Journal articles on the topic 'PAMBE SYSTEM'

We report a pABE system which enables highly efficient adenine to guanine conversion in bacteria. Key residues of a staphylopine/metal complex transporter cntBC were systematically screened via the pABE system.

Due to the indivisibility of agricultural machinery in production, limited farm sizes have reduced mechanization efficiency and increased the cost of grain production in China. As a result, the development of a moderate-scale farming system has been proposed by academic communities and policy makers. However, it is still hotly debated how to determine a moderate farm scale. We offer a new perspective on the costs of machinery services. This manuscript employs the threshold model and uses the nationally representative data from the 2015 China Rural Household Panel Survey (CRHPS) to investigate the role of farm size expansion relative to per area machinery services expenditures (PAMSE). The empirical results reveal that there is a nonlinear relation between the farm size and PAMSE. Specifically, farm size expansion can reduce the PAMSE by improving mechanization efficiency in all cases, while the magnitude of cost-saving is progressively reduced in the process of farm scale expansion. In particular, a 1 mu (1 mu = 1/15 ha) increase in the farm scale could only lead to a 0.3% decrease in the PAMSE when the farm size exceeded 50 mu, which indicates that 50 mu is a minimum efficient farm scale to achieve most economies of scale. Therefore, we suggest that persistent efforts should be devoted to improving farmland circulation efficiency and developing scale farms. More importantly, governmental supporting policies, such as agricultural subsidies, need to attach more importance to these large farms.

Abstract. Cultural eutrophication of coastal aquatic systems is a major undesired phenomenon of today, which is mainly ascribed to the application of inorganic fertilizers in agriculture. Consequently, dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) is considered the major problem and widely studied. However, human interventions also strongly influence the riverine dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) concentrations and fluxes. Studies of nutrient inputs from tropical river catchments are biased towards DIN, even though they account for only a portion of the total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) pool, whereas the rest is comprised of DON and has been largely ignored. The tropical Pamba River was studied because of its manifold human activities in the catchment and was sampled during the south west monsoon (SWM), north east monsoon (NEM) and the pre monsoon (PM) months during 2010 to 2013. The largest pilgrim center on earth, the Sabarimala temple, located in the upstream forest is a unique feature of the catchment. Fertilizer application, livestock farming and inadequate sewage treatment are the prevailing land use practices. The goals of this study were to (i) define cause-effect relationships by assessing the effect of various human interventions such as the pilgrims, agriculture and sewage disposal in combination with the seasonal variations in hydrology on the DON concentrations and fluxes and to (ii) quantify the inputs from respective land use segments. The global maximum DON concentration (29 302 μM) was measured for the Pamba River. Pilgrim activities, high population density, agricultural and livestock farming as well as the lack of infrastructure for sanitation facilities were the cause for extremely high DON concentrations and fluxes in the plantation and settlement with mixed tree crop (SMT) segments. A DON yield of 745 kg ha−1 yr−1 was calculated for the Pamba catchment. The total DON inputs from all quantifiable sources amounted to 514 kg ha−1 yr−1 comprising of 69% of the total Pamba DON yield. In the Pamba River, sewage is the major source of DON and the unique Sabarimala pilgrim event accounts for most of it. Nevertheless, sewage input from the rest of the densely-populated catchment is high, which is a common feature of developing countries that lack adequate sanitation and water technology, i.e. in South and Southeast Asia and tropical Africa. Our study shows that DON makes up a significant portion of anthropogenic nitrogen in rivers, in particular in those regions, which are, however, scarce in respective data. It underscores the need for more quantitative studies from densely-populated tropical river catchments in order to improve global nitrogen budgets and the assessment of the consequences of anthropogenic nitrogen inputs into coastal aquatic systems.

Dual-chemical retention systems based on 2 cationic polyacrylamides, a colloidal silica, and a globular anionic polymer microparticles were investigated and an exfoliated nanoparticle indigenous mica mineral, sericite, was examined for its efficacy in substituting commercial microparticle preparations. The results indicated that nanosericite generated FPR between 76.9 and 80.9% for fines and chemicals. Its ash retention values, however, were higher and tended to increase with doses of polymer, nanosericite, or Sc to between 16 and 24%. As for paper physical properties, nanosericite was not amenable to substitute the c-PAMb/polymer with only handsheet stiffness superior to the combination. Nanosericite, however, showed good substitution capacity than the c-PAMa-colloidal silica combination. Regardless of the c-PAMa doses, all examined handsheet physical properties incorporating nanosericite were superior to colloidal silica. The optimal performance was observed with c-PAMa dose of 200 ppm. Optical properties of the handsheets indicated that with nanosericite substitution, brightness values were comparable to the polymer group, while its substitution capacity for colloidal silica decreased with increasing c-PAMb dose. Only at c-PAMa dose of 300 ppm, it appeared to have good substitution for colloidal silica. Substituting nanosericite for colloidal silica appeared to reduce the c-PAMa charge and increased the overall cost effectiveness.

