Search results for: Q methodology

Authors: Josiane Yaguibou, Ngoy Kishimba, Issiaka V. Coulibaly, Sabrina Pestilli, Falinirina Razanalison, Hantanirina V. Andremanisa

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Background In Madagascar modern contraceptive prevalence rate increased from 18% in 2003 to 43% in 2021. Anecdotal evidence suggests that increased use and frequent stock out in public health facilities of male condoms and medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) can be related to diverted use of these products. This study analyzed the use of contraceptives and mode of utilization (correct or diverted) at the community level in the period 2019-2023 in Madagascar. Methodology: The study included a literature review, a quantitative survey combined with a qualitative study. It was carried out in 10 regions out of the 23 of the country. Eight regions (Bongolava, Vakinakaratra, Italy, Hautre Matsiatra, Betsiboka, Diana, Sofia and Anosy) were selected based on a study that showed existence of medroxyprogesterone acetate in pigs (MPA). The remaining 2 regions were selected due to high mCPR (Atsimo Andrefana) and to ensure coverage of all geographical zones in the country (Alaotra Mangoro). Sample random method was used, and the sample size was identified at 300 individuals per region. Zonal distribution is based on the urbanization rate for the region. 6 focus group discussions were organized in 3 regions, equally distributed between rural and urban areas. Key findings: Overall, 67% of those surveyed or their partner are currently using contraception. Injectables (MPA) are the most popular choice (33%), followed by implants and male condoms, 12% and 9%, respectively. The majority of respondents use condoms to prevent unwanted pregnancy but also to prevent STDs. Still, 43% of respondents use condoms for other purposes, reaching 52% of respondents in urban areas and 71,2% in the age group 15-18. Diverted use includes hair growth (18.9%), as a toy (18.8%), cleaning the screen of electronic devices (10 %), cleaning shoes (3.1%) and for skincare (1.6%). Injectables are the preferred method of contraception both in rural areas (35%) and urban areas (21.2%). However, diverted use of injectables was confirmed by 4% of the respondents, ranging from 3 % in rural areas to 12% in urban. The diverted use of injectables in pig rearing was to avoid pregnancy and facilitate pig’s growth. Program Implications: The study confirmed the diverted use of some contraceptives. The misuse of male condoms is among the causes of stockouts of products in public health facilities, limiting their availability for pregnancy and STDs prevention. The misuse of injectables in pigs rearing needs to be further studied to learn the full extent of the misuse and eventual implications for meat consumption. The study highlights the importance of including messages on the correct use of products during sensibilization activities. In particular, messages need to address the anecdotal and false effects of male condoms, especially amongst young people. For misuse of injectables is critical to sensibilize farmers and veterinaries on possible negative effects for humans.

Keywords: diverted use, injectables, male condoms, sensibilization

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Authors: L. Spencer, S. O’ Donohoe

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Much of the research to date on internationalisation relates to large firms with much less known about how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) engage in internationalisation. Given the crucial role of SMEs in contributing to economic growth, there is now an emphasis on the need for SMEs internationalise. Yet little is known about how SMEs undertake and finance such expansion and whether or not internationalisation actually hinders or helps them in securing finance. The purpose of this research is to explore the internationalisation process for SMEs, the sources of funding used in financing this expansion and support received from the state agencies in assisting their overseas expansion. A conceptual framework has been devised which marries the two strands of literature together (internationalisation and financing the firm). The exploratory nature of this research dictates that the most appropriate methodology was to use semi-structured interviews with SME owners; bank representatives and support agencies. In essence, a triangulated approach to the research problem facilitates assessment of the perceptions and experiences from firms, the state and the financial institutions. Our sample is drawn from SMEs operating in Ireland and Scotland, two small but very open economies where SMEs are the dominant form of organisation. The sample includes a range of industry sectors. Key findings to date suggest some SMEs are born global; others are born again global whilst a significant cohort can be classed as traditional internationalisers. Unsurprisingly there is a strong industry effect with firms in the high tech sector more likely to be faster internationalisers in contrast to those in the traditional manufacturing sectors. Owner manager’s own funds are deemed key to financing initial internationalisation lending support for the financial growth life cycle model albeit more important for the faster internationalisers in contrast to the slower cohort who are more likely to deploy external sources especially bank finance. Retained earnings remain the predominant source of on-going financing for internationalising firms but trade credit is often used and invoice discounting is utilised quite frequently. In terms of lending, asset based lending backed by personal guarantees appears paramount for securing bank finance. Whilst the lack of diversified sources of funding for internationalising SMEs was found in both jurisdictions there appears no evidence to suggest that internationalisation impedes firms in securing finance. Finally state supports were cited as important to the internationalisation process, in particular those provided by Enterprise Ireland were deemed very valuable. Considering the paucity of studies to date on SME internationalisation and in particular the funding mechanisms deployed by them; this study seeks to contribute to the body of knowledge in both the international business and finance disciplines.

Keywords: funding, government support, international pathways, modes of entry

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Authors: Sarika Gupta, Harshika Khanna, Ajay K Verma, Surya Kant

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Background: Drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) is a growing health challenge to global TB control efforts. Pediatric DR-TB is one of the neglected infectious diseases. In our previously published report, we have notified an increased prevalence of DR-TB in the pediatric population at a tertiary health care centre in North India which was estimated as 17.4%, 15.1%, 18.4%, and 20.3% in (%) in the year 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021. Limited evidence exists about a pattern of drug resistance, side effect profile and programmatic outcomes of Paediatric DR-TB treatment. Therefore, this study was done to find out the pattern of resistance, side effect profile and treatment outcome. Methodology: This was a prospective cohort study conducted at the nodal drug-resistant tuberculosis centre of a tertiary care hospital in North India from January 2021 to December 2022. Subjects included children aged between 0-18 years of age with a diagnosis of DR-TB, on the basis of GeneXpert (rifampicin [RIF] resistance detected), line probe assay and drug sensitivity testing (DST) of M. tuberculosis (MTB) grown on a culture of body fluids. Children were classified as monoresistant TB, polyresistant TB (resistance to more than 1 first-line anti-TB drug, other than both INH and RIF), MDR-TB, pre-XDR-TB and XDR-TB, as per the WHO classification. All the patients were prescribed DR TB treatment as per the standard guidelines, either shorter oral DR-TB regimen or a longer all-oral MDR/XDR-TB regimen (age below five years needed modification). All the patients were followed up for side effects of treatment once per month. The patient outcomes were categorized as good outcomes if they had completed treatment and cured or were improving during the course of treatment, while bad outcomes included death or not improving during the course of treatment. Results: Of the 50 pediatric patients included in the study, 34 were females (66.7%) and 16 were male (31.4%). Around 33 patients (64.7%) were suffering from pulmonary TB, while 17 (33.3%) were suffering from extrapulmonary TB. The proportions of monoresistant TB, polyresistant TB, MDR-TB, pre-XDR-TB and XDR-TB were 2.0%, 0%, 50.0%, 30.0% and 18.0%, respectively. Good outcome was reported in 40 patients (80.0%). The 10 bad outcomes were 7 deaths (14%) and 3 (6.0%) children who were not improving. Adverse events (single or multiple) were reported in all the patients, most of which were mild in nature. The most common adverse events were metallic taste 16(31.4%), rash and allergic reaction 15(29.4%), nausea and vomiting 13(26.0%), arthralgia 11 (21.6%) and alopecia 11 (21.6%). Serious adverse event of QTc prolongation was reported in 4 cases (7.8%), but neither arrhythmias nor symptomatic cardiac side effects occurred. Vestibular toxicity was reported in 2(3.9%), and psychotic symptoms in 4(7.8%). Hepatotoxicity, hypothyroidism, peripheral neuropathy, gynaecomastia, and amenorrhea were reported in 2 (4.0%), 4 (7.8%), 2 (3.9%), 1(2.0%), and 2 (3.9%) respectively. None of the drugs needed to be withdrawn due to uncontrolled adverse events. Conclusion: Paediatric DR TB treatment achieved favorable outcomes in a large proportion of children. DR TB treatment regimen drugs were overall well tolerated in this cohort.

