Search results for: user identification

Authors: Muhammad Usman Akram

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This research work based on GNSS-Aided Photogrammetry for Digital Mapping. It focuses on topographic survey of an area or site which is to be used in future Planning & development (P&D) or can be used for further, examination, exploration, research and inspection. Survey and Mapping in hard-to-access and hazardous areas are very difficult by using traditional techniques and methodologies; as well it is time consuming, labor intensive and has less precision with limited data. In comparison with the advance techniques it is saving with less manpower and provides more precise output with a wide variety of multiple data sets. In this experimentation, Aerial Photogrammetry technique is used where an UAV flies over an area and captures geocoded images and makes a Three-Dimensional Model (3-D Model), UAV operates on a user specified path or area with various parameters; Flight altitude, Ground sampling distance (GSD), Image overlapping, Camera angle etc. For ground controlling, a network of points on the ground would be observed as a Ground Control point (GCP) using Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) in PPK or RTK mode. Furthermore, that raw data collected by UAV and DGPS will be processed in various Digital image processing programs and Computer Aided Design software. From which as an output we obtain Points Dense Cloud, Digital Elevation Model (DEM) and Ortho-photo. The imagery is converted into geospatial data by digitizing over Ortho-photo, DEM is further converted into Digital Terrain Model (DTM) for contour generation or digital surface. As a result, we get Digital Map of area to be surveyed. In conclusion, we compared processed data with exact measurements taken on site. The error will be accepted if the amount of error is not breached from survey accuracy limits set by concerned institutions.

Keywords: photogrammetry, post processing kinematics, real time kinematics, manual data inquiry

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Authors: Niranjan Devkota , Ram Kumar Phuya, Durga Lal Shreshta

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This paper estimates cost and benefit of adoption of climate change adaptation options available to the rural rice farmers of Nepal. Adoption of adaptation strategies, intensity of use of adaptation options, identification of labor and non-labor cost and finally per unit cost and benefit analysis of climate change adaptation were made. Multi-stage sampling technique was used to source respondents for the study and used structured questionnaire techniques to collect data from 773 households from seven districts; 3 from Terai and 4 from Hilly region of Nepal. The result revealed that there are 13 major adaptation options rice farmers practice in order to protect themselves from climatic risk. Among the given adaptation options, the first three popular adaptation options practiced by rice farmers are (i) increasing use of chemical fertilizer (60.93%) (ii) use of climate smart verities (49.29%) and (iii) change in nursery date (32.08%). Adaptation cost is obvious, based on that, the first three costly adaptation options are the alternative irrigation practice which incurred average cost of US $69.95 (US$ 1 = 102.84 Nepalese Rupees) followed by a denser plantation of local seeds ($ 20.69) and using climate smart varieties ($ 18.06). 88% farmers practiced more than one adaptation strategies on the same farm with the aim of reducing the effect of extreme climatic conditions. Total cost and revenue revealed that per unit total cost ranges from $28.34 to $32.79 whereas per unit total revenue ranges $33.4 to $49.02. Surprisingly, it is observed that farmers who do not adopt any adaptation options are able to receive highest income from per unit production. As Net Present Value (NPV) is positive and Benefit Cost Ration (BCR) is greater than one for every adaptation options that indicates the available adaptation options are profitable to the rice farmers.

Keywords: climate change, adaptation options, cost benefit analysis, rural rice farmers, Nepal

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Authors: Alazar Nebyou, Sujata Pandit

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Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are essential ingredients in probiotic foods, intestinal microflora, and dairy products that are capable of coping up with harsh gastrointestinal tract conditions and are available in a variety of environments. The objective of this study is to evaluate the probiotic property of LAB isolated from bovine milk. Milk samples were collected from local dairy farms. Samples were obtained using sterile test tubes and transported to a laboratory in the icebox for further biochemical characterization. Preliminary physiological and biochemical identification of LAB isolates was conducted by growing on MRS agar after ten-fold serial dilution. Seven of the best isolates were selected for the evaluation of the probiotic property. The LAB isolates were checked for resistance to antibiotics and their antimicrobial activity by disc diffusion assay and agar well diffusion assay respectively. Bile salt hydrolase activity of isolates was studied by growing isolates in a BSH medium with bile salt. Cell surface property of isolates was assayed by studying their autoaggregation and coaggregation percentage with S. aerues. All isolates were found BSH positive. In addition, BCM2 and BGM1 were susceptible to all antibiotic disks except BBM1 which was resistant to all antibiotic disks. BCM1 and BGM1 had the highest autoaggregation and coaggregation potential respectively. Since all LAB isolates showed gastrointestinal tolerance and good cell surface property they could be considered as good potential probiotic candidates for treatment and probiotic starter culture preparation.

Keywords: probiotic, aggregation, lactic acid bacteria, antimicrobial activity

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Authors: Ngonidzashe Mangoma, Caroline Marigold Sebata

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The release of cyanide-rich effluents from gold mines, and other industries, into the environment, is a global concern considering the well-known metabolic effects of cyanide in all forms of life. Such effluents need to be treated to remove cyanide, among other pollutants, before their disposal. This study aimed at investigating the possible use of bacteria in the biological removal of cyanide from cyanide-rich effluents. Firstly, cyanide-degrading bacteria were isolated from gold mine effluents and characterised. The isolates were then tested for their ability to grow in the presence of cyanide and their tolerance to increasing levels of the compound. To evaluate each isolate’s cyanide-degrading activities, isolates were grown in the simulated and actual effluent, and a titrimetric method was used to quantify residual cyanide over a number of days. Cyanide degradation efficiency (DE) was then calculated for each isolate. Identification of positive isolates involved 16S rRNA gene amplification and sequence analysis through BLAST. Six cyanide-utilising bacterial strains were isolated. Two of the isolates were identified as Klebsiella spp. while the other two were shown to be different strains of Clostridium bifermentans. All isolates showed normal growth in the presence of cyanide, with growth being inhibited at 700 mg/L cyanide and beyond. Cyanide degradation efficiency for all isolates in the simulated effluent ranged from 79% to 97%. All isolates were able to remove cyanide from actual gold mine effluent with very high DE values (90 – 94%) being recorded. Isolates obtained in this study were able to efficiently remove cyanide from both simulated and actual effluent. This observation clearly demonstrates the feasibility of the biological removal of cyanide from cyanide-rich gold mine effluents and should, therefore, motivate research towards the possible large-scale application of this technology.

