Search results for: engine performance analysis
4970 Characterization of the Microorganisms Associated with Pleurotus ostractus and Pleurotus tuber-Regium Spent Mushroom Substrate
Authors: Samuel E. Okere, Anthony E. Ataga
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Introduction: The microbial ecology of Pleurotus osteratus and Pleurotus tuber–regium spent mushroom substrate (SMS) were characterized to determine other ways of its utilization. Materials and Methods: The microbiological properties of the spent mushroom substrate were determined using standard methods. This study was carried out at the Microbiology Laboratory University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. Results: Quantitative microbiological analysis revealed that Pleurotus osteratus spent mushroom substrate (POSMS) contained 7.9x10⁵ and 1.2 x10³ cfu/g of total heterotrophic bacteria and total fungi count respectively while Pleurotus tuber-regium spent mushroom substrate (PTSMS) contained 1.38x10⁶ and 9.0 x10² cfu/g of total heterotrophic bacteria count and total fungi count respectively. The fungi species encountered from Pleurotus tuber-regium spent mushroom substrate (PTSMS) include Aspergillus and Cladosporum species, while Aspergillus and Penicillium species were encountered from Pleurotus osteratus spent mushroom substrate (POSMS). However, the bacteria species encountered from Pleurotus tuber-regium spent mushroom substrate include Bacillus, Acinetobacter, Alcaligenes, Actinobacter, and Pseudomonas species while Bacillus, Actinobacteria, Aeromonas, Lactobacillus and Aerococcus species were encountered from Pleurotus osteratus spent mushroom substrate (POSMS). Conclusion: Therefore based on the findings from this study, it can be concluded that spent mushroom substrate contain microorganisms that can be utilized both in bioremediation of oil-polluted soils as they contain important hydrocarbon utilizing microorganisms such as Penicillium, Aspergillus and Bacillus species and also as sources of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) such as Pseudomonas and Bacillus species which can induce resistance on plants. However, further studies are recommended, especially to molecularly characterize these microorganisms.Keywords: characterization, microorganisms, mushroom, spent substrate
Procedia PDF Downloads 1534969 A Multicriteria Framework for Assessing Energy Audit Software for Low-Income Households
Authors: Charles Amoo, Joshua New, Bill Eckman
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Buildings in the United States account for a significant proportion of energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and this trend is expected to continue as well as rise in the near future. Low-income households, in particular, bear a disproportionate burden of high building energy consumption and spending due to high energy costs. Energy efficiency improvements need to reach an average of 4% per year in this decade in order to meet global net zero emissions target by 2050, but less than 1 % of U.S. buildings are improved each year. The government has recognized the importance of technology in addressing this issue, and energy efficiency programs have been developed to tackle the problem. The Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP), the largest residential whole-house energy efficiency program in the U.S., is specifically designed to reduce energy costs for low-income households. Under the WAP, energy auditors must follow specific audit procedures and use Department of Energy (DOE) approved energy audit tools or software. This article proposes an expanded framework of factors that should be considered in energy audit software that is approved for use in energy efficiency programs, particularly for low-income households. The framework includes more than 50 factors organized under 14 assessment criteria and can be used to qualitatively and quantitatively score different energy audit software to determine their suitability for specific energy efficiency programs. While the tool can be useful for developers to build new tools and improve existing software, as well as for energy efficiency program administrators to approve or certify tools for use, there are limitations to the model, such as the lack of flexibility that allows continuous scoring to accommodate variability and subjectivity. These limitations can be addressed by using aggregate scores of each criterion as weights that could be combined with value function and direct rating scores in a multicriteria decision analysis for a more flexible scoring.Keywords: buildings, energy efficiency, energy audit, software
Procedia PDF Downloads 704968 Exploring the Non-Verbalizable in Conservation Grazing: The Contradictions Illuminated by a ‘Go-Along’ Methodology
Authors: James Ormrod
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This paper is concerned with volunteer livestock checking. Based on a pilot study consisting of ‘go-along’ interviews with livestock checkers, it argues that there are limitations to the insights that can be generated from approaches to ‘discourse analysis’ that would focus only on the verbalizable aspects of the practice. Volunteer livestock checking takes place across Europe as part of conservation projects aimed at maintaining particular habitats through the reintroduction of grazing animals. Volunteers are variously called ‘urban shepherds’, because these practices often take place on urban fringes, or ‘lookerers’, as their role is to make visual checks on the animals. Pilot research that took place on the South Downs (a chalk downland habitat on the South Coast of the UK) involved researchers accompanying volunteers as they checked on livestock. They were asked to give an account of what they were doing and then answer semi-structured interview questions. Participants drew on popular discourses on conservation and biodiversity, as framed by the local council who run the programme. They also framed their relationships to the animals in respect to the more formal limitations of their role as identified through the conservation programme. And yet these discourses, significant as they are, do not adequately explain why volunteers are drawn to, and emotionally invested in, lookering. The methodology employed allowed participants instead to gesture to features of the landscape and to recall memories, and for the researchers to see how volunteers interacted with the animals and the landscape in embodied and emotionally loaded ways. The paper argues that a psychosocial perspective that pays attention to the contradictions and tensions made visible through this methodology helps develop a fuller understanding of volunteer livestock checking as a social practice.Keywords: conservation, human-animal relations, lookering, volunteering
Procedia PDF Downloads 1274967 Application of the Best Technique for Estimating the Rest-Activity Rhythm Period in Shift Workers
Authors: Rakesh Kumar Soni
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Under free living conditions, human biological clocks show a periodicity of 24 hour for numerous physiological, behavioral and biochemical variables. However, this period is not the original period; rather it merely exhibits synchronization with the solar clock. It is, therefore, most important to investigate characteristics of human circadian clock, essentially in shift workers, who normally confront with contrasting social clocks. Aim of the present study was to investigate rest-activity rhythm and to vouch for the best technique for the computation of periods in this rhythm in subjects randomly selected from different groups of shift workers. The rest-activity rhythm was studied in forty-eight shift workers from three different organizations, namely Newspaper Printing Press (NPP), Chhattisgarh State Electricity Board (CSEB) and Raipur Alloys (RA). Shift workers of NPP (N = 20) were working on a permanent night shift schedule (NS; 20:00-04:00). However, in CSEB (N = 14) and RA (N = 14), shift workers were working in a 3-shift system comprising of rotations from night (NS; 22:00-06:00) to afternoon (AS; 14:00-22:00) and to morning shift (MS; 06:00-14:00). Each subject wore an Actiwatch (AW64, Mini Mitter Co. Inc., USA) for 7 and/or 21 consecutive days, only after furnishing a certificate of consent. One-minute epoch length was chosen for the collection of wrist activity data. Period was determined by using Actiware sleep software (Periodogram), Lomb-Scargle Periodogram (LSP) and Spectral analysis software (Spectre). Other statistical techniques, such as ANOVA and Duncan’s multiple-range test were also used whenever required. A statistically significant circadian rhythm in rest-activity, gauged by cosinor, was documented in all shift workers, irrespective of shift work. Results indicate that the efficiency of the technique to determine the period (τ) depended upon the clipping limits of the τs. It appears that the technique of spectre is more reliable.Keywords: biological clock, rest activity rhythm, spectre, periodogram