Keywords: pediatric, drug-resistant, tuberculosis, adverse events, treatment

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Authors: Jot Prakash Kaur

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The paper aims to showcase that with the introduction of anti-graft instruments and willingness of the governments towards their implementation, a significant change can be witnessed in the anti-corruption landscape of any country. Since the past decade anti-graft instruments have been introduced by several international non-governmental organizations with the vision of curbing corruption. Transparency International’s ‘Integrity Pact’ has been one such initiative. Integrity Pact has been described as a tool for preventing corruption in public contracting. Integrity Pact has found its relevance in a developing country like India where public procurement constitutes 25-30 percent of Gross Domestic Product. Corruption in public procurement has been a cause of concern even though India has in place a whole architecture of rules and regulations governing public procurement. Integrity Pact was first adopted by a leading Oil and Gas government company in 2006. Till May 2015, over ninety organizations had adopted Integrity Pact, of which majority of them are central government units. The methodology undertaken to understand impact of Integrity Pact on Public procurement is through analyzing information received from important stakeholders of the instrument. Government, information was sought through Right to Information Act 2005 about the details of adoption of this instrument by various government organizations and departments. Contractor, Company websites and annual reports were used to find out the steps taken towards implementation of Integrity Pact. Civil Society, Transparency International India’s resource materials which include publications and reports on Integrity Pact were also used to understand the impact of Integrity Pact. Some of the findings of the study include organizations adopting Integrity pacts in all kinds of contracts such that 90% of their procurements fall under Integrity Pact. Indian State governments have found merit in Integrity Pact and have adopted it in their procurement contracts. Integrity Pact has been instrumental in creating a brand image of companies. External Monitors, an essential feature of Integrity Pact have emerged as arbitrators for the bidders and are the first line of procurement auditors for the organizations. India has cancelled two defense contracts finding it conflicting with the provisions of Integrity Pact. Some of the clauses of Integrity Pact have been included in the proposed Public Procurement legislation. Integrity Pact has slowly but steadily grown to become an integral part of big ticket procurement in India. Government’s commitment to implement Integrity Pact has changed the way in which public procurement is conducted in India. Public Procurement was a segment infested with corruption but with the adoption of Integrity Pact a number of clean up acts have been performed to make procurement transparent. The paper is divided in five sections. First section elaborates on Integrity Pact. Second section talks about stakeholders of the instrument and the role it plays in its implementation. Third section talks about the efforts taken by the government to implement Integrity Pact in India. Fourth section talks about the role of External Monitor as Arbitrator. The final section puts forth suggestions to strengthen the existing form of Integrity Pact and increase its reach.

Keywords: corruption, integrity pact, procurement, vigilance

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Authors: Ombir Singh

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In spite of the religious and cultural pre-dominance of the river Ganga in the Indian ethos, fragmentation and degradation of the river continued down the ages. Recognizing the national concern on environmental degradation of the river and its basin, Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation (MoWR,RD&GR), Government of India has initiated a number of pilot schemes for the rejuvenation of river Ganga under the ‘Namami Gange’ Programme. Considering the diversity, complexity, and intricacies of forest ecosystems and pivotal multiple functions performed by them and their inter-connectedness with highly dynamic river ecosystems, forestry interventions all along the river Ganga from its origin at Gaumukh, Uttarakhand to its mouth at Ganga Sagar, West Bengal has been planned by the ministry. For that Forest Research Institute (FRI) in collaboration with National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has prepared a Detailed Project Report (DPR) on Forestry Interventions for Ganga. The Institute has adopted an extensive consultative process at the national and state levels involving various stakeholders relevant in the context of river Ganga and employed a science-based methodology including use of remote sensing and GIS technologies for geo-spatial analysis, modeling and prioritization of sites for proposed forestation and conservation interventions. Four sets of field data formats were designed to obtain the field based information for forestry interventions, mainly plantations and conservation measures along the river course. In response, five stakeholder State Forest Departments had submitted more than 8,000 data sheets to the Institute. In order to analyze a voluminous field data received from five participating states, the Institute also developed a software to collate, analyze and generation of reports on proposed sites in Ganga basin. FRI has developed potential plantation and treatment models for the proposed forestry and other conservation measures in major three types of landscape components visualized in the Ganga riverscape. These are: (i) Natural, (ii) Agriculture, and (iii) Urban Landscapes. Suggested plantation models broadly varied for the Uttarakhand Himalayas and the Ganga Plains in five participating states. Besides extensive plantations in three type of landscapes within the riverscape, various conservation measures such as soil and water conservation, riparian wildlife management, wetland management, bioremediation and bio-filtration and supporting activities such as policy and law intervention, concurrent research, monitoring and evaluation, and mass awareness campaigns have been envisioned in the DPR. The DPR also incorporates the details of the implementation mechanism, budget provisioned for different components of the project besides allocation of budget state-wise to five implementing agencies, national partner organizations and the Nodal Ministry.

Keywords: conservation, Ganga, river, water, forestry interventions

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Authors: Rasmita Mishra, Chander Shekher

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Background: Population ageing is an inevitable outcome of demographic transition. Due to increased life expectancy, the old age population in India and worldwide has increased, and it will continue to grow more alarmingly in the near future. There are redundant austerity that has been bestowed upon the widows, thus, the life of widows is never been easy in India. The loss of spouse along with other disadvantaged socioeconomic intermediaries like illiteracy and poverty often make the life of widows more difficult to live. Methodology: Ethical statement: The study used secondary data available in the public domain for its wider use in social research. Thus, there was no requirement of ethical consent in the present study. Data source: Building a Knowledge Base on Population Aging in India (BKPAI), 2011 dataset is used to fulfill the objectives of this study. It was carried out in seven states – Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal – having a higher percentage of the population in the age group 60 years and above compared to the national average. Statistical analysis: Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to understand the level of elderly widows and incidence of abuse against them in India and selected states. Bivariate and Trivariate analysis were carried out to check the pattern of abuse by selected covariates. Chi-Square test is used to verify the significance of the association. Further, Discriminant Analysis (DA) is carried out to understand which factor can separate out group of neglect and non-neglect elderly. Result: With the addition of 27 million from 2001 to 2011, the total elderly population in India is more than 100 million. Elderly females aged 60+ were more widows than their counterpart elderly males. This pattern was observed across selected states and at national level. At national level, more than one tenth (12 percent) of elderly experienced abuse in their lifetime. Incidence of abuse against elderly widows within family was considerably higher than the outside the family. This pattern was observed across the selected place and abuse in the study. In discriminant analysis, the significant difference between neglected and non-neglected elderly on each of the independent variables was examined using group mean and ANOVA. Discussion: The study is the first of its kind to assess the incidence of abuse against elderly widows using large-scale survey data. Another novelty of this study is that it has assessed for those states in India whereby the proportion of elderly is higher than the national average. Place and perpetrators involved in the abuse against elderly widows certainly envisaged the safeness in the present living arrangement of elderly widows. Conclusion: Due to the increasing life expectancy it is expected that the number of elderly will increase much faster than before. As biologically women live longer than men, there will be more women elderly than men. With respect to the living arrangement, after the demise of the spouse, elderly widows are more likely to live with their children who emerged as the main perpetrator of abuse.

Keywords: elderly abuse, emotional abuse physical abuse, material abuse, psychological abuse, quality of life

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Authors: Daniel Martin Fellows, Sean P. Walton, Jennifer Thompson, Oubay Hassan, Kevin Tinkham, Ella Quigley

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Structural integrity for cladding products is a key performance parameter, especially concerning fire performance. Cladding products such as PIR-based sandwich panels are tested rigorously, in line with industrial standards. Physical fire tests are necessary to ensure the customer's safety but can give little information about critical behaviours that can help develop new materials. Numerical modelling is a tool that can help investigate a fire's behaviour further by replicating the fire test. However, fire is an interdisciplinary problem as it is a chemical reaction that behaves fluidly and impacts structural integrity. An analysis using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Finite Element Analysis (FEA) is needed to capture all aspects of a fire performance test. One method is a two-way coupling analysis that imports the updated changes in thermal data, due to the fire's behaviour, to the FEA solver in a series of iterations. In light of our recent work with Tata Steel U.K using a two-way coupling methodology to determine the fire performance, it has been shown that a program called FDS-2-Abaqus can make predictions of a BS 476 -22 furnace test with a degree of accuracy. The test demonstrated the fire performance of Tata Steel U.K Trisomet product, a Polyisocyanurate (PIR) based sandwich panel used for cladding. Previous works demonstrated the limitations of the current version of the program, the main limitation being the computational cost of modelling three Trisomet panels, totalling an area of 9 . The computational cost increases substantially, with the intention to scale up to an LPS 1181-1 test, which includes a total panel surface area of 200 .The FDS-2-Abaqus program is developed further within this paper to overcome this obstacle and better accommodate Tata Steel U.K PIR sandwich panels. The new developments aim to reduce the computational cost and error margin compared to experimental data. One avenue explored is a multi-scale approach in the form of Reduced Order Modeling (ROM). The approach allows the user to include refined details of the sandwich panels, such as the overlapping joints, without a computationally costly mesh size.Comparative studies will be made between the new implementations and the previous study completed using the original FDS-2-ABAQUS program. Validation of the study will come from physical experiments in line with governing body standards such as BS 476 -22 and LPS 1181-1. The physical experimental data includes the panels' gas and surface temperatures and mechanical deformation. Conclusions are drawn, noting the new implementations' impact factors and discussing the reasonability for scaling up further to a whole warehouse.

