Search results for: institutional research center

Authors: Tosin Emmanuel Akinduyo, F. O. Ojewola

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This study investigated the influence of age and religion on the sexual behaviours of undergraduates in southwest Nigeria. The aim of this study is to examine the sexual behaviour of undergraduates based on moderating variables of age and religion. The research design was a descriptive research design of the survey type. The sample for the study was 1,200 undergraduates selected through a multi-stage sampling procedure. A self-constructed questionnaire titled “Sexual Behaviours Questionnaire” (SBCUQ) with Pearson reliability (r) of 0.68 was used to elicit information from the respondents. Two research questions were answered using frequency count, percentage, means, and standard deviation. The two hypotheses were tested using t-test and ANOVA. Where the result of ANOVA showed a significant difference, the Scheffe Posthoc test was used to show where the significant difference (s) occurred. The findings of the study revealed that age and religion influenced undergraduates’ sexual behaviour. Based on the findings, the government at all tiers, in collaboration with the university management, should introduce sex education as a course to enlighten undergraduates and inform them of moderation needed as expected in their sexual expressions. Professional counsellors and religious organizations should always line up seminars and workshops for undergraduates on acceptable engagement in their sexual behaviours.

Keywords: age, religion, sexual behaviuors, undergraduates

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Authors: Madad Ali

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In the contemporary landscape of international travel, the infusion of digital technologies has given rise to innovative business models that are reshaping the dynamics of tourism. This research delves into the transformative potential of these novel business models within the realm of digital tourism and their multifaceted impact on local businesses, residents' quality of life, and the overall travel experience. The study focuses on the captivating backdrop of Yunnan Province, China, renowned for its rich cultural heritage and diverse ethnic minorities, to uncover the intricate nuances of this phenomenon. The primary objectives of this research encompass the identification and categorization of emerging business models facilitated by digital technologies, their implications on tourist engagement, and their integration into the operations of local businesses. By employing a mixed-methods approach, blending qualitative techniques like interviews and content analysis with quantitative tools such as surveys and data analysis, the study provides a comprehensive evaluation of these business models' effects on various dimensions of the tourism landscape. The distinctiveness of this research lies in its exclusive focus on Yunnan Province, China. By concentrating on Yunnan Province, the research contributes exceptional insights into the interplay between digital tourism, ethnic diversity, cultural heritage, and sustainable development. The study's outcomes hold significance for both scholarly discourse and the stakeholders involved in shaping the region's tourism strategies.

Keywords: business model, digital tourism, international travel, local businesses, quality of life

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Authors: Oyedele Ogundana, Amon Simba, Kostas Galanakis, Lynn Oxborrow

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The debate about factors influencing the business growth of women-owned businesses has been a topical issue in business management. Currently, scholars have identified the issues of access to money, market, and management as canvasing factors influencing the business growth of women-owned businesses. However, the influence of motherhood (household/family context) on business growth is inconclusive in the literature; despite that women are more family-oriented than their male counterparts. Therefore, this research study considers the influence of motherhood factor (household/family context) on the business growth of women-owned sewing businesses (WOSBs) in Lagos, Nigeria. The sewing business sector is chosen as the fashion industry (which includes sewing businesses) currently accounts for the second largest number of jobs in Sub-Saharan Africa, following agriculture. Thus, sewing businesses provide a rich ground for contributing to existing scholarly work. Research questions; (1) In what way does the motherhood factor influence the business growth of WOSBs in Lagos? (2) To what extent does the motherhood factor influence the business growth of WOSBs in Lagos? For the method design, a pragmatic approach, a mixed-methods technique and an abductive form of reasoning are adopted. The method design is chosen because it fits, better than other research perspectives, with the research questions posed in this study. For instance, using a positivist approach will not sufficiently answer research question 1, neither will an interpretive approach sufficiently answer research question 2. Therefore, the research method design is divided into 2 phases, and the results from one phase are used to inform the development of the subsequent phases (only phase 1 has been completed at the moment). The first phase uses qualitative data and analytical method to answer research question 1. While the second phase of the research uses quantitative data and analytical method to answer research question 2. For the qualitative phase, 5 WOSBs were purposefully selected and interviewed. The sampling technique is selected as it was not the intention of the researcher to make any statistical inferences, at this phase, rather the purpose was just exploratory. Therefore, the 5 sampled women comprised of 2 unmarried women, 1 married woman with no child, and 2 married women with children. A 40-60 minutes interview was conducted per participants. The interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed. Thereafter, the data were analysed using thematic analysis in order to unearth patterns and relationships. Findings for the first phase of this research reveals that motherhood (household/family context) directly influences (positively/negatively) the performance of WOSBs in Lagos. Apart from a direct influence on WOSBs, motherhood also moderates (positively/negatively) other factors–e.g., access to money, management/human resources and market/opportunities– influencing WOSBs in Lagos. To further strengthen this conclusion, a word frequency query result shows that ‘family,’ ‘husband’ and ‘children’ are among the 10 words used frequently in all the interview transcripts. This first phase contributes to existing studies by showing the various forms by which motherhood influences WOSBs. The second phase (which data are yet to be collected) would reveal the extent to which motherhood influence the business growth of WOSBs in Lagos.

