Search results for: lost to follow up

Authors: Doruk Atahan Erbas

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This paper concerns the early writings of Karl Marx, specifically The Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1844, The German Ideology and Theses on Feuerbach. The two crucial themes of these early writings are the doctrine called historical materialism and, as a worker, the worker's resistance towards the current condition of society out of the division of labor. After Marx, including his closest friend Friedrich Engels, some of the philosophers, activists, and politicians have considered the historical materialism as a rigorous science which includes the explanation of historical causality manifested in the social, political sphere. However, this consideration, by its description as a science, is completely alienated from the concept of subject (as the suffering worker) nothing other than one of the abovementioned themes. Therefore, from this perspective, Marx's early doctrine seems to be self contradictory. The alternative approach which will be introduced in this essay offers a new basis for a correlation between the concept of subject and historical materiality by means of investigating materiality as phenomenality and ultimately rereading Marx as a creator of an existential subject surrounded by phenomenality. So that, it provides an opportunity to rethink the concept of historical materiality from an existential point of view.

Keywords: existentialism, Karl Marx, materiality, phenomenality, subject

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Authors: Ayda Kurtulus

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Heydar Aliyev Centre and Quéops Pyramid are two contrasting examples of sacred geometry perceived as metaphorical alchemy by linking cosmos and earth. Zaha Hadid’s modern building has a wave-like shape and semi-circular alternations that show fluidity and movement, while The Great Pyramid of Giza is triangular. The centre is reminding of the shape of planets, an attempt to regain the balance lost in the modern-day capitalist world, while the Great Pyramid of Giza represents a vortex of energy that connects heaven and earth, harmony and balance. The sacred geometric shapes link the past and the future through God and Ra, humanism and spiritualism in an architectural evolution continuum, mind and spirit into one. An analysis of two geometrical forms, a semi-circle, and a triangle, were carried out through a comprehensive literature review, indicating that behind the materialistic perceptual beauty of buildings, ancient and contemporary, there are mathematical and sacred geometrical constructions that add value to one superficiality can interpret.

Keywords: architectural shapes, The Great Pyramid of Giza, Heydar Aliyev Centre, sacred geometry, philosophy

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Authors: Azza Habibullah

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The principal objective of this paper is to show the use of participatory culture in the parliamentarian campaign. The use of this method has always been non-popular amongst the parliamentarian candidates due to the amount of times and energy that they need to spent with the constituents. However, due to many parliamentarian corruption cases in the last five years period, some political party have been losing peoples trust. That political party trust lost had also affecting the parliamentarian candidates electability, so they invent some creative campaign method that involving their constituent with more intimates and friendly environment. In this paper, an observation is done to a parliamentarian candidate from Partai Keadilan Sejahtera (Prosperous Justice Party) in Bandung and Cimahi City area, West Java. This Parliamentraian candidate is known for her personal-approach campaign method such as a puppet show, hanging out with group of ex-bike gang leaders, and going fishing with the constituent. This paper will compare her method with other parliamentarian candidates from the same party as her that mostly use mainstream campaign method such as open speech, print media, an other one way campaign method. While the other parliamentarian candidates failed to reach the parliamentarian threshold, the participatory method had proven as an effective method.

Keywords: participatory culture, Indonesian parliamentary election, Prosperous Justice Party, electability

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Authors: A. O. Abulibdeh

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The aim of this study is to investigate and compare the changes in the Land Surface Temperature (LST) as a function of urbanization, particularly land use/land cover changes, in three cities in the UAE, mainly Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Al Ain. The scale of this assessment will be at the macro- and micro-levels. At the macro-level, a comparative assessment will take place to compare between the four cities in the UAE. At the micro-level, the study will compare between the effects of different land use/land cover on the LST. This will provide a clear and quantitative city-specific information related to the relationship between urbanization and local spatial intra-urban LST variation in three cities in the UAE. The main objectives of this study are 1) to investigate the development of LST on the macro- and micro-level between and in three cities in the UAE over two decades time period, 2) to examine the impact of different types of land use/land cover on the spatial distribution of LST. Because these three cities are facing harsh arid climate, it is hypothesized that (1) urbanization is affecting and connected to the spatial changes in LST; (2) different land use/land cover have different impact on the LST; and (3) changes in spatial configuration of land use and vegetation concentration over time would control urban microclimate on a city scale and control macroclimate on the country scale. This study will be carried out over a 20-year period (1996-2016) and throughout the whole year. The study will compare between two distinct periods with different thermal characteristics which are the cool/cold period from November to March and warm/hot period between April and October. The best practice research method for this topic is to use remote sensing data to target different aspects of natural and anthropogenic systems impacts. The project will follow classical remote sensing and mapping techniques to investigate the impact of urbanization, mainly changes in land use/land cover, on LST. The investigation in this study will be performed in two stages. Stage one remote sensing data will be used to investigate the impact of urbanization on LST on a macroclimate level where the LST and Urban Heat Island (UHI) will be compared in the three cities using data from the past two decades. Stage two will investigate the impact on microclimate scale by investigating the LST and UHI using a particular land use/land cover type. In both stages, an LST and urban land cover maps will be generated over the study area. The outcome of this study should represent an important contribution to recent urban climate studies, particularly in the UAE. Based on the aim and objectives of this study, the expected outcomes are as follow: i) to determine the increase or decrease of LST as a result of urbanization in these four cities, ii) to determine the effect of different land uses/land covers on increasing or decreasing the LST.

