Search results for: community recovery
Commenced in January 2007
Frequency: Monthly
Edition: International
Paper Count: 6015

Search results for: community recovery

2535 Synthesis of PVA/γ-Fe2O3 Used in Cancer Treatment by Hyperthermia

Authors: Sajjad Seifi Mofarah, S. K. Sadrnezhaad, Shokooh Moghadam, Javad Tavakoli

Abstract:

In recent years a new method of combination treatment for cancer has been developed and studied that has led to significant advancements in the field of cancer therapy. Hyperthermia is a traditional therapy that, along with a creation of a medically approved level of heat with the help of an alternating magnetic AC current, results in the destruction of cancer cells by heat. This paper gives details regarding the production of the spherical nanocomposite PVA/γ-Fe2O3 in order to be used for medical purposes such as tumor treatment by hyperthermia. To reach a suitable and evenly distributed temperature, the nanocomposite with core-shell morphology and spherical form within a 100 to 200 nanometer size was created using phase separation emulsion, in which the magnetic nano-particles γ-Fe2O3 with an average particle size of 20 nano-meters and with different percentages of 0.2, 0.4, 0.5, and 0.6 were covered by polyvinyl alcohol. The main concern in hyperthermia and heat treatment is achieving desirable specific absorption rate (SAR) and one of the most critical factors in SAR is particle size. In this project all attempts has been done to reach minimal size and consequently maximum SAR. The morphological analysis of the spherical structure of the nanocomposite PVA/γ-Fe2O3 was achieved by SEM analyses and the study of the chemical bonds created was made possible by FTIR analysis. To investigate the manner of magnetic nanocomposite particle size distribution a DLS experiment was conducted. Moreover, to determine the magnetic behavior of the γ-Fe2O3 particle and the nanocomposite PVA/γ-Fe2O3 in different concentrations a VSM test was conducted. To sum up, creating magnetic nanocomposites with a spherical morphology that would be employed for drug loading opens doors to new approaches in developing nanocomposites that provide efficient heat and a controlled release of drug simultaneously inside the magnetic field, which are among their positive characteristics that could significantly improve the recovery process in patients.

Keywords: nanocomposite, hyperthermia, cancer therapy, drug releasing

Procedia PDF Downloads 287
2534 Platform Urbanism: Planning towards Hyper-Personalisation

Authors: Provides Ng

Abstract:

Platform economy is a peer-to-peer model of distributing resources facilitated by community-based digital platforms. In recent years, digital platforms are rapidly reconfiguring the public realm using hyper-personalisation techniques. This paper aims at investigating how urban planning can leapfrog into the digital age to help relieve the rising tension of the global issue of labour flow; it discusses the means to transfer techniques of hyper-personalisation into urban planning for plasticity using platform technologies. This research first denotes the limitations of the current system of urban residency, where the system maintains itself on the circulation of documents, which are data on paper. Then, this paper tabulates how some of the institutions around the world, both public and private, digitise data, and streamline communications between a network of systems and citizens using platform technologies. Subsequently, this paper proposes ways in which hyper-personalisation can be utilised to form a digital planning platform. Finally, this paper concludes by reviewing how the proposed strategy may help to open up new ways of thinking about how we affiliate ourselves with cities.

Keywords: platform urbanism, hyper-personalisation, digital inventory, urban accessibility

Procedia PDF Downloads 97
2533 Development of Functional Cosmetic Materials from Demilitarized Zone Habiting Plants

Authors: Younmin Shin, Jin Kyu Kim, Mirim Jin, Jeong June Choi

Abstract:

Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) is a peace region located between South and North Korea border to avoid accidental armed conflict. Because human accessing to the area was forced to be prohibited for more than 60 years, DMZ is one of the cleanest land keeping wild lives as nature itself in South Korea. In this study, we evaluated the biological efficacies of plants (SS, PC, and AR) inhabiting in DMZ for the development of functional cosmetics. First, we tested the cytotoxicity of plant extracts in keratinocyte and melanocyte, which are the major cell components of skin. By 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay with the cell lines, we determined the safety concentrations of the extracts for the efficacy tests. Next, we assessed the anti-wrinkle cosmetic function of SS by demonstrating that SS treatment decreased the expression of Matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) in UV-irradiated keratinocytes via real-time PCR. The suppressive effect of SS was greatly potentiated by combination with other DMZ-inhabiting plants, PC and AR. The expression of tyrosinase, which is one the main enzyme that producing melanin in melanocyte, was also down-regulated by the DMZ-inhabiting SS extract. Wound healing activity was also investigated by in vitro test with HaCat cell line, a human fibroblast cell line. All the natural materials extracted form DMZ habiting plants accelerated the recovery of the cells. These results suggested that DMZ is a treasure island of functional plants and DMZ-inhabiting natural products are warranted to develop functional cosmetic materials. This study was carried out with the support of R&D Program for Forest Science Technology (Project No. 2017027A00-1819-BA01) provided by Korea Forest Service (Korea Forestry Promotion Institute).

