Search results for: early Alzheimer’s recognition

Authors: Chrysanthi S. Tiliakou, Katerina T. Frantzi

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Writing has always been considered a most demanding skill for English as a Foreign Language learners as well as for native speakers. Novice foreign language writers are asked to handle a limited range of vocabulary to produce writing tasks at lower levels. Adverbs are the parts of speech that are not used extensively in the early stages of English as a Foreign Language writing. An additional problem with learning new adverbs is that, next to learning their meanings, learners are expected to acquire the proper placement of adverbs in a sentence. The use of adverbs is important as they enhance “expressive richness to one’s message”. By exploring the patterns of use of adverbs, researchers and educators can identify types of adverbs, which appear more taxing for young learners or that puzzle novice English as a Foreign Language writers with their placement, and focus on their teaching. To this end, the study examines the use of adverbs on two written Corpora of young learners of English of A1 – A2 levels and determines the types of adverbs used, their frequencies, problems in their use, and whether there is any differentiation between levels. The Antconc concordancing tool was used for the Greek Learner Corpus, and the Corpuscle concordancing tool for the Norwegian Corpus. The research found a similarity in the normalized frequencies of the adverbs used in the A1-A2 level Greek Learner Corpus with the frequencies of the same adverbs in the Norwegian Learner Corpus.

Keywords: learner corpora, young learners, writing, use of adverbs

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Authors: Emna Ketata, Wafa Farhat

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Introduction: Hyponatremia is defined by a blood sodium level of ≤ 136 mmol/L; it is associated with a high risk of morbidity and mortality in the emergency room. This was explained by transit disorders, including diarrhea and inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (Syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion). Pneumonia can cause dyspnea, stress-causing SIADH and digestive symptoms (diarrhea and vomiting). Aim: The purpose of this study was to determine the link between pneumonia and hyponatremia as a predictor of patient’s prognosis and intra-hospital mortality. Methodology: This is a prospective observational study over a period of 3 years in the emergency department. Inclusion :patients (age > 14 years), with clinical signs in favor of pneumonia. Natremia was measured. Natremia was classified as mild to moderate with a blood sodium level between 121 and 135 mmol/L and as severe with a blood sodium level ≤ 120 mmol/L. Results: This study showed an average serum sodium value of 135 mmol/L (range 114–159 mmol/L) in these patients. Hyponatremia was observed in 123 patients (43.6%), 115 patients (97,8%) had mild to moderate hyponatremia and 2,8% had severe hyponatremia. The mean age was 65±17 years with a sex ratio of 1.05. The main reason for consultation in patients with hyponatremia was cough in 58 patients (47.2%), and digestive symptoms were present in 25 patients (20.3. An altered state of consciousness was observed in 11 patients (3%). Patients with hyponatremia had greater heart rate (p=0.02),white blood cell count (p=0.009) , plasmatic lactate (p=0.002) and higher rate of pneumonia recurrence (p=0.001) .In addition, 80% of them have a positive CURB65 score (>=2). hyponatremia had higher rates of use of oxygen therapy compared to patients with normo-natremia (54% vs. 45%). The analytical study showed that hyponatremia is significantly associated with intra-hospital mortality with( p=0.01), severe hyponatremia p=0.04. Conclusion: Hyponatremia is a predictor of mortality and worse prognosis. Recognition of the pathophysiological mechanisms of hyponatremia in pneumonia will probably allow better management of it.

Keywords: oxygenotherapy, mortality, recurrence, positif curb65

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Authors: N. Umasuthan, S. D. N. K. Bathige, W. S. Thulasitha, I. Whang, J. Lee

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The MyD88 is an evolutionarily conserved host-expressed adaptor protein that is essential for proper TLR/ IL1R immune-response signaling. A previously identified complete cDNA (1626 bp) of OfMyD88 comprised an ORF of 867 bp encoding a protein of 288 amino acids (32.9 kDa). The gDNA (3761 bp) of OfMyD88 revealed a quinquepartite genome organization composed of 5 exons (with the sizes of 310, 132, 178, 92 and 155 bp) separated by 4 introns. All the introns displayed splice signals consistent with the consensus GT/AG rule. A bipartite domain structure with two domains namely death domain (24-103) coded by 1st exon, and TIR domain (151-288) coded by last 3 exons were identified through in silico analysis. Moreover, homology modeling of these two domains revealed a similar quaternary folding nature between human and rock bream homologs. A comprehensive comparison of vertebrate MyD88 genes showed that they possess a 5-exonic structure. In this structure, the last three exons were strongly conserved, and this suggests that a rigid structure has been maintained during vertebrate evolution. A cluster of TATA box-like sequences were found 0.25 kb upstream of cDNA starting position. In addition, putative 5'-flanking region of OfMyD88 was predicted to have TFBS implicated with TLR signaling, including copies of NFB1, APRF/ STAT3, Sp1, IRF1 and 2 and Stat1/2. Using qPCR technique, a ubiquitous mRNA expression was detected in liver and blood. Furthermore, a significantly up-regulated transcriptional expression of OfMyD88 was detected in head kidney (12-24 h; >2-fold), spleen (6 h; 1.5-fold), liver (3 h; 1.9-fold) and intestine (24 h; ~2-fold) post-Fla challenge. These data suggest a crucial role for MyD88 in antibacterial immunity of teleosts.