Abstract The natural waterbody such as rivers and lakes are able to do the purification process themselves, which has the primary dependant of absorption capacity and dissolution capacity of atmospheric oxygen from the surface of the water body. The various pollutants such as biological pollutants and chemical pollutants are broken-down into insignificant strength over a period of time by the growth of certain bacteria. This bacterial growth in the water is possible only with the absorbed and dissolved oxygen content in the water. This absorbed and dissolved oxygen content in the water bodies are based on the velocity of the stream, depth, discharge rate and temperature of the water, thus the self-depuration capacity of the water bodies are depended on the natural profiles and environmental factors of the waterbody and its location. This explains that the turbulent water will get purified by itself in much higher rate than the stagnant water, which tends to become septic because of the oxygen scarcity. The degree of self-depuration of a natural water body is based on the physiochemical and biological activities occurring in the system. Various parameters like basic physical properties, chemical properties such as pH, hardness, dissolved solids, mineral content, BOD, dissolved oxygen for the samples were taken along the Pamba River. The samples are taken from three zones of the Rivers viz. 1) Forest zone, 2) Residential zone and 3) Industrial zone. The water quality factors from the samples are validated against the desirable values as per IS 10500: 2012 and justifies the current status of the River and recommendations for its wellbeing.

Abstract The California Net Energy System (CNES) can reliably project performance of feedlot cattle based on three factors: expected dry matter intake (DMI), some index of degree of maturity of cattle linked to body composition (fat and protein content), and an estimate of the net energy (NE) content of the diet. The CNES allowed feedlot managers to monitor growth and efficiency of individual pens of cattle. Through assigning distinct values for net energy for maintenance (NEm) vs. net energy for gain (NEg) of the metabolizable energy (ME) present in feeds, the CNES enables valid economic comparisons among feedstuffs, an appraisal not feasible based on total digestible nutrients or digestible energy (DE) values. Because NEm and NEg are linked mathematically to ME, the CNES also allows performance-adjusted ME (paME) value of diets to be calculated from observed DMI and growth or carcass measurements. Compared with other productivity measures (e.g., average daily gain and gain-to-feed ratio) that are confounded with and affected by DMI, the CNES logically separates production responses by cattle into two factors—DMI and ME of the diet. This enables research scientists or cattle producers to appraise responses within these two factors independently. In feeding studies, means of paME values were related closely to ME values of diets calculated from the ME of diet ingredients. But unlike ME values projected from diet analyses, paME estimates are affected by environmental conditions (e.g., season, weather, animal interactions, stress, nutritional history and deficiencies, associative effects of feeds, imprecise feed management, and animal healthfulness and disorders). These factors typically overestimate ME intake or increase energy requirements, both of which decrease energetic efficiency. By comparing paME with ME values calculated from diet composition, logical reasons behind performance responses to and quantitative benefits from feed additives, grain processing, hormone implants, and animal management can be appraised. Considering the evolution in cattle types, management and marketing conditions, and changes in diet ingredients and processing that have occurred during the past 50 yr, updating by a skilled committee to correct certain anomalies within the CNES as currently being applied seems appropriate. Developing simplified spreadsheets could help users evaluate their own dietary and management conditions and assure that the CNES continues to be widely applied by the feedlot industry within the United States and worldwide.