Keywords: fire testing, numerical coupling, sandwich panels, thermo fluids

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Authors: Rocio Murad, Juan Carlos Rivillas, Nury Alejandra Rodriguez, Daniela Roldán

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In Colombia, around 5 million women have suffered forced displacement and all forms of gender-based violence, mostly adolescents and young women, single mothers, or widows with children affected by the war. After the signing of the peace agreements, the department of Antioquia has been one of the most affected by the armed conflict, from a territorial and gender perspective in the period. The objective of the research was to analyze the situation of sexual and reproductive rights in the department of Antioquia from a territorial and gender perspective in the period after the signing of the Peace Agreement. A mixed methodology was developed. The quantitative component conducted a cross-sectional descriptive study of barriers to access to contraceptive methods, safe abortion and gender-based violence based on microdata from the 2015 National Demographic and Health Survey. In the qualitative component, a case study was developed in Dabeiba, a municipality of Antioquia prioritized in order to deepen the experiences before, during and after the armed conflict in sexual and reproductive rights; using three research techniques: Focused observation, Semi-structured interviews, and Documentary review. The results showed that there is a gradient of greater vulnerability to greater effects of the conflict and that the subregion of Urabá Antioqueño, to which Dabeiba belongs, has the highest levels of vulnerability in relation to departmental data. In this subregion, the percentage of women with an unmet need for contraceptive methods (9%), women with unintended pregnancies (31%), of women between 15 and 19 years of age who are already mothers or are pregnant with their first child (32%) and the percentage of women victims of physical violence (42%) and sexual violence (13%) by their partners are significantly higher. Women, particularly rural and indigenous women, were doubly affected due to the existence of violence that is specifically directed at them or that has a greater impact on their life projects. There was evidence of insufficient, fragmented and disjointed social and institutional action in relation to women's rights and the existence of androcentric and patriarchal social imaginaries through which women and the feminine are undervalued. These results provide evidence of violations of sexual and reproductive rights in contexts of armed conflict and make it possible to identify mechanisms to guarantee the re-establishment of the rights of the victims, particularly women and girls. Among the mechanisms evidenced are: working for the elimination of gender stereotypes; supporting the formation and strengthening of women's social organizations; working for the concerted definition and articulated implementation of actions necessary to respond to sexual and reproductive health needs; and working for the recognition of reproductive violence as specific and different from sexual violence in the context of armed conflict. Also, it was evidenced that it is necessary to implement prevention, attention and reparation actions.

Keywords: sexual and reproductive rights, Colombia, armed conflict, violence against women

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Authors: Yasmine Salehy, Yann Leroy, Francois Cluzel, Hong-Minh Hoang, Laurence Fournaison, Anthony Delahaye, Bernard Yannou

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Taking into consideration all the life cycle of a product is now an important step in the eco-design of a product or a technology. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a standard tool to evaluate the environmental impacts of a system or a process. Despite the improvement in refrigerant regulation through protocols, the environmental damage of refrigeration systems remains important and needs to be improved. In this paper, the environmental impacts of refrigeration systems in a typical supermarket are compared using the LCA methodology under different conditions. The system is used to provide cold at two levels of temperature: medium and low temperature during a life period of 15 years. The most commonly used architectures of supermarket cold production systems are investigated: centralized direct expansion systems and indirect systems using a secondary loop to transport the cold. The variation of power needed during seasonal changes and during the daily opening/closure periods of the supermarket are considered. R134a as the primary refrigerant fluid and two types of secondary fluids are considered. The composition of each system and the leakage rate of the refrigerant through its life cycle are taken from the literature and industrial data. Twelve scenarios are examined. They are based on the variation of three parameters, 1. location: France (Paris), Spain (Toledo) and Sweden (Stockholm), 2. different sources of electric consumption: photovoltaic panels and low voltage electric network and 3. architecture: direct and indirect refrigeration systems. OpenLCA, SimaPro softwares, and different impact assessment methods were compared; CML method is used to evaluate the midpoint environmental indicators. This study highlights the significant contribution of electric consumption in environmental damages compared to the impacts of refrigerant leakage. The secondary loop allows lowering the refrigerant amount in the primary loop which results in a decrease in the climate change indicators compared to the centralized direct systems. However, an exhaustive cost evaluation (CAPEX and OPEX) of both systems shows more important costs related to the indirect systems. A significant difference between the countries has been noticed, mostly due to the difference in electric production. In Spain, using photovoltaic panels helps to reduce efficiently the environmental impacts and the related costs. This scenario is the best alternative compared to the other scenarios. Sweden is a country with less environmental impacts. For both France and Sweden, the use of photovoltaic panels does not bring a significant difference, due to a less sunlight exposition than in Spain. Alternative solutions exist to reduce the impact of refrigerating systems, and a brief introduction is presented.

Keywords: eco-design, industrial engineering, LCA, refrigeration system

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Authors: Neeti Nayak, Khalid Duri

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Despite the many advances made in transportation planning, the number of injuries and fatalities in the United States which involve motorized vehicles near intersections remain largely unchanged year over year. Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for 2018 indicates accidents involving motorized vehicles at traffic intersections accounted for 8,245 deaths and 914,811 injuries. Furthermore, collisions involving pedal cyclists killed 861 people (38% at intersections) and injured 46,295 (68% at intersections), while accidents involving pedestrians claimed 6,247 lives (25% at intersections) and injured 71,887 (56% at intersections)- the highest tallies registered in nearly 20 years. Some of the causes attributed to the rising number of accidents relate to increasing populations and the associated changes in land and traffic usage patterns, insufficient visibility conditions, and inadequate applications of traffic controls. Intersections that were initially designed with a particular land use pattern in mind may be rendered obsolete by subsequent developments. Many accidents involving pedestrians are accounted for by locations which should have been designed for safe crosswalks. Conventional solutions for evaluating intersection safety often require costly deployment of engineering surveys and analysis, which limit the capacity of resource-constrained administrations to satisfy their community’s needs for safe roadways adequately, effectively relegating mitigation efforts for high-risk areas to post-incident responses. This paper demonstrates how geospatial technology can identify high-risk locations and evaluate the viability of specific intersection management techniques. GIS is used to simulate relevant real-world conditions- the presence of traffic controls, zoning records, locations of interest for human activity, design speed of roadways, topographic details and immovable structures. The proposed methodology provides a low-cost mechanism for empowering urban planners to reduce the risks of accidents using 2-dimensional data representing multi-modal street networks, parcels, crosswalks and demographic information alongside 3-dimensional models of buildings, elevation, slope and aspect surfaces to evaluate visibility and lighting conditions and estimate probabilities for jaywalking and risks posed by blind or uncontrolled intersections. The proposed tools were developed using sample areas of Southern California, but the model will scale to other cities which conform to similar transportation standards given the availability of relevant GIS data.

Keywords: crosswalks, cyclist safety, geotechnology, GIS, intersection safety, pedestrian safety, roadway safety, transportation planning, urban design

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Authors: Mehmet Oren, Susan Pedersen, Sevket C. Cetin

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Despite the frequently criticized disadvantages of the traditional used paper and pencil assessment, it is the most frequently used method in our schools. Although assessments do an acceptable measurement, they are not capable of measuring all the aspects and the richness of learning and knowledge. Also, many assessments used in schools decontextualize the assessment from the learning, and they focus on learners’ standing on a particular topic but do not concentrate on how student learning changes over time. For these reasons, many scholars advocate that using simulations and games (S&G) as a tool for assessment has significant potentials to overcome the problems in traditionally used methods. S&G can benefit from the change in technology and provide a contextualized medium for assessment and teaching. Furthermore, S&G can serve as an instructional tool rather than a method to test students’ learning at a particular time point. To investigate the potentials of using educational games as an assessment and teaching tool, this study presents the implementation and the validation of an automated embedded assessment (AEA), which can constantly monitor student learning in the game and assess their performance without intervening their learning. The experiment was conducted on an undergraduate level engineering course (Digital Circuit Design) with 99 participant students over a period of five weeks in Spring 2016 school semester. The purpose of this research study is to examine if the proposed method of AEA is valid to assess student learning in a 3D Educational game and present the implementation steps. To address this question, this study inspects three aspects of the AEA for the validation. First, the evidence-centered design model was used to lay out the design and measurement steps of the assessment. Then, a confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to test if the assessment can measure the targeted latent constructs. Finally, the scores of the assessment were compared with an external measure (a validated test measuring student learning on digital circuit design) to evaluate the convergent validity of the assessment. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis showed that the fit of the model with three latent factors with one higher order factor was acceptable (RMSEA < 0.00, CFI =1, TLI=1.013, WRMR=0.390). All of the observed variables significantly loaded to the latent factors in the latent factor model. In the second analysis, a multiple regression analysis was used to test if the external measure significantly predicts students’ performance in the game. The results of the regression indicated the two predictors explained 36.3% of the variance (R2=.36, F(2,96)=27.42.56, p<.00). It was found that students’ posttest scores significantly predicted game performance (β = .60, p < .000). The statistical results of the analyses show that the AEA can distinctly measure three major components of the digital circuit design course. It was aimed that this study can help researchers understand how to design an AEA, and showcase an implementation by providing an example methodology to validate this type of assessment.