Keywords: MyD88, innate immunity, flagellin, genomic analysis

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Authors: Jyoti Agrawal

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Introduction: Renal diseases in children and young adult can be difficult to diagnose early as it may present only with few symptoms, tends to have different course than adult and respond variously to different treatment. The pattern of renal disease in children is different from developing countries as compared to developed countries. Methods: This study was a hospital based prospective observational study carried from March, 2014 to February 2015 at BP Koirala institute of health sciences. Patients with renal disease, both inpatient and outpatient from birth to 14 years of age were enrolled in the study. The diagnosis of renal disease was be made on clinical and laboratory criteria. Results: Total of 120 patients were enrolled in our study which contributed to 3.74% % of total admission. The commonest feature of presentation was edema (75%), followed by fever (65%), hypertension (60%), decreased urine output (45%) and hematuria (25%). Most common diagnosis was acute glomerulonephritis (40%) followed by Nephrotic syndrome (25%) and urinary tract infection (25%). Renal biopsy was done for 10% of cases and most of them were steroid dependent nephrotic syndrome. 5% of our cases expired because of multiorgan dysfunction syndrome, sepsis and acute kidney injury. Conclusion: Renal disease contributes to a large part of hospital pediatric admission as well as mortality and morbidity to the children.

Keywords: glomerulonephritis, nephrotic syndrome, renal disease, urinary tract infection

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Authors: Gaurav Kumar Sinha

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In an era marked by increasing concerns about energy sustainability, this research endeavors to address the pressing challenge of energy consumption in buildings and industries. This study delves into the transformative potential of AWS services in optimizing energy efficiency. The research is founded on the recognition that effective management of energy consumption is imperative for both environmental conservation and economic viability. Buildings and industries account for a substantial portion of global energy use, making it crucial to develop advanced techniques for analysis and reduction. This study sets out to explore the integration of AWS services with big data analytics to provide innovative solutions for energy consumption analysis. Leveraging AWS's cloud computing capabilities, scalable infrastructure, and data analytics tools, the research aims to develop efficient methods for collecting, processing, and analyzing energy data from diverse sources. The core focus is on creating predictive models and real-time monitoring systems that enable proactive energy management. By harnessing AWS's machine learning and data analytics capabilities, the research seeks to identify patterns, anomalies, and optimization opportunities within energy consumption data. Furthermore, this study aims to propose actionable recommendations for reducing energy consumption in buildings and industries. By combining AWS services with metrics-driven insights, the research strives to facilitate the implementation of energy-efficient practices, ultimately leading to reduced carbon emissions and cost savings. The integration of AWS services not only enhances the analytical capabilities but also offers scalable solutions that can be customized for different building and industrial contexts. The research also recognizes the potential for AWS-powered solutions to promote sustainable practices and support environmental stewardship.

Keywords: energy consumption analysis, big data analytics, AWS services, energy efficiency

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Authors: Manit Pollar

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Identifying the dengue epidemic periods early would be helpful to take necessary actions to prevent the dengue outbreaks. Providing an accurate prediction on dengue epidemic seasons will allow sufficient time to take the necessary decisions and actions to safeguard the situation for local authorities. This study aimed to develop a forecasting model on number of dengue incidences in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, Southern Thailand using time series analysis. We develop Seasonal Autoregressive Moving Average (SARIMA) models on the monthly data collected between 2003-2011 and validated the models using data collected between January-September 2012. The result of this study revealed that the SARIMA(1,1,0)(1,2,1)12 model closely described the trends and seasons of dengue incidence and confirmed the existence of dengue fever cases in Nakhon Si Thammarat for the years between 2003-2011. The study showed that the one-step approach for predicting dengue incidences provided significantly more accurate predictions than the twelve-step approach. The model, even if based purely on statistical data analysis, can provide a useful basis for allocation of resources for disease prevention.

Keywords: SARIMA, time series model, dengue cases, Thailand

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Authors: Linghui Meng, James Atlas, Deborah Munro

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There is an increasing demand for prosthetics capable of mimicking natural limb movements and hand gestures, but precise movement control of prosthetics using only electrode signals continues to be challenging. This study considers the implementation of machine learning as a means of improving accuracy and presents an initial investigation into hand gesture recognition using models based on electromyographic (EMG) signals. EMG signals, which capture muscle activity, are used as inputs to machine learning algorithms to improve prosthetic control accuracy, functionality and adaptivity. Using logistic regression, a machine learning classifier, this study evaluates the accuracy of classifying two hand gestures from the publicly available Ninapro dataset using two-time series feature extraction algorithms: Time Series Feature Extraction (TSFE) and Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs). Trials were conducted using varying numbers of EMG channels from one to eight to determine the impact of channel quantity on classification accuracy. The results suggest that although both algorithms can successfully distinguish between hand gesture EMG signals, CNNs outperform TSFE in extracting useful information for both accuracy and computational efficiency. In addition, although more channels of EMG signals provide more useful information, they also require more complex and computationally intensive feature extractors and consequently do not perform as well as lower numbers of channels. The findings also underscore the potential of machine learning techniques in developing more effective and adaptive prosthetic control systems.

