Search results for: long memory

Authors: Charlene N. T. Mfangnia, Henri Tonnang, Berge Tsanou, Jeremy Herren

Abstract:

The Microsporidia MB found in the populations of anopheles is a recently discovered symbiont responsible for the Plasmodium transmission blocking. From early studies, it was established that the symbiont can be transmitted vertically and horizontally. The present study uses compartmental mathematical modelling approach to investigate the dynamics of Microsporidia transmission in the mosquito population with the mindset of establishing a mechanism for use to control malaria. Data and information obtained from laboratory experiments are used to estimate the model parameters with and without temperature dependency of mosquito traits. We carry out the mathematical analysis focusing on the equilibria states and their stability for the autonomous model. Through the modelling experiments, we are able to assess and confirm the contribution of vertical and horizontal transmission in the proliferation of Microsporidia MB in the mosquito population. In addition, the basic and target reproductions are computed, and some long-term behaviours of the model, such as the local (and global) stability of equilibrium points, are rigorously analysed and illustrated numerically. We establish the conditions responsible for the low prevalence of the symbiont-infected mosquitoes observed in nature. Moreover, we identify the male death rate, the mating rate and the attractiveness of MB-positive mosquitoes as mosquito traits that significantly influence the spread of Microsporidia MB. Furthermore, we highlight the influence of temperature in the establishment and persistence of MB-infected mosquitoes in a given area.

Keywords: microsporidia MB, vertical transmission, horizontal transmission, compartmental modelling approach, temperature-dependent mosquito traits, malaria, plasmodium-transmission blocking

Procedia PDF Downloads 128

Authors: Christobel Gondwe, Yongtao Lu, Claudia Mazzà, Xinshan Li

Abstract:

Skeletal muscle plays an important role in the human body system and function by generating voluntary forces and facilitating body motion. However, The mechanical properties and behaviour of skeletal muscle are still not comprehensively known yet. As such, various robust engineering techniques have been applied to better elucidate the mechanical behaviour of skeletal muscle. It is considered that muscle mechanics are highly governed by the architecture of the fibre orientations. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of different fibre orientations on the mechanical behaviour of skeletal muscle.In this study, a continuum mechanics approach–finite element (FE) analysis was applied to the left bicep femoris long head to determine the contractile mechanism of the muscle using Hill’s three-element model. The geometry of the muscle was segmented from the magnetic resonance images. The muscle was modelled as a quasi-incompressible hyperelastic (Mooney-Rivlin) material. Two types of fibre orientations were implemented: one with the idealised fibre arrangement, i.e. parallel single-direction fibres going from the muscle origin to insertion sites, and the other with curved fibre arrangement which is aligned with the muscle shape.The second fibre arrangement was implemented through the finite element method; non-uniform rational B-spline (FEM-NURBs) technique by means of user material (UMAT) subroutines. The stress-strain behaviour of the muscle was investigated under idealised exercise conditions, and will be further analysed under physiological conditions. The results of the two different FE models have been outputted and qualitatively compared.

Keywords: FEM-NURBS, finite element analysis, Mooney-Rivlin hyperelastic, muscle architecture

Procedia PDF Downloads 477

Authors: Rosa Suryantini, Reine S. Wulandari, Slamet Rifanjani

Abstract:

Acacia (Acacia mangium) is a forest plant species which is produced to pulp and paper. The high demand for pulp and paper increase the acacia plantation forest area. However, the outbreak of Ganoderma (root rot pathogen) infection becomes obstacles for the development of acacia plantations. This is due to the extent of host range and species of Ganoderma. Ganoderma has also the ability to survive the long-term without hosts. The diversity of the host and Ganoderma species affects its virulence. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the virulence of Ganoderma from different hosts (acacia, palm oil (Elaeis guineensis) and rubber (Hevea brasiliensis)). The methods were isolation and morphology identification of Ganoderma, and inoculation of Ganoderma isolates on acacia seedlings. The results showed that the three isolates of Ganoderma from different hosts had a morphological similarity with G. Lucidum (according to Ganoderma isolated from acacia or G1), G. boninense (according to Ganoderma isolated from palm oil or G2) and G. applanatum (according to Ganoderma isolated from rubber or G3). Symptoms of infection in acacia were seen at 3 months of age. The symptoms were begun with chlorosis, necrosis and death of seedlings (such as burning). Necrosis was started from the tip of the leaf. Based on this visible symptoms, G1 was moderate virulence isolate and G2 was low virulence isolate while G3 was avirulen isolate. The symptoms were still growing in accordance with the development of plant so it affected the value of diseases severity index. Ganoderma infection decreased the dry weight of seedlings, ie. 3.82 g (seedlings that were inoculated by G1), 4.01 g (seedlings that were inoculated by G2); and 5.02 g (seedlings that were inoculated by G3) when the dry weight of seedlings control was 10,02 g. These results provide information for early control of Ganoderma diseases on acacia especially those planted near rubber and oil palm crops.

Keywords: Acacia, Ganoderma, infection, virulence

Procedia PDF Downloads 190

Authors: Sukhvinder Singh

Abstract:

Punjabi language is related to the languages of New Indo-Aryan group that, in turn, is related to the branch of Indo-European language family. Punjabi language covers the areas of Western part (that is in Pakistan) and Eastern part (the Punjab state, Haryana, Delhi Himachal and J&K) and abroad (particularly Canada, USA, U.K. and Arab Emirates), where it is spoken widely. Besides India and Pakistan, Punjabi is the third language spoken in Canada after English, French having more than one hundred millions speakers worldwide. It is the fourth language spoken in Canada after English, French, and Chinese. It is also being taught as second language in most of the community school of British Columbia. The total number of Punjabi speakers is more than one hundred millions including India, Pakistan and abroad. Punjabi has a long tradition of linguistic tradition. A large number of scholars have studied Punjabi at different linguistic levels. Various studies are devoted to its special phonological characteristics, especially the tone, which has now started disappearing in favour of aspiration, a rare example of a language change in progress in its reversal direction. This process of language change in progress in reversal is dealt with in this paper a change towards a loss of linguistic indigeneity. The tone being a distinctive linguistic feature of Punjabi language is getting lost due to the increasing influence of Hindi and English particularly in the speech Urban Punjabi and Punjabi settled abroad. In this paper, an attempt has been made to discuss the sociolinguistics and sociology of Punjabi language and Punjab to trace the initiation and progression of this change towards a loss of Linguistic Indigeneity.

