Search results for: effective dispersion

Authors: Dojoon Jung, Kiwoong Moon, Joong Lee

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The height of criminals is one of the important clues that can determine the scope of the suspect's search or exclude the suspect from the search target. Although measuring the height of criminals by video alone is limited by various reasons, the 3D data of the scene and the Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) footage are matched, the height of the criminal can be measured. However, it is still difficult to measure the height of CCTV footage in the non-contact type measurement method because of variables such as position, posture, and head shape of criminals. In this paper, we propose a method of matching the CCTV footage with the 3D data on the crime scene and measuring the height of the person using the 3D human body model in the matched data. In the proposed method, the height is measured by using 3D human model in various scenes of the person in the CCTV footage, and the measurement value of the target person is corrected by the measurement error of the replay CCTV footage of the reference person. We tested for 20 people's walking CCTV footage captured from an indoor and an outdoor and corrected the measurement values with 5 reference persons. Experimental results show that the measurement error (true value-measured value) average is 0.45 cm, and this method is effective for the measurement of the person's height in CCTV footage.

Keywords: human height, CCTV footage, 2D/3D matching, 3D human body model

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Authors: H. T. Abba, Abbas Baba Kura

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Assessment of natural radioactivity of some fish samples in river Yobe was conducted, using gamma spectroscopy method with NaI(TI) detector. Radioactivity is phenomenon that leads to production of radiations, whereas radiation is known to trigger or induce cancer. The fish were analyzed to estimate the radioactivity (activity) concentrations due to natural radionuclides (Radium 222(226Ra), Thorium 232 (232Th) and Potassium 40 (40K)). The obtained result show that the activity concentration for (226Ra), in all the fish samples collected ranges from 15.23±2.45 BqKg-1 to 67.39±2.13 BqKg-1 with an average value of 34.13±1.34 BqKg-1. That of 232Th, ranges from 42.66±0.81 BqKg-1 to 201.18±3.82 BqKg-1, and the average value stands at 96.01±3.82 BqKg-1. The activity concentration for 40K, ranges between 243.3±1.56 BqKg-1 to 618.2±2.81 BqKg-1 and the average is 413.92±1.7 BqKg-1. This study indicated that average daily intake due to natural activity from the fish is valued at 0.913 Bq/day, 2.577Bq/day and 11.088 Bq/day for 226Ra, 232Th and 40K respectively. This shows that the activity concentration values for fish, shows a promising result with most of the fish activity concentrations been within the acceptable limits. However locations (F02, F07 and F12) fish, became outliers with significant values of 112.53μSvy-1, 121.11μSvy-1 and 114.32μSvy-1 effective Dose. This could be attributed to variation in geological formations within the river as while as the feeding habits of these fish. The work shows that consumers of fish from River Yobe have no risk of radioactivity ingestion, even though no amount of radiation is assumed to be totally safe.

Keywords: radiation, radio-activity, dose, radionuclides, river Yobe

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Authors: Ogunremi Beatrice, Oluwole David Adebayo

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Public secondary school students are face with some challenges from the parents, government and teachers in school. Some of the challenges that arises from the parents are lack of attention and adequate communication. From the government are unavailability of useful instructional materials, competent and professionally trained teachers for each subject the students do in school. The challenges that arise from the teachers most often are mismanagement of time, inability to understand the capacity of the student and lack class management and follow up. This study investigated self-regulation, emotional intelligence, self-efficacy and goal orientation as predictors of school engagement among public secondary school students in Ibadan. A structured questionnaire was administered on 258 students from six mixed secondary schools in Ibadan. Pearson Product Moment Correlation method was used for data analysis. Four hypothesis were raised and answered, the results showed there is positive and significant relationships between school engagement among public secondary school students and each of the independent variable: Self-regulation, Emotional intelligence, Self-efficacy, Goal orientation. On the basis of these findings, it was recommended that the parents have to encourage their children on how to be goal oriented ,build their self-efficacy skill, to be self-regulated and emotionally intelligent in order to be effective in school and be able to increase their intellectual ability.

Keywords: emotional intelligence, self-efficacy, goal orientation, school engagement, self-regulation

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Authors: M. Shah Alamgir, Jun Furuya, Shintaro Kobayashi, M. Abdus Salam

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Farmers’ environmental and economic situations are very diverse. In order to develop effective policies and technologies to improve farmers’ life standard, it is important to understand which factors induce the diversity of agricultural income. Analyze both primary and secondary data, this study applied descriptive, inferential statistical tools, and econometric techniques. From the study, farmers of Sylhet Division produce potato as one of the main cash crop with other seasonal crops. The total costs of potato production per hectare varied in different districts of Sylhet division in addition seed and hired labor cost has the biggest share of the full cost. To grasp the diversity of income, the study decomposes the variance of net income into different factors of potato production. Through this decomposition, seed cost is the important factors of income variability and it is the most important sector to induce total cost disparity for potato production. The result shows that 73% of net income variation is explained by gross income. It implies that potato yield or potato price (quality) or both vary widely among farmers. This finding is important of policymaking and technology development of agricultural farming in Bangladesh.