Keywords: EMG, machine learning, prosthetic control, electromyographic prosthetics, hand gesture classification, CNN, computational neural networks, TSFE, time series feature extraction, channel count, logistic regression, ninapro, classifiers

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Authors: Bruce Small, Martin Espig, Alyssa Ryan

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In the agricultural sector, the rapid expansion of herbicide resistant weeds is a major threat to the global sustainability of food and fibre production. Efforts to avoid herbicide resistance have primarily focused on new technologies and farmer education. Yet, despite decades of advice to growers from agricultural scientists and extension professionals of the need for management strategies for herbicide use, herbicide resistance continues to increase. Technological options are running out and current extension efforts to change farmer behaviour are failing to curb the problem. As part of a five-year, government funded, research programme to address herbicide resistance in New Zealand, social science theory and practice are being utilised to investigate the complexities of managing herbicide use and controlling resistance. As an initial step, we are utilising a transdisciplinary, multi-level systems approach to examine the problem definition, knowledge beliefs, attitudes and values of different important actors in the agri-business sector. In this paper, we report early project results from qualitative research examining the similarities and contrasts in the perceptions of scientists, farmer/growers, and rural professionals.

Keywords: behaviour change, herbicide resistant weeds, knowledge beliefs, systems perspective

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Authors: Sara Vora (Hoxha)

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Defamation, invasion of privacy, and cyberbullying have all increased in tandem with the growth of the internet. European international private law may struggle to deal with such transgressions if they occur in many jurisdictions. The current study examines how effectively the legal system of European international private law addresses abuses of personality rights in cyberspace. The study starts by discussing how established legal frameworks are being threatened by online personality rights abuses. The article then looks into the rules and regulations of European international private law that are in place to handle overseas lawsuits. This article examines the different elements that courts evaluate when deciding which law to use in a particular case, focusing on the concepts of jurisdiction, choice of law, and recognition and execution of foreign judgements. Next, the research analyses the function of the European Union in preventing and punishing online personality rights abuses. Key pieces of law that control the collecting and processing of personal data on the Internet, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the e-Commerce Directive, are discussed. In addition, this article investigates how the ECtHR handles cases involving the infringement of personal freedoms, including privacy and speech. The article finishes with an assessment of how well the legal framework of European international private law protects individuals' right to privacy online. It draws attention to problems with the present legal structure, such as the inability to enforce international judgements, the inconsistency between national laws, and the necessity for stronger measures to safeguard people' rights online. This paper concludes that while European international private law provides a useful framework for dealing with violations of personality rights online, further harmonisation and stronger enforcement mechanisms are necessary to effectively protect individuals' rights in the digital age.

Keywords: European international private law, personality rights, internet, jurisdiction, cross-border disputes, data protection

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Authors: Ruchika Malhotra, Megha Khanna

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The development of change prediction models can help the software practitioners in planning testing and inspection resources at early phases of software development. However, a major challenge faced during the training process of any classification model is the imbalanced nature of the software quality data. A data with very few minority outcome categories leads to inefficient learning process and a classification model developed from the imbalanced data generally does not predict these minority categories correctly. Thus, for a given dataset, a minority of classes may be change prone whereas a majority of classes may be non-change prone. This study explores various alternatives for adeptly handling the imbalanced software quality data using different sampling methods and effective MetaCost learners. The study also analyzes and justifies the use of different performance metrics while dealing with the imbalanced data. In order to empirically validate different alternatives, the study uses change data from three application packages of open-source Android data set and evaluates the performance of six different machine learning techniques. The results of the study indicate extensive improvement in the performance of the classification models when using resampling method and robust performance measures.

Keywords: change proneness, empirical validation, imbalanced learning, machine learning techniques, object-oriented metrics

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Authors: Magaji Zainab Musa, Nordin M. A. Rahman, Julaily Aida Jusoh

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This paper discusses the formal specification of web services applications for digital reference services (WSDRS). Digital reference service involves a user requesting for help from a reference librarian and a reference librarian responding to the request of a user all by electronic means. In most cases users do not get satisfied while using digital reference service due to delay of response of the librarians. Another may be due to no response or due to librarian giving an irrelevant solution to the problem submitted by the user. WDSRS is an informal model that claims to reduce the problems of digital reference services in libraries. It uses web services technology to provide efficient way of satisfying users’ need in the reference section of libraries. But informal model is in natural language which is inconsistent and ambiguous that may cause difficulties to the developers of the system. In order to solve this problem we decided to convert the informal specifications into formal specifications. This is supposed to reduce the overall development time and cost. Formal specification can be used to provide an unambiguous and precise supplement to natural language descriptions. It can be rigorously validated and verified leading to the early detection of specification errors. We use Z language to develop the formal model and verify it with Z/EVES theorem prover tool.

Keywords: formal, specifications, web services, digital reference services

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Authors: Osvaldo N. Oliveira Jr.

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The control of molecular architecture inherent in some experimental methods to produce nanostructured films has had great impact on devices of various types, including sensors and biosensors. The self-assembly monolayers (SAMs) and the electrostatic layer-by-layer (LbL) techniques, for example, are now routinely used to produce tailored architectures for biosensing where biomolecules are immobilized with long-lasting preserved activity. Enzymes, antigens, antibodies, peptides and many other molecules serve as the molecular recognition elements for detecting an equally wide variety of analytes. The principles of detection are also varied, including electrochemical methods, fluorescence spectroscopy and impedance spectroscopy. In this presentation an overview will be provided of biosensors made with nanostructured films to detect antibodies associated with tropical diseases and HIV, in addition to detection of analytes of medical interest such as cholesterol and triglycerides. Because large amounts of data are generated in the biosensing experiments, use has been made of computational and statistical methods to optimize performance. Multidimensional projection techniques such as Sammon´s mapping have been shown more efficient than traditional multivariate statistical analysis in identifying small concentrations of anti-HIV antibodies and for distinguishing between blood serum samples of animals infected with two tropical diseases, namely Chagas´ disease and Leishmaniasis. Optimization of biosensing may include a combination of another information visualization method, the Parallel Coordinate technique, with artificial intelligence methods in order to identify the most suitable frequencies for reaching higher sensitivity using impedance spectroscopy. Also discussed will be the possible convergence of technologies, through which machine learning and other computational methods may be used to treat data from biosensors within an expert system for clinical diagnosis.