Keywords: language change in reversal, reaspiration, detonalization, new Indo-Aryan group

Procedia PDF Downloads 171

Authors: Bahadir Batar, Elif Serdal, Berna Erdal, Hasan Ogul

Abstract:

Micro-ribonucleic acids (miRNAs) are small short non-coding ribonucleic acid molecules about 22 nucleotides long. miRNAs play a key role in response to chemotherapeutic agents. WW domain-containing oxidoreductase (WWOX) gene encodes a tumor suppressor protein. Loss or reduction of Wwox protein is observed in many breast cancer cases. WWOX protein deficiency is increased in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). TNBC is a heterogeneous, highly aggressive, and difficult to treat tumor type. WWOX loss contributes to resistance to cisplatin therapy in patients with TNBC. Here, the aim of the study was to investigate the potential role of miRNAs in cisplatin therapy resistance of WWOX-deficient TNBC cells. This was a cell culture study. miRNA expression profiling was analyzed by LightCycler 480 system. miRNA Set Enrichment Analysis tool was used to integrate experimental data with literature-based biological knowledge to infer a new hypothesis. Increased miR-182 and decreased miR-214 were significantly correlated with cisplatin resistance in WWOX-deficient TNBC cells. miR-182 and miR-214 may involve in cisplatin resistance of WWOX-deficient TNBC cells by deregulating the DNA repair, apoptosis, or protein kinase B signaling pathways. These data highlight the mechanism by which WWOX regulates cisplatin resistance of TNBC and the potential use of WWOX as a predictor biomarker for cisplatin resistance.

Keywords: cisplatin, microRNA, triple-negative breast cancer, WWOX

Procedia PDF Downloads 129

Authors: A. Bilek, M. Beldi, T. Cherfi, S. Djebali, S. Larbi

Abstract:

Finite elements analysis and photoelasticity are used to determine the stress field developed in a double edge notched specimen loaded in tension. The specimen is cut in a birefringent plate. Experimental isochromatic fringes are obtained with circularly polarized light on the analyzer of a regular polariscope. The fringes represent the loci of points of equal maximum shear stress. In order to obtain the stress values corresponding to the fringe orders recorded in the notched specimen, particularly in the neighborhood of the notches, a calibrating disc made of the same material is loaded in compression along its diameter in order to determine the photoelastic fringe value. This fringe value is also used in the finite elements solution in order to obtain the simulated photoelastic fringes, the isochromatics as well as the isoclinics. A color scale is used by the software to represent the simulated fringes on the whole model. The stress concentration factor can be readily obtained at the notches. Good agreements are obtained between the experimental and the simulated fringe patterns and between the graphs of the shear stress particularly in the neighborhood of the notches. The purpose in this paper is to show that one can obtain rapidly and accurately, by the finite element analysis, the isochromatic and the isoclinic fringe patterns in a stressed model as the experimental procedure can be time consuming. Stress fields can therefore be analyzed in three dimensional models as long as the meshing and the limit conditions are properly set in the program.

Keywords: isochromatic fringe, isoclinic fringe, photoelasticity, stress concentration factor

Procedia PDF Downloads 229

Authors: Calassandra Nwokoro

Abstract:

Introduction: The nursing profession requires a lot of commitment, effort, and time to efficiently manage patients and provide them quality healthcare services, this work load may eventually cause the nurses to become burned out and experience psychological distress. This study assessed the prevalence of burnout, risk factors, and the coping strategies among nurses working in Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Lagos state, Nigeria. Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study design was conducted among 308 nurses working in LUTH. Simple random sampling was used in selection of study respondents. The questionnaire comprised three parts; the sociodemographic characteristics of the respondents, the extent of burnout syndrome using the Maslach Burnout Inventory, and the coping strategies used among the respondents using the BRIEF-COPE Inventory. Results: This study revealed relatively high levels of burnout among the nurses in LUTH with a prevalence of 16.9%, 31.2% and 20.1% for high emotional exhaustion, high depersonalization and reduced professional accomplishment respectively. It also showed that burnout was significantly associated with long working hours. Religion was found to be the most commonly used coping strategy overall, while emotional support was the most frequently used coping strategy among nurses who had burnout. Conclusion: This study has revealed a relatively high prevalence of burnout among the nurses in Lagos University Teaching Hospital. In order to minimize the negative health impacts of burnout, the government should collaborate with psychologists and psychiatrists to implement regular stress management and stress inoculation programs for nurses and other health professionals in the country.