Keywords: women-owned sewing businesses, business growth, motherhood, Lagos

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Authors: Ercan Ceyhan, Ali Kahraman, Hasan Dalgıç

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This research was made during the 2011 and 2012 growing periods according to “Randomized Blocks Design” with 3 replications. Research material was the following chickpea genotype: CA119, CA128, CA149, CA150, CA222, CA250, CA254 and other 2 commercial varieties named as Gökçe and Yaşa. Some agronomical characteristics such as plant height (cm), number of pod per plant, number of seed per pod, number of seed per plant, 1000 seed weight (g) and seed yield (kg ha-1) were determined. Statistically significant variations were found amongst the genotypes for all variables except seeds per pod. Means of the two years showed the range for plant height was from 52.83 cm (Gökçe) to 73.00 cm (CA150), number of pod per plant was from 14.00 (CA149) to 26.83 (CA261), number of seed per pod was from 1.10 (Gökçe) to 1.19 (CA149 ve CA250), number of seed per plant was from 16.28 (CA149) to 31.65 (CA261), 1000 seed weight was from 295.85 g (CA149) to 437.80 g (CA261) and seed yield was from 1342.73 kg ha-1 (CA261) to 2161.50 kg ha-1 (CA128). Results of the research implicated that the new developed lines were superior compared with the control (commercial) varieties by means of most of the characteristics.

Keywords: agricultural characters, chickpea, seed yield, genotype variations

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Authors: Nisreen N. Bahnan

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This exploratory research is designed to inform the design of a Customer Journey Map for the vacation rental platform, Airbnb. Through the collection of exploratory survey data regarding consumer experience with the brand, the key customer touchpoints during each consumption stage were identified. The paper maps a customer journey and corresponding concrete efforts to enhance the customer experience with the brand at each important touchpoint. Some proposed strategic initiatives and service innovation strategies for each touchpoint are proposed. Further research, in collaboration with Airbnb management, hosts and guests, is required to propose more expansive recommendations for enhancing the Airbnb customer experience at each of these touchpoints.

Keywords: Airbnb, customer experience, customer journey map, service touchpoints

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Authors: P. Valdez, M. Pelissero, A. Haim, F. Muiño, F. Galia, R. Tula

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As a result of the studies performed on the wave energy resource worldwide, a research project was set up to harvest wave energy for its conversion into electrical energy. Within this framework, a theoretical model of the electromechanical energy harvesting system, developed with MATLAB’s Simulink software, will be provided. This tool recreates the site conditions where the device will be installed and offers valuable information about the amount of energy that can be harnessed. This research provides a deeper understanding of the utilization of wave energy in order to improve the efficiency of a 1:1 scale prototype of the device.

Keywords: electromechanical device, modeling, renewable energy, sea wave energy, simulation

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Authors: Milad Golshan, Wim Zeiler

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During the last decade research was done to clarify the importance of good Indoor Air Quality in schools. As a result, measurements were undertaken in different types of schools to see whether naturally ventilated schools could provide adequate indoor conditions. Also, a comparison was made between schools with hybrid ventilation and those with complete mechanical ventilation systems. Recently a large survey was undertaken at 60 schools to establish the average current situation of schools in the Netherlands. The results of the questionnaires were compared with those of earlier measured schools. This allowed us to compare different types of schools as well as schools of different periods. Overall it leads to insights about the actual current perceived quality by the teachers as well as the pupils and enables to draw some conclusions about the typical performances of specific types of school ventilation systems. Also, the perceived thermal comfort and controllability were researched. It proved that in around 50% of the schools there were major complains about the indoor air quality causing concentration problems and headaches by the pupils at the end of class. Although the main focus of the latest research was focused more on the quality of recently finished nearly Zero Energy schools, this research showed that especially the main focus school be on the renovation and upgrading of the existing 10.000 schools in the Netherlands.

Keywords: school ventilation, indoor air quality, perceiver thermal comfort, comparison different types

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Authors: Supattra Kanchanopast

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The purpose of this research was to study the customers’ behavioral trend for online accommodation system at Bangkonthi District, Samutsongkhram province. The research collected data from 400 online users. A questionnaire was utilized as the tool in collecting information. Descriptive statistics included frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation. Independent- sample t- test, analysis of variance and Pearson Correlation were also used. The findings of this research revealed that the majority of the respondents were male, 25-32 years old, and graduated a bachelor degree. The respondents mostly worked in private sectors and had monthly income between 10,001-15,000 baht. The regular online users, visiting this system between 3-4 times/month, spending 1-2 hours/time, searched for online accommodation information. This result showed that the users had good and high attitude towards the system. According to the hypothesis testing, the number of online usage had positive related to the behavioral trends: accommodation purchasing intention and recommend the accommodation to others. Furthermore, both the number of online usage and overall attitude had a significant correlation to accommodation purchase intention and recommend the accommodation to others.