Keywords: cyanide effluent, bioremediation, Clostridium bifermentans, Klebsiella spp, environment

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Authors: Rana Sameeh

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The city is the greatest symbol of human civilization and has been built for safety and comfort. However, uncontrolled urban growth caused some anonymous and unsightly images of the cities such as unused or abandoned spaces. When social interaction is missed in a public space it means the public space is lost since public spaces reflect the social life and interaction of people. Accordingly; this space became one of the most meaningless parts of the cities and has broken the continuity of the urban fabric. Lost urban spaces are the leftover unstructured landscape within the urban fabric. They are generally the unrecognized urban areas that are in need of redesign, since they have a great value that can add to their surrounding urban context. The research significance lies within the importance of urban open spaces, their value and their impact on the urban fabric. The research also addresses the reuse and reclamation of lost urban spaces in order to increase the percentage of green areas along the urban fabric, provide urban open spaces, develop a sustainable approach towards urban landscape and enhance the quality of the public open space and user experience. In addition, the reuse of lost space will give it the identity and function it lacks while also providing places for presence, spending time and observing. Creating continuity in a broken urban fabric represents an exploratory process in the relationship between infrastructure and the urban fabric and seeks to establish an architectural solution to leftover space within the city. In doing so, the research establishes a framework (criteria) for adaptive reuse of lost urban space throughout inductive and deductive methodology, analytical methodology; by analyzing some relevant examples and similar cases of lost spaces and finally through field methodology; by applying the achieved criteria on a case study in Alexandria and carrying on SWOT analysis and evaluation of the potentials of this case study.

Keywords: adaptive reuse, lost urban space, quality of public open space, urban fabric

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Authors: Semayat Fanta, P.M. Mohite, C.S. Upadhyay

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Damage meso-model for laminates is one of the most widely applicable approaches for the analysis of damage induced in laminated fiber-reinforced polymeric composites. Damage meso-model for laminates has been developed over the last three decades by many researchers in experimental, theoretical, and analytical methods that have been carried out in micromechanics as well as meso-mechanics analysis approaches. It has been fundamentally developed based on the micromechanical description that aims to predict the damage initiation and evolution until the failure of structure in various loading conditions. The current damage meso-model for laminates aimed to act as a bridge between micromechanics and macro-mechanics of the laminated composite structure. This model considers two meso-constituents for the analysis of damage in ply and interface that imparted from low-velocity impact. The damages considered in this study include fiber breakage, matrix cracking, and diffused damage of the lamina, and delamination of the interface. The damage initiation and evolution in laminae can be modeled in terms of damaged strain energy density using damage parameters and the thermodynamic irreversible forces. Interface damage can be modeled with a new concept of spherical micro-void in the resin-rich zone of interface material. The damage evolution is controlled by the damage parameter (d) and the radius of micro-void (r) from the point of damage nucleation to its saturation. The constitutive martial model for meso-constituents is defined in a user material subroutine VUMAT and implemented in ABAQUS/Explicit finite element modeling tool. The model predicts the damages in the meso-constituents level very accurately and is considered the most effective technique of modeling low-velocity impact simulation for laminated composite structures.

Keywords: mesomodel, laminate, low-energy impact, micromechanics

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Authors: B. Chandar, M. K. Ramasamy, P. Madasamy

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The discovery and development of newer antibiotics are limited with the increase in resistance of such multi-drug resistant bacteria creating the need for alternative new therapeutic agents. The recently discovered New Delhi Metallo-betalactamase-1 (NDM-1), which confers antibiotic resistance to most of the currently available β-lactams, except colistin and tigecycline, is a global concern. Several antibacterial drugs approved are natural products or their semisynthetic derivatives, but plant extracts remain to be explored to find molecules that are effective against NDM-1 bacteria. Therefore, it is necessary to explore the possibility of finding new and effective antibacterial compounds against NDM-1 bacteria. In the present study, we have screened a diverse set South Indian plant species, and report most plant species as a potential source for antimicrobial compounds against NDM-1 bacteria. Ethanol extracts from the leaves of taxonomically diverse South Indian medicinal plants were screened for antibacterial activity against NDM-1 E. coli using streak plate method. Among the plant screened against NDM-1 E. coli, the ethanol extracts from many plant extracts showed minimum bactericidal concentration between 5 and 15 mg /ml and MIC between 2.54 and 5.12 mg/ml. These extracts also showed a potent synergistic effect when combined with antibiotics colistin and tetracycline. Combretum albidum that was effective was taken for further analysis. At 5mg/L concentration, these extracts inhibited the NDM-1 enzyme in vitro, and residual activity for Combretum albidum was 33.09%. Treatment of NDM-1 E. coli with the extracts disrupted the cell wall integrity and caused 89.7% cell death. The plant extract of Combretum albidum that was effective was subjected to fractionation and the fraction was further subjected to HPLC, LC-MS for identification of antibacterial compound.