Keywords: burnout, nurses, coping strategies, healthcare

Procedia PDF Downloads 80

Authors: Sanghyun Park

Abstract:

Influenced by the ideas of collectivism, East Asian contemporary dance is marked by an emphasis on unity and synchronization. A growing element of this discipline that disrupts the path that strives to attain perfection, requiring coordination between multiple parties in order to produce work of their highest artistic potential, with the support from individuals or groups is the presence of disabled dancers. Kawanaka Yo, a Japanese dancer with a mental disability, argues through her '“Dance of Peace' that a dancer should focus on her impulses and natural thoughts through improvisational dancing and eschewal of documentation. Professor and poet Jung-Gyu Jeong, co-founder of the Korea Disability International Art Company, demonstrates with his company’s modernized performances of popular works and musicals that disabled artists do not need perfection so long as they can assert their finesse to mimic or create an equivalence with able-bodied dancers. Yo has studied various forms of modern dance and ballet in Japan and has used her training to ease her mental disability but also accept her handicap as an extension of her identity, representing a trend in disabled dance that favors individuality and acceptance. In contrast, Jeong is an influential figure in South Korea for disabled dancers and artists, believing that disabled artists must overcome a certain threshold in order to reach a status as an artist that is equivalent to a 'normal artist.' East Asian art created by the disabled should not be judged according to different criteria or rubrics compared to able-bodied artists because, as Yo explains, a person’s identity and her handicaps characterize the meaning of, and the value of, the piece.

Keywords: disability studies, modern dance, East Asia, politics of identity

Procedia PDF Downloads 208

Authors: Sandra Mitrovic, Gaurav Singh

Abstract:

In many industries, including telecommunications, churn prediction has been a topic of active research. A lot of attention has been drawn on devising the most informative features, and this area of research has gained even more focus with spread of (social) network analytics. The call detail records (CDRs) have been used to construct customer networks and extract potentially useful features. However, to the best of our knowledge, no studies including network features have yet proposed a generic way of representing network information. Instead, ad-hoc and dataset dependent solutions have been suggested. In this work, we build upon a recently presented method (node2vec) to obtain representations for nodes in observed network. The proposed approach is generic and applicable to any network and domain. Unlike node2vec, which assumes a static network, we consider a dynamic and time-evolving network. To account for this, we propose an approach that constructs the feature representation of each node by generating its node2vec representations at different timestamps, concatenating them and finally compressing using an auto-encoder-like method in order to retain reasonably long and informative feature vectors. We test the proposed method on churn prediction task in telco domain. To predict churners at timestamp ts+1, we construct training and testing datasets consisting of feature vectors from time intervals [t1, ts-1] and [t2, ts] respectively, and use traditional supervised classification models like SVM and Logistic Regression. Observed results show the effectiveness of proposed approach as compared to ad-hoc feature selection based approaches and static node2vec.

Keywords: churn prediction, dynamic networks, node2vec, auto-encoders

Procedia PDF Downloads 314

Authors: Lian Yang

Abstract:

Object-oriented programming (OOP) is the dominant programming paradigm in today’s software industry and it has literally enabled average software developers to develop millions of commercial strength software applications in the era of INTERNET revolution over the past three decades. On the other hand, the lack of strict mathematical model and domain constraint features at the language level has long perplexed the computer science academia and OOP engineering community. This situation resulted in inconsistent system qualities and hard-to-understand designs in some OOP projects. The difficulties with regards to fix the current situation are also well known. Although the power of OOP lies in its unbridled flexibility and enormously rich data modeling capability, we argue that the ambiguity and the implicit facade surrounding the conceptual model of a class and an object should be eliminated as much as possible. We listed the five major usage of class and propose to separate them by proposing new language constructs. By using well-established theories of set and FSM, we propose to apply certain simple, generic, and yet effective constraints at OOP language level in an attempt to find a possible solution to the above-mentioned issues regarding OOP. The goal is to make OOP more theoretically sound as well as to aid programmers uncover warning signs of irregularities and domain-specific issues in applications early on the development stage and catch semantic mistakes at runtime, improving correctness verifiability of software programs. On the other hand, the aim of this paper is more practical than theoretical.

Keywords: new language constructs, set theory, FSM theory, user defined value type, function groups, membership qualification attribute (MQA), check-constraint (CC)

Procedia PDF Downloads 238

Authors: Muhammad Fiaz Qamar, Ahmad Faraz, Muhammad Arfan Zaman, Kazim Ali, Waleed Akram

Abstract:

Babesiosis is reflected as the most important disease of cattle that are transmitted by arthropods. In Pakistan, its prevalence is up to 29% in the cattle and buffalo population in different regions. Cattle show a long lasting and durable immunity by giving an infection of B.bovis, B. bigemina, or Babesiadivergens. this is used in cattle to immunize them in a few countries as anti-babesiosis vaccine. Development of frozen vaccine allows for complete testing after production of each batch, However, once thawed, its reduced its shelf life, frozen vaccines are more difficult to transport as well as expensive to produce as compared to chilled vaccine. The contamination of blood derived vaccine has the potential risk that makes pre-production and post-production quality control necessary. For the trail master seed production of whole blood frozen bivalent Babesia(Babesiabovis and Babesiabigemina), 100 blood samples of Babesial positive suspected cattle was taken and processed for separation microscopic detection and rectification by PCR. Vaccine passages were done to reduce the parasitaemiasis in live calves. After 8 passages, parasitemia of Babesia reduced from 80% to 15%. Infected donor calf’s blood was taken by jugular cannulation by using preservative free lithium heparin as an anticoagulant (5 International Units IU heparin/ml blood). In lab, parasite containing blood was mixed in equal volumes with 3 M glycerol in PBS supplemented with 5 mM glucose (final concentration of glycerol 1.5 M) at 37°C. The mixture was then equilibrized at 37°C for 30 minutes and were dispensed in required containers (e.g., 5 ml cryovials).