Tenotomy of the iliopsoas tendon has been described as an effective procedure to treat refractive groin pain induced by iliopsoas tendinitis. However, the procedure forces the rectus femoris to act as the primary hip flexor and little is known about the long-term effects of this procedure on the peri-articular muscle envelope (PAME). Studies suggest that iliopsoas tenotomy results in atrophy of the iliopsoas and decreased hip flexion strength with poorer outcomes, increasing the susceptibility for secondary tendinopathy. The aim of this study is to describe changes in the PAME following psoas release.All patients who presented for clinical examination at our hospital between 2016 and 2021 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients who presented after psoas tenotomy with groin pain and who were unable to actively lift the leg against gravity, were included. Pelvic MRI was taken. Qualitative muscle evaluation was done with the Quartile classification system. Quantitative muscle evaluation was done by establishing the cross-sectional area (CSA).Two independent observers evaluated the ipsi- and contralateral PAME twice. The muscles were evaluated on the level: iliacus, psoas, gluteus minimus-medius-maximus, rectus femoris, tensor fasciae lata, piriformis, obturator externus and internus.For the qualitative evaluation, the intra- and inter-observer reliability was calculated by using kappastatistics. A Bland-Altman analysis was used to evaluate the intra- and inter-observer reliability for the quantitative evaluation. The Wilcoxon test was used to evaluate the changes between the ipsi- and contra-lateral side.17 patients were included in the study. Following psoas tenotomy, CSA reduced in the ipsilateral gluteus maximus, if compared with the contralateral side. Fatty degeneration occurred in the tensor fascia latae. Both CSA reduction and fatty degeneration was seen for psoas, iliacus, gluteus minimus, piriformis, obturator externus and internus. No CSA reduction and fatty degeneration was seen for gluteus medius and rectus femoris.Conclusions/DiscussionFollowing psoas tenotomy, the PAME of the hip shows atrophy and fatty degeneration. These changes can lead to detrimental functional problems and may be associated with debilitating rectus femoris tendinopathy. In patients with psoas tendinopathy, some caution is advised when considering an iliopsoas tenotomy.

The project aims to develop an intelligent system for simulating pisciculture in Taal Lake in the Philippines through geographical information system and deep learning algorithm. Records of 2018-2020 from the database of Bureau of fisheries and aquatic resources IV-A-protected area management board (BFAR IVA-PAMB) was collected for model development. Deep learning algorithm model was developed and integrated to the system for time series analysis and simulation. Different technologies including tensorflow.js were used to successfully developed the intelligent system. It is found on this paper that recurrent neural network (RNN) is a good deep learning algorithm for predicting pisciculture in Taal lake. Further, it is also shown in the initial visualization of the system that barangay Sampaloc in Taal has highest rate of fish production in Taal while Tilapia nilotica sp. is the major product of the latter.

The Huasteca Potosina region has a relevant landscape heritage of biocultural diversity, due to high biological diversity and the presence of the Teenek (Huastec Mayan), Nahua, and Xi’iuy (Pame) ethnic groups. The object of this study is to analyze, among the different cultural groups of the region, how the performances of the relevant Socioecological Systems (SESs) influence the conservation of biocultural diversity. Quantitative approaches are used to determine the expected trends of indices (Informant Consensus Factor, ICF; Cultural Importance Index, CII; Shannon–Wiener Biodiversity Index, SWI) commonly used in the ethnobotanical field. Data of the main domestic forest species used by the groups mentioned above were collected in 2021. We analyzed the SES profile for each of the ethnic groups and a mestizo group, as well as their relationship with the biome they mainly inhabit and the domestic functions fulfilled by the ethnobotanical species. As a result, we found that the low deciduous forest and the sub-evergreen tropical forest biomes, which co-evolved mainly with the Nahua and the Teenek SESs, present higher diversity and effective use of species so that offer better chances for conserving the landscape heritage of biocultural diversity. Otherwise, the results also show the critical nature regarding the biomes inhabited by the Pame and the mestizo’s SESs.

Based on ongoing field research into Namibian music and dance, this article deliberates on play as an important component of childhood and an important element of Namibian performance. Considering that socialization is often described as the fundamental goal of African education, and that play is central to Namibian musical performances, this article investigates traditional functions of music as a means of socialization. Because play reflects and responds to societal value systems, the meaning of play is briefly explored, and the characteristics of play in Namibia are described in detail. The paper then proposes the increased use of play in African music education and advances the proposition in terms of the construction of a musical world and identity. The construction of a person's musical world is described in terms of the mental templates formed by a specific cultural group and by the environmental rules of play, which establish the meta-communicative frame. The article concludes with a summary of general contributions play, as a means of learning, being, and expressing can make to music education.