Keywords: anti-wrinkle, Demilitarized Zone, functional cosmetics, whitening

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2532 Roles of Governmental and Non-governmental Bodies on Chain Remand Complaints in Malaysia

Authors: Ifa Sirrhu Samsudin, Ramalinggam Rajamanickam, Rohaida Nordin

Abstract:

The practice of chain remand would cause human rights violations if the application was granted without reasonable cause and reason. This chain remand problem was tried to be addressed in 2007, which was amongst the factors that led to the amendment of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC) at that time due to the defilement of human liberty. In Malaysia, there are governmental and non-governmental bodies that are active in ensuring that the human rights of the entire community are protected from being violated. The issue of wrongful detention involving chain remand during an investigation is not a new issue. This issue is constantly highlighted and efforts to address it are often raised by the responsible parties. This study aims to analyse the roles of these bodies in dealing with chain remand complaints in Malaysia using a qualitative research approach by way of in-depth interviews, roundtable discussions and documents analysis. The study discovered that these bodies were able to investigate the complaints but did not have a role in taking any actions. Their role is only to provide recommendations to the complainants to take action. Therefore, this study suggested the function should be given to certain bodies to curb the problem based on solid evidence.

Keywords: liberty, complaints, chain remand, government

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2531 Efficacy of Phonological Awareness Intervention for People with Language Impairment

Authors: I. Wardana Ketut, I. Suparwa Nyoman

Abstract:

This study investigated the form and characteristic of speech sound produced by three Balinese subjects who have recovered from aphasia as well as intervened their language impairment on side of linguistic and neuronal aspects of views. The failure of judging the speech sound was caused by impairment of motor cortex that indicated there were lesions in left hemispheric language zone. Sound articulation phenomena were in the forms of phonemes deletion, replacement or assimilation in individual words and meaning building for anomic aphasia. Therefore, the Balinese sound patterns were stimulated by showing pictures to the subjects and recorded to recognize what individual consonants or vowels they unclearly produced and to find out how the sound disorder occurred. The physiology of sound production by subject’s speech organs could not only show the accuracy of articulation but also any level of severity the lesion they suffered from. The subjects’ speech sounds were investigated, classified and analyzed to know how poor the lingual units were and observed to clarify weaknesses of sound characters occurred either for place or manner of articulation. Many fricative and stopped consonants were replaced by glottal or palatal sounds because the cranial nerve, such as facial, trigeminal, and hypoglossal underwent impairment after the stroke. The phonological intervention was applied through a technique called phonemic articulation drill and the examination was conducted to know any change has been obtained. The finding informed that some weak articulation turned into clearer sound and simple meaning of language has been conveyed. The hierarchy of functional parts of brain played important role of language formulation and processing. From this finding, it can be clearly emphasized that this study supports the role of right hemisphere in recovery from aphasia is associated with functional brain reorganization.

Keywords: aphasia, intervention, phonology, stroke

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2530 Formation of Self Help Groups (SHGs) Protected Human Rights and Ensured Human Security of Female Sex Workers at Brothel in Bangladesh

Authors: Md. Nurul Alom Siddikqe

Abstract:

The purpose of this intervention was to describe how the marginalized people protect their rights and increase their self-dignity and self-esteem among brothel-based sex workers in 6 cities which are the victim of trafficked who came from different periphery areas Bangladesh. Eventually the sex workers are tortured by the pimp, clients, Msahi (so called guardian of bonded sex workers), Babu (So called husband) highly discriminated, vulnerable and stigmatized due to their occupation, movement, behavior and activities, which has got social disapproval. However, stigma, discrimination and violation of human rights not only bar them to access legal services, education of their kids, health, movement of outside of brothel, deprived of funeral after death, but also make them inaccessible due to their invisibility. Conducted an assessment among brothel-based sex workers setup to know their knowledge on human rights and find out their harassment and violence in their community. Inspired them to think about to be united and also assisted them to formation of self help group (SHG). Developed capacity of the SHG and developed leadership of its members through different trainings like administrative, financial management, public speaking and resource mobilization. Developed strategy to enhance the capacity of SHG so that they can collectively claim their rights and develop strategic partnership and network with the relevant service provider’s for restoring all sorts of rights. Conducted meeting with stakeholder including duty bearers, civil society organizations, media people and local government initiatives. Developed Networking with human rights commission, local elite, religious leaders and form human right watch committees at community level. Organized rally and observed national and international days along with government counterparts. By utilizing the project resources the members of SHG became capable to raise their collective voices against violence, discrimination and stigma as well as protected them from insecurity. The members of SHG have been participating in social program/event the SHG got membership of district level NGO coordination meeting through invitation from Deputy Commissioner, Civil Surgeon and Social welfare office of Government of Bangladesh. The Law Enforcement Agency is ensuring safety and security and the education department of government enrolled their children in primary level education. The Government provided land for grave yard after death for the Muslim sex workers and same for the other religious group. The SHGs are registered with government respective authorities. The SHGs are working with support from different development partners and implementing different projects sometime as consortium leaders. Opportunity created to take the vocational training from the government reputed department. The harassment by the clients reduced remarkably, babu, Mashi and other counterparts recognized the sex workers rights and ensure security with government counterpart access increased in legal, health and education. Indications are that the brothel based sex workers understood about their rights and became capable of ensuring their security through working under the self-help groups meaningfully.

