Search results for: geometric thinking levels

Authors: Kesavan Markkandan, Ha Young Park, Seung-Il Yoo, Sin-Gi Park, Junhyung Park

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For genetic identification of crop cultivars, insertions/deletions (InDel) markers have been preferred currently because they are easy to use, PCR based, co-dominant and relatively abundant. However, new InDels need to be developed for genetic studies of new varieties due to the difference of allele frequencies in InDels among the population groups. These new varieties are evolved with low levels of genetic diversity in specific genome loci with high recombination rate. In this study, we described soybean barcode system approach based on InDel makers, each of which is specific to a variation block (VB), where the genomes split by all assumed recombination sites. Firstly, VBs in crop cultivars were mined for transferability to VB-specific InDel markers. Secondly, putative InDels in the VB regions were identified for the development of barcode system by analyzing particular cultivar’s whole genome data. Thirdly, common VB-specific InDels from all cultivars were selected by gel electrophoresis, which were converted as 2D barcode types according to comparing amplicon polymorphisms in the five cultivars to the reference cultivar. Finally, the polymorphism of the selected markers was assessed with other cultivars, and the barcode system that allows a clear distinction among those cultivars is described. The same approach can be applicable for other commercial crops. Hence, VB-based genetic identification not only minimize the molecular markers but also useful for assessing cultivars and for marker-assisted breeding in other crop species.

Keywords: variation block, polymorphism, InDel marker, genetic identification

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Authors: Siddig H. Hamad, Salah M. Al-Eid, Fahad M. Al-Jassas

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Composite samples of minced chicken were vacuum-packaged and pressure treated at 300, 400, 450 and 500 MPa in a Stansted 'FOOD-LAB' model S-FL-850-9-W high hydrostatic pressure research apparatus (Stansted Fluid Power Ltd., Stansted, UK). Treated and untreated samples were then stored at 3°C, and microbial content as well as some chemical and physical properties monitored. The microbial load of the untreated samples reached the spoilage level of 107 cfu/g in about one week, resulting in bad smell and dark brown color. The pressure treatments reduced total bacterial counts by about 1.8 to 3.2 log10 cycles and reduced counts of Enterobacteriaceae and Salmonella to non-detectable levels. The color of meat was slightly affected, but pH, moisture content and the oxidation products of lipids were not substantially changed. The treatment killed mainly gram negative bacteria but also caused sub-lethal injury to part of the population resulting in prolonged lag phase. The population not killed by the 350 to 450 MPa treatments grew relatively slowly during storage, and its loads reached spoilage level in 4 to 6 weeks, while the load of the population treated at 500 MPa did not reach this level till the end of a storage period of 9 weeks.

Keywords: chicken, cold storage, microbial spoilage, high hydrostatic pressure

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Authors: Kathryn H. Yull, Lina T. Al Kury, Frank Christopher Howarth

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Cardiovascular diseases are frequently reported in patients with Type-1 Diabetes mellitus (DM). In addition to changes in cardiac muscle inotropy, electrical abnormalities are also commonly observed in these patients. In the present study, using streptozotocin (STZ) rat model of Type-1 DM, we have characterized the changes in L-type calcium channel activity in single atrioventricular nodal (AVN) myocytes. Ionic currents were recorded from AVN myocytes isolated from the hearts of control rats and from those with STZ-induced diabetes. Patch-clamp recordings were used to assess changes in cellular electrical activity in individual myocytes. Type-1 DM significantly altered the cellular characteristics of L-type calcium current (ICaL). A reduction in peak ICaL density was observed, with no corresponding changes in the activation parameters of the current. ICaL also exhibited faster time-dependent inactivation in AVN myocytes from diabetic rats. A negative shift in the voltage dependence of inactivation was also evident. These findings demonstrate that experimentally–induced type-1 DM significantly alters AVN L-type calcium channel cellular electrophysiology. The changes in ion channel activity may underlie the abnormalities in the cardiac electrical function that contribute to the high mortality levels in patients with DM.

Keywords: cardiac, ion-channel, diabetes, atrioventricular node, calcium channel

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Authors: Nadeem A. Siddique, Mohd Mujeeb, Kahkashan

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Introduction: The objective of the projected work is to study the occurrence of the aflatoxins B1, B2, G1and G2 in remedial plants, exclusively in Delphinium denudatum. The aflatoxins were analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem quadrupole mass spectrometry with electrospray ionization (HPLC–MS/MS) and immunoaffinity column chromatography were used for extraction and purification of aflatoxins. PDA media was selected for fungal count. Results: A good quality linear relationship was originated for AFB1, AFB2, AFG1 and AFG2 at 1–10 ppb (r > 0.9995). The analyte precision at three different spiking levels was 88.7–109.1 %, by means of low per cent relative standard deviations in each case. Within 5 to7 min aflatoxins can be separated using an Agilent XDB C18-column. We found that AFB1 and AFB2 were not found in D. denudatum. This was reliable through exceptionally low figures of fungal colonies observed after 6 hr of incubation. The developed analytical method is straightforward, be successfully used to determine the aflatoxins. Conclusion: The developed analytical method is straightforward, simple, accurate, economical and can be successfully used to find out the aflatoxins in remedial plants and consequently to have power over the quality of products. The presence of aflatoxin in the plant extracts was interrelated to the least fungal load in the remedial plants examined.