Procedia PDF Downloads 1564966 Northern Ghana’s Sustainable Food Systems: Evaluating the Impact of International Development
Authors: Maxwell Ladogo Abilla
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As evidence from the 2007–2008 and 2010 global food and financial crises revealed that food systems were under stress, the idea of sustainable food systems rose to prominence in the discussion of food security. The idea suggests moving away from a conception of food security that emphasizes production in favor of one that is more socially and environmentally conscious and interested in tackling a wide range of issues that have rendered the food system dysfunctional. This study evaluates the efforts made by international development organizations to increase food security in the area, taking into account the persistence of poverty and food insecurity in northern Ghana, utilizing the idea of sustainable food systems as the evaluation criterion. The study used triangulation to address the research questions by combining qualitative interview data with documentary analysis. To better comprehend the concept of sustainability, a variety of discourses and concepts are used, which results in the development of eight doable objectives for attaining sustainable food systems. The study finds that the food system in northern Ghana is unsustainable because of three kinds of barriers, with the practical objectives of developing sustainable food systems serving as the assessment criteria (natural, cultural and economic, and institutional). According to an evaluation of the World Food Programme's development support in northern Ghana, regional challenges to attaining sustainable food systems continue to be unaddressed by global development initiatives. Due to institutional constraints, WFP's interventions fell short of their promise. By demonstrating the need for development partners to enhance institutional efficiency and coordination, enable marginalized communities to access their rights, and prioritize agricultural irrigation in the area, the study makes a contribution to development policy and practice in northern Ghana.Keywords: sustainable, food security, development, institutional
Procedia PDF Downloads 824965 Experimental Investigations on the Mechanical properties of Spiny (Kawayan Tinik) Bamboo Layers
Authors: Ma. Doreen E. Candelaria, Ma. Louise Margaret A. Ramos, Dr. Jaime Y. Hernandez, Jr
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Bamboo has been introduced as a possible alternative to some construction materials nowadays. Its potential use in the field of engineering, however, is still not widely practiced due to insufficient engineering knowledge on the material’s properties and characteristics. Although there are researches and studies proving its advantages, it is still not enough to say that bamboo can sustain and provide the strength and capacity required of common structures. In line with this, a more detailed analysis was made to observe the layered structure of the bamboo, particularly the species of Kawayan Tinik. It is the main intent of this research to provide the necessary experiments to determine the tensile strength of dried bamboo samples. The test includes tensile strength parallel to fibers with samples taken at internodes only. Throughout the experiment, methods suggested by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) were followed. The specimens were tested using 3366 INSTRON Universal Testing Machine, with a rate of loading set to 0.6 mm/min. It was then observed from the results of these experiments that dried bamboo samples recorded high layered tensile strengths, as high as 600 MPa. Likewise, along the culm’s length and across its cross section, higher tensile strength were observed at the top part and at its outer layers. Overall, the top part recorded the highest tensile strength per layer, with its outer layers having tensile strength as high as 600 MPa. The recorded tensile strength of its middle and inner layers, on the other hand, were approximately 450 MPa and 180 MPa, respectively. From this variation in tensile strength across the cross section, it may be concluded that an increase in tensile strength may be observed towards the outer periphery of the bamboo. With these preliminary investigations on the layered tensile strength of bamboo, it is highly recommended to conduct experimental investigations on the layered compressive strength properties as well. It is also suggested to conduct investigations evaluating perpendicular layered tensile strength of the material.Keywords: bamboo strength, layered strength tests, strength test, tensile test
Procedia PDF Downloads 3984964 Analytical Method for Seismic Analysis of Shaft-Tunnel Junction under Longitudinal Excitations
Authors: Jinghua Zhang
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Shaft-tunnel junction is a typical case of the structural nonuniformity in underground structures. The shaft and the tunnel possess greatly different structural features. Even under uniform excitations, they tend to behave discrepantly. Studies on shaft-tunnel junctions are mainly performed numerically. Shaking table tests are also conducted. Although many numerical and experimental data are obtained, an analytical solution still has great merits of gaining more insights into the shaft-tunnel problem. This paper will try to remedy the situation. Since the seismic responses of shaft-tunnel junctions are very related to directions of the excitations, they are studied in two scenarios: the longitudinal-excitation scenario and the transverse-excitation scenario. The former scenario will be addressed in this paper. Given that responses of the tunnel are highly dependent on the shaft, the analytical solutions would be developed firstly for the vertical shaft. Then, the seismic responses of the tunnel would be discussed. Since vertical shafts bear a resemblance to rigid caissons, the solution proposed in this paper is derived by introducing terms of shaft-tunnel and soil-tunnel interactions into equations originally developed for rigid caissons. The validity of the solution is examined by a validation model computed by finite element method. The mutual influence between the shaft and the tunnel is introduced. The soil-structure interactions are discussed parametrically based on the proposed equations. The shaft-tunnel relative displacement and the soil-tunnel relative stiffness are found to be the most important parameters affecting the magnitudes and distributions of the internal forces of the tunnel. A hinge-joint at the shaft-tunnel junction could significantly reduce the degree of stress concentration compared with a rigid joint.Keywords: analytical solution, longitudinal excitation, numerical validation , shaft-tunnel junction
Procedia PDF Downloads 1534963 Re-Defining Academic Literacy: An Information Literacy Approach to Helping Chinese International Students Succeed in American Colleges
Authors: Yi Ding
