Search results for: research domain criteria (rdoc)
23657 Local Pricing Strategy Should Be the Entry Point of Equitable Benefit Sharing and Poverty Reduction in Community Based Forest Management: Some Evidences from Lowland Community Forestry in Nepal
Authors: Dhruba Khatri
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Despite the short history of community based forest management, the community forestry program of Nepal has produced substantial positive effects to organize the local people at a local level institution called Community Forest User Group and manage the local forest resources in the line of poverty reduction since its inception in 1970s. Moreover, each CFUG has collected a community fund from the sale of forest products and non-forestry sources as well and the fund has played a vital role to improve the livelihood of user households living in and around the forests. The specific study sites were selected based on the criteria of i) community forests having dominancy of Sal forests, and ii) forests having 3-5 years experience of community forest management. The price rates of forest products fixed by the CFUGs and the distribution records were collected from the respective community forests. Nonetheless, the relation between pricing strategy and community fund collection revealed that the small change in price of forest products could greatly affect in community fund collection and carry out of forest management, community development, and income generation activities in the line of poverty reduction at local level.Keywords: benefit sharing, community forest, equitable, Nepal
Procedia PDF Downloads 38423656 Use of Life Cycle Data for State-Oriented Maintenance
Authors: Maximilian Winkens, Matthias Goerke
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The state-oriented maintenance enables the preventive intervention before the failure of a component and guarantees avoidance of expensive breakdowns. Because the timing of the maintenance is defined by the component’s state, the remaining service life can be exhausted to the limit. The basic requirement for the state-oriented maintenance is the ability to define the component’s state. New potential for this is offered by gentelligent components. They are developed at the Corporative Research Centre 653 of the German Research Foundation (DFG). Because of their sensory ability they enable the registration of stresses during the component’s use. The data is gathered and evaluated. The methodology developed determines the current state of the gentelligent component based on the gathered data. This article presents this methodology as well as current research. The main focus of the current scientific work is to improve the quality of the state determination based on the life-cycle data analysis. The methodology developed until now evaluates the data of the usage phase and based on it predicts the timing of the gentelligent component’s failure. The real failure timing though, deviate from the predicted one because the effects from the production phase aren’t considered. The goal of the current research is to develop a methodology for state determination which considers both production and usage data.Keywords: state-oriented maintenance, life-cycle data, gentelligent component, preventive intervention
Procedia PDF Downloads 49623655 Clash of Institutions: Role of Constitutional Courts in Mediating between Institutions
Authors: Muhammad Umer Toor, Syed Imran Haider, Babar Afzaal
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Brexit nudged the British executive towards overriding parliamentary sovereignty in the UK. In 2019, Prime Minister Boris Johnson sought to prorogue parliament to prevent it from debating withdrawal from the UK. In 2022, Pakistan's Prime Minister also tried to nullify the ability of parliament to vote on the constitutional mechanism of a no-confidence vote. In both cases, the apex courts intervened and restored the supremacy of Parliament, averting constitutional crises. This paper examines the legitimacy and power of said courts to intervene in sensitive political and constitutional questions. The research focuses on the administrative law area of judicial review. It examines how in UK and Pakistan practice of judicial review helps mediate constitutional deadlocks between institutions comparatively. This is secondary research employing qualitative, comparative, doctrinal, and analytical methodologies to research a specific area of law from two jurisdictions, using primary and secondary sources.Keywords: administrative law, judicial review, law, constitutional law
Procedia PDF Downloads 12323654 Critical Role of Lipid Rafts in Influenza a Virus Binding to Host Cell
Authors: Dileep Kumar Verma, Sunil Kumar Lal
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Influenza still remains one of the most challenging diseases posing significant threat to public health causing seasonal epidemics and pandemics. Influenza A Virus (IAV) surface protein hemagglutinin is known to play an important role in viral attachment to the host sialic acid receptors and concentrate in lipid rafts for efficient viral fusion. Selective nature of Influenza A virus to utilize rafts micro-domain for efficient virus assembly and budding has been explored in depth. However, the detailed mechanism of IAV binding to host cell membrane and entry into the host remains elusive. In the present study we investigated the role of lipid rafts in early life cycle events of IAV. Role of host lipid rafts was studied using raft disruption method by extraction of cholesterol by Methyl-β-Cyclodextrin. Using GM1, a well-known lipid raft marker, we were able to observe co-localization of IAV on lipid rafts on the host cell membrane. This experiment suggests a direct involvement of lipid rafts in the initiation of the IAV life cycle. Upon disruption of lipid rafts by Methyl-b-cyclodextrin, we observed a significant reduction in IAV binding on the host cell surface indicating a significant decrease in virus attachment to coherent membrane rafts. Our results provide proof that host lipid rafts and their constituents play an important role in the adsorption of IAV. This study opens a new avenues in IAV virus-host interactions to combat infection at a very early steps of the viral lifecycle.Keywords: lipid raft, adsorption, cholesterol, methyl-β-cyclodextrin, GM1
Procedia PDF Downloads 36523653 Short Answer Grading Using Multi-Context Features
Authors: S. Sharan Sundar, Nithish B. Moudhgalya, Nidhi Bhandari, Vineeth Vijayaraghavan