Keywords: customer behavior, information system management, online accommodation services, behavioral trend

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Authors: A. K. M. Kafi, S. N. Nina, Mashitah M. Yusoff

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In this work, we have described a new 3-dimensional (3D) network of crosslinked Horseradish Peroxidase/Carbon Nanotube (HRP/CNT) on a thiol-modified Au surface in order to build up the effective electrical wiring of the enzyme units with the electrode. This was achieved by the electropolymerization of aniline-functionalized carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and 4-aminothiophenol -modified-HRP on a 4-aminothiophenol monolayer-modified Au electrode. The synthesized 3D HRP/CNT networks were characterized with cyclic voltammetry and amperometry, resulting the establishment direct electron transfer between the redox active unit of HRP and the Au surface. Electrochemical measurements reveal that the immobilized HRP exhibits high biological activity and stability and a quasi-reversible redox peak of the redox center of HRP was observed at about −0.355 and −0.275 V vs. Ag/AgCl. The electron transfer rate constant, KS and electron transfer co-efficient were found to be 0.57 s-1 and 0.42, respectively. Based on the electrocatalytic process by direct electrochemistry of HRP, a biosensor for detecting H2O2 was developed. The developed biosensor exhibits excellent electrocatalytic activity for the reduction of H2O2. The proposed biosensor modified with HRP/CNT 3D network displays a broader linear range and a lower detection limit for H2O2 determination. The linear range is from 1.0×10−7 to 1.2×10−4M with a detection limit of 2.2.0×10−8M at 3σ. Moreover, this biosensor exhibits very high sensitivity, good reproducibility and long-time stability. In summary, ease of fabrication, a low cost, fast response and high sensitivity are the main advantages of the new biosensor proposed in this study. These obvious advantages would really help for the real analytical applicability of the proposed biosensor.

Keywords: biosensor, nanomaterials, redox enzyme, thiol-modified Au surface

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Authors: Mochamad Nuruz Zaman, Mangatur Rudolf Nababan, M. A. Djatmika

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Both society and education areas teach to have good communication for building the interpersonal skills up. Everyone has the capacity to understand something new, either well comprehension or worst understanding. Worst understanding makes the language errors when the interactions are done by someone in the first meeting, and they do not know before it because of distance area. “The Space between Us” movie delivers the love-adventure story between Mars Boy and Earth Girl. They are so many missing conversations because of the different climate and environment. As the moviegoer also must be focused on the subtitle in order to enjoy well the movie. Furthermore, Indonesia subtitle and English conversation on the movie still have overlapping understanding in the translation. Translation hereby consists of source language -SL- (English conversation) and target language -TL- (Indonesia subtitle). These research gap above is formulated in research question by how the language errors happened in that movie and their effects on translation quality which is deepest analyzed by translation study toward discourse analysis approach. The research goal is to expand the language errors and their translation qualities in order to create a good atmosphere in movie media. The research is studied by embedded research in qualitative design. The research locations consist of setting, participant, and event as focused determined boundary. Sources of datum are “The Space between Us” movie and informant (translation quality rater). The sampling is criterion-based sampling (purposive sampling). Data collection techniques use content analysis and questioner. Data validation applies data source and method triangulation. Data analysis delivers domain, taxonomy, componential, and cultural theme analysis. Data findings on the language errors happened in the movie are referential, register, society, textual, receptive, expressive, individual, group, analogical, transfer, local, and global errors. Data discussions on their effects to translation quality are concentrated by translation techniques on their data findings; they are amplification, borrowing, description, discursive creation, established equivalent, generalization, literal, modulation, particularization, reduction, substitution, and transposition.

Keywords: discourse analysis, language errors, The Space between Us movie, translation techniques, translation quality instruments

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Authors: Mohammad Shameel, Peter K. K. Loh, James H. Ng

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Cybercrime is a new category of crime which poses a different challenge for crime investigators and incident responders. Attackers can mask their identities using a suite of tools and with the help of the deep web, which makes them difficult to track down. Scouring the deep web manually takes time and is inefficient. There is a growing need for a tool to scour the deep web to obtain useful evidence or intel automatically. In this paper, we will explain the background and motivation behind the research, present a survey of existing research on related tools, describe the design of our own crime/threat intelligence hunting tool prototype, demonstrate its capability with some test cases and lastly, conclude with proposals for future enhancements.

Keywords: cybercrime, deep web, threat intelligence, web crawler

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Authors: Lucia Silveira Alda

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This research aims to analyze critically a set of studies published in the Proceedings of the International Conference on Mobile Learning of IADIS, from 2008 until 2012, which addresses the issue of foreign language learning mediated by mobile phones. The theoretical review of this study is based on the Vygotskian assumptions about tools and mediated learning and the concepts of mobile learning, CALL and MALL. In addition, the diffusion rates of the mobile phone and especially its potential are considered. Through systematic review and meta-analysis, this research intended to identify similarities and differences between the identified characteristics in the studies on the subject of language learning and mobile phone. From the analysis of the results, this study verifies that the mobile phone stands out for its mobility and portability. Furthermore, this device presented positive aspects towards student motivation in language learning. The studies were favorable to mobile phone use for learning. It was also found that the challenges in using this tool are not technical, but didactic and methodological, including the need to reflect on practical proposals. The findings of this study may direct further research in the area of language learning mediated by mobile phones.