Keywords: aflatoxins, delphinium denudatum, liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry

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Authors: Maider Gómez Palmero, Ana Carrasco Pérez, Paula de la Sen de la Cruz, Francisco Javier Royo Herrer, Sonia Ascaso Malo

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The production of bio-based products for different purposes is one of the strategies that has grown the most at European and even global levels, seeking to contribute to mitigating the impacts associated with climate change and to achieve the ambitious objectives set in this regard. However, the substitution of fossil-based products for bio-based products requires a challenging and deep transformation and adaptation of the secondary and primary sectors and, more specifically, in the latter, the agro-industries. The first step to developing a bio-based value chain focuses on the availability of a resource with the right characteristics for the substitution sought. This, in turn, requires a significant reshaping of the forestry/agricultural sector but also of the agro-industry, which has a relevant potential to be deployed as a supplier and develop a robust logistical supply chain and to market a biobased raw material at a competitive price. However, this transformation may involve a profound restructuring of its traditional business model to incorporate biorefinery concepts. In this sense, agro-industries that generate by-products in their processes that are currently not valorized, such as potato processing rejects or the starch found in washing water, constitute a potential raw material that can be used for different bio-applications. This article aims to explore this potential to evaluate the most suitable bio applications to target and identify opportunities and challenges.

Keywords: starch valorisation, biorefinery, bio-based raw materials, bio-applications

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Authors: Maha Deif, Alaa Eldin Hassan, Eman Shaat, Nesrine Elazhary, Eman Magdy

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Background: Erythropoietin (EPO) is a hematopoietic factor with multiple protective effects. The aim of the present study was to investigate the potential effect of EPO administration on renal functions and hypoxia inducible factor 1-alpha (HIF-1a) in diabetic rat kidneys. Methodology: The current study was carried out on 40 male albino rats divided into four groups (n= 10 in each). Group I served as normal control, group II was the diabetic control, group III rats received EPO on the same day of diagnosis of diabetes mellitus (DM), while group IV received the first dose of EPO 2 weeks after the diagnosis of DM. Results: The results showed that EPO supplementation leads to a significant decrease in serum urea, urinary protein and creatinine clearance as well as a significant increase in renal HIF-1a in group III and IV rats compared to the diabetic control group (group II). However, fasting blood glucose was significantly decreased in group III as compared to the diabetic control group in the third week, but no significant difference was reported in the fourth week among groups II, III and IV. Conclusion: EPO administration leads to the improvement of renal functions and increased levels of HIF-1a in diabetic rats.

Keywords: erythropoietin, diabetic nephropathy, hypoxia-inducible factor1-alpha, renal functions

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Authors: Hamid Reza Zeraatpisheh, Shamsoddin Hashemi, Farshad Negintaji

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This study has examined the effects of the architectural anatomy of opera hall on improving the quality of place identity. By measuring the effects of place identity on the inner aspects of human which are influenced by the physical and social environments it has investigated the results of a balance between internal and external environment. To assess the anatomical effects of urban landscape, two components of subjective landscape including perception and diversity and the component of objective landscape including form and order have been measured. The current survey is descriptive and the statistical population has been Shiraz which is a city in Iran. To analyze the data the SPSS software has been used. The results have been investigated in two levels of descriptive and inferential statistics. In the inferential statistics, Pearson correlation coefficient has been used to evaluate the research hypotheses. The results of this study indicate that between the dimensions of landscape, the component of the subjective landscape has the highest impact on the place identity and in the second place, an objective landscape has the impact on the place identity. Anatomical effects have an important role on improving the quality of place identity of Shiraz citizens and in order to enhance the place identity in the urban landscape it is also required that they will be inspired and operated.

Keywords: architectural anatomy, identity, place identity, urban landscape, perception

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Authors: Franklin Nakpodia, Femi Olan

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A blend of internal factors (firm performance, internal stakeholders) and external pressures (globalisation, technology, corporate scandals) have intensified calls for corporate governance reforms. While several countries and their governments have responded to these calls, the effect of such reforms on corporate governance systems across countries remains mixed. In particular, the literature reports that the effectiveness of corporate governance interventions in many developing economies is limited. Relying on the corporate governance system in Africa’s largest economy (Nigeria), this research addresses two issues. First, this study explores why previous corporate governance reforms have failed and second, the article investigates what reforms could improve corporate governance practices in the country. In addressing the above objectives, this study adopts a qualitative approach that permits data collection via semi-structured interviews with 21 corporate executives. The data supports the articulation of two sequential levels of reforms (i.e., the upstream and downstream reforms). The upstream reforms focus on two crucial but often overlooked areas that undermine reform effectiveness, i.e., the extent of government commitment and an enabling environment. The downstream reforms combine awareness and regulatory elements to proffer a path to robust corporate governance in the country. Furthermore, findings from this study stress the need to consider the use of a bottom-up approach to corporate governance practice and policymaking in place of the dominant top-down strategy.

Keywords: bottom-up approach, corporate governance, reforms, regulation

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Authors: J. Visser, C. Driver, T. Ebenhan

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[¹⁸F]-FDG (fluorodeoxyglucose) is a radiopharmaceutical compound that is used for non-invasive cancer tumor imaging through positron emission tomography (PET). This radiopharmaceutical is used to visualise the metabolic processes in tumour tissues, which can be applied for the diagnosis and prognosis of various types of cancer. [¹⁸F]-FDG has widespread use in both clinical and pre-clinical research settings. Imaging using [¹⁸F]-FDG results in representative normal tissue distribution as well as visualisation of hypermetabolic lesions ([¹⁸F]-FDG avid foci). The metabolic tissue concentration of these lesions following [¹⁸F]-FDG administration can be quantified using Standard Uptake Values (SUV). Standard uptake values of [¹⁸F]-FDG-based Positron Emission Tomography can be influenced by various biological and technical handling factors. Biological factors that affect [¹⁸F]-FDG uptake include the blood glucose levels of subjects, normal physiological variants between subjects and administration of certain pharmaceutical agents. Technical factors that can have an effect include the route of radiopharmaceutical or pharmaceutical agents administered and environmental conditions such as ambient temperature and lighting. These factors influencing tracer uptake need to be investigated to improve the robustness of the imaging protocol, which will achieve reproducible image acquisition across various research projects, optimised tumor visualisation and increased data validity and reliability.