Keywords: brothel, discrimination, harassment, stigma

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2529 Interventions and Supervision in Mental Health Services: Experiences of a Working Group in Brazil

Authors: Sonia Alberti

Abstract:

The Regional Conference to Restructure Psychiatric Care in Latin America, convened by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) in 1990, oriented the Brazilian Federal Act in 2001 that stipulated the psychiatric reform which requires deinstitutionalization and community-based treatment. Since then, the 15 years’ experience of different working teams in mental health led an academic working group – supervisors from personal practices, professors and researchers – to discuss certain clinical issues, as well as supervisions, and to organize colloquia in different cities as a methodology. These colloquia count on the participation of different working teams from the cities in which they are held, with team members with different levels of educational degrees and prior experiences, in order to increase dialogue right where it does not always appear to be possible. The principal aim of these colloquia is to gain interlocution between practitioners and academics. Working with the theory of case constructions, this methodology revealed itself helpful in unfolding new solutions. The paper also observes that there is not always harmony between what the psychiatric reform demands and clinical ethics.

Keywords: mental health, supervision, clinical cases, Brazilian experience

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2528 Towards the Production of Least Contaminant Grade Biosolids and Biochar via Mild Acid Pre-treatment

Authors: Ibrahim Hakeem

Abstract:

Biosolids are stabilised sewage sludge produced from wastewater treatment processes. Biosolids contain valuable plant nutrient which facilitates their beneficial reuse in agricultural land. However, the increasing levels of legacy and emerging contaminants such as heavy metals (HMs), PFAS, microplastics, pharmaceuticals, microbial pathogens etc., are restraining the direct land application of biosolids. Pyrolysis of biosolids can effectively degrade microbial and organic contaminants; however, HMs remain a persistent problem with biosolids and their pyrolysis-derived biochar. In this work, we demonstrated the integrated processing of biosolids involving the acid pre-treatment for HMs removal and selective reduction of ash-forming elements followed by the bench-scale pyrolysis of the treated biosolids to produce quality biochar and bio-oil enriched with valuable platform chemicals. The pre-treatment of biosolids using 3% v/v H₂SO₄ at room conditions for 30 min reduced the ash content from 30 wt% in raw biosolids to 15 wt% in the treated sample while removing about 80% of limiting HMs without degrading the organic matter. The preservation of nutrients and reduction of HMs concentration and mobility via the developed hydrometallurgical process improved the grade of the treated biosolids for beneficial land reuse. The co-removal of ash-forming elements from biosolids positively enhanced the fluidised bed pyrolysis of the acid-treated biosolids at 700 ℃. Organic matter devolatilisation was improved by 40%, and the produced biochar had higher surface area (107 m²/g), heating value (15 MJ/kg), fixed carbon (35 wt%), organic carbon retention (66% dry-ash free) compared to the raw biosolids biochar with surface area (56 m²/g), heating value (9 MJ/kg), fixed carbon (20 wt%) and organic carbon retention (50%). Pre-treatment also improved microporous structure development of the biochar and substantially decreased the HMs concentration and bioavailability by at least 50% relative to the raw biosolids biochar. The integrated process is a viable approach to enhancing value recovery from biosolids.

Keywords: biosolids, pyrolysis, biochar, heavy metals

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2527 Local Culture and Ability to Access Funding on Beef Cattle Farmer

Authors: Aslina Asnawi, A. Amidah Amrawaty, Nirwana

Abstract:

This article examines the relationship of local culture on the ability to access finance on beef cattle farmer. The local culture in this study associated with the values held by the farmer community so far and affect the character of farmers both in his personal life and his relationship with the surrounding environment. The data was collected by using interview and questionnaire instrument. Data were analyzed using descriptive analysis and correlation analysis. The result show that local culture identified in this study include: honesty, cleverness, decency, firmness, hard work, and shame. It’s important result that local culture has been associated with the ability to access financing for beef cattle farmers. The higher values are adopted and maintained by farmers will increase their ability to obtain loans from both informal and formal institutions. Strengthening the local culture is important because it affects the character of farmers who became one of the considerations for lenders other than collateral, capacity and capital is precisely the financing constraints for them.

Keywords: access funding, beef cattle farmers, character, local culture

Procedia PDF Downloads 312
2526 Enzyme Immobilization on Functionalized Polystyrene Nanofibersfor Bioprocessing Applications

Authors: Mailin Misson, Bo Jin, Sheng Dai, Hu Zhang

Abstract:

Advances in biotechnology have witnessed a growing interest in enzyme applications for the development of green and sustainable bio processes. While known as powerful bio catalysts, enzymes are no longer of economic value when extended to large commercialization. Alternatively, immobilization technology allows enzyme recovery and continuous reuse which subsequently compensates high operating costs. Employment of enzymes on nano structured materials has been recognized as a promising approach to enhance enzyme catalytic performances. High porosity, inter connectivity and self-assembling behaviors endow nano fibers as exciting candidate for enzyme carrier in bio reactor systems. In this study, nano fibers were successfully fabricated via electro spinning system by optimizing the polymer concentration (10-30 %, w/v), applied voltage (10-30 kV) and discharge distance (11-26 cm). Microscopic images have confirmed the quality as homogeneous and good fiber alignment. The nano fibers surface was modified using strong oxidizing agent to facilitate bio molecule binding. Bovine serum albumin and β-galactosidase enzyme were employed as model bio catalysts and immobilized onto the oxidized surfaces through covalent binding. Maximum enzyme adsorption capacity of the modified nano fibers was 3000 mg/g, 3-fold higher than the unmodified counterpart (1000 mg/g). The highest immobilization yield was 80% and reached the saturation point at 2 mg/ml of enzyme concentration. The results indicate a significant increase of activity retention by the enzyme-bound modified nano fibers (80%) as compared to the nascent one (60%), signifying excellent enzyme-nano carrier bio compatibility. The immobilized enzyme was further used for the bio conversion of dairy wastes into value-added products. This study demonstrates great potential of acid-modified electrospun polystyrene nano fibers as enzyme carriers.