Keywords: educational video games, automated embedded assessment, assessment validation, game-based assessment, assessment design

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Authors: Halina Veloso e Zarate, Manuela Triggianese

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The urban challenges posed by rapid population growth, climate adaptation, and sustainable living have compelled Dutch cities to reimagine their built environment and transportation systems. As a pivotal contributor to CO₂ emissions, the transportation sector in the Netherlands demands innovative solutions for transitioning to low-carbon mobility. This study investigates the potential of transit oriented development (TOD) as a strategy for achieving carbon reduction and sustainable urban transformation. Focusing on the Lombardijen station area in Rotterdam, which is targeted for significant densification, this paper presents a design-oriented exploration of a low-carbon transport node. By employing a research-by-design methodology, this study delves into multifaceted factors and scales, aiming to propose future scenarios for Lombardijen. Drawing from a synthesis of existing literature, applied research, and practical insights, a robust design framework emerges. To inform this framework, governmental data concerning the built environment and material embodied carbon are harnessed. However, the restricted access to crucial datasets, such as property ownership information from the cadastre and embodied carbon data from De Nationale Milieudatabase, underscores the need for improved data accessibility, especially during the concept design phase. The findings of this research contribute fundamental insights not only to the Lombardijen case but also to TOD studies across Rotterdam's 13 nodes and similar global contexts. Spatial data related to property ownership facilitated the identification of potential densification sites, underscoring its importance for informed urban design decisions. Additionally, the paper highlights the disparity between the essential role of embodied carbon data in environmental assessments for building permits and its limited accessibility due to proprietary barriers. Although this study lays the groundwork for sustainable urbanization through TOD-based design, it acknowledges an area of future research worthy of exploration: the socio-economic dimension. Given the complex socio-economic challenges inherent in the Lombardijen area, extending beyond spatial constraints, a comprehensive approach demands integration of mobility infrastructure expansion, land-use diversification, programmatic enhancements, and climate adaptation. While the paper adopts a TOD lens, it refrains from an in-depth examination of issues concerning equity and inclusivity, opening doors for subsequent research to address these aspects crucial for holistic urban development.

Keywords: Rotterdam zuid, transport oriented development, carbon emissions, low-carbon design, cross-scale design, data-supported design

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Authors: Elisabeth Mamani-Mategula

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Background: Anaemia has significant consequences on both the mother and child's health as it results in maternal haemorrhage, low childbirth weight, premature delivery, poor organ development, and infections at birth and hence the need for treatment. In low-middle income countries, anaemic pregnant women are recommended to take 30 mg to 60 mg of elemental iron daily throughout pregnancy which are often poorly tolerated and adhered to. A potential alternative to oral iron is intravenous (IV) iron which allows the saturation of the body’s iron stores quickly. Currently, a randomised controlled trial on the Effect of intravenous iron on Anaemia in Malawian Pregnant women (REVAMP) is underway. Since this is new in Africa and Malawi is the second country to implement it, its acceptability to both the providers and end-users is not known. Suppose the use of IV iron during pregnancy would be acceptable in Malawi, it could change how we treat and manage pregnant women with anaemia and be scaled up throughout Malawi to improve maternal and child health. Objectives: To identify the barriers and facilitators of implementing IV iron in the Malawian healthcare system and identify ‘touchpoints’ and co-develop strategies to support and inform the implementation of the trial Methodology: A qualitative study was conducted with policymakers, government partners, and health managers through in-depth interviews to identify barriers and facilitators relating to the implementation of IV iron in the health system of Malawi. From the interviews, touchpoints were identified that formed the basis of the discussion in further discussing the barriers and suggested solutions in the co-design workshops with the community members and the health workers, respectively. We purposively recruited 20 health workers (10 male, 10 Female). 20 community members (10 male, 10 female) were recruited randomly. Data was collected through group discussions and interactive sessions and was recorded through audios, flip charts, and sticky notes. We familiarized ourselves with the data and identified themes. Results: Two co-design workshops were conducted with different community members and different health worker carders. Identified individual factors included lack of knowledge about anaemia, lack of male involvement, the attitude of health workers and patient non-compliance with appointments. Community factors included myths and misconceptions about IV iron, including associating the use of IV iron with vampirism and covid 19 vaccination. Health system factors identified were a shortage of staff and equipment, unfamiliarity with IV iron and its cost. Discussion: The use of IV iron, as suggested by the community members and health workers, demands civic education through bringing awareness to end-users and training to providers. Through these co-design workshops, community sensitization and awareness, briefing and training of health workers and creation of educational materials were done.

Keywords: acceptability, IV iron, barriers, facilitators, co-design

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Authors: Precious Barnes, Abraham Mensah, Leonard Derkyi-Kwarteng, Benjamin Amoani, George Adjei, Ernest Adankwah, Faustina Pappoe, Kwabena Dankwah, Daniel Amoako-Sakyi, Samuel Victor Nuvor, Dorcas Obiri-Yeboah, Ewura Seidu Yahaya, Patrick Kafui Akakpo, Roland Osei Saahene

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Context: Breast cancer is a prevalent and aggressive type of cancer among African women, with high mortality rates in Ghana. Nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB) is a transcription factor that has been associated with tumor progression in breast cancer. However, there is a lack of published data on NF-kB in breast cancer patients in Ghana or other African countries. Research Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the prognostic significance of NF-kB (p65) expression and its association with various clinicopathological features in breast cancer patients at the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital in Ghana. Methodology: A total of 90 formalin-fixed breast cancer tissues and 15 normal breast tissues were used in this study. The expression level of NF-kB (p65) was examined using immunohistochemical techniques. Correlation analysis between NF-kB (p65) expression and clinicopathological features was performed using SPSS version 25. Findings: The study found that NF-kB (p65) was expressed in 86.7% of breast cancer tissues. There was a significant relationship between NF-kB (p65) expression and tumor grade, proliferation index (Ki67), and molecular subtype. High-level expression of NF-kB (p65) was more common in tumor grade 3 compared to grade 1, and Ki67 > 20 had higher expression of NF-kB (p65) compared to Ki67 ≤ 20. Triple-negative breast cancer patients had the highest overexpression of NF-kB (p65) compared to other molecular subtypes. There was no significant association between NF-kB (p65) expression and other clinicopathological parameters. Theoretical Importance: This study provides important insights into the expression of NF-kB (p65) in breast cancer patients in Ghana, particularly in relation to tumor grade and proliferation index. The findings suggest that NF-kB (p65) could serve as a potential biological marker for cancer stage, progression, prognosis and as a therapeutic target. Data Collection and Analysis Procedures: Formalin-fixed breast cancer tissues and normal breast tissues were collected and analyzed using immunohistochemical techniques. Correlation analysis between NF-kB (p65) expression and clinicopathological features was performed using SPSS version 25. Question Addressed: This study addressed the question of the prognostic significance of NF-kB (p65) expression and its association with clinicopathological features in breast cancer patients in Ghana. Conclusion: This study, the first of its kind in Ghana, demonstrates that NF-kB (p65) is highly expressed among breast cancer patients at the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital, especially in triple-negative breast cancer patients. The expression of NF-kB (p65) is associated with tumor grade and proliferation index. NF-kB (p65) could potentially serve as a biological marker for cancer stage, progression, prognosis, and as a therapeutic target.

Keywords: breast cancer, Ki67, NF-kB (p65), tumor grade

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Authors: Valentin Père, Mathieu Milhé, Fabien Baillon, Jean-Louis Dirion

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Microgrids offer potential solutions to meet the need for local grid stability and increase isolated networks autonomy with the integration of intermittent renewable energy production and storage facilities. In such a context, sizing production and storage for a given network is a complex task, highly depending on input data such as power load profile and renewable resource availability. This work aims at developing an operating cost computation methodology for different microgrid designs based on the use of deep reinforcement learning (RL) algorithms to tackle the optimal operation problem in stochastic environments. RL is a data-based sequential decision control method based on Markov decision processes that enable the consideration of random variables for control at a chosen time scale. Agents trained via RL constitute a promising class of Energy Management Systems (EMS) for the operation of microgrids with energy storage. Microgrid sizing (or design) is generally performed by minimizing investment costs and operational costs arising from the EMS behavior. The latter might include economic aspects (power purchase, facilities aging), social aspects (load curtailment), and ecological aspects (carbon emissions). Sizing variables are related to major constraints on the optimal operation of the network by the EMS. In this work, an islanded mode microgrid is considered. Renewable generation is done with photovoltaic panels; an electrochemical battery ensures short-term electricity storage. The controllable unit is a hydrogen tank that is used as a long-term storage unit. The proposed approach focus on the transfer of agent learning for the near-optimal operating cost approximation with deep RL for each microgrid size. Like most data-based algorithms, the training step in RL leads to important computer time. The objective of this work is thus to study the potential of Batch-Constrained Q-learning (BCQ) for the optimal sizing of microgrids and especially to reduce the computation time of operating cost estimation in several microgrid configurations. BCQ is an off-line RL algorithm that is known to be data efficient and can learn better policies than on-line RL algorithms on the same buffer. The general idea is to use the learned policy of agents trained in similar environments to constitute a buffer. The latter is used to train BCQ, and thus the agent learning can be performed without update during interaction sampling. A comparison between online RL and the presented method is performed based on the score by environment and on the computation time.

