Search results for: Legal terms

Authors: Ballout Amor, Yasmina Bouchahm, Lacheheb Dhia Eddine Zakaria

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Several studies all around the world were conducted on the phenomenon of the urban heat island, and referring to the results obtained, one of the most important factors that influence this phenomenon is the mineralization of the cities which means the reducing of evaporative urban surfaces, replacing vegetation and wetlands with concrete and asphalt. The use of vegetation and water can change the urban environment and improve comfort, thus reduce the heat island. The trees act as a mask to the sun, wind, and sound, and also as a source of humidity which reduces air temperature and surrounding surfaces. Water also acts as a buffer to noise; it is also a source of moisture and regulates temperature not to mention the psychological effect on humans. Our main objective in this paper is to determine the impact of vegetation, ponds and fountains on the urban micro climate in general and on the thermal comfort of people along the Independence square in the Algerian city of Sétif, which is a semi-arid climate, in particularly. In order to reach this objective, a comparative study between different scenarios has been done; the use of the Envi-met program enabled us to model the urban environment of the Independence Square and to study the possibility of improving the conditions of comfort by adding an amount of vegetation and water ponds. After studying the results obtained (temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, PMV and PPD indicators), the efficiency of the additions we've made on the square was confirmed and this is what helped us to confirm our assumptions regarding the terms of comfort in the studied site, and in the end we are trying to develop recommendations and solutions which may contribute to improve the conditions for greater comfort in the Independence square.

Keywords: comfort in outer space, urban environment, scenarisation, vegetation, water ponds, public square, simulation

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Authors: Badamasi Tarda Ayuba

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African countries contend with many developmental challenges particularly that of overcoming ethnic and religious conflicts. There is the recent wave of terrorism which is also ascribed to religious intolerance. It is a reality that most sub-Saharan African countries/communities consist of several distinct ethnic groups. In a typical classroom, within both rural and urban contexts, children from diverse ethnic and socio-cultural backgrounds converge to learn and grow together. This implies that education has the potentials for fostering inter-communal understanding such that young people could learn, grow together and assume leadership positions to work in pursuit of common goals of nation building. However, given the spate of inter communal clashes erupting too frequently in many parts of the continent and the dangerous trend of ethnicization of serious national affairs, it is doubtful if these objectives are being realized through education. Thus, this paper argued that the current developments indicate failure of the education system in the realization of the countries’ educational goals of creating united, peaceful and indivisible nations, thus far. Further, the failure occurred and would continue to persist unless teachers are purposefully prepared in terms of professional competencies and attitudes to entrench in their students the culture of peaceful coexistence through the various professional roles they play within the schools and communities. Therefore, the paper examined the changing context and challenging roles expected of sub-Saharan African teachers in engendering peaceful coexistence and the need to purposefully develop their capacity and mindset for the new roles. The paper then recommended programs to expose and re-educate teachers towards such roles.

Keywords: sub-Saharan Africa, teacher, professional development, peaceful coexistence, multi-ethnicity, communities

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Authors: C. C. Okafor

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The effect of different varieties of plantain (Horn, false horn and French) and fibre types (soy bean residue, cassava sievette and rice bran) on functional and organoleptic properties of plantain-based flour was assessed. Horn, false horn french were processed by washing, peeling with knife, slicing into 3mm thickness and steam blanched at 80℃ for 5minutes, oven dried at 65℃ for 48 hours and milled into flours with attrition mill, sieved with 60 mesh sieve, separately. Fibre sources were processed, milled and fractionated into 60, 40 & 20 mesh sizes. Both flours were blended as 80:20, 70:30 and 60:40. Results obtained indicated that water absorption capacity is highest (2.68) in French plantain variety irrespective of the fibre type used. And in all variety tested the swelling capacity is highest (2.93) when the plantain flour is blended with soy residue (SR) and lowest (1.25) when blended with rice brain (RB). The results show that there is significant variety and fibre type interaction effect at (P < : 0.05). Again the results showed that texture mold ability and overall acceptability were best (7.00) when soy residue was used where as addition of rice bran into plantain flour resulted in fufu with poor texture. This trend was observed in all the verities of plantain tested and in all of the particle size of flour. Using cassava serviette also yield fufu similar to that produced with soy residue in all the parameter tested (mold ability, texture and overall acceptability. Generally, plantain flours from french and false horn yielded better quality fufu in terms of texture mold ability, overall acceptability, irrespective of the fibre type used.

Keywords: functional, organoleptic, particle size, sieve mesh, variety

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Authors: Ahmed A. A. Fadol, Guangji Tong, Wlaa Mohamed

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This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of food insecurity in Sudan, focusing on consumption patterns and their implications, employing the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) assessment framework. Years of conflict and economic instability have driven large segments of the population in Sudan into crisis levels of acute food insecurity according to the (IPC). A substantial number of people are estimated to currently face emergency conditions, with an additional sizeable portion categorized under less severe but still extreme hunger levels. In this study, we explore the multifaceted nature of food insecurity in Sudan, considering its historical, political, economic, and social dimensions. An analysis of consumption patterns and trends was conducted, taking into account cultural influences, dietary shifts, and demographic changes. Furthermore, we employ logistic regression and random forest analysis to identify significant independent variables influencing food security status in Sudan. Random forest clearly outperforms logistic regression in terms of area under curve (AUC), accuracy, precision and recall. Forward projections of the IPC for Sudan estimate that 15 million individuals are anticipated to face Crisis level (IPC Phase 3) or worse acute food insecurity conditions between October 2023 and February 2024. Of this, 60% are concentrated in Greater Darfur, Greater Kordofan, and Khartoum State, with Greater Darfur alone representing 29% of this total. These findings emphasize the urgent need for both short-term humanitarian aid and long-term strategies to address Sudan's deepening food insecurity crisis.