Keywords: clinical diagnosis, information visualization, nanostructured films, layer-by-layer technique

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Authors: Muhamad Azuddin Hassan, Siti Shafura Karim, Ambri Mohamed, Iskandar Yahya

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Human serum albumin plays a significant part in the physiological functions of the human body system (HSA).HSA level monitoring is critical for early detection of HSA-related illnesses. The goal of this study is to show that a field effect transistor (FET)-based immunosensor can assess HSA using high aspect ratio carbon nanotubes network (CNT) as a transducer. The CNT network were deposited using air brush technique, and the FET device was made using a shadow mask process. Field emission scanning electron microscopy and a current-voltage measurement system were used to examine the morphology and electrical properties of the CNT network, respectively. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were used to confirm the surface alteration of the CNT. The detection process is based on covalent binding interactions between an antibody and an HSA target, which resulted in a change in the manufactured biosensor's drain current (Id).In a linear range between 1 ng/ml and 10zg/ml, the biosensor has a high sensitivity of 0.826 mA (g/ml)-1 and a LOD value of 1.9zg/ml.HSA was also identified in a genuine serum despite interference from other biomolecules, demonstrating the CNT-FET immunosensor's ability to quantify HSA in a complex biological environment.

Keywords: carbon nanotubes network, biosensor, human serum albumin

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Authors: Ali Heidari

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This paper presents the principles for improving flood mitigation operation in multipurpose dams and maximizing reservoir performance during flood occurrence with a focus on the real-time operation of gated spillways. The criteria of operation include the safety of dams during flood management, minimizing the downstream flood risk by decreasing the flood hazard and fulfilling water supply and other purposes of the dam operation in mid and long terms horizons. The parameters deemed to be important include flood inflow, outlet capacity restrictions, downstream flood inundation damages, economic revenue of dam operation, and environmental and sedimentation restrictions. A simulation model was used to determine the real-time release of the Dez dam located in the Dez rivers in southwest Iran, considering the gate regulation curves for the gated spillway. The results of the simulation model show that there is a possibility to improve the current procedures used in the real-time operation of the dams, particularly using gate regulation curves and early flood forecasting system results. The Dez dam operation data shows that in one of the best flood control records, % 17 of the total active volume and flood control pool of the reservoir have not been used in decreasing the downstream flood hazard despite the availability of a flood forecasting system.

Keywords: dam operation, flood control criteria, Dez dam, Iran

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Authors: Abdelaadim Bidaoui

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As one of the most important linguistic inquiries, the topic of the intertwined relationship between language, the mind, and the world has attracted many scholars. In the fifties, Sapir and Whorf advocated the hypothesis that language shapes our cultural realities as an early attempt to provide answers to this linguistic inquiry. Later, discursive psychology views the linguistic behavior as “a dynamic form of social practice which constructs the social world, individual selves and identity.” (Jorgensen & Phillips 2002, 118). Discursive psychology also considers discourse as a trigger of social action and change. Building on discursive psychology and motivation theory, this paper examines the impact of linguistic behavior of the Moroccan coach Walid Reggragui on the Moroccan team’s exceptional performance in Qatar 2022 Soccer World Cup. The data used in the research is based on interviews conducted by the Moroccan coach prior and during the World Cup. Using a discourse analysis of the linguistic behavior of Reggragui, this paper shows how the linguistic behavior of Reggragui provided support for the three psychological needs: sense of belonging, competence, and autonomy. As any CDA research, this paper uses a triangulated theoretical framework that includes language, cognition and society.

Keywords: critical discourse analysis, motivation theory, discursive psychology, linguistic behavior

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Authors: Ghada Esheba, Ebtisam Aljerayan, Afnan Al-Ghamdi, Atheer Alsharif, Hanan alzahrani

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Background: Primary ovarian neoplasms comprise a heterogeneous group of tumors of three main subtypes: surface epithelial, germ cell, and sex cord-stromal. The wide morphological variation within and between these groups can result in diagnostic difficulties. Gonadal sex cord-stromal tumors (SCST) represent one of the most heterogeneous categories of human neoplasms, because they may contain various combinations of different gonadal sex cord and stromal element. Aim: The aim of this work is to highlight the clinicopathological characteristics of SCST and to assess the value of alpha-inhibin and calretinin in the distinction between SCST and their mimics. Material and methods: This study was carried out on 100 cases using full tissue sections; 70 cases were SCST and 30 cases were histological mimics of SCST. The cases were studied using immunohistochemically using alpha-inhibin. In addition, an ovarian tissue microarray containing 170 benign and malignant ovarian neoplasms was also studied immunohistochemically for calretinin expression. The ovarian microarray included 14 SCST, 59 ovarian serous borderline tumors, 17 mucinous borderline tumors, 10 mucinous adenocarcinomas, 32 endometrioid adenocarcinomas, 34 clear cell carcinomas, and 4 germ cell tumors. Results: 99% of SCST examined using full tissue sections exhibited positive cytoplasmic staining for inhibin. On the contrary, only 7% of the histological mimics (P value < 0.0001). 86% of SCST in the tissue microarray were positive for calretinin with nuclear and/or cytoplasmic staining compared to only 7% of the other tumor types (P value < 0.0001). Conclusions: SCST have characteristic clinicopathological and immunohistochemical features and their recognition is crucial for proper diagnosis and treatment. Alpha-inhibin and calretinin are of great help in the diagnosis of sex cord-stromal tumors.