Keywords: fluorodeoxyglucose, tumour imaging, Rodent, Blood Glucose, PET/CT Imaging

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Authors: Hamza Saeed, Khurram Iqbal Ahmad Khan

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Effective information management is crucial for any construction project and its success. Primary areas of information generation are either the construction site or the design office. There are different types of information required at different stages of construction involving various stakeholders creating complexity. There is a need for effective management of information flows to reduce uncertainty creating complexity. Nature provides a unique perspective in terms of dealing with complexity, in particular, information complexity. System dynamics methodology provides tools and techniques to address complexity. It involves modeling and simulation techniques that help address complexity. Nature has been dealing with complex systems since its creation 4.5 billion years ago. It has perfected its system by evolution, resilience towards sudden changes, and extinction of unadaptable and outdated species that are no longer fit for the environment. Nature has been accommodating the changing factors and handling complexity forever. Humans have started to look at their natural counterparts for inspiration and solutions for their problems. This brings forth the possibility of using a biomimetics approach to improve the management practices used in the construction sector. Ants inhabit different habitats. Cataglyphis and Pogonomyrmex live in deserts, Leafcutter ants reside in rainforests, and Pharaoh ants are native to urban developments of tropical areas. Detailed studies have been done on fifty species out of fourteen thousand discovered. They provide the opportunity to study the interactions in diverse environments to generate collective behavior. Animals evolve to better adapt to their environment. The collective behavior of ants emerges from feedback through interactions among individuals, based on a combination of three basic factors: The patchiness of resources in time and space, operating cost, environmental stability, and the threat of rupture. If resources appear in patches through time and space, the response is accelerating and non-linear, and if resources are scattered, the response follows a linear pattern. If the acquisition of energy through food is faster than energy spent to get it, the default is to continue with an activity unless it is halted for some reason. If the energy spent is rather higher than getting it, the default changes to stay put unless activated. Finally, if the environment is stable and the threat of rupture is low, the activation and amplification rate is slow but steady. Otherwise, it is fast and sporadic. To further study the effects and to eliminate the environmental bias, the behavior of four different ant species were studied, namely Red Harvester ants (Pogonomyrmex Barbatus), Argentine ants (Linepithema Humile), Turtle ants (Cephalotes Goniodontus), Leafcutter ants (Genus: Atta). This study aims to improve the information system in the construction sector by providing a guideline inspired by nature with a systems-thinking approach, using system dynamics as a tool. Identified factors and their interdependencies were analyzed in the form of a causal loop diagram (CLD), and construction industry professionals were interviewed based on the developed CLD, which was validated with significance response. These factors and interdependencies in the natural system corresponds with the man-made systems, providing a guideline for effective use and flow of information.

Keywords: biomimetics, complex systems, construction management, information management, system dynamics

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Authors: Eleonora Carloni, Michela Arnaboldi

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In academia, the investigation of the relationship between cultural heritage and corporations is ubiquitous in several fields of studies. In practice corporations are more and more integrating arts and cultural heritage in their strategies for disparate benefits, such as: to foster customer’s purchase intention with authentic and aesthetic experiences, to improve their reputation towards local communities, and to motivate employees with creative thinking. There are diverse forms under which corporations set these artistic interventions, from sponsorships to arts-based training centers for employees, but scholars agree that the maximum expression of this cultural trend are corporate museums, growing in number and relevance. Corporate museums are museum-like settings, hosting artworks of corporations’ history and interests. In academia they have been ascribed as strategic asset and they have been associated with diverse uses for corporations’ benefits, from place for preservation of cultural heritage, to tools for public relations and cultural flagship stores. Previous studies have thus extensively but fragmentally studied the diverse benefits of corporate museum opening to corporations, with a lack of comprehensive approach and a digression on how to evaluate and report corporate museum’s performances. Stepping forward, the present study aims to investigate: 1) what are the key performance measures corporate museums need to report to the associated corporations; 2) how are the key performance measures reported to the concerned corporations. This direction of study is not only suggested as future direction in academia but it has solid basis in practice, aiming to answer to the need of corporate museums’ directors to account for corporate museum’s activities to the concerned corporation. Coherently, at an empirical level the study relies on action research method, whose distinctive feature is to develop practical knowledge through a participatory process. This paper indeed relies on the experience of a collaborative project between the researchers and a set of corporate museums in Italy, aimed at co-developing a performance measurement system. The project involved two steps: a first step, in which researchers derived the potential performance measures from literature along with exploratory interviews; a second step, in which researchers supported the pool of corporate museums’ directors in co-developing a set of key performance indicators for reporting. Preliminary empirical findings show that while scholars insist on corporate museums’ capability to develop networking relations, directors insist on the role of museums as internal supplier of knowledge for innovation goals. Moreover, directors stress museums’ cultural mission and outcomes as potential benefits for corporation, by remarking to include both cultural and business measures in the final tool. In addition, they give relevant attention to the wording used in humanistic terms while struggling to express all measures in economic terms. The paper aims to contribute to corporate museums’ and more broadly to arts-based initiatives’ literature in two directions. Firstly, it elaborates key performance measures with related indicators to report on cultural initiatives for corporations. Secondly, it provides evidence of challenges and practices to handle reporting on these initiatives, because of tensions arising from the co-existence of diverse perspectives, namely arts and business worlds.

