Search results for: marketing research and strategy

Authors: Jinfeng Zhang, Chun-Sing Lee

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The use of different nanocarriers for delivering hydrophobic pharmaceutical agents to tumor sites has garnered major attention. Despite the merits of these nanocarriers, further studies are needed for improving their drug loading capacities (typically less than 10%) and reducing their potential systemic toxicity. So development of alternative self-carried nanodrug delivery strategies without using any inert carriers is highly desirable. In this study, we developed a self-carried theranostic curcumin (Cur) nanodrug for highly effective cancer therapy in vitro and in vivo with real-time monitoring of drug release. With a biocompatible C18PMH-PEG functionalization, the Cur nanoparticles (NPs) showed excellent dispersibility and outstanding stability in physiological environment, with drug loading capacity higher than 78 wt.%. Both confocal microscopy and flow cytometry confirmed the cellular fluorescent “OFF-ON” activation and real-time monitoring of Cur molecule release, showing its potential for cancer diagnosis. In vitro and in vivo experiments clearly show that therapeutic efficacy of the PEGylated Cur NPs is much better than that of free Cur. This self-carried theranostic strategy with real-time monitoring of drug release may open a new way for simultaneous cancer therapy and diagnosis.

Keywords: drug delivery, in vitro and in vivo cancer therapy, real-time monitoring, self-carried

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Authors: Robert Ogbanje Okwori

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The paper explained the causes low students’ access to university education in Nigeria and how it can be remedied. It is discovered that low students’ access to university education in Nigeria is evident despite these number of universities in the country. In 2006/2007 academic session, 806,089 sat for Joint Unified Matriculation Board Examination (JAMB) into Nigerian universities and only 123,626 (15.3%) were admitted while 2011/2012 academic session, a total of 1,493,604 candidates sat for Joint Unified Matriculation Board Examination (JAMB) into Nigerian universities and only 65,073 (43.57%) were admitted. This necessitates for the research. Therefore, the study posed the following research questions. What are causes of low students’ access to university education in Nigeria? What are the challenges of students’ access to university education in Nigeria? How can students’ access to university education in Nigeria be improved? Sample survey research design was adopted for the study. A structured questionnaire was used to gather data for the study. Six hundred and eighty (680) respondents which comprised of 100 level university students; JAMB Officers and University administrators (Vice Chancellors, Registrars and Admission Officers) were used for the study. Stratified random sampling was applied for adequate representation of respondents from universities in the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria. Mean was used to answer research questions while Kuder-Richardson formula 20 was used to check the internal consistency of the instrument. The correlation coefficient of the instrument was 0.87. The major findings include the carrying capacity of each university contributes to low students’ access to university education and academic staff were inadequate. From the analysis of the study, it is concluded that the rate of access to university education is low, therefore, every university should establish distance learning programme to reduce university admission crisis. The training infrastructure in the universities should be improved upon by the owners to increase the carrying capacity of each university.

Keywords: access, causes, low, university

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Authors: Rongli Gai, Zhiyuan Chang

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At this stage, in view of various situations in the interpolation process, most researchers use self-adaptation to adjust the interpolation process, which is also one of the current and future research hotspots in the field of CNC machining. In the interpolation process, according to the overview of the spline curve interpolation algorithm, the adaptive analysis is carried out from the factors affecting the interpolation process. The adaptive operation is reflected in various aspects, such as speed, parameters, errors, nodes, feed rates, random Period, sensitive point, step size, curvature, adaptive segmentation, adaptive optimization, etc. This paper will analyze and summarize the research of adaptive imputation in the direction of the above factors affecting imputation.

Keywords: adaptive algorithm, CNC machining, interpolation constraints, spline curve interpolation

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Authors: Shivam Dwivedi, Sumit Prakash Gupta, Durga Toshniwal

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It is a challenging task in today’s date to keep defence forces in the highest state of combat readiness with budgetary constraints. A huge amount of time and money is squandered in the unnecessary and expensive traditional maintenance activities. To overcome this limitation Defence Intelligent Mission Readiness and Maintenance Scheduling System has been proposed, which ameliorates the maintenance system by diagnosing the condition and predicting the maintenance requirements. Based on new data mining algorithms, this system intelligently optimises mission readiness for imminent operations and maintenance scheduling in repair echelons. With modified data mining algorithms such as Weighted Feature Ranking Genetic Algorithm and SVM-Random Forest Linear ensemble, it improves the reliability, availability and safety, alongside reducing maintenance cost and Equipment Out of Action (EOA) time. The results clearly conclude that the introduced algorithms have an edge over the conventional data mining algorithms. The system utilizing the intelligent condition-based maintenance approach improves the operational and maintenance decision strategy of the defence force.