Keywords: calretinin, granulosa cell tumor, inhibin, sex cord-stromal tumors

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Authors: Kye Gilder, Kevin Shan, Amy Halseth, Steve Smith

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This study assessed the effect of prolonged-release naltrexone 32 mg/bupropion 360 mg (NB) on cardiovascular (CV) events in overweight/obese participants at elevated CV risk. Participants must lose ≥2% body weight at 16 wks, without a sustained increase in blood pressure, to continue drug. Only serious adverse events (SAE) and adverse events leading to discontinuation of study drug (AELDSD) were collected. The study was terminated early after second interim analysis with 50% of all CV events. Data on CV endpoints has been published. Current analyses focused on AEs in participants on antidepressants at baseline, as these individuals were excluded from Phase 3 trials. Intent-to-treat (ITT) population (placebo [PBO] N=4450, NB N=4455) was 54.5% female, 83.5% white, mean age of 61 yrs, mean BMI 37.3 kg/m2, 22.8% with a history of depression, 23.1% on antidepressants, including 15.4% on an SSRI. SAEs in participants receiving antidepressants was similar between NB (10.7%) and PBO (9.9%) and also similar to overall population (9.5% NB, 8.1% PBO). SAEs in those on SSRIs were similar, 10.1% NB and PBO 9.4%. For those on SSRIs or other antidepressants, AELDSDs were similar to overall population and were primarily GI disorders. Obesity increases the risk of developing depression. For participants taking NB and antidepressants, including SSRIs, there is a similar AE profile as the overall population and data revealed no evidence of an additional health risk with combined use.

Keywords: antidepressant, Contrave, Mysimba, obesity, pharmacotherapy

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Authors: Alshaimaa Abdelwahab, Allegra Cattani, Caroline Floccia

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Assessing children’s language is fundamental for changing their developmental outcome as it gives a chance for a quick and early intervention with the suitable planning and monitoring program. The importance of language assessment lies in helping to find the right test fit for purpose, in addition to achievement and proficiency. This study examines the validity of a new Arabic assessment tool, the Arabic Communicative Development Inventory ‘Arabic CDI’. It assesses the development of language in Arabic children in different Arabic countries, allowing to detect children with language delay. A concurrent validity is set to compare the Arabic CDI to the Arabic Language test. Twenty-three typically developing Egyptian healthy children and their mothers participated in this study. Their age is 24 months (+ or -) two weeks. The sample included 13 males and 10 females. Mothers completed the Arabic CDI either before or after the Arabic Language Test was conducted with the child. The score for comprehension in the Arabic CDI (M= 52.7, SD= 9.7) and words understood in the Arabic Language Test (M= 59.6, SD= 12.5) were strongly and positively correlated (r= .62, p= .002). At the same time, the scores for production in the Arabic CDI (M= 38.4, SD= 14.8) and words expressed in the Arabic Language Test (M= 52.1, SD= 16.3) were also strongly and positively correlated (r= .82, p= .000). The new Arabic CDI is an adequate tool for assessing the development of comprehension and production at Arabic children. In addition, it could be used for detecting children with language impairment. Standardization of the Arabic CDI across 18 different Arabic dialects in children aged 8 to 30 months is underway.

Keywords: Arabic CDI, assessing children, language development, language impairment

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Authors: Apu Kumar Saha, Mrinmoy Majumder

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The increase in the concentration of Green House gases all over the World has induced global warming phenomena whereby the average temperature of the world has aggravated to impact the pattern of climate in different regions. The frequency of extreme event has increased, early onset of season and change in an average amount of rainfall all are engrossing the conclusion that normal pattern of climate is changing. Sophisticated and complex models are prepared to estimate the future situation of the climate in different zones of the Earth. As hydro-energy is directly related to climatic parameters like rainfall and evaporation such energy resources will have to sustain the onset of the climatic abnormalities. The present investigation has tried to assess the impact of climatic abnormalities upon hydropower potential of different regions of the World. In this regard multi-criteria, decision making, and the neural network is used to predict the impact of the change cognitively by an index. The results from the study show that hydro-energy potential of Asian region is mostly vulnerable with respect to other regions of the world. The model results also encourage further application of the index to analyze the impact of climate change on the potential of hydro-energy.

Keywords: hydro-energy potential, neural networks, multi criteria decision analysis, environmental and ecological engineering

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Authors: Sarah Hebbouch

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Two decades ago, research on diasporic women’s participation within Sufi circles would have been inconceivable, not only because of a general lack of recognition of their contribution to Sufism but due to the intimacy of the rituals, often taking place in confined spaces, like zawiyas (Sufi lodges). Recent scholarly attention to female spiritual experience owes to a digital awareness and interest in exploring diasporic community reproduction of those experiences. Within a context where female disciples of a Sufi convent undergo a physical separation from the saint’s sanctuary -because of immigration from the homeland to the host country- technology becomes a social hub accounting for Sufis’ ritual commitment and preservation of cultural capital in the diaspora. This paper elucidates how female Sufi immigrants affiliating with the Boudchichi brotherhood (Morocco-based) maintain ‘a relational network’ and strong social online relationships with their female compatriots in Morocco through the use of online platforms. Sufi communities living in the diaspora find the internet an open interactive space that serves to kindle their distance of spiritual participation and corroborate their transnational belonging. The current paper explores the implications of the use of a digital baseline named “Tariqa Info,” the convent’s digital online platform, and how it mediates everyday ritual performance, the promotion of digital connection, and the communication of ideas and discourses. Such a platform serves the bolstering emotional bonds for transnational female disciples and inclusion within online communities in the homeland. Assisted by an ethnographic lens, this paper discusses the research findings of participatory field observation of Sufi women’s online communities, informed by the need to trace the many ostensible aspects of interconnectedness and divergences.