Keywords: agricultural income, seed, hired labor, technology development

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Authors: Xiaolin Zeng, Lei Cheng, Zhirong Li, Xueping Liu

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Aiming at the problem of low accuracy and susceptibility to cultural relic diseases in the generation of high-resolution archaeology drawings by current image generation algorithms, an archaeology drawings generation algorithm based on a conditional generative adversarial network is proposed. An attention mechanism is added into the high-resolution image generation network as the backbone network, which enhances the line feature extraction capability and improves the accuracy of line drawing generation. A dual-branch parallel architecture consisting of two backbone networks is implemented, where the semantic translation branch extracts semantic features from orthophotographs of cultural relics, and the gradient screening branch extracts effective gradient features. Finally, the fusion fine-tuning module combines these two types of features to achieve the generation of high-quality and high-resolution archaeology drawings. Experimental results on the self-constructed archaeology drawings dataset of grotto temple statues show that the proposed algorithm outperforms current mainstream image generation algorithms in terms of pixel accuracy (PA), structural similarity (SSIM), and peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) and can be used to assist in drawing archaeology drawings.

Keywords: archaeology drawings, digital heritage, image generation, deep learning

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Authors: Lizmol Mathew, Divya Thomas, Shiney Rajan

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Educational paradigm all over the globe is undergoing significant reform today. Because of this, so-called flipped classroom model is becoming increasingly popular in higher education. Flipped classroom has proved to be more effective than traditional lecture based model as flipped classroom model promotes active learning by encouraging students to work on in collaborative tasks and peer-led learning during the class-time. However, success of flipped classrooms relies on students’ ability and their attitudes towards collaboration and group work. This paper examines: 1) Students’ attitudes towards collaborative learning; 2) Main challenges to successful collaboration from students’ experience and 3) Students’ perception of criteria for successful team work. 4) Recommendations for enhancing collaborative learning. This study’s methodology involves quantitative analysis of surveys collected from students enrolled in undergraduate Architecture program at Qatar University. Analysis indicates that in general students enrolled in the program do not have positive perceptions or experiences associated with group work. Positive and negative factors that influence collaborative learning in higher education have been identified. Recommendations for improving collaborative work experience have been proposed.

Keywords: architecture, collaborative learning, female, group work, higher education, Middle East, Qatar, student experience

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Authors: Ntokozo Dennis Ndwandwe

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The aim of the study was to explore the barriers facing the implementation of peace education as a strategy to combat violence in selected secondary schools in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. The problem that motivated this enquiry was the absence of stable peace and the increase of incidents of violence in schools. A qualitative approach was followed when conducting the study, and small samples of three case studies of secondary schools were used. Method used in collecting data consisted of semi-structured interviews; focus group interviews and observation. The participants consisted of the program manager for Quaker for Peace Centre (QPC), three principals, nine teachers, and fifteen learners. Data were analysed by transcribing, organising, marking by hand and coding that produced labels that allowed key points to be highlighted. Findings revealed that the effective implementation of peace education was being constrained by factors such as financial constraints, inadequate time allocated, lack of parental involvement, over work-loaded teachers, negative attitude and other societal influences. It is recommended that teachers should receive an ongoing training for peace education. Therefore, the government should prioritise and provide funds for peace education. In addition, parental involvement should be improved in order to enhance the implementation of peace education in selected secondary schools.

Keywords: barriers, implementation, conflict, peace, peace education, conflict resolution, violence

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Authors: Siddhartha Dhungana

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This article primarily explores dimensions in English language teacher's professionalism so that a teacher could reflect and make a strategic professional devotion to implement effective educational programs for the present and the future. The paper substantially incorporates the eastern Hindu practices, especially life values from the Bhagavad Gita, as a basis of teacher’s professional enrichment. Basically, it applies three categorical practices, i.e., Karma Yoga, Jnana Yoga, and Bhakti Yoga, in teachers’ professionality to illustrate, ignite further ahead and sharpen academic journey, professional journey, and professional devotion reflecting common practices. In this journey, a teacher comes to a stage of professional essence as s/he surpasses Karma Yoga, Jnana Yoga, and Bhakti Yoga with their basic quality formation. To illustrate their essence-making process, the three narrative stories for each category mentioned above are analyzed. The data collected from a research participant who has a high level of professional success and who inspires all English Language teachers in Nepal to develop stories for narrative analysis. The narrative analysis is based on eastern themes that are supported by Vygotsky's concept of developmental psychology. Moreover, the structural analysis is based on Gary Barkhuizen's narrative analysis.