Keywords: antibacterial activity, combretum albidum, Escherichia coli, NDM-1

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Authors: Manoj K. Kumar, Deepthi Bathala

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Man has the need to know and feel as a part of the historical continuum and it is this continuum that reinforces his identity. Architecture and the built environment contribute to this identity as established by the various identity theories exploring the relationship between the two. Architecture which is organic has been successful in maintaining a continuum of identity until the advent of globalization when the world saw a drastic shift to architecture of ‘placelessness’. The answer to the perfect synthesis of ‘universalization’ and ‘regionalism’ is an ongoing quest. However, history has established a smooth transition from vernacular to colonial to modern unlike the architecture of today. The traditional Kerala architecture has evolved from the tropical climate, geography, local needs, materials, skills and foreign influences. It is unique in contrast to the architecture of the neighboring states as a result of the geographical barriers however influenced by the architecture of the Orient due to trade relations. Through 1805 to 1950, the European influence on the architecture of Kerala resulted in the emergence of the colonial style which managed to establish a continuum of the traditional architecture. The paper focuses on the identification of the components of architecture that established the continuity of place-identity in the architecture of Kerala and examines the transition from the traditional Kerala architecture to colonial architecture during the colonial period. Visual surveys based on the principles of urban design, cognitive mapping, typology analysis followed by the strong understanding of the morphological and built environment along with the matrix method are the research tools used. The understanding of these components of continuity can be useful in creating buildings which people can relate to in the present day. South-Asia shares the history of colonialism and the understanding of these components can pave the way for further research on how to establish a regional identity in the era of globalization.

Keywords: colonial, identity, place, regional

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Authors: Md. Shaiful Islam, Mahani Bt. Stapa

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To help learners overcome their struggle in developing proficiency in spoken English, self-regulated learning strategies seem to be promising. Students in the private universities in Bangladesh are expected to communicate with the teachers, peers, and staff members in English, but most of them suffer from their inadequate oral communicative competence in English. To address this problem, the researchers adopted a qualitative research approach to answer the research questions. They employed the learner diary method to collect data from the first-semester undergraduate students of a reputed private university in Bangladesh who were involved in writing weekly diaries about their use of self-regulated learning strategies to improve speaking in an English speaking course. The learners were provided with prompts for writing the diaries. The thematic analysis method was applied to analyze the entries of the diaries for the identification of themes. Seven strategies related to the effectiveness of SRL for the improvement of spoken English were identified from the data, and they include goal-setting, strategic planning, identifying the sources of self-motivation, help-seeking, environmental restructuring, self-monitoring, and self-evaluation. However, the students reported in their diaries that they faced challenges that impeded their SRL strategy use. Five challenges were identified, and they entail the complex nature of SRL, lack of literacy on SRL, teachers’ preference for controlling the class, learners’ past habit of learning, and students’ addiction to gadgets. The implications the study addresses include revising the syllabus and curriculum, facilitating SRL training for students and teachers, and integrating SRL in the lessons.

Keywords: private university in Bangladesh, proficiency, self-regulated learning, spoken English

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Authors: Choppala Pratheek, Vineet Ahuja

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Background: Crohn's disease (CD) recurrence following surgery is a common challenge, and current detection methods rely on risk factors identified in Western populations. This study aimed to investigate the risk factors and rates of postoperative CD recurrence in a tuberculosis-endemic region like India. Retrospective data was collected from a structured database from a specialty IBD clinic by reviewing case files from January 2005 to December 2021. Inclusion criteria involved CD patients diagnosed based on the ECCO-ESGAR consensus guidelines, who had undergone at least one intestinal resection and had a minimum follow-up period of one year at the IBD clinic. Results: A total of 90 patients were followed up for a median period of 45 months (IQR, 20.75 - 72.00). Out of the 90 patients, 61 received ATT prior to surgery, with a mean delay in diagnosis of 2.5 years, although statistically non-significant (P=0.078). Clinical recurrence occurred in 50% of patients, with the cumulative rate increasing from 13.3% at one year to 40% at three years. Among 63 patients who underwent endoscopy, 65.7% showed evidence of endoscopic recurrence, with the cumulative rate increasing from 31.7% at one year to 55.5% at four years. Smoking was identified as a significant risk factor for early endoscopic recurrence (P=0.001) by Cox regression analysis, but no other risk factors were identified. Initiating post-operative medications prior to clinical recurrence delayed its onset (P=0.004). Subgroup analysis indicated that endoscopic monitoring aided in the early identification of recurrence (P=0.001). The findings contribute to enhancing post-operative CD management strategies in such regions where the disease burden is escalating.

Keywords: crohns, post operative, tuberculosis-endemic, risk factors

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Authors: Mahdi Bastan, Ali Mohammad Ahmadvand, Fatemeh Soltani Khamsehpour

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Health organizations’ sustainable development has nowadays become highly affected by customers’ satisfaction due to significant changes made in the business environment of the healthcare system and emerging of Competitiveness paradigm. In case we look at the hospitals and other health organizations as service providers concerning profit issues, the satisfaction of employees as interior customers, and patients as exterior customers would be of significant importance in health business success. Furthermore, satisfaction rate could be considered in performance assessment of healthcare organizations as a perceived quality measure. Several researches have been carried out in identification of effective factors on patients’ satisfaction in health organizations. However, considering a systemic view, the complex causal relations among many components of healthcare system would be an issue that its acquisition and sustainability requires an understanding of the dynamic complexity, an appropriate cognition of different components, and effective relationships among them resulting ultimately in identifying the generative structure of patients’ satisfaction. Hence, the presenting paper applies system dynamics approaches coherently and methodologically to represent the systemic structure of customers’ satisfaction of a health system involving the constituent components and interactions among them. Then, the results of different policies taken on the system are simulated via developing mathematical models, identifying leverage points, and using scenario making technique and then, the best solutions are presented to improve customers’ satisfaction of the services. The presenting approach supports taking advantage of decision support systems. Additionally, relying on understanding of system behavior Dynamics, the effective policies for improving the health system would be recognized.