Mount Timpoong-Hibok Hibok Natural Monument (MTHNM) is a Key Biodiversity Area (KBA) located in the island of Camiguin, Mindanao, Philippines. As a Protected Area (PA), it is governed by the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) and was nominated as one of the ASEAN Heritage Park in 2014. This paper sought to describe and appraise the significance of the natural monument and protected area in the context of ecotourism. It employed qualitative method of gathering data, such as focused group discussion, key informant interviews, and transect walks. Results of the study revealed that the natural monument is rich in biodiversity, has been a research and learning area for scientists, researchers and students and is the main source of potable water and irrigation for the municipalities of Mambajao, Mahinog, Sagay and Catarman. Cultural beliefs and traditions of the indigenous people in the area are still being practiced. In the management of the natural monument, there is a partnership and collaboration with LGUs, NGOs, POs, IPs and academic institutions as stakeholders. It can be concluded that the site has great potential in becoming one of the next ASEAN heritage park. However, a more efficient and effective biodiversity monitoring system is recommended.

Abstract Virginiamycin (VM) is an antibiotic that possesses antimicrobial properties due to its ability to block protein synthase in Gram-positive bacteria. It reduces lactic acidosis and the incidence of liver abscesses. Animal growth and development is brought about because of improved ruminal health, and animal health and welfare. This study evaluated the continuous or intermittent provision of VM during the growing and finishing phases on 120 Angus-crossbred steers (291 ± 28 kg) in 20 pens equipped with a Calan gate feed system from which animals received VM (240 mg/d) as follow: no VM (T000); VM in the last 50 d (T001); VM for the last 100 d (T011); VM in the first 50 d (T100); VM in the first 100 d (T110); and VM for 150 d (T111). Data were analyzed using a random coefficients model with the pen as a random effect and animals within treatment as the subject. The T011 tended (0.075 ≥ P ≥ 0.052) to have a greater carcass, final shrunk body weight compared with T110. Empty body fat (EBF; %) tended (0.080 ≤ P ≤ 0.050) to be less for animals that consumed VM regardless of the period or length of feeding. Dry matter intake (DMI) was lesser for T111 compared with T000, and greater for T011 compared with T110 (P ≤ 0.028), which resulted in greater average daily gain (ADG) with no difference in feed efficiency (P = 0.015 and 0.225, respectively). ADG-adjusted metabolizable energy (aME) content increased by 3.08% for T111 compared with T000. This study indicated that daily supplementation of 240 mg VM during the whole feeding phase increased feed efficiency and paME, whereas when withdrawn during the end of the finishing phase (T110) can impair DMI and ADG.