Keywords: Karma Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Vygotsky's concepts, narrative analysis

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Authors: May M. Youssef

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This article introduces a design, for additive manufacturing technology, face shield as Personal Protective Equipment from the respiratory viruses such as coronavirus 2. The face shields help to reduce ocular exposure and play a vital role in diverting away from the respiratory COVID-19 air droplets around the users' face. The proposed face shield comprises three assembled polymer parts. The frame with a transparency overhead projector sheet visor is suitable for frontline health care workers and ordinary citizens. The frame design allows tightening the shield around the user’s head and permits rubber elastic straps to be used if required. That ergonomically designed with a unique face mask support used in case of wearing extra protective mask was created using computer aided design (CAD) software package. The finite element analysis (FEA) structural verification of the proposed design is performed by an advanced simulation technique. Subsequently, the prototype model was fabricated by a 3D printing using Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) as a globally developed face shield product. This study provides a different face shield designs for global production, which showed to be suitable and effective toward supply chain shortages and frequent needs of personal protective goods during coronavirus disease and similar viruses.

Keywords: additive manufacturing, Coronavirus-19, face shield, personal protective equipment, 3D printing

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Authors: M. A. Abdelfattah, F. K. Waleed

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Anticoccidials were utilized widely in veterinary practice for the avoidance of coccidiosis in poultry and assume a huge job as development promotants in ruminants. Ionophore harming is every now and again happens because of accidental access to medicated feed, errors in feed mixing, incorrect dosage calculation or misuse in non-recommended species. Camels on several farms in Eastern area of Saudi Arabia were accidently fed with a feed pellet containing 13 ppm salinomycin. One hundred and sixty-three camels died with mortality rate of 100%. The poisoning was clinically characterized by restlessness with tail lift to the top, jerk in the muscles of legs and thighs, excessive sweating, frequent setting and standing with body imbalance, lateral and sternal recumbences with the legs stretched back, eye tears with dilated pupil, vomiting of the stomach content, loss of consciousness and death of some of them. Feed analysis indicated the presence of salinomycin in pelleted feed in a range of 13 mg/kg-47 mg/kg. Necropsy findings and histopathological examinations were presented. Regulations and legal implications concerning with sale of contaminated feed in Saudi market are discussed in the light of feed law and by-law. The necessity for an effective implication of regulation concerning application of quality assurance systems based on the principles of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) and the application of Hazard Analysis of Critical Control Point (HACCP) during feed production is necessary to avoid feed accident.

Keywords: medicated feed, salinomycin, anticoccidial, camel, toxicity

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Authors: Olakunle Felix Adekunle

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Risk management is recognised as an essential tool to tackle the inevitable uncertainty associated with business and projects at all levels. But it frequently fails to meet expectations, with projects continuing to run late, over budget or under performing, and business is not gaining the expected benefits. The evident disconnect which often occurs between strategic vision and tactical project delivery typically arises from poorly defined project objectives and inadequate attention to the proactive management of risks that could affect those objectives. One of the main failings in the traditional approach to risk management arises from a narrow focus on the downside, restricted to the technical or operational field, addressing tactical threats to processes, performance or people. This shortcoming can be overcome by widening the scope of risk management to encompass both strategic risks and upside opportunities, creating an integrated approach which can bridge the gap between strategy and tactics. Integrated risk management addresses risk across a variety of levels in the organisation, including strategy and tactics, and covering both opportunity and threat. Effective implementation of integrated risk management can produce a number of benefits to the organisation which are not available from the typical limited-scope risk process. This paper explores how to expand risk management to deliver strategic advantage while retaining its use as a tactical tool.

Keywords: risk management, success, organization, strategy, project, tactis, vision

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Authors: Ji Hye Im, Nguyen T. T. Phuong, Keon Wook Kang

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Estrogens are important for the development and growth of estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer, for which anti-estrogen therapy is one of the most effective treatments. However, its efficacy can be limited by either de novo or acquired resistance. Aromatase is a key enzyme for the biosynthesis of estrogens, and inhibition of this enzyme leads to profound hypoestrogenism. Here, we found that the basal expression and activity of aromatase were significantly increased in tamoxifen (TAM)-resistant human breast cancer (TAMR-MCF-7) cells compared to control MCF-7 cells. We further revealed that aromatase immunoreactivity in tumor tissues was increased in recurrence group after TAM therapy compared to non-recurrence group after TAM therapy. Phosphorylation of Akt, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), and p38 kinase were all increased in TAMR-MCF-7 cells. Inhibition of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) suppressed the transactivation of the aromatase gene and its enzyme activity. Furthermore, we have also shown that PI3K/Akt-dependent cAMP-response element binding protein (CREB) activation was required for the enhanced expression of aromatase in TAMR-MCF-7 cells. Our findings suggest that aromatase expression is up-regulated in TAM-resistant breast cancer via PI3K/Akt-dependent CREB activation.

