Search results for: patient reported outcomes

Authors: Aofan Liu, Qianqian Tan, Burra Venkata Durga Kumar

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Data security is of the utmost importance in the healthcare area, as sensitive patient information is constantly sent around and analyzed by many different parties. The use of federated learning, which enables data to be evaluated locally on devices rather than being transferred to a central server, has emerged as a potential solution for protecting the privacy of user information. To protect against data breaches and unauthorized access, federated learning alone might not be adequate. In this context, the application of blockchain technology could provide the system extra protection. This study proposes a distributed federated learning system that is built on blockchain technology in order to enhance security in healthcare. This makes it possible for a wide variety of healthcare providers to work together on data analysis without raising concerns about the confidentiality of the data. The technical aspects of the system, including as the design and implementation of distributed learning algorithms, consensus mechanisms, and smart contracts, are also investigated as part of this process. The technique that was offered is a workable alternative that addresses concerns about the safety of healthcare while also fostering collaborative research and the interchange of data.

Keywords: data privacy, distributed system, federated learning, machine learning

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Authors: Azeez O. Ganiyu

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Climate change is expected to lead to substantial changes in rainfall patterns in southwest Nigeria, and this may have substantial consequence for forest management and for conservation outcomes throughout the region. We examine three different forest types across an environmental spectrum from semi-arid to humid subtropical and consider their response to water shortages and other environmental stresses; we also explore the potential consequence for conservation and timber production by considering impacts on forest structure and limiting stand density. Analysis of a series of scenarios provides the basis for a critique of existing management practices and suggests practical alternatives to develop resilient forests with minimal diminution of production and environmental services. We specifically discuss practical silviculture interventions that are feasible at the landscape-scale, that are economically viable, and that have the potential to enhance resilience of forest stands. We also discuss incentives to encourage adoption of these approaches by private forest owners. We draw on these case studies in southwestern Nigeria to offer generic principle to assist forest researchers and managers faced with similar challenges elsewhere.

Keywords: climate change, forest, future, silviculture, Nigeria

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Authors: Xincheng Jiang, Yanyan An, Yaoyao Huang, Wei Ding, Manli Sun, Hong Li, Huaili Zheng

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The residual antibiotics in the environment will pose a threat to the environment and human health. Thus, efficient removal and rapid detection of norfloxacin (NOR) in wastewater is very important. The main sources of NOR pollution are the agricultural, pharmaceutical industry and hospital wastewater. The total consumption of NOR in China can reach 5440 tons per year. It is found that neither animals nor humans can totally absorb and metabolize NOR, resulting in the excretion of NOR into the environment. Therefore, residual NOR has been detected in water bodies. The hazards of NOR in wastewater lie in three aspects: (1) the removal capacity of the wastewater treatment plant for NOR is limited (it is reported that the average removal efficiency of NOR in the wastewater treatment plant is only 68%); (2) NOR entering the environment will lead to the emergence of drug-resistant strains; (3) NOR is toxic to many aquatic species. At present, the removal and detection technologies of NOR are applied separately, which leads to a cumbersome operation process. The development of simultaneous adsorption-flocculation removal and FTIR detection of pollutants has three advantages: (1) Adsorption-flocculation technology promotes the detection technology (the enrichment effect on the material surface improves the detection ability); (2) The integration of adsorption-flocculation technology and detection technology reduces the material cost and makes the operation easier; (3) FTIR detection technology endows the water treatment agent with the ability of molecular recognition and semi-quantitative detection for pollutants. Thus, it is of great significance to develop a smart water treatment material with high removal capacity and detection ability for pollutants. This study explored the feasibility of combining NOR removal method with the semi-quantitative detection method. A magnetic Cu-Ni-S/Ni foam was synthesized by in-situ loading Cu-Ni-S nanostructures on the surface of Ni foam. The novelty of this material is the combination of adsorption-flocculation technology and semi-quantitative detection technology. Batch experiments showed that Cu-Ni-S/Ni foam has a high removal rate of NOR (96.92%), wide pH adaptability (pH=4.0-10.0) and strong ion interference resistance (0.1-100 mmol/L). According to the Langmuir fitting model, the removal capacity can reach 417.4 mg/g at 25 °C, which is much higher than that of other water treatment agents reported in most studies. Characterization analysis indicated that the main removal mechanisms are surface complexation, cation bridging, electrostatic attraction, precipitation and flocculation. Transmission FTIR detection experiments showed that NOR on Cu-Ni-S/Ni foam has easily recognizable FTIR fingerprints; the intensity of characteristic peaks roughly reflects the concentration information to some extent. This semi-quantitative detection method has a wide linear range (5-100 mg/L) and a low limit of detection (4.6 mg/L). These results show that Cu-Ni-S/Ni foam has excellent removal performance and semi-quantitative detection ability of NOR molecules. This paper provides a new idea for designing and preparing multi-functional water treatment materials to achieve simultaneous removal and semi-quantitative detection of organic pollutants in water.