Keywords: land use/land cover, global warming, land surface temperature, remote sensing

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Authors: Thota Sai Prakash, B. Yaswanth, Jhade Bhuvaneswar, Marreddy Divakar Reddy, Shyam Ji Gupta

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Across the globe, there are a lot of chronic diseases, and heart disease stands out as one of the most perilous. Sadly, many lives are lost to this condition, even though early intervention could prevent such tragedies. However, identifying heart disease in its initial stages is not easy. To address this challenge, we propose an automated system aimed at predicting the presence of heart disease using advanced techniques. By doing so, we hope to empower individuals with the knowledge needed to take proactive measures against this potentially fatal illness. Our approach towards this problem involves meticulous data preprocessing and the development of predictive models utilizing classification algorithms such as Support Vector Machines (SVM), Decision Tree, and Random Forest. We assess the efficiency of every model based on metrics like accuracy, ensuring that we select the most reliable option. Additionally, we conduct thorough data analysis to reveal the importance of different attributes. Among the models considered, Random Forest emerges as the standout performer with an accuracy rate of 96.04% in our study.

Keywords: support vector machines, decision tree, random forest

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Authors: Allagui Mohamed

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The study of the concentrations of atmospheric pollutants is analyzed during two days of sea breeze (April 26, 2010, and January 11, 2008) on the Mediterranean coasts, just in front of Gabès (33 ° 53 'N, 10 ° 07' E), Tunisia. During these two cases, we found that Gabès was contaminated by a coastal sea breeze. On April 26, 2010, the terrestrial synoptic wind admitted a maximum speed of about 6 m / s and was approximately perpendicular to the coast and making the breeze easier. On January 11, 2008, the terrestrial wind was local. Under these conditions, O3 and, therefore, the concentrations were multiplied by the factors 0.1 and 2, respectively. The episodes of ozone concentrations faithfully follow the sea breeze circulation. These sea breeze events can be responsible for high concentrations of NO, NO2, and SO2 as air pollutants in this area.

Keywords: sea breeze, O3, cost town, air quality

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Authors: Omyma Alosaimi, Asma Alsumait

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The website developer and designer should follow usability guidelines to provide a user-friendly interface. Many guidelines and heuristics have been developed by previous studies to help both the developer and designer in this task, but E-government websites are special cases that require specialized guidelines. This paper introduces a set of eighteen guidelines for evaluating the usability of e-government websites in general and Arabic e-government websites specifically, along with a check list of how to apply them. The validity and effectiveness of these guidelines were evaluated against a variety of user characteristics. The results indicated that the proposed set of guidelines can be used to identify qualitative similarities and differences with user testing and that the new set is best suited for evaluating general and e-governmental usability.

Keywords: e-government, human computer interaction, usability evaluation, usability guidelines

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Authors: Ali A. Sayadi, Thomas R. Neitzert, G. Charles Clifton

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Lightweight concrete is being used in the construction industry as a building material in its own right. Ultra-lightweight concrete can be applied as a filler and support material for the manufacturing of composite building materials. This paper is about the development of a stable and reproducible ultra-lightweight concrete with the inclusion of poly-lactic acid (PLA) beads and assessing the feasibility of PLA as a lightweight aggregate that will deliver advantages such as a more eco-friendly concrete and a non-petroleum polymer aggregate. In total, sixty-three samples were prepared and the effectiveness of mineral admixture, curing conditions, water-cement ratio, PLA ratio, EPS ratio and perlite ratio on compressive strength of perlite concrete are studied. The results show that PLA particles are sensitive to alkali environment of cement paste and considerably shrank and lost their strength. A higher compressive strength and a lower density was observed when expanded polystyrene (EPS) particles replaced PLA beads. In addition, a set of equations is proposed to estimate the water-cement ratio, cement content and compressive strength of perlite concrete.

Keywords: perlite concrete, poly-lactic acid (pla), expanded polystyrene (eps), concrete

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Authors: Zatil Afifah Omar, Siti Nur Izati Azmi, Kathi Swaran, Navin Kumar

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Lost circulation has always been one of the greatest problems faced by drilling companies during drilling operations due to excessive drilling Fluids losses. Loss of circulation leads to Huge cost and non-productive time. The objective of this study is to evaluate the sealing efficiency of a proprietary blend of synthetic rubber as loss circulation material in comparison with a conventional product such as calcium carbonate, graphite, cellulosic, and nutshells. Sand Bed Tester with a different proprietary blend of synthetic rubber compositions has been used to determine the effectiveness of the LCM in preventing drilling fluids losses in a lab scale. Test results show the proprietary blend of synthetic rubber have good bridging properties and sealing Off fractures of various sizes. The finish product is environmentally friendly with lower production lead time and lower production cost compared to current conventional loss circulation materials used in current drilling operations.