Keywords: TAMR-MCF-7, CREB, estrogen receptor, aromatase

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Authors: A. Kourou, A. Ioakeimidou, V. Avramea

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Planning for natural disasters and emergencies is something every school or educational institution must consider, regardless of its size or location. Preparedness is the key to save lives if a disaster strikes. School disaster management mirrors individual and family disaster prevention, and wider community disaster prevention efforts. This paper presents the usage of E-PreS System as a helpful, managerial tool during the school earthquake drill, in order to support schools in developing effective disaster and emergency plans specific to their local needs. The project comes up with a holistic methodology using real-time evaluation involving different categories of actors, districts, steps and metrics. The main outcomes of E-PreS project are the development of E-PreS web platform that host the needed data of school emergency planning; the development of E-PreS System; the implementation of disaster drills using E-PreS System in educational premises and local schools; and the evaluation of E-PreS System. Taking into consideration that every disaster drill aims to test and valid school plan and procedures; clarify and train personnel in roles and responsibilities; improve interagency coordination; identify gaps in resources; improve individual performance; and identify opportunities for improvement, E-PreS Project was submitted and approved by the European Commission (EC).

Keywords: disaster drills, earthquake preparedness, E-PreS System, school emergency plans

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Authors: A. K. M. Kamrul Islam, Abdelhamid Bouchachia, Suang Cang, Hongnian Yu

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Forecasting model has a great impact in terms of prediction and continues to do so into the future. Although many forecasting models have been studied in recent years, most researchers focus on different forecasting methods based on fuzzy time series to solve forecasting problems. The forecasted models accuracy fully depends on the two terms that are the length of the interval in the universe of discourse and the content of the forecast rules. Moreover, a hybrid forecasting method can be an effective and efficient way to improve forecasts rather than an individual forecasting model. There are different hybrids forecasting models which combined fuzzy time series with evolutionary algorithms, but the performances are not quite satisfactory. In this paper, we proposed a hybrid forecasting model which deals with the first order as well as high order fuzzy time series and particle swarm optimization to improve the forecasted accuracy. The proposed method used the historical enrollments of the University of Alabama as dataset in the forecasting process. Firstly, we considered an automatic clustering algorithm to calculate the appropriate interval for the historical enrollments. Then particle swarm optimization and fuzzy time series are combined that shows better forecasting accuracy than other existing forecasting models.

Keywords: fuzzy time series (fts), particle swarm optimization, clustering algorithm, hybrid forecasting model

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Authors: Chong Zhang, Mu-Xuan Tao

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In several earthquakes, numerous reinforced concrete (RC) frames subjected to seismic excitation demonstrated a collapse pattern characterized by column hinges, though designed according to the Strong-Column-Weak-Beam (S-C-W-B) criteria. The effect of biaxial seismic excitation on the disparity between design and actual performance is carefully investigated in this article. First, a modified load contour method is proposed to derive a closed-form equation of biaxial bending moment strength, which is verified by numerical and experimental tests. Afterwards, a group of time history analyses of a simple frame modeled by fiber beam-column elements subjected to biaxial seismic excitation are conducted to verify that the current S-C-W-B criteria are not adequate to prevent the occurrence of column hinges. A biaxial over-strength factor is developed based on the proposed equation, and the reinforcement of columns is appropriately amplified with this factor to prevent the occurrence of column hinges under biaxial excitation, which is proved to be effective by another group of time history analyses.

Keywords: biaxial bending moment capacity, biaxial seismic excitation, fiber beam model, load contour method, strong-column-weak-beam

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Authors: Ahmed A. Abd El Rahim, Andrew Anis Fakhrey Mosaad

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Background: An important psychological issue that has an impact on both mental and physical function is anxiety disorders. The general consensus is that aerobic exercise and physical activity are good for lowering anxiety and mood. Purpose: This study's goal was to look into how patients with anxiety disorders responded to aerobic exercise. Subjects: Anxiety disorders were identified in 30 individuals from the psychiatric hospital at Sohag University who were chosen based on inclusive criteria and had ages ranging from 25 to 45. Methods: Patients were split into two equal groups at random: For four weeks, three sessions per week, fifteen patients in group A (the study group), seven men and eight women, underwent medication therapy and aerobic exercise. Age (28.4 ± 2.11 years), weight (72.5 ± 10.06 kg), height (164.8 ± 9.64 cm), and BMI (26.65 ± 2.68 kg/m2) were all mean SD values. And in Group B (Control Group), only medication therapy was administered to 15 patients (9 males and 6 females). Age (29.6 ± 3.68), weight (75 ± 7.07 kg), height (166.9 ± 6.75) cm, and BMI (26.87 ± 1.11) kg/m2 were the mean SD values. Before and after the treatment, the Hamilton Anxiety Scale was used to gauge the patient's degree of anxiety. Results: Within the two groups, there were significant differences both before and after the treatment. Following therapy, there was a significant difference between the two groups; the study group displayed better improvement on the Hamilton Anxiety Scale. Conclusion: Patients with anxiety problems can benefit from aerobic activities and antianxiety drugs as effective treatments for lowering anxiety levels.