Keywords: condition based maintenance, data mining, defence maintenance, ensemble, genetic algorithms, maintenance scheduling, mission capability

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Authors: Gerald Gwamba

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Formation and oil well sand production is one of the greatest and oldest concerns for the Oil and gas industry. The production of sand particles may vary from very small and limited amounts to far elevated levels which has the potential to block or plug the pore spaces near the perforated points to blocking production from surface facilities. Therefore, the timely and reliable investigation of conditions leading to the onset or quantifying sanding while producing is imperative. The challenges of sand production are even more elevated while producing in Waxy and Heavy wells with Clay Fine sands (WHFC). Existing research argues that both waxy and heavy hydrocarbons exhibit far differing characteristics with waxy more paraffinic while heavy crude oils exhibit more asphaltenic properties. Moreover, the combined effect of WHFC conditions presents more complexity in production as opposed to individual effects that could be attributed to a consolidation of a surmountable opposing force. However, research on a combined high WHFC system could depict a better representation of the surmountable effect which in essence is more comparable to field conditions where a one-sided view of either individual effects on sanding has been argued to some extent misrepresentative of actual field conditions since all factors act surmountably. In recognition of the limited customized research on sand production studies with the combined effect of WHFC however, our research seeks to apply the Design of Experiments (DOE) methodology based on latest literature to analyze the relationship between various interparticle factors in relation to selected sand control methods. Our research aims to unearth a better understanding of how the combined effect of interparticle factors including: strength, cementation, particle size and production rate among others could better assist in the design of an optimal sand control system for the WHFC well conditions. In this regard, we seek to answer the following research question: How does the combined effect of interparticle factors affect the optimization of sand control systems for WHFC wells? Results from experimental data collection will inform a better justification for a sand control design for WHFC. In doing so, we hope to contribute to earlier contrasts arguing that sand production could potentially enable well self-permeability enhancement caused by the establishment of new flow channels created by loosening and detachment of sand grains. We hope that our research will contribute to future sand control designs capable of adapting to flexible production adjustments in controlled sand management. This paper presents results which are part of an ongoing research towards the authors' PhD project in the optimization of sand control systems for WHFC wells.

Keywords: waxy-heavy oils, clay-fine sands, sand control optimization, interparticle factors, design of experiments

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Authors: Godian Asami Mabindah

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The convergence of knowledge management (KM) and competitive intelligence (CI) has gained significant attention in recent years as organizations seek to enhance their competitive advantage in an increasingly complex and dynamic business environment. This research study aims to explore and understand the synergistic relationship between KM and CI and its impact on organizational performance. By investigating how the integration of KM and CI practices can contribute to decision-making, innovation, and competitive advantage, this study seeks to unlock the potential benefits and challenges associated with this integration. The research employs a mixed-methods approach to gather comprehensive data. A quantitative analysis is conducted using survey data collected from a diverse sample of organizations across different industries. The survey measures the extent of integration between KM and CI practices and examines the perceived benefits and challenges associated with this integration. Additionally, qualitative interviews are conducted with key organizational stakeholders to gain deeper insights into their experiences, perspectives, and best practices regarding the synergistic relationship. The findings of this study are expected to reveal several significant outcomes. Firstly, it is anticipated that organizations that effectively integrate KM and CI practices will outperform those that treat them as independent functions. The study aims to highlight the positive impact of this integration on decision-making, innovation, organizational learning, and competitive advantage. Furthermore, the research aims to identify critical success factors and enablers for achieving constructive interaction between KM and CI, such as leadership support, culture, technology infrastructure, and knowledge-sharing mechanisms. The implications of this research are far-reaching. Organizations can leverage the findings to develop strategies and practices that facilitate the integration of KM and CI, leading to enhanced competitive intelligence capabilities and improved knowledge management processes. Additionally, the research contributes to the academic literature by providing a comprehensive understanding of the synergistic relationship between KM and CI and proposing a conceptual framework that can guide future research in this area. By exploring the synergies between KM and CI, this study seeks to help organizations harness their collective power to gain a competitive edge in today's dynamic business landscape. The research provides practical insights and guidelines for organizations to effectively integrate KM and CI practices, leading to improved decision-making, innovation, and overall organizational performance.