Keywords: distribution, babesia, primer sequences, PCV

Procedia PDF Downloads 102

Authors: H. Trabelsi, A. Chehma, I. Benseddik

Abstract:

Animals can play an important role in the seed dispersal cycle through the active or passive uptake of seeds and the subsequent external (epizoochory) or internal transport (endozoochory) of seeds. In Algeria, small ruminants and camels are generally conducted in extensive livestock exploiting the Saharan and steppe rangelands. To get an idea on the ecological potential role of these animals in the spontaneous plants proliferation, we propose to make a study of seeds dispersal and germination possibilities by camel faeces compared to those of small ruminants. Manual faeces decortication of the two animals categories has allowed to inventory 72 seed which 71% are in good condition, while 29% of the seeds that are encountered are partially altered and could not be identified. The species that have been identified, from small ruminants dung are weeds of cultures, while those identified from camel dung are spontaneous plants of Saharan rangeland. Concerning germination in the laboratory, only 3 species seeds were germinated from camel feces, whose germination rate varies from 25% to 100%. Contrary to Sheep-Goat feces, a single species germinated with 71%. The three months seed germination in greenhouse allowed to identify 10 species belonging to 4 botanical families (5 species from small ruminants dung and 3 species from Camel dung). In general, the results show the positive effect played by two animals categories for plants seed dispersal with the camel particularity for spontaneous plants due to its capacity to cover long distances in different rangeland types.

Keywords: Algeria, camel, endozoochory, seeds, sheep-goat, rangeland

Procedia PDF Downloads 312

Authors: Livhuwani Muthelo, R. N. Malema, T. M. Mothiba

Abstract:

Long term exposure to excessive noise in the mining industry increases the risk of noise induced hearing loss, with consequences for employee’s health, productivity and the overall quality of life. Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the factors that contribute to Noise Induced Hearing Loss amongst employees at the Platinum mine in the Limpopo Province, South Africa. Study method: A qualitative, phenomenological, exploratory, descriptive, contextual design was applied in order to explore and describe the contributory factors. Purposive non-probability sampling was used to select 10 male employees who were diagnosed with NIHL in the year 2014 in four mine shafts, and 10 managers who were involved in a Hearing Conservation Programme. The data were collected using semi-structured one-on-one interviews. A qualitative data analysis of Tesch’s approach was followed. Results: The following themes emerged: Experiences and challenges faced by employees in the work environment, hearing protective device factors and management and leadership factors. Hearing loss was caused by partial application of guidelines, policies, and procedures from the Department of Minerals and Energy. Conclusion: The study results indicate that although there are guidelines, policies, and procedures available, failure in the implementation of one element will affect the development and maintenance of employees hearing mechanism. It is recommended that the mine management should apply the guidelines, policies, and procedures and promptly repair the broken hearing protective devices.

Keywords: employees, factors, noise induced hearing loss, noise exposure

Procedia PDF Downloads 125

Authors: Promila Dahiya, Kiran Singh

Abstract:

Indian agriculture has come a long way from being an era of frequent droughts and vulnerability to food shortages to becoming a significant exporter of agricultural commodities. Polyhouses are essentially microcosms aimed at providing physical environment suitable for the survival and growth of plants with high degree of temperature, humidity and carbon dioxide. The present study was conducted in 21 districts of Haryana State to review Polyhouse farming is an alternative farming in Haryana State to fulfil the needs of population byminimum use of land, water and energy. The information regarding number, area and type of polyhouses and subsidy provided by Govt. of India and Haryana on polyhouse farming was collected from respective district horticulture offices of Haryana State. Four different types of polyhouses were studied during work viz., Hitechnology polyhouse (Hi-tech), Anti-Insect Net Shade House (AINSH), Naturally Ventilated Polyhouse (NVPH) and Walk-In-Tunnel (WIT).In study it was found that in walk-in-tunnel (WIT) and natural ventilated polyhouses (NVPH) the temperature was 69.54% and 52.29% higher and the humidity was 96.37% and 85.19 % higher in comparison to open farming in the months of January and May. No significant different was found in temperature, humidity, dust, solar radiation and CO2 level between open and anti insect net shade house (AINH). In Hi-tech polyhouse, the environment was totally controlled by computer and was not found to much strenuous. Health status of workers was checked by doctor, and it was found that in polyhouse farming workers were more prone to problems of allergy and asthma.

Keywords: polyhouse, unfavorable climate, walk-in-tunnel, psychological aspect

Procedia PDF Downloads 461

Authors: Tannia Vindel, Carlos Mejia, Damaris Araujo, Carlos Velasquez, Darlin Trejo

Abstract:

The DWDM (Dense Wavelenght Division Multiplexing) is in constant growth around the world by consumer demand to meet their needs. Since its inception in this operation arises the need for a system which enable us to expand the communication of an entire nation to improve the computing trends of their societies according to their customs and geographical location. The Honduran Company of Telecommunications (HONDUTEL), provides the internet services and data transport technology with a PDH and SDH, which represents in the Republic of Honduras C. A., the option of viability for the consumer in terms of purchase value and its ease of acquisition; but does not have the efficiency in terms of technological advance and represents an obstacle that limits the long-term socio-economic development in comparison with other countries in the region and to be able to establish a competition between telecommunications companies that are engaged in this heading. For that reason we propose to establish a new technological trend implemented in Europe and that is applied in our country that allows us to provide a data transfer in broadband as it is DWDM, in this way we will have a stable service and quality that will allow us to compete in this globalized world, and that must be replaced by one that would provide a better service and which must be in the forefront. Once implemented the DWDM is build upon the existing resources, such as the equipment used, and you will be given life to a new stage providing a business image to the Republic of Honduras C,A, as a nation, to ensure the data transport and broadband internet to a meaningful relationship. Same benefits in the first instance to existing customers and to all the institutions were bidden to these public and private need of such services.