Keywords: digital connection, Sufi convent, social online relationship, transnational female disciples

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Authors: Beatriz Mella Lira, Karla Yohannessen, Robin Hickman

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The aim of the paper is recognising inequalities through the self-assessment of health-related factors, in the context of daily mobilities in Santiago de Chile. Human capabilities will be used as the theoretical basis for the recognition and assessment of these factors regarding the functioning (what people are currently able to do) and capabilities (what people want to achieve and what is valuable for them), reflecting differences across social groups and among types of transport users. The self-assessment of health-related factors considers perceptions of stress, physical effort, proximity to other transport users, pollution, safety, and comfort. The types of transport users are classified as: private (cars, taxis, colectivos, motos), public (buses and metro) and active (bicycles and walking). The methodology follows a capability-based questionnaire, which was applied in different areas of Santiago de Chile, considering concepts extracted from the human capabilities list. The self-assessment of these health-related factors examines the context of peoples’ mobilities for performing their daily activities, considering socioeconomic differences as income, age, gender, disabilities, residence location and primary mode choice. The paper uses Relative Importance Index (RII) for weighting the relative influence or valuation of the factors. The respondents were asked to rate the importance of each factor on a scale from 1 to 5, in an ascending order of importance. The results suggest that these health-related factors impact not just the perceptions of users, but their well-being and their propensity for achieving their capabilities and the things they value in life. The paper is focused on the development of an applicable approach, measuring factors that should be included in transport project appraisal, as a more comprehensive and complementary method.

Keywords: active transport, health, human capabilities, Santiago de Chile, transport inequalities, transportation planning, urban planning

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Authors: Ashokkumar Subbiah

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This study investigates the impact of factors that influenced the success of construction planning for a major construction project in Qatar. An approach of participant observation is adopted which is informed by the principles of ethnography: one that reports the participants’ view of their world rather than imposing an artificial theoretical framework upon it. As participant observant, key factors were observed and identified that had an impact on the management and execution of the construction planning. It is found that a ‘shadow culture’ exists between the project participants which, it is argued, is only observable from the perspective of an embedded participant observer. The shadow culture acts to enable the management of the planning process, and its efficacy relates to the ‘quality’ of human inter-relationships amongst immediate stakeholders. Whilst this study uses the concept of shadow culture, it is treated as both a methodological stance and one of the findings of this research in the context of the major construction project in Qatar. The concept of shadow culture is not imposed upon the findings, but instead is used as a research tool: respondents report their own worldview and this is reported from the view of a participant observant in a manner that is understandable and useful to those who are not part of the construction project. The findings of this study identify similar factors influencing the planning process of the Qatar project, but the shadow culture predominantly influences these factors towards the failure of planning process. The research concludes by questioning the assumption that construction planning is a mechanistic process that has to be conducted solely by the planning team. Instead, it is a highly social phenomenon in which the seemingly mechanistic process is made workable by the quality of relationships that exist in the project. Drawing on this the final section provides a series of recommendations that may be helpful in enhancing the efficacy of project planning; these include better training/education at the pre-construction phase; recognition of the importance of shadow processes at management levels, and better appreciation of the impact of contract type and chosen procurement route.

Keywords: construction planning, participant observation, project participants, shadow culture

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Authors: Xingdu Wang, Charlie Gere, Emma Rose, Yuxuan Zhao

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The study introduces a fresh perspective on the digital realm through an examination of the Chinese concept of Xiang, elucidating how it can build an understanding of pixels and textures on screens as digital trigrams. This concept attempts to offer an outlook on the intersection of digital technology and the natural world, thereby contributing to discussions about the harmonious relationship between humans and technology. The study looks for the ancient Chinese theory of Xiang as a key to establishing the theories and practices to respond to the problem of Contemporary Chinese technics. Xiang is a Chinese method of understanding the essentials of things through appearances, which differs from the method of science in the Westen. Xiang, the basement of Chinese visual art, is rooted in ancient Chinese philosophy and connected to the eight trigrams. The discussion of Xiang connects art, philosophy, and technology. This paper connects the meaning of Xiang with the 'truth appearing' philosophically through the analysis of the concepts of phenomenon and noumenon and the unique Chinese way of observing. Hereafter, the historical interconnection between ancient painting and writing in China emphasizes their relationship between technical craftsmanship and artistic expression. In digital, the paper blurs the traditional boundaries between images and text on digital screens in theory. Lastly, this study identified an ensemble concept relating to pixels and textures in computer vision, drawing inspiration from AI image recognition in Chinese paintings. In art practice, by presenting a fluid visual experience in the form of pixels, which mimics the flow of lines in traditional calligraphy and painting, it is hoped that the viewer will be brought back to the process of the truth appearing as defined by the 'Xiang’.