Keywords: aerobic exercises, anxiety disorders, antianxiety medications, Hamilton anxiety scale

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Authors: Tarandeep Kaur

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Generation Y and Z nursing students have a much higher need for technology-based stimulation than previous generations, as they may find traditional methods of education boring and disinterested. These generations prefer experiential learning and the use of advanced technology for enhanced learning. Therefore, nursing educators must acquire knowledge to make better use of technology and technological tools for instruction. Millennials and generation are digital natives, optimistic, assertive, want engagement, instant feedback, and collaborative approach. The integration of technology and the efficacy of its use can be challenging for nursing educators. The SAMR (substitution, augmentation, modification, and redefinition) model designed and developed by Dr. Ruben Puentedura can help nursing educators to engage their students in different levels of technology integration for effective learning. Nursing educators should understand that technology use in the classroom must be purposeful. The influx of technology in nursing education is ever-changing; therefore, nursing educators have to constantly enhance and develop technical skills to keep up with the emerging technology in the schools as well as hospitals. In the Saskatchewan Collaborative Bachelor of Nursing (SCBSCN) program at Saskatchewan polytechnic, we use technology at various levels using the SAMR model in our program, including low and high-fidelity simulation labs. We are also exploring futuristic options of using virtual reality and gaming in our classrooms as an innovative way to motivate, increase critical thinking, create active learning, provide immediate feedback, improve student retention and create collaboration.

Keywords: generations, nursing, SAMR, technology

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Authors: Gürcan D. Baysal, Ali Tanış

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In this study, samples of plant types including rose hip (Rosa canina L.), jujube (Ziziphus jujube), sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides), elderberry (Sambucus nigra), apricot (Prunus armeniaca), scots pine (Pinus sylvestris), and cedar of Lebanon (Cedrus libani) were grown using plant supporting units called Ekobox and drip irrigation systems in the Karapınar, Konya region of Turkey to reveal the efficiency of Ekobox and drip irrigation compared against a control with no irrigation. The plant diameter, height, and survival rates were determined, compared with each other, and statistically analyzed. According to the statistical analysis of the results, Ekobox applications resulted in the highest values for survival rate, diameter, and height measurements whereas the lowest values were determined in the control groups. These results indicate that the cultivation of plants with Ekobox may help protect against the loss of fertile soils as an effective mechanism for combating erosion and desertification. These advantages may also lead to a lasting economic effect on the cultivation of plants by locals of the Karapınar, Konya province who suffer from an ever-decreasing underground water level as a result of agricultural consumption.

Keywords: drip irrigation, ekobox, plant diameter, plant height, plant survival rate

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Authors: Jolanta Brodowska-Szewczuk

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The article includes the results and conclusions from empirical researches that had been done. The research focuses on the impact of investments made in small and medium-sized enterprises financed from EU funds on the competitiveness of these companies. The researches includes financial results in sales revenue and net income, expenses, and many other new products/services on offer, higher quality products and services, more modern methods of production, innovation in management processes, increase in the number of customers, increase in market share, increase in profitability of production and provision of services. The main conclusions are that, companies with direct investments under this measure shall apply the modern methods of production. The consequence of this is to increase the quality of our products and services. Furthermore, both small and medium-sized enterprises have introduced new products and services. Investments were carried out, thus enabling better work organization in enterprises. Entrepreneurs would guarantee higher quality of service, which would result in better relationships with their customers, what is more, noting the rise in number of clients. More than half of the companies indicated that the investments contributed to the increase in market share. Same thing as for market reach and brand recognition of particular company. An interesting finding is that, investments in small enterprises were more effective than medium-sized enterprises.

Keywords: competitiveness, efficiency, EU funds, small and medium-sized enterprises

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Authors: Weiming Hu, Xu Li, Xiaonan Li, Zhong Xu, Li Yuan, Xuan Dong

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Maneuver decision-making plays a critical role in high-performance intelligent driving. This paper proposes a risk assessment-based decision-making network (RADMN) to address the problem of driving strategy for the commercial vehicle. RADMN integrates two networks, aiming at identifying the risk degree of collision and rollover and providing decisions to ensure the effectiveness and reliability of driving strategy. In the risk assessment module, risk degrees of the backward collision, forward collision and rollover are quantified for hazard recognition. In the decision module, a deep reinforcement learning based on multi-objective optimization (DRL-MOO) algorithm is designed, which comprehensively considers the risk degree and motion states of each traffic participant. To evaluate the performance of the proposed framework, Prescan/Simulink joint simulation was conducted in highway scenarios. Experimental results validate the effectiveness and reliability of the proposed RADMN. The output driving strategy can guarantee the safety and provide key technical support for the realization of autonomous driving of commercial vehicles.