Keywords: food insecurity, consumption patterns, logistic regression, random forest analysis

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Authors: Vahid Saatchian, Seyyed Farideh Hadavi

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The main aim of this study was developing the collaboration model of physical education and sport sciences faculties with service section of sport industrial.The research methods of this study was a qualitative. So researcher with of identifying the priority list of collaboration between colleges and service section of sport industry and according to sampling based of subjective and snowball approach, conducted deep interviews with 22 elites that study around the field of research topic. indeed interviews were analyzed through qualitative coding (open, axial and selective) with 5 category such as causal condition, basic condition, intervening conditions, action/ interaction and strategy. Findings exposed that in causal condition 10 labels appeared. So because of heterogeneity of labes, researcher categorized in total subject. In basic condition 59 labels in open coding identified this categorized in 14 general concepts. Furthermore with composition of the declared category and relationship between them, 5 final and internal categories (culture, intelligence, marketing, environment and ultra-powers) were appeared. Also an intervening condition in the study includes 5 overall scopes of social factors, economic, cultural factors, and the management of the legal and political factors that totally named macro environment. Indeed for identifying strategies, 8 areas that covered with internal and external challenges relationship management were appeared. These are including, understanding, outside awareness, manpower, culture, integrated management, the rules and regulations and marketing. Findings exposed 8 labels in open coding which covered the internal and external of challenges of relation management of two sides and these concepts were knowledge and awareness, external view, human source, madding organizational culture, parties’ thoughts, unit responsible for/integrated management, laws and regulations and marketing. Eventually the consequences categorized in line of strategies and were at scope of the cultural development, general development, educational development, scientific development, under development, international development, social development, economic development, technology development and political development that consistent with strategies. The research findings could help the sport managers witch use to scientific collaboration management and the consequences of this in those sport institutions. Finally, the consequences that identified as a result of the devopmental strategies include: cultural, governmental, educational, scientific, infrastructure, international, social, economic, technological and political that is largely consistent with strategies. With regard to the above results, enduring and systematic relation with long term cooperation between the two sides requires strategic planning were based on cooperation of all stakeholders. Through this, in the turbulent constantly changing current sustainable environment, competitive advantage for university and industry obtained. No doubt that lack of vision and strategic thinking for cooperation in the planning of the university and industry from its capability and instead of using the opportunity, lead the opportunities to problems.

Keywords: university and industry collaboration, sport industry, physical education and sport science college, service section of sport industry

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Authors: Emmanuel Iyamuremye, Irenee Ndayambaje

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This study investigated the influence of Concrete Pictorial Abstract (CPA) teaching approach on mathematics achievement based on a sample of eighth-grade students (N = 10,345) from the Rwandan Lower Secondary School quasi-experimental study with pre-test and post-test control group of 2019 (RLSQES19). Key aspects studied included mathematics concept understanding and mathematics concept retention and how these are influenced by teacher's teaching approach. Specifically, the study aimed to a.) investigate students' concept understanding and concept retention in mathematics when exposed to CPA approach and to those exposed to non-CPA approach before and after the intervention, and b.) ascertain the significant difference between the performance of the students exposed to CPA approach and those exposed to non-CPA approach in terms of post-test scores and retention test scores. Two groups (control and experimental) undergone pre-test, post-test, and retention test. The assignment of control and experimental group among senior two classes from 10 schools was done randomly. The materials used to determine the performance of the students is a teacher-made test. Descriptive statistics and ANCOVA were used for the analysis of the study. For determining the improvement in concept understanding of mathematics, Hakes methods of calculating gain were used to analyze the pre-test and post test score. The level of performance of the two groups in the pre-test is below average level. During the post-test and retention test, the performance of students in non-CPA group is on average level, and students in CPA group are on above average level. Hakes methods of calculating gain revealed higher significant performance in the post-test and retention test of CPA group of students than non-CPA group of students.

Keywords: concept understanding, concept retention, performance, teaching approach

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Authors: Rafooneh Mokhtarshahi Sani

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This study explores how the residents of a conserved urban area have used goods and ideas as resources to maintain an enviable architectural identity. Whereas conserved urban quarters are seen as role model for maintaining architectural identity, the article describes how their residents try to give a contemporary modern image to their homes. It is argued that despite the efforts of authorities and decision makers to keep and preserve the traditional architectural identity in conserved urban areas, people have already moved on and have adjusted their homes with their preferred architectural taste. Being through such conflict of interests, have put the future of architectural identity in such places at risk. The thesis is that, on the one hand, such struggle over a desirable symbolic status in identity formation is taking place, and, on the other, it is continuously widening the gap between the real and ideal identity in the built environment. The study then analytically connects the concept of symbolic status to current identity debates. As an empirical research, this study uses systematic social and physical observation methods to describe and categorize the characteristics of settlements in Walled City of Famagusta, which symbolically represent the modern houses. The Walled City is a cultural heritage site, which most of its urban context has been conserved. Traditional houses in this area demonstrate the identity of North Cyprus architecture. The conserved residential buildings, however, either has been abandoned or went through changes by their users to present the ideal image of contemporary life. In the concluding section, the article discusses the differences between the symbolic status of people and authorities in defining a culturally valuable contemporary home. And raises the question of whether we can talk at all about architectural identity in terms of conserving the traditional style, and how we may do so on the basis of dynamic nature of identity and the necessity of its acceptance by the users.