Nagwakas ang araw Lupa’t dagat, langit, pumanaw Tahan na, Humimlay Siyanawa — JF Lapeña, Tahan Na, Humimlay The continuing COVID-19 pandemic has directly or indirectly claimed the lives of countless colleagues, friends, and family. I personally thought my tears had run dry as people I knew and loved died throughout the past year, but the wells of grief run deep, even as the plague continues its scourge as of this writing. Especially when fellow front-liners fall, the haunting bugle call echoes the finality of death: “day is done, gone the sun, from the lake, from the hills, from the sky.”1 Of my original fellow office-bearers in the Philippine Association of Medical Journal Editors (PAMJE), two have passed on: Dr. Gerard “Raldy” Goco and Jose Ma. “Joey” Avila.2 Even in our Philippine Society of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, I do not recall us dedicating so many passages in issues past as we do now, with tributes to Dr. Elvira Colmenar, Dr. Ruben Henson Jr., Dr. Marlon del Rosario, and Dr. Oliverio Segura. Our Philippine Medical Association Central Tagalog Region (PMA-CTR) has lost more than its share of physicians: Dr. Joseph Aniciete, Dr. Patrocinio Dayrit, and Dr. Rhoderick Presas of the Caloocan City Medical Society; Dr. Mar Cruz, Dr. Mayumi Bismarck, and Dr. Edith Zulueta of the Marikina Valley Medical Society; Dr. Kharen AbatSenen of the Valenzuela City Medical Society; Dr. Romy Encanto and Dr. Cosme Naval of the San Juan Medical Society; Dr. Roberto Anastacio and Dr. Encarnacion Cabral of the Makati Medical Society; and Dr. Amy Tenedero and Dr. Neil Orteza of the Pasay Parañaque Medical Society. The rest of the PMA has lost over 145 physicians due to, or during, the pandemic. As healthcare workers, how do we deal with their deaths, the inevitability of more deaths, and the very real prospect of our own deaths during these trying times? How do we continue our work of saving lives in our overcrowded hospitals and community-based clinics while dealing with grief and facing our own fears for ourselves and our families? Over 50 years ago, Elisabeth Kübler-Ross formulated a model of dying with five stages of coping with impending loss of life (denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance) based on her work with dying patients at the University of Chicago, and these have become widely considered as phases of grief that people go through when faced with the prospect of their own death (or as a response to any major life change).3 By focusing “on dying, rather than death,” her work “shifted attention of religious thinkers, pastors, and authors of personal testimonies onto the themes and framework she offered” and “her legacy was to offer a fresh way to think and speak about dying, death and grieving.”4 Whether, and how we might appropriate her framework in order to cope with our personal and collective experiences during this pandemic, a pandemic that is arguably worse than any worst case scenario ever imagined, is another matter altogether. Does the framework even apply? The very nature of the COVID-19 pandemic is changing how people die -- in ambulances, makeshift tents and long queues outside overflowing hospitals, or en route to distant hospitals with vacancies (with patients from the National Capitol Region travelling to as far away as Central and Northern Luzon or Southern Tagalog and Bicol), or in their own homes (as people with “mild” symptoms are encouraged to monitor themselves at home, often rushing in vain to be admitted in hospitals with no vacancies when it is already too late) -- and “we have to make difficult decisions regarding resuscitation, treatment escalation, and place of care,”5 or of death. The new normal has been for COVID-19 patients to die alone, and rapidly so, within days or even hours, with little time to go through any process of preparation. Friends and family, including spouses, parents, and children, are separated from the afflicted, and even after death, the departed are quickly cremated, depriving their loved ones of the usual rites and rituals of passage. In most cases, wakes and novenas for the dead can only be held virtually, depriving the grieving loved ones of the support and comfort that face-to-face condolences bring. Indeed, the social support systems that helped people cope with death have been “dismantled, and the cultural and religious rituals that help us process grief also stripped away.”5 Amidst all this, “we must ensure that humanity, community, and compassion at the end of life are sustained,” and that “new expressions of humanity help dispel fear and protect the mental health of bereaved families.”6 What these expressions might be, and whether they can inspire hope in the way that community pantries7 have done remains to be seen. But develop these expressions we must, for our sakes as for the sake of our patients. The “hand of God” -- two disposable latex gloves filled with warm water and tied around the hand of a woman with COVID-19 to alleviate her suffering by nurse technician Araújo Cunha at the Vila Prado Emergency Care Unit in São Paulo is one such poignant expression.8 Ultimately, we must develop such expressions for and among ourselves as well. As healthcare workers, our fears for ourselves, our colleagues, and our own loved ones “are often in conflict with professional commitments” and “given the risks of complicated grief,” we “must put every effort into (our) own preparation for these deaths as well as into (our) own healthy grieving.”9 We cannot give up; our profession has never been as needed as it is now. True, we can only do so much, and so much more is beyond our control. But to this end, let us imagine the soothing, shushing “tahan na” (don’t cry) we whisper to hush crying infants, coupled with the calming invitation “humimlay” (lay down; rest; sleep). Yes, the final bugle call may echo the finality of death, but it can simultaneously reassure us that “all is well, safety rest, God is nigh!”1

ABSTRACTA system has been developed for accurately measuring lifetimes for photo-induced excess current carriers in semiconductors using the transient photoconductivity decay method. The specifications of state-of-the-art equipment, considerations peculiar to the capture of fast transient pulses, and sophisticated statistical data analysis techniques are discussed. Experimental results are presented to demonstrate the capability of the system (a) to measure lifetimes in the 40-ns - 75-µs range for temperatures varying from 77K to 300K with 10% accuracy for single lifetime decays and 30% accuracy for individual effective lifetimes in a multi-component decay, and (b) to use a 300-ns lifetime photoconductor as a detector to measure nanosecond-time-scale structure of laser pulses. The predominant excess carrier lifetimes of HgCdTe samples grown at NCSU by photoassisted molecular beam epitaxy (PAMBE) ranged from 46 ns at 300K to 341 ns at 77K. CdTe samples and CdMnTe-CdTe superlattices exhibited a multi-component decay with the two longest components having effective lifetimes of 26 µs and 4 µs for CdTe and 75 µs and 10 µs for CdMnTe-CdTe. These values were relatively insensitive to temperature variation.