Keywords: Competitive Intelligence, Knowledge Management, Organizational Performance, Incusivity, Optimum Performance

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Authors: Emmanouil Papavasileiou, Nikos Bozionelos, Liza Howe-Walsh, Sarah Turnbull

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Purpose: The research focuses on women academics’ insecure identity at work and examines its link with generational identity. The aim is to enrich understanding of identities at work as a crucial attribute of managing academics in the context of the proliferation of managerialist controls of audit, accountability, monitoring, and performativity. Methodology: Positivist quantitative methodology was utilized. Data were collected from the Scientific Women's Academic Network (SWAN) Charter. Responses from 155 women academics based in the British Higher Education system were analysed. Findings: Analysis showed high prevalence of strong imposter feelings among participants, suggesting high insecurity at work among women academics in the United Kingdom. Generational identity was related to imposter feelings. In particular, Millennials scored significantly higher than the other generational groups. Research implications: The study shows that imposter feelings are variously manifested among the prevalent generations of women academics, while generational identity is a significant antecedent of such feelings. Research limitations: Caution should be exercised in generalizing the findings to national cultural contexts beyond the United Kingdom. Practical and social implications: Contrary to popular depictions of Millennials as self-centered, narcissistic, materialistic and demanding, women academics who are members of this generational group appear significantly more insecure than the preceding generations. Value: The study provides insightful understandings into women academics’ identity at work as a function of generational identity, and provides a fruitful avenue for further research within and beyond this gender group and profession.

Keywords: academics, generational diversity, imposter feelings, United Kingdom, women, work identity

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Authors: Adnan Gohar

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This research work aims the importance of internal employees in the making of a brand (cell phone) through customer satisfaction which basically explains the connection of internal employees with external customers. This research is designed to measure the satisfaction level of internal employees which further connects to the product evolution as a brand leaving a brand image in the eye of the external customer. The main focus is that internal employees are as important as external customers for the uplift of the product resulting in the brand. Internal employees are individual organization employees, vendors, departments, and distributors.

Keywords: brand building, customer satisfaction, internal employees, mobile franchise

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Authors: Saeed Poormoaied

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Perishability and developing an intelligent control policy for perishable items are the major concerns of marketing managers in a supply chain. In this study, we address a two-echelon supply chain problem for perishable items with a single vendor and a single buyer. The buyer adopts an aged-based continuous review policy which works by taking both the stock level and the aging process of items into account. The vendor works under the warehouse framework, where its lot size is determined with respect to the batch size of the buyer. The model holds for a positive and fixed lead time for the buyer, and zero lead time for the vendor. The demand follows a Poisson process and any unmet demand is lost. We provide exact analytic expressions for the operational characteristics of the system by using the renewal reward theorem. Items have a fixed lifetime after which they become unusable and are disposed of from the buyer's system. The age of items starts when they are unpacked and ready for the consumption at the buyer. When items are held by the vendor, there is no aging process which results in no perishing at the vendor's site. The model is developed under the centralized framework, which takes the expected profit of both vendor and buyer into consideration. The goal is to determine the optimal policy parameters under the service level constraint at the retailer's site. A sensitivity analysis is performed to investigate the effect of the key input parameters on the expected profit and order quantity in the supply chain. The efficiency of the proposed age-based policy is also evaluated through a numerical study. Our results show that when the unit perishing cost is negligible, a significant cost saving is achieved.

Keywords: two-echelon supply chain, perishable items, age-based policy, renewal reward theorem

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Authors: Wong Kean Hin, Kumarason A. L. V. Rasiah

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A building provides shelter and protection for an individual to live, work, sleep, procreate or engage in leisurely activities comfortably. Currently, a very popular term related to building was often stated by many parties, which is sustainability. A sustainable building is environmental friendly, healthy to the occupants, as well as efficient in electricity and water. This particular research is important to any parties that are involved in the construction industry. This research will provide the awareness and acceptability of Malaysian public towards sustainable residential building. It will also provide the developers about which sustainable features that the people usually want so that the developers can build a sustainable housing that suits the needs of people. Then, propose solutions to solve the difficulties of implementing sustainability in Malaysian housing industry. Qualitative and quantitative research methods were used throughout the process of data collection. The quantitative research method was distribution of questionnaires to 100 Malaysian public and 50 individuals that worked in developer companies. Then, the qualitative method was an interview session with experienced personnel in Malaysian construction industry. From the data collected, there is increasingly Malaysian public and developers are aware about the existence of sustainability. Moreover, the public is willing to invest on sustainable residential building with minimum additional cost. However, there is a mismatch in between sustainable elements provided by developers and the public needs. Some recommendations to improve the progression of sustainability had been proposed in this study, which include laws enforcement, cooperation between the both government sector with private sector, and private sector with private sector, and learn from modern countries. These information will be helpful and useful for the future of sustainability development in Malaysia.