Keywords: demultiplexers, light detectors, multiplexers, optical amplifiers, optical fibers, PDH, SDH

Procedia PDF Downloads 262

Authors: Sami Meddeb, M. L Giorgi, J. L. Courouau

Abstract:

This work presents the progress of studies aiming to guarantee the lifetime of 316L(N) steel in a sodium-cooled fast reactor by determining the elementary corrosion mechanism, which is akin to an accelerated dissolution by dissolved oxygen. The mechanism involving iron, the main element of steel, is particularly studied in detail, from the viewpoint of the data available in the literature, the modeling of the various mechanisms hypothesized. Experiments performed in the CORRONa facility at controlled temperature and dissolved oxygen content are used to test both literature data and hypotheses. Current tests, performed at various temperatures and oxygen content, focus on specifying the chemical reaction at play, determining its free enthalpy, as well as kinetics rate constants. Specific test configuration allows measuring the reaction kinetics and the chemical equilibrium state in the same test. In the current state of progress of these tests, the dissolution of iron accelerated by dissolved oxygen appears as directly related to a chemical complexation reaction of mixed iron-sodium oxide (Na-Fe-O), a compound that is soluble in the liquid sodium solution. Results obtained demonstrate the presence in the solution of this corrosion product, whose kinetics is the limiting step under the conditions of the test. This compound, the object of hypotheses dating back more than 50 years, is predominant in solution compared to atomic iron, presumably even for the low oxygen concentration, and cannot be neglected for the long-term corrosion modeling of any heat transfer system.

Keywords: corrosion, sodium fast reactors, iron, oxygen

Procedia PDF Downloads 177

Authors: Christine M. Corrales, Gloria G. Delan, Rachel Luz V. Rica, Alfonso S. Piquero

Abstract:

Marine protected areas (MPAs) in the study sites were established 8-13 years ago and are presently operational. This study was conducted to gather baseline information on the diversity, density and biomass of coral reef fishes inside and outside the four marine protected areas (MPAs) of Cawayan, Dalaguete; Daan-Lungsod Guiwang, Alcoy; North Granada, Boljoon and Sta. Cruz, Ronda. Coral reef fishes in the MPAs were identified using Fish Visual Census Method. Results of the t-test showed that the mean diversity (fish species/250m2) of target and non-target reef fish species found inside and outside the MPAs were significantly different. Density (ind./1,000m2) of target species inside and outside the MPAs showed no significant difference. Similarly, density of non-target species inside and outside the MPAs also showed no significant difference. This is an indication that fish density inside and outside the MPAs were more or less of the same condition. The mean biomass (kg/1,000m2) of target species inside and outside the MPAs showed a significant difference in contrast with non-target species inside and outside the MPAs which showed a no significant difference. Higher biomass of target fish species belonging to family Caesonidae (fusiliers) and Scaridae (parrotfishes) were commonly observed inside the MPAs. Results showed that fish species were more diverse with higher density and biomass inside the MPAs than the outside area. However, fish diversity and density were mostly contributed by non-target species. Hence, long term protection and management of MPAs is needed to effectively increase fish diversity, density and biomass specifically on target fish species.

Keywords: biomass, density, diversity, marine protected area, target fish species

Procedia PDF Downloads 395

Authors: M. Hadjisoteriou, A. Kyriacou Petrou

Abstract:

This paper will discuss ideas of social sustainability in urban design and human behavior in multicultural contested sites. It will focus on the potential of the re-reading of the “site” through mapping that acts as a research methodology and will discuss the chosen site of Mouttalos, Cyprus as a place of multiple identities. Through a methodology of mapping using a bottom up approach, a process of disassembling derives that acts as a mechanism to re-examine space and place by searching for the invisible and the non-measurable, understanding the site through its detailed inhabitation patterns. The significance of this study lies in the use of mapping as an active form of thinking rather than a passive process of representation that allows for a new site to be discovered, giving multiple opportunities for adaptive urban strategies and socially engaged design approaches. We will discuss the above thematic based on the chosen contested site of Mouttalos, a small Turkish Cypriot neighbourhood, in the old centre of Paphos (Ktima), SW of Cyprus. During the political unrest, between Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities, in 1963, the area became an enclave to the Turkish Cypriots, excluding any contact with the rest of the area. Following the Turkish invasion of 1974, the residents left their homes, plots and workplaces, resettling in the North of Cyprus. Greek Cypriot refugees moved into the area. The presence of the Greek Cypriot refugees is still considered to be a temporary resettlement. The buildings and the residents themselves exist in a state of uncertainty. The site is documented through a series of parallel investigations into the physical conditions and history of the site. Research methodologies use the process of mapping to expose the complex and often invisible layers of information that coexist. By registering the site through the subjective experiences, and everyday stories of inhabitants, a series of cartographic recordings reveals the space between: happening and narrative and especially space between different cultures and religions. Research put specific emphasis on engaging the public, promoting social interaction, identifying spatial patterns of occupation by previous inhabitants through social media. Findings exposed three main areas of interest. Firstly we identified inter-dependent relationships between permanence and temporality, characterised by elements such us, signage through layers of time, past events and periodical street festivals, unfolding memory and belonging. Secondly issues of co-ownership and occupation, found through particular narratives of exchange between the two communities and through appropriation of space. Finally formal and informal inhabitation of space, revealed through the presence of informal shared back yards, alternative paths, porous street edges and formal and informal landmarks. The importance of the above findings, was achieving a shift of focus from the built infrastructure to the soft network of multiple and complex relations of dependence and autonomy. Proposed interventions for this contested site were informed and led by a new multicultural identity where invisible qualities were revealed though the process of mapping, taking on issues of layers of time, formal and informal inhabitation and the “permanence of the temporary”.

