Search results for: daily average gain

Authors: Jorge Duarte de Sá

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The project presented in this investigation is part of the multidisciplinary field of Architecture and explores an experience in media architecture, integrated in Arts, Science and Technology. The objective of this work is to create a visual experience comprehending Architecture, Media and Art. It is intended to specifically explore the sacred spaces that are losing social, cultural or religious dynamics and insert new Media technologies to create a new generate momentum, testing tools, techniques and methods of implementation. Given an architectural project methodology, it seems essential that 'the location' should be the starting point for the development of this technological apparatus: the church of Santa Clara in Santarém, Portugal emerged as an experimental space for apparatus, presenting itself as both temple and museum. We also aim to address the concept of rehabilitation through media technologies, directed at interventions that may have an impact on energizing spaces. The idea is emphasized on the rehabilitation of spaces that, one way or another, may gain new dynamics after a media intervention. Thus, we intend to affect the play with a sensitive and spiritual character which endemically, sacred spaces have, by exploring a sensitive aspect of the subject and drawing up new ideas for meditation and spiritual reflection. The work is designed primarily as a visual experience that encompasses the space, the object and the subject. It is a media project supported by a dual structure with two transparent screens operating in a holographic screen which will be projecting two images that complement the translucent overlay film, thus making the merger of two projections. The digitally created content reacts to the presence of observers through infrared cameras, placed strategically. The object revives the memory of the altarpiece as an architectural surface, promoting the expansion of messages through the media technologies.

Keywords: architecture, media, sacred, technology

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Authors: Neelamshobha Nirala, R. Periyasamy, Awanish Kumar

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Diabetes is a metabolic disorder and with the increase of global prevalence of diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and mortality related to diabetes has also increased. Diabetes causes the increase of arterial stiffness by elusive hormonal and metabolic abnormalities. We used photoplethysmograph (PPG), a simple non-invasive method to study the change in arterial stiffness due to diabetes. Toe PPG signals were taken from 29 diabetic subjects with mean age of (65±8.4) years and 21 non-diabetic subjects of mean age of (49±14) years. Mean duration of diabetes is 12±8 years for diabetic group. Rise-time (RT) and area under rise time (AUR) were calculated from the PPG signal of each subject and Welch’s t-test is used to find the significant difference between two groups. We obtained a significant difference of (p-value) 0.0005 and 0.03 for RT and AUR respectively between diabetic and non-diabetic subjects. Average value of RT and AUR is 0.298±0.003 msec and 14.4±4.2 arbitrary units respectively for diabetic subject compared to 0.277±0.0005 msec and 13.66±2.3 a.u respectively for non-diabetic subjects. In conclusion, this study support that arterial stiffness is increased in diabetes and can be detected early using PPG.

Keywords: area under rise-time, AUR, arterial stiffness, diabetes, photoplethysmograph, PPG, rise-time (RT)

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Authors: Farshad Kalantari

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Tourism industry has gained a progressive trend within the past years, which affect the cultural exchange among different nations. It is obvious that each country has its own culture, heritage and history, which can be manifested in the population lifestyle and pattern of living. the lifestyle can be considered as an indicator for health status, as the culture may affect way of living, which known as lifestyle and its components, including dietary pattern, physical activity status and other social behaviours. As a result, it seems that each culture can transfer the lifestyle to other societies by international communications. Moreover, different regions and countries may benefit from natural resources, which can be a leading cause for tourist attraction, in the other words, natural resources and culture, can affect the tourist turnover in a region, and as a result, it can be hypothesised that it may affect the exchange of lifestyle including dietary pattern and physical activity. In the positive way, this can make a region to health pole for other nationalities to gain benefit from that culture in order to improve their quality of life and health status. In this paper has aimed to assess the effect of culture and heritage on tourism rate and the effect of natural resources along with cultural lifestyle on public health and international exchange between other regions. It was hypothesised that by using culture in a positive manner, positive aspect of lifestyle, including ancient physical activity patter, can be transfer and exchange with other regions, which can improve health status as a result. Moreover, it was focused on how to design and recruit strategies to improve the way of gaining benefits from resources and lifestyle in order to improve tourism industry and its rate, which may bring beneficial outcomes, including financial, cultural and health outcomes.

Keywords: toursim, health, culture, sport, lifestyle

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Authors: I. Pelizzoni, C. Cavallini, I. Salvaderi, F. Cavallini

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We present the improvement in writing skills obtained by 94 participants (aged between six and 10 years) with special educational needs through a writing enhancement program based on fluency principles. The study was planned and conducted with a single-subject experimental plan for each of the participants, in order to confirm the results in the literature. These results were obtained using precision teaching (PT) methodology to increase the number of written graphemes per minute in the pre- and post-test, by curriculum based measurement (CBM). Results indicated an increase in the number of written graphemes for all participants. The average overall duration of the intervention is 144 minutes in five months of treatment. These considerations have been analyzed taking account of the complexity of the implementation of measurement systems in real operational contexts (an Italian learning center) and important aspects of replicability and cost-effectiveness of such interventions.