Keywords: loss circulation materials, drilling operation, sealing efficiency, LCM

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Authors: Suat Erel, Gozde Gur

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Background: Recently a supramalleolar type of dynamic ankle foot orthosis (DAFO) has been increasingly used to support all of the dynamic arches of the foot and redistribute the pressure under the plantar surface of the foot to reduce the muscle tone. DAFO helps to maintain balance and postural control by providing stability and proprioceptive feedback in children with disease like Cerebral Palsy, Muscular Dystrophies, Down syndrome, and congenital hypotonia. Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the role of Dynamic ankle foot orthosis (DAFO) on temporo-spatial parameters of gait and balance in three children with hereditary spastic paraparesis (HSP). Material Method: 13, 14, and 8 years old three children with HSP were included in the study. To provide correction on weight bearing and to improve gait, DAFO was made. Lower extremity spasticity (including gastocnemius, hamstrings and hip adductor muscles) using modified Ashworth Scale (MAS) (0-5), The temporo-spatial gait parameters (walking speed, cadence, base of support, step length) and Timed Up & Go test (TUG) were evaluated. All of the assessments about gait were compared with (with DAFO and shoes) and without DAFO (with shoes only) situations. Also after six months follow up period, assessments were repeated by the same physical therapist. Results: MAS scores for lower extremity were between “2-3” for the first child, “0-2” for the second child and “1-2” for the third child. TUG scores (sec) decreased from 20.2 to 18 for case one, from 9.4 to 9 for case two and from 12,4 to 12 for case three in the condition with shoes only and also from 15,2 to 14 for case one, from 7,2 to 7,1 for case two and from 10 to 7,3 for case three in the condition with DAFO and shoes. Gait speed (m/sec) while wearing shoes only was similar but while wearing DAFO and shoes increased from 0,4 to 0,5 for case one, from 1,5 to 1,6 for case two and from 1,0 to 1,2 for case three. Base of support scores (cm) wearing shoes only decreased from 18,5 to 14 for case one, from 13 to 12 for case three and were similar as 11 for case two. While wearing DAFO and shoes, base of support decreased from 10 to 9 for case one, from 11,5 to 10 for case three and was similar as 8 for case two. Conclusion: The use of a DAFO in a patient with HSP normalized the temporo-spatial gait parameters and improved balance. Walking speed is a gold standard for evaluating gait quality. With the use of DAFO, walking speed increased in this three children with HSP. With DAFO, better TUG scores shows that functional ambulation improved. Reduction in base of support and more symmetrical step lengths with DAFO indicated better balance. These encouraging results warrant further study on wider series.

Keywords: dynamic ankle foot orthosis, gait, hereditary spastic paraparesis, balance in patient

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Authors: Ali Mausmi, Ahmed Abbou, Rachid El Akhrif

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This research paper aims to reduce the chattering phenomenon due to control by sliding mode control applied on a wind energy conversion system based on the doubly fed induction generator (DFIG). Our goal is to offset the effect of parametric uncertainties and come as close as possible to the dynamic response solicited by the control law in the ideal case and therefore force the active and reactive power generated by the DFIG to accurately follow the reference values which are provided to it. The simulation results using Matlab / Simulink demonstrate the efficiency and performance of the proposed technique while maintaining the simplicity of control by first order sliding mode.

Keywords: control of speed, correction of the equivalent command, induction generator, sliding mode

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Authors: Bogdan Walek, Vladimir Bradac, Radim Farana

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Distance learning systems offer useful methods of learning and usually contain final course test or another form of test. The paper proposes web application for evaluating tests using expert system in distance learning systems. Proposed web application is appropriate for didactic tests or tests with results for subsequent studying follow-up courses. Web application works with test questions and uses expert system and LFLC tool for test evaluation. After test evaluation the results are visualized and shown to student.

Keywords: distance learning, test, uncertainty, fuzzy, expert system, student

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Authors: Kangana Sengar, Sanjay Deb, Ramesh Dawar

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Introduction: Ki-67 can be a useful marker in determining proliferative activity in patients with multiple myeloma (MM). However, using Ki-67 alone results in the erroneous inclusion of non-myeloma cells leading to false high counts. We have used Dual IHC (immunohistochemistry) staining with Ki-67 and CD138 to enhance specificity in assessing proliferative activity of bone marrow plasma cells. Aims and objectives: To estimate the proportion of proliferating (Ki-67 expressing) plasma cells in patients with MM and correlation of Ki-67 with other known prognostic parameters. Materials and Methods: Fifty FFPE (formalin fixed paraffin embedded) blocks of trephine biopsies of cases diagnosed as MM from 2010 to 2015 are subjected to H & E staining and Dual IHC staining for CD 138 and Ki-67. H & E staining is done to evaluate various histological parameters like percentage of plasma cells, pattern of infiltration (nodular, interstitial, mixed and diffuse), routine parameters of marrow cellularity and hematopoiesis. Clinical data is collected from patient records from Medical Record Department. Each of CD138 expressing cells (cytoplasmic, red) are scored as proliferating plasma cells (containing a brown Ki¬67 nucleus) or non¬proliferating plasma cells (containing a blue, counter-stained, Ki-¬67 negative nucleus). Ki-67 is measured as percentage positivity with a maximum score of hundred percent and lowest of zero percent. The intensity of staining is not relevant. Results: Statistically significant correlation of Ki-67 in D-S Stage (Durie & Salmon Stage) I vs. III (p=0.026) and ISS (International Staging System) Stage I vs. III (p=0.019), β2m (p=0.029) and percentage of plasma cells (p < 0.001) is seen. No statistically significant correlation is seen between Ki-67 and hemoglobin, platelet count, total leukocyte count, total protein, albumin, S. calcium, S. creatinine, S. LDH, blood urea and pattern of infiltration. Conclusion: Ki-67 index correlated with other known prognostic parameters. However, it is not determined routinely in patients with MM due to little information available regarding its relevance and paucity of studies done to correlate with other known prognostic factors in MM patients. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study in India using Dual IHC staining for Ki-67 and CD138 in MM patients. Routine determination of Ki-67 will help to identify patients who may benefit with more aggressive therapy. Recommendation: In this study follow up of patients is not included, and the sample size is small. Studying with larger sample size and long follow up is advocated to prognosticate Ki-67 as a marker of survival in patients with multiple myeloma.