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Automatic Short Answer Grading is one of the prime applications of artificial intelligence in education. Several approaches involving the utilization of selective handcrafted features, graphical matching techniques, concept identification and mapping, complex deep frameworks, sentence embeddings, etc. have been explored over the years. However, keeping in mind the real-world application of the task, these solutions present a slight overhead in terms of computations and resources in achieving high performances. In this work, a simple and effective solution making use of elemental features based on statistical, linguistic properties, and word-based similarity measures in conjunction with tree-based classifiers and regressors is proposed. The results for classification tasks show improvements ranging from 1%-30%, while the regression task shows a stark improvement of 35%. The authors attribute these improvements to the addition of multiple similarity scores to provide ensemble of scoring criteria to the models. The authors also believe the work could reinstate that classical natural language processing techniques and simple machine learning models can be used to achieve high results for short answer grading.Keywords: artificial intelligence, intelligent systems, natural language processing, text mining
Procedia PDF Downloads 13323652 Outcomes from a Qualitative Research: Ethnic Prejudice and Identity Difficulties in Experiences of Young People of Foreign Origin Adopted in Italy
Authors: Stefania Lorenzini
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Italy is a country where the phenomenon of international adoption is very considerable: indeed, it is second in the world only to the United States. This contribution deals with issues related to the development of children's identities in international and interethnic adoption. Process of identity construction can be complex in adopted children born and, often, lived for some years of their young life, in geographical, human, social and cultural contexts very different from those they live after adoption. The results of a qualitative research conducted by interviewing young people adopted in Italy make it possible to grasp the different facets of discrimination episodes related to somatic traits, and in particular to the color of the skin, that refer to these young people foreign origin. Outcomes from the research show difficulties in identy construction but also highlight how that evolution of an "intercultural identity" during international and interethnic adoption is possible.Keywords: discrimination, identity, intercultural education, international adoption
Procedia PDF Downloads 25523651 The Role of Gender Differences in the Use of National Parks and Forested Areas in Slavonice, Czech Republic Using Quick Response Code
Authors: Chingkheihunba Pebam, Shima Yazdanmehr
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This research project aims to study the role that gender has upon the use of National Parks and forested recreation areas in Slavonice, Czech Republic. Furthermore, this study investigate the role and significance that forested areas have upon the daily lives of local residents. This research proposes to observe the users at twenty distinct locations during twelve weeks study period. The study locations are within close proximity to the historic and recreational destination of Slavonice, situated in the southern part of the Czech Republic. This research aims to monitor the frequency of human presence and their associated movements in various recreation and tourism destinations in a discreet manner without disturbing the ecological elements such as wildlife/flora and fauna using uniquely generated Quick Response Codes (QR) for each twenty locations.Keywords: national park, gender, czech republic, QR code
Procedia PDF Downloads 21423650 Modeling and Numerical Simulation of Heat Transfer and Internal Loads at Insulating Glass Units
Authors: Nina Penkova, Kalin Krumov, Liliana Zashcova, Ivan Kassabov
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The insulating glass units (IGU) are widely used in the advanced and renovated buildings in order to reduce the energy for heating and cooling. Rules for the choice of IGU to ensure energy efficiency and thermal comfort in the indoor space are well known. The existing of internal loads - gage or vacuum pressure in the hermetized gas space, requires additional attention at the design of the facades. The internal loads appear at variations of the altitude, meteorological pressure and gas temperature according to the same at the process of sealing. The gas temperature depends on the presence of coatings, coating position in the transparent multi-layer system, IGU geometry and space orientation, its fixing on the facades and varies with the climate conditions. An algorithm for modeling and numerical simulation of thermal fields and internal pressure in the gas cavity at insulating glass units as function of the meteorological conditions is developed. It includes models of the radiation heat transfer in solar and infrared wave length, indoor and outdoor convection heat transfer and free convection in the hermetized gas space, assuming the gas as compressible. The algorithm allows prediction of temperature and pressure stratification in the gas domain of the IGU at different fixing system. The models are validated by comparison of the numerical results with experimental data obtained by Hot-box testing. Numerical calculations and estimation of 3D temperature, fluid flow fields, thermal performances and internal loads at IGU in window system are implemented.Keywords: insulating glass units, thermal loads, internal pressure, CFD analysis
Procedia PDF Downloads 27323649 Examining the Coverage of CO2-Related Indicators in a Sample of Sustainable Rating Systems
Authors: Wesam Rababa, Jamal Al-Qawasmi
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The global climate is negatively impacted by CO2 emissions, which are mostly produced by buildings. Several green building rating systems (GBRS) have been proposed to impose low-carbon criteria in order to address this problem. The Green Globes certification is one such system that evaluates a building's sustainability level by assessing different categories of environmental impact and emerging concepts aimed at reducing environmental harm. Therefore, assessment tools at the national level are crucial in the developing world, where specific local conditions require a more precise evaluation. This study analyzed eight sustainable building assessment systems from different regions of the world, comparing a comprehensive list of CO2-related indicators with a various assessment system for conducting coverage analysis. The results show that GBRS includes both direct and indirect indicators in this regard. It reveals deep variation between examined practices, and a lack of consensus not only on the type and the optimal number of indicators used in a system, but also on the depth and breadth of coverage of various sustainable building SB attributes. Generally, the results show that most of the examined systems reflect a low comprehensive coverage, the highest of which is found in materials category. On the other hand, the most of the examined systems reveal a very low representative coverage.Keywords: Assessment tools, CO2-related indicators, Comparative study, Green Building Rating Systems