Keywords: curriculum based measurement, precision teaching, writing skill, Italian learning center

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Authors: Hsueh-Ching Wu

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Aims: This study investigated the longitudinal changes in BC were evaluated in patients with T2D who received carbohydrate-restricted diet education (CRDE), and the effects of age and sex on BC were analyzed. Design: This retrospective observational study was conducted between 2018 and 2021. A total of 6164 T2D patients were analyzed. Subjects with T2D who received CRDE (daily carbohydrate intake: 26-45%). A hierarchical linear model (HLM) was used to estimate the change amount and rate of change for the following variables in each group: body weight (BW), body mass index (BMI), body fat mass (BFM), percent body fat (PBF), appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM), and skeletal muscle index (SMI). Results: The BW, BMI, ASM, SMI and BFM of T2D patients who received CRDE for 3 years decreased with increasing age; PBF showed the opposite trend. The changes in BW, BMI, ASM, and SMI of patients older than 65 years were higher than those of patients younger than 65 years, and the annual rate of decline for males was higher than that for females. The annual change in BFM and PBF for both sexes changed from a downward trend before the age of 65 to a slow increase after the age of 65, and the slow increase rate for women was higher than that for men. Conclusion: Changes in body composition are associated with age and sex. BW and muscle tissue decrease with age, and attention must be paid to the rebound of adipose tissue after middle age. Patient or Public Contribution: The patient agreed to participate in a retrospective chart review during in the study period.

Keywords: body weight, body composition, carbohydrate-restricted diet, nursing, type 2 diabetes

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Authors: A. Chávez, A. Rodríguez, F. Pinzón

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Society is concerned about measures of environmental, economic and social impacts generated in the solid waste disposal. These places of confinement, also known as landfills, are locations where problems of pollution and damage to human health are reduced. They are technically designed and operated, using engineering principles, storing the residue in a small area, compact it to reduce volume and covering them with soil layers. Problems preventing liquid (leachate) and gases produced by the decomposition of organic matter. Despite planning and site selection for disposal, monitoring and control of selected processes, remains the dilemma of the leachate as extreme concentration of pollutants, devastating soil, flora and fauna; aggressive processes requiring priority attention. A biological technology is the activated sludge system, used for tributaries with high pollutant loads. Since transforms biodegradable dissolved and particulate matter into CO2, H2O and sludge; transform suspended and no Settleable solids; change nutrients as nitrogen and phosphorous; and degrades heavy metals. The microorganisms that remove organic matter in the processes are in generally facultative heterotrophic bacteria, forming heterogeneous populations. Is possible to find unicellular fungi, algae, protozoa and rotifers, that process the organic carbon source and oxygen, as well as the nitrogen and phosphorus because are vital for cell synthesis. The mixture of the substrate, in this case sludge leachate, molasses and wastewater is maintained ventilated by mechanical aeration diffusers. Considering as the biological processes work to remove dissolved material (< 45 microns), generating biomass, easily obtained by decantation processes. The design consists of an artificial support and aeration pumps, favoring develop microorganisms (denitrifying) using oxygen (O) with nitrate, resulting in nitrogen (N) in the gas phase. Thus, avoiding negative effects of the presence of ammonia or phosphorus. Overall the activated sludge system includes about 8 hours of hydraulic retention time, which does not prevent the demand for nitrification, which occurs on average in a value of MLSS 3,000 mg/L. The extended aeration works with times greater than 24 hours detention; with ratio of organic load/biomass inventory under 0.1; and average stay time (sludge age) more than 8 days. This project developed a pilot system with sludge leachate from Doña Juana landfill - RSDJ –, located in Bogota, Colombia, where they will be subjected to a process of activated sludge and extended aeration through a sequential Bach reactor - SBR, to be dump in hydric sources, avoiding ecological collapse. The system worked with a dwell time of 8 days, 30 L capacity, mainly by removing values of BOD and COD above 90%, with initial data of 1720 mg/L and 6500 mg/L respectively. Motivating the deliberate nitrification is expected to be possible commercial use diffused aeration systems for sludge leachate from landfills.

Keywords: sludge, landfill, leachate, SBR

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Authors: Stela Doncheva

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Postpartum distress, encompassing depressive symptoms, obsessions, and anxiety, remains a subject of significant scientific interest due to its prevalence among individuals giving birth. This critical and transformative period presents a multitude of factors that impact women's health. On the one hand, variables such as social support, satisfaction in romantic relationships, shared newborn care, and birth satisfaction directly affect the mental well-being of new mothers. On the other hand, the interplay of hormonal changes, personality characteristics, emotional difficulties, and the profound life adjustments experienced by mothers can profoundly influence their self-esteem and overall physical and emotional well-being. This paper extensively explores the factors of alexithymia, social support, partners' support, and birth satisfaction to gain deeper insights into their impact on postpartum distress. Utilizing a qualitative survey consisting of six self-reflective questionnaires, this study collects valuable data regarding the individual postpartum experiences of Bulgarian mothers. The primary objective is to enrich our understanding of the complex factors involved in the development of postpartum distress during this crucial period. The results shed light on the intricate nature of the problem and highlight the significant influence of bio-psycho-social elements. By contributing to the existing knowledge in the field, this research provides valuable implications for the development of interventions and support systems tailored to the unique needs of mothers in the postpartum period. Ultimately, this study aims to improve the overall well-being of new mothers and promote optimal maternal health during the postpartum journey.