Keywords: bone marrow, dual IHC, Ki-67, multiple myeloma

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Authors: Lessly Borja, Anthony Gualli, Kelly Baño, Fabricio Santacruz

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In this article, a prototype of underwater communication using a long-range laser (50mW) has been carried out in two aquatic scenarios (fish tank and swimming pool) with the aim of recreating Aqua-Fi technology (the future of underwater communications) using a Bluetooth connection to the transmitter to send data in ASCII code by means of light. Initially, the transmitter and receiver circuits were programmed in Arduino so that the data would travel by light pulses in the aforementioned code. To obtain the results of the underwater communication, two scenarios were chosen (fish tank and swimming pool), where the power value of the received signal was calculated from its peak-to-peak voltage using the Oscilloscope equipment (ESPOCH). Finally, it was concluded that the maximum communication range of this prototype is 12m underwater, and it was observed that the power decreases as the distance increases. However, this prototype still needs to improve communication so that the information is not distorted or lost when there is movement and dispersion of the water. It is hoped that it will form the basis for future research.

Keywords: prototype, underwater, communication, power, voltage, distance

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Authors: Liudmila Garzanova, Lidia Ananyeva, Olga Koneva, Olga Ovsyannikova, Oxana Desinova, Mayya Starovoytova, Rushana Shayahmetova, Anna Khelkovskaya-Sergeeva

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Abstract Objectives. Rituximab (RTX) shown a positive effect in the treatment of systemic sclerosis (SSc). But there is still not enough data on comparing the effectiveness of RTX with immunosuppressants (IS). The aim of our study was to compare changes of lung function and skin score in SSc between two groups of patients (pts) - on RXT therapy (prescribed after ineffectiveness of previous therapy with IS) and on therapy with IS only. Methods. This study included 103 pts received RTX as an addition to previous therapy (group 1) and 65 pts received therapy with IS and prednisolone (group 2). The mean follow-up period was 12.6±10.7months. In group 1 the mean age was 47±12.9 years, female – 88 pts (84%), the diffuse cutaneous subset of the disease had 55 pts (53%). The mean disease duration was 6.2±5.5 years. 82% pts had interstitial lung disease (ILD) and 92% were positive for ANA, 67% of them were positive for antitopoisomerase-1. All pts received prednisolone at a dose of 11.3±4.5 mg/day, IS at inclusion received 47% of them. The cumulative mean dose of RTX was 1.7±0.6 g. In group 2 the mean age was 50.8±13.8 years, female-53 pts (82%), the diffuse cutaneous subset of the disease had 44 pts (68%). The mean disease duration was 8.8±7.7 years. 81% pts had ILD and 88% were positive for ANA, 58% of them were positive for antitopoisomerase-1. All pts received prednisolone at a dose of 8.69±4.28 mg/day, IS received 57% of them. Cyclophosphamide (CP) received 45% of pts. The cumulative mean dose of CP was 10.2±15.1g. D-penicillamine received 30% of pts. Other pts was on mycophenolate mofetil or methotrexate therapy in single cases. The pts of the compared groups did not differ in the main demographic and clinical parameters. The results are presented as delta (Δ) - difference between the baseline parameter and follow up point. Results. In group 1 there was an improvement of all outcome parameters: increased of forced vital capacity, % predicted - ΔFVC=4% (p=0.0004); Diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide, % predicted remained stable (ΔDLCO=0.1%); improvement of the Rodnan skin score-ΔmRss=3.4 (p=0.001); decrease of Activity index (EScSG-AI) - ΔActivity index=1.7 (p=0.001). In group 2 the changes was insignificant: ΔFVC=-2.3%, ΔmRss=0.87, ΔActivity index=0.3. But there was a significant decrease of DLCO: ΔDLCO=-5.1% (p=0.001). Conclusion. The results of our study confirm the data on the positive effect of RTX in complex therapy in pts with SSc (decrease of skin induration, increase of FVC, stabilization of DLCO). Meantime, pts on IS and prednisolone therapy shown the worsening of lung function and insignificant changes of other clinical parameters. RTX could be considered as a more effective option in complex treatment of SSc in comparison with IS therapy

Keywords: immunosuppressants, interstitial lung disease, systemic sclerosis, rituximab

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Authors: Mehves Isiklar Ekici, Ceyda Tuna Kirsaclioglu, Zarife Kuloglu, Aydan Kansu