Keywords: decision-making strategy, risk assessment, multi-objective optimization, commercial vehicle

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Authors: Adnan Z. Mkhelif

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Grammatical collocations (GCs) are word combinations containing a preposition or a grammatical structure, such as an infinitive (e.g. smile at, interested in, easy to learn, etc.). Such collocations tend to be difficult for Iraqi EFL university students (IUS) to master. To help address this problem, it is important to identify the factors causing it. This study aims at investigating the effects of L2 proficiency, frequency of GCs and their transparency on IUSs’ productive knowledge of GCs. The study involves 112 undergraduate participants with different proficiency levels, learning English in formal contexts in Iraq. The data collection instruments include (but not limited to) a productive knowledge test (designed by the researcher using the British National Corpus (BNC)), as well as the grammar part of the Oxford Placement Test (OPT). The study findings have shown that all the above-mentioned factors have significant effects on IUSs’ productive knowledge of GCs. In addition to establishing evidence of which factors of L2 learning might be relevant to learning GCs, it is hoped that the findings of the present study will contribute to more effective methods of teaching that can better address and help overcome the problems IUSs encounter in learning GCs. The study is thus hoped to have significant theoretical and pedagogical implications for researchers, syllabus designers as well as teachers of English as a foreign/second language.

Keywords: corpus linguistics, frequency, grammatical collocations, L2 vocabulary learning, productive knowledge, proficiency, transparency

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Authors: H. Mokaddem, D. Miroud, N. Azouaou, F. Si-Ahmed, Z. Sadaoui

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The synthesis and characterization of activated carbon from local lignocellulosic precursor (Algerian alfa) was carried out for the removal of cationic dyes from aqueous solutions. The effect of the production variables such as impregnation chemical agents, impregnation ratio, activation temperature and activation time were investigated. Carbon obtained using the optimum conditions (CaCl2/ 1:1/ 500°C/2H) was characterized by various analytical techniques scanning electron microscopy (SEM), infrared spectroscopic analysis (FTIR) and zero-point-of-charge (pHpzc). Adsorption tests of methylene blue on the optimal activated carbon were conducted. The effects of contact time, amount of adsorbent, initial dye concentration and pH were studied. The adsorption equilibrium examined using Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin and Redlich–Peterson models reveals that the Langmuir model is most appropriate to describe the adsorption process. The kinetics of MB sorption onto activated carbon follows the pseudo-second order rate expression. The examination of the thermodynamic analysis indicates that the adsorption process is spontaneous (ΔG ° < 0) and endothermic (ΔH ° > 0), the positive value of the standard entropy shows the affinity between the activated carbon and the dye. The present study showed that the produced optimal activated carbon prepared from Algerian alfa is an effective low-cost adsorbent and can be employed as alternative to commercial activated carbon for removal of MB dye from aqueous solution.

Keywords: activated carbon, adsorption, cationic dyes, Algerian alfa

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Authors: A. Duncan, A. Blake, A. O'Gara, J. Fitzgerald

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Introduction: Acute traumatic rib fractures have significant morbidity and mortality and are a commonly seen injury in trauma patients. Rib fracture pain can often be acute and can prove challenging to manage. We performed an audit on patients with acute traumatic rib fractures with the aim of composing a referral and treatment pathway for such patients. Methods: From January 2021 to January 2022, the pain medicine service encouraged early referral of all traumatic rib fractures to the pain service for a multi-modal management approach. A retrospective audit of analgesic management was performed on a select cohort of 24 patients, with a mean age of 67, of which 19 had unilateral rib fractures. Results: 17 of 24 patients (71%) underwent local, regional block as part of a multi-modal analgesia regime. Only one regional complication was observed, seen with hypotension occurring in one patient with a thoracic epidural. The group who did not undergo regional block had a length of stay (LOS) 17 days longer than those who did (27 vs. 10) and higher rates of pneumonia (29% vs. 18%). Conclusion: Early referral to pain specialists is an important component of the effective management of acute traumatic rib fractures. From our audit, it is evident that regional blocks can be effectively used in these cases as part of a multi-modal analgesia regime and may confer benefits in terms of respiratory complications and length of stay.

Keywords: rib fractures, regional blocks, thoracic epidural, erector spina block

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Authors: S. Wietrzychowski

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This systematic review incorporates concepts used in the field of positive psychology in order to integrate important elements into suicide prevention programs for children and adolescents. The goal of this review is to help students and professionals gain insight to available prevention programs for suicide and to incorporate aspects of positive psychology into these programs. Evidence-based interventions such as Positive Youth Development will be discussed in detail in its relation to prevention and positive psychology. Concepts such as hope, optimism, coping, and resilience will be related to these interventions in order to improve these interventions. The review will also explain how these programs can help prevent suicidal thoughts and/or behaviors. Research on mentorship programs and early intervention programs will be included and related to the aforementioned positive psychology concepts. Since children and adolescents are such a vulnerable population, the review will highlight specific considerations for working with children in order to prevent risk factors for suicide and to build protective factors. This review will discuss the effectiveness of school-based programs that are integrated with positive psychology. Elements of these programs that have been shown to be most effective in preventing suicide in schools will also be identified. As a result of this presentation, participants will be able to 1) List at least 2 evidence-based suicide prevention programs, 2) Understand the connection between specific positive psychology concepts and suicide prevention, 3) Identify at least 3 factors which protect against suicide, 4) Describe at least 3 risk factors for suicide, and 5) Think critically about the positive elements of suicide prevention programs.