Keywords: language learning, mobile learning, mobile phones, technology

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Authors: Tarikayehu Amanuel, Abraham Mohammed

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The production of biodiesel from waste materials is becoming an increasingly important research area in the field of renewable energy. One potential waste material source is avocado, a fruit with a large seed and peel that are typically discarded after consumption. This research aims to investigate the feasibility of using avocado waste as a feedstock for the production of biodiesel. The study focuses on extracting oil from the waste material using the transesterification technique and then characterizing the properties of oil to determine its suitability for conversion to biodiesel. The study was conducted experimentally, and a maximum oil yield of 11.583% (150g of oil produced from 1.295kg of avocado waste powder) was obtained from avocado waste powder at an extraction time of 4hr. An 87% fatty acid methyl ester (biodiesel) conversion was also obtained using a methanol/oil ratio of 6:1, 1.3g NaOH, reaction time 60min, and 65°C reaction temperature. Furthermore, from 145 ml of avocado waste oil, 126.15 ml of biodiesel was produced, indicating a high percentage of conversion (87%). Conclusively, the produced biodiesel showed comparable physical and chemical characteristics to that of standard biodiesel samples considered for the study. The results of this research could help to identify a new source of biofuel production while also addressing the issue of waste disposal in the food industry.

Keywords: biodiesel, avocado, transesterification, soxhlet extraction

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Authors: Matthew T. Wilson

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This paper covers a selection of research utilizing grammar-based genetic programming, and illustrates how context-free grammar can be used to constrain genetic programming. It focuses heavily on grammatical evolution, one of the most popular variants of grammar-based genetic programming, and the way its operators and terminals are specialized and modified from those in genetic programming. A variety of implementations of grammatical evolution for general use are covered, as well as research each focused on using grammatical evolution or grammar-based genetic programming on a single application, or to solve a specific problem, including some of the classically considered genetic programming problems, such as the Santa Fe Trail.

Keywords: context-free grammar, genetic algorithms, genetic programming, grammatical evolution

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Authors: Hui Min Kong, Rajalakshmi A/P Ganesan

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The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of gender differences in mate selection in a private university. Mate selection is an important process and decision to the people around the world, especially for single people. The future partner we have chosen could be our lifetime friend, supporter, and lover. Mate selection is important to us, but we have never fully understood the evolution of gender differences in mate selection. Besides, there was an insufficient empirical finding of gender differences in mate selection in Malaysia. Hence, the research would allow us to understand our feelings and thoughts about our future partners. The research null hypotheses have stated that there was no significant difference on 18 mate selections characteristics between males and females. A quantitative method was performed to test the hypotheses through independent t-test. There was a total of 373 heterosexual participants with the age range of 18 to 35 in the study. The instrument used was Factors in choosing a mate developed by Buss and Barnes (1986). Results indicated that females (M= 26.69) were found to be highly valued on refinement and neatness, good financial prospect, dependable character, emotional stability and maturity, desire for home and children, favorable social status or rating, similar religious background, ambition and industriousness, mutual attraction, good health and education and intelligence than males (M= 23.25). These results demonstrated that there were 61.11% significant gender differences in mate selections characteristics. Findings of this research have highlighted the importance of human mate selections in Malaysia. Further research is needed to identify the factors that could have a possible moderating effect of gender differences in mate selection.

Keywords: gender differences, mate selections, evolution, future partner

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Authors: Titik Wahyuningsih

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The folktale to discuss is Ande-Ande Lumut, a story that is believed to be a history of two kingdoms in East Java, Indonesia. The title refers to the main male character in the story. This research is a library research which aims to know the patriarchal values in Indonesia. The data for the research is the song in the story that is actually the conversation between Ande-Ande Lumut and a mom who adopts him. It is told in the lines that many beautiful girls come to propose Ande-Ande Lumut but he does not want to accept them and keeps on staying in his upstairs room. Finally, he says yes for Klething Kuning to whom his mom describes as a girl with ugly face. Ande-Ande Lumut's decision is taken as Klething Kuning is the only girl who doesn't let Yuyu Kangkang help her. Yuyu Kangkang is described as a very big crab that helps the girls to cross the river but ask them to kiss him. Through the lense of feminist approach, Ande-Ande Lumut shows the men’s preference and dominance to make final decision over women. Even though the girls are actively propose their future husband, but they do it without giving any requirements. Meanwhile, the future husband chooses a girl with a criterion that no male has ever touched her, although the male is a crab.

Keywords: future spouse, Indonesian folktale, acceptance, patriarchal

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Authors: K. S. Al-Mugren, A. Yahya, S. Alodah, R. Alharbi, S. H. Almsaid , A. Alqahtani, H. Jaber, A. Basaqer, N. Alajra, N. Almoghati, A. Alsalman, Khalid Alharbi

