In managing and organising the development of wild animals for humans, many actors have been involved. The involvement of actors in promoting conservation and all related saving environment has been weak and un-ruled. The objective of this study was mapping, and providing apparent involvement of stakeholders related to actor characteristics, resources used, power-interest created, and contribute to wild animal conservation using the concept of stakeholder and institutions relationships. This research aims to distinctively map and provide apparent involvement of actors or stakeholders concerning their contribution towards wild animal development in West Papua. As many as 15 institutions were interviewed according to the roles and resources of individuals working formally and informally. The parameters collected include the structure, status of law, and types of the organisation and stakeholders' role, effect, importance, threat, and turn-back impact. The data gathered include shared resources, power-interest actors, and interventions-innovations. All data were stored in a Microsoft Excel worksheet and exported to software SNA version 2.5. Research findings showed several significant and strategic characteristic typologies and resources belong to actors for national, local, and grass-root levels. The interest and power embedded into actors determined how intense and severe an actor works in establishing the programs and projects. We inventoried shared resources, duration of the period played by actors, continuity resource roles, power of resources, and intervention needs. Keywords : wild animal, stakeholders, Actors, Social Network Analysis, West Papua DOI: 10.7176/JNSR/15-1-06 Publication date: February 28 th 2024
In this study, preliminary phytochemical screening and in vitro antioxidant activity of crude methanolic extract of whole plant of Malva parviflora were evaluated. Phytochemical screening was achieved using standard assay methods and for antioxidant activity, three assays viz. 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, phosphomolybdate assay (total antioxidant capacity, TAC) and ferric reducing power assay were used to screen the extract at various concentrations. The extract demonstrated the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, phenolics, tannins and terpenoids. The DPPH radical scavenging activity and total antioxidant capacity of methanolic M. parviflora extract (MMP) were found to be in the range 41.88±1.69 to 95.44±2.91% and 52.45±1.45 to 89.65±2.84% respectively. MMP was found to be potent with IC50 values for DPPH and TAC being 91.61 and 29.15 µg/mL, respectively. MMP was found to be dose-dependent as its reducing power increased with extract concentration. Generally, MMP exhibited promising phytochemical and antioxidative properties as a potential source for novel drugs. As such, further studies are required on this plant in order to commercial new products. Keywords: Phytochemical screening, DPPH assay, phosphomolybdate assay, methanol extract, Malva parviflora DOI: 10.7176/JNSR/15-2-03 Publication date: May 31st 2024
Introduction: Schizophrenia is an endogenous psychotic disorder, which is characterized by the presence of positive and negative symptoms that affect the normal functioning of patients and play important role in their quality of life. Purpose: The main purpose of this research was to introduce the relationship between positive and negative symptoms and quality of life in patients with schizophrenia. Methods: The research involved 40 randomly selected male and female respondents from 18 to 60 years of age who suffer from schizophrenia according to the diagnostic criteria of the International Classification of Diseases – ICD 10. The instruments used are: the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), and the Scale for the quality of life (WHOQOL Questionnaire - BREF). The statistical analysis of the data was done with the SPSS software package (version 20). Results: The study showed that there is a statistically significant negative relationship between positive symptoms of schizophrenia and mental health (r= -.682, p<.01), positive symptoms and social relationships (r=-.764, p<.01), positive symptoms and living conditions (r=-.732, p<.05). Regarding negative symptoms of schizophrenia and dimensions of quality of life, it was found that there is a statistically positive significant relationship between negative symptoms of schizophrenia and physical health (r=.833, p<.01); negative symptoms of schizophrenia and mental health (r=-.752, p<.05); negative symptoms of schizophrenia and social relationships (r=.831, p<.01); and negative symptoms of schizophrenia and living conditions (r=.850, p<.01). Conclusion: Quality of life is a broad concept that includes a person's subjective opinion regarding their physical and psychological health, social relationships and the environment. This study emphasizes that positive symptoms of schizophrenia negatively affects the dimensions of quality of life in all the above-mentioned areas.
There are many land use changes happening in Uganda whose impacts have not yet been well investigated. This study determined the land use changes that occurred in Namutumba districts between 1988 and 2018. Landsat images of resolution of 30 m were downloaded from landsat.org for a period of 30 years; 1988, 1998, 2008 and 2018. Image classification was done using Maximum Likelihood Classification and percentage change in areas under different land uses were determined for years; 1988-1998, 1998-2008 and 2008-2018. Representative soil samples and water samples were collected from cultivated wetlands and those that were not cultivated in the different water systems of Naiyede, Mpologoma, Naigomba and Namakoko in Namutumba district. The soil samples were analyzed for pH, organic matter (OM), nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), potassium (K), boron (B), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb)in the soil. The water samples were analyzed for colour, total hardness (TH), total dissolved solids (TDS), total suspended solid (TSS), turbidity, nitrates (NO3-), total solids (TS), pH, alkalinity, conductivity (Co), Pb, Mg, Na, Ca, chromium (Cr), Fe, phosphates (PO 4 3- ), chloride (Cl), Cd and sulphates (SO 4 2- ). Results of land use change indicated a reduction in areas under open water, wetlands, woodland and bush lands and increase in built up areas and wetlands. Cultivation of wetlands significantly (p<0.05) affected quantitative soil properties; pH, OM, N, P, Na, Cu and Cd while K, Ca, Mg, Zn, B, Fe, Mn and Pb were not significantly (p>0.05) affected by cultivation. Cultivation of wetlands significantly increased water quality parameters; TDS, TSS, conductivity, Na, Ca, Cl, SO 4 2- , PO 4 3- and TH. On the other hand, water quality parameters; pH, Co, alkalinity, Mg, Cr, Fe, Cd and NO3- were not affected by cultivation. It can be concluded that most of the fragile ecosystems in Namutumba District is being converted into built up areas and farmlands and it is negatively affecting some of the soil and water quality parameters. These results are crucial in informing policy makers in designing by-laws and policies for protecting fragile ecosystems such as wetlands from degradation. Keywords: Namutumba District, Soil properties, Ugand a, Water quality, Wetland conversion, DOI: 10.7176/JNSR/15-1-07 Publication date: April 30 th 2024
The molecular structure of monomeric and dimeric gold trifluoride, AuF 3 , Au 2 F 6 has been determined by recent quantum chemical calculations and electron diffraction experiments. It has been indicated that the ground state structure of monomeric gold trifluoride has C 2v symmetry rather than 3-fold symmetry with one shorter and two longer Au-F bonds and T-shaped form due to a first order Jahn-Teller effect. In this work we have calculated the equilibrium structures of the AuF 3 and Au 2 F 6 using the Interionic Force model. The results for the equilibrium bond lengths and bond angles are compared with the geometrical and equilibrium structure measured values from electron diffraction and with the results of quantum chemical calculations. The agreement can be considered as very reasonable. The interatomic pair interactions are described with the parameters determined by the presented model. The pair distribution functions have been calculated by HNC approximation and compared with experimental data at available thermodynamic states. Keywords: Gold trifluoride, Molecular structure, Interionic force model DOI: 10.7176/JNSR/14-13-03 Publication date: December 31 st 2023