Keywords: arts-based initiative, corporate museum, hybrid organization, performance measurement

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Authors: Vikrant Sinha, Himanshu Singh, Nitish Kumar Singh, Sujal Nag

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This research creates an urgent and complex challenge for marine ecosystems. Microplastics were primarily found on land, but now they are pervasive in marine environments as well, affecting a wide range of marine species, from zooplankton to larger mammals that live in those environments. These pollutants interfere with major biological processes like feeding and reproduction, causing disruption throughout the food web as microplastics are getting accumulated at different tropic levels. Meanwhile, climatic changes made these effects more accelerated, and the concentration of microplastics due to these occurrences is increasing day by day. Rising temperatures, melting ice, increased runoff due to rainfall, and shifting wind patterns are transforming marine life in a way that intensifies the burden on marine life. This dual stress is particularly present in fragile ecosystems of marine life, such as coral reefs and mangroves. Addressing this twisted crisis requires not only efforts to restrain plastic pollution but also adapts strategies for climate mitigation. This research emphasizes the critical need to combine approaches to save marine biodiversity and withstand the rapid changes in the environment.

Keywords: microplastic pollution, climate change impacts, marine ecosystems, biodiversity threats, zooplankton ingestion, trophic accumulation, coral reef degradation, ecosystem resilience, plastic pollution mitigation, climate adaptation strategies, SST, sea surface temperature

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Authors: Kaycee Bills

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Studies have demonstrated that middle and high school students with disabilities are more likely to experience bullying than other student groups. The high rates of bullying victimization observed among youth with disabilities can result in severe socio-emotional consequences. These socio-emotional consequences often manifest in detrimental impacts on the students’ personal relationships. Past studies have indicated that participating in extracurricular athletic activities can have several socio-emotional benefits for students with disabilities. Given the findings of past studies demonstrating the positive relationship between mental health and participation in sports among students with disabilities, it is possible that participating in athletics could have a moderating relationship on the severity of the impact that bullying has on a student’s relationships with family and friends. Using the National Crime Victimization Survey/School Crime Supplement (NCVS/SCS), this study employs an ordinal logistic regression to determine if participation in extracurricular athletic activities mitigates the damaging impact bullying has on the personal relationships with friends and family among students who have disabilities. This study identified statistically significant results suggesting that students with disabilities who participate in athletics reported reduced levels of negative personal relationships resulting from bullying compared to their peers who did not participate in athletics.

Keywords: disability, inclusion, bullying, relationships

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Authors: Glenda Marie D. Balitaan

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The branch of business management that deals with inventory planning and control is known as inventory management. It comprises keeping track of supply levels and forecasting demand, as well as scheduling when and how to plan. Keeping excess inventory results in a loss of money, takes up physical space, and raises the risk of damage, spoilage, and loss. On the other hand, too little inventory frequently causes operations to be disrupted and raises the possibility of low customer satisfaction, both of which can be detrimental to a company's reputation. The United Victorious Feed mill Corporation's present inventory management practices were assessed in terms of inventory level, warehouse allocation, ordering frequency, shelf life, and production requirement. To help the company achieve their optimal level of inventory, a mathematical model was created using Integer Linear Programming. Due to the season, the goal function was to reduce the cost of purchasing US Soya and Yellow Corn. Warehouse space, annual production requirements, and shelf life were all considered. To ensure that the user only uses one application to record all relevant information, like production output and delivery, the researcher built a Visual Basic system. Additionally, the technology allows management to change the model's parameters.

Keywords: inventory management, integer linear programming, inventory management system, feed mill

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Authors: Ihejirika Chinedu Emeka, Njoku John Didacus, Obenade Moses

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This study was aimed at determining the impact of meteorological events (seasonal variations) and sand excavation activities on turbidity and Total Suspended Solids (TSS) of Imo River, Southeastern Nigeria. In-situ measurements of the parameters were carried out at the peaks of two consecutive seasons–dry and rainy season at seven major points of sand excavation along the river, under standard analytical methods. There were significant variations in seasons (P<0.05) for turbidity and TSS at all locations. The average turbidity concentration of locations were 36.71 NTU, during the rainy season, and 17 NTU in a dry season, while the average TSS concentration were 27.14 mg/L, during the rainy season, and 8.86mg/L in a dry season. Turbidity correlated positively (strongly) with TSS (r=0.956) at R–Square=0.91. Turbidity and TSS values were higher during the rainy season than the dry season. Turbidity increased when Total Suspended Solids increased. Sand excavation increased turbidity and TSS values of Imo River. The river had moderate water quality during the rainy season and unimpaired water quality during a dry season. The river was not very clear in both seasons, but clearer in a dry season than in rainy season. The increase in turbidity and TSS can lead to the destruction of aquatic biodiversity and stagnation of ecosystem processes. Exposure of aquatic animals to the recorded turbidity level in a rainy season can lead to stress.

Keywords: biodiversity destruction, meteorological events, pollution, sand excavation

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Authors: Himayatullah Khan, Alena Fedorova

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The present paper analyses the income-consumption relationships in Pakistan using annual time series data from 1980-81 to 2010-1. The paper uses the Augmented Dickey-Fuller test to check the unit root and stationarity in these two time series. The paper finds that the two time series are nonstationary but stationary at their first difference levels. The Augmented Engle-Granger test and the Cointegrating Regression Durbin-Watson test imply that the two time series of consumption and income are cointegrated and that long-run marginal propensity to consume is 0.88 which is given by the estimated (static) equilibrium relation. The paper also used the error correction mechanism to find out to model dynamic relationship. The purpose of the ECM is to indicate the speed of adjustment from the short-run equilibrium to the long-run equilibrium state. The results show that MPC is equal to 0.93 and is highly significant. The coefficient of Engle-Granger residuals is negative but insignificant. Statistically, the equilibrium error term is zero, which suggests that consumption adjusts to changes in GDP in the same period. The short-run changes in GDP have a positive impact on short-run changes in consumption. The paper concludes that we may interpret 0.93 as the short-run MPC. The pair-wise Granger Causality test shows that both GDP and consumption Granger cause each other.