Keywords: acceptability, awareness, Malaysian housing industry, sustainable elements, green building index

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Authors: Nusret Mesut Sahin

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Hrant Dink, a prominent Turkish-Armenian journalist, and editor-in-chief of the bilingual Turkish-Armenian newspaper Agos, was assassinated in Istanbul on January 19th, 2007 by a nationalist extremist, Ogun Samast. Dink had been voicing the atrocities against the Armenians between 1915 and 1922 during the Ottoman rule, and his comments on the issue appeared in the Turkish media many times before his assassination. Despite intensive media coverage of his assassination, there is not enough research analyzing how national and international media presented Dink’s assassination. In this research, a content analysis of national and international news articles (N= 139) is conducted to identify whether there is a significant difference in national and international media’s coverage of the assassination. The content of the newspaper articles is categorized and coded according to the topics covered. The findings of this research suggested that Dink’s assassination wounded Turkey’s image as a democratic country. It has also been found that the Turkish media focused on security forces and their responsibility in Dink’s assassination, whereas international media focused more on the Article 301 of the Turkish penal code, freedom of expression, and atrocities against the Armenians during the Ottoman rule.

Keywords: Hrant Dink, Armenian, journalist, assassination

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Authors: Sasha Goodwin

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Public perceptions can play a crucial role in influencing criminal justice policy and legislation, particularly concerning sex offenders. Studies have found a proximate relationship between public perception and policy to manage the risks posed by sex offenders. A significant body of research on public perceptions about sex offenders primarily uses survey methods and standardised instruments such as the Community Attitude Towards Sex Offenders (CATSO) and Perceptions of Sex Offenders (PSO) scales and finds a mostly negative and punitive attitude informed by common misconceptions. A transformative methodology from the emerging sub-field of visual criminology is where the construction of offences and offenders are understood via novel ways of collecting and analysing data. This research paper examines the public perceptions of sex offenders through the utilization of a content analysis of drawings. The study aimed to disentangle the emotions, stereotypes, and myths embedded in public perceptions by analysing the graphic representations and specific characteristics depicted by participants. Preliminary findings highlight significant discrepancies between public perceptions and empirical profiles of sex offenders, shedding light on the misunderstandings surrounding this heterogeneous group. By employing visual data, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of the complex interplay between societal perceptions and the realities of sex offenders.

Keywords: emotions, figural drawings, public perception, sex offenders

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Authors: Herbert W. Corley

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A scalar equilibrium (SE) is an alternative type of equilibrium in pure strategies for an n-person normal-form game G. It is defined using optimization techniques to obtain a pure strategy for each player of G by maximizing an appropriate utility function over the acceptable joint actions. The players’ actions are determined by the choice of the utility function. Such a utility function could be agreed upon by the players or chosen by an arbitrator. An SE is an equilibrium since no players of G can increase the value of this utility function by changing their strategies. SEs are formally defined, and examples are given. In a greedy SE, the goal is to assign actions to the players giving them the largest individual payoffs jointly possible. In a weighted SE, each player is assigned weights modeling the degree to which he helps every player, including himself, achieve as large a payoff as jointly possible. In a compromise SE, each player wants a fair payoff for a reasonable interpretation of fairness. In a parity SE, the players want their payoffs to be as nearly equal as jointly possible. Finally, a satisficing SE achieves a personal target payoff value for each player. The vector payoffs associated with each of these SEs are shown to be Pareto optimal among all such acceptable vectors, as well as computationally tractable.

Keywords: compromise equilibrium, greedy equilibrium, normal-form game, parity equilibrium, pure strategies, satisficing equilibrium, scalar equilibria, utility function, weighted equilibrium

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Authors: Zheng Yi

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Among the attempts made worldwide to foster urban and transport sustainability, transit-oriented development certainly is one of the most successful. Residents' travel behavior is a concern in the researches about the impacts of transit-oriented development. The study takes 620 English journal papers in the core collection database of Web of Science as the study objects; the paper tries to map out the scientific knowledge mapping in the field and draw the basic conditions by co-citation analysis, co-word analysis, a total of citation network analysis and visualization techniques. This study teases out the research hotspots and evolution of the relationship between urban rail transit and resident's travel behavior from 1999 to 2019. According to the results of the analysis of the time-zone view and burst-detection, the paper discusses the trend of the next stage of international study. The results show that in the past 20 years, the research focuses on these keywords: land use, behavior, model, built environment, impact, travel behavior, walking, physical activity, smart card, big data, simulation, perception. According to different research contents, the key literature is further divided into these topics: the attributes of the built environment, land use, transportation network, transportation policies. The results of this paper can help to understand the related researches and achievements systematically. These results can also provide a reference for identifying the main challenges that relevant researches need to address in the future.

Keywords: urban rail transit, travel behavior, knowledge map, evolution of researches

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Authors: Surasak Kangkhao, Chaturong Louhapensang

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This research investigates design and cultural heritage interpretations by residential architecture design in World Heritage cities: Kamphaeng Phet, Thailand reflect on the essence of design based on local identity. The research consisted of three thematic foci. First, the studies examined the contextual background that led to the genesis of the building. Second, the investigations concentrated on how its design was developed and implemented. Third, these modes of problematisation lent a basis to argue that a quality of placeness was not confined exclusively to traditional or vernacular structures but could be found from the unconventional aesthetics of Residential Architecture as well.