Keywords: contested sites, mapping, social sustainability, temporary urban strategies

Procedia PDF Downloads 420

Authors: Yuchien Lin

Abstract:

This study attempted to investigate the changes in electroencephalography (EEG) and emotion regulation following eight-week inward-attention meditation training program. The subjects were 24 adults without meditation experiences divided into meditation and control groups. The quantitatively analyzed changes in psychophysiological parameters during inward-attention meditation, and evaluated the emotion scores assessed by the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), and the Emotion Regulation Scale (ERS). The results were found: (1) During meditation, significant EEG increased for theta-band activity in the frontal and the bilateral temporal areas, for alpha-band activity in the left and central frontal areas, and for gamma-band activity in the left frontal and the left temporal areas. (2) The meditation group had significantly higher positive affect in posttest than in pretest. (3) There was no significant difference in the changes of EEG spectral characteristics and emotion scores in posttest and pretest for the control group. In the present study, a unique meditative concentration task with a constant level of moderate mental effort focusing on the center of brain was used, so as to enhance frontal midline theta, alpha, and gamma-band activity. These results suggest that this mental training allows individual reach a specific mental state of relaxed but focused awareness. The gamma-band activity, in particular, enhanced over left frontoparietal area may suggest that inward-attention meditation training involves temporal integrative mechanisms and may induce short-term and long-term emotion regulation abilities.

Keywords: meditation, EEG, emotion regulation, gamma activity

Procedia PDF Downloads 212

Authors: Muhammad Ali Asadullah, Zafarullah Amir

Abstract:

In recent years, Vocational Education and Training (VET) has been under discussion by the academic researchers and remained in focus in the political grounds. Due to potential contribution of VET, the World Bank and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) support vocational education to reduce poverty, enhance economic growth and increase competitiveness. This paper examines the impact of Vocational Education and Training on the Economic Growth and Social Inclusion with direct and mediation effect of Social Inclusion. The basic purpose of this study is to assess economic pay-offs as a result of long term investments in VET. Based on the review of Anderson Nilsson, initially we explored the increasing or decreasing trend in investment on VET. Further, the study explores that the countries which invest more on VET, tend to get more economic growth and are socially more ‘inclusive’. It is a longitudinal / panel data study with 12 years of registered data which involves 24 OECD countries. The results of the study indicate the VET has positive association with Social Inclusion and Economic Growth. Further, there is also a positive association of VET and Economic Growth through mediation of Social Inclusion. The current study considers not only issue and challenges in developing VET systems but also contributes to develop the theoretical framework for considering how VET can directly and indirectly improve economic growth and social inclusion. A wider appreciation of how VET’s benefits operate may influence a country’s decisions to invest in it. If policy makers increase investment on VET, the result would be positive in Economic Growth and Social Inclusion. It is also recommended that the same OECD model may be implemented in developing countries like Pakistan.

Keywords: Vocational Education and Training (VET), Social Inclusion, Economic Growth, OECD countries

Procedia PDF Downloads 308

Authors: Takashi Nakamura

Abstract:

In the Tokyo metropolitan area, traffic congestion and long commute times are caused by overconcentration in the central area. To resolve these problems, a core business city development policy was adopted in 1988. The core business cities, which include Yokohama, Chiba, Saitama, Tachikawa, and others, have designated business facilities accumulation districts where assistance measures are applied. Focusing on Yokohama city, this study investigates the trends in the number of offices, employees, and commuters at 2001 and 2012 Economic Census, as well as the average commute time in the Tokyo metropolitan area from 2005 to 2015 Metropolitan Transportation Census. Surveys were administered in 2001 and 2012 Economic Census to participants who worked in Yokohama, according to their distribution in the city's 1,757 subregions. Four main findings emerged: (1) The number of offices increased in Yokohama when the number of offices decreased in the Tokyo metropolitan area overall. Additionally, the number of employees at Yokohama increased. (2) The number of commuters to Tokyo's central area increased from Saitama prefecture, Tokyo Tama area, and Tokyo central area. However, it decreased from other areas. (3) The average commute time in the Tokyo metropolitan area was 67.7 minutes in 2015, a slight decrease from 2005 and 2010. (4) The number of employees at business facilities accumulation districts in Yokohama city increased greatly.

Keywords: core business city development policy, commute time, number of employees, Yokohama city, distribution of employees

Procedia PDF Downloads 142

Authors: Joseph Gear, Yue Xu, Ernest Foo, Praveen Gauravaran, Zahra Jadidi, Leonie Simpson

Abstract:

Deep learning methods have been seeing an increasing application to the long-standing security research goal of automatic vulnerability detection for source code. Attention, however, must still be paid to the task of producing vector representations for source code (code embeddings) as input for these deep learning models. Graphical representations of code, most predominantly Abstract Syntax Trees and Code Property Graphs, have received some use in this task of late; however, for very large graphs representing very large code snip- pets, learning becomes prohibitively computationally expensive. This expense may be reduced by intelligently pruning this input to only vulnerability-relevant information; however, little research in this area has been performed. Additionally, most existing work comprehends code based solely on the structure of the graph at the expense of the information contained by the node in the graph. This paper proposes Semantic-enhanced Code Embedding for Vulnerability Discovery (SCEVD), a deep learning model which uses semantic-based feature selection for its vulnerability classification model. It uses information from the nodes as well as the structure of the code graph in order to select features which are most indicative of the presence or absence of vulnerabilities. This model is implemented and experimentally tested using the SARD Juliet vulnerability test suite to determine its efficacy. It is able to improve on existing code graph feature selection methods, as demonstrated by its improved ability to discover vulnerabilities.