Procedia PDF Downloads 5823648 A Review on the Comparison of EU Countries Based on Research and Development Efficiencies
Authors: Yeliz Ekinci, Raife Merve Ön
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Nowadays, technological progress is one of the most important components of economic growth and the efficiency of R&D activities is particularly essential for countries. This study is an attempt to analyze the R&D efficiencies of EU countries. The indicators related to R&D efficiencies should be determined in advance in order to use DEA. For this reason a list of input and output indicators are derived from the literature review. Considering the data availability, a final list is given for the numerical analysis for future research.Keywords: data envelopment analysis, economic growth, EU countries, R&D efficiency
Procedia PDF Downloads 53623647 Kazakh Language Assessment in a New Multilingual Kazakhstan
Authors: Karlygash Adamova
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This article is focused on the KazTest as one of the most important high-stakes tests and the key tool in Kazakh language assessment. The research will also include the brief introduction to the language policy in Kazakhstan. Particularly, it is going to be changed significantly and turn from bilingualism (Kazakh, Russian) to multilingual policy (three languages - Kazakh, Russian, English). Therefore, the current status of the abovementioned languages will be described. Due to the various educational reforms in the country, the language evaluation system should also be improved and moderated. The research will present the most significant test of Kazakhstan – the KazTest, which is aimed to evaluate the Kazakh language proficiency. Assessment is an ongoing process that encompasses a wide area of knowledge upon the productive performance of the learners. Test is widely defined as a standardized or standard method of research, testing, diagnostics, verification, etc. The two most important characteristics of any test, as the main element of the assessment - validity and reliability - will also be described in this paper. Therefore, the preparation and design of the test, which is assumed to be an indicator of knowledge, and it is highly important to take into account all these properties.Keywords: multilingualism, language assessment, testing, language policy
Procedia PDF Downloads 13723646 Effect of Self-Questioning Strategy on the Improvement of Reading Comprehension of ESL Learners
Authors: Muhammad Hamza
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This research is based on the effect of self-questioning strategy on reading comprehension of second language learners at medium level. This research is conducted to find out the effects of self-questioning strategy and how self-questioning strategy helps English learners to improve their reading comprehension. In this research study the researcher has analyzed that how much self-questioning is effective in the field of learning second language and how much it helps second language learners to improve their reading comprehension. For this purpose, the researcher has studied different reading strategies, analyzed, collected data from certificate level class at NUML, Peshawar campus and then found out the effects of self-questioning strategy on reading comprehension of ESL learners. The researcher has randomly selected the participants from certificate class. The data was analyzed through pre-test and post-test and then in the final stage the results of both tests were compared. After the pre-test and post-test, the result of both pre-test and post-test indicated that if the learners start to use self-questioning strategy before reading a text, while reading a text and after reading a particular text there’ll be improvement in comprehension level of ESL learners. The present research has addressed the benefits of self-questioning strategy by taking two tests (pre and post-test).After the result of post-test it is revealed that the use of the self-questioning strategy has a significant effect on the readers’ comprehension thus, they can improve their reading comprehension by using self-questioning strategy.Keywords: strategy, self-questioning, comprehension, intermediate level ESL learner
Procedia PDF Downloads 6623645 Academic Mobility within EU as a Voluntary or a Necessary Move: The Case of German Academics in the UK
Authors: Elena Samarsky
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According to German national records and willingness to migrate surveys, emigration is much more attractive for better educated citizens employed in white-collar positions, with academics displaying the highest migration rate. The case study of academic migration from Germany is furthermore intriguing due to the country's financial power, competitive labour market and relatively good life-standards, working conditions and high wage rates. Investigation of such mobility challenges traditional economic view on migration, as it raises the question of why people chose to leave their highly-industrialized countries known for their high life-standards, stable political scene and prosperous economy. Within the regional domain, examining mobility of Germans contributes to the ongoing debate over the extent of influence of the EU mobility principle on migration decision. The latter is of particular interest, as it may shed the light on the extent to which it frames individual migration path, defines motivations and colours the experiences of migration action itself. The paper is based on the analysis of the migration decisions obtained through in-depth interviews with German academics employed in the UK. These retrospective interviews were conducted with German academies across selected universities in the UK, employed in a variety of academic fields, and different career stages. Interviews provide a detailed description of what motivated people to search for a post in another country, which attributes of such job are needed to be satisfied in order to facilitate migration, as well as general information on particularities of an academic career and institutions involved. In the course of the project, it became evident that although securing financial stability was non-negotiable factor in migration (e.g., work contract singed before relocation) non-pecuniary motivations played significant role as well. Migration narratives of this group - the highly skilled, whose human capital is transferable, and whose expertise is positively evaluated by countries, is mainly characterised by search for personal development and career advancement, rather than a direct increase in their income. Such records are also consistent in showing that in case of academics, scientific freedom and independence are the main attributes of a perfect job and are a substantial motivator. On the micro level, migration is rather depicted as an opportunistic action addressed in terms of voluntary and rather imposed decision. However, on the macro level, findings allow suggesting that such opportunities are rather an outcome embedded in the peculiarities of academia and its historical and structural developments. This, in turn, contributes significantly to emergence of a scene in which migration action takes place. The paper suggest further comparative research on the intersection of the macro and micro level, and in particular how both national academic institutions and the EU mobility principle shape migration of academics. In light of continuous attempts to make the European labour market more mobile and attractive such findings ought to have direct implications on policy.Keywords: migration, EU, academics, highly skilled labour