Keywords: batch-constrained reinforcement learning, control, design, optimal

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Authors: J. D. Temperman

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Introduction: In particular, in relation to religion, the meaning and scope of freedom of expression have been tested in recent times. This paper investigates the legal justifications for restrictions that have been suggested in this area and asks whether they are sustainable from an international human rights perspective. The universal human rights instruments, particularly the UN International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), are increasingly geared towards eradicating ‘incitement’ to contingent harms like violence or discrimination, whilst forms of extreme speech that fall short of such incitement are to be protected rather than countered by states. Human Rights Committee’s draft-General Comment on freedom of expression, adopted in 2011, provides another strong indication that this is the envisaged way forward: repealing anti-blasphemy and anti-religious defamation laws, whilst simultaneously increasing efforts to combat ‘incitement’. Within regional human rights frameworks, notably the European Convention system, judgments have in fact supported legal restrictions on both hate speech, holocaust denial, and blasphemy or religious defamation. Major contributions to scholarship: This paper proposes an actus reus for the offense of ‘advocacy of religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination or violence’, as enshrined in Article 20(2) of the UN ICCPR. In underscoring the high threshold of ‘incitement’, the author distinguishes this offense from such notions as ‘blasphemy’ or ‘defamation of religions’. In addition to treating the said provision as a sui generis prohibition, the question is addresses whether a ‘right to be protected against incitement’ may be distilled from the ICCPR. Furthermore, the author will discuss the question of how to judge incitement; notably, is mens rea required to convict someone of incitement, and if so, what degree of mens rea? This analysis also includes the question how to balance content and context factors when addressing alleged instances of incitement, notably what factors make provide for a likelihood that imminent acts of violence or discrimination will ensue from an inciteful speech act? Methodology: This paper takes a double comparative approach: (i) it endeavours to compare and contrast monitoring bodies’ approach to incitement (notably, the UN Human Rights Committee, but also the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination which monitors states’ compliance with Article 4 of ICERD on incitement); and (ii) it endeavours to chart and compare and analyse from an international human rights perspective recent forms of state practice in the field of dealing with incitement (i.e. a comparative legal analysis and vertical human rights analysis of newly emerging incitement legislation in the light of the said international standards). Conclusion: This paper conceptualizes a legal notion – ‘incitement’ – encapsulated in international human rights law that may have a profound bearing on contemporary challenges of radicalization and religious strife.

Keywords: incitement, international human rights law, religious hatred, violence

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Authors: Afsheen Aman, Zainab Bibi, Shah Ali Ul Qader

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Introduction: Xylan is a heteropolysaccharide composed of xylose monomers linked together through 1,4 linkages within a complex xylan network. Owing to wide applications of xylan hydrolytic products (xylose, xylobiose and xylooligosaccharide) the researchers are focusing towards the development of various strategies for efficient xylan degradation. One of the most important strategies focused is the use of heat tolerant biocatalysts which acts as strong and specific cleaving agents. Therefore, the exploration of microbial pool from extremely diversified ecosystem is considerably vital. Microbial populations from extreme habitats are keenly explored for the isolation of thermophilic entities. These thermozymes usually demonstrate fast hydrolytic rate, can produce high yields of product and are less prone to microbial contamination. Another possibility of degrading xylan continuously is the use of immobilization technique. The current work is an effort to merge both the positive aspects of thermozyme and immobilization technique. Methodology: Geobacillus stearothermophilus was isolated from soil sample collected near the blast furnace site. This thermophile is capable of producing thermostable endo-β-1,4-xylanase which cleaves xylan effectively. In the current study, this thermozyme was immobilized within a synthetic and a non-synthetic matrice for continuous production of metabolites using entrapment technique. The kinetic parameters of the free and immobilized enzyme were studied. For this purpose calcium alginate and polyacrylamide beads were prepared. Results: For the synthesis of immobilized beads, sodium alginate (40.0 gL-1) and calcium chloride (0.4 M) was used amalgamated. The temperature (50°C) and pH (7.0) optima of immobilized enzyme remained same for xylan hydrolysis however, the enzyme-substrate catalytic reaction time raised from 5.0 to 30.0 minutes as compared to free counterpart. Diffusion limit of high molecular weight xylan (corncob) caused a decline in Vmax of immobilized enzyme from 4773 to 203.7 U min-1 whereas, Km value increased from 0.5074 to 0.5722 mg ml-1 with reference to free enzyme. Immobilized endo-β-1,4-xylanase showed its stability at high temperatures as compared to free enzyme. It retained 18% and 9% residual activity at 70°C and 80°C, respectively whereas; free enzyme completely lost its activity at both temperatures. The Immobilized thermozyme displayed sufficient recycling efficiency and can be reused up to five reaction cycles, indicating that this enzyme can be a plausible candidate in paper processing industry. Conclusion: This thermozyme showed better immobilization yield and operational stability with the purpose of hydrolyzing the high molecular weight xylan. However, the enzyme immobilization properties can be improved further by immobilizing it on different supports for industrial purpose.

Keywords: immobilization, reusability, thermozymes, xylanase

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Authors: Florence Roselle Adalin, Misha Louise Delariarte, Fabbette Laire Lagas, Sarah Emanuelle Mejia, Lika Mizukoshi, Irish Paullen Palomeno, Gibrianne Alistaire Ramos, Danica Pauline Ramos, Josefina Tuazon, Jo Leah Flores

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Pain, often a missed and undertreated symptom, affects the quality of life of individuals. Nurses are key players in providing effective pain management to decrease morbidity and mortality of patients in pain. Nurses’ knowledge and attitude on pain greatly affect their ability on assessment and management. The Pain Society of the Philippines recognized the inadequacy and inaccessibility of data on the knowledge, skills, and attitude of nurses on pain management in the country. This study may be the first of its kind in the county, giving it the potential to contribute greatly to nursing education and practice through providing valuable baseline data. Objectives: This study aims to describe the level of knowledge and attitude, and current practices of nurses on pain assessment and management; and determine the relationship of nurses’ knowledge and attitude with years of experience, training on pain management and clinical area of practice. Methodology: A survey research design was employed. Four hospitals were selected through purposive sampling. A total of 235 Medical-Surgical Unit and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) nurses participated in the study. The tool used is a combination of demographic survey, Nurses’ Knowledge and Attitude Survey Regarding Pain (NKASRP), Acute Pain Evidence Based Practice Questionnaire (APEBPQ) with self-report questions on non-pharmacologic pain management. The data obtained was analysed using descriptive statistics, two sample T-tests for clinical areas and training; and Pearson product correlation to identify relationship of level of knowledge and attitude with years of experience. Results and Analysis: The mean knowledge and attitude score of the nurses was 47.14%. Majority answered ‘most of the time’ or ‘all the time’ on 84.12% of practice items on pain assessment, implementation of non-pharmacologic interventions, evaluation and documentation. Three of 19 practice items describing morphine and opioid administration in special populations were only done ‘a little of the time’. Most utilized non-pharmacologic interventions were deep breathing exercises (79.66%), massage therapy (27.54%), and ice therapy (26.69%). There was no significant relationship between knowledge scores and years of clinical experience (p = 0.05, r= -0.09). Moreover, there was not enough evidence to show difference in nurses’ knowledge and attitude scores in relation to presence of training (p = 0.41) or areas (Medical-Surgical or ICU) of clinical practice (p = 0.53). Conclusion and Recommendations: Findings of the study showed that the level of knowledge and attitude of nurses on pain assessment and management is suboptimal; and no relationship between nurses’ knowledge and attitude and years of experience. It is recommended that further studies look into the nursing curriculum on pain education, culture-specific pain management protocols and evidence-based practices in the country.

Keywords: knowledge and attitude, nurses, pain management, practices on pain management

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Authors: Ebenezer Joseph

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Chess is a useful tool to enhance general and specific cognitive functioning in children. The present study aims to assess the impact of chess on cognitive in children and to measure the differential impact of socio-demographic factors like age and gender of the child on the effectiveness of the chess intervention.This research study used an experimental design to study the impact of the Training in Chess on the intelligence of children. The Pre-test Post-test Control Group Design was utilized. The research design involved two groups of children: an experimental group and a control group. The experimental group consisted of children who participated in the one-year Chess Training Intervention, while the control group participated in extra-curricular activities in school. The main independent variable was training in chess. Other independent variables were gender and age of the child. The dependent variable was the cognitive functioning of the child (as measured by IQ, working memory index, processing speed index, perceptual reasoning index, verbal comprehension index, numerical reasoning, verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, social intelligence, language, conceptual thinking, memory, visual motor and creativity). The sample consisted of 200 children studying in Government and Private schools. Random sampling was utilized. The sample included both boys and girls falling in the age range 6 to 16 years. The experimental group consisted of 100 children (50 from Government schools and 50 from Private schools) with an equal representation of boys and girls. The control group similarly consisted of 100 children. The dependent variables were assessed using Binet-Kamat Test of Intelligence, Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - IV (India) and Wallach Kogan Creativity Test. The training methodology comprised Winning Moves Chess Learning Program - Episodes 1–22, lectures with the demonstration board, on-the-board playing and training, chess exercise through workbooks (Chess school 1A, Chess school 2, and tactics) and working with chess software. Further students games were mapped using chess software and the brain patterns of the child were understood. They were taught the ideas behind chess openings and exposure to classical games were also given. The children participated in mock as well as regular tournaments. Preliminary analysis carried out using independent t tests with 50 children indicates that chess training has led to significant increases in the intelligent quotient. Children in the experimental group have shown significant increases in composite scores like working memory and perceptual reasoning. Chess training has significantly enhanced the total creativity scores, line drawing and pattern meaning subscale scores. Systematically learning chess as part of school activities appears to have a broad spectrum of positive outcomes.