Keywords: adsorption-flocculation, antibiotics detection, Cu-Ni-S/Ni foam, norfloxacin

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Authors: Virginia Dickson-Swift, Amanda Kenny, Jane Farmer, Sarah Larkins, Karen Carlisle, Helen Hickson

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In this presentation, we will focus on the methods of Remote Services Futures (RSF), an evidence-based method of community participation that was developed in Scotland. Using oral health as the focus, we will discuss the ways that RSF can be used to achieve sustainable engagement with stakeholders from various parts of the community. We will describe our findings of using RSF methods to engage with rural communities, including the steps involved and what happened when we asked people about the oral health services that they thought were needed in their community. We found that most community members started by thinking that a public dental clinic was required in every community, which is not a sustainable health service delivery option. Through a series of facilitated workshops, communities were able to discuss and prioritise their needs and develop a costed plan for their community which will ensure sustainable service delivery into the future. Our study highlights the complexities of decision making in rural communities. It is important to ensure that when communities participate in health care planning that the outcomes are practical, feasible and sustainable.

Keywords: community participation, sustainable health planning, Remote Services Futures, rural communities

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Authors: Lily Beaumont-Griffin, Philip Reynolds, Helen Pote, Pinder Kaur

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Siblings are a key part of the family unit, which Multisystemic Therapy (MST) intervenes, with the aim of reducing antisocial behavior and keeping families together. However, despite operating in multiple countries, including the United States of America, Europe, parts of South America, and the Western Hemisphere, there are only few previous studies on siblings within MST. According to best of authors knowledge neither of these seeks to understand the siblings' experience of the intervention nor their perception of the outcomes. This study utilized semi-structured interviews to understand the experience of seven siblings of children and adolescents who were closed to MST within the last year (2023-2024). Using reflexive thematic analysis, three themes were identified: sibling inclusion by the therapist, sharing responsibility for change, and fostering a safe and supportive environment at home. These themes express that siblings need to have a basic understanding of an intervention to be able to perceive benefits, siblings need help understanding responsibility across the whole family, and that safety is both physical and emotional. Clinical implications, including encouragement of therapists to integrate the siblings in the intervention more, and future research directions around integrating these findings into the development of iterations of MST standard are discussed.

Keywords: siblings, multisystemic therapy, family therapy, experience

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Authors: A. Khosrozadeh, M. A. Darabi, M. Xing, Q. Wang

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Fabrication of a high-performance supercapacitor (SC) using a flexible cellulose-based composite film of polyaniline (PANI), reduced graphene oxide (RGO), and silver nanowires (AgNWs) is reported. The flexibility, high capacitive behaviour, and cyclic stability of the entire device make it a good candidate for wearable SCs. The results show that a capacitance as high as 73.4 F/g (1.6 F/cm2) at a discharge rate of 1.1 A/g is achieved by the device. In addition, the SC demonstrates a power density up to 468.8 W/kg and an energy density up to 5.1 wh/kg. The flexibility of the composite film is attributed to the binding effect of cellulose fibers as well as reinforcing effect of AgNWs. The excellent electrochemical performance of the device is found to be owing to the synergistic effect between PANI/RGO/AgNWs ternary in a cushiony cellulose matrix and porous structure of the composite.

Keywords: cellulose, polyaniline, reduced graphene oxide, silver, super capacitor

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Authors: Haira Rizka, Imas Istiani

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The way women and men use language is an interesting topic to discuss. Nowadays, Instagram shows many videos which illustrate the difference of women’s and men’s language. Furthermore, the videos show how different genders behave in daily communication. This research aims to (1) investigate conversational characteristics of women represented in Indonesian Instagram videos, and (2) investigate how different genders behave in daily communication. To analyze the two research problems, this research employs Tannen’s theory of language and gender (1996). This is a descriptive qualitative research which describes phenomena of language and gender shown in Indonesian Instagram videos. The data were collected through observation. The collected data were then analyzed by employing ethnography and textual analysis. The research results show that in Indonesian Instagram videos, women dominate the conversation than men. Women’s are portrayed as a figure who are talkative, never wrong, and sensitive. Women’s dominating men proves that women always want to be understood, produce more words than men, and are more creative in producing verbal communication. Meanwhile, men are portrayed as calm, gentle, and patient creature who listen to women’s talk. Furthermore, men are portrayed to prefer being silent for avoiding conflict.