Keywords: cointegrating regression, Augmented Dickey Fuller test, Augmented Engle-Granger test, Granger causality, error correction mechanism

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Authors: Mona Marzouk, Nesrine Hegazi, Aliaa Ragheb, Mona El Shabrawy, Salwa Kawashty

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The whole plant of Matthiola longipetala (Brassicaceae) was extracted by 70% methanol to give the total aqueous methanol extract (AME), which was defatted by hexane yielded hexane extract (HE) and defatted AME (DAME). HE was analyzed through GC/MS assay and revealed the detection of 28 non-polar compounds. In addition, the chemical investigation of DAME led to the isolation and purification of twelve flavonoids and three chlorogenic acids. Their structures were interpreted through chemical (complete and partial acid hydrolysis) and spectroscopic analysis (MS, UV, 1D and 2D NMR). Among them, nine compounds have been isolated for the first time from M. longipetala. Moreover, LC-ESI-MS analysis of DAME was achieved to detect additional 46 metabolites, including phospholipids, organic acids, phenolic acids and flavonoids. The biological activity of AME, HE and DAME against alloxan inducing oxidative stress and diabetes in male rats was investigated. Diabetes was induced using a single dose of Alloxan (150 mg/kg b.wt.). HE and DAME significantly increased serum GSH content in rats (37.3±0.7 and 35.9±0.6 mmol/l) compared to diabetic rats (21.8±0.3) and vitamin E (36.2±1.1) at P<0.01. Also, HE, DAME and AME revealed a significant acute anti-hyperglycemic effect potentiated after four weeks of treatment with blood glucose levels of 96.2±5.4, 98.7±6.1 and 98.9±8.6 mg/dl, respectively, compared to diabetic rats (263.4±7.8) and metaformin group (81.9±2.4) at P<0.01.

Keywords: Brassicaceae, Flavonoid, LCMS/MS, Matthiola

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Authors: Azzeddine Atibi, Sara Atibi, Salim Ahmed, Khadija El Kabab

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In an educational context where innovation holds a predominant position, political discourses and pedagogical practices are increasingly oriented toward this concept. Innovation has become a benchmark value, gradually replacing the notion of progress. This term is omnipresent in discussions among policymakers, administrators, and academic researchers. The pressure to innovate impacts all levels of education, influencing institutional and educational policies, training objectives, and teachers' pedagogical practices. Higher education and continuing education sectors are not exempt from this trend. These sectors are compelled to transform to attract and retain an audience whose behaviors and expectations have significantly evolved. Indeed, the employability of young graduates has become a crucial issue, prompting us to question the effectiveness of various pedagogical methods in meeting this criterion. In this article, we propose to thoroughly examine the relationship between pedagogical methods employed in different fields of higher education and the acquisition of interpersonal skills, or "soft skills". Our aim is to determine to what extent these methods contribute to better-preparing students for the professional world. We will analyze how innovative pedagogical approaches can enhance the acquisition of soft skills, which are essential for the professional success of young graduates.

Keywords: educational context, innovation, higher education, soft skills, pedagogical practices, pedagogical approaches

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Authors: Nuno Biga

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The integration of serious games with gamification in management education and training has gained significant importance in recent years as innovative strategies are sought to improve target audience engagement and learning outcomes. This research builds on the author's previous work in this field and presents a case study that evaluates the ex-post impact of a sample of applications of the BIGAMES management simulator in the training of top managers from various hospital institutions. The methodology includes evaluating the reaction of participants after each edition of BIGAMES Accident & Emergency (A&E) carried out over the last 3 years, as well as monitoring the career path of a significant sample of participants and their feedback more than a year after their experience with this simulator. Control groups will be set up, according to the type of role their members held when they took part in the BIGAMES A&E simulator: Administrators, Clinical Directors and Nursing Directors. Former participants are invited to answer a questionnaire structured for this purpose, where they are asked, among other questions, about the importance and impact that the BIGAMES A&E simulator has had on their professional activity. The research methodology also includes an exhaustive literature review, focusing on empirical studies in the field of education and training in management and business that investigate the effectiveness of gamification and serious games in improving learning, team collaboration, critical thinking, problem-solving skills and overall performance, with a focus on training contexts in the health sector. The results of the research carried out show that gamification and serious games that simulate real scenarios, such as Business Interactive Games - BIGAMES©, can significantly increase the motivation and commitment of participants, stimulating the development of transversal skills, the mobilization of group synergies and the acquisition and retention of knowledge through interactive user-centred scenarios. Individuals who participate in game-based learning series show a higher level of commitment to learning because they find these teaching methods more enjoyable and interactive. This research study aims to demonstrate that, as executive education and training programs develop to meet the current needs of managers, gamification and serious games stand out as effective means of bridging the gap between traditional teaching methods and modern educational and training requirements. To this end, this research evaluates the medium/long-term effects of gamified learning on the professional performance of participants in the BIGAMES simulator applied to healthcare. Based on the conclusions of the evaluation of the effectiveness of training using gamification and taking into account the results of the opinion poll of former A&E participants, this research study proposes an integrated approach for the transversal application of the A&E Serious Game in various educational contexts, covering top management (traditionally the target audience of BIGAMES A&E), middle and operational management in healthcare institutions (functional area heads and professionals with career development potential), as well as higher education in medicine and nursing courses. The integrated solution called “BIGAMES A&E plus”, developed as part of this research, includes the digitalization of key processes and the incorporation of AI.