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With the upsurge of Chinese international students in American higher education, serious academic problems Chinese international students are suffering from are also striking. While most practices and research in higher education focus on the role of professors, writing centers, and tutoring centers to help international students succeed in college, this research study focuses on a more fundamental skill that is neglected in most conversations: information literacy, which is usually addressed by academic librarians. Transitioning from an East-Asian, developing educational system that values authority, set knowledge more than independent thinking, scholarly conversation, Chinese international students need support from academic librarians to acquire information literacy, which is crucial to understand expectations of a Western academic setting and thus to succeed in college. This research study illustrates how academic librarians can play an integral role in helping Chinese international students acclimate to the expectations of American higher education by teaching information literacy as academic literacy unique to the Western academic setting. Six keys of information literacy put forward by Association of College and Research Libraries, which are 'Authority Is Constructed and Contextual', 'Information Creation as a Process', 'Information Has Value', 'Research as Inquiry', 'Scholarship as Conversation', and 'Searching as Strategic Exploration', are analyzed through the lens of Chinese educational system and students’ backgrounds. Based on the analysis as well as results from surveys and interviews among academic librarians, professors, and international students, this research further examines current practices from a wide range of academic libraries and finally, provides evidence-based recommendations for academic librarians to use information literacy instruction to help Chinese international students succeed in American higher education.Keywords: academic librarians, Chinese international students, information literacy, student success
Procedia PDF Downloads 2404962 The Relationship between the Feeling of Distributive Justice and National Identity of the Youth
Authors: Leila Batmany
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This research studies the relationship between the feeling of distributive justice and national identity of the youth. The present analysis intends to experimentally investigate the various dimensions of the justice feeling and its effect on the national identity components. The study has taken justice into consideration from four different points of view on the basis of availability of valuable social sources such as power, wealth, knowledge and status in the political, economic, and cultural and status justice respectively. Furthermore, the national identity has been considered as the feeling of honour, attachment and commitment towards national society and its seven components i.e. history, language, culture, political system, religion, geographical territory and society. The 'field study' has been used as the method for the research with the individual as unit, taking 368 young between the age of 18 and 29 living in Tehran, chosen randomly according to Cochran formula. The individual samples have been randomly chosen among five districts in north, south, west, east, and centre of Tehran, based on the multistage cluster sampling. The data collection has been performed with the use of questionnaire and interview. The most important results are as follows: i) The feeling of economic justice is the weakest one among the youth. ii) The strongest and the weakest dimensions of the national identity are, respectively, the historical and the social dimension. iii) There is a positive and meaningful relationship between the feeling political and statues justice and then national identity, whereas no meaningful relationship exists between the economic and cultural justice and the national identity. iv) There is a positive and meaningful relationship between the feeling of justice in all dimensions and legitimacy of the political system. There is also such a relationship between the legitimacy of the political system and national identity. v) Generally, there is a positive and meaningful relationship between the feeling of distributive justice and national identity among the youth. vi) It is through the legitimacy of the political system that justice feeling can have an influence on the national identity.Keywords: distributive justice, national identity, legitimacy of political system, Cochran formula, multistage cluster sampling
Procedia PDF Downloads 1244961 Empathy and Yoga Philosophy: Both Eastern and Western Concepts
Authors: Jacqueline Jasmine Kumar
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This paper seeks to challenge the predominate Western-centric paradigm concerning empathy by conducting an exploration of its presence within both Western and Eastern philosophical traditions. The primary focus of this inquiry is the examination of the Indian yogic tradition, encompassing the four yogas: bhakti (love/devotion), karma (action), jnāna (knowledge), and rāja (psychic control). Through this examination, it is demonstrated that empathy does not exclusively originate from Western philosophical thought. Rather than superimposing the Western conceptualization of empathy onto the tenets of Indian philosophy, this study endeavours to unearth a distinct array of ideas and concepts within the four yogas, which significantly contribute to our comprehension of empathy as a universally relevant phenomenon. To achieve this objective, an innovative approach is adopted, delving into various facets of empathy, including the propositional, affective/intuitive, perspective-taking, and actionable dimensions. This approach intentionally deviates from conventional Western frameworks, shifting the emphasis towards lived morally as opposed to engagement in abstract theoretical discourse. While it is acknowledged that the explicit term “empathy” may not be overly articulated within the yogic tradition, a scrupulous examination reveals the underlying substance and significance of this phenomenon. Throughout this comparative analysis, the paper aims to lay a robust foundation for the discourse of empathy within the contexts of the human experience. By assimilating insights gleaned from the Indian yogic tradition, it contributes to the expansion of our comprehension of empathy, enabling an exploration of its multifaceted dimensions. Ultimately, this scholarly endeavour facilitates the development of a more comprehensive and inclusive perspective on empathy, transcending cultural boundaries and enriching our collective repository of knowledge.Keywords: Bhakti, Yogic, Jnana, Karma
Procedia PDF Downloads 664960 Management of Distillery Spentwash to Enhance Productivity of Dryland Crops and Reduce Environmental Pollution: A Case Study in Southern Dry Zone of Karnataka, India
Authors: A. Sathish, N. N. Lingaraju, K. N. Geetha, C. A. Srinivasamurthy, S. Bhaskar
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Under dryland conditions, it is observed that the soil organic matter is low due to low organic carbon content due to poor management with less use of inputs. On the other hand, disposal of sugar industry waste, i.e., spentwash is a major concern with limited space for land based treatment and disposal which causes environmental pollution. Spentwash is also a resource that can be applied for productive uses since it contains nutrients that have the potential for use in agriculture. The disposal of spent wash may lead to environmental pollution. Hence as an alternative mechanism, it was applied once to dry lands, and the experiments were conducted from 2012-13 to 2016-17 in kharif season in Maddur Taluk, Mandya District, Karnataka State, India. The study conducted was in 93 different farmers field (maize-11, finger millet-80 & horsegram-14). Spentwash was applied at the rate of 100 m³ ha⁻¹ before sowing of the crops. The results showed that yield of dryland crops like finger millet, horse gram and maize was recorded 14.75 q ha⁻¹, 6 q ha⁻¹ and 31.00 q ha⁻¹, respectively and the yield increase to an extent of 10-25 per cent with one time application of spentwash to dry lands compared to farmers practice, i.e., chemical fertilizer application. The higher yield may be attributed to slow and steady release of nutrients by spentwash throughout the crop growth period. In addition, the growth promoting and other beneficial substances present in spentwash might have also helped in better plant growth and yield. The soil sample analysis after harvest of the crops indicate acidic to neutral pH, EC of 0.11 dSm⁻¹ and Na of 0.20 C mol (P⁺) kg⁻¹ in the normal range which are not harmful. Hence, it can be applied to drylands at least once in 3 years which enhances yield as well as reduces environmental pollution.Keywords: dryland crops, pollution, sugar industry waste, spentwash
Procedia PDF Downloads 2344959 Correction Factors for Soil-Structure Interaction Predicted by Simplified Models: Axisymmetric 3D Model versus Fully 3D Model
Authors: Fu Jia