Keywords: immobilization, enzyme, nanocarrier, nanofibers

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2525 A Generic Approach to Reuse Unified Modeling Language Components Following an Agile Process

Authors: Rim Bouhaouel, Naoufel Kraïem, Zuhoor Al Khanjari

Abstract:

Unified Modeling Language (UML) is considered as one of the widespread modeling language standardized by the Object Management Group (OMG). Therefore, the model driving engineering (MDE) community attempts to provide reuse of UML diagrams, and do not construct it from scratch. The UML model appears according to a specific software development process. The existing method generation models focused on the different techniques of transformation without considering the development process. Our work aims to construct an UML component from fragments of UML diagram basing on an agile method. We define UML fragment as a portion of a UML diagram, which express a business target. To guide the generation of fragments of UML models using an agile process, we need a flexible approach, which adapts to the agile changes and covers all its activities. We use the software product line (SPL) to derive a fragment of process agile method. This paper explains our approach, named RECUP, to generate UML fragments following an agile process, and overviews the different aspects. In this paper, we present the approach and we define the different phases and artifacts.

Keywords: UML, component, fragment, agile, SPL

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2524 Colada Sweet Like Mercy: Gender Stereotyping in Twitter Conversations by Big Brother Naija 2019 Viewers

Authors: Mary-Magdalene N. Chumbow

Abstract:

This study explores how a reality TV show which aired in Nigeria in 2019 (Big Brother Naija - BBN), played a role in enhancing gender-biased conversations among its viewers and social media followers. Thematic analysis is employed here to study Twitter conversations among BBN 2019 followers, which ensued after the show had stopped airing. The study reveals that the show influenced the way viewers and fans engaged with each other, as well as with the show’s participants, on Twitter, and argues that, despite having aired for a short period of time, BBN 2019 was able to draw people together and provide a community where viewers could engage with each other online. Though the show aired on TV, the viewers found a digital space where they could air their views, react to what was happening on the show, as well as simply catch up on action that they probably missed. Within these digital communities, viewers expressed their attractions, disgust and identities, most of these having a form of reference to sexuality and gender identities and roles, as were also portrayed by the show’s producers both on TV and on social media.

Keywords: commodification of bodies, gender stereotypes, Big Brother Naija, social media

Procedia PDF Downloads 119
2523 Unveiling Cardiovascular and Behavioral Effects of Aerobic Exercise: Insights from Morocco

Authors: Ahmed Boujdad

Abstract:

Morocco, situated in North Africa and celebrated for its diverse landscapes and vibrant cultural heritage, confronts evolving challenges in the realms of cardiovascular well-being and psychological health. In this context, this article aims to highlight distinctive findings stemming from Moroccan research concerning the effects of aerobic exercise on cardiovascular physiology and psychological states. The discourse will encompass a wide array of subjects, including adaptations in cardiac function due to exercise, management of blood pressure, and vascular well-being tailored to the Moroccan populace. A prominent focal point of the article will be the exploration of the interplay between aerobic exercise and Moroccan behavioral tendencies and socio-cultural influences. The research will delve into the correlations between consistent physical activity and its potential to mitigate stress, anxiety, and depression within the Moroccan framework. This inquiry will also extend to examining how exercise contributes to strengthening the societal tapestry of Morocco, fostering community involvement, and cultivating a sense of holistic wellness.

Keywords: kinesiology, cardiovascular, event-related potential‎, physical activity

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2522 Addressing Undernourishment of Pupils in a Depressed Community through Feeding Program and Vitamin Supplementation

Authors: Alma M. Corpuz

Abstract:

This study evaluated the supplemental feeding program for 59 undernourished pupils in an elementary school located in one of the depressed communities in Tarlac City, Philippines in SY 2013-2014. Pupils were fed for one month with heavy breakfast and afternoon snacks. They were also given vitamins daily. Findings revealed that most of the pupils regained normal Body Mass Indices (BMIs) during a routine weighing in the school opening. In addition, results revealed that the academic performance of the pupils in the 4th Quarter, after the feeding program, was higher compared to the 3rd Quarter period. The researchers recommended that school extension programs should prioritize activities to address malnutrition among pupils to help them perform well in academics. In addition, feeding programs must include heavy meal plans like what was implemented in this project. The feeding program must also include giving of milk and vitamins to ensure significant improvement in their nutrition. It is also important that feacalysis and deworming be performed before the feeding program and proper handwashing be integrated into the feeding activity.

Keywords: wasted, severely wasted, body mass index, supplemental feeding

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2521 Comparison of Parent’s Treatment and Education Priorities between Verbal and Non-Verbal Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Iranian Families

Authors: Elanz Alimi, Mehdi Ghanadzade

Abstract:

This current study compared the parents reported treatment and education priorities between verbal and nonverbal children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Participants were 196 parents of 2 to 21-year-old (83 non-verbal and 113 verbal) children and adolescents with an ASD who completed questionnaires measuring parent’s treatment and education priorities, child’s educational and intervention programs and current child’s level of performance according to each skill. Results of this study indicated that parents of verbal children with autism spectrum disorder considered communication skills, community living skills and academic skills correspondingly as their highest intervention and education priorities and parents of non-verbal children with ASD reported communication skills, social relationship skills and self-care skills as the most significant priorities for their children. Findings show that for Iranian parents of both verbal and non-verbal children with ASD, communication skills are the most crucial treatment priority.