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Context: The production of biofertilizers from naturally occurring microorganisms is an area of research that aims to enhance agricultural practices by utilizing local resources. This research project focuses on isolating and screening indigenous microorganisms with PK-fixing and phosphate solubilizing characteristics from local sources. Research Aim: The aim of this project is to develop a biofertilizer product using indigenous microorganisms and composted agro waste as a carrier. The objective is to enhance crop productivity and soil fertility through the application of biofertilizers. Methodology: The research methodology includes several key steps. Firstly, indigenous microorganisms will be isolated from local resources using the ten-fold serial dilutions technique. Screening assays will be conducted to identify microorganisms with phosphate solubilizing and PK-fixing activities. Agro-waste materials will be collected from local agricultural sources, and composting experiments will be conducted to convert them into organic matter-rich compost. Physicochemical analysis will be performed to assess the composition of the composted agro-waste. Gamma and X-ray irradiation will be used to sterilize the carrier material. The sterilized carrier will be tested for sterility using the ten-fold serial dilutions technique. Finally, selected indigenous microorganisms will be developed into biofertilizer products. Findings: The research aims to find suitable indigenous microorganisms with phosphate solubilizing and PK-fixing characteristics for biofertilizer production. Additionally, the research aims to assess the suitability of composted agro waste as a carrier for biofertilizers. The impact of gamma irradiation sterilization on pathogen elimination will also be investigated. Theoretical Importance: This research contributes to the understanding of utilizing indigenous microorganisms and composted agro waste for biofertilizer production. It expands knowledge on the potential benefits of biofertilizers in enhancing crop productivity and soil fertility. Data Collection and Analysis Procedures: The data collection process involves isolating indigenous microorganisms, conducting screening assays, collecting and composting agro waste, analyzing the physicochemical composition of composted agro waste, and testing carrier sterilization. The analysis procedures include assessing the abilities of indigenous microorganisms, evaluating the composition of composted agro waste, and determining the sterility of the carrier material. Conclusion: The research project aims to develop biofertilizer products using indigenous microorganisms and composted agro waste as a carrier. Through the isolation and screening of indigenous microorganisms, the project aims to enhance crop productivity and soil fertility by utilizing local resources. The research findings will contribute to the understanding of the suitability of composted agro waste as a carrier and the efficacy of gamma irradiation sterilization. The research outcomes will have theoretical importance in the field of biofertilizer production and agricultural practices.

Keywords: biofertilizer, microorganisms, agro waste, nuclear technologies

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Authors: Yun Zhang, Zhu Wang

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Renewing ancient residential areas is an integral part of the sustainable development of modern cities. Compared with a metropolis, the old areas of small and medium-sized cities is more complicated to update, as the spatial form is more fragmented. In this context, the author takes as the research object, the ancient town of Changshu City, which is a small city representative in China with a history of more than 1,200 years. Through the analysis of urban research and update projects, the spatial evolution characteristics and renewal strategies of small ancient urban settlements are studied. On this basis, it is proposed to protect the residential area from the perspective of integrity and sustainability, strengthen the core public part, control the district building, and reshape the important interface. Renewing small and medium-sized urban areas should respect the rhythm of their own urban development and gradually complete the update, not blindly copying the experience of large cities.

Keywords: ancient residential area, Changshu, city renewal strategy, small and medium-sized cities

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Authors: Eugene Mashapa

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The age of information has witnessed countless unprecedented technological developments, which signal the articulation of succinct technological capabilities that can match these cutting-edge technological trends. These changes have impacted patterns in the production, distribution, and consumption of media content, a space that the Film and Publication Board (FPB) is concerned with. Consequently, the FPB is keen to understand the nature and impact of these technological changes on media content regulation. This exploratory study sought to investigate how content regulators in high and middle-income economies have adapted to the changes in this space, seeking insights into innovations, technological and operational, that facilitate continued relevance during this fast-changing environment. The study is aimed at developing recommendations that could assist and inform the organisation in regulating media content as it evolves. Thus, the overall research strategy in this analysis is applied research, and the analytical model adopted is a mixed research design guided by both qualitative and quantitative research instruments. It was revealed in the study that the FPB was significantly impacted by the unprecedented technological advancements in the media regulation space. Additionally, there exists a need for the FPB to understand the current and future penetrations of 4IR technology in the industry and its impact on media governance and policy implementation. This will range from reskilling officials to align with the technological skills to developing technological innovations as well as adopting co-regulatory or self-regulatory arrangements together with content distributors, where more content is distributed in higher volumes and with increased frequency. Importantly, initiating an interactive learning process for both FPB employees and the general public can assist the regulator and improve FPB’s operational efficiency and effectiveness.

Keywords: media, regulation, technology, film and publications board

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Authors: Chiao-Wen Lan, David Gere

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Background and Significance: Performance has a rich history of imparting information and encouraging reflection, yet there is a paucity of literature on applying performance as a method of analysis and not as a medium for health education. This study aimed to apply ethnodrama strategies to the issue of HIV-related stigma in rural China and to use a critical performance as a vehicle for communication of health research. Methods: The program, titled 'STOP STIGMA,' included dance, narratives and original quotes from people living with HIV/AIDS in China, and spectacle such as photographs, set, and props corresponding to the history of HIV in rural China. Results: The performance represented a step away from a completely textual interpretation of data towards a theatrical style that begins to privilege what arts-based research scholars Rossiter and colleagues have termed 'an embodied, theatrical representation of data.' It offered an opportunity to deliver individual and collective stories that represent how HIV-positive people experience living with HIV/AIDS in China, which could play an integral part in the formulation of actions to effect change. Discussion: This method of communicating health research has implications for fostering dialogue among researchers, community members, and medical practitioners. Although arts-based approaches are not new to the scientific community, the integration of dance, video, ethnodrama, and sciences provides opportunities to innovate in non-traditional research dissemination and communication.