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The effects of soil-structure interaction (SSI) are often studied using axial-symmetric three-dimensional (3D) models to avoid the high computational cost of the more realistic, fully 3D models, which require 2-3 orders of magnitude more computer time and storage. This paper analyzes the error and presents correction factors for system frequency, system damping, and peak amplitude of structural response computed by axisymmetric models, embedded in uniform or layered half-space. The results are compared with those for fully 3D rectangular foundations of different aspect ratios. Correction factors are presented for a range of the model parameters, such as fixed-base frequency, structure mass, height and length-to-width ratio, foundation embedment, soil-layer stiffness and thickness. It is shown that the errors are larger for stiffer, taller and heavier structures, deeper foundations and deeper soil layer. For example, for a stiff structure like Millikan Library (NS response; length-to-width ratio 1), the error is 6.5% in system frequency, 49% in system damping and 180% in peak amplitude. Analysis of a case study shows that the NEHRP-2015 provisions for reduction of base shear force due to SSI effects may be unsafe for some structures and need revision. The presented correction factor diagrams can be used in practical design and other applications.Keywords: 3D soil-structure interaction, correction factors for axisymmetric models, length-to-width ratio, NEHRP-2015 provisions for reduction of base shear force, rectangular embedded foundations, SSI system frequency, SSI system damping
Procedia PDF Downloads 2544958 Cytotoxic, Antimicrobial and Antiviral Activities of Acovenoside A: A Cardenolide Isolated from an Egyptian Cultivar of Acokanthera spectabilis Leaves
Authors: Howaida I. Abd-Alla, Amal Z. Hassan, Maha Soltan, Atef G. Hanna, Mounir M. El-Safty
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Acokanthera oblongifolia (Apocynaceae) is used for treatment of several infection diseases and is a well-known cardiac glycoside-containing plant. The infusion of their leaves is gargled to treat tonsillitis and is used medicinally to treat snakebites. The total cardiac glycosides content in the leaves was determined by referring to gitoxigenin as a reference compound. Two triterpenes, lup-20(29)-en-3β-ol (1) and oleanolic acid (2); two cardenolides, acovenoside A (3) and acobioside A (4) were isolated from the ethyl acetate extract. Their structures were determined on the basis of spectral analysis. Major constituents isolated from this species were evaluated for cytotoxicity against normal lung cell line (Wi38) and antimicrobial activities against Gram-positive (two strains) and Gram-negative bacteria (four strains), yeast-like fungi (two strains) and fungi (five strains). The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the compounds was determined using broth microdilution method. Their viral inhibitory effects against avian influenza virus type A (AI-H5N1) and Newcastle disease virus (NDV) in specific pathogen free (SPF) embryonated chicken eggs (ECE), chicken embryo fibroblasts (CEF) and Vero cells were evaluated. The cardenolide (3) showed viral inhibitory effects against AI-H5N1 and NDV in SPF ECE. The two cardenolides isolated have shown potent cytotoxicity against Vero cells. Compound (3) showed potent anti-Gram-negative bacteria activity. These results suggested that acovenoside A might be promising for future antiviral and antimicrobial drug design.Keywords: Acokanthera, AI-H5N1, Cardenolides, NDV, SPF-ECE, VERO, Wi38 , Microbe
Procedia PDF Downloads 1644957 An Analysis of Different Essential Components of Flight Plan Operations at Low Altitude
Authors: Apisit Nawapanpong, Natthapat Boonjerm
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This project aims to analyze and identify the flight plan of low-altitude aviation in Thailand and other countries. The development of UAV technology has led the innovation and revolution in the aviation industry; this includes the development of new modes of passenger or freight transportation, and it has also affected other industries widely. At present, this technology is being developed rapidly and has been tested all over the world to make the most efficient for technology or innovation, and it is likely to grow more extensively. However, no flight plan for low-altitude operation has been published by the government organization; when compared with high-altitude aviation with manned aircraft, various unique factors are different, whether mission, operation, altitude range or airspace restrictions. In the study of the essential components of low-altitude operation measures to be practical and tangible, there were major problems, so the main consideration of this project is to analyze the components of low-altitude operations which are conducted up to the altitudes of 400 ft or 120 meters above ground level referring to the terrain, for example, air traffic management, classification of aircraft, basic necessity and safety, and control area. This research will focus on confirming the theory through qualitative and quantitative research combined with theoretical modeling and regulatory framework and by gaining insights from various positions in aviation industries, including aviation experts, government officials, air traffic controllers, pilots, and airline operators to identify the critical essential components of low-altitude flight operation. This project analyzes by using computer programs for science and statistics research to prove that the result is equivalent to the theory and be beneficial for regulating the flight plan for low-altitude operation by different essential components from this project and can be further developed for future studies and research in aviation industries.Keywords: low-altitude aviation, UAV technology, flight plan, air traffic management, safety measures
Procedia PDF Downloads 504956 Interaction of Racial and Gender Disparities in Salivary Gland Cancer Survival in the United States: A Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results Study
Authors: Sarpong Boateng, Rohit Balasundaram, Akua Afrah Amoah
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Introduction: Racial and Gender disparities have been found to be independently associated with Salivary Gland Cancers (SGCs) survival; however, to our best knowledge, there are no previous studies on the interplay of these social determinants on the prognosis of SGCs. The objective of this study was to examine the joint effect of race and gender on the survival of SGCs. Methods: We analyzed survival outcomes of 13,547 histologically confirmed cases of SGCs using the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database (2004 to 2015). Multivariable Cox regression analysis and Kaplan-Meier curves were used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) after controlling for age, tumor characteristics, treatment type and year of diagnosis. Results: 73.5% of the participants were whites, 8.5% were blacks, 10.1% were Hispanics and 58.5% were males. Overall, males had poorer survival than females (HR = 1.16, p=0.003). In the adjusted multivariable model, there were no significant differences in survival by race. However, the interaction of gender and race was statistically significant (p=0.01) in Hispanic males. Thus, compared to White females (reference), Hispanic females had significantly better survival (HR=0.53), whiles Hispanic males had worse survival outcomes (HR=1.82) for SGCs. Conclusions: Our results show significant interactions between race and gender, with racial disparities varying across the different genders for SGCs survival. This study indicates that racial and gender differences are crucial factors to be considered in the prognostic counseling and management of patients with SGCs. Biologic factors, tumor genetic characteristics, chemotherapy, lifestyle, environmental exposures, and socioeconomic and dietary factors are potential yet proven reasons that could account for racial and gender differences in the survival of SGCs.Keywords: salivary, cancer, survival, disparity, race, gender, SEER
Procedia PDF Downloads 1914955 The Role of Uzbek Music Culture in Tourism
Authors: Odina Omonjonova