Keywords: symbolic status, architectural identity, conservation, facades, Famagusta walled city

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Authors: Aung Aung Kyi, Khin Khin Aye

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The mode of teaching and learning has been changed dramatically due to the Covid-19 pandemic that made schools close and students may have been away from the campus. However, many schools all over the countries are helping students to facilitate e-learning through online teaching and learning platform. Regarding this, Sarasas bilingual school in Bangkok conducted the high school students’ satisfaction survey since it is important for every school to improve its quality of education that must meet the students' need. For the good of the school's reputation, the purpose of the study is to examine the level of satisfaction that enhances the best services in the future. This study applied random sampling techniques and the data were collected using a self-administered survey. Descriptive analysis and independent sample t-tests were used to measure the importance of satisfaction components. The results showed G-11 (A) students were extremely satisfied with “Accessibility of course resources and materials through online platform” and “Ontime homework submission” while G-11 (B) students were extremely satisfied with “Teacher assisted with guiding my learning activities” and “Course teacher for this online course interacted with me in a timely fashion”. Additionally, they were also satisfied with a clear understanding of the teacher’s introduction during online learning. A significant difference in the satisfaction was observed between G-11 (A) and G-11 (B) students in terms of “A clear understanding on introduction was given by the teacher at the beginning of this online course”(P=0.03), “Teacher assisted with guiding my learning activities” (P=0.003), and “Comfortable surrounding during online learning” (P=0.02). With regard to gender, it has been seen that female high school students were extremely satisfied with the amount of course interaction with their teacher and her guidance with learning activities during online learning. By understanding the survey assessment, schools can improve their quality of education through the best digital educational platform that helps satisfy their students in the future.

Keywords: Bangkok high school students., covid-19 pandemic, online learning platform, satisfaction

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Authors: Jeaha Yang, Ahmed Khan, Donna L. Rodela, Mohammed A. Qaudeer

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Traditional supply chain silos still exist today due to the difficulty of establishing trust between various partners and technological barriers across industries. Companies lose opportunities and revenue and inadvertently make poor business decisions resulting in further challenges. Blockchain technology can bring a new level of transparency through sharing information with a distributed ledger in a decentralized manner that creates a basis of trust for business. Blockchain is a loosely coupled, hub-style communication network in which trading partners can work indirectly with each other for simpler integration, but they work together through the orchestration of their supply chain operations under a coherent process that is developed jointly. A Blockchain increases efficiencies, lowers costs, and improves interoperability to strengthen and automate the supply chain management process while all partners share the risk. Blockchain ledger is built to track inventory lifecycle for supply chain transparency and keeps a journal of inventory movement for real-time reconciliation. State design patterns are used to capture the life cycle (behavior) of inventory management as a state machine for a common, transparent and coherent process which creates an opportunity for trading partners to become more responsive in terms of changes or improvements in process, reconcile discrepancies, and comply with internal governance and external regulations. It enables end-to-end, inter-company visibility at the unit level for more accurate demand planning with better insight into order fulfillment and replenishment.

Keywords: supply chain management, inventory trace-ability, perpetual inventory system, inventory lifecycle, blockchain, inventory consignment, supply chain transparency, digital thread, demand planning, hyper ledger fabric

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Authors: Jing-Ma

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Digital transformation (DT) is an important way for manufacturing enterprises to shape new competitive advantages, and how to choose an effective DT strategy is crucial for enterprise growth and sustainable development. Rooted in strategic change theory, this paper incorporates the dimensions of managers' digital cognition, organizational conditions, and external environment into the same strategic analysis framework and integrates the dynamic QCA method and PSM method to study the antecedent grouping of the DT strategy mode of manufacturing enterprises and its impact on corporate profitability based on the data of listed manufacturing companies in China from 2015 to 2019. We find that the synergistic linkage of different dimensional elements can form six equivalent paths of high-level DT, which can be summarized as the proactive change mode of resource-capability dominated as well as adaptive response mode such as industry-guided resource replenishment. Capacity building under complex environments, market-industry synergy-driven, forced adaptation under peer pressure, and the managers' digital cognition play a non-essential but crucial role in this process. Except for individual differences in the market industry collaborative driving mode, other modes are more stable in terms of individual and temporal changes. However, it is worth noting that not all paths that result in high levels of DT can contribute to enterprise profitability, but only high levels of DT that result from matching the optimization of internal conditions with the external environment, such as industry technology and macro policies, can have a significant positive impact on corporate profitability.

Keywords: digital transformation, strategy mode, enterprise profitability, dynamic QCA, PSM approach

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Authors: Alex Knighton, Roba Khundkar, Michael Dunn

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Neo-colonialism is defined as the use of economic, political, cultural, or other pressures to control or influence other countries, especially former dependencies, and concerns have been raised about its presence in surgical missions. Surgical missions aim to rectify the huge disparity in surgical access worldwide, but their ethics must be carefully considered. This is especially in light of colonial history which affects international relations and global health today, to ensure that colonial attitudes are not influencing efforts to promote equity. This review examines the history of colonial global health, demonstrating that global health initiatives have consistently been used to benefit those providing them, and then asks whether elements of colonialism are still pervasive in surgical missions today. Data was collected from the literature using specified search terms and snowball searching, as well as from international expert web-based conferences on global surgery ethics. A thematic analysis was then conducted on this data, resulting in the identification of six themes which are identifiable in both past and present global health initiatives. These six themes are power, lack of understanding or respect, feelings of superiority, exploitation, enabling of dependency, and acceptance of poorer standards of care. An ethical analysis follows, concluding that the concerns of power and neo-colonialism in global surgery would be addressed by adopting a framework of procedural justice that promotes a refined governance process in which stakeholders are able to propose and reject decisions that affect them. The paper argues that adopting this model would address concerns of the power disparity in the field directly, as well as promoting an ethical framework to enable the other concerns of power disparity and neo-colonialism identified in the present analysis to be addressed.