Procedia PDF Downloads 25623644 Scientific Development as Diffusion on a Social Network: An Empirical Case Study
Authors: Anna Keuchenius
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Broadly speaking, scientific development is studied in either a qualitative manner with a focus on the behavior and interpretations of academics, such as the sociology of science and science studies or in a quantitative manner with a focus on the analysis of publications, such as scientometrics and bibliometrics. Both come with a different set of methodologies and few cross-references. This paper contributes to the bridging of this divide, by on the on hand approaching the process of scientific progress from a qualitative sociological angle and using on the other hand quantitative and computational techniques. As a case study, we analyze the diffusion of Granovetter's hypothesis from his 1973 paper 'On The Strength of Weak Ties.' A network is constructed of all scientists that have referenced this particular paper, with directed edges to all other researchers that are concurrently referenced with Granovetter's 1973 paper. Studying the structure and growth of this network over time, it is found that Granovetter's hypothesis is used by distinct communities of scientists, each with their own key-narrative into which the hypothesis is fit. The diffusion within the communities shares similarities with the diffusion of an innovation in which innovators, early adopters, and an early-late majority can clearly be distinguished. Furthermore, the network structure shows that each community is clustered around one or few hub scientists that are disproportionately often referenced and seem largely responsible for carrying the hypothesis into their scientific subfield. The larger implication of this case study is that the diffusion of scientific hypotheses and ideas are not the spreading of well-defined objects over a network. Rather, the diffusion is a process in which the object itself dynamically changes in concurrence with its spread. Therefore it is argued that the methodology presented in this paper has potential beyond the scientific domain, in the study of diffusion of other not well-defined objects, such as opinions, behavior, and ideas.Keywords: diffusion of innovations, network analysis, scientific development, sociology of science
Procedia PDF Downloads 30723643 Education for Sustainable Development and Primary Education in China: A Case Study
Authors: Ronghui (Kevin) Zhou
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This research intends to explore the enactment of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), in term of the ESD concept, in primary schools in China, and investigate the factors that have positively or negatively impacted the outcome of ESD in urban primary schools in China. The proposed research question is: how is the ESD concept perceived and enacted by the local education stakeholders. This research is conducted in multiple primary schools in China and has questionnaired and interviewed multiple education stakeholders, including school principals, school teachers, and bureau from the municipal Ministry of Education. Factor analysis, regression analysis, and critical discourse analysis are adopted to interpret and analyze the data. The preliminary findings suggest that contested ESD definition, education system pressures, education policy enforcement, and power dynamics between stakeholders are the key factors that have determined to what degree is ESD enacted, and to what extent is ESD practiced in primary schools in China.Keywords: education for sustainable development, China, primary education, case study
Procedia PDF Downloads 16623642 W-WING: Aeroelastic Demonstrator for Experimental Investigation into Whirl Flutter
Authors: Jiri Cecrdle
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This paper describes the concept of the W-WING whirl flutter aeroelastic demonstrator. Whirl flutter is the specific case of flutter that accounts for the additional dynamic and aerodynamic influences of the engine rotating parts. The instability is driven by motion-induced unsteady aerodynamic propeller forces and moments acting in the propeller plane. Whirl flutter instability is a serious problem that may cause the unstable vibration of a propeller mounting, leading to the failure of an engine installation or an entire wing. The complicated physical principle of whirl flutter required the experimental validation of the analytically gained results. W-WING aeroelastic demonstrator has been designed and developed at Czech Aerospace Research Centre (VZLU) Prague, Czechia. The demonstrator represents the wing and engine of the twin turboprop commuter aircraft. Contrary to the most of past demonstrators, it includes a powered motor and thrusting propeller. It allows the changes of the main structural parameters influencing the whirl flutter stability characteristics. Propeller blades are adjustable at standstill. The demonstrator is instrumented by strain gauges, accelerometers, revolution-counting impulse sensor, sensor of airflow velocity, and the thrust measurement unit. Measurement is supported by the in house program providing the data storage and real-time depiction in the time domain as well as pre-processing into the form of the power spectral densities. The engine is linked with a servo-drive unit, which enables maintaining of the propeller revolutions (constant or controlled rate ramp) and monitoring of immediate revolutions and power. Furthermore, the program manages the aerodynamic excitation of the demonstrator by the aileron flapping (constant, sweep, impulse). Finally, it provides the safety guard to prevent any structural failure of the demonstrator hardware. In addition, LMS TestLab system is used for the measurement of the structure response and for the data assessment by means of the FFT- and OMA-based methods. The demonstrator is intended for the experimental investigations in the VZLU 3m-diameter low-speed wind tunnel. The measurement variant of the model is defined by the structural parameters: pitch and yaw attachment stiffness, pitch and yaw hinge stations, balance weight station, propeller type (duralumin or steel blades), and finally, angle of attack of the propeller blade 75% section (). The excitation is provided either by the airflow turbulence or by means of the aerodynamic excitation by the aileron flapping using a frequency harmonic sweep. The experimental results are planned to be utilized for validation of analytical methods and software tools in the frame of development of the new complex multi-blade twin-rotor propulsion system for the new generation regional aircraft. Experimental campaigns will include measurements of aerodynamic derivatives and measurements of stability boundaries for various configurations of the demonstrator.Keywords: aeroelasticity, flutter, whirl flutter, W WING demonstrator