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The Uzbek people have a rich history and a rapidly developing music culture for several centuries. Monuments, shrines, places of culture and spirituality, which are the most beautiful proofs of history, show that this country has been a center of wisdom since ancient times. Nowadays, Uzbekistan is opening its face to the world with its unique spiritual heritage, historical monuments, peaceful corners and beautiful landscapes. Tourists from many countries visit and get acquainted with Uzbek culture and history and acknowledge it with great respect. The place of traditional music in describing the national color on the world scale is incomparable. Oral folk works that have reached this period, lapar, yalla, songs and ‘Shashmaqom’ are the intangible spiritual wealth of the Uzbek people. They embody the ancient and great history, spiritual world, artistic philosophy, spirit and values of our nation. National music is the main part of the culture of the nation, and here it is worth emphasizing the importance of music in the tourism of Uzbekistan. Foreign guests can enjoy our national music in various ways: (1) Concerts: There are many concert halls and cultural centers in the cities of Uzbekistan, where many concerts and events are held. Well-known musicians, singers and ensembles add more beauty to the beauty of these places, performing musical samples in Shashmaqom and other traditional styles. In these concert programs, tourists will have the opportunity to listen to works of art in an attractive live performance. (2) Festivals: Many music festivals are held in Uzbekistan throughout the year. The ‘Sharq Taronalari’ international music festival is a unique holiday where musicians from all over the world gather to celebrate the diversity of musical traditions. In recent years, traditional music has been played regularly in a number of festivals such as the ‘International Maqom Festival’, ‘International Craft Festival’ and ‘Boysun Bahari’ held in our country, which has increased the attention of travelers to our music culture. (3) Cultural seminars. Tourists interested in hands-on musical experience can participate in musical workshops. These classes allow tourists to learn to play traditional musical instruments and even participate in group activities. (4) Street musicians: In the central places and ancient streets of Uzbekistan's cities, we can meet street musicians playing soulful tunes. Performing and singing folklore samples on modern instruments directly attracts foreign guests. In Uzbekistan, national music and tourism have a direct and indirect connection. Music serves as a bridge between the country's history and its modern identity and enriches the travel experience. The impact of national music on tourism goes beyond mere statistics. Although tourist arrivals have increased significantly due to music-related attractions, the real impact lies in the stories and live testimonies of visitors. Travelers often say that the rhythms of Uzbekistan touched their hearts and broadened their worldview. In addition, music tourism strengthens the country's economy, provides employment, supports local artisans and performers, and provides an opportunity to showcase their talents to a global audience. In short, Uzbekistan is not only a place of interest, but it is among the countries that attract travelers with its unique national music. Uzbek music, folklore, songs, from the wonderful melodies of ‘Shashmaqom’ to the attractive sounds of traditional musical instruments, give aesthetic and spiritual pleasure and are important in organizing a large-scale trip for tourists visiting the country.Keywords: traditional music, folklore, shashmaqom, tourism, festivals, street musicians, traditional musical instruments
Procedia PDF Downloads 254954 Antiplasmodial Activity of Drimane Sesquiterpene Isolated from Warburgia salutaris
Authors: Mthokozisi Simelane
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Background: Malaria remains a life-threatening disease in tropical regions despite the advances in the treatment of this disease, it still remains a significant burden as some parasites have become resistant to the currently available drugs. This has created a necessity for the development of alternative, more efficient antimalarial drugs. Warburgia salutaris is a traditional medicinal plant used in malaria treatment by Zulu traditional healers. Materials and methods: The W. salutaris stem-bark was extracted with dichloromethane and the compound was isolated through column chromatography. The compound was identified and characterized by spectroscopic analysis (1H NMR, 13C NMR, IR and MS) and the structure was also confirmed by x-ray crystallography. The anti-plasmodial activity (in vitro) was studied on NF54 Plasmodium falciparum strain (CQS). Cytotoxicity was measured using the MTT assay on HEK239 and HEPG2 cell lines. Docking of Mukaadial acetate was conducted in AutoDock Vina. Structural modifications were conducted in UCSF Chimera and molecular interactions examined in LigPlot. Results: The compound, Mukaadial Acetate showed appreciable inhibition (IC50 0.44±0.10 µg/ml) of the parasite growth and cytotoxicity activity of 0.124±0.109 and 0.199±0.083 (µg/ml) on HEK293 and HEPG2 cells respectively. Molecular docking revealed that Mukaadial Acetate binds to the purine, pyrophosphate and ribose binding sites of the PfHGXPRT with an optimum binding conformation and forms hydrogen bond, steric and hydrophobic interactions with the residues inhabiting the respective binding sites. Conclusion: It is apparent that W. salutaris contains components (including Mukaadial Acetate) that exhibit antimalarial activity. This study scientifically validates the use of this plant in folk medicine.Keywords: plasmodium falciparum, molecular docking, antimalarial activity, PfHGXPRT, Warburgia salutaris, mukaadial acetate
Procedia PDF Downloads 1934953 Assessing Undergraduate Students' Awareness and Utilization of University Mental Health Services and Programs for Depression: A Case Study
Authors: Calvin Odhiambo
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Depression among young adults is a common health problem and a growing public health concern. Of the young adult population, college students are particularly vulnerable to depression as they find themselves grappling with the stress and anxiety of college life while at the same navigating the demands of separation and independence from familial ties. To deal with the resultant mental health challenges affecting this population, most colleges offer counseling services to their student population. What is not known, however, is the extent to which students are aware of or even utilize such mental health services. Our study set out to assess the level of student awareness and utilization of counseling services and programs at a southeastern public university in the United States. Data were collected through self-administered questionnaires given to a convenience sample of 508 undergraduate students voluntarily recruited from 38 classes representing five colleges. Data analysis was done using the Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25. Results showed that even though a majority of students were aware of the mental health services offered by the university, an overwhelming majority of these students did not utilize any of these services or participate in any mental health programs offered by the university. Significant gender and racial differences were observed. Reasons for the lack of awareness and utilization of mental health services are explored. Recommendations are made on how to increase student awareness and utilization of mental health services, and the implications of the findings are discussed. The findings of this study help to fill an academic lacuna on this issue and provides an important basis for developing policies to help mitigate the growing problem of depression and attendant mental health problems among undergraduate students.Keywords: depression, counseling services, undergraduate college students, utilization of mental health services, perceptions and awareness
Procedia PDF Downloads 744952 Cas9-Assisted Direct Cloning and Refactoring of a Silent Biosynthetic Gene Cluster
Authors: Peng Hou