Keywords: chess, intelligence, creativity, children

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Authors: O. A. Adeyemi, M. O. Idris, W. A. Oke, O. T. Olorode, S. O. Alayande, A. E. Adeoye

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The purpose of this paper is to investigate the process of capability building at subsidiary level and the challenges to such process. The relevance of external factors for capability development, have not been explicitly addressed in empirical studies. Though, internal factors, acting as enablers, have been more extensively studied. With reference to external factors, subsidiaries are actively influenced by specific characteristics of the host country, implying a need to become fully immersed in local culture and practices. Specifically, in MNCs, there has been a widespread trend in management practice to increase subsidiary autonomy,  with subsidiary managers being encouraged to act entrepreneurially, and to take advantage of host country specificity. As such, it could be proposed that: P1: The degree at which subsidiary management is connected to the host country, will positively influence the capability development process. Dynamic capabilities reside to a large measure with the subsidiary management team, but are impacted by the organizational processes, systems and structures that the MNC headquarter has designed to manage its business. At the subsidiary level, the weight of the subsidiary in the network, its initiative-taking and its profile building increase the supportive attention of the HQs and are relevant to the success of the process of capability building. Therefore, our second proposition is that: P2: Subsidiary role and HQ support are relevant elements in capability development at the subsidiary level. Design/Methodology/Approach: This present study will adopt the multiple case studies approach. That is because a case study research is relevant when addressing issues without known empirical evidences or with little developed prior theory. The key definitions and literature sources directly connected with operations of western subsidiaries in emerging markets, such as China, are well established. A qualitative approach, i.e., case studies of three western subsidiaries, will be adopted. The companies have similar products, they have operations in China, and both of them are mature in their internationalization process. Interviews with key informants, annual reports, press releases, media materials, presentation material to customers and stakeholders, and other company documents will be used as data sources. Findings: Western Subsidiaries in Emerging Market operate in a way substantially different from those in the West. What are the conditions initiating the outsourcing of operations? The paper will discuss and present two relevant propositions guiding that process. Practical Implications: MNCs headquarter should be aware of the potential for capability development at the subsidiary level. This increased awareness could induce consideration in headquarter about the possible ways of encouraging such known capability development and how to leverage these capabilities for better MNC headquarter and/or subsidiary performance. Originality/Value: The paper is expected to contribute on the theme: drivers of subsidiary performance with focus on emerging market. In particular, it will show how some external conditions could promote a capability-building process within subsidiaries.

Keywords: case studies, dynamic capability, emerging market, subsidiary

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Authors: Ravi Teja Chitturi Suryaprakash, Chandrashekhar Unakal, Haytham Al-Bayaty, Duraisamy Saravanakumar

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Background and significance: Oral biofilm formation is a well-known causative factor for caries and periodontal diseases. Scientists over the years have been trying to find a solution against the formation of oral biofilms. Though several advances have been made to understand the microbial ecology and how the bio film survives, it is still an enigma to researchers to find a chemical product that not only can inhibit the formation of oral bio film but also not disturb the oral micro flora required for oral health and not to cause damage to the cells of the oral cavity. One such product that has never been investigated much are herbal preparations. Some of the microorganisms important in the formation of biofilm are Streptococcus mutans, Actinomyces naeslundi, Streptococuss oralis and Prevotella intermedia. The aim of this study was to study the antimicrobial property of some herbal extracts available in Trinidad and Tobago against these pathogens. The significance of this study is that identification of biologically effective plant extracts can result in indigenous development of mouth rinses and tooth pastes that the people can benefit from to not only develop effective but also a cheap solution. Methodology: The extracts from the leaves of Plectranthus ambonicus, Ocmium tenuiflorum, Azadirchata indica, Anacardium occidentale, Psidium guajava were prepared by dissolving them in water. The extracts from the roots of Curcuma longa were prepared similarly and the antimicrobial activity of these six plant extracts was determined by the agar well diffusion method using minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against Streptococcus mutans, Actinomyces naeslundi, Streptococuss oralis and Prevotella intermedia and compared with chlorhexidine. Results: The six plant extracts showed variable effect on the oral micro-organisms. Ocmium tenuiflorum (16.66 ± 0.44, 14 ± 0.58, 13.33 ± 0.88, 12.83 ± 0.60), Azadirchata indica (17.5 ± 0.28, 14.83 ± 0.17, 15 ± 0.58, 12.83 ± 0.6) and Curcuma longa (16.16 ± 0.44, 13.66 ± 0.88, 12.33 ± 0.88, 11.33 ± 0.67) were found to have highest inhibitory activity against all the four pathogens (Streptococcus mutans, Streptococuss oralis, Actinomyces naeslundi, and Prevotella intermedia) respectively. Conclusion: Although the extracts were not pure compounds we obtained antimicrobial results which determine that they are potent antimicrobial agents. Further derivation of pure compounds from these extracts could be lucrative as it might lead to the development of a cost effective and biologically safe medicine to act against oral biofilms. Acknowledgement: The authors would like to acknowledge the Campus Research and Publication Fund Committee, The University of the West Indies for funding this study and would also like to acknowledge Dr. Leonette Cox, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus, Trinidad and Tobago for helping to prepare the plant extracts.

Keywords: agar well diffusion method, herbal extracts, minimum inhibitory concentration, oral biofilm forming microorganisms

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Authors: Esther Van Andel, Stefanie C. Lange, Maarten M. J. Smulders, Han Zuilhof

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False outcomes of diagnostic tests are a major concern in medical health care. To improve the reliability of surface-based diagnostic tests, it is of crucial importance to diminish background signals that arise from the non-specific binding of biomolecules, a process called fouling. The aim is to create surfaces that repel all biomolecules except the molecule of interest. This can be achieved by incorporating antifouling protein repellent coatings in between the sensor surface and it’s recognition elements (e.g. antibodies, sugars, aptamers). Zwitterionic polymer brushes are considered excellent antifouling materials, however, to be able to bind the molecule of interest, the polymer brushes have to be functionalized and so far this was only achieved at the expense of either antifouling or binding capacity. To overcome this limitation, we combined both features into one single monomer: a zwitterionic sulfobetaine, ensuring antifouling capabilities, equipped with a clickable azide moiety which allows for further functionalization. By copolymerizing this monomer together with a standard sulfobetaine, the number of azides (and with that the number of recognition elements) can be tuned depending on the application. First, the clickable azido-monomer was synthesized and characterized, followed by copolymerizing this monomer to yield functionalizable antifouling brushes. The brushes were fully characterized using surface characterization techniques like XPS, contact angle measurements, G-ATR-FTIR and XRR. As a proof of principle, the brushes were subsequently functionalized with biotin via strain-promoted alkyne azide click reactions, which yielded a fully zwitterionic biotin-containing 3D-functionalized coating. The sensing capacity was evaluated by reflectometry using avidin and fibrinogen containing protein solutions. The surfaces showed excellent antifouling properties as illustrated by the complete absence of non-specific fibrinogen binding, while at the same time clear responses were seen for the specific binding of avidin. A great increase in signal-to-noise ratio was observed, even when the amount of functional groups was lowered to 1%, compared to traditional modification of sulfobetaine brushes that rely on a 2D-approach in which only the top-layer can be functionalized. This study was performed on stoichiometric silicon nitride surfaces for future microring resonator based assays, however, this methodology can be transferred to other biosensor platforms which are currently being investigated. The approach presented herein enables a highly efficient strategy for selective binding with retained antifouling properties for improved signal-to-noise ratios in binding assays. The number of recognition units can be adjusted to a specific need, e.g. depending on the size of the analyte to be bound, widening the scope of these functionalizable surface coatings.

Keywords: antifouling, signal-to-noise ratio, surface functionalization, zwitterionic polymer brushes

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Authors: Nurgul A. Abenova, Gaukhar S. Dilmagambetova, Lazzat M. Zhamaliyeva

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Professionalism is a core competency that all medical students must achieve throughout their studies. Clinical knowledge, good communication skills and an understanding of ethics form the basis of professionalism. Patients, medical societies and accrediting organizations expect future specialists to be professionals in their field, which in turn leads to the best clinical results. Currently, there are no studies devoted to the study of medical professionalism in the Republic of Kazakhstan. As a result, medical education in the Kazakhstani system has a limited perception of the concept of professionalism compared to many Western medical schools. Thus, the primary purpose of this study is to analyze the perception of medical professionalism among residents and teachers of family medicine at the West Kazakhstan Marat Ospanov Medical University. А qualitative research method was used based on the content analysis methodology. A focus group discussion was held with 60 residents and 12 family medicine teachers to gather participants' views and experiences in the field of medical professionalism. The received information was processed using the MAXQDA-2020 software package. Respondents were selected for the study based on their age, gender, and educational level. The results of the conducted survey confirmed the respondents’ acknowledgment of the basic attributes of professionalism, such as medical knowledge and skills (more than 40% of the answers), personal and moral qualities of the doctor (more than 25% of the answers), respect for the interests of the patient (15% of the answers), the relationship between the doctor and the patient and among professionals themselves (15% of responses). Another important discovery of the survey was that residents are five times more likely to define the relationship between a doctor and a patient in a model “respect for the interests of the patient” in comparison with teachers of family medicine, who primarily reported responsibility and collegiality to be the basis for the development of professionalism and traditionally view doctor-patient relationship to be formed on the basis of paternalism defined by a high degree of control over patients. This significant difference demonstrates a rift among specialists in the field of family medicine, which causes a lot of problems. For example, nowadays, professional family doctors regularly face burnout problem due to many reasons and factors that force them to abandon their jobs. In addition to that, elements of professionalism such as reflective skills, time management and feedback collection were presented to the least extent (less than 1%) by both groups, which differs from the perception of the Western medical school and is a significant issue that needs to be solved. The qualitative nature of our study provides a detailed understanding of medical professionalism in the context of the Central Asian healthcare system, revealing many aspects that are inferior to the Western medical school counterparts and provides a solution, which is to teach the attributes and skills required for medical professionalism at all stages of medical education of family doctors.