Keywords: autism, communication skills, Iran, parent’s priorities

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2520 Design and Implementation of a Geodatabase and WebGIS

Authors: Sajid Ali, Dietrich Schröder

Abstract:

The merging of internet and Web has created many disciplines and Web GIS is one these disciplines which is effectively dealing with the geospatial data in a proficient way. Web GIS technologies have provided an easy accessing and sharing of geospatial data over the internet. However, there is a single platform for easy and multiple accesses of the data lacks for the European Caribbean Association (Europaische Karibische Gesselschaft - EKG) to assist their members and other research community. The technique presented in this paper deals with designing of a geodatabase using PostgreSQL/PostGIS as an object oriented relational database management system (ORDBMS) for competent dissemination and management of spatial data and Web GIS by using OpenGeo Suite for the fast sharing and distribution of the data over the internet. The characteristics of the required design for the geodatabase have been studied and a specific methodology is given for the purpose of designing the Web GIS. At the end, validation of this Web based geodatabase has been performed over two Desktop GIS software and a web map application and it is also discussed that the contribution has all the desired modules to expedite further research in the area as per the requirements.

Keywords: desktop GISSoftware, European Caribbean association, geodatabase, OpenGeo suite, postgreSQL/PostGIS, webGIS, web map application

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2519 Ocular Manifestations of Recent Viral Pandemics: A Literature Review

Authors: Mohammad J. J. Taha, Mohammad T. Abuawwad, Warda A. Alrubasy, Shams Khalid Sameer, Taleb Alsafi, Yaqeen Al-Bustanji, Luai Abu-Ismail, Abdulqadir J. Nashwan

Abstract:

Viral pandemics often take the world by storm, urging the medical community to prioritize the most evident systemic manifestations, often causing ocular manifestations to go unnoticed. This literature review aims to highlight the ocular complications of monkeypox, SARS-CoV-2, MERS, ebola, H1N1, and zika viruses as the most recent viral pandemics. Since the emergence of the newly resurfacing monkeypox and the novel SARS-CoV-2, research aiming to uncover the effects of these pandemics began right away. Moreover, it also discusses the ocular complications of the vaccines and treatments that were used in the scope of the viral pandemics. To add, this work discussed the role of the eye as an important route of viral transmission, and thereafter, the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) recommendations to reduce the incidence of viral transmission were mentioned. Finally, this paper aims to outline a platform for researchers who are interested in further investigating eye-related viral manifestations.

Keywords: ophthalmology, monkeypox, ebola, zika, MERS, H1N1, influenza, COVID-19

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2518 Investigating the Role of Clam Festival for Destination Branding: A Case Study of Tainan Cigu

Authors: Lim Lie Pin, Lin Hui Wen

Abstract:

Rural tourism has become popular in Taiwan, the villages based on agriculture including fishery have to follow the trend to develop the local economy and achieve the sustainable development of the rural areas. Through cultural festivals, the tourist could experience the benefit while promoting and stimulating the local development of rural tourism. Cigu is famous for salt history and abundant natural resources, such as lagoon, black-faced spoonbills and other fishery products. Digging clam has become the most special parent-child activities in Tainan and increasing awareness since it was initiated. Therefore, festival organizers and regional destination marketers need to identify visitors’ experiences attributes which lead to opportunities for industry professionals, community involvement to plan and organize regional festivals and their programmes for effective destination branding finding out more potential rural resources encouraging the local industry growth and sustainable development.

Keywords: rural tourism, cultural festival, destination branding, tourist experience, sustainable development

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2517 Stakeholder Perception in the Role of Short-term Accommodations on the Place Brand and Real Estate Development of Urban Areas: A Case Study of Malate, Manila

Authors: Virgilio Angelo Gelera Gener

Abstract:

This study investigates the role of short-term accommodations on the place brand and real estate development of urban areas. It aims to know the perceptions of the general public, real estate developers, as well as city and barangay-level local government units (LGUs) on how these lodgings affect the place brand and land value of a community. It likewise attempts to identify the personal and institutional variables having a great influence on said perceptions in order to provide a better understanding of these establishments and their relevance within urban localities. Using certain sources, Malate, Manila was identified to be the ideal study area of the thesis. This prompted the employment of mixed methods research as the study’s fundamental data gathering and analytical tool. Here, a survey with 350 locals was done, asking them questions that would answer the aforementioned queries. Thereafter, a Pearson Chi-square Test and Multinomial Logistic Regression (MLR) were utilized to determine the variables affecting their perceptions. There were also Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with the three (3) most populated Malate barangays, as well as Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) with selected city officials and fifteen (15) real estate company representatives. With that, survey results showed that although a 1992 Department of Tourism (DOT) Circular regards short-term accommodations as lodgings mainly for travelers, most people actually use it for their private/intimate moments. Because of this, the survey further revealed that short-term accommodations exhibit a negative place brand among the respondents though they also believe that it’s still one of society’s most important economic players. Statistics from the Pearson Chi-square Test, on the other hand, indicate that there are fourteen (14) out of seventeen (17) variables exhibiting great influence on respondents’ perceptions. Whereas MLR findings show that being born in Malate and being part of a family household was the most significant regardless of socio-economic level and monthly household income. For the city officials, it was revealed that said lodgings are actually the second-highest earners in the City’s lodging industry. It was further stated that their zoning ordinance treats short-term accommodations just like any other lodging enterprise. So it’s perfectly legal for these establishments to situate themselves near residential areas and/or institutional structures. A sit down with barangays, on the other hand, recognized the economic benefits of short-term accommodations but likewise admitted that it contributes a negative place brand to the community. Lastly, real estate developers are amenable to having their projects built near short-term accommodations, for they do not have any bad views against it. They explained that their projects sites have always been motivated by suitability, liability, and marketability factors only. Overall, these findings merit a recalibration of the zoning ordinance and DOT Circular, as well as the imposition of regulations on their sexually suggestive roadside advertisements. Then, once relevant measures are refined for proper implementation, it can also pave the way for spatial interventions (like visual buffer corridors) to better address the needs of the locals, private groups, and government.

Keywords: estate planning, place brand, real estate development, short-term accommodations

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2516 Foreign Direct Investment and Its Impact on the Economic Growth of Emerging Economies: Does Ease of Doing Business Matter?

Authors: Mutaju Marobhe, Pastory Dickson

Abstract:

This study explores the role of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in stimulating economic growth of emerging economies. FDIs have been associated with higher economic growth rates in developed countries due to the presence of conducive business conditions e.g. advanced financial markets which may accelerate the rate at which FDI boosts economic growth. So this study sets out to evaluate this macroeconomic phenomenon in emerging economies using the case study of Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) countries. The study uses Ease of Doing Business Index as a variable that moderates the relationship between FDI and economic growth. Panel data ranging from 2010 to 2019 from all SADC members are used and due to the unbalanced nature of the data, fixed effects regression analysis with moderation effect is used to assess this phenomenon. The conclusions and recommendations generated by this study will enable emerging economies to depict how they can be able to significantly improve FDI’s role in accelerating economic growth similarly to developed economies.

Keywords: ease of doing business, economic growth, emerging economies, foreign direct investment

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2515 Saving Energy through Scalable Architecture

Authors: John Lamb, Robert Epstein, Vasundhara L. Bhupathi, Sanjeev Kumar Marimekala

Abstract:

In this paper, we focus on the importance of scalable architecture for data centers and buildings in general to help an enterprise achieve environmental sustainability. The scalable architecture helps in many ways, such as adaptability to the business and user requirements, promotes high availability and disaster recovery solutions that are cost effective and low maintenance. The scalable architecture also plays a vital role in three core areas of sustainability: economy, environment, and social, which are also known as the 3 pillars of a sustainability model. If the architecture is scalable, it has many advantages. A few examples are that scalable architecture helps businesses and industries to adapt to changing technology, drive innovation, promote platform independence, and build resilience against natural disasters. Most importantly, having a scalable architecture helps industries bring in cost-effective measures for energy consumption, reduce wastage, increase productivity, and enable a robust environment. It also helps in the reduction of carbon emissions with advanced monitoring and metering capabilities. Scalable architectures help in reducing waste by optimizing the designs to utilize materials efficiently, minimize resources, decrease carbon footprints by using low-impact materials that are environmentally friendly. In this paper we also emphasize the importance of cultural shift towards the reuse and recycling of natural resources for a balanced ecosystem and maintain a circular economy. Also, since all of us are involved in the use of computers, much of the scalable architecture we have studied is related to data centers.

Keywords: scalable architectures, sustainability, application design, disruptive technology, machine learning and natural language processing, AI, social media platform, cloud computing, advanced networking and storage devices, advanced monitoring and metering infrastructure, climate change

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2514 Images Selection and Best Descriptor Combination for Multi-Shot Person Re-Identification

Authors: Yousra Hadj Hassen, Walid Ayedi, Tarek Ouni, Mohamed Jallouli

Abstract:

To re-identify a person is to check if he/she has been already seen over a cameras network. Recently, re-identifying people over large public cameras networks has become a crucial task of great importance to ensure public security. The vision community has deeply investigated this area of research. Most existing researches rely only on the spatial appearance information from either one or multiple person images. Actually, the real person re-id framework is a multi-shot scenario. However, to efficiently model a person’s appearance and to choose the best samples to remain a challenging problem. In this work, an extensive comparison of descriptors of state of the art associated with the proposed frame selection method is studied. Specifically, we evaluate the samples selection approach using multiple proposed descriptors. We show the effectiveness and advantages of the proposed method by extensive comparisons with related state-of-the-art approaches using two standard datasets PRID2011 and iLIDS-VID.