The aim of this paper is to correlate the auxiliary power generation from an irrigation reservoir with the power generation of its upstream hydro power project in a cascade reservoir system. System considered for the study is the Pamba Basin- Kakkad Hydro Power Project and Maniyar Reservoir of Pamba Irrigation Project of Kerala State. In a water year from the 1 st June to 31st May, irrigation period spans for seven months from November to May in the Irrigation Project. As the water release of the upstream Hydro Electric Plant exceeds the irrigation demand, even during the peak irrigating months of January and February, there is surplus inflow for power generation. A water year is divided to two seasons namely, Irrigation and Non-Irrigation. An Artificial Neural Network (ANN) based model is developed to optimize the power generation using the surplus water and the outputs are compared with the real time data. In the ANN model, the inputs considered are the Generation in units of the upstream Kakkad Hydro Electric Project (Kakkad-HEP), the Rainfall in the catchment and the Irrigation Supply. Spillage from the barrage and the Power Generation in the adjoining Carborandum Universal Madras India Ltd. company’s Small Hydro Electric Project (CUMI-SHEP) is considered as the output. The results obtained shows that the power generation from the ANN model closely matches with the real time data. Analysis is done with the aid of MATLAB ANN tool box

Ralstonia solanacearum species complex (RSSC) strains are devastating plant pathogens distributed worldwide. The primary cell density–dependent gene expression system in RSSC strains is phc quorum sensing (QS). It regulates the expression of about 30% of all genes, including those related to cellular activity, primary and secondary metabolism, pathogenicity, and more. The phc regulatory elements encoded by the phcBSRQ operon and phcA gene play vital roles. RSSC strains use methyl 3-hydroxymyristate (3-OH MAME) or methyl 3-hydroxypalmitate (3-OH PAME) as the QS signal. Each type of RSSC strain has specificity in generating and receiving its QS signal, but their signaling pathways might not differ significantly. In this review, I describe the genetic and biochemical factors involved in QS signal input and the regulatory network and summarize control of the phc QS system, new cell–cell communications, and QS-dependent interactions with soil fungi. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Microbiology, Volume 77 is September 2023. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

Ralsolamycin, one of secondary metabolites in Ralstonia solanacearum, is known to be involved in crosstalk between R. solanacearum and fungi. Ralsolamycin formation is catalyzed by two-hybrid synthetases of RmyA (non-ribosomal peptide synthetase) and RmyB (polyketide synthase). A methyltransferase PhcB catalyzes formation of 3-OH MAME or 3-OH PAME, signals for the quorum sensing (QS) in R. solanacearum, while PhcB positively modulates ralsolamycin biosynthesis. A two-component system of PhcS and PhcR can response these QS signals and activate phcA expression. Here, we experimentally demonstrated that deletion of phcA (ΔphcA) substantially impaired the ralsolamycin production and expression of rmyA and rmyB in R. solanacearum strain EP1, and failed to induce chlamydospore formation of plant fungal pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f. cubense (stran FOC4). However, deletion of phcR significantly increased ralsolamycin production and expression of rmyA and rmyB, and phcR mutants exhibited enhanced ability to induce chlamydospore formation of FOC4. Results of the electrophoretic mobility shift assay suggested that both PhcA and PhcR bind to promoter of rmy operon. Taken together, these results demonstrated that both PhcA and PhcR bind to promoter of rmy operon, but regulate ralsolamycin biosynthesis in an opposite way. It could extend our knowledge on the sophisticated regulatory networks of ralsolamycin biosynthesis in R. solanacearum.