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Malnutrition is an important cause of morbidity and mortality as it accounts for 45% of child deaths under the age of 5 worldwide. Therefore, early recognition and effective treatment of failure to thrive and malnutrition are important. In this study, it was aimed to retrospectively evaluate the nutritional support treatment approaches (nutrition education and diet enrichment / use of enteral nutrition products) applied in children followed up with growth failure without underlying organic causes, and to compare the efficacy of nutritional support treatments. In this study, children aged 1 month to 18 years diagnosed with growth failure who were followed up for at least 12 months between January 2011 and February 2020, were included. Anthropometric measurements at baseline and during follow-up, type of nutritional support therapy and treatment compliance were evaluated based on the retrospective records. 119 children (median age:3.2, 69 girls) were included in the study. Nutrition education and dietary enrichment were provided to 28% of the patients (Group 1). In addition to dietary education and recommendations, enteral nutrition supplements was given in 78% of them (Group 2). Compliance to the treatment rates of the patients in Group 1 and Group 2 were not significantly different at both 6th and 12th month controls. At the end of the follow up children who comply with the treatment in Group 1 had significant increase in weight for age z scores (-1.74 vs 0.05, respectively, p=0.019) and body mass index z scores (-1.47 vs -0.53, respectively, p=0.034) compared with baseline measurements. Similar to Group 1, in Group 2 children with treatment compliance, had a significant increase in weight for age z scores (-2.24 vs. -0.54, respectively, p=0.00) and body mass index z scores (-2.27 vs. -1.06, respectively, p=0.00) compared with baseline measurements. The rate of patients with severe malnutrition decreased from 15% to 12%, for moderate malnutrition decreased from 54% to 33%. Moreover, it was observed that this decrease in the rate of patients with both severe and moderate malnutrition was more prominent in patients under 3 years of age. Although there was a significant increase in anthropometric measurements with treatment in both groups, there was no significant difference in between two groups terms of change in anthropometric measurements (p>0.05), therefore effectiveness. Failure to thrive and malnutrition in infancy and childhood cause health problems that can affect adult life. To conclude, nutritional education - dietary enrichment. recommendations and use of enteral nutrition supplements were both proven beneficial in this study. Researchers are willing to underline that the most important part of the treatment is to include the family to the process to ensure the treatment compliance.

Keywords: enteral nutrition supplements, failure to thrive, malnutrition, nutritional education

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Authors: Peter J. Morgan

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In response to evidential arguments from evil, Stephen Wykstra presents CORNEA (Condition of Reasonable Epistemic Access) as a foundational principle for Skeptical Theism which urges one to think in terms of what can be expected in a given situation. The use of CORNEA results in skepticism regarding the ability of human ken to know divine levels of knowledge in instances of intense evil. However, William Rowe presents a critique of Skeptical Theism that questions its ability to argue successfully for theism. Rowe contends that siding with Skeptical Theism is akin to boarding a trolley car that does not stop. Contra Wykstra, Rowe observes that, for all that can be known, there could be greater amounts of evils than goods, and the goods that are seen may not be the best possible goods. This amounts to a mortally challenging critique of Skeptical Theism. However, there is a brake on Rowe’s Trolley. This paper makes the argument that the ubiquitous presence of Moral Obligation (MO) serves as a braking system for Rowe’s Trolley. When the rider begins to feel lost in an epistemic stalemate of good and evil it is MO that turns the tide: MO serves as evidence towards the good on a basic human level, and it is a reminder that God’s character will result in actions towards the good.

Keywords: CORNEA, moral obligation, problem of evil, skeptical theism

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Authors: B. M. Alshammari, M. A. El-Kady

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This paper presents a unified framework for assessment of reserve-based reliability levels in electric power systems. The unified approach is based on reserve-based analysis and assessment of the relationship between available generation capacities and required demand levels. The developed approach takes into account the load variations as well as contingencies which occur randomly causing some generation and/or transmission capacities to be lost (become unavailable). The calculated reserve based indices, which are important to assess the reserve capabilities of the power system for various operating scenarios are therefore probabilistic in nature. They reflect the fact that neither the load levels nor the generation or transmission capacities are known with absolute certainty. They are rather subjects to random variations and consequently. The calculated reserve-based reliability indices are all subjects to random variations where only expected values of these indices can be evaluated. This paper presents a unified approach to reserve-based reliability assessment of power systems using various reserve assessment criteria. Practical applications are also presented for demonstration purposes to the Saudi electricity power grid.

Keywords: assessment, power system, reserve, reliability

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Authors: Garry A. Einicke, Langford B. White

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This paper describes an optimum filter and smoother for recovering a Markov process message from noisy measurements. The developments follow from an equivalence between a state space model and a hidden Markov chain. The ensuing filter and smoother employ transition probability matrices and approximate probability distribution vectors. The properties of the optimum solutions are retained, namely, the estimates are unbiased and minimize the variance of the output estimation error, provided that the assumed parameter set are correct. Methods for estimating unknown parameters from noisy measurements are discussed. Signal recovery examples are described in which performance benefits are demonstrated at an increased calculation cost.

Keywords: optimal filtering, smoothing, Markov chains

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Authors: Lu Yanru, Handojo Djati Utomo, Yin Xi Jiang, Li Xiaodong

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Insulation plays a key role in the sustainable building due to the contribution of energy consumption reduction. Without sufficient insulation, a great amount of the energy used to heat or cool a building will be lost to the outdoors. In this study, we developed a highly efficient thermal insulation paint with the incorporation of silica aerogel. Silica aerogel, with a low thermal conductivity of 0.01 W/mK, has been successfully prepared from the solid waste from the incineration plants. It has been added into water-based paints to increase its thermal insulation properties. To investigate the thermal insulation performance of silica aerogel additive, the paint samples were mixed with silica aerogel at different sizes and with various portions. The thermal conductivity, water resistance, thermal stability and adhesion strength of the samples were tested and evaluated. The thermal diffusivity measurements proved that adding silica aerogel additive could improve the thermal insulation properties of the paint significantly. Up to 5 ˚C reductions were observed after applying paints with silica aerogel additive compare to the one without it. The results showed that the developed thermal insulation paints have great potential for an application in green and sustainable building.