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Natural products produced from marine bacteria serve as an immense reservoir for anti-infective drugs and therapeutic agents. Nowadays, heterologous expression of gene clusters of interests has been widely adopted as an effective strategy for natural product discovery. Briefly, the heterologous expression flowchart would be: biosynthetic gene cluster identification, pathway construction and expression, and product detection. However, gene cluster capture using traditional Transformation-associated recombination (TAR) protocol is low-efficient (0.5% positive colony rate). To make things worse, most of these putative new natural products are only predicted by bioinformatics analysis such as antiSMASH, and their corresponding natural products biosynthetic pathways are either not expressed or expressed at very low levels under laboratory conditions. Those setbacks have inspired us to focus on seeking new technologies to efficiently edit and refractor of biosynthetic gene clusters. Recently, two cutting-edge techniques have attracted our attention - the CRISPR-Cas9 and Gibson Assembly. By now, we have tried to pretreat Brevibacillus laterosporus strain genomic DNA with CRISPR-Cas9 nucleases that specifically generated breaks near the gene cluster of interest. This trial resulted in an increase in the efficiency of gene cluster capture (9%). Moreover, using Gibson Assembly by adding/deleting certain operon and tailoring enzymes regardless of end compatibility, the silent construct (~80kb) has been successfully refactored into an active one, yielded a series of analogs expected. With the appearances of the novel molecular tools, we are confident to believe that development of a high throughput mature pipeline for DNA assembly, transformation, product isolation and identification would no longer be a daydream for marine natural product discovery.Keywords: biosynthesis, CRISPR-Cas9, DNA assembly, refactor, TAR cloning
Procedia PDF Downloads 2734951 Tooth Fractures Following the Placement of Adjacent Dental Implants: A Case Series and a Systematic Review of the Literature
Authors: Eyal Rosen
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This study is aimed to report a possible effect of the presence of dental implants on the development of crown or root fractures in adjacent natural teeth. A series of 26 cases of teeth diagnosed with crown or root fractures following the placement of adjacent dental implants is presented. In addition, a comprehensive systematic review of the literature was performed to detect other studies that evaluated this possible complication. The case series analysis revealed that all crown-fractured teeth were non-endodontically treated teeth (n=18), and all root fractured teeth were endodontically treated teeth (n=8). The time from implant loading to the diagnosis of a fracture in an adjacent tooth was longer than 1 year in 78% of cases. The majority of crown or root fractures occurred in female patients, over 50 years of age, with an average age of 59 in the crown fractures group, and 54 in the root fractures group. Most of the patients received 2 or more implants. Nine (50%) of the teeth with crown fracture were molars, 7 (39%) were mandibular premolars, and 2 (11%) were incisor teeth. The majority of teeth with root fracture were premolar or mandibular molar teeth (6 (75%)). The systematic review of the literature did not reveal additional studies that reported on this possible complication. To the best of the author’s knowledge this case series, although limited in its extent, is the first clinical report of a possible serious complication of implants, associated fractures in adjacent endodontically and non-endodontically treated natural teeth. The most common patient profile found in this series was a woman over 50 years of age, having a fractured premolar tooth, which was diagnosed more than 1 year after reconstruction that was based on multiple adjacent implants. Additional clinical studies are required in order to shed light on this potential serious complication.Keywords: complications, dental implants, endodontics, fractured teeth
Procedia PDF Downloads 1314950 Design, Synthesis and Pharmacological Investigation of Novel 2-Phenazinamine Derivatives as a Mutant BCR-ABL (T315I) Inhibitor
Authors: Gajanan M. Sonwane
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Nowadays, the entire pharmaceutical industry is facing the challenge of increasing efficiency and innovation. The major hurdles are the growing cost of research and development and a concurrent stagnating number of new chemical entities (NCEs). Hence, the challenge is to select the most druggable targets and to search the equivalent drug-like compounds, which also possess specific pharmacokinetic and toxicological properties that allow them to be developed as drugs. The present research work includes the studies of developing new anticancer heterocycles by using molecular modeling techniques. The heterocycles synthesized through such methodology are much effective as various physicochemical parameters have been already studied and the structure has been optimized for its best fit in the receptor. Hence, on the basis of the literature survey and considering the need to develop newer anticancer agents, new phenazinamine derivatives were designed by subjecting the nucleus to molecular modeling, viz., GQSAR analysis and docking studies. Simultaneously, these designed derivatives were subjected to in silico prediction of biological activity through PASS studies and then in silico toxicity risk assessment studies. In PASS studies, it was found that all the derivatives exhibited a good spectrum of biological activities confirming its anticancer potential. The toxicity risk assessment studies revealed that all the derivatives obey Lipinski’s rule. Amongst these series, compounds 4c, 5b and 6c were found to possess logP and drug-likeness values comparable with the standard Imatinib (used for anticancer activity studies) and also with the standard drug methotrexate (used for antimitotic activity studies). One of the most notable mutations is the threonine to isoleucine mutation at codon 315 (T315I), which is known to be resistant to all currently available TKI. Enzyme assay planned for confirmation of target selective activity.Keywords: drug design, tyrosine kinases, anticancer, Phenazinamine
Procedia PDF Downloads 1104949 Pattern and Trend of Open Burning Occurrence in Greater Mekong Sub-Region Countries: Case Study Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar
Authors: Nion Sirimongkonlertkun, Vivard Phonekeo
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This research focused on open burning occurrence in Greater Mekong Sub-Region countries that influences the increase of PM10concentrations. Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos were chosen as a case study, and 2009, 2010, and 2012 were chosen as the year for case study. Hotspot detected by MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Specto radiometer) sensor on board of Terra/Aqua satellites and provided by Rapid Response System was used to represent open burning location in the region. Hotspot was selected through fire confidence with confidence levels of 80-100%. The spatial analysis by GIS was used as the main tool for analyzing and defining the location of open burning at study sites as hotspot with the pixel size of 1 km by 1 km. The total hotspot counts in the study period of four years (2007, 2009, 2010, and January-April 2012) at the regional level, including Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar were 255,177 hotspots or a very high yearly average of 63,795 hotspots. The highest amount was seen in Myanmar (50%), followed by Laos (36%), and Thailand (14%). For Thailand, the majority of burning or 64% occurred in the northern region with the density of 5 hotspots per 100 km2. According to statistics of the 4 years, the increasing rate of hotspot from January to February was 10 times and from February to March was 4 times. After that period, the hotspot started to decline by 2 times from March to April. Therefore, in order to develop a policy which aims to lessen open burning conduction, the government should seriously focus on this problem during the peak period—February to March in every year when hotspot and open burning area is significantly increased.Keywords: PM10, hotspot, greater mekong sub-region, open burning
Procedia PDF Downloads 3554948 Student Diversity in Higher Education: The Impact of Digital Elements on Student Learning Behavior and Subject-Specific Preferences
Authors: Pia Kastl