Keywords: customer satisfaction, healthcare, scenario, simulation, system dynamics

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Authors: Yi Yang, Jiasong Sun

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Almost every aspect of our daily lives is now intertwined with some degree of human-computer interaction (HCI). HCI courses draw on knowledge from disciplines as diverse as computer science, psychology, design principles, anthropology, and more. Our HCI courses, named the Media and Cognition course, are constantly updated to reflect state-of-the-art technological advancements such as virtual reality, augmented reality, and artificial intelligence-based interactions. For more than a decade, our course has used an interest-based approach to teaching, in which students proactively propose some research-based questions and collaborate with teachers, using course knowledge to explore potential solutions. Semantic communication plays a key role in facilitating understanding and interaction between users and computer systems, ultimately enhancing system usability and user experience. The advancements in AI-generated technology, which have gained significant attention from both academia and industry in recent years, are exemplified by language models like GPT-3 that generate human-like dialogues from given prompts. Our latest version of the Human-Computer Interaction course practices a semantic communication platform based on AI-generated techniques. The purpose of this semantic communication is twofold: to extract and transmit task-specific information while ensuring efficient end-to-end communication with minimal latency. An AI-generated semantic communication platform evaluates the retention of signal sources and converts low-retain ability visual signals into textual prompts. These data are transmitted through AI-generated techniques and reconstructed at the receiving end; on the other hand, visual signals with a high retain ability rate are compressed and transmitted according to their respective regions. The platform and associated research are a testament to our students' growing ability to independently investigate state-of-the-art technologies.

Keywords: human-computer interaction, media and cognition course, semantic communication, retainability, prompts

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Authors: Saha Naseri

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Introduction/Objective: Son preference, a preference for sons over daughters, is a practice deeply-rooted in gender inequality that is widespread in many societies and across different religions and cultures. In this study, we are aiming to study the effects of son preference on fertility outcomes (birth interval and current contraceptive use) in Afghanistan, where have been perceived with high rates of son preference. The objectives of the study are to examine the association between the sex of the previous child and the duration of the subsequent birth interval and to evaluate the effect of son preference on current contraceptive use. Methodology: Afghanistan Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) (2015) was used to study the impact of son preference on fertility outcomes among married women. The data collected from 28,661 on currently-married women, aged between 15 and 49 years who have at least one child, have used to conduct this quantitative study. Outcomes of interest are birth interval and current contraceptive use. Simple and multiple regression analysis have been conducted to assess the effect of son preference on these fertility outcomes. Results: The present study has highlighted that son preference somehow exists among married women in Afghanistan. It is indicated that the sex of the first birth is significantly associated with the succeeding birth interval. Having a female child as the first baby was associated with a shorter average succeeding birth interval by 1.8 months compared to a baby boy (p-value = 0.000). For the second model, the results identified that women who desire for more sons have 7% higher odds to be current contraceptive user compared to those who have no preference (p-value = 0.03). The latter results do not indicate the son preference. However, one limitation for this result was the timeliness of the questions asked since contraceptive use in the current time was asked along with a question on ‘future’ desired sex composition. Moreover, women may have just given birth and want to reach a certain time span of birth interval before planning for another child, even if it was a boy, which might have affected the results. Conclusion: Overall, this study has demonstrated that there is a positive relationship between son preference and one main fertility behaviors, birth interval. The second fertility outcome, current contraceptive use, was not a good indicator to measure son preference. Based on the finding, recommendations will be made for appropriate interventions addressing gender norms and related fertility decisions.

Keywords: Afghanistan, birth interval, contraceptive, son preference

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Authors: Jean-François Pouilly

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This study addresses the growing complexity of embedded systems and the critical need for secure, reliable software. Traditional cybersecurity testing methods, often conducted late in the development cycle, struggle to keep pace. This talk explores how formal methods, integrated with advanced analysis tools, empower C/C++ developers to 1) Proactively address vulnerabilities and bugs, which includes formal methods and abstract interpretation techniques to identify potential weaknesses early in the development process, reducing the reliance on penetration and fuzz testing in later stages. 2) Streamline development by focusing on bugs that matter, with close to no false positives and catching flaws earlier, the need for rework and retesting is minimized, leading to faster development cycles, improved efficiency and cost savings. 3) Enhance software dependability which includes combining static analysis using abstract interpretation with full context sensitivity, with hardware memory awareness allows for a more comprehensive understanding of potential vulnerabilities, leading to more dependable and secure software. This approach aligns with industry best practices (ISO2626 or ISO 21434) and empowers C/C++ developers to deliver robust, secure embedded systems that meet the demands of today's and tomorrow's applications. We will illustrate this approach with the TrustInSoft analyzer to show how it accelerates verification for complex cases, reduces user fatigue, and improves developer efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and software cybersecurity. In summary, integrating formal methods and sound Analyzers enhances software reliability and cybersecurity, streamlining development in an increasingly complex environment.

Keywords: safety, cybersecurity, ISO26262, ISO24434, formal methods

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Authors: Famurewa Olumide Joseph, Akinsulore Adesanmi

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The current study investigated aggressive behaviour and its association with substance use disorder among senior secondary school students in Ilesha, Nigeria. Participants were three hundred and seventy-five (375) comprising (212) females and (163) males of senior secondary school students in Ilesa East and Ilesa West; who were randomly selected among the population of students from the schools. The mean age of the respondents was 14.61 years (S.D = 1.16), with 311 (82.9%) between 14 – 16 years. Female respondents were 212 (56.5%), while male respondents were 163 (43.5%). A cross sectional design was adopted. Three instruments were used for data collection. Buss Perry Aggression Questionnaire, Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) and Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST). It was hypothesized that aggressive behaviour will be associated with substance use disorder among senior secondary school students in Ilesa East and Ilesa West. The result indicated that the overall prevalence of substance use disorder was 16.0%. Chi-Square test exploring the association between aggressive behaviour and substance use disorder shows that there is a significant association between aggressive behaviour and substance use disorder (χ2 =8.55, p =0.014). Results also showed that emotional problem (χ2 (2) =13.0; p = 0.001) was statistically significant while current medications intake (χ2 (2) =2.03; p =0.362) and overall wellbeing (χ2 (4) =2.49; p =0.646) were not statistically significant. There is an inverse association between prosocial behaviour and aggressive behaviour (r= -0.037, p>0.05). This indicates that as the level of prosocial behaviour increases, the level of aggressive behaviour among respondents decreases. However, alcohol use had no correlation with aggressive behaviour (r=0.070, p>0.05). Among the implications stated is that factors such as emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity, peer problem and drug use contributed to the prevalence of aggressive behaviour among students. Suggestions for further studies were equally made.