Keywords: gender, Instagram videos, language variety, women's language

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Authors: Delly C. Lestari, Linosefa, Ardiana Kusumaningrum, Andi Yasmon, Anis Karuniawati

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The objective of this study is to determine the prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) harboring mecA genes from screening isolates among intensive care unit (ICU) patients. All MRSA screening isolates from ICU’s patients of Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital during 2011 and 2014 were included in this study. Identification and susceptibility test was performed using Vitek2 system (Biomereux®). PCR was conducted to characterize the SCCmec of S. aureus harboring the mecA gene on each isolate. Patient’s history of illness was traced through medical record. 24 isolates from 327 screening isolates were MRSA positive (7.3%). From PCR, we found 17 (70.8%) isolates carrying SCCmec type I, 3 (12.5%) isolates carrying SCCmec type III, and 2 (8.3%) isolates carrying SCCmec type IV. In conclusion, SCCmec type I is the most prevalent MRSA colonization among ICU patients in Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital.

Keywords: MRSA, mecA genes, ICU, colonization

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Authors: Maryum Nawaz

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Purpose: To determine the frequency of refractive errors in squinting eyes of children from 4 to 16 years presenting at tertiary care hospital. Study Design: A descriptive cross-sectional study was done. Place and Duration: The study was conducted in Pediatric Ophthalmology, Hayatabad Medical Complex, Peshawar. Materials and Methods: The sample size was 146 keeping 41.45%5 proportion of refractive errors in children with squinting eyes, 95% confidence interval and 8% margin of error under WHO sample size calculations. Non-probability consecutive sampling was done. Result: Mean age was 8.57±2.66 years. Male were 89 (61.0%) and female were 57 (39.0%). Refractive error was present in 56 (38.4%) and was not present in 90 (61.6%) of patients. There was no association of gender, age, parent refractive errors, or early usage of electric equipment with the refractive errors. Conclusion: There is a high prevalence of refractive errors in a patient with strabismus. There is no association of age, gender, parent refractive errors, or early usage of electric equipment in the occurrence of refractive errors. Further studies are recommended for confirmation of these.

Keywords: strabismus, refractive error, myopia, hypermetropia, astigmatism

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Authors: Naritphol Boonyakiat

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This research attempts to investigate the relationship between corporate social responsibility and students’ job performance of the Silpakorn University’s internship program within various organizations. The goal of this study is to fill the literature gap by gaining an understanding of corporate social responsibility that fundamentally relate to students’ job performance within the organizations. Thus, this study will focus on the outcomes that derive from selected employers’ qualitative assessment and evaluation forms from various companies. The results represent the perceptions of students towards the corporate social responsibility aspects and their job performance evaluation from the employers in various organizations. The findings indicate that corporate social responsibility has significant effects on students’ job performance. This study may assist us in gaining a better understanding of the integrated aspects of university and workplace environments to discover how to allocate optimally university’s resources and management approaches to gain benefits from corporate social responsibility practices toward students’ job performance within an organizational setting. Therefore, there is good reason to believe that the findings can contribute to research in the area of CSR and students’ job performance as an essential aspect of long-term success sustainability.

Keywords: corporate social responsibility, job performance, university students, internship program

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Authors: Sezgi Isik, Yasin Urersoy, Gizem Ustunel, Ilkyaz Yalcin

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Improvement of the digital tile application, lots of process revolutions have occurred in the tile production. In order to create unique and inimitable designs, all the competitors start to try different applications. Both Europian and domestic ceramic producers focus on the deep and realistic surfaces. In this study, the trend of engoglaze, which is becoming widespread in glaze porcelain tile designs to create the most intensive colours, were investigated. The aim of the study is to develop engoglaze formulation that supports digital ink activation. Thermal expansion coefficient values were determined by a dilatometer. Chemical analyses and sintering behaviors of engoglazes were made by X-ray diffraction and heat microscopy analysis. According to these glaze formulation studies, it has been reported that using engoglaze could easily reduce the digital ink consumption of the design. On the other hand, the advantage of the production cost is gained, and deepness of the design is provided.