Keywords: expressions, local identity, residential architecture, practice, world heritage site

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Authors: Zerrin Akter Anni

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The media's role in shaping perceptions of violence against women (VAW) and their portrayal in news reporting significantly influences our understanding of this critical issue. My research delves into the portrayal of violence against women in mainstream media, using the prominent case of Dr. Rumana Manzur, a former UBC Fulbright Scholar from Bangladesh who suffered a brutal assault by her ex-husband in June 2011. Employing a qualitative research approach, this study uses an ethnographic media analysis method to scrutinize news reports of the aforementioned case from selected newspapers in Bangladesh. The primary objectives are to investigate how the popular news media in Bangladesh addresses the issue of violence against women and frames the victims of such violence. The findings of this research highlight that news media can perpetuate gender stereotypes and subtly shift blame onto the victim through various techniques, creating intricate interactions between the reader and the text. These techniques include sensationalized headlines, textual content, and graphic images. This victim-blaming process not only retraumatizes the survivor but also distorts the actual facts when presenting the case to a larger audience. Consequently, the representation of violence against women cases in media, particularly the portrayal of women as victims during reporting, significantly impacts our collective comprehension of this issue. In conclusion, this paper asserts that the Bangladeshi media, particularly news outlets, in conjunction with society, continue to follow a pattern of depicting gender-based violence in ways that devalue the image of women. This research underscores the need for critical analysis of media representations of violence against women cases, as they can perpetuate harmful stereotypes and hinder efforts to combat this pervasive problem. Therefore, the outcome of this research is to comprehend the complex dynamics between media and violence against women, which is essential for fostering a more empathetic and informed society that actively works towards eradicating this problem from our society.

Keywords: media representation, violence against women (vaw), ethnographic media analysis, victim-blaming, sensationalized headline

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Authors: Auliya Adzillatin Uzhma, M. Adrian Rizky, Puri Diah Santyarini

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Bekasi Industrial Area in Kab. Bekasi and SEZ (Special Economic Zone) Sei Mangkei in Kab. Simalungun are two areas whose have the same main economic activity that are manufacturing industrial. Manufacturing industry in Bekasi Industrial Area contributes more than 70% of Kab. Bekasi’s GDP, while manufacturing industry in SEZ Sei Mangkei contributes less than 20% of Kab. Simalungun’s GDP. The dependent variable in the research is labor productivity, while the independent variable is the amount of labor, the level of labor education, the length of work and salary. This research used linear regression method to find the model for represent actual condition of productivity in two industrial area, then the equalization using dummy variable on labor education level variable. The initial hypothesis (Ho) in this research is that labor productivity in Bekasi Industrial Area will be higher than the productivity of labor in SEZ Sei Mangkei. The variable that supporting the accepted hypothesis are more labor, higher education, longer work and higher salary in Bekasi Industrial Area.

Keywords: labor, industrial city, linear regression, productivity

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Authors: Shweta Singh, Sudaman Katti

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The most well-known sequence models make use of complex recurrent neural networks in an encoder-decoder configuration. The model used in this research makes use of a transformer, which is based purely on a self-attention mechanism, without relying on recurrence at all. More specifically, encoders and decoders which make use of self-attention and operate based on a memory, are used. In this research work, results for various 3D visual and non-visual reinforcement learning tasks designed in Unity software were obtained. Convolutional neural networks, more specifically, nature CNN architecture, are used for input processing in visual tasks, and comparison with standard long short-term memory (LSTM) architecture is performed for both visual tasks based on CNNs and non-visual tasks based on coordinate inputs. This research work combines the transformer architecture with the proximal policy optimization technique used popularly in reinforcement learning for stability and better policy updates while training, especially for continuous action spaces, which are used in this research work. Certain tasks in this paper are long horizon tasks that carry on for a longer duration and require extensive use of memory-based functionalities like storage of experiences and choosing appropriate actions based on recall. The transformer, which makes use of memory and self-attention mechanism in an encoder-decoder configuration proved to have better performance when compared to LSTM in terms of exploration and rewards achieved. Such memory based architectures can be used extensively in the field of cognitive robotics and reinforcement learning.