Keywords: code representation, deep learning, source code semantics, vulnerability discovery

Procedia PDF Downloads 155

Authors: Ashish Bohre, Blaž Likozar, Saikat Dutta, Dionisios G. Vlachos, Basudeb Saha

Abstract:

Graphene oxide, decorated with surface oxygen functionalities, has emerged as a sustainable alternative to precious metal catalysts for many reactions. Herein, we report for the first time that graphene oxide becomes super active for C-C coupling upon incorporation of multilayer crystalline features, highly oxidized surface, Brønsted acidic functionalities and defect sites on the surface and edges via modified oxidation. The resulting improved graphene oxide (IGO) demonstrates superior activity to commonly used framework zeolites for upgrading of low carbon biomass furanics to long carbon chain aviation fuel precursors. A maximum 95% yield of C15 fuel precursor with high selectivity is obtained at low temperature (60 C) and neat conditions via hydroxyalkylation/alkylation (HAA) of 2-methylfuran (2-MF) and furfural. The coupling of 2-MF with carbonyl molecules ranging from C3 to C6 produced the precursors of carbon numbers 12 to 21. The catalyst becomes inactive in the 4th cycle due to the loss of oxygen functionalities, defect sites and multilayer features; however, regains comparable activity upon regeneration. Extensive microscopic and spectroscopic characterization of the fresh and reused IGO is presented to elucidate high activity of IGO and to establish a correlation between activity and surface and structural properties. Kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations are presented to further illustrate the surface features and the reaction mechanism.

Keywords: methacrylic acid, itaconic acid, biomass, monomer, solid base catalyst

Procedia PDF Downloads 172

Authors: Atousa Mirzapour Kouhdasht

Abstract:

The Great Gatsby is a 1925 novel set in the Jazz Age on Long Island by American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald. The novel depicts interactions between the first-person narrator, Nick Carraway, and his mysterious millionaire neighbor, Jay Gatsby, and his obsession to reunite with his former lover, Daisy Buchanan. During World War II, the Council on Books in Wartime sent free copies to American soldiers, so the novel experienced an unanticipated wave in popularity. This newfound popularity brought up critical literary re-examination. The work soon became a part of most American high school curricula and, as a result, a part of American popular culture. Multiple adaptations, on stage and screen, followed in the succeeding decades. The novel's treatment of social class, old money versus those who do not have familial wealth, gender, race, and its cynical attitude towards the American Dream is now a matter of discussion. The old money does not allow the new money to present itself due to its fear of changes. Although Gatsby is now a wealthy man who throws many parties, he is not considered equal to Thomas Buchanan, Daisy's husband, a millionaire who lives in East Egg. Even Gatsby feels shame when it comes to the history of his family, who was not actually from the bourgeoisie. Furthermore, the patriarchal system restrains women's behavior in society and puts them in the second position after men to follow what men ask them to do. The female characters are not able to make decisions for themselves. So the researcher uses The Great Gatsby, patriarchal theory, and Marxist feminist perspective to investigate the influence of gender and social status on women's position in a patriarchal society.

Keywords: Marxist, feminist, class status, gender, the American dream, The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald

Procedia PDF Downloads 121

Authors: Ralph Lugon, Randolf Ramseyer

Abstract:

The beauty and quality of the natural heritage can be appreciated in different ways by different users, but the delicate balance of the environment in a nature reserve must be respected. The case of the territorial anchorage of the Grangettes natural reserve gives an interesting insight into the users' perception of the environmental constraints and standards of tourist activities. The nature reserve was once conceived as a sanctuary of natural heritage, a place where flora and fauna could flourish with minimal human interference. However, over time and with the transition to modernity, the values and meanings of the reserve have changed for visitors and the people living in the surrounding area. Today, The Grangettes nature reserve is a place of relaxation for urban dwellers with limited knowledge of nature and a lack of awareness of conservation issues. As a result, the reserve is now threatened by the negative impacts of human activities and mass tourism on its environment. Les Grangettes is a nature reserve that faces the challenge of preserving biodiversity while managing tourist flows. Ways must be found to accommodate new types of visitors from towns and cities who are looking for new activities, quality services and facilities, as well as aesthetic inspiration. To ensure the long-term conservation of the area, the flow of tourists must be carefully controlled. Through a dual qualitative-quantitative approach in 2021-22, this paper explores new visitor trends, changes in the reserve, and potential consequences for other stakeholders in the ecosystem. The purpose of this research is to assess users' perceptions of environmental constraints and standards on tourist activities in a nature reserve.

Keywords: outdoor recreation, nature-based tourism, over tourism, protected area, user's perceptions

Procedia PDF Downloads 77

Authors: Rupesh K. Chaudhary, Narinder P. Jain, Rajesh Mahajan, Rajat Manchanda

Abstract:

Introduction: Delirium is a complex, multifactorial neuropsychiatric syndrome comprising a broad range of cognitive and neurobehavioral symptoms. In critically ill patients, it may develop secondary to multiple predisposing factors. Although it can be transient and irreversible but if left untreated may lead to long term cognitive dysfunction. Early identification and assessment of risk factors usually help in appropriate management of delirium which in turn leads to decreased hospital stay, cost of therapy and mortality. Aim and Objective: Aim of the present study was to estimate the incidence of delirium using a validated scale in medical ICU patients and to determine the associated risk factors and outcomes. Material and Method: A prospective study in an 18-bed medical-intensive care unit (ICU) was undertaken. A total of 357 consecutive patients admitted to ICU for more than 24 hours were assessed. These patients were screened with the help of Confusion Assessment Method for Intensive Care Unit -CAM-ICU, Richmond Agitation and Sedation Scale, Screening Checklist for delirium and APACHE II. Appropiate statistical analysis was done to evaluate the risk factors influencing mortality in delirium. Results: Delirium occurred in 54.6% of 194 patients. Risk of delirium was independently associated with a history of hypertension, diabetes but not with severity of illness APACHE II score. Delirium was linked to longer ICU stay 13.08 ± 9.6 ver 7.07 ± 4.98 days, higher ICU mortality (35.8% % vs. 17.0%). Conclusion: Our study concluded that delirium poses a great risk factor in the outcome of the patient and carries high mortality, so a timely intervention helps in addressing these issues.