Keywords: silica aerogel, thermal insulation, water-based paints, water resistant

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Authors: Sriraman Kothuri, Komal Teja Mattupalli

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In this paper we proposed a novel algorithm for recognizing hulls in a hand written digits. This is an extension to the work on “Digit Recognition Using Freeman Chain code”. In order to find out the hulls in a user given digit it is necessary to follow three steps. Those are pre-processing, Boundary Extraction and at last apply the Hull Detection system in a way to attain the better results. The detection of Hull Regions is mainly intended to increase the machine learning capability in detection of characters or digits. This can also extend this in order to get the hull regions and their intensities in Black Holes in Space Exploration.

Keywords: chain code, machine learning, hull regions, hull recognition system, SASK algorithm

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Authors: Byron Malaela Sotiata Seiuli

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When a disaster strike, the resultant impact and devastation forces many people, particularly those directly affected, to re-examine the core dimensions of life that do not come from other life events. The way people respond to and try give meaning to their experiences resultant from the ruptures of trauma remains vital in grief recovery. On 29 October 2009, an earthquake of 8.3 magnitudes generated a galulolo (tsunami) wave that destroyed parts of American Samoa, Tonga and Samoa (previously Western Samoa). Aside from the physical and natural devastation, many people lost their lives and their livelihood. For health professionals who were called upon to provide psychosocial support, this calamity provided an ideal setting to examine and explore how those directly impacted recovered from the calamity. The experiences of a Samoan couple, Fia and Ola, becomes the key focus of this article, one that situates their mourning patterns and recovery journey in the context of Samoan culture. Examining grief from this perspective creates a cultural space to extend indigenous understanding on the complexities of grieving and customarily responses of Samoan people, like this couple, to disaster recovery.

Keywords: Fa'asamoa, galulolo, tsunami disaster, trauma and grief recovery, pacific psychology

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Authors: Tulasi Rayasa, Phani Kumar Pullela

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A systematic review is a research method that involves collecting and evaluating the information on a specific topic in order to provide a comprehensive and unbiased review. This type of review aims to improve the software development process by ensuring that the research is thorough and accurate. To ensure objectivity, it is important to follow systematic guidelines and consider multiple sources, such as literature reviews, interviews, and surveys. The evaluation process should also be streamlined by incorporating research from journals and other sources, such as grey literature. The main goal of a systematic review is to identify the consistency of current models in the field of computer application and software engineering.

Keywords: computer application, software engineering, process research, data science

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Authors: Martyn Queen, Diane Crone, Andrew Parker, Saul Bloxham

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Rationale: There is a growing body of evidence that supports the use of physical activity during and after cancer treatment. However, activity levels for patients remain low. As more cancer patients are treated successfully, and treatment costs continue to escalate, physical activity may be a promising adjunct to a person-centred healthcare approach to recovery. Aim: The aim was to further understand how physical activity may enhance the recovery process for a group of mixed-site cancer patients. Objectives: The research investigated longitudinal changes in physical activity and perceived the quality of life between two and six month’s post-exercise interventions. It also investigated support systems that enabled patients to sustain these perceived changes. Method: The respondent cohort comprised 14 mixed-site cancer patients aged 43-70 (11 women, 3 men), who participated in a two-phase physical activity intervention that took place at a university in the South West of England. Phase 1 consisted of an eight-week structured physical activity programme; Phase 2 consisted of four months of non-supervised physical activity. Semi-structured interviews took place three times over six months with each participant. Grounded theory informed the data collection and analysis which, in turn, facilitated theoretical development. Findings: Our findings propose three theories on the impact of physical activity for recovering cancer patients: 1) Knowledge gained through a structured exercise programme can enable recovering cancer patients to independently sustain physical activity to four-month follow-up. 2) Sustaining physical activity for six months promotes positive changes in the quality of life indicators of chronic fatigue, self-efficacy, the ability to self-manage and energy levels. 3) Peer support from patients facilitates adherence to a structured exercise programme and support from a spouse, or life partner facilitates independently sustained physical activity to four-month follow-up. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that qualitative research can provide an evidence base that could be used to support future care plans for cancer patients. Findings also demonstrate that a physical activity intervention can be effective at helping cancer patients recover from the side effects of their treatment, and recommends that physical activity should become an adjunct therapy alongside traditional cancer treatments.

Keywords: physical activity, health, cancer recovery, quality of life, support systems, qualitative, grounded theory, person-centred healthcare

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Authors: Annis Lai Chu Fung

Abstract:

While aggression had high stability throughout developmental stages and across generations, it should be the top priority of researchers and frontline helping professionals to develop prevention and intervention programme for aggressive children and children at risk of developing aggressive behaviours. Although there is a substantial amount of anti-bullying programmes, they gave disappointingly small effect sizes. The neglectful practical significance could be attributed to the overly simplistic categorisation of individuals involved as bullies or victims. In the past three decades, the distinction between reactive and proactive aggression has been well-proved. As children displaying reactively aggressive behaviours have distinct social-information processing pattern with those showing proactively aggressive behaviours, it is critical to identify the unique needs of the two subtypes accordingly when designing an intervention. The onset of reactive aggression and proactive aggression was observed at earliest in 4.4 and 6.8 years old respectively. Such findings called for a differential early intervention targeting these high-risk children. However, to the best of the author’s knowledge, the author was the first to establish an evidence-based intervention programme against reactive and proactive aggression. With the largest samples in the world, the author, in the past 10 years, explored three different approaches and their effectiveness against aggression quantitatively and qualitatively with longitudinal design. The three approaches presented are (a) cognitive-behavioral approach, (b) moral education, with Chinese marital arts and ethics as the medium, and (c) bioneurological measures (omega-3 supplementation). The studies adopted a multi-informant approach with repeated measures before and after the intervention, and follow-up assessment. Participants were recruited from primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong. In the cognitive-behavioral approach, 66 reactive aggressors and 63 proactive aggressors, aged from 11 to 17, were identified from 10,096 secondary-school children with questionnaire and subsequent structured interview. Participants underwent 10 group sessions specifically designed for each subtype of aggressor. Results revealed significant declines in aggression levels from the baseline to the follow-up assessment after 1 year. In moral education through the Chinese martial arts, 315 high-risk aggressive children, aged 6 to 12 years, were selected from 3,511 primary-school children and randomly assigned into four types of 10-session intervention group, namely martial-skills-only, martial-ethics-only, both martial-skills-and-ethics, and physical fitness (placebo). Results showed only the martial-skills-and-ethics group had a significant reduction in aggression after treatment and 6 months after treatment comparing with the placebo group. In the bioneurological approach, 218 children, aged from 8 to 17, were randomly assigned to the omega-3 supplement group and the placebo group. Results revealed that compared with the placebo group, the omega-3 supplement group had significant declines in aggression levels at the 6-month follow-up assessment. All three approaches were effective in reducing proactive and reactive aggression. Traditionally, intervention programmes against aggressive behaviour often adapted the cognitive and/or behavioural approach. However, cognitive-behavioural approach for children was recently challenged by its demanding requirement of cognitive ability. Traditional cognitive interventions may not be as beneficial to an older population as in young children. The present study offered an insightful perspective in aggression reduction measures.

Keywords: intervention, outcome effectiveness, proactive aggression, reactive aggression

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Authors: Siriporn Meenanan

Abstract:

The objective of this study is to study about the uses and gratification of the sample who use the website that named secret-thai.com which provides moral contents, inspires, and builds up the spirit. The study found that the samples mainly use this website to follow up on the dharma activities. They also use the space as the web board to discuss about dharma issues. Moreover, the contents help readers to relax and also provides the guidelines to deal with stress and uncomfortable situations properly. The samples found to be most satisfied. In other words, the samples found the contents of the website are complete, and can cover their needs. Moreover, they found that contents useful in their ways of living. In addition, they are satisfied with the beautiful and interesting design of the website and well classification of the contents that readers can easily find the information that they want.

Keywords: uses and gratification, website, Secret-Thai.com, moral contents

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Authors: Najmeh Hamid, Vajiheh Hamedy , Zahra Rostamianasl

Abstract:

Background: Cancer is one of the medical problems that have been associated with pain. Moreover, the pain is combined with negative emotions such as anxiety, depression and anger. Poor pain management causes negative effects on the quality of life, which results in negative effects that continue a long time after the painful experiences. Objectives: The aim of this research was to compare the effectiveness of Common Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Pain and its computerized version on the reduction of pain intensity, depression, anger and anxiety in children with cancer. Methods: The research method of this “Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial” was a pre, post-test and follow-up with a control group. In this research, we have examined the effectiveness of Common Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Pain and its computerized version on the reduction of pain intensity, anxiety, depression and anger in children with cancer in Ahvaz. Two psychological interventions (cognitive behavioral therapy for pain and the computerized version) were compared with the control group. The sample consisted of 60 children aged 8 to 12 years old with different types of cancer at Shafa hospital in Ahwaz. According to the including and excluding criteria such as age, socioeconomic status, clinical diagnostic interview and other criteria, 60 subjects were selected. Then, randomly, 45 subjects were selected. The subjects were randomly divided into three groups of 15 (two experimental and one control group). The research instruments included Spielberger Anxiety Inventory (STAY-2) and International Pain Measurement Scale. The first experimental group received 6 sessions of cognitive-behavioral therapy for 6 weeks, and the second group was subjected to a computerized version of cognitive-behavioral therapy for 6 weeks, but the control group did not receive any interventions. For ethical considerations, a version of computerized cognitive-behavioral therapy was provided to them. After 6 weeks, all three groups were evaluated as post-test and eventually after a one-month follow-up. Results: The findings of this study indicated that both interventions could reduce the negative emotions (pain, anger, anxiety, depression) associated with cancer in children in comparison with a control group (p<0.0001). In addition, there were no significant differences between the two interventions (p<0.01). It means both interventions are useful for reducing the negative effects of pain and enhancing adjustment. Conclusion: we can use CBT in situations in which there is no access to psychologists and psychological services. In addition, it can be a useful alternative to conventional psychological interventions.