<p>The art of medical writing and science of scientific publishing has made tremendous progress during the last two decades. The revolution in information technology while on one hand has brought lot of ease and benefits, it has also created tremendous pressure and problems for the medial editors who are trying to come up to the expectations of authors who are very keen to see their manuscript published soon after submission.^1,2</p><p>     One can be a good physician or a good surgeon but it does not mean that he/she can also be a good Editor as one has to learn this art. That is why starting with the International Committee of Medial Journal Editors (ICMJE)^3,4 which was formed in 1978 and later World Association of Medical Editors formed in 1995⁵ have been working to improve the professional skills of medial editors by regularly organizing conferences, Hands on Workshops as well as seminars to train the editors. Their websites offer lot of useful information and training material. American Medial Writers Association (AMWA),⁶ European Medical Writers Association (EMWA)⁷ and European Association of Science Editors (EASE)⁸ founded in 1982 have also been doing a commendable job helping the authors and researchers. They too organize their annual conferences and training workshops on regular basis. Then came the various regional bodies like Eastern Mediterranean Association of Medical Editors (EMAME) and Asia – Pacific Association of Medial Editors (APAME) which have been busy in promoting the discipline of medical journalism in their respective regions.^9,10 Numerous countries in these regions have also formed their own associations of medical journal editors to improve the professional capacity of their member editors in their respective countries. Pakistan which had taken an active part in establishing the EMAME in 2003 did not lag behind and established Pakistan Association of Medial Editors (PAME) in 2010. Since then it has not only hosted EMMJ5 Medical Journals Conference in 2010 which was attended by thirty four foreign delegates and guest speakers from eighteen countries but has also organized three national conferences and a large number of Hands on Workshops all over the country.¹¹</p><p>     PAME organized training course for medical journal editors at Karachi on July 14, 2012, at PIMS Islamabad on September 15, 2012, at Khyber Medical University at Peshawar in Khyber KPK on September 16, 2012 and at University of Health Sciences Lahore on April 25, 2013. PAME organized yet another training course for medical journal editors at University of Health Sciences Lahore on March 4-5^th 2016. All this was aimed at to build up the professional capacity of editors of biomedical journals published from Pakistan.</p><p>     Journalology has now emerged as an important discipline with numerous subspecialties. Publishing a good quality peer reviewed journal is an uphill task which requires a team work. Publishing a medical journal is not economically viable for many institutions and organizations. The problems are further compounded with the non-availability of good Peer Reviewers, willing and interested Editorial Board Members which play a vital role in improving the contents and quality of a journal. If this was not all, the issues like plagiarism, scientific misconduct and upholding professional ethics has made the job of the editors more difficult. Institutions like Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) UK has come up with very informative Flow Charts to guide the editors on dealing with scientific misconduct including plagiarism, duplicate and redundant publication etc., but it has not made the life of medical journal editors easy.¹²It is extremely important that one should opt for professionalism, seeks help and assistance from the respective government institutions, organizations to find a solution to the various problems with the medical journal editors are facing. It was in this context that PAME in its Third National Conference held at UHS Lahore from April 1 – 2, 2016 had devoted a special session to  “Professionalism and Medical Journal Editors” where representatives of Higher Education Commission (HEC) and Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PM&amp;DC) were also invited. However, it was unfortunate that none of them came to attend the meeting thus deprived themselves to update on latest developments and problems faced by Editors.</p><p>     Some of the issues concerning both these institutions which were highlighted during the conference were as under:</p><p> <strong>Pakistan Medical and Dental Council</strong></p><ol><li>Its website is not updated regularly.<ol><li>List of PM&amp;DC recognized journals is not update and lacks lot of information and there is no mention of Publication Ethics.</li><li>There is a communication gap between the PM&amp; DC and the Editors. Not enough time is given when asking for some documents or holding meeting of Journals Evaluation Committee.</li><li>Communications sent to the PM&amp;DC remain unanswered and it makes no differentiation between those journals who fulfill all the requirements, are published regularly and those who do not follow the laid down criteria.</li><li>Communications received from the Journals Committee of PM&amp;DC from time to time have a threatening tone and they need to show respect to the Editors.</li><li>PM&amp;DC wants the journals to submit plagiarism report but provides no help or assistance to the journals in this regard.</li></ol></li></ol><p> <strong>Higher Education Commission</strong></p><ol><li>Communications received from Quality Assurance Department regarding meeting of Journal Evaluation Committee does not give enough time.</li><li>In the past HEC used to provide the facility of checking manuscripts for plagiarism using the Turnitin software but now it has been restricted to medical universities only.</li><li>HEC website is also not updated regularly.<ol><li>Communication gap between the HEC and Medial Journal Editors also needs improvement.</li></ol></li></ol><p>     It will be unfair not to mention the generous grant the Higher Education Commission has been providing to its recognized biomedical journals for the last many years but it will be much better if it is replaced by providing much needed services and software facilities.</p><p>     Pakistan Association of Medical Editors with its meager resources has been doing a commendable job to help improve the professional capacity of Editors through various ways. Its website also contains some useful material for the training of the new editors.¹¹ Regulatory bodies like PM&amp;DC and HEC working in close collaboration with PAME can work wonders and go a long way in improving the standard of biomedical journals published from Pakistan. Commission on Iranian Medical Journals based in Ministry of Health in Islamic Republic of Iran apart from providing financial assistance also provides software for checking plagiarism, helps the journal in preparing their websites, helps them provide facilities of XML which has helped a large number of Iranian Medical Journals to go to PubMed Central and has thus increased their visibility and readership manifold. The number of medical journals published from Iran was ninety in 2005 which has now increased to over four hundred. Seventy two of these Iranian Medical Journals are visible on PubMed, PubMed Central and Medline while twenty are covered by ISI Thompson Reuter known for Impact Factor.¹³ On the contrary only about half a dozen medical journals from Pakistan are covered by Medline, PubMed and PubMed Central and only four medical journals from Pakistan has an Impact Factor.¹⁴</p><p>     Our regulatory bodies can learn from Iran and that is what the HEC should be doing in Pakistan. Instead of offering any financial grants it can better utilize the same resources to provide facilities for checking plagiarism, software to prepare XML files for submission to PubMed Central, organizing training workshops for Editors and support staff on Open Journal System, electronic publishing, peer review, publication ethics etc. PAME has the professional capacity to help PM&amp;DC and HEC to realize these objectives. What is missing is the proper liaison and understanding between Medical Journal Editors and these regulatory bodies like PM&amp; DC and HEC. A study presented at the PAME Third National Conference by the author had also heighted some basic and serious deficiencies in the journals which are recognized by PM&amp;DC as well as HEC because the members of their respective Journal Evaluation Committees are not fully conversant with the latest developments in the field of medical journalism. These committees need to be further strengthened by inducting competent, knowledgeable professional editors and PAME has time and again offered its help and assistance in this regard. Even once the PM&amp;DC had also issued a notification making PAME President an exoffico member of the Journals Evaluation Committee but no meeting was ever held.¹⁵</p><p>     To improve the present situation and find a workable, feasible, practical solution to the various problems being faced by the medical journal editors in Pakistan is not an uphill task. The objective of every one, the editors and regulatory bodies like PM&amp;DC and HEC are the same i.e. improvement in the quality of contents, standard of medical journals so that we can increase our contribution to the world medical literature and promote research culture in Pakistan. Intentions of everyone are good but what is lacking is cooperation, coordination and bridging the communication gap. It is never too late and let us makes a new beginning in our relationship. The role of the regulatory bodies is to facilitate and not to create hurdles and discourage those who are working under difficult circumstances with meager resources and facilities available.</p>