Keywords: maternal mental health, postpartum distress, postpartum depression, postnatal mothers

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Authors: Kuan-Wei Chen, Chien-Wei Chen, Tai-Ling Chang, Nan-Cheng Chen, Ching-Lin Hsieh, Gong-Hong Lin

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Background and Purposes: Deficits in sustained attention are common in patients with schizophrenia. Such impairment can limit patients to effectively execute daily activities and affect the efficacy of rehabilitation. The aims of this study were to examine the test-retest agreement, random measurement error, and practice effect of the Continuous Performance Test-Identical Pairs (CPT-IP) (a commonly used sustained attention test) in patients with schizophrenia. The results can provide empirical evidence for clinicians and researchers to apply a sustained attention test with sound psychometric properties in schizophrenia patients. Methods: We recruited patients with chronic schizophrenia to be assessed twice with 1 week interval using CPT-IP. The intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to examine the test-retest agreement. The percentage of minimal detectable change (MDC%) was used to examine the random measurement error. Moreover, the standardized response mean (SRM) was used to examine the practice effect. Results: A total of 56 patients participated in this study. Our results showed that the ICC was 0.82, MDC% was 47.4%, and SRMs were 0.36 for the CPT-IP. Conclusion: Our results indicate that CPT-IP has acceptable test-retests agreement, substantial random measurement error, and small practice effect in patients with schizophrenia. Therefore, to avoid overestimating patients’ changes in sustained attention, we suggest that clinicians interpret the change scores of CPT-IP conservatively in their routine repeated assessments.

Keywords: schizophrenia, sustained attention, CPT-IP, reliability

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Authors: Ali A. Mutair

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The concentration levels of iron (Fe), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) in different cigarette brands commonly produced and sold in Yemen were determined. Convenient sample treatment for cigarette tobacco of freshly opened packs was achieved by a sample preparation method based on dry digestion, and the concentrations of the analysed metals were measured by Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (FAAS). The mean values obtained for Fe, Zn, Cu, Cd, and Pb in different Yemeni cigarette tobacco were 311, 52.2, 10.11, 1.71 and 4.06 µg/g dry weight, respectively. There is no more significant difference among cigarette brands tested. It was found that Fe was at the highest concentration, followed by Zn, Cu, Pb and Cd. The average relative standard deviation (RSD) ranged from 1.77% to 19.34%. The accuracy and precision of the results were checked by blank and recovery tests. The results show that Yemeni cigarettes contain heavy metal concentration levels that are similar to those in foreign cigarette brands reported by other studies in the worldwide.

Keywords: iron, zinc, copper, lead, cadmium, tobacco, Yemeni cigarette brands, atomic absorption spectrometry

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Authors: Oladipo Oluwaseun Peter

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Daily consumption of crude oil is alarming as a result of increasing demand for energy. Waste generation tends to rise with the level of economic advancement of a nation. Hence, this project work researches how wastes which could pose toxic if left unattended to can be processed through biodigestion in order to generate biofuel which could serve as a good substitute for petroleum, a non renewable energy source, so as to reduce over-dependence on petroleum and to prevent environmental pollution. Anaerobic digestion was carried out on organic wastes comprising brewery spent grains, rice husks and poultry droppings in a plastic biodigester of 1000 liters volume using the poultry droppings as a natural inoculums source. The feed composition in ratio 5:3:2, spent grain, rice husks and poultry droppings were mixed with water in the ratio 1:6. Thus, 600 Kg of water was used to prepare the slurry with 100 Kg of feed materials. A plastic biodigester was successfully constructed, and the problem of corrosion and rusting were completely overcome as a result of the use of non-corroding materials of construction. A reasonable quantity of biogas, 33.63m3, was generated over a period of 60 days of biodigestion. The bioslurry was processed through two different process routes; evaporation and filteration. Evaporation process of analysis shows high values of 0.64%, 2.11% and 0.034% for nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium respectively, while filteration process gives 00.61%, 1.93% and 0.026% for nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium respectively.

Keywords: biodigestion, biofuel, digestion, slurry, biogas

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Authors: Rachel Thomas Tharmabalan

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The growing unease over the matter of food security in the world is the result of a maturing realization that the genetic base of most human caloric intake from plants is dangerously narrow. Malaysia’s tropical rainforests have the potential to contribute to diet diversification and provide a source of nutrient-rich food as the Orang Asli communities in Malaysia have relied almost entirely on the jungle for food, fodder, medicine and fuel antithetical to what is happening today. This segregation of the Orang Asli from traditional lands and resources leads to severe loss of knowledge of biodiversity. In order to preserve these wild edibles, four different types of vegetables that are frequently consumed by the Orang Asli which consists of Rebu, Meranti, Saya and Pama were selected. These vegetables were then analysed to determine its proximate and mineral content to help ascertain claims and reaffirm the impact it can play in ensuring food and nutrition security, in addition to combating chronic diseases. From the results obtained, the Meranti had the highest crude fiber, iron and calcium content. Other minerals such as potassium, magnesium and copper were also found in varying content. These wild edibles could also contribute to education and bring awareness to younger generations as well as urban populations to start consuming more of these in their daily life as it could prevent various chronic diseases in Malaysia.