Keywords: medical ethics, global surgery, global health, neocolonialism, surgical missions

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Authors: K. Sathishkumar, V. Thiagarasu

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Due to recent advances in DNA microarray technology, it is now feasible to obtain gene expression profiles of tissue samples at relatively low costs. Many scientists around the world use the advantage of this gene profiling to characterize complex biological circumstances and diseases. Microarray techniques that are used in genome-wide gene expression and genome mutation analysis help scientists and physicians in understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms, in diagnoses and prognoses, and choosing treatment plans. DNA microarray technology has now made it possible to simultaneously monitor the expression levels of thousands of genes during important biological processes and across collections of related samples. Elucidating the patterns hidden in gene expression data offers a tremendous opportunity for an enhanced understanding of functional genomics. However, the large number of genes and the complexity of biological networks greatly increase the challenges of comprehending and interpreting the resulting mass of data, which often consists of millions of measurements. A first step toward addressing this challenge is the use of clustering techniques, which is essential in the data mining process to reveal natural structures and identify interesting patterns in the underlying data. This work presents an analysis of several clustering algorithms proposed to deals with the gene expression data effectively. The existing clustering algorithms like Support Vector Machine (SVM), K-means algorithm and evolutionary algorithm etc. are analyzed thoroughly to identify the advantages and limitations. The performance evaluation of the existing algorithms is carried out to determine the best approach. In order to improve the classification performance of the best approach in terms of Accuracy, Convergence Behavior and processing time, a hybrid clustering based optimization approach has been proposed.

Keywords: microarray technology, gene expression data, clustering, gene Selection

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Authors: Maha Tichetti, Barzi Redouane, Selim Kanat

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In the European Union (EU), where economic, political, and cultural ties converge, strategic alliances play a pivotal role in shaping the collaborative landscape. This paper embarks on a journey into the EuroSphere, offering a comprehensive analysis review that unravels the dynamics of these alliances within the European context. The focus is specifically directed towards understanding their profound impact on creative synergy and innovation among teams. In our analysis, we provide theoretical explanations for key terms such as "creative synergy" and "strategic alliances." We outline various types of competitive strategies, delve into the motivations prompting the formation of strategic alliances, and critically examine the success and failure factors in these kinds of collaboration. Additionally, we explore the goals achievable through strategic alliances, especially in the context of external growth. A central focus of this paper focus on how strategic alliances can significantly impact creative synergy within the European landscape. Through a theoretical lens, we explore the interplay between collaborative strategies and the enhancement of creative thinking within teams engaged in strategic alliances. The article goes beyond theoretical frameworks to present a tangible example of a strategic alliance emerging in the European market. This case study illuminates how such alliances have empowered European companies to enhance their competitive positions on the global stage while concurrently fostering creative synergy among their teams. This comprehensive review not only contributes to the theoretical understanding of strategic alliances and creative synergy but also offers practical insights for businesses navigating the collaborative landscape within the EuroSphere. As we unravel the complexities of these alliances, we uncover valuable lessons and opportunities for future research, providing a roadmap for those seeking to harness the full potential of strategic collaborations in the dynamic European context.

Keywords: European Union, strategic alliances, creative synergy, competitiveness

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Authors: Sumaia Jawad, Shalaweh Salem, Walid Kamal, Nicolette Roman

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Background: HIV patients have many social problems like depression, which adversely affects their quality of life. HIV infection is linked to psychological distress such as anxiety. In terms of coping styles, avoidant emotion-focused strategies such as fatalism, wishful thinking and self-blame are associated with higher levels of psychological distress in persons with HIV. In Cairo, Egypt current services are not adapted to provide advice and psychological support to people living with HIV to help them develop problem-solving skills to cope with the stress of living with HIV. Yet, no studies have examined the relationship between quality of life, psychological distress and coping strategies of persons living with HIV/AIDS in Egypt. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between quality of life, psychological distress and coping strategies of persons living with HIV/AIDS in Cairo, Egypt. Methods: This study used a quantitative methodology with a cross-sectional correlational design. The data was collected using: Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire (Q-LES-Q), Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS) and Cope Inventory. The sample consisted of 202 participants who accessed the National AIDS Program (NAP). The data was analysed using the Statistical Program for Social Science V23 (SPSS). Results: The results show that psychological distress and certain coping styles such as substance abuse and behavioural disengagement negatively predict the quality of life of patients with HIV/AIDS. Positive predictors included coping styles such as active coping, self-distraction, venting, positive reframing, humor, acceptance, and religion. Conclusions: It would probably be best to reduce psychological distress and increase coping styles in order to improve the quality of life of patients with HIV/AIDS.

Keywords: HIV/AIDS, quality of life, psychological distress, coping strategies

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Authors: Saleh Alotaibi, Mohammed Quddus, Craig Morton, Jobair Bin Alam

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This paper explores the role of large-scale investment in transport sectors and the impact of increased railway accessibility on the efficiency of the regional economic productivity in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). There are considerable differences among the KSA regions in terms of their levels of investment and productivity due to their geographical scale and location, which in turn greatly affect their relative efficiency. The study used a non-parametric linear programming technique - Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) - to measure the regional efficiency change over time and determine the drivers of inefficiency and their scope of improvement. In addition, Window DEA analysis is carried out to compare the efficiency performance change for various time periods. Malmquist index (MI) is also analyzed to identify the sources of productivity change between two subsequent years. The analysis involves spatial and temporal panel data collected from 1999 to 2018 for the 13 regions of the country. Outcomes reveal that transport investment and improved railway accessibility, in general, have significantly contributed to regional economic development. Moreover, the endowment of the new railway stations has spill-over effects. The DEA Window analysis confirmed the dynamic improvement in the average regional efficiency over the study periods. MI showed that the technical efficiency change was the main source of regional productivity improvement. However, there is evidence of investment allocation discrepancy among regions which could limit the achievement of development goals in the long term. These relevant findings will assist the Saudi government in developing better strategic decisions for future transport investments and their allocation at the regional level.