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By combining face-to-face sessions with digital selflearning units, the learning process can be enhanced and learning success improved. Potentials of blended learning are the flexibility and possibility to get in touch with lecturers and fellow students face-toface. It also offers the opportunity to individualize and self-regulate the learning process. Aim of this article is to analyse how different learning environments affect students’ learning behavior and how digital tools can be used effectively. The analysis also considers the extent to which the field of study affects the students’ preferences. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with students from different disciplines at two German universities (N= 60). The questions addressed satisfaction and perception of online, faceto-face and blended learning courses. In addition, suggestions for improving learning experience and the use of digital tools in the different learning environments were surveyed. The results show that being present on campus has a positive impact on learning success and online teaching facilitates flexible learning. Blended learning can combine the respective benefits, although one challenge is to keep the time investment within reasonable limits. The use of digital tools differs depending on the subject. Medical students are willing to use digital tools to improve their learning success and voluntarily invest more time. Students of the humanities and social sciences, on the other hand, are reluctant to invest additional time. They do not see extra study material as an additional benefit their learning success. This study illustrates how these heterogenous demands on learning environments can be met. In addition, potential for improvement will be identified in order to foster both learning process and learning success. Learning environments can be meaningfully enriched with digital elements to address student diversity in higher education.Keywords: blended learning, higher education, diversity, learning styles
Procedia PDF Downloads 624947 Evaluation the Effects of Air Pollution on Elderly People of the City of Tehran
Authors: Farideh Gheitasi, Amir Hossain Jaberansari, Payam Abedini
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The World Health Organization (WHO) Manifesto for Safe Communities states that "All human beings have an equal right to health and safety". The purpose of a safe Community is to minimize the damages threatening people. It seems that not sufficient attention has been given to relate environment and objectives of the safe Community. The reason for that can be assigned to the lack of enough information about environmental parameters and their relation with indices of the safe community like type and effect time of damages resulting from air pollution. Air pollution can be characterized as one of main environmental problems of Tehran. This problem is mostly due to the special geographic and climate situation, high population density and irregular growth in the number of vehicles. This paper is aimed at investigating the necessity of considering environmental factors to obtain a safe community through determining the effects of environmental pollution, particularly air pollution, on 490000 elders (+65) of Tehran. The methodology used in this study was on the basis of Random sampling and social surveying. The number of questionnaires was determined to be 321 through using Cochran method and the questionnaires were filled out by elders during personal interviews. The analysis of obtained results indicated that elders believe the major effects of air pollution include heart and respiratory diseases, obligation to stay at home on polluted days and its associated mental problems. Moreover, it was found that there is direct link between the number of polluted days and mortality frequency of elders. Having an environmental view may have an appreciable influence on the qualitative and quantitative development of activities and also facilitate obtaining the goals of the Safe Communities. In addition to reduce damages caused by pollutions, this view will encourage friends of the environment to cooperate with authorities of the safe community.Keywords: air pollution, elderly people, environment, waste management
Procedia PDF Downloads 4704946 Association between Substance Use Disorder, PTSD and the Effectiveness of Collaborative Care for Depression in Primary Care: A Systematic Literature Search and Narrative Review
Authors: J. Raub, H. Schillok, L. Kaupe, C. Jung-Sievers, G. Pitschel-Walz, M. Bühner, J. Gensichen, F. D. Pokal-Gruppe
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Introduction: In Germany, depression ranks among the top ten diseases with the highest disease burden and often occurs with comorbidities. Collaborative Care (CC), a concept developed in the United States for the primary care management of chronic diseases, has been identified as an efficient model for the treatment of depression in general medicine. A recent meta-analysis highlights research gaps regarding CC in patients with psychiatric multimorbidity. The highest prevalence of psychiatric comorbidities in depression is observed in anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and substance use disorders. Methods: We conducted a literature search following the PRISMA guidelines with three components: Collaborative Care, Depression and randomized controlled trial on the common databases. We focused on the examination of psychiatric comorbidities in depression, specifically Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Substance Use Disorder (SUD). Results: During the screening process, we identified nine relevant articles related to PTSD, the number of articles related to Substance Use Disorder (SUD) was ten. We examined a total of 8,634 individuals. Our literature review did not reveal any overall significant superiority of the Collaborative Care model compared to Usual Care in patients with depression with comorbid Substance Use Disorder (SUD) or Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Discussion: Five studies demonstrate a faster and statistically significant improvement in depression outcomes among patients with Substance Use Disorder (SUD) and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Currently, several randomized controlled trials on the topic of Collaborative Care in depression with psychiatric comorbidity are ongoing, such as miCare, Claro and COMET.Keywords: Depression, primary care, collaborative care, PTSD, Substance use Disorder
Procedia PDF Downloads 784945 Protective Effect of Diosgenin against Silica-Induced Tuberculosis in Rat Model
Authors: Williams A. Adu, Cynthia A. Danquah, Paul P. S. Ossei, Selase Ativui, Michael Ofori, James Asenso, George Owusu
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Background Silicosis is an occupational disease of the lung that is caused by chronic exposure to silica dust. There is a higher frequency of co-existence of silicosis with tuberculosis (TB), ultimately resulting in lung fibrosis and respiratory failure. Chronic intake of synthetic drugs has resulted in undesirable side effects. Diosgenin is a steroidal saponin that has been shown to exert a therapeutic effect on lung injury. Therefore, we investigated the ability of diosgenin to reduce the susceptibility of silica-induced TB in rats. Method Silicosis was induced by intratracheal instillation of 50 mg/kg crystalline silica in Sprague Dawley rats. Different doses of diosgenin (1, 10, and 100 mg/kg), Mycobacterium smegmatis and saline were administered for 30 days. Afterwards, 5 of the rats from each group were sacrificed, and the 5 remaining rats in each group, except the control, received Mycobacterium smegmatis. Treatment of diosgenin continued until the 50th day, and the rats were sacrificed at the end of the experiment. The result was analysed using a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with a Graph-pad prism Result At a half-maximal inhibition concentration of 48.27 µM, diosgenin inhibited the growth of Mycobacterium smegmatis. There was a marked decline in the levels of immune cell infiltration and cytokines production. Lactate dehydrogenase and total protein levels were significantly reduced compared to control. There was an increase in the survival rate of the treatment group compared to the control. Conclusion Diosgenin ameliorated silica-induced pulmonary tuberculosis by declining the levels of inflammatory and pro-inflammatory cytokines and, in effect, significantly reduced the susceptibility of rats to pulmonary TB.Keywords: silicosis, tuberculosis, diosgenin, fibrosis, crystalline silica