Keywords: artificial intelligence (AI), executive training, gamification, higher education, management simulators, serious games (SG), training effectiveness

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Authors: Pedro Esteban

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Today’s electrical networks, including microgrids, are evolving into smart grids. The smart grid concept brings the idea that the power comes from various sources (continuous or intermittent), in various forms (AC or DC, high, medium or low voltage, etc.), and it must be integrated into the electric power system in a smart way to guarantee a continuous and reliable supply that complies with power quality and energy efficiency standards and grid code requirements. This idea brings questions for the different players like how the required power will be generated, what kind of power will be more suitable, how to store exceeding levels for short or long-term usage, and how to combine and distribute all the different generation power sources in an efficient way. To address these issues, there has been lots of development in recent years on the field of on-grid and off-grid hybrid power systems (HPS). These systems usually combine one or more modes of electricity generation together with energy storage to ensure optimal supply reliability and high level of energy security. Hybrid power systems combine power generation and energy storage technologies together with real-time energy management and innovative power quality and energy efficiency improvement functionalities. These systems help customers achieve targets for clean energy generation, they add flexibility to the electrical grid, and they optimize the installation by improving its power quality and energy efficiency.

Keywords: microgrids, hybrid power systems, energy storage, power quality improvement

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Authors: Ibinabo I. Ilaboya, Eustace A. Iyayi

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Phosphorus (P) is an indispensable mineral in broiler diets. Rice husk contains phytate-P and other nutrients like protein, carbohydrates, which are poorly digested in broiler chickens. Broiler chickens (BC) lacks sufficient phytase to help hydrolyse phytate-bound P. Hence excess of P is excreted by these chickens into the environment causing environmental pollution. Supplementation of such diets with microbial phytase helps to improve the digestibility of these nutrients. The study was conducted to determine the effect of phytase supplementation on the digestibility of crude protein (CP) and P of rice husk in BC. Six semi-purified diets of three levels of total P (3.46, 4.91 and 6.37g/kg) without and with 1,000 units of phytase per kg were formulated. Titanium dioxide was added to the diets at the rate of 5g/kg as an indigestible marker. At 20dposthatch, 288 broilers (Abor Acre) were weighed and allotted to the diets with 6 replicates of 8 birds each in a randomized complete block design. The birds had free access to the experimental diets until day 26 post-hatch. Phytase supplementation increased (p < 0.05) digestibility of P from 75-93%. Rice husk and its interaction with phytase had no significant (p > 0.05) effect on P digestibility, whereas there was significant (p < 0.01) effect on the interaction of rice husk with phytase on CP digestibility. There were linear increases (p < 0.01) in digested P and CP with phytase supplementation. The P and CP losses from the BC was reduced with the addition of phytase. Results suggest that supplementation of rice husk-based diets with microbial phytase improved pre-caecal digestibility of P and CP in broilers.

Keywords: crude protein, phosphorus, phytase, rice husk

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Authors: Jennifer Wheeldon, Nick de Viggiani, Nikki Cotterill

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Background: Urinary and fecal incontinence affect a significant proportion of older adults aged 65 and over who permanently reside in residential and nursing home facilities. Incontinence symptoms have been linked to comorbidities, an increased risk of infection and reduced quality of life and mental wellbeing of residents. However, continence care provision can often be poor, further compromising the health and wellbeing of this vulnerable population. Objectives: To identify experiences and perceptions of continence care provision in older adult residential care settings and to identify factors that help or hinder good continence care provision. Settings included both residential care homes and nursing homes for older adults. Methods: A qualitative evidence synthesis using systematic review methodology established the current evidence-base. Data from 20 qualitative and mixed-method studies was appraised and synthesized. Following the review process, 10* qualitative interviews with staff working in older adult residential care settings were conducted across six* sites, which included registered managers, registered nurses and nursing/care assistants/aides. Purposive sampling recruited individuals from across England. Both evidence synthesis and interview data was analyzed thematically, both manually and with NVivo software. Results: The evidence synthesis revealed complex barriers and facilitators for continence care provision at three influencing levels: macro (structural and societal external influences), meso (organizational and institutional influences) and micro (day-to-day actions of individuals impacting service delivery). Macro-level barriers included negative stigmas relating to incontinence, aging and working in the older adult social care sector, restriction of continence care resources such as containment products (i.e. pads), short staffing in care facilities, shortfalls in the professional education and training of care home staff and the complex health and social care needs of older adult residents. Meso-level barriers included task-centered organizational cultures, ageist institutional perspectives regarding old age and incontinence symptoms, inadequate care home management and poor communication and teamwork among care staff. Micro-level barriers included poor knowledge and negative attitudes of care home staff and residents regarding incontinence symptoms and symptom management and treatment. Facilitators at the micro-level included proactive and inclusive leadership skills of individuals in management roles. Conclusions: The findings of the evidence synthesis study help to outline the complexities of continence care provision in older adult care homes facilities. Macro, meso and micro level influences demonstrate problematic and interrelated barriers across international contexts, indicating that improving continence care in this setting is extremely challenging due to the multiple levels at which care provision and services are impacted. Both international and national older adult social care policy-makers, researchers and service providers must recognize this complexity, and any intervention seeking to improve continence care in older adult care home settings must be planned accordingly and appreciatively of the complex and interrelated influences. It is anticipated that the findings of the qualitative interviews will shed further light on the national context of continence care provision specific to England; data collection is ongoing*. * Sample size is envisaged to be between 20-30 participants from multiple sites by Spring 2023.