Procedia PDF Downloads 9623641 Cognition and Communication Disorders Effect on Death Penalty Cases
Authors: Shameka Stanford
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This presentation will discuss how cognitive and communication disorders in the areas of executive functioning, receptive and expressive language can impact the problem-solving and decision making of individuals with such impairments. More specifically, this presentation will discuss approaches the legal defense team of capital case lawyers can add to their experience when servicing individuals who have a history of educational decline, special education, and limited intervention and treatment. The objective of the research is to explore and identify the correlations between impaired executive function skills and decision making and competency for individuals facing death penalty charges. To conduct this research, experimental design, randomized sampling, qualitative analysis was employed. This research contributes to the legal and criminal justice system related to how they view, defend, and characterize, and judge individuals with documented cognitive and communication disorders who are eligible for capital case charges. More importantly, this research contributes to the increased ability of death penalty lawyers to successfully defend clients with a history of academic difficulty, special education, and documented disorders that impact educational progress and academic success.Keywords: cognitive impairments, communication disorders, death penalty, executive function
Procedia PDF Downloads 15623640 Increase Women's Knowledge and Attitude about Breast Cancer and Screening: Using an Educational Intervention in Community
Authors: Mitra Savabi-Esfahani, Fariba Taleghani, Mahnaz Noroozi, Maryam Tabatabaeian, Elsebeth Lynge
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Breast cancer is a health concern in worldwide. All women have not adequate information about breast cancer, resulting in undetected some tumors until advanced stages. Therefore awareness of people was recommended as a strategy to control that. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of an educational intervention on women's knowledge and attitude about breast cancer and screening. This study was conducted in 2016 on 191 women. All women living in one of big cities were invited to enroll in training classes. Inclusion criteria consisted women who were 20 - 69 years and not participated in any educational intervention. The lecture with group discussion was used as educational methods. Data collection tool was a structured questionnaire which filled out before and after intervention. The reliability of the questionnaire was determined by Cronbach's alpha. The data were analyzed using SPSS software. The average age was 44/4 ± 11.5 and 42.6% of the women had obtained high school. Of the 191 women, 70(36.6%) and 76(39.8%) had low and medium level of knowledge respectively and half of them, 95(50%) had medium level of attitude in before intervention. There was significant difference between mean scores of knowledge and attitude before and after the intervention by Paired T test (p < 0/001). It seems applying effective educational interventions can increase knowledge and attitude women about breast cancer particularly in community that they have insufficient levels. Moreover, the lecture method along with group discussion can be proposed as effective and conventional methods for this purpose.Keywords: attitude, breast cancer, educational intervention, knowledge
Procedia PDF Downloads 30923639 Design an Assessment Model of Research and Development Capabilities with the New Product Development Approach: A Case Study of Iran Khodro Company
Authors: Hamid Hanifi, Adel Azar, Alireza Booshehri
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In order to know about the capability level of R & D units in automotive industry, it is essential that organizations always compare themselves with standard level and higher than themselves so that to be improved continuously. In this research, with respect to the importance of this issue, we have tried to present an assessment model for R & D capabilities having reviewed on new products development in automotive industry of Iran. Iran Khodro Company was selected for the case study. To this purpose, first, having a review on the literature, about 200 indicators effective in R & D capabilities and new products development were extracted. Then, of these numbers, 29 indicators which were more important were selected by industry and academia experts and the questionnaire was distributed among statistical population. Statistical population was consisted of 410 individuals in Iran Khodro Company. We used the 410 questionnaires for exploratory factor analysis and then used the data of 308 questionnaires from the same population randomly for confirmatory factor analysis. The results of exploratory factor analysis led to categorization of dimensions in 9 secondary dimensions. Naming the dimensions was done according to a literature review and the professors’ opinion. Using structural equation modeling and AMOS software, confirmatory factor analysis was conducted and ultimate model with 9 secondary dimensions was confirmed. Meanwhile, 9 secondary dimensions of this research are as follows: 1) Research and design capability, 2) Customer and market capability, 3) Technology capability, 4) Financial resources capability, 5) Organizational chart, 6) Intellectual capital capability, 7) NPD process capability, 8) Managerial capability and 9) Strategy capability.Keywords: research and development, new products development, structural equations, exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis
Procedia PDF Downloads 34123638 Prevalence of Cognitive Decline in Major Depressive Illness
Authors: U. B. Zubair, A. Kiyani