Keywords: Chinese cosmotechnics, computer vision, contemporary Neo-Confucianism, texture and pixel, Xiang

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Authors: Ismail Abubakar, Hamid Mehrabi, Reg Morton

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Currently, extensive signal analysis is performed in order to evaluate structural health of turbomachinery blades. This approach is affected by constraints of time and the availability of qualified personnel. Thus, new approaches to blade dynamics identification that provide faster and more accurate results are sought after. Generally, modal analysis is employed in acquiring dynamic properties of a vibrating turbomachinery blade and is widely adopted in condition monitoring of blades. The analysis provides useful information on the different modes of vibration and natural frequencies by exploring different shapes that can be taken up during vibration since all mode shapes have their corresponding natural frequencies. Experimental modal testing and finite element analysis are the traditional methods used to evaluate mode shapes with limited application to real live scenario to facilitate a robust condition monitoring scheme. For a real time mode shape evaluation, rapid evaluation and low computational cost is required and traditional techniques are unsuitable. In this study, artificial neural network is developed to evaluate the mode shape of a lab scale rotating blade assembly by using result from finite element modal analysis as training data. The network performance evaluation shows that artificial neural network (ANN) is capable of mapping the correlation between natural frequencies and mode shapes. This is achieved without the need of extensive signal analysis. The approach offers advantage from the perspective that the network is able to classify mode shapes and can be employed in real time including simplicity in implementation and accuracy of the prediction. The work paves the way for further development of robust condition monitoring system that incorporates real time mode shape evaluation.

Keywords: modal analysis, artificial neural network, mode shape, natural frequencies, pattern recognition

Procedia PDF Downloads 156

Authors: Naci Büyükkaracığan, Hasan Uzun

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Flood is the event which damage to the surrounding lands, residential places, infrastructure and vibrant, because of the streams overflow events from its bed for several reasons. Flood is a natural formation which develops due to its region's climatic conditions, technical and topographical characteristics. However, factors causing floods with global warming caused by human activity are events such as uncontrolled urbanization. Floods in Turkey are natural disasters which cause huge economic losses after the earthquake. At the same time, the flood disaster is one of the most observed hydrometeorological disasters, compared to 30%, in Turkey. Every year, there are around 200 flood-flood disasters and the disaster as a result of financial losses of $ 100 million per year are reported to occur in public institutions. The amount allocated for carrying out investment-project activities for reducing and controlling of flood damage control are around US $ 30 million per year. The existence of a linear increase in the number of flood disasters is noteworthy due to various reasons in the last 50 years of observation. In this study, first of all, big events of the flood in Turkey and their reasons were examined. And then, the information about the work to be done in order to prevent flooding by government was given with examples. Meteorological early warning systems, flood risk maps and regulation of urban development studies are described for this purpose. As a result, recommendations regarding in the event of the occurrence of floods disaster management were issues raised.

Keywords: flood, disaster, disaster management, Türkiye

Procedia PDF Downloads 329

Authors: Mahmoud Abdel Hameed Shahin

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Job demands that are incompatible with an employee's skills, resources, or needs cause unpleasant emotional and physical reactions known as job stress. Nurses offer care in hospital emergency rooms all around the world, and since they operate in such a dynamic and unpredictable setting, they are constantly under pressure. It has been discovered that job stress has harmful impacts on nurses' health as well as their capacity to handle the demands of their jobs. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the level of job stress experienced by the emergency department nurses at King Fahad Specialist Hospital in Buraidah City, Saudi Arabia. In October 2021, a cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted. 80 nurses were conveniently selected for the study, the bulk of them worked at King Fahad Specialist Hospital's emergency department. An electronic questionnaire with a sociodemographic data sheet and a job stress scale was given to the participating nurses after ethical approval was received from the Ministry of Health's representative bodies. Using SPSS Version 26, both descriptive and inferential statistics were employed to analyze and tabulate the acquired data. According to the findings, the factors that contributed to the most job stress in the clinical setting were having an excessive amount of work to do and working under arbitrary deadlines, whereas the factors that contributed to the least stress were receiving the proper recognition or rewards for good work. In the emergency room of King Fahad Specialist Hospital, nurses had a moderate level of stress (M=3.32 ± 0.567/5). Based on their experience, emergency nurses' levels of job stress varied greatly, with nurses with less than a year of experience notably experiencing the lowest levels of job stress. The amount of job stress did not differ significantly based on the emergency nurses' age, nationality, gender, marital status, position, or level of education. The causes and impact of stress on emergency nurses should be identified and alleviated by hospitals through the implementation of interventional programs.

Keywords: emergency nurses, job pressure, Qassim, Saudi Arabia, job stress

Procedia PDF Downloads 190

Authors: Lim Sanny, Felix Christian

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The use of heavy equipment in Indonesia is always increasing. Cost reduction in procurement of spare parts is the aim of the company. The spare parts in this research are focused in the kind of filters. On the early step, the choosing of priority filter will be studied further by using the ABC analysis. To find out future demand of the filter, this research is using demand forecast by utilizing the QM software for windows. And to find out the best method of inventory control for each kind of filter is by comparing the total cost of Economic Order Quantity and Quick response inventory method. For the three kind of filters which are Cartridge, Engine oil – pn : 600-211-123, Element, Transmission – pn : 424-16-11140, and Element, Hydraulic – pn : 07063-01054, the best forecasting method is Linear regression. The best method for inventory control of Cartridge, Engine oil – pn : 600-211-123 and Element, Transmission – pn : 424-16-11140, is Quick Response Inventory, while the best method for Element, Hydraulic – pn : 07063-01054 is Economic Order Quantity.