Keywords: ceramic, engoglaze, digital ink activation, glazed porcelain tile

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Authors: Salomé Elizabeth Scholtz

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Reviewers are the gatekeepers of knowledge dissemination and promote the scientific validity of the research. However, the literature indicates that authors often receive questionable feedback on qualitative manuscripts. Thus, this qualitative descriptive study sought to explore the qualitative knowledge and experiences of reviewers of psychology journals. A purposive and snowball sample (n=27) of psychology journal reviewers completed an online questionnaire, and data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Reviewers felt their postgraduate education, reading, and the process of reviewing qualitative articles equipped them to review qualitative manuscripts. Less than half of the reviewer’s published articles were qualitative and male reviewers published more than females. Despite not expecting authors to have the same level of research skills, reviewers still experienced authors as unskilled and biased, creating difficulty in accepting and reviewing qualitative articles. The applicability of the qualitative method and recommendations in preparing qualitative manuscripts for reviewing are reported.

Keywords: journal reviewers, psychology, qualitative research, research method, research skills

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Authors: Ahuva Even-Zohar

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Context: Families living in poverty often struggle with poor financial management and accumulating debts. Social workers play a crucial role in assisting these families, but they typically receive no formal training in financial management. Research Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the impact of a voluntary organization called Paamonim on social work students' attitudes toward providing material support and assistance in financial management to families living in poverty. Additionally, the study aimed to evaluate the students' perception of the workshop's contribution and their actual use of the tools acquired during the training. Methodology: The study involved 134 social work students, with 55 in a regular program and 79 in a retraining program. The first stage of the study involved the students receiving an explanation of the research, ensuring confidentiality, and signing informed consent. The students completed two questionnaires: The Student Attitudes Questionnaire and a sociodemographic questionnaire. In the second stage, three months after the workshop, the students completed the questionnaires again, along with a feedback questionnaire. Findings: The study found that there were no significant differences in the students' attitudes toward providing material support and proper financial management to families living in poverty before and after the workshop. However, their attitudes remained positive, at a medium level or higher. The students reported that the workshop provided them with tools to assist families in poverty, and they used these tools to some extent in their practical training. They found the workshop interesting and acknowledged its importance in raising awareness about budget management and enriching their knowledge of money management. The students acknowledged the workshop's effectiveness but mentioned that it was too short. Theoretical Importance: This study highlights the importance of developing programs to help families living in poverty manage their household finances. The workshop enriched the students' knowledge and skills, which are vital for their role as social workers working with families in poverty to rehabilitate their financial situations. Data Collection and Analysis Procedures: The students completed self-report questionnaires before and after the workshop, providing insights into their attitudes and perception about the role of social workers in providing material support for families living in poverty and helping them manage their household finances. Statistical analysis was conducted to compare the students' attitudes pre and post-workshop, and a feedback questionnaire assessed the students' perception of the contribution of the workshop. Question Addressed: This study addressed the question of whether a workshop on financial management can positively impact social work students' attitudes and skills in assisting families living in poverty with their household finances. Conclusion: Despite being short and consisting of only one session, the workshop proved to be valuable in enriching the students' knowledge and providing them with important tools for their role as social workers. The students reported positive attitudes toward providing material support and financial assistance to families in need. The practical recommendation is to continue offering such workshops as part of the social work curriculum to further enhance students' abilities to help families manage their finances effectively.

Keywords: financial literacy, poverty, social work students, workshop

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Authors: Hatice Esra Akgül, Celaleddin Öztürk

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Lichen biodiversity in forests is controlled by environmental conditions. Epiphytic lichens have some degree of substrate specificity. Diversity and distribution of epiphytic lichens are affected by humidity, light, altitude, temperature, bark pH of the trees.This study describes the epiphytic lichen communities with comparing their preferred tree species. 34 epiphytic lichen taxa are reported on Pinus sp. L., Quercus sp. L., Fagus sp. L., Carpinus sp. L., Abies sp. Mill., Fraxinus sp. Tourn. ex L. from different altitudes around the Şeker Canyon (Karabük, Turkey). 11 of these taxa are growing on Quercus sp., 10 of them are growing on Fagus sp., 7 of them are growing on Pinus sp., 4 of them are on Carpinus sp., 2 of them are on Abies sp. and one of them is on Fraxinus sp. Evernia prunastri (L.) Ach. is growing on both of Fagus sp. and Quercus sp. Lecanora pulicaris (Pers.) Ach. is growing on both of Abies sp. and Quercus sp.