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Introduction: Depressive illness predispose individuals to a lot of physical and mental health issues. Anxiety and substance use disorders have been studied widely as comorbidity. Biological symptoms also now considered part of the depressive spectrum. Cognitive abilities also decline or get affected and need to be looked into in detail in depressed patients. Objective: To determine the prevalence of cognitive decline among patients with major depressive illness and analyze the associated socio-demographic factors. Methods: 190 patients of major depressive illness were included in our study to determine the presence of cognitive decline among them. Depression was diagnosed by a consultant psychiatrist by using the ICD-10 criteria for major depressive disorder. British Columbia Cognitive Complaints Inventory (BC-CCI) was the psychometric tool used to determine the cognitive decline. Sociodemographic profile was recorded and the relationship of various factors with cognitive decline was also ascertained. Findings: 70% of the patients suffering from depression included in this study showed the presence of some degree of cognitive decline, while 30% did not show any evidence of cognitive decline when screened through BCCCI. Statistical testing revealed that the female gender was the only socio-demographic parameter linked significantly with the presence of cognitive decline. Conclusion: Decline in cognitive abilities was found in a significant number of patients suffering from major depression in our sample population. Screening for this parameter f mental function should be done in depression clinics to pick it early.Keywords: depression, cognitive decline, prevalence, socio-demographic factors
Procedia PDF Downloads 14423637 Transformation of Health Communication Literacy in Information Technology during Pandemic in 2019-2022
Authors: K. Y. S. Putri, Heri Fathurahman, Yuki Surisita, Widi Sagita, Kiki Dwi Arviani
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Society needs the assistance of academics in understanding and being skilled in health communication literacy. Information technology runs very fast while health communication literacy skills in getting health communication information during the pandemic are not as fast as the development of information technology. The research question is whether there is an influence of health communication on information technology in health information during the pandemic in Indonesia. The purpose of the study is to find out the influence of health communication on information technology in health information during the pandemic in Indonesia. The concepts of health communication literacy and information technology are used this study. Previous research is in support of this study. Quantitative research methods by disseminating questionnaires in this study. The validity and reliability test of this study is positive, so it can proceed to the next statistical analysis. Descriptive results of variable health communication literacy are of positive value in all dimensions. All dimensions of information technology are of positive value. Statistical tests of the influence of health communication literacy on information technology are of great value. Discussion of both variables in the influence of health communication literacy and high-value information technology because health communication literacy has a high effect in information technology. Respondents to this study have high information technology skills. So that health communication literacy in obtaining health information during the 2019-2022 pandemic is needed. Research advice is that academics are still very much needed by the community in the development of society during the pandemic.Keywords: health information, health information needs, literacy health communication, information technology
Procedia PDF Downloads 14023636 The Role of Video in Teaching and Learning Pronunciation: A Case Study
Authors: Kafi Razzaq Ahmed
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Speaking fluently in a second language requires vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation skills. Teaching the English language entails teaching pronunciation. In professional literature, there have been a lot of attempts to integrate technology into improving the pronunciation of learners. The technique is also neglected in Kurdish contexts, Salahaddin University – Erbil included. Thus, the main aim of the research is to point out the efficiency of using video materials for both language teachers and learners within and beyond classroom learning and teaching environments to enhance student's pronunciation. To collect practical data, a research project has been designed. In subsequent research, a posttest will be administered after each lesson to 100 first-year students at Salahaddin University-Erbil English departments. All students will be taught the same material using different methods, one based on video materials and the other based on the traditional approach to teaching pronunciation. Finally, the results of both tests will be analyzed (also knowing the attitudes of both the teachers and the students about both lessons) to indicate the impact of using video in the process of teaching and learning pronunciation.Keywords: video, pronunciation, teaching, learning
Procedia PDF Downloads 10923635 Rethinking Peace Journalism in Pakistan: A Critical Analysis of News Discourse on the Afghan Refugee Repatriation Conflict
Authors: Ayesha Hasan
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This study offers unique perspectives and analyses of peace and conflict journalism through interpretative repertoire, media frames, and critical discourse analyses. Two major English publications in Pakistan, representing both long and short-form journalism, are investigated to uncover how the Afghan refugee repatriation from Pakistan in 2016-17 has been framed in Pakistani English media. Peace journalism focuses on concepts such as peace initiatives and peace building, finding common ground, and preventing further conflict. This study applies Jake Lynch’s Coding Criteria to guide the critical discourse analysis and Lee and Maslog’s Peace Journalism Quotient to examine the extent of peace journalism in each text. This study finds that peace journalism is missing in Pakistani English press, but represented, to an extent, in long-form print and online coverage. Two new alternative frames are also proposed. This study gives an in-depth understanding of if and how journalists in Pakistan are covering conflicts and framing stories that can be identified as peace journalism. This study represents significant contributions to the remarkably limited scholarship on peace and conflict journalism in Pakistan and extends Shabbir Hussain’s work on critical pragmatic perspectives on peace journalism in Pakistan.Keywords: Afghan refugee repatriation, Critical discourse analysis, Media framing , Peace and conflict journalism
Procedia PDF Downloads 20123634 Comparison of Gestational Diabetes Influence on the Ultrastructure of Rectus Abdominis Muscle in Women and Rats
Authors: Giovana Vesentini, Fernanda Piculo, Gabriela Marini, Debora Damasceno, Angelica Barbosa, Selma Martheus, Marilza Rudge