Keywords: strategy, inventory, ABC analysis, forecasting, economic order quantity, quick response inventory

Procedia PDF Downloads 364

Authors: Federica Verna, Alessandra Pautasso, Maria Caramelli, Cristiana Maurella, Walter Mignone, Cristina Casalone

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Mosquito-Borne Diseases (MBDs) are dangerously increasing in prevalence, geographical distribution and severity, representing an emerging threat for both humans and animals. Interaction between multiple disciplines is needed for an effective early warning, surveillance and control of MBDs, according to the One Health concept. This work reports the integrated surveillance system enforced by IZSPLV in Piedmont, Liguria and Valle d’Aosta regions (Northwestern Italy) in order to control MDBs spread. Veterinary services and local human health authority are involved in an information network, to connect the surveillance of human clinical cases with entomological surveillance and veterinary monitoring in order to implement control measures in case of outbreak. A systematic entomological surveillance is carried out during the vector season using mosquitoes traps located in sites selected according to risk factors. Collected mosquitoes are counted, identified to species level by morphological standard classification keys and pooled by collection site, date and species with a maximum of 100 individuals. Pools are analyzed, after RNA extraction, by Real Time RT-PCR distinctive for West Nile Virus (WNV) Lineage 1 and Lineage 2, Real Time RT-PCR USUTU virus (USUV) and a traditional flavivirus End-point RT-PCR. Positive pools are sequenced and the related sequences employed to perform a basic local alignment search tool (BLAST) in the GenBank library. Positive samples are sent to the National Reference Centre for Animal Exotic Diseases (CESME, Teramo) for confirmation. With particular reference to WNV, after the confirmation, as provided by national legislation, control measures involving both local veterinary and human health services are activated: equine sera are randomly sampled within a 4 km radius from the positive collection sites and tested with ELISA kit and WNV NAT screening of blood donors is introduced. This surveillance network allowed to detect since 2011 USUV circulation in this area of Italy. WNV was detected in Piedmont and Liguria for the first time in 2014 in mosquitoes. During the 2015 vector season, we observed the expansion of its activity in Piedmont. The virus was detected in almost all Provinces both in mosquitoes (6 pools) and animals (19 equine sera, 4 birds). No blood bag tested resulted infected. The first neuroinvasive human case occurred too. Competent authorities should be aware of a potentially increased risk of MBDs activity during the 2016 vector season. This work shows that this surveillance network allowed to early detect the presence of MBDs in humans and animals, and provided useful information to public authorities, in order to apply control measures. Finally, an additional value of our diagnostic protocol is the ability to detect all viruses belonging to the Flaviviridae family, considering the emergence caused by other Flaviviruses in humans such as the recent Zika virus infection in South America. Italy has climatic and environmental features conducive to Zika virus transmission, the competent vector and many travellers from Brazil reported every year.

Keywords: integrated surveillance, mosquito borne disease, West Nile virus, Zika virus

Procedia PDF Downloads 361

Authors: Changzhi Jiang, Chunyu Ding, Yan Su, Jiawei Li, Ravi Sharma, Yuanzhou Liu, Jiangwan Xu

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Early Mars is believed to have had extensive liquid water activity, which has now predominantly transitioned to a frozen state, with the majority of water stored in polar ice caps. It has long been deemed that the shallow subsurface of Mars' mid-to-low latitudes is devoid of liquid water. However, geological features observed at the Tianwen-1 landing site hint potential subsurface water. Our research indicates that the shallow subsurface at the Tianwen-1 landing site consists primarily of diluvium deposits containing liquid brine and brine ice, which exhibits diurnal thermal convection processes. Here we report the relationship between the loss tangent and temperature of materials within 5 meters depth of the subsurface at the Tianwen-1 landing site, as in-situ detected by high-frequency radar and climate station onboard the Zhurong rover. When the strata temperature exceeds ~ 240 K, the mixed brine ice transitions to liquid brine, significantly increasing the loss tangent from an average of ~ 0.0167 to a maximum of ~ 0.0448. This finding indicates the presence of substantial subsurface water in Mars' mid-to-low latitudes, influencing the shallow subsurface heat distribution and contributing to the current Martian hydrological cycle.

Keywords: water on mars, mars exploration, in-situ radar detection, tianwen-1 mission

Procedia PDF Downloads 37

Authors: Lindsey Watson

Abstract:

This research is aimed at facilitating and listening to the voices of younger children, recognising their contributions to research about the things that matter to them. Digital technology increasingly impacts on the lives of young children, therefore this study aimed at increasing children’s agency through recognising and involving their perspectives to help contribute to a wider understanding of younger children’s perceptions of online safety. Using a phenomenological approach, the paper discusses how storytelling as a creative methodological approach enabled an agentic space for children to express their views, knowledge, and perceptions of their engagement with the digital world. Setting and parental informed consent were gained in addition to an adapted approach to child assent through the use of child-friendly language and emoji stickers, which was also recorded verbally. Findings demonstrate that younger children are thinking about many aspects of digital technology and how this impacts on their lives and that storytelling as a research method is a useful tool to facilitate conversations with young children. The paper thus seeks to recognise and evaluate how creative methodologies can provide insights into children’s understanding of online safety and how this can influence practitioners and parents in supporting younger children in a digital world.

Keywords: early childhood, family, online safety, phenomenology, storytelling

Procedia PDF Downloads 129