Procedia PDF Downloads 564944 Effect of Electromagnetic Radiation on Reproductive System of Male Rat
Authors: Rohit Gautam, Kumari Vandana Singh, Jayprakash Nirala, Nina Nancy Murmu, Ramovatar Meena, Paulraj Rajamani
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Mobile phones have become a vital part of everyone’s life. Mobile phone and mobile phone towers emit RF-EMR (Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Radiation), which becomes a cause of concern to the general public. The study was designed to evaluate the effect of 3G (RF-EMR) on the reproductive system of male Wistar rats. Adult male Wistar rats were used for the study. Animals were divided into two groups, RF-exposed, and sham-exposed (control). RF-exposed rats were exposed to radio frequency radiation (2100 MHz) for 2 hours/day for 45 days. Emitted power density and specific absorption rate (SAR) values were measured during exposure. At the end of the exposure, testis and epididymis were excised out, and their weights were recorded. Sperm cell count, morphology, viability, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were checked. Lipid peroxidation and sperm mitochondrial activity were measured. Histopathology of testis and ultrastructure analysis of sperm were also checked. Result showed a decrease in organ weight and sperm count with alteration in the sperm morphology in exposed group rats. A significant decrease in sperm viability, membrane integrity, and mitochondrial activity was found. Also, an increase in lipid peroxidation and ROS level were found in exposed group animals as compared to control. It may be concluded that exposure to radiofrequency radiation emits from mobile phones leads to oxidative stress-mediated changes in reproductive parameters.Keywords: electromagnetic radiation, oxidative stress, reactive oxygen species, sperm
Procedia PDF Downloads 1664943 Diffuse CO₂ Degassing to Study Blind Geothermal Systems: The Acoculco, Puebla (Mexico) Case Study
Authors: Mirna Guevara, Edgar Santoyo, Daniel Perez-Zarate, Erika Almirudis
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The Acoculco caldera located in Puebla (Mexico) has been preliminary identified as a blind hot-dry rock geothermal system. Two drilled wells suggest the existence of high temperatures >300°C and non-conventional tools are been applied to study this system. A comprehensive survey of soil-gas (CO₂) flux measurements (1,500 sites) was carried out during the dry seasons over almost two years (2015 and 2016). Isotopic analyses of δ¹³CCO₂ were performed to discriminate the origin source of the CO2 fluxes. The soil CO2 flux measurements were made in situ by the accumulation chamber method, whereas gas samples for δ13CCO2 were selectively collected from the accumulation chamber with evacuated gas vials via a septum. Two anomalous geothermal zones were identified as a result of these campaigns: Los Azufres (19°55'29.4'' N; 98°08'39.9'' W; 2,839 masl) and Alcaparrosa (19°55'20.6'' N; 98°08'38.3'' W; 2,845 masl). To elucidate the origin of the C in soil CO₂ fluxes, the isotopic signature of δ¹³C was used. Graphical Statistical Analysis (GSA) and a three end-member mixing diagram were used to corroborate the presence of distinctive statistical samples, and trends for the diffuse gas fluxes. Spatial and temporal distributions of the CO₂ fluxes were studied. High CO₂ emission rates up to 38,217 g/m2/d and 33,706 g/m2/d were measured for the Los Azufres and Alcaparrosa respectively; whereas the δ¹³C signatures showed values ranging from -3.4 to -5.5 o/oo for both zones, confirming their magmatic origin. This study has provided a valuable framework to set the direction of further exploration campaigns in the Acoculco caldera. Acknowledgements: The authors acknowledge the funding received from CeMIE-Geo P09 project (SENER-CONACyT).Keywords: accumulation chamber method, carbon dioxide, diffusive degassing, geothermal exploration
Procedia PDF Downloads 2574942 Digitalisation of Onboarding: A Case Study to Investigate the Impact of Virtual Reality Technology on Employees Social Interactions and Information Seeking During Job-Onboarding
Authors: Ewenam Gbormittah
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Because of the effects of the pandemic, companies are focusing on the future of work arrangements for their employees. This includes adapting to a remote or hybrid working model. It is important that employers provide those working remotely or in a hybrid mode a rewarding onboarding experience and opportunities for interaction. Although, Information & Communication Technologies (ICT) have transformed the ways organisations manage employees over the years, there is still a need for a platform where organisations can adjust their onboarding to suit the social and interactive aspects of their employees, to facilitate successful integration. This study aimed to explore this matter by investigating whether Virtual Reality (VR) technology contributes to new employees integration into the organisation during their job-onboarding (JOB) process. The research questions are as follows: (1) To what extent does VR have an impact on employees successful integration into the organisation, and (2) How does VR help elements of new employees Psychological Contract (PC) during the course of interactions. An exploratory case study approach, which consisted of a semi-structured interview was conducted on 20 employees, split from two different case organisations. The results of the data were analysed according to each case, and then a cross-case comparison was provided. The results have generated 8 themes, presenting in excess of 7 sub-themes for CS1 and presented 7 themes, in excess of 7 sub-themes for CS2. The cross-case analysis has revealed that VR does have the potential to support employees integration into the organisation. However, the effects were shown to be stronger for employees in CS2, compared to employees in CS1. The results highlight practical implications for onboarding psychology and strategic talent solutions within recruitment. Such strategy this research particularly outlines, involves providing insights on how to manage the PC of employees from the recruitment stage to creating successful employment relationships.Keywords: job-onboarding, psychological contract, virtual reality, case study one, case study two
Procedia PDF Downloads 504941 Estimation of Soil Erosion Potential in Herat Province, Afghanistan
Authors: M. E. Razipoor, T. Masunaga, K. Sato, M. S. Saboory
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Estimation of soil erosion is economically and environmentally important in Herat, Afghanistan. Degradation of soil has negative impact (decreased soil fertility, destroyed soil structure, and consequently soil sealing and crusting) on life of Herat residents. Water and wind are the main erosive factors causing soil erosion in Herat. Furthermore, scarce vegetation cover, exacerbated by socioeconomic constraint, and steep slopes accelerate soil erosion. To sustain soil productivity and reduce soil erosion impact on human life, due to sustaining agricultural production and auditing the environment, it is needed to quantify the magnitude and extent of soil erosion in a spatial domain. Thus, this study aims to estimate soil loss potential and its spatial distribution in Herat, Afghanistan by applying RUSLE in GIS environment. The rainfall erosivity factor ranged between values of 125 and 612 (MJ mm ha-1 h-1 year-1). Soil erodibility factor varied from 0.036 to 0.073 (Mg h MJ-1 mm-1). Slope length and steepness factor (LS) values were between 0.03 and 31.4. The vegetation cover factor (C), derived from NDVI analysis of Landsat-8 OLI scenes, resulting in range of 0.03 to 1. Support practice factor (P) were assigned to a value of 1, since there is not significant mitigation practices in the study area. Soil erosion potential map was the product of these factors. Mean soil erosion rate of Herat Province was 29 Mg ha-1 year-1 that ranged from 0.024 Mg ha-1 year-1 in flat areas with dense vegetation cover to 778 Mg ha-1 year-1 in sharp slopes with high rainfall but least vegetation cover. Based on land cover map of Afghanistan, areas with soil loss rate higher than soil loss tolerance (8 Mg ha-1 year-1) occupies 98% of Forests, 81% rangelands, 64% barren lands, 60% rainfed lands, 28% urban area and 18% irrigated Lands.Keywords: Afghanistan, erosion, GIS, Herat, RUSLE
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