Keywords: data envelopment analysis, transport investment, railway accessibility, efficiency

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Authors: Milan Joshi, Harsh Agrawal, Pallaw Mishra, Sanand Sule

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Predicting electricity usage is a crucial aspect of organizing and controlling sustainable energy systems. The task of forecasting electricity load is intricate and requires a lot of effort due to the combined impact of social, economic, technical, environmental, and cultural factors on power consumption in communities. As a result, it is important to create strong models that can handle the significant non-linear and complex nature of the task. The objective of this study is to create and compare three machine learning techniques for predicting electricity load for both the day ahead and intraday, taking into account various factors such as meteorological data and social events including holidays and festivals. The proposed methods include a LightGBM, FBProphet, combination of FBProphet and LightGBM for day ahead and Motifs( Stumpy) based on Mueens algorithm for similarity search for intraday. We utilize these techniques to predict electricity usage during normal days and social events in the Himachal Region. We then assess their performance by measuring the MSE, RMSE, and MAPE values. The outcomes demonstrate that the combination of FBProphet and LightGBM method is the most accurate for day ahead and Motifs for intraday forecasting of electricity usage, surpassing other models in terms of MAPE, RMSE, and MSE. Moreover, the FBProphet - LightGBM approach proves to be highly effective in forecasting electricity load during social events, exhibiting precise day ahead predictions. In summary, our proposed electricity forecasting techniques display excellent performance in predicting electricity usage during normal days and special events in the Himachal Region.

Keywords: feature engineering, FBProphet, LightGBM, MASS, Motifs, MAPE

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Authors: Amare Setegn Enyew, Bikila Teklu Wodajo

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The primary aim of flexible pavement design is to ensure the development of economical and safe road infrastructure. However, failures can still occur due to improper or erroneous structural design. In Ethiopia, the design of flexible pavements relies on doing calculations manually and selecting pavement structure from catalogue. The catalogue offers, in eight different charts, alternative structures for combinations of traffic and subgrade classes, as outlined in the Ethiopian Roads Authority (ERA) Pavement Design Manual 2001. Furthermore, design modification is allowed in accordance with the structural number principles outlined in the AASHTO 1993 Guide for Design of Pavement Structures. Nevertheless, the manual calculation and design process involves the use of nomographs, charts, tables, and formulas, which increases the likelihood of human errors and inaccuracies, and this may lead to unsafe or uneconomical road construction. To address the challenge, a software called AASHERA has been developed for AASHTO 1993 and ERA design methods, using MATLAB language. The software accurately determines the required thicknesses of flexible pavement surface, base, and subbase layers for the two methods. It also digitizes design inputs and references like nomographs, charts, default values, and tables. Moreover, the software allows easier comparison of the two design methods in terms of results and cost of construction. AASHERA's accuracy has been confirmed through comparisons with designs from handbooks and manuals. The software can aid in reducing human errors, inaccuracies, and time consumption as compared to the conventional manual design methods employed in Ethiopia. AASHERA, with its validated accuracy, proves to be an indispensable tool for flexible pavement structure designers.

Keywords: flexible pavement design, AASHTO 1993, ERA, MATLAB, AASHERA

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Authors: Wei Gao

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The current study investigates the change of listener responses in social conversations of the second language (L2) speakers who are staying abroad with Chinese L1 speakers in Australian universities and how their long-term stay abroad impacted their design for L2 recipient actions. There is a limited amount of empirical work on L2 English listener response acquisition, particularly regarding the influence of long-term stay abroad in English-speaking countries. Little is known whether the development of L2 listener responses and the improvement of interactional competence is affected by the prolonged residency in the target L2 country. Forty-eight participants were recruited, and they participated in the designed speaking task through Computer-Mediated Communication. Results showed that long-term stay abroad Chinese L1 speakers demonstrated an English-like pattern of listener responses in communication. Long-term stay abroad experience had a significant impact on L2 English listener responses production and organization in social conversation. Long-term stay abroad L1 Chinese speakers had an active and productive response in listenership than their non-stay abroad counterparts in terms of frequency and placement in producing listener responses. However, the L2 English listener response production only occurred to be partial in response tokens, such as backchannels and reactive expressions, also in resumptive openers' employment. This study shows that L2 English listener responses could be acquired during a long-term stay abroad in English-speaking countries but showed partial acquisition in collaborative finishes production. In addition, the most prominent finding was that Chinese L1 speakers changed their overall listener responses pattern from L1 Chinese to L2 English. The study reveals specific interactional changes in English L2 listener responses acquisition. It generates pedagogical implications for cross-cultural communication and L2 pragmatics acquisition during a long-term stay abroad.

Keywords: listener responses, stay abroad, interactional competence, L2 pragmatics acquisition

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Authors: Recep Yücel, Cihat Kartal, Mustafa Kara

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On the basis of strategic management, it is believed in the necessity of a number of innovations in the postmodern management approach in the management of universities in our country. In this sense, some of these requirements are the integration of public and private universities, international integration, R & D status and increasing young population will create a dynamic structure. According to the postmodern management approach, universities, in our country despite being governed by the classical approach autonomous universities; academically are thought solid, to be non-hierarchical and creative. In fact, studies that require a multidisciplinary academic environment, universities and there is a close cooperation between formal and non-formal sub-units. Moreover, terms of postmodern management approaches, the requirements specified in the direction of solving the problem of an increasing number of universities in our country is considered to be more difficult. Therefore, considering the psychological impact on the academic personnel the university organizational structure, the study are trying to aim to propose an appropriate model of university organization. In this context, the study sought to answer the question how to have an impact innovation and international integration on the academic achievement of the classical organizational structure. Finally, in the study, due to the adoption of the classical organizational structure of the university, integration is considered to be difficult, academic cooperation between universities at the international level and maintaining it. In addition, it was understood that block the efforts of this organization structure, academic motivation, development and innovation. In this study under these purposes; on the basis of the existing organization and management structure of the universities in the Marmara Region in Turkey, a study was conducted with qualitative research methods. The data have been analyzed using content analysis and assessment was based on the results obtained.