Keywords: aggressive behaviour, alcohol, prevalence, students, substance use disorder (SUD)

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Authors: Anatoly Krivinsh

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The results of dissertation research "Preventing and combating corruption in public procurement" are presented in this publication. The study was conducted 2011 till 2013 in a Member State of the European Union, in the Republic of Latvia. Goal of the thesis is to explore corruption prevention and combating issues in public procurement sphere, to identify the prevalence rates, determinants and contributing factors and prevention opportunities in Latvia. In the first chapter the author analyses theoretical aspects of understanding corruption in public procurement, with particular emphasis on corruption definition problem, its nature, causes and consequences. A separate section is dedicated to the public procurement concept, mechanism and legal framework. In the first part of this work the author presents cognitive methodology of corruption in public procurement field, based on which the author has carried out an analysis of corruption situation in public procurement in Republic of Latvia. In the second chapter of the thesis, the author analyzes the problem of corruption in public procurement, including its historical aspects, typology and classification of corruption subjects involved, corruption risk elements in public procurement and their identification. During the development of the second chapter author's practical experience in public procurements was widely used. The third and fourth chapter deals with issues related to the prevention and combating corruption in public procurement, namely the operation of the concept, principles, methods and techniques, subjects in Republic of Latvia, as well as an analysis of foreign experience in preventing and combating corruption. The fifth chapter is devoted to the corruption prevention and combating perspectives and their assessment. In this chapter the author has made the evaluation of corruption prevention and combating measures efficiency in Republic of Latvia, assessment of anti-corruption legislation development stage in public procurement field in Latvia.

Keywords: prevention of corruption, public purchases, good governance, human rights

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Authors: Radek Richtr, Petr Pauš

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Social media nowadays connects people more tightly and intensively than ever, but simultaneously, some sort of social distance, incomprehension, lost of social integrity appears. People can be strongly connected to the person on the other side of the world but unaware of neighbours in the same district or street. The Stoa is a type of application from the ”serious games” genre- it is research augmented reality experiment masked as a gaming environment. In the Stoa environment, the player can plant and grow virtual (organic) structure, a Pillar, that represent the whole suburb. Everybody has their own idea of what is an acceptable, admirable or harmful visual intervention in the area they live in; the purpose of this research experiment is to find and/or define residents shared subconscious spirit, genius loci of the Pillars vicinity, where residents live in. The appearance and evolution of Stoa’s Pillars reflect the real world as perceived by not only the creator but also by other residents/players, who, with their actions, refine the environment. Squares, parks, patios and streets get their living avatar depictions; investors and urban planners obtain information on the occurrence and level of motivation for reshaping the public space. As the project is in product conceptual design phase, the function is one of its most important factors. Function-based modelling makes design problem modular and structured and thus decompose it into sub-functions or function-cells. Paper discuss the current conceptual model for Stoa project, the using of different organic structure textures and models, user interface design, UX study and project’s developing to the final state.

Keywords: augmented reality, urban computing, interaction design, mixed reality, social engineering

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Authors: Najla Alhkalaf

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The focus of this study is answering the following question: How do e-government services in Bahrain support the productivity of SMEs? This study examines the current E-government function in enhancing SME productivity in Bahrain through analysing the efficiency of e- government by viewing its facilitators and barriers from the perspective of different stakeholders. The study aims to identify and develop best practice guidelines with the end-goal of creating a standardised channel of communication between e-government and SMEs that fulfil the requirement of SME owners, and thus achieve the prime objective of e-government. E-government services for SMEs have been offered in Bahrain since 2005. However, the current services lack the required mechanism for SMEs to fully take advantage of these services because of lagging communication between service provider and end-user. E-government employees believe that a lack of awareness and trust are the main stumbling block, whereas the SME owners believe that there is a lack of sufficiency in the content and efficiency provided through e- services. A questionnaire has been created based on a pilot study that highlighted the main indicators of e-government efficiency and SMEs productivity as well as previous studies conducted on this subject. This allowed for quantitative data to be extracted. Also interviews were conducted with SME owners and government employees from both case studies, which formed the qualitative data for this study. The findings portray that both the service provider and service receiver largely agree on the existence of most of the technical and administrative barriers. However, the data reflects a level of dissatisfaction from the SME side, which contradicts with the perceived level of satisfaction from the government employees. Therefore, the data supports the argument that assures the existence of a communication gap between stakeholders. To this effect, this research would help build channels of communication between stakeholders, and then induces a plan unlocking the potential of e-government application. The conclusions of this study will help devise an optimised E-government strategy for Bahrain.