Keywords: biodiversity, epiphytic lichen, forest, Turkey

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Authors: Nabil El Kadhi, Minerva M. Bunagan

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The dynamism in education, particularly in the area of teaching, learning and assessment has caused Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) worldwide to seek for ways to continuously improve their educational processes. HEIs use outcomes of institutional audits, assessments and accreditations, for improvement. In this study, the published institutional audit reports of HEIs in the Sultanate of Oman were analyzed to produce features of good practice; identify challenges along Teaching, Learning Assessment (TLA); and propose a framework that puts major emphasis in having a quality-assured TLA, including a set of principles that can be used as basis in succeeding an institutional visit. The TLA framework, which shows the TLA components, characteristics of the components, related expectation, including implementation tool/ strategy and pitfalls can be used by HEIs to have an adequate understanding of the scope of audit and be able to satisfy institutional audit requirements. The scope of this study can be widened by exploring the other requirements of the Institutional Audits in the Sultanate of Oman, particularly the area on Governance and Management and Student Support Services.

Keywords: accreditation, audit, teaching, learning and assessment, quality assurance

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Authors: Akbar Farahani, Afsaneh Hassani, Peyman M. Farkhondeh

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Human Resource Management as one of the core processes of the project-based companies, despite its key role in the success and competitive advantage, is relatively unknown. In the project-based companies, due to the accelerated movement of knowledge in the work activities and the temporary nature of the project, the need to develop mechanisms for achieving optimal management of this issues is very challenging. Approach to human resource management in these companies evolves with goals, strategies, and operational processes. Therefore, the need for appropriate tools to facilitate implementation of the optimized human resource management in the project is more than before,Which currently with the development of information technology and modern communication, appropriate to address the optimal approach for dynamic management of human resources in the project have been provided.This is done by using the referral system implemented in Mahab GCE that provides 1: the ability to use humans in projects without geographic limitation and 2:information on the activities and outcomes of referrals.Furthermore, by using this system, recording the lessons learned after any particular activity on projects,accessing quantitative information, procedures, documentation of learned practices that have been stored in the data base as well as using them in future projects is provided.

Keywords: human resource management, project base company, ERP, referrals system

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Authors: Shafaq Rubab

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The inclusion of special needs students in a classroom is prevailing gradually in developing countries. Digital game-based learning is one the most effective instructional methodology for special needs students. Digital game-based learning facilitates special needs students who actually face challenges and obstacles in their learning processes. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of digital game-based learning on the educational progress of special needs students in developing countries. The quasi-experimental research was conducted by using purposively selected sample size of eight special needs students. Results of both experimental and control group showed that performance of the experimental group students was better than the control group students and there was a significant difference between both groups’ results. This research strongly recommended that digital game-based learning can help special needs students in an inclusive classroom. It also revealed that special needs students can learn efficiently by using pedagogically sound learning games and game-based learning helps a lot for the self-paced fast-track learning system.

Keywords: inclusive education, special needs, digital game-based learning, fast-track learning

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Authors: Allmin Susaiyah, Aki Härmä, Milan Petković

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Automatic generation of insights from data using insight mining systems (IMS) is useful in many applications, such as personal health tracking, patient monitoring, and business process management. Existing IMS face challenges in controlling insight extraction, scaling to large databases, and generalising to unseen domains. In this work, we propose a hybrid approach consisting of rule-based and neural components for generating insights from data while overcoming the aforementioned challenges. Firstly, a rule-based data 2CNL component is used to extract statistically significant insights from data and represent them in a controlled natural language (CNL). Secondly, a BERTSum-based CNL2NL component is used to convert these CNLs into natural language texts. We improve the model using task-specific and domain-specific fine-tuning. Our approach has been evaluated using statistical techniques and standard evaluation metrics. We overcame the aforementioned challenges and observed significant improvement with domain-specific fine-tuning.

Keywords: data mining, insight mining, natural language generation, pre-trained language models

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Authors: Mahasen M. Abdel Mageed, H. S. Zaghloul

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Annihilations, phase shifts, scattering lengths, and elastic cross sections of low energy positrons scattering from magnesium atoms were studied using the least-squares variational method (LSVM). The possibility of positron binding to the magnesium atoms is investigated. A trial wavefunction is suggested to represent e+-Mg elastic scattering and scattering parameters were derived to estimate the binding energy and annihilation rates. The trial function is taken to depend on several adjustable parameters and is improved iteratively by increasing the number of terms. The present results have the same behavior as reported semi-empirical, theoretical, and experimental results. Especially, the estimated positive scattering length supports the possibility of positron-magnesium bound state system that was confirmed in previous experimental and theoretical work.