Keywords: convolutional neural networks, reinforcement learning, self-attention, transformers, unity

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Authors: Aleksander Ejsmont, Stefan Wuttke, Joanna Goscianska

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Gaining control over particle shape, size and crystallinity is an ongoing challenge for many materials. Especially metalorganic frameworks (MOFs) are recently widely studied. Besides their remarkable porosity and interesting topologies, morphology has proven to be a significant feature. It can affect the further material application. Thus seeking new approaches that enable MOF morphology modulation is important. MOFs are reticular structures, where building blocks are made up of organic linkers and metallic nodes. The most common strategy of ensuring metal source is using salts, which usually exhibit high solubility and hinder morphology control. However, there has been a growing interest in using metal oxides as structure-directing agents towards MOFs due to their very low solubility and shape preservation. Metal oxides can be treated as a metal reservoir during MOF synthesis. Up to now, reports in which receiving MOFs from metal oxides mostly present ZnO conversion to ZIF-8. However, there are other oxides, for instance, Co₃O₄, which often is overlooked due to their structural stability and insolubility in aqueous solutions. Cobalt-based materials are famed for catalytic activity. Therefore the development of their efficient synthesis is worth attention. In the presented work, an optimized Co₃O₄transition to Co-MOFviaa solvothermal approach was proposed. The starting point of the research was the synthesis of Co₃O₄ flower petals and needles under hydrothermal conditions using different cobalt salts (e.g., cobalt(II) chloride and cobalt(II) nitrate), in the presence of urea, and hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) surfactant as a capping agent. After receiving cobalt hydroxide, the calcination process was performed at various temperatures (300–500 °C). Then cobalt oxides as a source of cobalt cations were subjected to reaction with trimesic acid in solvothermal environment and temperature of 120 °C leading to Co-MOF fabrication. The solution maintained in the system was a mixture of water, dimethylformamide, and ethanol, with the addition of strong acids (HF and HNO₃). To establish how solvents affect metal oxide conversion, several different solvent ratios were also applied. The materials received were characterized with analytical techniques, including X-ray powder diffraction, energy dispersive spectroscopy,low-temperature nitrogen adsorption/desorption, scanning, and transmission electron microscopy. It was confirmed that the synthetic routes have led to the formation of Co₃O₄ and Co-based MOF varied in shape and size of particles. The diffractograms showed receiving crystalline phase for Co₃O₄, and also for Co-MOF. The Co₃O₄ obtained from nitrates and with using low-temperature calcination resulted in smaller particles. The study indicated that cobalt oxide particles of different size influence the efficiency of conversion and morphology of Co-MOF. The highest conversion was achieved using metal oxides with small crystallites.

Keywords: Co-MOF, solvothermal synthesis, morphology control, core-shell

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Authors: Chales Mumbere Musavandalo, Lucie B. Mugherwa, Gloire Kayitoghera Mulondi, Naanson Bweya, Muyisa Musongora, Francis Lelo Nzuzi

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The landscape of the Okapi Wildlife Reserve in the Democratic Republic of Congo harbors a large community of Mbuti indigenous peoples, often described as the guardians of nature. Living in and off the forest has long been a sustainable strategy for preserving natural resources. This strategy, seen as a form of eco-responsible citizenship, draws upon ethnobotanical knowledge passed down through generations. However, these indigenous communities are facing socio-cultural upheaval, which impacts their traditional way of life. This study aims to assess the relationship between the Mbuti indigenous people’s way of life and the preservation of the Okapi Wildlife Reserve. The study was conducted under the assumption that, despite socio-cultural upheavals, the forest and its resources remain central to the Mbuti way of life. The study was conducted in six encampments, three of which were located inside the forest and two in the anthropized zone. The methodological approach initially involved group interviews in six Mbuti encampments. The objective of these interviews was to determine how these people perceive the various services provided by the forest and the resources obtained from this habitat. The technique of using pebbles was adopted to adapt the exercise of weighting services and resources to the understanding of these people. Subsequently, the study carried out ethnobotanical surveys to identify the wood resources frequently used by these communities. This survey was completed in third position by a transect inventory of 1000 m length and 25 m width in order to enhance the understanding of the abundance of these resources around the camps. Two transects were installed in each camp to carry out this inventory. Traditionally, the Mbuti communities sustain their livelihood through hunting, fishing, gathering for self-consumption, and basketry. The Manniophyton fulvum-based net remains the main hunting tool. The primary forest and the swamp are two habitats from which these peoples derive the majority of their resources. However, with the arrival of the Bantu people, who introduced agriculture based on cocoa production, the Mbuti communities started providing services to the Bantu in the form of labor and field guarding. This cultural symbiosis between Mbute and Bantu has also led to non-traditional practices, such as the use of hunting rifles instead of nets and fishing nets instead of creels. The socio-economic and ecological environment in which Mbuti communities live is changing rapidly, including the resources they depend on. By incorporating the time factor into their perception of ecosystem services, only their future (p-value = 0, 0,121), the provision of wood for energy (p-value = 0,1976), and construction (p-value = 0,2548) would be closely associated with the forest in their future. For other services, such as food supply, medicine, and hunting, adaptation to Bantu customs is conceivable. Additionally, the abundance of wood used by the Mbuti people has been high around encampments located in intact forests and low in those in anthropized areas. The traditional way of life of the Mbuti communities is influenced by the cultural symbiosis, reflected in their habits and the availability of resources. The land tenure security of Mbuti areas is crucial to preserve their tradition and forest biodiversity. Conservation efforts in the Okapi Wildlife Reserve must consider this cultural dynamism and promote positive values for the flagship species. The oversight of subsistence hunting is imperative to curtail the transition of these communities to poaching.