Keywords: continence care, residential and nursing homes, evidence synthesis, qualitative

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Authors: Nattawit Thiapairat

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Multiple diseases have been linked to excessive levels of free radicals, which cause tissue or cell damage as a result of oxidative stress. Many plants are sources of high antioxidant activity. Derris scandens has a high amount of phenolic and flavonoid contents which demonstrated good biological activities. This study focused on the antioxidant activity of polyphenols extracted from D. scandens. This study performs total flavonoids content and various antioxidant assays, which were 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate (DPPH) and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging capacity assays. The total flavonoid content of D. scandens extract was determined and expressed as quercetin equivalents (QE)/g measured by the aluminum chloride colorimetric method. The antioxidant activity of D. scandens extract was also determined by DPPH and ABTS assays. In the DPPH assay, vitamin C was used as a positive control, whereas Trolox was used as a positive control in the ABTS assay. The half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values for D. scandens extract from DPPH and ABTS assays were 41.79 μg/mL ± 0.783 and 29.42 μg/mL ± 0.890, respectively, in the DPPH assay. To conclude, D. scandens extract consists of a high amount of total phenolic content, which exhibits a significant antioxidant activity. However, further investigation regarding antioxidant activity such as SOD, ROS, and RNS scavenging assays and in vivo experiments should be performed.

Keywords: ABTS assay, antioxidant activity, Derris scandens, DPPH assays, total flavonoid content

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Authors: Saiakhil Chilaka

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Juvenile recidivism presents a significant challenge to the criminal justice system, impacting both the individuals involved and broader societal safety. This study aims to identify the key factors influencing recidivism and successful rehabilitation outcomes by utilizing a dataset of over 25,000 individuals from the NIJ Recidivism Challenge. We employed machine learning techniques, particularly Random Forest Classification, combined with SHAP (SHapley Additive exPlanations) for model interpretability. Our findings indicate that supervision risk score, percent days employed, and education level are critical factors affecting recidivism, with higher levels of supervision, successful employment, and education contributing to lower recidivism rates. Conversely, Gang Affiliation emerged as a significant risk factor for reoffending. The model achieved an accuracy of 68.8%, highlighting its utility in identifying high-risk individuals and informing targeted interventions. These results suggest that a comprehensive approach involving personalized supervision, vocational training, educational support, and anti-gang initiatives can significantly reduce recidivism and enhance rehabilitation outcomes for juveniles, providing critical insights for policymakers and juvenile justice practitioners.

Keywords: juvenile, justice system, data analysis, SHAP

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Authors: Elif Unveren, Ozlem Bozkurt

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Emotion processing happens when someone has a negative, stressful experience and gets over it in time, and it is a different experience for every person. As to look into emotion processing can be categorised by intensity, awareness, coordination, speed, accuracy and response. It may vary depending on people’s age, sex and conditions. Each emotion processing shows different activation patterns in different brain regions. Activation is significantly higher in the right frontal areas. The highest activation happens in extended frontotemporal areas during the processing of happiness, sadness and disgust. Those emotions also show widely disturbed differences and get produced earlier than anger and fear. For different occasions, listed variables may have less or more importance. A borderline personality disorder is a condition that creates an unstable personality, sudden mood swings and unpredictability of actions. According to a study that was made with healthy people and people who had BPD, there were significant differences in some categories of emotion processing, such as intensity, awareness and accuracy. According to another study that was made to show the emotional processing differences between puberty and was made for only females who were between the ages of 11 and 17, it was perceived that for different ages and hormone levels, different parts of the brain are used to understand the given task. Also, in the different study that was made for kids that were between the age of 4 and 15, it was observed that the older kids were processing emotion more intensely and expressing it to a greater extent. There was a significant increase in fear and disgust in those matters. To sum up, we can say that the activity of undertaking negative experiences is a unique thing for everybody for many different reasons.

Keywords: age, sex, conditions, brain regions, emotion processing

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Authors: Tatyana A. Karpenyuk, Saltanat B. Orazova, Yana S. Tzurkan, Alla V. Goncharova, Bakytzhan K. Kairat, Togzhan D. Mukasheva, Ludmila V. Ignatova, Ramza Z. Berzhanova

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Microalgae due to the ability to accumulate high levels of practically valuable polyunsaturated fatty acids attract attention as a promising raw material for commercial products. It were defined the features of the growth processes of cells green protococcal microalgae Oocystis rhomboideus, Scenedesmus obliquus, Dictyochlorella globosa at cultivation in different nutritional mediums. For the rapid accumulation of biomass, combined with high productivity of total lipids fraction yield recommended to use the Fitzgerald medium (Scenodesmus obliquus, Oocystis rhomboideus) and/or Bold medium (Dictyochlorella globosa). Productivity of lipids decreased in sequence Dictyochlorella globosa > Scenodesmus obliquus > Oocystis rhomboideus. The bulk of fatty acids fraction of the total lipids is unsaturated fatty acids, which accounts for 70 to 83% of the total number of fatty acids. The share of monoenic acids varies from 16 to 36 %, the share of unsaturated fatty acids - from 44 to 65% of total fatty acids fraction. Among the unsaturated acids dominate α-linolenic acid (C18:3n-3), hexadecatetraenic acid (C16:4) and linoleic acid (C18:2).