Keywords: health communication, HIV/AIDS, stigma, vulnerable populations

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Authors: Anne Lemnitzer, Eric Tavarez

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The academic rigor of the geotechnical engineering curriculum indicates strong institutional and geographical variations. Geotechnical engineering deals with the most challenging civil engineering material, as opposed to structural engineering, environmental studies, transportation engineering, and water resources. Yet, technical expectations posed by the practicing professional community do not necessarily consider the challenges inherent to the disparity in academic rigor and disciplinary differences. To recognize the skill shortages among current graduates as well as identify opportunities to better equip graduate students in specific fields of geotechnical engineering, a two-part survey was developed in collaboration with the Earth Retaining Structures (ERS) Committee of the American Society of Civil Engineers. Earth Retaining Structures are critical components of infrastructure systems and integral components to many major engineering projects. Within the geotechnical curriculum, Earth Retaining Structures is either taught as a separate course or major subject within a foundation design class. Part 1 of the survey investigated the breadth and depth of the curriculum with respect to ERS by requesting faculty across the United States to provide data on their curricular content, integration of practice-oriented course content, student preparation for professional licensing, and level of technical competency expected upon student graduation. Part 2 of the survey enables a comparison of training provided versus training needed. This second survey addressed practicing geotechnical engineers in all sectors of the profession (e.g., private engineering consulting, governmental agencies, contractors, suppliers/manufacturers) and collected data on the expectations with respect to technical and non-technical skills of engineering graduates entering the professional workforce. Results identified skill shortages in soft skills, critical thinking, analytical and language skills, familiarity with design codes and standards, and communication with various stakeholders. The data will be used to develop educational tools to advance the proficiency and expertise of geotechnical engineering students to meet and exceed the expectations of the profession and to stimulate a lifelong interest in advancing the field of geotechnical engineering.

Keywords: geotechnical engineering, academic training, industry requirements, earth retaining structures

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Authors: M. R. Akbari, H. Yousefnia, A. Ghasemi

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Al2O3:C,Mg fluorescent nuclear track detector (FNTD) and Al2O3:C optically stimulated luminescence detector (OSLD) are becoming two of the applied detectors in ion dosimetry. Therefore, the response of these detectors to hadron beams is highly of interest in radiation therapy (RT) using ion beams. In this study, these detectors' responses to proton and Helium-4 ion beams were compared using Monte Carlo simulations. The calculated data for proton beams were compared with Markus ionization chamber (IC) measurement (in water phantom) from M.D. Anderson proton therapy center. Monte Carlo simulations were performed via the FLUKA code (version 2011.2-17). The detectors were modeled in cylindrical shape at various depths of the water phantom without shading each other for obtaining relative depth dose in the phantom. Mono-energetic parallel ion beams in different incident energies (100 MeV/n to 250 MeV/n) were collided perpendicularly on the phantom surface. For proton beams, the results showed that the simulated detectors have over response relative to IC measurements in water phantom. In all cases, there were good agreements between simulated ion ranges in the water with calculated and experimental results reported by the literature. For proton, maximum peak to entrance dose ratio in the simulated water phantom was 4.3 compared with about 3 obtained from IC measurements. For He-4 ion beams, maximum peak to entrance ratio calculated by both detectors was less than 3.6 in all energies. Generally, it can be said that FLUKA is a good tool to calculate Al2O3:C,Mg FNTD and Al2O3:C OSLD detectors responses to therapeutic proton and He-4 ion beams. It can also calculate proton and He-4 ion ranges with a reasonable accuracy.

Keywords: comparison, FNTD and OSLD detectors response, light ion beams, Monte Carlo simulations

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Authors: Burcu Babadağ Savaş, Nihal Orlu, Güler Balcı Alparslan, Ertuğrul Çolak, Cengiz Korkmaz

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Introduction/objectives: We aimed to investigate the effect of humor on pain and state anxiety in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) receiving biologic intravenous (IV) infusion therapy. Method: The study sample consisted of 36 patients who met the classification criteria for RA and inclusion criteria in a rheumatology outpatient clinic at a university hospital between September 2020 and November 2021. Two sample groups were formed: the intervention group (watching a comedy movie) (n=18) and the control group (n=18). The intervention group consisted of the patient watching a comedy movie of his/her choice from an archive created by the researchers during the biological IV infusion therapy (approximately 90-120 minutes). The data collection instruments used before and after the test were the descriptive identification form, the visual analog scale (VAS), and the state anxiety scale. Results: The mean VAS scores of patients in the intervention group were 5.05 ± 2.01 in the pre-test and 2.61 ± 1.91 in the post-test. The mean state anxiety scores of patients in the intervention group were 45.94 ± 9.97 in the pre-test and 34.22 ± 6.57 in the post-test. Thus, patients who watched comedy movies during biologic IV infusion therapy in the infusion center had a greater reduction in pain scores than the control group and the effect size was small. Although there was a decrease in state anxiety scores in both groups, there was no significant difference between groups and the effect size was not relevant. Conclusions: During IV infusion therapy, watching comedy movies is recommended as a nursing care intervention for reducing pain in patients with RA in cooperation with other health professionals.