Keywords: food and nutrition security, Orang Asli, underutilized plants, wild edible food systems

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Authors: Hicham Salhi, Mohamed Si-Ameur, Nadjib Chafai

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Natural convection of a nanofluid consisting of water and nanoparticles (Ag or TiO2) in an inclined enclosure cavity, has been studied numerically, heated by a (random temperature, based on the random function). The governing equations are solved numerically using the finite-volume. Results are presented in the form of streamlines, isotherms, and average Nusselt number. In addition, a parametric study is carried out to examine explicitly the volume fraction effects of nanoparticles (Ψ= 0.1, 0.2), the Rayleigh number (Ra=103, 104, 105, 106),the inclination angle of the cavity( égale à 0°, 30°, 45°, 90°, 135°, 180°), types of temperature (constant ,random), types of (NF) (Ag andTiO2). The results reveal that (NPs) addition remarkably enhances heat transfer in the cavity especially for (Ψ= 0.2). Besides, the effect of inclination angle and type of temperature is more pronounced at higher Rayleigh number.

Keywords: nanofluid, natural convection, inclined cavity, random temperature, finite-volume

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Authors: Raymond Limen Njinga

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The comparator factors (Fc) for miniature research reactors are of great importance in the field of nuclear physics as it provide accurate bases for the evaluation of elements in all form of samples via ko-NAA techniques. The Fc was initially simulated theoretically thereafter, series of experiments were performed to validate the results. In this situation, the experimental values were obtained using the alloy of Au(0.1%) - Al monitor foil and a neutron flux setting of 5.00E+11 cm-2.s-1. As was observed in the inner irradiation position, the average experimental value of 7.120E+05 was reported against the theoretical value of 7.330E+05. In comparison, a percentage deviation of 2.86 (from theoretical value) was observed. In the large case of the outer irradiation position, the experimental value of 1.170E+06 was recorded against the theoretical value of 1.210E+06 with a percentage deviation of 3.310 (from the theoretical value). The estimation of equivalent dose rate at 5m from neutron flux of 5.00E+11 cm-2.s-1 within the neutron energies of 1KeV, 10KeV, 100KeV, 500KeV, 1MeV, 5MeV and 10MeV were calculated to be 0.01 Sv/h, 0.01 Sv/h, 0.03 Sv/h, 0.15 Sv/h, 0.21Sv/h and 0.25 Sv/h respectively with a total dose within a period of an hour was obtained to be 0.66 Sv.

Keywords: neutron flux, comparator factor, NAA techniques, neutron energy, equivalent dose

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Authors: A. W. J. Wong, I. H. Ibrahim

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Increasing urbanisation has driven building designers to incorporate natural ventilation in the designs of sustainable buildings. This project utilises Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to investigate the natural ventilation of an academic building, SIT@SP, using an assessment criterion based on daily mean temperature and mean velocity. The areas of interest are the pedestrian level of first and fourth levels of the building. A reference case recommended by the Architectural Institute of Japan was used to validate the simulation model. The validated simulation model was then used for coupled simulations on SIT@SP and neighbouring geometries, under two wind speeds. Both steady and transient simulations were used to identify differences in results. Steady and transient results are agreeable with the transient simulation identifying peak velocities during flow development. Under a lower wind speed, the first level was sufficiently ventilated while the fourth level was not. The first level has excessive wind velocities in the higher wind speed and the fourth level was adequately ventilated. Fourth level flow velocity was consistently lower than those of the first level. This is attributed to either simulation model error or poor building design. SIT@SP is concluded to have a sufficiently ventilated first level and insufficiently ventilated fourth level. Future works for this project extend to modifying the urban geometry, simulation model improvements, evaluation using other assessment metrics and extending the area of interest to the entire building.

Keywords: buildings, CFD Simulations, natural ventilation, urban airflow

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Authors: Mary Joy C. Montenegro, Voltaire M. Mistades

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This action research was implemented to enhance the teaching of linear motion and to improve students' conceptual understanding and engagement using a developed 7R-based module called 'module on vectors and one-dimensional kinematics' (MVOK). MVOK was validated in terms of objectives, contents, format, and language used, presentation, usefulness, and overall presentation. The validation process revealed a value of 4.7 interpreted as 'Very Acceptable' with a substantial agreement (0. 60) from the validators. One intact class of 46 Grade 12 STEM students from one of the public schools in Paranaque City served as the participants of this study. The students were taught using the module during the first semester of the academic year 2019–2020. Employing the mixed-method approach, quantitative data were gathered using pretest/posttest, activity sheets, problem sets, and survey form, while qualitative data were obtained from surveys, interviews, observations, and reflection log. After the implementation, there was a significant difference of 18.4 on students’ conceptual understanding as shown in their pre-test and post-test scores on the 24-item test with a moderate Hake gain equal to 0.45 and an effect size of 0.83. Moreover, the scores on activity and problem sets have a 'very good' to 'excellent' rating, which signifies an increase in the level of students’ conceptual understanding. There also exists a significant difference between the mean scores of students’ engagement overall (t= 4.79, p = 0.000, p < 0.05) and in the dimension of emotion (t = 2.51, p = 0.03) and participation/interaction (t = 5.75, p = 0.001). These findings were supported by gathered qualitative data. Positive views were elicited from the students since it is an accessible tool for learning and has well-detailed explanations and examples. The results of this study may substantiate that using MVOK will lead to better physics content understanding and higher engagement.