Keywords: e-government, SME, e-services, G2B, government employees' perspective, entrepreneurs' perspective, enterprise

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Authors: David P. Horton, Gary Lynch-Wood

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Western populations are aging, prone to various lifestyle health problems, and increasing their demand for health and social care services. This demand has created enormous fiscal and regulatory challenges. In response, government institutions have deployed strategies of behavior modification to encourage people to exercise greater personal responsibility over their health and care needs (i.e., welfare responsibilisation). Policy strategies are underpinned by the assumption that people if properly supported, will make better health and lifestyle selections. Not only does this absolve governments of the responsibility for meeting all health and care needs, but it also enables government institutions to assert fiscal control over welfare spending. Looking at the regulation of health and social care in the UK, the authors identify and outline a suite of regulatory tools that are designed to extract and manage the resources of health and social care services users and to encourage them to make (‘better’) use of these resources. This is important for our understanding of how health and social care regulation is responding to ongoing social and economic challenges. It is also important because there has been a failure to systematically examine the relevance of resources for regulation, which is surprising given that resources are crucial to how and whether regulation succeeds or fails. In particular, drawing from the regulatory welfare state concept, the authors analyse the key legal and regulatory changes and mechanisms that have been introduced since the 2008 financial crisis, focusing on critical measures such as the Health and Social Care Act and regulations introduced under the National Health Service Act. The authors show how three types of user resources (i.e., tangible, labor, and data) are being used to assert fiscal control and increase welfare responsibilisation. Amongst other things, the paper concludes that service users have become more than rule followers and targets of behavioral modification; rather, they are producers of resources that regulatory systems have come to rely on.

Keywords: health care, regulation, resources, social care

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Authors: Ouafa Sakka, Henri Barki, Louise Cote

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Uncertainty and equivocality are defined in the information processing literature as two task characteristics that require different information processing responses from managers. As uncertainty often stems from a lack of information, addressing it is thought to require the collection of additional data. On the other hand, as equivocality stems from ambiguity and a lack of understanding of the task at hand, addressing it is thought to require rich communication between those involved. Past research has provided weak to moderate empirical support to these hypotheses. The present study contributes to this literature by defining uncertainty and equivocality at the project level and investigating their moderating effects on the association between several project information processing constructs and project performance. The information processing constructs considered are the amount of information collected by the project team, and the richness and frequency of formal communications among the team members to discuss the project’s follow-up reports. Data on 93 information system development (ISD) project managers was collected in a questionnaire survey and analyzed it via the Fisher Test for correlation differences. The results indicate that the highest project performance levels were observed in projects characterized by high uncertainty and low equivocality in which project managers were provided with detailed and updated information on project costs and schedules. In addition, our findings show that information about user needs and technical aspects of the project is less useful to managing projects where uncertainty and equivocality are high. Further, while the strongest positive effect of interactive use of follow-up reports on performance occurred in projects where both uncertainty and equivocality levels were high, its weakest effect occurred when both of these were low.

Keywords: uncertainty, equivocality, information processing model, management control systems, project control, interactive use, diagnostic use, information system development

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Authors: Ajda Osifo, Amanda Radwan

Abstract:

Mobile-assisted language learning (MALL) or m-learning which is defined as learning with mobile devices that can be utilized in any place that is equipped with unbroken transmission signals, has created new opportunities and challenges for educational use. It introduced a new learning model combining new types of mobile devices, wireless communication services and technologies with teaching and learning. Recent advancements in the mobile world such as the Apple IOS devices (IPhone, IPod Touch and IPad), Android devices and other smartphone devices and environments (such as Windows Phone 7 and Blackberry), allowed learning to be more flexible inside and outside the classroom, making the learning experience unique, adaptable and tailored to each user. Creativity, learner autonomy, collaboration and digital practices of language learners are encouraged as well as innovative pedagogical applications, like the flipped classroom, for such practices in classroom contexts are enhanced. These developments are gradually embedded in daily life and they also seem to be heralding the sustainable move to paperless classrooms. Since mobile technologies are increasingly viewed as a main platform for delivery, we as educators need to design our activities, materials and learning environments in such a way to ensure that learners are engaged and feel comfortable. For the purposes of our session, several core MALL applications that work on the Apple IPad/IPhone will be explored; the rationale and steps needed to successfully implement these applications will be discussed and student examples will be showcased. The focus of the session will be on the following points: 1-Our current pedagogical approach, 2-The rationale and several core MALL apps, 3-Possible Challenges for Teachers and Learners, 4-Future implications. This session is aimed at instructors who are interested in integrating MALL apps into their own classroom planning.

Keywords: MALL, educational technology, iPads, apps

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Authors: Nirali Shukla, Neel Shah

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The World Bank Institute (WBI) is undertaking a review of government interventions aimed at facilitating sustainable investment in public private partnerships (PPPs) in various under developed countries. The study presents best practice for applying financial model to make PPPs financially viable. The lessons presented here, if properly implemented, can help countries use limited funds to attract more private investment, get more infrastructure built and, as a result, achieve greater economic growth. The four countries Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, and India in total develop an average of nearly US$50 billion in PPPs per year. There are a range of policies and institutional arrangements governments use to provide subsidies to PPPs. For example, some countries have created dedicated agencies, or ‘funds’, capitalized with money from the national budget to manage and allocate subsidies. Other countries have established well-defined policies for appropriating subsidies on an ad hoc basis through an annual budget process. In this context, subsidies are direct fiscal contributions or grants paid by the government to a project when revenues from user fees are insufficient to cover all capital and operating costs while still providing private investors with a reasonable rate of return. Without subsidies, some infrastructure projects that would provide economic or social gains, but are not financially viable, would go undeveloped. But the Financial model of BOLT (PPP) model described in this study suggests that it is most feasible option rather than going for subsidy schemes for making infrastructure projects financially viable. The major advantage for implementing this model is the government money is saved and can be used for other projects as well as the private investors are getting better rate of return than subsidized schemes.