Keywords: watching comedy movie, humor, pain, anxiety, nursing, care

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Authors: Abdulqader Rasool Feqi Mohammed, Ergun Erçelebi̇

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A large number of hospitals from developed countries are adopting hospital information system to bring efficiency in hospital information system. The purpose of this project is to research on new network security techniques in order to enhance the current network security structure of save a hospital information system (HIS). This is very important because, it will avoid the system from suffering any attack. Security architecture was optimized but there are need to keep researching on best means to protect the network from future attacks. In this final project research, security techniques were uncovered to produce best network security results when implemented in an integrated framework.

Keywords: hospital information system, HIS, network security techniques, internet protocol, IP, network

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Authors: Georgiana Ciobotaru

Abstract:

The experience of exile is a defining one for the mittleeuropean writers, which is also the generator of an identity discourse manifested in the plan of fiction. In exile, the authors often build their marginality in opposition to that deserted mundi center. The Polish Gombrowicz carried out his existence, for more than twenty-three years, in a geographical exile, distancing himself from his country, and, from a cultural point of view, the writing meant a possibility of escape, of plunge into a literary exile that often constituted a way of conditioning the practice of writers. He opted for one of the attitudes that a writer in exile may have, namely he preferred to continue speaking Polish, although he was far from his homeland, turning to the public in his homeland, his entire literary creation in exile being promoted through Kulturia, the Paris-based immigration magazine. The problem of exile must be constantly related to three essential aspects, namely: territory, identity and language. The exile, both the writer and his characters, displays a characteristic attitude towards the abandoned land, but also towards the adoptive, towards the mother tongue, but also towards the idiom encountered, thus proving an original manner in terms of how it asserts, de-builds or re-builds its identity. In these texts written after leaving Poland, a series of open works by Trans-Atlantic, Gombrowicz assumes and internalizes the inadequacy between his self and the reality outside to make it the principle of his perception of the world. The expression of marginality that characterized the texts developed when the writer was still in Poland seems to acquire a certain coherence against the background of a logic imposed on the new experience, namely that of exile. Texts created during his exile in Argentina appear in a different context, in other words, in a situation of inadequacy towards the world: ignorance of the language, poverty, isolation that characterizes especially the first years spent there. This study aims to highlight how the Polish author de-builds and reconstructs his Mittel-European identity profile through language.

Keywords: discourse, exile, identity, immigration

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Authors: Matthias Feiner, Francisco Javier Fernández García, Michael Arneman, Martin Kipfmüller

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To ensure reliability in miniaturized devices or processes with increased heat fluxes, very efficient cooling methods have to be employed in order to cope with small available cooling surfaces. To address this problem, a certain type of evaporator/heat exchanger was developed: It is called a swirl evaporator due to its flow characteristic. The swirl evaporator consists of a concentrically eroded screw geometry in which a capillary tube is guided, which is inserted into a pocket hole in components with high heat load. The liquid refrigerant R32 is sprayed through the capillary tube to the end face of the blind hole and is sucked off against the injection direction in the screw geometry. Its inner diameter is between one and three millimeters. The refrigerant is sprayed into the pocket hole via a small tube aligned in the center of the bore hole and is sucked off on the front side of the hole against the direction of injection. The refrigerant is sucked off in a helical geometry (twisted flow) so that it is accelerated against the hot wall (centrifugal acceleration). This results in an increase in the critical heat flux of up to 40%. In this way, more heat can be dissipated on the same surface/available installation space. This enables a wide range of technical applications. To optimize the design for the needs in various fields of industry, like the internal tool cooling when machining nickel base alloys like Inconel 718, a correlation-based model of the swirl-evaporator was developed. The model is separated into 3 subgroups with overall 5 regimes. The pressure drop and heat transfer are calculated separately. An approach to determine the locality of phase change in the capillary and the swirl was implemented. A test stand has been developed to verify the simulation.

Keywords: helically-shaped, oil-free, R-32, swirl-evaporator, twist-flow

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Authors: Ann Vibert, Heather Hemming

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This paper presentation summarizes the findings and implications of research on the plight and practices of women educational leaders in public school systems and in one university. The authors, both women university administrators, are also scholars and researchers of education. The research project on which this paper presentation is based proposed to examine how women educational leaders imagined, experienced, and carried out their leadership roles in the context of a growing local and global accountability-based performativity discourse which is reshaping educational work especially for women, we argue, in both public school and post-secondary sites. The research employed critical ethnographic interviews with 20 women educational leaders in P-12 school systems and three women university level educational leaders. Data were collected on women educational leaders’ perceptions of the effects of accountability and performativity discourses on the nature of their work. Specifically, leaders were asked to speak to whether they experienced a growth in managerial work as a consequence of increased accountability demands; how they experienced their work changing as a consequence of accountability and performativity demands; how these changes impacted the central values they enacted in their work as women educational leaders changes; and how they responded to/negotiated/accommodated changes in the nature of their work developing as a consequence of accountability and performativity frameworks. Findings from the research data and analyses confirm and extend recent scholarly work on the gendered nature of performativity and accountability discourses and frameworks, and their differential effects across differing genders. The oral presentation we propose here focusses on those findings in terms of similarities for women educational leaders across different educational contexts.