World oil price is a momentous determinant of global economic performance. In most cases, when oil prices skyrockets, it leads to a transfer of income from importing countries to exporting countries through trade shifts. The link between oil and inflation is mostly seen as being correlational. The direct relationship between oil and inflation was evident in the 1970’s nevertheless this relationship started to deteriorate after the 1980’s. Quite a cornucopia of researchers have made relentless inquiry on the macroeconomics impact of world oil price shocks and hikes on economic growth and consumer price inflation on importing countries. Also, an infinitesimal analyses have tackled the impact of the world oil price on inflation. For many developing countries, oil price hikes over the last few years has warranted the need for structural reforms of the domestic petroleum pricing system. The role of economic policy in attenuating the potential adverse economic and social impact of world oil prices in Ghana cannot be overemphasized. The causes of inflation in Ghana has precipitated vehement canvassing among policy makers. Some analysts have ascribed that the causes of inflation emanate from the consumer goods market, with others repudiating the consumer goods market argument, ascribing it as namby-pamby and stating that inflation in Ghana is rather more from the money market. Another group of scholars maintain that inflation in Ghana is imputed to be from the exogenous variable (world oil price). The debate lingers on and in Ghana the shocks to prices are mixed and dynamic. This paper, through quantitative review and analysis attempts to determine the impact of world oil price on Ghana’s inflation, expound on the factors that drive Ghana’s inflation and suggest perpetual remedies to Ghana’s inflation. This paper employed multiple OLS regression, correlation matrix and linear regression model and found that world oil price is correlational to Ghana’s inflation. Other factors like interest rates (Bank of Ghana policy rate) and exchange rates also strongly proved to drive Ghana’s inflation.