Keywords: delirium, risk factors, outcome, intervention

Procedia PDF Downloads 161

Authors: Abdullah Saeidi, Aydin Gülses, Christan Flörke

Abstract:

Skin cancer of the face region is the most common type of malignancy and surgical excision is the preferred approach. However, the clinical long term results reported in the literature are still controversial. Objectives: To describe; 1. Demographical characteristics 2. Affected site, distribution and TNM classification regarding tumor type 3. Surgical aspects • Surgical removal: excision principles, safety margins, the need for secondary resection, primary reconstruction/ defect closure, anesthesia protocol, duration of hospital stay (if any) • Secondary intervention for defect closure/reconstruction: Flap technique, anesthesia protocol, duration of hospital stay (if any), postoperative wound management etc. 4. Tumor recurrences 5. Clinical outcomes 6. Studying the possible therapy approach throw Biostatistical relation and correlation between multiple Histological, diagnostics and clinical Faktors. following surgical ablation of the skin cancer of the head and neck region. Methods: Selection and statistical analysis of medical records of patients who had admitted to the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Universitätsklinikum Schleswig Holstein, Campus Kiel during the period of 2015-2019 will be retrospectively evaluated. Data will be collected via ORBIS Information-Management-System (ORBIS AG, Saarbrücken, Germany).

Keywords: non melanoma skin cancer, face skin cancer, skin reconstruction, non melanoma skin cancer recurrence, non melanoma skin cancer metastases

Procedia PDF Downloads 105

Authors: Thamir K. Ibrahim, M. M. Rahman, Marwah Noori Mohammed

Abstract:

This study deals with modeling and performance enhancements of a gas-turbine combined cycle power plant. A clean and safe energy is the greatest challenges to meet the requirements of the green environment. These requirements have given way the long-time governing authority of steam turbine (ST) in the world power generation, and the gas turbine (GT) will replace it. Therefore, it is necessary to predict the characteristics of the GT system and optimize its operating strategy by developing a simulation system. The integrated model and simulation code for exploiting the performance of gas turbine power plant are developed utilizing MATLAB code. The performance code for heavy-duty GT and CCGT power plants are validated with the real power plant of Baiji GT and MARAFIQ CCGT plants the results have been satisfactory. A new technology of correlation was considered for all types of simulation data; whose coefficient of determination (R2) was calculated as 0.9825. Some of the latest launched correlations were checked on the Baiji GT plant and apply error analysis. The GT performance was judged by particular parameters opted from the simulation model and also utilized Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy System (ANFIS) an advanced new optimization technology. The best thermal efficiency and power output attained were about 56% and 345MW respectively. Thus, the operation conditions and ambient temperature are strongly influenced on the overall performance of the GT. The optimum efficiency and power are found at higher turbine inlet temperatures. It can be comprehended that the developed models are powerful tools for estimating the overall performance of the GT plants.

Keywords: gas turbine, optimization, ANFIS, performance, operating conditions

Procedia PDF Downloads 424

Authors: Rhisan Mae Enriquez-Morales

Abstract:

The primary concern of this study is to answer the question: How does the Philippine government formulate its foreign policy with respect to its territorial claims over areas in the West Philippine Sea after the Scarborough standoff in April 2012? Specifically, the study seeks to provide understanding on the political process in the formulation of foreign policy relating to the Philippine claims in the West Philippine Sea after the 2012 Scarborough Standoff, by looking into the relationship of bureaucracies and how it influences the decision-making process. Secondly, this study aims to determine the long and short term foreign policies of the Philippines with respect to its territorial claims over the West Philippine Sea. Lastly, this study seeks to determine the implication of Philippine foreign policy in settling the West Philippine Sea dispute on the country’s national security. The Bureaucratic Politics Model (BPM) in Foreign Policy Analysis (FPA) is the framework utilized in this study, which focuses primarily on the relationship of bureaucracies in the formulation of foreign policy and how these agencies influence the process of foreign policy formulation. The findings of this study reveal that: first, the Philippines foreign policy in the West Philippine Sea continues to develop to address current developments in the WPS. Second, as the government requires demilitarization there is a shift from traditional to non-traditional security approach. This shift caused inconvenience from the defense sector particularly the Navy thinking that they are being deprived of their traditional roles. Lastly, the Philippine government’s greater emphasis on internal security operation implies the need to reassess its security concerns and look into territorial security.

Keywords: bureaucratic politics model, foreign policy analysis, security, West Philippine sea

Procedia PDF Downloads 391

Authors: Khalifa Maha, Ben Othman Hakim, Khaled Hussainey

Abstract:

Prior empirical studies have investigated the economic consequences of accounting conservatism by examining its impact on the cost of equity capital (COEC). However, findings are not conclusive. We assume that inconsistent results of such association may be attributed to the regression models used in data analysis. To address this issue, we re-examine the effect of different dimension of accounting conservatism: unconditional conservatism (U_CONS) and conditional conservatism (C_CONS) on the COEC for a sample of listed firms from Middle Eastern and North Africa (MENA) countries, applying quantile regression (QR) approach developed by Koenker and Basset (1978). While classical ordinary least square (OLS) method is widely used in empirical accounting research, however it may produce inefficient and bias estimates in the case of departures from normality or long tail error distribution. QR method is more powerful than OLS to handle this kind of problem. It allows the coefficient on the independent variables to shift across the distribution of the dependent variable whereas OLS method only estimates the conditional mean effects of a response variable. We find as predicted that U_CONS has a significant positive effect on the COEC however, C_CONS has a negative impact. Findings suggest also that the effect of the two dimensions of accounting conservatism differs considerably across COEC quantiles. Comparing results from QR method with those of OLS, this study throws more lights on the association between accounting conservatism and COEC.

Keywords: unconditional conservatism, conditional conservatism, cost of equity capital, OLS, quantile regression, emerging markets, MENA countries

Procedia PDF Downloads 358