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Problem statement: Skeletal muscle is highly adaptable, muscle fiber composition and size can respond to a variety of stimuli, such physiologic, as pregnancy, and metabolic abnormalities, as Diabetes mellitus. This study aimed to analyze the effects of pregnancy-associated diabetes on the rectus abdominis muscle (RA), and to compare this changes in rats and women. Methods: Female Wistar rats were maintained under controlled conditions and distributed in Pregnant (P) and Long-term mild pregnant diabetic (LTMd) (n=3 r/group). Diabetes in rats was induced by streptozotocin (100mg/Kg, sc) on the first day of life, for a hyperglycemic state between 120-300 mg/dL in adult life. Female rats were mated overnight, at day 21 of pregnancy were anesthetized, and killed for the harvesting of maternal RA. Pregnant women who attended the Diabetes Prenatal Care Clinic of Botucatu Medical School were distributed in Pregnant non-diabetic (Pnd) and Gestational Diabetic (GDM) (n=3 w/group). The diagnosis of GDM was established according to ADA’s criteria (2016). The harvesting of RA was during the cesarean section. Transversal cross-sections of the RA of both women and rats were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy. All procedures were approved by the Ethics Committee on Animal Experiments of the Botucatu Medical School (Protocol Number 1003/2013) and by the Botucatu Medical School Ethical Committee for Human Research in Medical Sciences (CAAE: 41570815.0.0000.5411). Results: The photomicrographs of the RA of rats revealed disorganized Z lines, thinning sarcomeres, and a usual quantity of intermyofibrillar mitochondria in the P group. The LTMd group showed swollen sarcoplasmic reticulum, dilated T tubes and areas with sarcomere disruption. The ultrastructural analysis of Pnd non-diabetic women in the RA showed well-organized myofibrils forming intact sarcomeres, organized Z lines and a normal distribution of intermyofibrillar mitochondria. The GDM group revealed increase in intermyofibrillar mitochondria, areas with sarcomere disruption and increased lipid droplets. Conclusion: Pregnancy and diabetes induce adaptations in the ultrastructure of the rectus abdominis muscle for both women and rats, changing the architectural design of these tissues. However, in rats these changes are more severe maybe because, besides the high blood glucose levels, the quadrupedal animal may suffer an excessive mechanical tension during pregnancy by gravity. Probably, these findings may suggest that these alterations are a risk factor that contributes to the development of muscle dysfunction in women with GDM and may motivate treatment strategies in these patients.Keywords: gestational diabetes, muscle dysfunction, pregnancy, rectus abdominis
Procedia PDF Downloads 29223633 Breast Cancer Risk is Predicted Using Fuzzy Logic in MATLAB Environment
Authors: S. Valarmathi, P. B. Harathi, R. Sridhar, S. Balasubramanian
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Machine learning tools in medical diagnosis is increasing due to the improved effectiveness of classification and recognition systems to help medical experts in diagnosing breast cancer. In this study, ID3 chooses the splitting attribute with the highest gain in information, where gain is defined as the difference between before the split versus after the split. It is applied for age, location, taluk, stage, year, period, martial status, treatment, heredity, sex, and habitat against Very Serious (VS), Very Serious Moderate (VSM), Serious (S) and Not Serious (NS) to calculate the gain of information. The ranked histogram gives the gain of each field for the breast cancer data. The doctors use TNM staging which will decide the risk level of the breast cancer and play an important decision making field in fuzzy logic for perception based measurement. Spatial risk area (taluk) of the breast cancer is calculated. Result clearly states that Coimbatore (North and South) was found to be risk region to the breast cancer than other areas at 20% criteria. Weighted value of taluk was compared with criterion value and integrated with Map Object to visualize the results. ID3 algorithm shows the high breast cancer risk regions in the study area. The study has outlined, discussed and resolved the algorithms, techniques / methods adopted through soft computing methodology like ID3 algorithm for prognostic decision making in the seriousness of the breast cancer.Keywords: ID3 algorithm, breast cancer, fuzzy logic, MATLAB
Procedia PDF Downloads 51923632 Numerical Simulations of Fire in Typical Air Conditioned Railway Coach
Authors: Manoj Sarda, Abhishek Agarwal, Juhi Kaushik, Vatsal Sanjay, Arup Kumar Das
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Railways in India remain primary mode of transport having one of the largest networks in the world and catering to billions of transits yearly. Catastrophic economic damage and loss to life is encountered over the past few decades due to fire to locomotives. Study of fire dynamics and fire propagation plays an important role in evacuation planning and reducing losses. Simulation based study of propagation of fire and soot inside an air conditioned coach of Indian locomotive is done in this paper. Finite difference based solver, Fire Dynamic Simulator (FDS) version 6 has been used for analysis. A single air conditioned 3 tier coupe closed to ambient surroundings by glass windows having occupancy for 8 people is the basic unit of the domain. A system of three such coupes combined is taken to be fundamental unit for the entire study to resemble effect to an entire coach. Analysis of flame and soot contours and concentrations is done corresponding to variations in heat release rate per unit volume (HRRPUA) of fire source, variations in conditioned air velocity being circulated inside coupes by vents and an alternate fire initiation and propagation mechanism via ducts. Quantitative results of fractional area in top and front view of the three coupes under fire and smoke are obtained using MATLAB (IMT). Present simulations and its findings will be useful for organizations like Commission of Railway Safety and others in designing and implementing safety and evacuation measures.Keywords: air conditioned coaches, fire propagation, flame contour, soot flow, train fire
Procedia PDF Downloads 28423631 Factors Affecting Access to Education: The Experiences of Parents of Children Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
Authors: Hanh Thi My Nguyen