Keywords: PPP, BOLT, subsidy schemes, financial model

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Authors: Biruk Wolde, Atalay Ayele, Yonatan Garkabo, Trufat Hailmariam, Zemenu Germewu

Abstract:

A comprehensive three-dimensional (3D) geological modeling and engineering geological characterization of shallow subsurface soils and rocks are essential for a wide range of geotechnical and seismological engineering applications, particularly in urban environments. The spatial distribution and geological variation of the shallow subsurface of Addis Ababa city have not been studied so far in terms of geological and geotechnical modeling. This study aims at the construction of a 3D geological model, as well as provides awareness into the engineering geological characteristics of shallow subsurface soil and rock of Addis Ababa city. The 3D geological model was constructed by using more than 1500 geotechnical boreholes, well-drilling data, and geological maps. A well-known geostatistical kriging 3D interpolation algorithm was applied to visualize the spatial distribution and geological variation of the shallow subsurface. Due to the complex nature of geological formations, vertical and lateral variation of the geological profiles horizons-solid command has been selected via the Groundwater Modelling System (GMS) graphical user interface software. For the engineering geological characterization of typical soils and rocks, both index and engineering laboratory tests have been used. The geotechnical properties of soil and rocks vary from place to place due to the uneven nature of subsurface formations observed in the study areas. The constructed model ascertains the thickness, extent, and 3D distribution of the important geological units of the city. This study is the first comprehensive research work on 3D geological modeling and subsurface characterization of soils and rocks in Addis Ababa city, and the outcomes will be important for further future research on subsurface conditions in the city. Furthermore, these findings provide a reference for developing a geo-database for the city.

Keywords: 3d geological modeling, addis ababa, engineering geology, geostatistics, horizons-solid

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Authors: Behnaz Sohani, Sahand Shahalinezhad, Amir Rahmani, Aliyu Aliyu

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Recently, medical imaging and specifically medical image processing is becoming one of the most dynamically developing areas of medical science. It has led to the emergence of new approaches in terms of the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of various diseases. In the process of diagnosis of lung cancer, medical professionals rely on computed tomography (CT) scans, in which failure to correctly identify masses can lead to incorrect diagnosis or sampling of lung tissue. Identification and demarcation of masses in terms of detecting cancer within lung tissue are critical challenges in diagnosis. In this work, a segmentation system in image processing techniques has been applied for detection purposes. Particularly, the use and validation of a novel lung cancer detection algorithm have been presented through simulation. This has been performed employing CT images based on multilevel thresholding. The proposed technique consists of segmentation, feature extraction, and feature selection and classification. More in detail, the features with useful information are selected after featuring extraction. Eventually, the output image of lung cancer is obtained with 96.3% accuracy and 87.25%. The purpose of feature extraction applying the proposed approach is to transform the raw data into a more usable form for subsequent statistical processing. Future steps will involve employing the current feature extraction method to achieve more accurate resulting images, including further details available to machine vision systems to recognise objects in lung CT scan images.

Keywords: lung cancer detection, image segmentation, lung computed tomography (CT) images, medical image processing

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Authors: Hassan Ibrahim

Abstract:

The prevalence of hyperacusis, an auditory condition characterized by heightened sensitivity to sounds, continues to rise, posing challenges for effective diagnosis and intervention. It is believed that this work deepens will deepens the understanding of hyperacusis etiology by employing graph theory as a novel analytical framework. We constructed a comprehensive graph wherein nodes represent various factors associated with hyperacusis, including aging, head or neck trauma, infection/virus, depression, migraines, ear infection, anxiety, and other potential contributors. Relationships between factors are modeled as edges, allowing us to visualize and quantify the interactions within the etiological landscape of hyperacusis. it employ the concept of the metric dimension of a connected graph to identify key nodes (landmarks) that serve as critical influencers in the interconnected web of hyperacusis causes. This approach offers a unique perspective on the relative importance and centrality of different factors, shedding light on the complex interplay between physiological, psychological, and environmental determinants. Visualization techniques were also employed to enhance the interpretation and facilitate the identification of the central nodes. This research contributes to the growing body of knowledge surrounding hyperacusis by offering a network-centric perspective on its multifaceted causes. The outcomes hold the potential to inform clinical practices, guiding healthcare professionals in prioritizing interventions and personalized treatment plans based on the identified landmarks within the etiological network. Through the integration of graph theory into hyperacusis research, the complexity of this auditory condition was unraveled and pave the way for more effective approaches to its management.

Keywords: auditory condition, connected graph, hyperacusis, metric dimension

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Authors: Chih-Ping Chen

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Today, technology does not necessitate change; rather, social media has afforded a new arena and digital tools for users/individuals to be symbolized and marketed in meaningful exchanges of digital identities. We argue that these symbolic interactions may afford individuals the ability to create and present less restricted Line person-to-person (P2P) chats than would be possible in face-to-face communications. Individuals can select flexible influence strategies to market themselves, which enables them to create and present their digital identities and impressions in alternative ways within a dynamic sociocultural context. Therefore, this paper aims to explore the novel phenomenon of how individuals market themselves to manage their digital identities and impressions to connect with other users through the symbolic interactions created by new digital tools (e.g., stickers). A netnographic approach was developed by applying a triangulated methodology consisting of user self-diary reports, in-depth interviews, and observations. Totally, 20 participants (10 females and 10 males) were of Taiwanese origin, and their ages ranged from 20–47 years old. The findings of this research showed that individuals on Line P2P social media where traditional cultural gender norms have shifted. Both male and female participants market their modern digital identities by adopting a combination of flexible influence tactics/strategies when using digital stickers. Some findings showed that their influence tactics/strategies often flouted Taiwanese cultural gender norms or skirted traditional rules to fit individual or P2P needs. Finally, these findings potentially contributed to the literature regarding the consumer culture theory and symbolic interaction theory in digital marketing and social media fields.