Keywords: camera network, descriptor, model, multi-shot, person re-identification, selection

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2513 Neurological Complication of Bariatric Surgery: A Cross-sectional Study from Saudi Arabia

Authors: H. A. Algahtani, A. S. Khan, O. Alzahrani, N. Hussein, M. A. Khan, Loudhi Y. I. Soliman

Abstract:

Objective: To report on the Saudi experience (developing country) of neurological complications from bariatric surgery. The literature on the subject is reviewed. Method: This is a cross sectional study done in King Abdul Aziz Medical City Jeddah, WR, where we reviewed all charts of the patients who underwent bariatric surgery between January 1st, 2009 to December 31st , 2014. Personal and clinical data including age, sex, BMI, comorbidities, type of procedure, duration of stay in hospital, complications and postoperative follow up were collected. In addition follow up visit and remote complication if present were collected. All patients with neurological complications were reviewed in details including their clinical examination, laboratory and imaging results, treatment and prognosis. This report is essentially descriptive with no statistical analysis performed. Results: Fifteen cases were collected in this study (3%). Axonal polyneuropathy was the most frequent neurological complica¬tion, but cases of Wernicke syndrome, vitamin B12 deficiency, Guillain-Barre syndrome and cupper deficiency were also identified. Fourteen patients (93.3%) had full recovery from the neurological signs and symptoms but unfortunately one patient died. Conclusion: Bariatric surgery, a procedure that is continuously increasing in popularity, is not free of potential neurological complications. A clear education, guidelines and follow-up program should be planned and practiced. Facts should be clearly presented to the individual undergoing this type of surgery. Although a clear cause-effect relation cannot be established for the present cases, the cumulative literature on the subject makes it important to warn the patient of the potential risks of this procedure.

Keywords: bariatric surgery, neurological complications, neuropathy, Wenicke syndrome

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2512 Street Art Lenses: A Glimpse into the Street Artists’ Identity and Socio-Political Perspective in Brussels

Authors: José Francisco Urrutia Reyes, Judith Espinosa Real

Abstract:

This paper is meant to re-examine the role of street art in the contemporary world. By studying this form of art in Brussels, it can be explained how murals show the socio-political reality of a given community and influence on its interaction. Through the definitions of street art, murals and street artists, and analysing their role in Brussels, it is possible to understand how this counter culture movement serves as an engine of social development, as it interacts with its surroundings sending a clear message to a wider audience. Street art impacts on its environment because it interacts with the people who occupies the day-to-day public space. This has proven to be effective in the arouse of social consciousness, up to the point of being adopted by the government of Brussels to promote social movements such as the AIDS-HIV campaign along with the Plate-Forme Prévention Sida. It can be concluded that street art has evolved since its vandalic beginnings, to become a form of art that has not lost it counter official status, but now has a critical vision that can promote social awakening. Street art is now a global trend that uses visual inputs to create a positive impact.

Keywords: street art, Brussels, social impact, political perspective

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2511 Initiative Programme to Reform Education in Thailand

Authors: Piyapat Chitpirom, Teerakiat Jareonsettasin, Chintida Vichitsophaphan

Abstract:

The Foundation of Virtuous Youth was established and supported by the Crown Property Bureau, with the intention to instill goodness in Thai youth. The Centre for Educational Psychology is one of the three units under the foundation. We aim to develop programmes that can be used to improve the quality of education in schools. Translation of the King’s message in keeping with the modern research from various sources, our team create 6 programmes: (1) Teacher-Student Relationship (2) Growth Mindset (3) Socratic Teaching (4) Peer Tutoring (5) Parental Involvement (6) Inclusion. After nine months of implementing the programmes in the schools, we found that there were more cooperation between student-student, teacher-student, teacher-parent, and student-parent and the school regained trust from the community. Our ideas were accepted well by the government as our director was promoted to be the Vice Minister of Education in order to implement our programmes into national education system. We consider that the key of our success is that we do practical things. We are still continuing, improving, and learning from our work with hope that the quality of Thai education will improve in near future.

Keywords: education reform, educational psychology, effective teaching, teacher-student relationship

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2510 Perspectives of Computational Modeling in Sanskrit Lexicons

Authors: Baldev Ram Khandoliyan, Ram Kishor

Abstract:

India has a classical tradition of Sanskrit Lexicons. Research work has been done on the study of Indian lexicography. India has seen amazing strides in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) applications for Indian languages in general and for Sanskrit in particular. Since Machine Translation from Sanskrit to other Indian languages is often the desired goal, traditional Sanskrit lexicography has attracted a lot of attention from the ICT and Computational Linguistics community. From Nighaŋţu and Nirukta to Amarakośa and Medinīkośa, Sanskrit owns a rich history of lexicography. As these kośas do not follow the same typology or standard in the selection and arrangement of the words and the information related to them, several types of Kośa-styles have emerged in this tradition. The model of a grammar given by Aṣṭādhyāyī is well appreciated by Indian and western linguists and grammarians. But the different models provided by lexicographic tradition also have importance. The general usefulness of Sanskrit traditional Kośas is well discussed by some scholars. That is most of the matter made available in the text. Some also have discussed the good arrangement of lexica. This paper aims to discuss some more use of the different models of Sanskrit lexicography especially focusing on its computational modeling and its use in different computational operations.