Keywords: conceptual understanding, engagement, linear motion, module

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Authors: M. Talebzadegan, S. Bina, I. Riazi

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The purpose of this paper is to present an active solar energy system to supply heating demands of the teaching staff dormitory of the Islamic Azad University of Ramhormoz. The design takes into account the solar radiations and climate data of Ramhormoz town and is based on the daily warm water consumption for health demands of 450 residents of the dormitory, which is equal to 27000 lit of 50-C° water, and building heating requirements with an area of 3500 m² well-protected by heatproof materials. First, heating demands of the building were calculated, then a hybrid system made up of solar and fossil energies was developed and finally, the design was economically evaluated. Since there is only roof space for using 110 flat solar water heaters, the calculations were made to hybridize solar water heating system with heat pumping system in which solar energy contributes 67% of the heat generated. According to calculations, the net present value “N.P.V.” of revenue stream exceeds “N.P.V.” of cash paid off in this project over three years, which makes economically quite promising. The return of investment and payback period of the project is 4 years. Also, the internal rate of return (IRR) of the project was 25%, which exceeds bank rate of interest in Iran and emphasizes the desirability of the project.

Keywords: Solar energy, Heat Demand, Renewable , Pollution

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Authors: David Cobham

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In higher education, a great degree of importance is placed on the internationalization of the student experience. This is seen as a valuable contributor to elements such as building confidence, broadening knowledge, creating networks and connections, and enhancing employability for current students who will become the next generation of managers in technology and business. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all areas of people’s lives. The limitations of travel coupled with the fears and concerns generated by the health risks have dramatically reduced the opportunity for students to engage with this agenda. Institutions of higher education have been required to rethink fundamental aspects of their business model from recruitment and enrolment through learning approaches, assessment methods, and the pathway to employment. This paper presents a case study which focuses on student mobility and how the physical experience of being in another country, either to study, to work, to volunteer or to gain cultural and social enhancement, has of necessity been replaced by alternative approaches. It considers trans-national education as an alternative to physical study overseas, virtual mobility and internships as an alternative to international work experience, and adopting collaborative online projects as an alternative to in-person encounters. The paper concludes that although these elements have been adopted to address the current situation, the lessons learned and the feedback gained suggests that they have contributed successfully in new and sometimes unexpected ways and that they will persist beyond the present to become part of the 'new normal' for the future. That being the case, senior leaders of institutions of higher education will be required to revisit their international plans and to rewrite their international strategies to take account of and build upon these changes.

Keywords: higher education management, internationalization, transnational education, virtual mobility

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Authors: Techale B., Hongxu Dong, Mihrete Getinet, Aregash Gabizew, Andrew H. Paterson, Kassahun Bantte

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The genetic architecture of drought tolerance is expected to involve multiple loci that are unlikely to all segregate for alternative alleles in a single bi-parental population. Therefore, the identification of quantitative trait loci (QTL) that are expressed in diverse genetic backgrounds of multiple bi-parental populations provides evidence about both background-specific and common genetic variants. The purpose of this study was to map QTL related to drought tolerance using three connected mapping populations of different genetic backgrounds to gain insight into the genomic landscape of this important trait in elite Ethiopian germplasm. The three bi-parental populations, each with 207 F₂:₃ lines, were evaluated using an alpha lattice design with two replications under two moisture stress environments. Drought tolerance related traits were analyzed separately for each population using composite interval mapping, finding a total of 105 QTLs. All the QTLs identified from individual populations were projected on a combined consensus map, comprising a total of 25 meta QTLs for seven traits. The consensus map allowed us to deduce locations of a larger number of markers than possible in any individual map, providing a reference for genetic studies in different genetic backgrounds. The mQTL identified in this study could be used for marker-assisted breeding programs in sorghum after validation. Only one trait, reduced leaf senescence, showed a striking bias of allele distribution, indicating substantial standing variation among present varieties that might be employed in improving drought tolerance of Ethiopian and other sorghums.

Keywords: Drought tolerance , Mapping populations, Meta QTL, QTL mapping, Sorghum

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Authors: Wang Yuan-hao, Habtamu Ayalew, Jing Wang, Shugeng Wu, Kai Qiu, Guanghai Qi, Haijun Zhang

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N-carbamylglutamate (NCG) has emerged as a promising candidate for regulating endogenous arginine synthesis, thereby promoting desirable growth, carcass traits, and muscle development in broilers. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the effects of NCG in ovo feeding on the growth performance, growth hormones, and meat quality of Ross 308 breeder broilers. A total of 1680 embryo eggs were equally allocated into three treatment groups: non punctured control (NC), saline-injected control (SC; 100μL/egg), and N-carbamylglutamate injected group (NCG; 2 mg/egg). The treatment solution was injected into the amniotic cavity of the embryo at 17.5 days of incubation (DOI). For the subsequent 42 days of post hatch experimental sampling, a total of 360 broiler chicks with 6 replications per treatment and 15 chicks per replication were used. Chickens in the NCG group showed significantly higher (P<0.05) body weight gain (BWG) and final body weight (FBW) at both 21 and 42 days after hatch (DAH), while feed conversion efficiency (FCE) was significantly improved (P<0.05) at 42 DAH. The weight and percentage of drums at 21 DAH and the weight and percentage of breast muscle at 42 DAH were significantly higher (P<0.05) in the NCG group. In addition, insulin (INS), growth hormone (GH), and testosterone (T) levels were significantly higher (P<0.05) in the NCG groups at 21 and 42 DAH. Furthermore, triiodothyronine (T3) and tetraiodothyronine (T4) levels were significantly higher (P<0.05) in the NCG treatment group. Interestingly, meat color values were also significantly higher (P<0.05) in the NCG group at 24 hrs postmortem. Collectively, these findings show that 2 mg NCG in ovo injection improves the growth performance and meat quality of broilers; even the effects extend into the market age of the chickens.