Keywords: Consumer culture theory, Digital sticker, Self-marketing, Impression, Symbolic interaciton

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Authors: Christiana Ene Ogwuche, Joseph Amupitan, George Ndukwe, Rachael Ayo

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Maesobotrya barteri (Baill), belonging to the family Euphorbiaceae, is a medicinal plant growing widely in tropical Africa. The Aerial plant parts of Maesobotrya barteri (Baill) were collected fresh from Orokam, Ogbadibo local Government of Benue State, Nigeria in July 2013. Taxonomical identification was done by Mallam Musa Abdullahi at the Herbarium unit of Biological Sciences Department, ABU, Zaria, Nigeria. Pulverized aerial parts of Maesobotrya barteri (960g) was exhaustively extracted successively using petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate and methanol and concentrated in the rotary evaporator at 40°C. The Petroleum ether extract had the second highest activity against test microbes from preliminary crude microbial screenings. The Petroleum ether extract was subjected to phytochemical studies, antimicrobial analysis and column chromatography (CC). The column chromatography yielded fraction PE, which was further purified using preparative thin layer chromatography to give PE1. The structure of the isolated compound was established using 1-D NMR and 2-D NMR spectroscopic analysis and by direct comparison with data reported in literature was confirmed to be a mixture, an isomer of Betulinic acid and Oleanolic acid, both with the molecular weight (C₃₀H₄₈O₃). The bioactivity of this compound was carried out using some clinical pathogens and the activity compared with standard drugs, and this was found to be comparable with the standard drug.

Keywords: Maesobotrya barteri, medicinal plant, bioactivity, petroleum spirit extract, butellinic acid, oleanilic acid

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Authors: Shu Hwang Ang, Choo Yee Yu, Geik Yong Ang, Yean Yean Chan, Yatimah Binti Alias, And Sook Mei Khor

Abstract:

With the high prevalence of Type 2 diabetes mellitus across the world, the morbidities and mortalities associated with Type 2 diabetes have significant impact on the production line for a nation. With routine scheduled clinical visits to manage Type 2 diabetes, diabetic patients with hectic lifestyles can have low clinical compliance. Hence, it often decreases the effectiveness of diabetic management personalized for each diabetic patient. Here, we report a useful developed point-of-care (POC) device that detect glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c, biomarker for long-term Type 2 diabetic management). In fact, the established POC devices certified to be used in clinical setting are not only expensive ($ 8 to $10 per test), they also require skillful practitioners to perform sampling and interpretation. As a paper-based biosensor, the developed HbA1c biosensor utilized lateral flow principle to offer an alternative for cost-effective (approximately $2 per test) and end-user friendly device for household testing. Requiring as little as 2 L of finger-picked blood, the test can be performed at the household with just simple dilution and washings. With visual interpretation of numbers of test lines shown on the developed biosensor, it can be interpreted as easy as a urine pregnancy test, aided with scale of intensity provided. In summary, the developed HbA1c immunosensor has been tested to have high selectivity towards HbA1c, and is stable with reasonably good performance in clinical testing. Therefore, our developed HbA1c immunosensor has high potential to be an effective diabetic management tool to increase patient compliance and thus contain the progression of the diabetes.

Keywords: blood, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), lateral flow, type 2 diabetes mellitus

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Authors: Abewardhana Arachchi Bandula Dimuthu Priyadarshana Abewardhana, Rasika Nirosh Gonapinuwala Vithanage, Karawe Thanthreege Amila Madusanka Perera, Asanka Sanjeewa Karunarathne, Navullage Mayuri Radhika Perera

Abstract:

The phenomenon of irregular migration and human trafficking presents multifaceted challenges to Sri Lanka, with specific focus on the migration routes to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Sultanate of Oman, and Malaysia. This research critically assesses the efficacy of a pilot project instituted at Bandaranaike International Airport aimed at the identification and deterrence of potential irregular migrants. Additionally, the study conducts a nuanced analysis of the geographical tendencies pertaining to passengers who revise their migration intentions at the airport. Pertinently, the findings indicate that Colombo and Gampaha Districts emerge as the most susceptible to human trafficking, with Galle, Nuwaraeliya, Rathnapura, and Polonnaruwa Districts following as areas of elevated concern, particularly within the framework of the 'visit visa' scenario. These insights emanate from an extensive data collection period spanning 50 days of the pilot project, encompassing 1,479 passengers, of which 46 returnees reported to the Safe Migration Promotion Unit. The research is founded on the twin objectives of comprehending the motivations of passengers and evaluating the effectiveness of interventions, with a view to devising precision-targeted prevention strategies. Through this endeavor, the study actively contributes to the safeguarding of the rights and welfare of migrants, significantly advancing the ongoing battle against irregular migration.

Keywords: irregular migration, human trafficking, airport interventions, geographic trends

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Authors: Catriona Hilliard

Abstract:

Food identity is synonymous with many national tourism destinations and perceptions in tourist source markets – stereotypes could include snails in France; beer in Britain and Germany; paella in Spain - and is an accepted element of national identity that can be incorporated into tourism experiences. Irish transatlantic food connections are culturally strong with diaspora subsequent generations in the US displaying an online interest in traditional Irish food, even with a twist. Back ‘home’, the value of the local indigenous experience was a specific element of the way The Gathering 2013 was promoted to the Irish diaspora, developing community interest and input to tourism. Over the past 20 years, Ireland has realized the value of its food industry to tourism. This has included the establishment of food development programmes for the hospitality industry; food festivals as a possible element of the tourist experience; and a programmes of food ambassadors to market Irish produce and to encourage service providers to understand; utilize and incorporate this into their offerings. Irish produce is being now actively marketed as part of the proposed tourism experience, to particular segment markets including transatlantic visitors. In addition, individual providers are becoming aware of the value of the market, and how to gain from it. Also, networks of food providers have developed collaborative structures of promoting their experiences to audiences, displaying a cluster approach of tourism development towards that sector. A power point presentation will look at how Irish produce contributes to tourism marketing and promotion of Ireland to America; how that may have assisted sustainable development of communities here; and hopes to elicit some discussion relating to longer term identification of Irish food, as part of tourism, for the potential benefit of the ‘locale’.

Keywords: Irish, USA, food, tourism

Procedia PDF Downloads 384