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The purpose of this research is to examine the experiences of parents of children who are deaf or hard of hearing in supporting their children to access education in Vietnam. Parents play a crucial role in supporting their children to gain full access to education. It was widely reported that parents of those children confronted a range of problems to support their children to access education. To author’s best knowledge, there has been a lack of research exploring the experiences of those parents in literature. This research examines factors affecting those parents in supporting their children to access education. To conduct the study, qualitative approach using a phenomenological research design was chosen to explore the central phenomena. Ten parents of children who were diagnosed as deaf or hard of hearing and aged 6-9 years were recruited through the support of the Association of Parents of Children with Hearing Impairment. Participants were interviewed via telephone with a mix of open and closed questions; interviews were audio recorded, transcribed and thematically analysed. The research results show that there are nine main factors that affected the parents in this study in making decisions relating to education for their children including: lack of information resources, perspectives of those parents on communication approaches, the families’ financial capacity, the psychological impact on the participants after their children’ diagnosis, the attitude of family members, attitude of school administrators, lack of local schools and qualified teachers, and current education system for the deaf in Vietnam. Apart from those factors, the lack of knowledge of the participants’ partners about deaf education and the partners’ employment are barriers to educational access and successful communication with their child.Keywords: access to education, deaf, hard of hearing, parents experience
Procedia PDF Downloads 13623630 The Comparison of of Stress Level between Students with Parents and Those without Parents
Authors: Hendeh Majdi, Zahra Arzjani
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This research aimed at the comparison of level of stress between students had parents and those without parents by descriptive-analytical study. To do research number of 128 questionnaires (64 students with parents and 64 students without parents) were distributed among high school in Ray city, Tehran province through classified sampling. The results showed that level of stress in stud tent without parents has been effective and the most important proposal is that necessity study should be considered in decreasing level of stress in students without parent.Keywords: stress, students with parents, without parents, Ray city
Procedia PDF Downloads 49923629 Live Music Promotion in Burundi Country
Authors: Aster Anderson Rugamba
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Context: Live music in Burundi is currently facing neglect and a decline in popularity, resulting in artists struggling to generate income from this field. Additionally, live music from Burundi has not been able to gain traction in the international market. It is essential to establish various structures and organizations to promote cultural events and support artistic endeavors in music and performing arts. Research Aim: The aim of this research is to seek new knowledge and understanding in the field of live music and its content in Burundi. Furthermore, it aims to connect with other professionals in the industry, make new discoveries, and explore potential collaborations and investments. Methodology: The research will utilize both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies. The quantitative approach will involve a sample size of 57 musician artists in Burundi. It will employ closed-ended questions and gather quantitative data to ensure a large sample size and high external validity. The qualitative approach will provide deeper insights and understanding through open-ended questions and in-depth interviews with selected participants. Findings: The research expects to find new theories, methodologies, empirical findings, and applications of existing knowledge that can contribute to the development of live music in Burundi. By exploring the challenges faced by artists and identifying potential solutions, the study aims to establish live music as a catalyst for development and generate a positive impact on both the Burundian and international community. Theoretical Importance: Theoretical contributions of this research will expand the current understanding of the live music industry in Burundi. It will propose new theories and models to address the issues faced by artists and highlight the potential of live music as a lucrative and influential industry. By bridging the gap between theory and practice, the research aims to provide valuable insights for academics, professionals, and policymakers. Data Collection and Analysis Procedures: Data will be collected through surveys, interviews, and archival research. Surveys will be administered to the sample of 57 musician artists, while interviews will be conducted to gain in-depth insights from selected participants. The collected data will be analyzed using both quantitative and qualitative methods, including statistical analysis and thematic analysis, respectively. This mixed-method approach will ensure a comprehensive and rigorous examination of the research questions addressed.Keywords: business music in burundi, music in burundi, promotion of art, burundi music culture
Procedia PDF Downloads 6123628 Examining the Predicting Effect of Mindfulness on Psychological Well-Being among Undergraduate Students
Authors: Piyanee Klainin-Yobas, Debbie Ramirez, Zenaida Fernandez, Jenneth Sarmiento, Wareerat Thanoi, Jeanette Ignacio, Ying Lau
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In many countries, university students experience various stressors that may negatively affect their psychological well-being (PWB). Hence, they are at risk for physical and mental problems. This research aimed to examine the predicting effects of mindfulness, self-efficacy, and social support on psychological well-being among undergraduate students. A non-experimental research was conducted at a university in the Philippines. All students enrolled in undergraduate programs were eligible for this study unless they had chronic medical or mental health problems. Power analysis was used to calculate an adequate sample size and a convenience sampling of 630 was recruited. Data were collected through online self-reported questionnaires from year 2013 to 2015. All self-reported scales used in this study had sound psychometric properties. Descriptive statistics, correlational analyses, and structural equation modeling were performed to analyze the research data. Results showed that the participants were mostly Filipino, female, Christian, and in Schools of Nursing. Mindfulness, self-efficacy, support from family, support from friends, and support from significant others were significant predictors of psychological well-being. Mindfulness was the strongest predictor of positive psychological well-being whereas self-efficacy was the strongest predictor of negative psychological well-being. In conclusion, findings from this study add knowledge to the existing literature regarding the predictors of psychological well-being. Psychosocial interventions, with the focus on strengthening mindfulness and self-efficacy, could be delivered to undergraduate students to help them enhance psychological well-being. More studies can be undertaken to test the interventions and multi-centered research can be conducted to enhance generalizability of research findings.Keywords: mindfulness, self-efficacy, social support, psychological wellbeing
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