Keywords: family medicine, family doctors, medical professionalism, medical education

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Authors: Mohammad Afkhami, Ali Hassanpour, Michael Fairweather

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The work described in this paper was undertaken to gain insight into fundamental aspects of turbulent gas-particle flows with relevance to processes employed in a wide range of applications, such as oil and gas flow assurance in pipes, powder dispersion from dry powder inhalers, and particle resuspension in nuclear waste ponds, to name but a few. In particular, the influence of particle interaction and fluid phase behavior in turbulent flow on particle dispersion in a horizontal channel is investigated. The mathematical modeling technique used is based on the large eddy simulation (LES) methodology embodied in the commercial CFD code FLUENT, with flow solutions provided by this approach coupled to a second commercial code, EDEM, based on the discrete element method (DEM) which is used for the prediction of particle motion and interaction. The results generated by LES for the fluid phase have been validated against direct numerical simulations (DNS) for three different channel flows with shear Reynolds numbers, Reτ = 150, 300 and 590. Overall, the LES shows good agreement, with mean velocities and normal and shear stresses matching those of the DNS in both magnitude and position. The research work has focused on the prediction of those conditions favoring particle aggregation and deposition within turbulent flows. Simulations have been carried out to investigate the effects of particle size, density and concentration on particle agglomeration. Furthermore, particles with different surface properties have been simulated in three channel flows with different levels of flow turbulence, achieved by increasing the Reynolds number of the flow. The simulations mimic the conditions of two-phase, fluid-solid flows frequently encountered in domestic, commercial and industrial applications, for example, air conditioning and refrigeration units, heat exchangers, oil and gas suction and pressure lines. The particle size, density, surface energy and volume fractions selected are 45.6, 102 and 150 µm, 250, 1000 and 2159 kg m-3, 50, 500, and 5000 mJ m-2 and 7.84 × 10-6, 2.8 × 10-5, and 1 × 10-4, respectively; such particle properties are associated with particles found in soil, as well as metals and oxides prevalent in turbulent bounded fluid-solid flows due to erosion and corrosion of inner pipe walls. It has been found that the turbulence structure of the flow dominates the motion of the particles, creating particle-particle interactions, with most of these interactions taking place at locations close to the channel walls and in regions of high turbulence where their agglomeration is aided both by the high levels of turbulence and the high concentration of particles. A positive relationship between particle surface energy, concentration, size and density, and agglomeration was observed. Moreover, the results derived for the three Reynolds numbers considered show that the rate of agglomeration is strongly influenced for high surface energy particles by, and increases with, the intensity of the flow turbulence. In contrast, for lower surface energy particles, the rate of agglomeration diminishes with an increase in flow turbulence intensity.

Keywords: agglomeration, channel flow, DEM, LES, turbulence

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Authors: Natalie Preville, Carlos Joel Mejia-Olivares

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In the UK, since the early 1950s when the NHS was founded, international staff in the NHS have played an important role. Currently, they represent 16% of the workforce within the NHS in the UK. Furthermore, to address the shortfalls in nursing staff, international recruitment programs have been essential to reduce the gaps in the UK nursing workforce over the last two decades. The NHS Long Term Plan (2019) aims to have a significant reduction of nursing vacancies to 5% by 2028. However, in 2021 and 2022, Workforce Race Equality Standards (WRES) reports stated that there is inequitable Career Progression (CP) among Internationally Recruited (IR) nurses as compared to British counterparts. In addition, there is sufficient literature exploring the motives and lived experiences of IR nurses, which underpins the findings. Therefore, the overall aim of this report is to conduct a scoping project to understand the experiences of the IR nurses who joined the NHS in the South East of England within the last 5 years. Methodology- This document is based on the data from a survey developed by Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust using Microsoft forms and consisted of 23 questions divided into four themes, staff background, career experience, career progression and future career plans within Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust. The descriptive analysis provided the initial analysis of the quantitative data. As a result, 44 responses were collected and evaluated by utilising Microsoft excel. Key findings: Career experiences; 72% of respondents felt that their current role was a good fit, and in a subsequent question, the main reason cited was having “relevant skills”. This indicates that, for the most part, the prior experience of IR nurses is a large factor in their placement, which is viewed positively; the next step is to effectively apply similar relevance in aligning prior experience with career progression opportunities. Moreover, 67% of respondents feel valued by the department/team, which is a great reflection of the values of the Trust being demonstrated towards IR Nurses. However, further studies may be necessary to explore the reasons why the remaining 33% may not feel valued; this can include having a better understanding of cultural perceptions of value. Perceived Barriers: Although 37% of respondents had been promoted since commencing employment with the Trust, the data indicates that there is still room for CP opportunities, as it is the leading barrier reported by the respondents. Secondly, the growing mix of cultures within the nursing workforce gives the appearance of inclusion. However, this is not the experience of some IR nurses. Conclusion statemen: Survey results indicate that this NHS Trust has an excellent foundation to integrate international nurses into their workforce with scope for career progression in a reasonable timeframe. However, it would be recommendable to include fast-tracking career promotions by recognizing previous studies and professional experience. Further exploration of staff career experiences and goals may provide additional useful data for future planning.

Keywords: career progression, International nurses, perceived barriers, staff survey

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Authors: Aparna Saha, Tuhin Ahmed

Abstract:

West Bengal has a number of important rivers, each with its distinctive character and a story. Traditionally, cities have ‘divulged’ to rivers at the river edges and rivers have been an inseparable part of the urban experience. Considering the research aspect, the area is taken in Barrackpore, a small but important outgrowth of Kolkata Municipal Association, West Bengal. Barrackpore, at present, has ample inadequate public open spaces at the neighborhood level where people of different socio-cultural, economic, and religious backgrounds can come together and engage in various leisure activities, but there is no opportunity either, where people can learn about and explore the rich history of the settlement. Pertaining to these issues forms the backdrop of this research paper which has been conceptualized as a place from space that will bring people back to the river and increase community interactions and will also celebrate and commemorate towards the historical importance of the river and its edges. The entire precinct bordering the river represents the transition from pre-independence (Raj era) to Sepoy phase (Swaraj era), finally culminating into the Gandhian philosophy which is being projected into the already existing Gandhi Ghat. The ultimate aim of the paper entitled ‘Utsadhara- Rejuvenating the dead river edge into an urban activity space along the banks of river Hooghly’ is to create a socio-cultural space keeping the heritage identity intact through judicious use of the water body. Also, a balance is kept between the natural ecosystem and the cosmetic development of the surrounding open spaces. It can be duly achieved by the aforementioned methodology provided in the document, but mainly it would focus into preserving the historic ethnicity of the place by holding its character through various facts and figures as well as features. Most importantly the natural topography of the place is left intact. The second priority is given in terms of hierarchy of well connected public plazas, podiums where people from different socio-economic backgrounds irrespective of age and sex could socialize and reach towards venturing into a cordial relationship with one another. The third priority is to provide a platform for the common mass for showcasing their skills and talent through different art and craft forms which in turn would enhance their individual self and also the community as a whole through economic rise. Apart from this here some spaces are created in accordance to different age groups or class of people. The paper intends to see the river as a major multifunctional public space to attract people for different activities and re-establish the relationship of the river with the settlement. Hence, it is apprehended that the paper is not only intended to a simple riverfront conservation project but unlike others it is a place which is created for the people, by the people and of the people towards a holistic community development through a sustainable approach.