Keywords: university, strategic management, postmodern management approaches, multidisciplinary studies

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Authors: Mohammed Kadhim, Zhaohui Huang

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Steel connections can play an important role in enhancing the robustness of structures under fire conditions. Therefore, it is significant to examine the influence of steel connections on the fire resistance of composite steel-framed buildings. In this paper, both the behavior of steel connections and their influence on composite steel frame are analyzed using the non-linear finite element computer software VULCAN at ambient and elevated temperatures. The chosen frame is subjected to ISO834 fire. The comparison between end plate connections, pinned connection, and rigid connection has been carried out. By applying different compartment fires, some cases are studied to show the behavior of steel connection when the fire is applied at certain beams. In addition, different plate thickness and deferent applied loads have been analyzed to examine the behavior of chosen steel connection under ISO834 fire. It was found from the analytical results that the beam with extended end plate is stronger and has better performance in terms of axial forces than those beams with flush end plate connection. It was also found that extended end plate connection has highest limiting temperatures compared to the flush end plate connection. In addition, it was found that the performance of end-plate connections is very close to rigid connection and very far from pinned connections. Furthermore, plate thickness has less effect on the influence of steel connection on fire resistance. In conclusion, the behavior of composite steel framed buildings is largely dependent on the steel connection due to their high impact under fire condition. It is recommended to consider the extended end-plate in the design proposes because of its higher properties compared to the flush end plate connection. Finally, this paper shows a steel connection has an important effect on the fire resistance of composite steel framed buildings.

Keywords: composite steel-framed buildings, connection behavior, end-plate connections, finite element modeling, fire resistance

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Authors: Mohammad Mohammadi, Mohammad Pashmchi

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Background: Malnutrition commonly develops and worsens following gastric cancer surgery, particularly after discharge, which is associated with adverse outcomes. Former studies have primarily focused on patients during their hospital stay period, and there is limited evidence regarding the recommendation of nutritional interventions for patients after discharge from the hospital following gastric cancer surgery. This review is aimed to evaluate the efficiency of post-discharge dietary counseling with oral nutritional supplements (ONS), and dietary counseling alone on post-surgical nutritional outcomes in patients undergoing gastric cancer surgery. Methods: The four databases of Embase, PubMed, web of science, and google scholar were searched up to November 2022 for relevant randomized controlled trials. The Cochrane Collaboration’s assessment tool for randomized trials was used to evaluate the quality of studies. Results: Compared to patients who only received dietary counseling, patients who received both dietary counseling and ONS had considerably higher SMI, BMI, and less weight loss and sarcopenia occurrence rate. The patients who had received dietary counseling and ONS had significantly lower risk of chemotherapy intolerance. No differences in the readmission rate between the two groups was found. In terms of the quality of life, concomitant dietary advice and ONS significantly was associated with lower appetite loss and fatigue rate, but there was no difference in the other outcomes between the two groups. Conclusions: Post-discharge dietary advice with ONS following gastric cancer surgery may improve skeletal muscle maintenance, nutritional outcomes, quality of life variables, and chemotherapy tolerance. This evidence supports the recommendation of post-discharge dietary advice with ONS for patients who underwent gastric cancer surgery.

Keywords: gastric cancer surgery, oral nutritional supplements, malnutrition, gastric cancer

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Authors: M. T. Islam, S. H. Shakif, R. Hasan, S. H. Kobi

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Investigation of rainfall trends is crucial considering climate change, food security, and the economy of a particular region. This research aims to study seasonal and annual precipitation trends and their abrupt changes over time in the south-central climatic zone of Bangladesh using monthly time series data of 50 years (1970-2019). A trend-free pre-whitening method has been employed to make necessary adjustments for autocorrelations in the rainfall data. Trends in rainfall and their intensity have been observed using the non-parametric Mann-Kendall test and Theil-Sen estimator. Significant changes and fluctuation points in the data series have been detected using the sequential Mann-Kendall test at the 95% confidence limit. The study findings show that most of the rainfall stations in the study area have a decreasing precipitation pattern throughout all seasons. The maximum decline in the rainfall intensity has been found for the Tangail station (-8.24 mm/year) during monsoon. Madaripur and Chandpur stations have shown slight positive trends in post-monsoon rainfall. In terms of annual precipitation, a negative rainfall pattern has been identified in each station, with a maximum decrement (-) of 14.48 mm/year at Chandpur. However, all the trends are statistically non-significant within the 95% confidence interval, and their monotonic association with time ranges from very weak to weak. From the sequential Mann-Kendall test, the year of changing points for annual and seasonal downward precipitation trends occur mostly after the 90s for Dhaka and Barishal stations. For Chandpur, the fluctuation points arrive after the mid-70s in most cases.

Keywords: trend analysis, Mann-Kendall test, Theil-Sen estimator, sequential Mann-Kendall test, rainfall trend

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Authors: Bruna Azzari Puga, Richard Roe, Andre Pagani de Souza

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abstract outlines a proposed study to examine how and to what extent interactive, experiential, learner centered methodology develops learning of basic civic and democratic competencies among young children. It stems from the Literacy and Law course taught at Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, DC, since 1998. Law students, trained in best literacy practices and legal cases affecting literacy development, read “law related” children’s books and engage in interactive and extension activities with emerging readers. The law students write a monthly journal describing their experiences and a final paper: a conventional paper or a children’s book illuminating some aspect of literacy and law. This proposal is based on the recent adaptation of Literacy and Law to Brazil at Mackenzie Presbyterian University in São Paulo in three forms: first, a course similar to the US model, often conducted jointly online with Brazilian and US law students; second, a similar course that combines readings of children’s literature with activity based learning, with law students from a satellite Mackenzie campus, for young children from a vulnerable community near the city; and third, a course taught by law students at the main Mackenzie campus for 4th grade students at the Mackenzie elementary school, that is wholly activity and discourse based. The workings and outcomes of these courses are well documented by photographs, reports, lesson plans, and law student journals. The authors, faculty who teach the above courses at Mackenzie and Georgetown, observe that literacy, broadly defined as cognitive and expressive development through reading and discourse-based activities, can be influential in developing democratic civic skills, identifiable by explicit civic competencies. For example, children experience justice in the classroom through cooperation, creativity, diversity, fairness, systemic thinking, and appreciation for rules and their purposes. Moreover, the learning of civic skills as well as the literacy skills is enhanced through interactive, learner centered practices in which the learners experience literacy and civic development. This study will develop rubrics for individual and classroom teaching and supervision by examining 1) the children’s books and students diaries of participating law students and 2) the collection of photos and videos of classroom activities, and 3) faculty and supervisor observations and reports. These rubrics, and the lesson plans and activities which are employed to advance the higher levels of performance outcomes, will be useful in training and supervision and in further replication and promotion of this form of teaching and learning. Examples of outcomes include helping, cooperating and participating; appreciation of viewpoint diversity; knowledge and utilization of democratic processes, including due process, advocacy, individual and shared decision making, consensus building, and voting; establishing and valuing appropriate rules and a reasoned approach to conflict resolution. In conclusion, further development and replication of the learner centered literacy and law practices outlined here can lead to improved qualities of democratic teaching and learning supporting mutual respect, positivity, deep learning, and the common good – foundation qualities of a sustainable world.