Keywords: traditional life, conservation, Indigenous people, cultural symbiosis, forest

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Authors: Muhammad Shujaat Saleem, Imamuddin

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In reply to the argument made by the non-believers of Makkah “Sale is similar to riba”, Almighty Allah ordered “Sale is permissible while riba is impermissible”. The main intent of the study was to clarify the fallacy prevailing among the Muslims that in practical terms the product of Murabaha which is being offered by the Islamic banks is similar to that of conventional interest based business loan. However, specific objective was to ascertain the degree of financial efficiency on the basis of fund/loan utilization for intended purpose of Murabaha financing vis-à-vis conventional interest based business loan. The study employed survey strategy to collect primary data through structured close ended questionnaires from the sample of 98 Murabaha officers and 178 loan officers out of the whole population of 5 Islamic and 10 conventional banks respectively. Quantitative and qualitative techniques were used to analyze the data and the same is tabulated by use of frequency tables. The study found that the financial efficiency of Murabaha financing is more than that of conventional interest based business loan by 28% as Murabaha funds of Islamic banks are utilized for its intended purpose to the extent of 97% on average, compared to 69% of business loan offered by conventional banks.

Keywords: financial efficiency, murabaha funds, loan amount, intended purpose

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Authors: Guantao Bai

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Public space is an indispensable and important component of the urban built environment. How to more accurately evaluate the usage characteristics of public space can help improve its spatial quality. Compared to traditional survey methods, computer vision technology based on deep learning has advantages such as dynamic observation and low cost. This study takes the public space of Shaping Park as an example and, based on deep learning computer vision technology, processes and analyzes the image data of the public space to obtain the spatial usage characteristics and spatiotemporal characteristics of the public space. Research has found that the spontaneous activity time in public spaces is relatively random with a relatively short average activity time, while social activities have a relatively stable activity time with a longer average activity time. Computer vision technology based on deep learning can effectively describe the spatial usage characteristics of the research area, making up for the shortcomings of traditional research methods and providing relevant support for creating a good public space.

Keywords: computer vision, deep learning, public spaces, using features

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Authors: Debraj Adhikari, Resham Bahadur Thapa, Samudra Lal Joshi, Jason Jinping Du, Sundar Tiwari

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The purpose of this study was to keep a record of fruit fly species (Tephritidae: Diptera) in the sweet orange orchards of Sindhuli district, Nepal. Male fruit fly species were trapped and collected fortnightly using para-pheromone lures (methyl eugenol and cue lure) in Steiner traps at 25 orchards starting in March 2019 and continuing until February 2021. During the monitoring period, there was a significant variation in the occurrence of the fruit fly species. Fruit flies were captured in greater numbers during warm and rainy months (June, July, August, September) than during dry and winter months (December, January, February). Higher numbers of fruit flies were trapped in methyl eugenol than cue lure traps. Bactrocera dorsalis, B. zonata were major fruit fly species trapped in the methyl eugenol trap. Whereas, Zeugodacus tau, Z. cucurbitae, Z. scutellaris, and Dacus longicornis were major fruit fly species trapped in the cue lure trap. The findings of this study could be used to develop a long-term pest management strategy for the agro-ecological system.

Keywords: bactrocera, cue lure, methyl eugenol, monitoring, zeugodacus

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Authors: Rupinder Pal Kaur, Vishal Goyal

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In this research, a systematic and quantitative engineering-based approach is followed by applying well-known international standards and guidelines to develop a web quality model (PH.WQT- Punjabi and Hindi Website Quality Tester) to measure external quality for websites of government domain that are developed in Punjabi and Hindi. Correspondingly, the model can be used for websites developed in other languages also. The research is valuable to researchers and practitioners interested in designing, implementing and managing websites of government domain Also, by implementing PH.WQT analysis and comparisons among web sites of government domain can be performed in a consistent way.

Keywords: external quality, PH.WQT, indian languages, punjabi and hindi, quality model, websites of government

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Authors: Huma Javed

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Stylistics is a broad term that is concerned with both literature and linguistics, due to which the significance of the stylistics increases. This research aims to analyze Qaisra Shahraz's short story ‘The Escape’ from the stylistic analysis viewpoint. The focus of this study is on three aspects grammar category, lexical category, and figure of speech of the short story. The research designs for this article are both explorative and descriptive. The analysis of the data shows that the writer has used more nouns in the story as compared to other lexical items, which suggests that story has a descriptive style rather than narrative.

