of Porous Calcium Carbonate Nanoparticles under Optimized Conditions

Eutrophication is one of the most adverse impacts of nutrient contamination of water bodies where the phosphate is considered to be the primary limiting factor. The vaterite polymorph of porous calcium carbonate nanoparticles (VPCCNPs) were synthesized and used to remove orthophosphate ions in water. In this study, the VPCCNPs were synthesized chemically, using calcium acetate and sodium bicarbonate in a water-ethylene glycol media, at a temperature of 100°C, in a reaction time of 24 hours. Synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffractometry to confirm that the crystalline phase of calcium carbonate formed is spherical vaterite polymorph. Scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray analysis further confirms the spherical shape of the vaterite nanoparticles and the presence of only calcium, carbon, and oxygen thus showing high purity of the synthesized calcium carbonate nanoparticles. The dynamic laser light scattering-based particle size analysis (DLS) shows the average particle size to be 25.5 nm. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used to find functional groups before and after the adsorption of phosphate by vaterite nanoparticles. The phosphate removal efficiency of synthesized nanoparticles was tested with different concentrations of phosphate solutions (2–80 mg/L), pH levels (5–12), adsorbent dosages (0.025–0.250 g), and contact times (5–120 min). Ion chromatography was used to analyse the phosphate concentrations in water samples. The maximum phosphate removal percentage of 100% was obtained with 50 mL of 2 mg/L phosphate solution and 0.15 g of the synthesized nanoparticle. Adsorption data were well fitted with the Langmuir adsorption isotherm model and the pseudo-second-order kinetic model with R2 of 0.99 and 0.98 (rate constant -0.083 g g-1 min-1), respectively. The presence of F−, NO3−, and SO42− has no effect on phosphate adsorption since 100% phosphate removal is obtained in the presence of these ions. Furthermore, the particle shows a 100% removal of orthophosphate ions available in eutrophic water regardless of the presence of many other ions in natural water bodies. The study presents a viable option for removing excess phosphate in natural water to desirable levels as a means for controlling eutrophication