Keywords: N-carbamylglutamate, broiler, in ovo injection, growth performance, meat quality

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Authors: Ritsuko Kawasaki (Aiba), Takeshi Hiromatsu

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Management is required to understand all information security risks within an organization, and to make decisions on which information security risks should be treated in what level by allocating how much amount of cost. However, such decision-making is not usually easy, because various measures for risk treatment must be selected with the suitable application levels. In addition, some measures may have objectives conflicting with each other. It also makes the selection difficult. Moreover, risks generally have trends and it also should be considered in risk treatment. Therefore, this paper provides the extension of the model proposed in the previous study. The original model supports the selection of measures by applying a combination of weighted average method and goal programming method for multi-objective analysis to find an optimal solution. The extended model includes the notion of weights to the risks, and the larger weight means the priority of the risk.

Keywords: information security risk treatment, selection of risk measures, risk acceptance, multi-objective optimization

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Authors: Ghada Mohamed Rashad, Doaa Ayoub Elimy, Mohamed Hussein Elgendy, Ahmed Mohamed Fathi Elshiwi, Mahmoud Ghazy

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Background: Flat feet cause changes in foot mobility, foot posture, and load distribution under the foot which influences dynamic balance, that is essential in activities of daily living and for optimal performance in sports activity. Purpose: To investigate the effect of flat feet on dynamic balance including overall stability index (OAI), anteroposterior stability index (APSI) and mediolateral stability index (MLSI). Study Design: The design of the study was an experimental design. Subjects: Forty subjects from both sexes were selected from the Faculty of Physical Therapy, Cairo University, their mean age (23.55 ± 1.74 ) years, divided into two groups, group A (8 males and 12 females) with flat feet, and group B (9 males and 11 females) with normal feet. Methods: The Navicular Drop Test was used to determine if the feet were pronated and Biodex Balance System was used to assess dynamic balance at level 8 and level 4 for both groups. Results: There was no significant difference in dynamic balance including (OSI, APSI and MLSI) of the Biodex at stability level (8) (most stable) (p = 0.56). While there was a significant difference between both groups in all dependent variables at stability level (4) (less stable level) (p = 0.0001). Conclusion: It may be concluded that flat feet have an effect on dynamic balance and there is balance affection in subjects with flat feet.

Keywords: flat feet, dynamic balance, postural stability, types of flat feet, eversion strength

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Authors: Trang Pham

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Approximately 70% of the Vietnamese population lives in rural areas where the main livelihood is farming. For many years, the Vietnamese Government has been working towards improving farmers’ quality of life. In 2008, the Government issued the decree 115/2008/ND-CP to subsidize farmers’ water fees. The subsidy covers operation and management costs of major water infrastructure. Water users have only to pay for the operation and management of minor or tertiary canal systems. But the “subsidized water fee” has become contentious; there are two opposing schools of thought. One view is that the subsidy lessens the burden on farmers in terms of reducing their production costs, at the same time generating a sufficient budget for Irrigation Management Companies (IMCs) and Water User Association (WUAs). The alternate point of view is that the subsidy negatively effects irrigation performance, especially in tertiary canals. The aim of this study was to gain clear awareness of the perceptions of farmers, WUA members, and IMC staffs in regard to irrigation performance and management since the introduction of subsidies and local water fees. In order to find out how the government intervention has affected local farming communities, a series of questionnaires and interviews were administered in 2013. Four case studies were chosen which represent four different agricultural areas and four different irrigation systems in Vietnam. Interviews were conducted with IMC staffs and WUA members and questionnaires were used to gather information from farmers. The study compares the difference in operation and management costs across the four case studies both before and after the implementation of the decree. The results disclose factors behind the subsidized water fee that either allow or hinder improved irrigation performance and better irrigation management.

Keywords: water fee, irrigation performance, local farming, tertiary canal systems