Keywords: holistic community development, public activity space, river-urban precinct, urban dead space

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Authors: Regina Rekuviene, Vykintas Samaitis, Liudas Mažeika, Audrius Jankauskas, Virginija Jankauskaitė, Laura Gegeckienė, Abdolali Sadaghiani, Shaghayegh Saeidiharzand

Abstract:

Icing brings significant damage to aviation and renewable energy installations. Air-conditioning, refrigeration, wind turbine blades, airplane and helicopter blades often suffer from icing phenomena, which cause severe energy losses and impair aerodynamic performance. The icing process is a complex phenomenon with many different causes and types. Icing mechanisms, distributions, and patterns are still relevant to research topics. The adhesion strength between ice and surfaces differs in different icing environments. This makes the task of anti-icing very challenging. The techniques for various icing environments must satisfy different demands and requirements (e.g., efficient, lightweight, low power consumption, low maintenance and manufacturing costs, reliable operation). It is noticeable that most methods are oriented toward a particular sector and adapting them to or suggesting them for other areas is quite problematic. These methods often use various technologies and have different specifications, sometimes with no clear indication of their efficiency. There are two major groups of anti-icing methods: passive and active. Active techniques have high efficiency but, at the same time, quite high energy consumption and require intervention in the structure’s design. It’s noticeable that vast majority of these methods require specific knowledge and personnel skills. The main effect of passive methods (ice-phobic, superhydrophobic surfaces) is to delay ice formation and growth or reduce the adhesion strength between the ice and the surface. These methods are time-consuming and depend on forecasting. They can be applied on small surfaces only for specific targets, and most are non-biodegradable (except for anti-freezing proteins). There is some quite promising information on ultrasonic ice mitigation methods that employ UGW (Ultrasonic Guided Wave). These methods are have the characteristics of low energy consumption, low cost, lightweight, and easy replacement and maintenance. However, fundamental knowledge of ultrasonic de-icing methodology is still limited. The objective of this work was to identify the ice formation processes and its progress by employing ultrasonic guided wave technique. Throughout this research, the universal set-up for acoustic measurement of ice formation in a real condition (temperature range from +240 C to -230 C) was developed. Ultrasonic measurements were performed by using high frequency 5 MHz transducers in a pitch-catch configuration. The selection of wave modes suitable for detection of ice formation phenomenon on copper metal surface was performed. Interaction between the selected wave modes and ice formation processes was investigated. It was found that selected wave modes are sensitive to temperature changes. It was demonstrated that proposed ultrasonic technique could be successfully used for the detection of ice layer formation on a metal surface.

Keywords: ice formation processes, ultrasonic GW, detection of ice formation, ultrasonic testing

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Authors: Ditsapelo M. McFarland

Abstract:

Background: Despite the availability of the Pap smear services in urban areas in Botswana, most women in such areas do not seem to screen regular for prevention of the cervical cancer disease. Reasons for non-use of the available Pap smear services are not well understood. Beliefs about cancer may influence participation in cancer screening in these women. The purpose of this study was to develop an instrument to measure beliefs about cervical cancer and Pap smear screening among Black women in Botswana, and evaluate the psychometric properties of the instrument. Significance: Instruments that are designed to measure beliefs about cervical cancer and screening among black women in Botswana, as well as in the surrounding region, are presently not available. Valid and reliable instruments are needed for exploration of the women’s beliefs about cervical cancer. Conceptual Framework: The Health Belief Model (HBM) provided a conceptual framework for the study. Methodology: The study was done in four phases: Phase 1: item generation: 15 items were generated from literature review and qualitative data for each of four conceptually defined HBM constructs: Perceived susceptibility, severity, benefits, and barriers (Version 1). Phase 2: content validity: Four experts who were advanced practice nurses of African descent and were familiar with the content and the HBM evaluated the content. Experts rated the items on a 4-point Likert scale ranging from: 1=not relevant, 2=somewhat relevant, 3=relevant and 4=very relevant. Fifty-five items were retained for instrument development: perceived susceptibility - 11, severity - 14, benefits - 15 and barriers - 15, all measuring on a 4-point Likert scale ranging from strongly disagree (1) to strongly agree (4). (Version 2). Phase 3: pilot testing: The instrument was pilot tested on a convenient sample of 30 women in Botswana and revised as needed. Phase 4: reliability: the revised instrument (Version 3) was submitted to a larger sample of women in Botswana (n=300) for reliability testing. The sample included women who were Batswana by birth and decent, were aged 30 years and above and could complete an English questionnaire. Data were collected with the assistance of trained research assistants. Major findings: confirmatory factor analysis of the 55 items found that a number of items did not adequately load in a four-factor solution. Items that exhibited reasonable reliability and had low frequency of missing values (n=36) were retained: perceived barriers (14 items), perceived benefits (8 items), perceived severity (4 items), and perceived susceptibility (10 items). confirmatory factor analysis (principle components) for a four factor solution using varimax rotation demonstrated that these four factors explained 43% of the variation in these 36 items. Conclusion: reliability analysis using Cronbach’s Alpha gave generally satisfactory results with values from 0.53 to 0.89.

Keywords: cervical cancer, factor analysis, psychometric evaluation, varimax rotation

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Authors: Maria Jose Granero Paris, Ana Isabel Jimenez Zarco, Agustin Pablo Alvarez Herranz

Abstract:

In the industrial sector collaboration with suppliers is key to the development of innovations in the field of processes. Access to resources and expertise that are not available in the business, obtaining a cost advantage, or the reduction of the time needed to carry out innovation are some of the benefits associated with the process. However, the success of this collaborative process is compromised, when from the beginning not clearly rules have been established that govern the relationship. Abundant studies developed in the field of innovation emphasize the strategic importance of the concept of “Governance”. Despite this, there have been few papers that have analyzed how the governance process of the relationship must be designed and managed to ensure the success of the collaboration process. The lack of literature in this area responds to the wide diversity of contexts where collaborative processes to innovate take place. Thus, in sectors such as the car industry there is a strong collaborative tradition between manufacturers and suppliers being part of the value chain. In this case, it is common to establish mechanisms and procedures that fix formal and clear objectives to regulate the relationship, and establishes the rights and obligations of each of the parties involved. By contrast, in other sectors, collaborative relationships to innovate are not a common way of working, particularly when their aim is the development of process improvements. It is in this case, it is when the lack of mechanisms to establish and regulate the behavior of those involved, can give rise to conflicts, and the failure of the cooperative relationship. Because of this the present paper analyzes the similarities and differences in the processes of governance in collaboration with suppliers in the European aerospace industry With these ideas in mind, we present research is twofold: Understand the importance of governance as a key element of the success of the collaboration in the development of product and process innovations, Establish the mechanisms and procedures to ensure the proper management of the processes of collaboration. Following the methodology of the case study, we analyze the way in which manufacturers and suppliers cooperate in the development of new products and processes in two industries with different levels of technological intensity and collaborative tradition: the automotive and aerospace. The identification of those elements playing a key role to establish a successful governance and relationship management and the compression of the mechanisms of regulation and control in place at the automotive sector can be use to propose solutions to some of the conflicts that currently arise in aerospace industry. The paper concludes by analyzing the strategic implications for the aerospace industry entails the adoption of some of the practices traditionally used in other industrial sectors. Finally, it is important to highlight that in this paper are presented the first results of a research project currently in progress describing a model of governance that explains the way to manage outsourced services to suppliers in the European aerospace industry, through the analysis of companies in the sector located in Germany, France and Spain.

Keywords: supplier collaboration, supplier relationship governance, innovation management, product innovation, process innovation

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Authors: Anshu Siwach, Qianlai Zhuang, Ratul Baishya

Abstract:

Context: This study focuses on the influence of moss cover and seasonality on soil microbial biomass and enzymatic activity in different Central Himalayan temperate forest types. Soil microbial biomass and enzymes are key indicators of microbial communities in soil and provide information on soil properties, microbial status, and organic matter dynamics. The activity of microorganisms in the soil varies depending on the vegetation type and environmental conditions. Therefore, this study aims to assess the effects of moss cover, seasons, and different forest types on soil microbial biomass carbon (SMBC), soil microbial biomass nitrogen (SMBN), and soil enzymatic activity in the Central Himalayas, Uttarakhand, India. Research Aim: The aim of this study is to evaluate the levels of SMBC, SMBN, and soil enzymatic activity in different temperate forest types under the influence of two ground covers (soil with and without moss cover) during the rainy and winter seasons. Question Addressed: This study addresses the following questions: 1. How does the presence of moss cover and seasonality affect soil microbial biomass and enzymatic activity? 2. What is the influence of different forest types on SMBC, SMBN, and enzymatic activity? Methodology: Soil samples were collected from different forest types during the rainy and winter seasons. The study utilizes the chloroform-fumigation extraction method to determine SMBC and SMBN. Standard methodologies are followed to measure enzymatic activities, including dehydrogenase, acid phosphatase, aryl sulfatase, β-glucosidase, phenol oxidase, and urease. Findings: The study reveals significant variations in SMBC, SMBN, and enzymatic activity under different ground covers, within the rainy and winter seasons, and among the forest types. Moss cover positively influences SMBC and enzymatic activity during the rainy season, while soil without moss cover shows higher values during the winter season. Quercus-dominated forests, as well as Cupressus torulosa forests, exhibit higher levels of SMBC and enzymatic activity, while Pinus roxburghii forests show lower levels. Theoretical Importance: The findings highlight the importance of considering mosses in forest management plans to improve soil microbial diversity, enzymatic activity, soil quality, and health. Additionally, this research contributes to understanding the role of lower plants, such as mosses, in influencing ecosystem dynamics. Conclusion: The study concludes that moss cover during the rainy season significantly influences soil microbial biomass and enzymatic activity. Quercus and Cupressus torulosa dominated forests demonstrate higher levels of SMBC and enzymatic activity, indicating the importance of these forest types in sustaining soil microbial diversity and soil health. Including mosses in forest management plans can improve soil quality and overall ecosystem dynamics.

Keywords: moss cover, seasons, soil enzymes, soil microbial biomass, temperate forest types

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