Keywords: bound wavefunction, positron annihilation, scattering phase shift, scattering length

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Authors: C. L Popa, C.S. Ciobanu, S. L. Iconaru, P. Chapon, A. Costescu, P. Le Coustumer, D. Predoi

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In this paper, the preparation and characterization of silver doped hydroxyapatite thin films and their antimicrobial activity characterized is reported. The resultant Ag: HAp films coated on commercially pure Si disks substrates were systematically characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) coupled with X-ray Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy detector (X-EDS), Glow Discharge Optical Emission Spectroscopy (GDOES) and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). GDOES measurements show that a substantial Ag content has been deposited in the films. The X-EDS and GDOES spectra revealed the presence of a material composed mainly of phosphate, calcium, oxygen, hydrogen and silver. The antimicrobial efficiency of Ag:HAp thin films against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus bacteria was demonstrated. Ag:HAp thin films could lead to a decrease of infections especially in the case of bone and dental implants by surface modification of implantable medical devices.

Keywords: silver, hydroxyapatite, thin films, GDOES, SEM, FTIR, antimicrobial effect

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Authors: Birgit Reime, Sonja Gscheidle, Toni Hübener, Lara Hübener

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Suicide in individuals under 30 years is a global public health concern. The objective of this study was to identify strategies for the prevention of suicide and suicidal behavior preferred by adolescents and young adults who are vulnerable to suicidal behavior and by relevant experts. Using semi-structured interviews with n= 17 adolescents and young adults (18-25 years of age) and with n= 11 experts from relevant fields, we have applied an inductive approach and applied thematic content analysis. Six strategies for suicide prevention in young individuals were reported. These were digital solutions with appealing designs, anonymous support, trained peer support, spiritual support, improving existing structures, and raising suicide literacy. Accessibility of anonymous digital support may contribute to suicide prevention in young people.

Keywords: suicide prevention, adolescents, E-health, Germany

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Authors: Modreck Gomo

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Although the dolomite and calcite carbonates can neutralize Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) and prevent leaching of metals, salinity still remains a huge problem. The study presents a conceptual discussion of geochemical controls of salinity in a typical calcite and dolomite AMD neutralised groundwater systems. Thereafter field evidence is presented to support the conceptual discussions. 1020 field data sets of from a groundwater system reported to be under circumneutral conditions from the neutralization effect of calcite and dolomite is analysed using correlation analysis and bivariate plots. Field evidence indicates that sulphate, calcium and magnesium are strongly and positively correlated to Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) which is used as measure of salinity. In this, a hydrogeochemical system, the dissolution of sulphate, calcium and magnesium form AMD neutralization process contributed 50%, 10% and 5% of the salinity.

Keywords: acid mine drainage, carbonates, neutralization, salinity

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Authors: Parisa Toloue Hayat Azar

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Businesses have been playing an important role in the economic growth and social welfare of cities; however, they generally have negative reputations regarding their impact on environmental issues regarding sustainability. However, some believe that by incorporating strategic Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities, businesses will be able to solve problems in society, including environmental ones. Besides economic, social and environmental aspects, governance is another essential pillar for creating sustainable communities and cities. Governance plays a key role in the success of sustainable projects or creating long lasting legacies; an example of this can be creating circular supply chain with collaboration between different businesses, which in the end results in positive economic, social and environmental outcomes for everyone. Governance is a very important parameter in creating the legacy of low carbon and environmentally friendly city due to the fact that, besides building energy efficient buildings and infrastructure, citizens who are also part of the success of this system should know about how to behave and collaborate with others to make the system work. By deploying the philosophy of cultural historical activity theory, this paper explains how influential businesses have been and can be still used as a mediating tool for governance purposes, and succeed in creating shared value and lasting legacy within society.

Keywords: business, governance, CSR, sustainability

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Authors: Ng Mei Han, Nu'man Abdul Hadi

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Extraction of ferulic acid from palm pressed fiber using deep eutectic solvent (DES) of choline chloride-acetic acid (ChCl-AA) and choline chloride-citric acid (ChCl-CA) are reported. Influence of water content in DES on the extraction efficiency was investigated. ChCl-AA and ChCl-CA experienced a drop in viscosity from 9.678 to 1.429 and 22.658 ± 1.655 mm2/s, respectively as the water content in the DES increased from 0 to 50 wt% which contributed to higher extraction efficiency for the ferulic acid. Between 41,155 ± 940 mg/kg ferulic acid was obtained after 6 h reflux when ChCl-AA with 30 wt% water was used for the extraction compared to 30,940 ± 621 mg/kg when neat ChCl-AA was used. Although viscosity of the DES could be improved with the addition of water, there is a threshold where the DES could tolerate the presence of water without changing its solvent behavior. The optimum condition for extraction of ferulic acid from palm pressed fiber was heating for 6 h with DES containing 30 wt% water.