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Authors: Wendy De Gomez

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The University of Waterloo is situated in central Canada in the Province of Ontario- one hour from the metropolitan city of Toronto. For over 30 years, it has held Canada’s top spot as the most innovative university; and has been consistently ranked in the top 25 computer science and top 50 engineering schools in the world. Waterloo benefits from the federal government’s over 100 domestic innovation policies which have assisted in the country’s 15th place global ranking in the World Intellectual Property Organization’s (WIPO) 2022 Global Innovation Index. Yet undoubtedly, the University of Waterloo’s unique characteristics are what propels its innovative creativeness forward. This paper will provide a contextual definition of innovation in higher education and then demonstrate the five operational attributes that contribute to the University of Waterloo’s innovative reputation. The methodology is based on statistical analyses obtained from ranking bodies such as the QS World University Rankings, a secondary literature review related to higher education innovation in Canada, and case studies that exhibit the operationalization of the attributes outlined below. The first attribute is geography. Specifically, the paper investigates the network structure effect of the Toronto-Waterloo high-tech corridor and the resultant industrial relationships built there. The second attribute is University Policy 73-Intellectal Property Rights. This creator-owned policy grants all ownership to the creator/inventor regardless of the use of the University of Waterloo property or funding. Essentially, through the incentivization of IP ownership by all researchers, further commercialization and entrepreneurship are formed. Third, this IP policy works hand in hand with world-renowned business incubators such as the Accelerator Centre in the dedicated research and technology park and velocity, a 14-year-old facility that equips and guides founders to build and scale companies. Communitech, a 25-year-old provincially backed facility in the region, also works closely with the University of Waterloo to build strong teams, access capital, and commercialize products. Fourth, Waterloo’s co-operative education program contributes 31% of all co-op participants to the Canadian economy. Home to the world’s largest co-operative education program, data shows that over 7,000 from around the world recruit Waterloo students for short- and long-term placements- directly contributing to the student’s ability to learn and optimize essential employment skills when they graduate. Finally, the students themselves at Waterloo are exceptional. The entrance average ranges from the low 80s to the mid-90s depending on the program. In computer, electrical, mechanical, mechatronics, and systems design engineering, to have a 66% chance of acceptance, the applicant’s average must be 95% or above. Singularly, none of these five attributes could lead to the university’s outstanding track record of innovative creativity, but when bundled up into a 1000 acre- 100 building main campus with 6 academic faculties, 40,000+ students, and over 1300 world-class faculty, the recipe for success becomes quite evident.

Keywords: IP policy, higher education, economy, innovation

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Authors: Sudhakar Saroj, Satya Vir Singh

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Undoped and Fe doped TiO₂, Ti₁₋ₓFeₓO₂ (x=0.00, 0.01, 0.03, 0.05, 0.07 and 0.09) have been synthesized by solution combustion method using Titanium (IV) oxide as a precursor, and also were characterized by XRD, DRS, FTIR, XPS, SEM, and EDX. The formation of anatase phase of undoped and Fe TiO₂ nanoparticles were confirmed by XRD, and the average crystallite size was determined by Debye-Scherer's equation. The DRS analysis indicates the shifting of light absorbance in visible region from UV region with increasing the doping concentration in TiO₂. The vibrational band of the Ti-O lattice was confirmed by the FT-IR spectrum. The XPS results confirm the presence of elements of titanium, oxygen and iron in the synthesized samples and determine the binding energy of elements. SEM image of the above-synthesized nanoparticles showed the spherical shape of nanoparticles. The purities of the synthesized nanoparticles were confirmed by EDX analysis. The photocatalytic activities of the synthesized nanoparticles were tested by studying the degradation of dye (Direct Blue 199) in the photocatalytic reactor. The Ti₀.₉₇Fe₀.₀₃O₂ photocatalyst shows highest photodegradation activity among all the synthesized undoped and Fe doped TiO₂ photocatalyst.

Keywords: direct blue 199, nanoparticles, TiO₂, photodegradation

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Authors: Janos Juhasz, Sandor Pongor, Balazs Ligeti

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Next-generation sequencing, especially whole genome shotgun sequencing, is becoming a common approach to gain insight into the microbiomes in a culture-independent way, even in clinical practice. It does not only give us information about the species composition of an environmental sample but opens the possibility to detect antimicrobial resistance and novel, or currently unknown, pathogens. Accurately and reliably detecting the microbial strains is a challenging task. Here we present a sensitive approach for detecting pathogens in metagenomics samples with special regard to detecting novel variants of known pathogens. We have developed a pipeline that uses fast, short read aligner programs (i.e., Bowtie2/BWA) and comprehensive nucleotide databases. Taxonomic binning is based on the lowest common ancestor (LCA) principle; each read is assigned to a taxon, covering the most significantly hit taxa. This approach helps in balancing between sensitivity and running time. The program was tested both on experimental and synthetic data. The results implicate that our method performs as good as the state-of-the-art BLAST-based ones, furthermore, in some cases, it even proves to be better, while running two orders magnitude faster. It is sensitive and capable of identifying taxa being present only in small abundance. Moreover, it needs two orders of magnitude less reads to complete the identification than MetaPhLan2 does. We analyzed an experimental anthrax dataset (B. anthracis strain BA104). The majority of the reads (96.50%) was classified as Bacillus anthracis, a small portion, 1.2%, was classified as other species from the Bacillus genus. We demonstrate that the evaluation of high-throughput sequencing data is feasible in a reasonable time with good classification accuracy.

Keywords: metagenomics, taxonomy binning, pathogens, microbiome, B. anthracis

Procedia PDF Downloads 124

Authors: Nam-Phuong T. Hoang, Divna Haslam, Matthew Sanders

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Parenting psychological control (PPC) is a parenting manner of which intrusive tactics such as guilt induction, shaming or love withdrawal is adopted to manipulate the child's behavior, emotion and beliefs. PPC has been widely reported to be associated with both psychological dysfunction and low self-esteem in adolescents. Highly demanding and restrictive parenting was also found to related to high rate of risk behaviors, depression, anxiety and anti-social behaviors in adults who co-live with their parents. In many cultures like that of Asia, adults keep on co-live with their parents even after having their own families, and this is not an uncommon practice. Due to the culture obligation of family relationship and the filial piety, children are expected to stay with their parents to taking care of them when they get older, and the parents are also expected to co-live with their children in order to support them with grandchild care. As one become a grandparent, however, it does not means one stop being the parent to their own child. The effect of PPC if exist thus might continue to interfere one’s relationship with their adult children and also their adult child’s parenting. This study was designed to examine that effect of PPC on adults’ life as parents. Data was collected from 501 Vietnamese parents whose children between the age of 2 to 12 and having their parent living with them or taking care of the grandchild on daily basic. Findings show that grandparent psychological control (GPPC) is significantly associated with parent’s harsh parenting, parent’s well-being, and parent-grandparent coparenting relationship. Significantly, GPPC is the strongest predictor for the coparenting conflict between parent and grandparent.