Keywords: pain, children, psychological intervention, cancer, anger, anxiety, depression

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Authors: Faustina Masocha, Vusani Moyo

Abstract:

For decades, dividend announcements have been presumed to contain important signals about the future prospects of companies. Similarly, the same has been presumed about management earnings announcements. Despite both dividend and earnings announcements being considered informative, a number of researchers questioned their credibility and found both to contain short-term signals. Pertaining to dividend announcements, some authors argued that although they might contain important information that can result in changes in share prices, which consequently results in the accumulation of abnormal returns, their degree of informativeness is less compared to other signaling tools such as earnings announcements. Yet, this claim in favor has been refuted by other researchers who found the effect of earnings to be transitory and of little value to shareholders as indicated by the little abnormal returns earned during the period surrounding earnings announcements. Considering the above, it is apparent that both dividends and earnings have been hypothesized to have a signaling impact. This prompts one to question which between these two signaling tools is more informative. To answer this question, two follow-up questions were asked. The first question sought to determine the event which results in the most effect on share prices, while the second question focused on the event that influenced trading volume the most. To answer the first question and evaluate the effect that each of these events had on share prices, an event study methodology was employed on a sample made up of the top 10 JSE-listed companies for data collected from 2012 to 2019 to determine if shareholders gained abnormal returns (ARs) during announcement dates. The event that resulted in the most persistent and highest amount of ARs was considered to be more informative. Looking at the second follow-up question, an investigation was conducted to determine if either dividends or earnings announcements influenced trading patterns, resulting in abnormal trading volumes (ATV) around announcement time. The event that resulted in the most ATV was considered more informative. Using an estimation period of 20 days and an event window of 21 days, and hypothesis testing, it was found that announcements pertaining to the increase of earnings resulted in the most ARs, Cumulative Abnormal Returns (CARs) and had a lasting effect in comparison to dividend announcements whose effect lasted until day +3. This solidifies some empirical arguments that the signaling effect of dividends has become diminishing. It was also found that when reported earnings declined in comparison to the previous period, there was an increase in trading volume, resulting in ATV. Although dividend announcements did result in abnormal returns, they were lesser than those acquired during earnings announcements which refutes a number of theoretical and empirical arguments that found dividends to be more informative than earnings announcements.

Keywords: dividend signaling, event study methodology, information content of earnings, signaling theory

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Authors: Yuichi Kida, Takuro Kida

Abstract:

In a new smart society supported by the recent development of 5G and 6G Communication systems, the im- portance of wireless power transmission is increasing. These systems contain discrete sampling systems in the middle of the transmission path and equivalent circuit representation of lossless or lossy power transmission through these systems is an important issue in circuit theory. In this paper, for the given weight function, we show that a lossless power transmission system with the given weight is expressed by an equivalent circuit representation of the Kida’s optimal signal prediction system followed by a reactance multi-port circuit behind it. Further, it is shown that, when the system is lossy, the system has an equivalent circuit in the form of connecting a multi-port positive-real circuit behind the Kida’s optimal signal prediction system. Also, for the convenience of the reader, in this paper, the equivalent circuit expression of the reactance multi-port circuit and the positive- real multi-port circuit by Cauer and Ohno, whose information is currently being lost even in the world of the Internet.

Keywords: signal prediction, pseudo inverse matrix, artificial intelligence, power transmission

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Authors: T. Suleiman, C. Mchugh, H. Ranu

Abstract:

Background; Asthma continues to be associated with poor patient outcomes, including mortality. An audit of the management of acute asthma admissions in our hospital in 2020 found poor compliance with National Asthma and COPD Audit Project (NACAP) standards which set out to improve inpatient asthma care. Clinical nurse specialists have been shown to improve patient care across a range of specialties. In September 2021, an asthma Nurse Specialist (ANS) was employed in our hospital. Aim; To re-audit management of acute asthma admissions using NACAP standards and assess for quality improvement post-employment of an ANS. Methodology; NACAP standards are wide-reaching; therefore, we focused on ‘specific elements of good practice’ in addition to the provision of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) on discharge. Medical notes were retrospectively requested from the hospital coding department and selected as per NACAP inclusion criteria. Data collection and entry into the NACAP database were carried out. As this was a clinical audit, ethics approval was not required. Results; Cycle 1 (pre-ANS) and 2 (post-ANS) of the audit included 20 and 32 patients, respectively, with comparable baseline demographics. No patients had a discharge bundle completed on discharge in cycle 1 vs. 84% of cases in cycle 2. Regarding specific components of the bundle, 25% of patients in cycle 1 had their inhaler technique checked vs. 91% in cycle 2. Furthermore, 80% of patients had maintenance medications reviewed in cycle 1 vs. 97% in cycle 2. Medication adherence was addressed in 20% of cases in cycle 1 vs. 88% of cases in cycle 2. Personalized asthma action plans were not issued or reviewed in any cases in cycle 1 as compared with 84% of cases in cycle 2. Triggers were discussed in 30% of cases in cycle 1 vs. 88% of cases in cycle 2. Tobacco dependence was addressed in 44% of cases in cycle 1 vs. 100% of cases in cycle 2. No patients in cycle 1 had community follow-up requested within 2 days vs. 81% of the patients in cycle 2. Similarly, 20% of the patients in cycle 1 vs. 88% of the patients in cycle 2 had a 4-week asthma clinic follow-up requested. 75% of patients in cycle 1 were the recipient of ICS on discharge compared with 94% of patients in cycle 2. Conclusion; Our quality improvement project demonstrates the utility of an ANS in improving performance in the management of acute asthma admissions, evidenced here through concordance with NACAP standards. Asthma is a complex condition with biological, psychological, and sociological components; therefore, ANS is a suitable intervention to improve concordance with guidelines. ANS likely impacted performance directly, for example, by checking inhaler technique, and indirectly as a safety net ensuring doctors included ICS on discharge.

Keywords: asthma, nurse specialist, clinical audit, quality improvement

Procedia PDF Downloads 366