Keywords: democracy, law, learner-centered, literacy

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Authors: Arbolino Roberta, Boffardi Raffaele

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Achieving the highest effectiveness for the National Plans for Recovery and Resilience (NPRR) while strengthening the objectives of cohesion and reduction of intra-EU unbalances is only possible by means of strategic, coordinated, and coherent policy planning. Therefore, the present research aims at assessing and quantifying the potential impact of NPRRs across the twenty-seven European Member States in terms of economic convergence, considering disaggregated data on industrial, construction, and service sectors. The first step of the research involves a performance analysis of the main macroeconomic indicators describing the trends of twenty-seven EU economies before the pandemic outbreak. Subsequently, in order to define the potential effect of the resources allocated, we perform an impact analysis of previous similar EU investment policies, estimating national-level sectoral elasticity associated with the expenditure of the 2007-2013 and 2014-2020 Cohesion programmes funds. These coefficients are then exploited to construct adjustment scenarios. Finally, convergence analysis is performed on the data used for constructing scenarios in order to understand whether the expenditure of funds might be useful to foster economic convergence besides driving recovery. The results of our analysis show that the allocation of resources largely mirrors the aims of the policy framework underlying the NPRR, thus reporting the largest investments in both those sectors most affected by the economic shock (services) and those considered fundamental for the digital and green transition. Notwithstanding an overall positive effect, large differences exist among European countries, while no convergence process seems to be activated or fostered by these interventions.

Keywords: NPRR, policy evaluation, cohesion policy, scenario Nalsysi

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Authors: Ana L. Martins, Luis Orfão

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Healthcare systems have been subject to various research efforts aiming at process improvement under a lean approach. Another perspective, agility, has also been used, though in a lower scale, in order to analyse the ability of different hospital services to adapt to demand uncertainties. Both perspectives have a common denominator, the improvement of effectiveness and efficiency of the services in a healthcare setting context. Mixing the two approached allows, on one hand, to streamline the processes, and on the other hand the required flexibility to deal with demand uncertainty in terms of both volume and variety. The present research aims to analyse the impacts of the combination of both perspectives in the effectiveness and efficiency of an hospital service. The adopted methodology is based on a case study approach applied to the process of the ambulatory surgery service of Hospital de Lamego. Data was collected from direct observations, formal interviews and informal conversations. The analyzed process was selected according to three criteria: relevance of the process to the hospital, presence of human resources, and presence of waste. The customer of the process was identified as well as his perception of value. The process was mapped using flow chart, on a process modeling perspective, as well as through the use of Value Stream Mapping (VSM) and Process Activity Mapping. The Spaghetti Diagram was also used to assess flow intensity. The use of the lean tools enabled the identification of three main types of waste: movement, resource inefficiencies and process inefficiencies. From the use of the lean tools improvement suggestions were produced. The results point out that leagility cannot be applied to the process, but the application of lean and agility in specific areas of the process would bring benefits in both efficiency and effectiveness, and contribute to value creation if improvements are introduced in hospital’s human resources and facilities management.

Keywords: case study, healthcare systems, leagility, lean management

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Authors: Tsai Yu-hsin, Chung Yi-Hsin

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The employment of an HSR system, resulting in elevation in the inter-city/-region accessibility, is likely to promote spatial interaction between places in the HSR and extended territory. The inter-city/-region travel via HSR could be, among others, affected by the land use, transportation, and location of the HSR station at both trip origin and destination ends. However, relatively few insights have been shed on these impacts and spatial patterns of the HSR travel. The research purposes, as phase one of a series of HSR related research, of this study are threefold: to analyze the general spatial patterns of HSR trips, such as the spatial distribution of trip origins and destinations; to analyze if specific land use, transportation characteristics, and trip characteristics affect HSR trips in terms of the use of HSR, the distribution of trip origins and destinations, and; to analyze the socio-economic characteristics of HSR travelers. With the Taiwan HSR starting operation in 2007, this study emphasizes on the intermediate-term impact of HSR, which is made possible with the population and housing census and industry and commercial census data and a station area intercept survey conducted in the summer 2014. The analysis will be conducted at the city, inter-city, and inter-region spatial levels, as necessary and required. The analysis tools include descriptive statistics and multivariate analysis with the assistance of SPSS, HLM and ArcGIS. The findings, on the one hand, can provide policy implications for associated land use, transportation plan and the site selection of HSR station. On the other hand, on the travel the findings are expected to provide insights that can help explain how land use and real estate values could be affected by HSR in following phases of this series of research.