Keywords: microalgae, lipids, fatty acids, culture conditions

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Authors: Zemmouli Naoual, Ramdane Farah, Guezzoun Nassima

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Algerian Phoenician juniper was selected for this study to isolate phytochemicals and examine certain biological activities. The results of our phytochemical analyses indicated that the decoction extract (AQE-JP) contained substantial levels of phenolics, flavonoids, and condensed tannins, quantified as (374 ± 0.10 mg GA Eq/g DE), (174.02 ± 2.79 mg Qr Eq/DE), and (160.50 ± 3.60 mg Catechin Eq/DE), respectively. Our results indicated that these aqueous decoctions exhibited remarkable antioxidant potential across multiple tests, including the DPPH radical scavenging test (IC50=71.034 ± 0.340 µg/ml), Ferric Reducing Power assay (EC50=23.67 ± 4.86 µg/ml), and Total Antioxidant Capacity assay (232.09 ± 1.02 mg Eq AA/g DE). Furthermore, it demonstrated robust antioxidant action by inhibiting the color change of β-carotene in the BCB assay (IC50 = 206.04 ± 4.36 µg/ml). AQE-JP exhibited hemo-compatibility and successfully inhibited egg albumin denaturation (IC50=0.566 ± 0.004 mg/ml). The AQE-JP was evaluated for its antibacterial efficacy against six bacterial strains using the Agar diffusion method. The results indicated that the aqueous decoction (100 mg/ml) was effective, producing inhibition zones measuring 18.3 ± 0.14, 14.66 ± 0.04, 15.13 ± 0.04, 15.03 ± 0.04, 13.46 ± 0.04, and 14.86 ± 0.04 for Bacillus subtilis, Listeria innocua, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and Salmonella typhimurium, respectively. The aqueous decoction of Juniperus phoenicea L. leaves is identified as a valuable source of natural antioxidants, anti-inflammatories, and antibacterials. These findings warrant further inquiry to explore the therapeutic potential of this plant.

Keywords: juniperus phoenicea L. antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial

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Authors: Amaefule, Leonard Ifeanyi

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The study evaluated the disruptions in Nigeria’s domestic economic activities occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic: a pre and post-pandemic investigation approach. Domestic economic activities were measured with composite manufacturing purchasing managers index (PMI) and composite non-manufacturing PMI. Production and employment levels indices were proxies for composite manufacturing PMI, while business activities and employment level indices were proxies for non-manufacturing PMI. Data for these indices were sourced from monthly and quarterly publications of the Central Bank of Nigeria for periods covering fifteen (15) months before and 15 months after the outbreak of the virus in Nigeria. Test of equality of means was employed in establishing the significance of the difference of means between the pre and post-pandemic domestic economic activities. Results from the analysis indicated that a significant negative difference exists in each of the measures of domestic economic activities between the pre and post-pandemic periods. These findings, therefore, offer empirical evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted domestic economic activities in Nigeria; thus, it exerts a negative influence on the measures of the nation’s domestic economic activities. The study thus recommended (among other things) that the Nigerian government should focus on policies that would enhance domestic production, employment and enhance business activities.

Keywords: COVID-19, domestic economic activities, composite manufacturing indices, composite non-manufacturing indices

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Authors: Mitsuhiro Okayasu

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To better understand the lattice characteristics of lead zirconate titanate (PZT) ceramics, the lattice orientations and domain-switching characteristics have been directly examined during loading and unloading using various experimental techniques. Upon loading, the PZT ceramics are fractured linear and nonlinearly during the compressive loading process. The strain characteristics of the PZT ceramic were directly affected by both the lattice and domain switching strain. Due to the piezoelectric ceramic, electrical activity of lightning-like behavior occurs in the PZT ceramics, which attributed to the severe domain-switching leading to weak piezoelectric property. The characteristics of domain-switching and reverse switching are detected during the loading and unloading processes. The amount of domain-switching depends on the grain, due to different stress levels. In addition, two patterns of 90˚ domain-switching systems are characterized, namely (i) 90˚ turn about the tetragonal c-axis and (ii) 90˚ rotation of the tetragonal a-axis. In this case, PZT ceramic was loaded by the thermal stress at 80°C. Extent of domain switching is related to the direction of c-axis of the tetragonal structure, e.g., that axis, orientated close to the loading direction, makes severe domain switching. It is considered that there is 90˚ domain switching, but in actual, the angle of domain switching is less than 90˚, e.g., 85.4° ~ 90.0°. In situ TEM observation of the domain switching characteristics of PZT ceramic has been conducted with increasing the sample temperature from 25°C to 300°C, and the domain switching like behavior is directly observed from the lattice image, where the severe domain switching occurs less than 100°C.

Keywords: PZT, lead zirconate titanate, piezoelectric ceramic, domain switching, material property

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Authors: Tolga Arda Eraslan

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The quality of the indoor environment is significant to occupants’ health, comfort, and productivity, as Covid-19 spread throughout the world, people started spending most of their time indoors. Since buildings are getting bigger, mechanical ventilation systems are widely used where natural ventilation is insufficient. Four primary tasks of a ventilation system have been identified indoor air quality, comfort, contamination control, and energy performance. To fulfill such requirements, air diffusers, which are a part of the ventilation system, have begun to enter our lives in different airflow distribution systems. Detailed observations are needed to assure that such devices provide high levels of comfort effectiveness and energy efficiency. This study addresses these needs. The objective of this article is to observe air characterizations of different air diffusers at different angles and their effect on people by the thermal comfort model in CFD simulation and to validate the outputs with the help of data results based on a simulated office room. Office room created to provide validation; Equipped with many thermal sensors, including head height, tabletop, and foot level. In addition, CFD simulations were carried out by measuring the temperature and velocity of the air coming out of the supply diffuser. The results considering the flow interaction between diffusers and surroundings showed good visual illustration.

Keywords: computational fluid dynamics, fanger’s model, predicted mean vote, thermal comfort

Procedia PDF Downloads 123