Keywords: women in educational leadership, gender and educational performativity, accountability and women leaders, gender and educational leadership

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Authors: Catarina Cruz, Ana Breda

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Tiling problems have been capturing the attention of many mathematicians due to their real-life applications. In this study, we deal with tilings of Zⁿ by Lee spheres, where n is a positive integer number, being these tilings related with error correcting codes on the transmission of information over a noisy channel. We focus our attention on the question ‘for what values of n and r does the n-dimensional Lee sphere of radius r tile Zⁿ?’. It seems that the n-dimensional Lee sphere of radius r does not tile Zⁿ for n ≥ 3 and r ≥ 2. Here, we prove that is not possible to tile Z⁷ with Lee spheres of radius 2 presenting a proof based on a combinatorial method and faithful to the geometric idea of the problem. The non-existence of such tilings has been studied by several authors being considered the most difficult cases those in which the radius of the Lee spheres is equal to 2. The relation between these tilings and error correcting codes is established considering the center of a Lee sphere as a codeword and the other elements of the sphere as words which are decoded by the central codeword. When the Lee spheres of radius r centered at elements of a set M ⊂ Zⁿ tile Zⁿ, M is a perfect r-error correcting Lee code of word length n over Z, denoted by PL(n, r). Our strategy to prove the non-existence of PL(7, 2) codes are based on the assumption of the existence of such code M. Without loss of generality, we suppose that O ∈ M, where O = (0, ..., 0). In this sense and taking into account that we are dealing with Lee spheres of radius 2, O covers all words which are distant two or fewer units from it. By the definition of PL(7, 2) code, each word which is distant three units from O must be covered by a unique codeword of M. These words have to be covered by codewords which dist five units from O. We prove the non-existence of PL(7, 2) codes showing that it is not possible to cover all the referred words without superposition of Lee spheres whose centers are distant five units from O, contradicting the definition of PL(7, 2) code. We achieve this contradiction by combining the cardinality of particular subsets of codewords which are distant five units from O. There exists an extensive literature on codes in the Lee metric. Here, we present a new approach to prove the non-existence of PL(7, 2) codes.

Keywords: Golomb-Welch conjecture, Lee metric, perfect Lee codes, tilings

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Authors: Laid Fekih

Abstract:

Background: Depression affects people in all communities across the world and in all aspects of their lives. Its spread varies from one country to another, can happen at any age and get rid of it is not easy. There is no clear policy in Algeria's higher education institutions to detect and treat these disorders or pay particular attention to those at risk. Identifying the prevalence of depression among Algerian students, its correlation with different variables, and studying gender differences in the light of a range of variables is necessary to develop an appropriate plan to raise the level of hope and love of life among students. Method: Random samples of 1500 University of Tlemcen students (967 girls and 533 boys), aged 19 to 24 years completed a self-administered questionnaire that included Beck's Depression Inventory ®-II (BDI®-II), (School Health Promotion: The Mood part), Other questions included in this survey focused on demographic characteristics including gender, age and year of study, academic performance (Annual Average Score (0-20) AAS), were examined. Results: The rate of depression (moderate, severe and extreme) varied from 03% to 13% among university students in Tlemcen University. There was no difference in the rates of depression in male and female students, which means that male and female students do have similar rates of depression. The rate of depression in the first-year of the study shows a higher score relative to students of other years. Depression has a negative relationship with academic performance, which means that depressed students have many difficulties in academic tasks at university. Conclusion: Depression among university students is an important center of interest in the world, not only because of the ease with which they can be followed, or the difficulties encountered during their studies and their technical courses but for the link between the level of depression and the quality of care of mental health services, especially if many students with mood and emotional problems don't meet the criteria for psychotherapy.

Keywords: depression, epidemiology, university students, academic performance

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Authors: Helen Johnson-Egemba

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This paper will discuss the current effectiveness of music therapy for a range of conditions, such as depression and anxiety. Indeed, traditional forms of therapy have often been effective in treating various mental and physical health conditions. However, they are not with their limitations. Music therapy, on the other hand, is a non-invasive and cost-effective alternative that can produce similar or even better results. Music therapy can produce longer-lasting results. The research also highlights the underlying mechanisms of traditional music therapy, such as its complementary treatment. A systematic review of existing literature was conducted to gather relevant studies and establish a comprehensive understanding of the topic. Various research methods, including experimental studies, qualitative research, surveys, were utilized to explore the therapeutic potential of traditional music interventions. The findings reveal that traditional music therapy shows promise in managing anxiety and depression symptoms, with positive outcomes impacting brain activity, emotions, and stress regulation. The outcomes of this study contribute to evidence-based practice, providing insights for clinicians and therapists to incorporate traditional music therapy into their treatment approaches. Furthermore, the research promotes awareness and acceptance of traditional music as a legitimate and effective therapeutic intervention for anxiety and depression, potentially enhancing access to alternative and complementary treatment options. Overall, this study demonstrates the potential benefits of traditional music therapy in addressing anxiety and depression, offering valuable implications for mental health care and improving the well-being of individuals struggling with these conditions.

Keywords: anxiety, effectiveness, depression, traditional music, therapy, treatment

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