Keywords: parenting psychological control, grandparent, coparenting, well-being

Procedia PDF Downloads 241

Authors: Prateep Wajeetongratana

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The objective of this research is to examine the effects of internal audit innovation on firm performance effectiveness influences of financial report reliability, organizational process improvement, and risk management effectiveness. This paper drew upon the survey data collected from 400 employees survey conducted at Nonthaburi province, Thailand. The statistics utilized in this paper included percentage, mean, standard deviation, and regression analysis. The findings revealed that the majority of samples were between 31-40 years old, married, held an undergraduate degree, and had an average income between 10,000-15,000 baht. And also the results show that auditing integration has only influence on financial report reliability. Moreover, corporate risk evaluation has effect on firm performance by risk management effectiveness and control self-assessment has effect influence on firm performance by organizational process improvement and risk management effectiveness as well.

Keywords: corporate risk evaluation, firm performance effectiveness, internal audit innovation, marketing management

Procedia PDF Downloads 369

Authors: Ali Mahfouz

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Egypt's cultural heritage and artistic riches find themselves at a complex intersection of preservation and urban development, where they face intricate challenges exacerbated by climate change, pollution, urbanization, and construction activities. In this research, it delves into the multifaceted dynamics involved in conserving Egypt's heritage within urban contexts, spotlighting the historic Cairo cemetery as a poignant and timely case study. The historic Cairo cemetery serves as a repository of priceless cultural assets, housing the final resting places of public figures, artists, historians, politicians, and other luminaries. These graves are adorned with magnificent artworks and rare tombstones, collectively representing an irreplaceable slice of Egypt's history and culture. Yet, the looming threat of demolition to make way for new infrastructure projects underscores the delicate equilibrium that preservation efforts must maintain in the face of urban development pressures. This paper illuminates the collaborative efforts of historians, intellectuals, and civil society organizations who are determined to forestall the destruction of this invaluable cultural heritage. Their initiatives, driven by a shared commitment to documenting and safeguarding the cemetery's treasures, underscore the urgent imperative of protecting Egypt's cultural legacy. Through this case study, It gain insights into how Egypt navigates the challenges of preserving its rich heritage amidst urban expansion and a changing climate, emphasizing the broader importance of heritage conservation in an evolving world.

Keywords: Egypt’s cultural heritage, urban development, historic Cairo cemetery, tombstone artworks, demolition threat, heritage conservation, civil society initiatives

Procedia PDF Downloads 66

Authors: L.Jowkar. M.Samiee

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Models or systems based on rainfall and runoff are numerous and have been formulated and applied depending on the precipitation regime, temperature, and climate. In this study, the ArcCN-Runoff rain-runoff modeling tool was used to estimate the spatial variability of the rainfall-runoff relationship in Sartang Ramon in Jiroft watershed. In this study, the runoff was estimated from 6-hour rainfall. The results showed that based on hydrological soil group map, soils with hydrological groups A, B, C, and D covered 1, 2, 55, and 41% of the basin, respectively. Given that the majority of the area has a slope above 60 percent and results of soil hydrologic groups, one can conclude that Sartang Ramon Basin has a relatively high potential for producing runoff. The average runoff height for a 6-hour rainfall with a 2-year return period is 26.6 mm. The volume of runoff from the 2-year return period was calculated as the runoff height of each polygon multiplied by the area of the polygon, which is 137913486 m³ for the whole basin.

Keywords: Arc CN-Run off, rain-runoff, return period, watershed

Procedia PDF Downloads 121

Authors: Fatai Olakunle Ogundele

Abstract:

Road construction is increasingly common in today's world as human development expands and people increasingly rely on cars for transportation on a daily basis. The construction of a large network of roads has dramatically altered the landscape and impacted well-being in a number of deleterious ways. In addition, the road can also shift population demographics and be a source of pollution into the environment. Road construction activities normally result in changes in alteration of the soil's physical properties through soil compaction on the road itself and on adjacent areas and chemical and biological properties, among other effects. Understanding roadside soil properties that are influenced by road construction activities can serve as a basis for formulating conservation-based management strategies. Therefore, this study examined the effects of road construction on soil properties and soil organic carbon along Lagos Badagry Expressway, Lagos, Nigeria. The study adopted purposive sampling techniques and 40 soil samples were collected at a depth of 0 – 30cm from each of the identified road intersections and infrastructures using a soil auger. The soil samples collected were taken to the laboratory for soil properties and carbon stock analysis using standard methods. Both descriptive and inferential statistical techniques were applied to analyze the data obtained. The results revealed that soil compaction inhibits ecological succession on roadsides in that increased compaction suppresses plant growth as well as causes changes in soil quality.

Keywords: highway, soil properties, organic carbon, road construction, land degradation

Procedia PDF Downloads 65