Keywords: children, adolescents, suicide, positive

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Authors: Brandy Yee, Dianne Yee

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Through the exploration of the lived experiences, beliefs and values of instructional leaders, teachers and students in Finland, Germany and Canada, we investigated the factors which contribute to developmentally responsive, intellectually engaging middle-level learning environments for early adolescents. Student-centred leadership dimensions, effective instructional practices and student agency were examined through the lens of current policy and research on middle-level learning environments emerging from the Canadian province of Manitoba. Consideration of these three research perspectives in the context of early adolescent learning, placed against an international backdrop, provided a previously undocumented perspective on leading, teaching and learning in the middle years. Aligning with a social constructivist, qualitative research paradigm, the study incorporated collective case study methodology, along with constructivist grounded theory methods of data analysis. Data were collected through semi-structured individual and focus group interviews and document review, as well as direct and participant observation. Three case study narratives were developed to share the rich stories of study participants, who had been selected using maximum variation and intensity sampling techniques. Interview transcript data were coded using processes from constructivist grounded theory. A cross-case analysis yielded a conceptual framework highlighting key factors that were found to be significant in the establishment of developmentally responsive, intellectually engaging middle-level learning environments. Seven core categories emerged from the cross-case analysis as common to all three countries. Within the visual conceptual framework (which depicts the interconnected nature of leading, teaching and learning in middle-level learning environments), these seven core categories were grouped into Essential Factors (student agency, voice and choice), Contextual Factors (instructional practices; school culture; engaging families and the community), Synergistic Factors (instructional leadership) and Cornerstone Factors (education as a fundamental cultural value; preservice, in-service and ongoing teacher development). In addition, sub-factors emerged from recurring codes in the data and identified specific characteristics and actions found in developmentally responsive, intellectually engaging middle-level learning environments. Although this study focused on 12 schools in Finland, Germany and Canada, it informs the practice of educators working with early adolescent learners in middle-level learning environments internationally. The authentic voices of early adolescent learners are the most important resource educators have to gauge if they are creating effective learning environments for their students. Ongoing professional dialogue and learning is essential to ensure teachers are supported in their work and develop the pedagogical practices needed to meet the needs of early adolescent learners. It is critical to balance consistency, coherence and dependability in the school environment with the necessary flexibility in order to support the unique learning needs of early adolescents. Educators must intentionally create a school culture that unites teachers, students and their families in support of a common purpose, as well as nurture positive relationships between the school and its community. A large, urban school district in Canada has implemented a school cohort-based model to begin to bring developmentally responsive, intellectually engaging middle-level learning environments to scale.

Keywords: developmentally responsive learning environments, early adolescents, middle level learning, middle years, instructional leadership, instructional practices, intellectually engaging learning environments, leadership dimensions, student agency

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Authors: Manoj Deepak, N. Mathivanan, K. Venkatachalam

Abstract:

Nerve root stenosis is one of the main cause for back pain. There are many methods both conservative and surgical to treat this disease. It is pertinent to decompress the spine to a proper extent so as to avoid the recurrence of symptoms. But too much of an aggressive approach also has its disadvantages. We present one of the methods to effectively decompress the nerve with better results. Our study was carried out in 52 patients with foramina stenosis between 2008 to 2011.We carried out the surgical procedure of shaving off the medial part of the facet joint so as to decompress the root. We selected those patients who had symptoms of claudication for more than 2 years. They had no signs of instability and they underwent conservative treatment for a period of 2 months before the procedure. Oswersty scoring was used to record the functional level of the patient before and after the procedure. All patients were followed up for a period of minimum 2.5 years. After evaluation for a minimum of 2.5 years, 34 patients had no evidence of recurrence of symptoms with improvement in the functional level.7 patients complained of minimal pain but their functional quality had improved postop. Six patients had symptoms of lumbar canal disease which reduced with conservative treatment. 5 patients required spinal fusion surgeries in the later period. Conclusion: Thus, we can effectively conclude that our procedure is safe and effective in reducing the symptoms in those patients with neurogenic claudication.

Keywords: facetectoemy, stenosis, decompression, Lumbar Foraminal Stenosis, hemi-facetectomy

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Authors: Fayssal Ynineb, Toufik Hadjersi, Fatsah Moulai, Wafa Achour

Abstract:

Currently, tremendous attention has been paid to the rational design and synthesis of core/shell heterostructures for high-performance supercapacitors. In this study, the hierarchical NiO/ZnCo₂O₄ Core-Shell Nanorods Arrays were successfully deposited onto ITO substrate via a two-step hydrothermal and electrodeposition methods. The effect of the thin carbon layer between NiO and ZnCo₂O₄ in this multi-scale hierarchical structure was investigated. The selection of this structure was based on: (i) a high specific area of pseudo-capacitive NiO to maximize specific capacitance; (ii) an effective NiO-electrolyte interface to facilitate fast charging/discharging; and (iii) conducting carbon layer between ZnCo₂O₄ and NiO enhance the electric conductivity which reduces energy loss, and the corrosion protection of ZnCo₂O₄ in alkaline electrolyte. The obtained results indicate that hierarchical NiO/ZnCo₂O₄ present a high specific capacitance of 63 mF.cm⁻² at a current density of 0.05 mA.cm⁻² higher than that of pristine NiO and ZnCo₂O₄ of 6 and 3 mF.cm⁻², respectively. The carbon layer improves the electrical conductivity among NiO and ZnCo₂O₄ in the hierarchical NiO/C/ZnCo₂O₄ electrode. As well, the specific capacitance drastically increased to reach 125 mF.cm⁻². Moreover, this multi-scale hierarchical structure exhibits superior cycling stability with ~ 95.7 % capacitance retention after 65k cycles. These results indicate that the NiO/C/ZnCo₂O₄ nanocomposite material is an outstanding electrode material for supercapacitors.

Keywords: NiO/C/ZnCo₂O₄, specific capacitance, hydrothermal, supercapacitors

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Authors: B. Shukir, L. Szivos, D. Kis, P. Barzo

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Glioblastoma is the most malignant brain tumor. In general, the survival rate varies between (14-18) months. Glioblastoma consists a solid and infiltrative part. The standard therapeutic management of glioblastoma is maximum safe resection followed by chemo-radiotherapy. It’s hypothesized that the pretumoral hyperintense region in fluid attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) images includes both vasogenic edema and infiltrated tumor cells. In our study, we aimed to define the sensitivity and specificity of hyperintense FLAIR images preoperatively to examine how well it can define the true extent of glioblastoma. (16) glioblastoma patients included in this study. Hyperintense FLAIR region were delineated preoperatively as tumor mask. The infiltrative part of glioblastoma considered the regions where the tumor recurred on the follow up MRI. The recurrence on the CE-T1 images was marked as the recurrence masks. According to (AAL3) and (JHU white matter labels) atlas, the brain divided into cortical and subcortical regions respectively. For calculating specificity and sensitivity, the FLAIR and the recurrence masks overlapped counting how many regions affected by both . The average sensitivity and specificity was 83% and 85% respectively. Individually, the sensitivity and specificity varied between (31-100)%, and (100-58)% respectively. These results suggest that despite FLAIR being as an effective radiologic imaging tool its prognostic value remains controversial and probabilistic tractography remain more reliable available method for identifying the true extent of glioblastoma.

Keywords: brain tumors, glioblastoma, MRI, FLAIR

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Authors: Mohamed Mahdi Alshahni, Takashi Tamura, Koichi Makimura

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Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate roles of ABC-type efflux transporters in the resistance of Candida auris against common antifungal agents. Material and Methods: A wild-type C. auris strain and its antifungal resistant derivative strain that is generated through induction by antifungal agents were used in this study. The strains were cultured onto media containing beauvericin alone or in combination with azole agents. Moreover, expression levels of four ABC-type transporter’s homologs in those strains were analyzed by real time PCR with or without antifungal stress by fluconazole or voriconazole. Results: Addition of beauvericin helped to partially restore the susceptibility of the resistant strain against fluconazole, suggesting participation of ABC-type transporters in the resistance mechanism. Real time PCR results showed that mRNA levels of three out of the four analyzed transporters in the resistant strain were more than 2-fold higher than their counterparts in the wild-type strain under negative control and antifungal agent-containing conditions. Conclusion: C. auris is an emerging multidrug-resistant pathogen causing human mortality worldwide. Providing effective treatment has been hampered by the resistance to antifungal drugs, demanding understanding the resistance mechanism in order to devise new therapeutic strategies. Our data suggest a partial contribution of ABC-type transporters to the resistance of this pathogen.

Keywords: resistance, C. auris, transporters, antifungi

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Authors: Mohammed Fakehy, Mohammed Haggag

Abstract:

The problem of test anxiety considered as one of the most important and most complex psychological problems faced by students of King Saud University, where university students in a need to bring their reassurance and psychological comfort, relieves feeling pain and difficulties of the study. Recently, there are programs and science that help human to change, including the science Linguistic Programming this neural science stems from not just the tips of the need to make the effort or continue to work, but provides the keys in which one can be controlled in the internal environment. Even human potential energy is extracted seeking to achieve success and happiness and excellence. Through the work of the researchers as members of the teaching staff at King Saud University and specialists in the field of psychology noticed the suffering of some students of King Saud University, test anxiety. In an attempt by the researchers to mitigate as much as possible of the unity of this concern, students will have a training program in Neuro Linguistic Programming. The main Question of this study is What is the effectiveness of the impact of a training program using NLP to reduce test anxiety by using a biological feedback. Therefore, the results of this study might serve as a good announcement about the usefulness of NLP programs which influence future research to significant effect of NLP on test anxiety.

Keywords: neuro linguistic programming, test anxiety, biological feedback, king saud

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