Keywords: The Escape, stylistics, grammatical category, lexical category, figure of speech

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Authors: Zhenzhen Zhang

Abstract:

As major human activity places, buildings consume a large amount of energy, and residential buildings are very important part of it. An extensive research work had been conducted to research how to achieve low energy goals, vernacular dwellings and contemporary technologies are two prime parameters among them. On one hand, some researchers concentrated on vernacular dwellings which were climate-response design and could offer a better living condition without mechanic application. On the other hand, a series concepts appeared based on modern technologies, surplus energy house, bioclimatic architecture, etc. especially thermodynamic architecture which integrates the micro-climate, human activity, thermal comfort, and energy efficiency into design. How to blend the two parameters is the key research topic now, which would act as the key to how to integrate the ancient design wise and contemporary new technologies. By several cases study, this paper will represent the evolution of thermodynamic architecture and then try to develop one methodology about how to produce a typical thermodynamic prototype for one area by blending the ancient building wise and contemporary concepts to achieve both low energy consumption and surplus energy.

Keywords: vernacular dwelling, thermodynamic architecture, bioclimatic architecture, thermodynamic prototype, surplus energy

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Authors: Selvavinayagan Babiharan

Abstract:

This research aims to develop a deep learning platform to enhance mathematics education for secondary students in Sri Lanka. The platform will be designed to incorporate interactive and user-friendly features to engage students in active learning and promote their mathematical skills. The proposed platform will be developed using TensorFlow and Keras, two widely used deep learning frameworks. The system will be trained on a large dataset of math problems, which will be collected from Sri Lankan school curricula. The results of this research will contribute to the improvement of mathematics education in Sri Lanka and provide a valuable tool for teachers to enhance the learning experience of their students.

Keywords: information technology, education, machine learning, mathematics

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Authors: Kanika Sood, Sijie Shang

Abstract:

A fundamental goal of education includes preparing students to become a part of the global workforce by making beneficial contributions to society. In this paper, we analyze student performance for multiple courses that involve different teaching pedagogies: a cooperative learning technique and an inquiry-based learning strategy. Student performance includes student engagement, grades, and attendance records. We perform this study in the Computer Science department for online and in-person courses for 450 students. We will perform correlation analysis to study the relationship between student scores and other parameters such as gender, mode of learning. We use natural language processing and machine learning to analyze student feedback data and performance data. We assess the learning outcomes of two teaching pedagogies for undergraduate and graduate courses to showcase the impact of pedagogical adoption and learning outcome as determinants of academic achievement. Early findings suggest that when using the specified pedagogies, students become experts on their topics and illustrate enhanced engagement with peers.

Keywords: bag-of-words, cooperative learning, education, inquiry-based learning, in-person learning, natural language processing, online learning, sentiment analysis, teaching pedagogy

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Authors: Alvaro Marin

Abstract:

This paper explores the challenges in Cognitive Translation Studies (CTS) conceptual development to accommodate professionals’ perceptions in the language industry into CTS established theoretical apparatus, empirical research projects, and university pedagogical proposals. A comparative conceptual assessment framework is developed from a pluralist epistemological stance that promotes interdisciplinary explorations of the translation process. The framework is used to review key notions such as expertise or feedback, as understood by language industry stakeholders. This review is followed by an analysis of how these notions can enrich research constructs to be applied in empirical investigations of translators’ cognitive processes from an embedded, situated cognition perspective. Thus, it will be proposed to apply the conceptual assessment framework as an effort towards strengthening the interpretative research tools and bridging the gap between industry and academia. The conclusions of this analysis will serve as a basis to further discuss how professional practices, combined with our current knowledge about expertise development in cognitive science and Expertise Studies, can enhance the learning experience of university translation students and help them better understand the processes and requirements of professional cross-linguistic mediation.

Keywords: language industry, cognitive translation studies, translation cognitive theory, translation teaching

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Authors: Mohammad Abdul Matin

Abstract:

This research paper aims to investigate the use of cryptocurrency in facilitating cross-border payments, with a specific focus on the case of Bangladesh. With thousands of Bangladeshi living abroad, the demand for efficient and cost-effective remittance channels is high. This paper will examine the current challenges in cross-border payments for Bangladeshi expatriates and explore the potential benefits and barriers to the adoption of cryptocurrency as a solution. Through a combination of literature review, qualitative interviews, and data analysis, the research will provide valuable insights into the opportunities and risks associated with using cryptocurrency for cross-border payments in Bangladesh.

Keywords: cryptocurrency, cross-border payments, Bangladesh, remittance, expatriates

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