Keywords: computational lexicography, Sanskrit Lexicons, nighanṭu, kośa, Amarkosa

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2509 Regenerative Therapeutic Effect of Statin Nanoparticle-Loaded Adipose-Derived Stem Cells on Myocardial Infarction

Authors: Masaaki Ii, Takashi Saito, Yasuhiko Tabata, Shintaro Nemoto

Abstract:

Background: Clinical trials of autologous adipose-derived stem cell (AdSC) therapy for ischemic heart diseases (IHD) are now on-going. We have investigated the hypothesis that combination of AdSCs and statin, an agent with pleiotropic effects, could augment the therapeutic effect on myocardial infarction (MI). Methods and Results: Human AdSC functions with different doses of simvastatin-conjugated nanoparticle (STNP) uptake were evaluated by in vitro assays. STNP promoted the migration activity without changing the proliferation activity, and also up-regulated growth factors. Next, MI was induced by LAD ligation in nude mice, and the mice were assigned in the following groups 3 days after MI: 1) PBS (control), 2) NP-AdSCs (50000 cells), 3) STNP, and 4) STNP-AdSCs (50000 cells). Cardiac functional recovery assessed by echocardiography was improved at 4 weeks after surgery in STNP-AdSC group. Masson’s trichrome-stained sections revealed that LV fibrosis length was reduced, and the number of TUNEL-positive cardiomyocytes was less in STNP-AdSC group. Surprisingly, a number of de novo endogenous Nkx-2.5/GATA4 positive immature cardiomyocytes as well as massive vascular formation were observed in outer layer of infarcted myocardium despite of a few recruited/retained transfused STNP-AdSCs 4 weeks after MI in STNP-AdSC group. Finally, massive myocardial regeneration was observed 8 weeks after MI. Conclusions: Intravenously injected small number of statin nanoparticle-loaded hAdSCs exhibited a potent therapeutic effect inducing endogenous cardiac tissue regeneration.

Keywords: statin, drug delivery system, stem cells, cardiac regeneration

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2508 Business Ethics in Islamic and Economic Perspective

Authors: Mohammad Iqbal Malik

Abstract:

Economic development of a country depends on its business ethics and values. Islamic teachings provide obvious guidelines in this regard. Mutual understanding, honesty and ethics possess central place in Islamic teachings. These teachings not only prohibit from amalgamation, black-marketing, hoarding and deception but also force to treat a customer amiably. Business ethics are broad spectrum in Islamic society due to these high moral values. One can estimate the importance of business ethics in Islam for economic development in Islamic society is evident by the Hadith of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in which He excluded a trader from Muslim community who did not behave in good manners with his clients. In this study we present impact of business ethics on economic development of a Muslim society. This study is based on basic teachings of Quran and Sunnah, Fiqh, Economics and other books. This study explores the behavior of Muslim traders and reveals useful inferences. Policy makers, traders, academia, scholars, and general public may learn lessons from this study with respect to business ethics in Islamic perspective.

Keywords: ethics, business, Islam, economic perspective

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2507 Human Rights and Counter-Terrorism in Nigeria: A Systematic Review

Authors: Tarela J. Ike

Abstract:

Over the years, the hemorrhagic acts of Boko Haram have led to the adoption of counter-terrorism measures which mostly takes the form of military repressive measures. These measures have wrought flagrant violation of human rights worthy of concern. Hence, the need to examine the efficacy of the counter-terrorism measures adopted by the Nigeria government in combatting terrorism. This article addresses this issue by relying on a systematic literature review which examines the impact of Nigeria counter-terrorism measures from 2009 to 2016 in combating terrorism. The review of literature includes 42 article. Of the 42 articles, 14 met the peer-reviewed requirement which finds that most of Nigeria’s counter-terrorism policies are geared toward the use of state repressive military approach which violates the human right. Thus, the study concludes that to effectively address the terrorist uprising; Nigeria should adopt a non-aggressive counter-terrorism approach which incorporates religious clerics, and community active engagement strategy in combatting terrorism as opposed to military retaliation which violates human right and so far proved ineffective.

Keywords: Boko Haram, counter-terrorism, human rights, military retaliation

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2506 Effect of Cryogenic Pre-stretching on the Room Temperature Tensile Behavior of AZ61 Magnesium Alloy and Dominant Grain Growth Mechanisms During Subsequent Annealing

Authors: Umer Masood Chaudry, Hafiz Muhammad Rehan Tariq, Chung-soo Kim, Tea-sung Jun

Abstract:

This study explored the influence of pre-stretching temperature on the microstructural characteristics and deformation behavior of AZ61 magnesium alloy and its implications on grain growth during subsequent annealing. AZ61 alloy was stretched to 5% plastic strain along rolling (RD) and transverse direction (TD) at room (RT) and cryogenic temperature (-150 oC, CT) followed by annealing at 320 oC for 1 h to investigate the twinning and dislocation evolution and its consequent effect on the flow stress, plastic strain and strain hardening rate. Compared to RT-stretched samples, significant improvement in yield stress, strain hardening rate and moderate reduction in elongation to failure were witnessed for CT-stretched samples along RD and TD. The subsequent EBSD analysis revealed the increased fraction of fine {10-12} twins and nucleation of multiple {10-12} twin variants caused by higher local stress concentration at the grain boundaries in CT-stretched samples as manifested by the kernel average misorientation. This higher twin fraction and twin-twin interaction imposed the strengthening by restricting the mean free path of dislocations, leading to higher flow stress and strain hardening rate. During annealing of the RT/CT-stretched samples, the residual strain energy and twin boundaries were decreased due to static recovery, leading to a coarse-grained twin-free microstructure. Strain induced boundary migration (SBIM) was found to be the predominant mechanism governing the grain growth during annealing via movement of high angle grain boundaries.

Keywords: magnesium, twinning, twinning variant selection, EBSD, cryogenic deformation

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