Keywords: deep eutectic solvent, extraction, ferulic acid, palm fibre

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Authors: Joshua Abraham, Craig Wales

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Abstract—SIGN Guideline 122 recommends that all patients who are admitted to hospital are assessed for venous thromboembolism risk within 24 hours of admission. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde provide guidance on this in the form of a proforma. Patients are then subsequently prescribed either thrombo-embolic-deterrent stockings (TEDS)/low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) for the prevention of VTE based on their score. A retrospective casenote audit of a random sample of fifty oncology and trauma inpatients at the QEUH in December 2019 was performed. 90% of patients had a risk assessment conducted as evidenced by a completed proforma. In 78% of these patients, the proforma fully completed. Overall 94% of patients had some for of thromboprophylaxis prescribed in the form of TEDS or LMWH. A lack of 100% compliance against the given standards highlighted potential implications for patient safety, but also medico-legal ramifications for staff. Clinical judgement can only be relied upon if there is written documentation as evidence. Further staff education and the suggestion of a written prompt to the clerk-in documentation will hopefully improve compliance, whilst a repeat audit should demonstrate any improvement.

Keywords: Maxillofacial , Thromboembolism, Thromboprophylaxis , Prescription

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Authors: Mohamed A. Abdelnaby

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Relevance of the research: A few people known about Autism and also about Sports for Autism. Children with Autism have difficult experience with sport that makes many problems during the sports activities. There are several areas of motor skills development essential for participating daily life and several sports activities. The object of the research is describe the program for the sports activities for children with Autism, and the aim is to improving their movement skills, motor skills and social skills. Research methods and organization: Twenty-five children with Autism perceived barriers to sports activities participation, and functioning. All the program inside the Pegasus Dreamland Sports Club and all the facilities available for the research. Results and discussion: Standard, children were reported to meet or exceeded general PA occurrence guidelines, belonged to active participated in a variety of sports activities. We identified several barriers to optimal sports activities for their children. Conclusions: Children with Autism can achieve optimal sports activities. Exposure to a variety of sports activities opportunities and experiences aids in identifying the model activity for each individual child.

Keywords: autism, sports activates, movement skills, motor skills

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Authors: Erwin Stolz, Hannes Mayerl, Anja Waxenegger, Wolfgang Freidl

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Research has often found poverty associated with adverse health outcomes, but it is unclear which (interplay of) mechanisms actually translate low economic resources into poor physical health. The goal of this study was to assess the impact of educational, material, psychosocial and behavioural factors in explaining the poverty-health association in old age. We analysed 28,360 observations from 11,390 community-dwelling respondents (65+) from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE, 2004-2013, 10 countries). We used multilevel growth curve models to assess the impact of combined income- and asset poverty risk on old age frailty index levels and trajectories. In total, 61.8% of the variation of poverty risk on frailty levels could be explained by direct and indirect effects, thereby highlighting the role of material and particularly psychosocial factors, such as perceived control and social isolation. We suggest strengthening social policy and public health efforts in order to fight poverty and its deleterious effects from early age on and to broaden the scope of interventions with regard to psychosocial factors.

Keywords: frailty, health inequality, old age, poverty

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Authors: Shivani Dhande, Sanjiv Choudhary, Adarshlata Singh

Abstract:

Introduction: Chemical peeling is a popular, relatively inexpensive day procedure and generally safe method for treatment of pigmentary skin disorders and for skin rejuvenation. Chemical peels are classified by the depth of action into superficial, medium, and deep peels.Various facial pigmentary conditions have significant impact on quality of life causing psychological stress, necessitating its safe and effective treatment.Aim & Objectives:To compare the efficacy of Salicylic acid, Trichloroaceticacid & Glycolic Acid in facial melanosis(melasma,photomelanosis& post acne pigmentation).To study the side effects of above mentioned peeling agents. Method and Materials:It was a randomized parallel control single blind study consisting of total of 36 cases, 12 cases each of melasma, photo melanosis and post acne pigmentation within age group 20-50 years having fitzpatrick’s skin type4. Woods lamp examination was done to confirm the type of melasma.Patients with keloidal tendency, active herpes infection or past history of hypersensitivity to salicylic acid, trichloroaceticand glycolic acid as well aspatients on systemic isotretinoin were excluded.Clinical photographs at the beginning of therapy and then serially, were taken to assess the clinical response. Prior to application a written informed consent was obtained. A post auricular test peel was performed. Patients were divided into 3 groups, containing 12 patients each of melasma, photomelanosis and post acnepigmentation.All the three peels SA peel 20% (done once in 2 weeks), GA peel 50% (done once in 3 weeks) and TCA 15% (done once in 3 weeks) were used with total six settings for each patient. Before application of peel patients were counseled to wash the face with soap and water. Then face was dried and cleaned with spirit and acetone to remove all cutaneous oils. GA, TCA, SA were applied with cotton buds/gauze withmild strokes. After a contact period off 5-10mins neutralization was done with cold water. Post peel topical sunscreen application was mandatory. MASI was used pre and post treatment to assess melasma. Investigator’s global improvement scale- overall hyperpigmentation (4-significant, 3-moderate, 2-mild, 1-minimal, 0-no change ) and Patient’s satisfaction grading scale (>70%- excellent response, 50-70%- good response, <50%- average response) was used to assess improvement in all the three facial melanosis.Results:In our study of 12 patients of melasma, 4 (33.33%)patients showed excellent results;3 (25%) with GAand 1(8.33%) of TCA.Good response was seen in 4 (33.33%) patients;1(8.33%) each for GA & SA and 2(16.66%) for TCA.Poor response was seen in 4(33.33%) patients;1(8.33%) for TCA and 3 (25%) for SA.Of 12 patients of photomelanosis, excellent resultswas seen in 3(25%)patients of TCA. Good response was seen in 4 (33.33%) patients, 1(8.33%) each of TCA &SA and 2(16.66%) of GA.Poor responsewas seen in 5(41.66%) patients;3 (25%) for SA and 2(16.66%) of GA.Of 12 patients of post acne pigmentation, excellent responsein 3 (25%) patients;2(16.66%) of SA and 1(8.33%) of TCA.Good responsewas seen in 5(41.66%) patients;2(16.66%) of SA and GA and1(8.33%) of TCA.Poor response was seen in 4 (33.33%) patients; 2 (16.66%) for SA and TCA both. No major side effects in the form of scarring or persistant pigmentation was seen. Transient blackening of skin with burning sensation was seen in cases treated with TCA and SA. Post procedural itching and redness was noted with GA peel. Conclusion- In our study GA(50%),TCA(15%) & SA(20%) peels showed excellent response in melasma, photomelanosis and post-acne pigmentation respectively.All the 3 peeling agents were well tolerated without any significant side-effects in the above specified concentrations.

Keywords: facial melanosis, gycolic acid, salicylic acid, trichloroacetic acid

Procedia PDF Downloads 252

Authors: Wan Shan Chiang, Charn Ting Wang, Wei-Chih Kan, Hui-Chen Huang

Abstract:

Dialysis patients have risk in Zoster virus because of low immune. Valacyclovir (product name: Valtex) 500mg/tab, an anti-zoster virus medicine, is digested in kidney and it has side-effect of nervous system in patients with malfunction kidneys. Although the clinical basis of the proposed administration, we found that patients still have side effects. So we want to explore the appropriate dose of peritoneal dialysis patients. We read small samples of case reports and analyze 8 cases in our hospital, some patients’ Kt/v, match the standard of dialysis, and still go to the toilet, they still have side effect seriously with 500mg portion. The solution to this includes stopping medicine, reduction of medicine, increase of liquid change and timely hemodialysis and all of them speed up the recovery. The safety of medication needs extra attention of medical care employee. If they can tell the doctor if the patient has urine or not in his or her Kt/v, the doctor can prescribe the medicine accordingly. About the limitation, due to the lack of cases and related pharmacokinetics numbers. Therefore, for peritoneal patients, we think 500mg/48hoursis the saves. We also want to remind pharmaceuticals to revise the portion taken by patients, so that the doctor may judge the use.

Keywords: herpes zoster, Valacyclovir, peritoneal dialysis, health education

Procedia PDF Downloads 307

Authors: Li Li, Lei Wang, Chenglin Du, Mengxin Ren, Xinzheng Zhang, Wei Cai, Jingjun Xu

Abstract:

Strong coupling between excitons of quantum dots and plasmons in nanocavites can be realized at room temperature due to the strong confinement of the plasmon fields, which offers building blocks for quantum information systems or ultralow-power switches and lasers. In this work, by using cathodoluminescence, ultrastrong coupling with Rabi splitting above 1 eV between breathing plasmons in Aluminum metal-insulator-metal (MIM) cavity and excited state of CdZnS/ZnS quantum dots was reported in near-UV spectrum. Analytic analysis and full-wave electromagnetic simulations provide the evidence for the strong coupling and confirm the hybridization of the QDs exciton and LSP breathing mode. This study opens the way for new emerging applications based on strongly coupled light-matter states all over the visible region down to ultra-violet frequencies.

Keywords: breathing mode, plasmonics, quantum dot, strong coupling, ultraviolet

Procedia PDF Downloads 194