Keywords: high speed rail, land use, travel, spatial pattern

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Authors: Urooj Shafique, Salman Jamil

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In the context of an urban human life, city requires to meeting some standards which, at a glance are called the standards of a quality life. Measuring the quality of life according to particular social, economic and cultural conditions of a country and also the emphasis of a country twenty years visions on this issue has special importance. Cultural gathering spaces improve social and economic vitality on one side and on the other side provide favorable conditions for citizen leisure. But unfortunately these cultural gathering spaces in our society are losing their meaning and importance with time. Like coffee houses and libraries. Dedhee was the most prominent place among the cultural gathering spaces in Hazara division. People used to visit them in order to get something out of these spaces. At present they lie in our cities as places of no interest. Libraries are converted into storage houses where books lie untouched for years and years. The aim of my project is to create unique space that engage community members in the learning and creation process, where people can share their knowledge with others as well as enjoy their personal space. The spaces are flexible enough to accommodate people of different moods and interests, with the purpose of helping communities to become aware of their own cultures and to be socially engaged. The site for this specific project has been selected near Cantonment Park Abbottabad, Pakistan. The city of Abbottabad is famous for its writers, poets and storytellers. The site is selected next to the Cantonment Park, at a central location in the whole city so that it can attract users from almost every point of the city. The project provides a cultural gathering space for the people of the city where they can sit and discuss their ideas within a creative and expressive environment, which can represent the cultures of a community.

Keywords: cultural gathering space, Dedhee, Hazara literature, intellectuals’ hub

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Authors: Hossam Mohammed Abdelfattah

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In ancient Egypt, poverty, recognized as the foremost challenge, was extensively addressed in teachings, wisdom, and literary texts. These sources vividly depicted the suffering of a class deprived of life's pleasures. The ancient Egyptian language evolved to introduce terms reflecting poverty and hunger, underscoring the society's commitment to acknowledging and cautioning against this prevalent issue. Among the notable expressions, iwty.f emerged during the Middle Kingdom, symbolizing "the one without property" and signifying the destitute poor. iwty n.f traced back to the Pyramid Texts era, referred to "the one who has nothing" or simply, the poor. Another term, , iwty-sw emphasized the state of possessing nothing. rA-awy originating in the Middle Kingdom Period, initially meant "poverty and poor," expanding to signify poverty in various texts with the addition of the preposition "in," conveying strength given to the poor. During the First Intermediate Period, sny - mnt denoted going through a crisis or suffering, possibly referencing a widespread disease or plague. It encompassed meanings of sickness, pain, and anguish. The term .” sq-sn introduced in Middle Kingdom texts, conveyed the notion of becoming miserable. sp-Xsy . represented a temporal expression reflecting a period of misery or poverty, with Xsy ,indicating distress or misery. The term qsnt appearing in Middle Kingdom texts, held meanings of painful, difficult, harsh, miserable, emaciated, and in bad condition. Its feminine form, qsn denoted anxiety and turmoil. Finally, tp-qsn encapsulated the essence of misery and unhappiness. In essence, these expressions provide linguistic insights into the multifaceted experience of poverty in ancient Egypt, illustrating the society's keen awareness and efforts to address this pervasive challenge.

Keywords: poverty, poor, suffering, misery, painful, ancient Egypt

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Authors: Abhay Asthana, Shally Toshkhani, Gyati Shilakari

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The present research was aimed to develop a biodegradable dermal patch formulation for wound healing in a novel, sustained and systematic manner. The goal is to reduce the frequency of dressings with improved drug delivery and thereby enhance therapeutic performance. In present study optimized formulation was designed using component polymers and excipients (e.g. Hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, Ethylcellulose, and Gelatin) to impart significant folding endurance, elasticity and strength. Gelatin was used to get a mixture using ethylene glycol. Chitosan dissolved in suitable medium was mixed with stirring to gelatin mixture. With continued stirring to the mixture Curcumin was added in optimized ratio to get homogeneous dispersion. Polymers were dispersed with stirring in final formulation. The mixture was sonicated casted to get the film form. All steps were carried out under under strict aseptic conditions. The final formulation was a thin uniformly smooth textured film with dark brown-yellow color. The film was found to have folding endurance was around 20 to 21 times without a crack in an optimized formulation at RT (23C). The drug content was in range 96 to 102% and it passed the content uniform test. The final moisture content of the optimized formulation film was NMT 9.0%. The films passed stability study conducted at refrigerated conditions (4±0.2C) and at room temperature (23 ± 2C) for 30 days. Further, the drug content and texture remained undisturbed with stability study conducted at RT 23±2C for 45 and 90 days. Percentage cumulative drug release was found to be 80% in 12 h and matched the biodegradation rate as drug release with correlation factor R2 > 0.9. The film based formulation developed shows promising results in terms of stability and release profiles.

Keywords: biodegradable, patch, bioactive, polymer

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Authors: Amira ben Hassine, A. Valverde, V. Serafín, C. Muñoz-San Martín, M. Garranzo-Asensio, M. Gamella, R. Barderas, M. Pedrero, N. Raouafi, S. Campuzano, P. Yáñez-Sedeño, J. M. Pingarrón

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This work describes the development of a dual electrochemical immunosensing platform for accurate determination of two target proteins, IL-13 Receptor α2 (IL-13Rα2) and E-cadherin (E-cad). The proposed methodology is based on the use of sandwich immunosensing approaches (involving horseradish peroxidase-labeled detector antibodies) implemented onto magnetic microbeads (MBs) and amperometric transduction at screen-printed dual carbon electrodes (SPdCEs). The magnetic bioconjugates were captured onto SPdCEs and the amperometric transduction was performed using the H2O2/hydroquinone (HQ) system. Under optimal experimental conditions, the developed bio platform demonstrates linear concentration ranges of 1.0–25 and 5.0-100 ng mL-1, detection limits of 0.28 and 1.04 ng mL-1 for E-cad and IL-13Rα2, respectively, and excellent selectivity against other non-target proteins. The developed immuno-platform also offers a good reproducibility among amperometric responses provided by nine different sensors constructed in the same manner (Relative Standard Deviation values of 3.1% for E-cad and 4.3% for IL-13Rα2). Moreover, obtained results confirm the practical applicability of this bio-platform for the accurate determination of the endogenous levels of both extracellular receptors in colon cancer cells (both intact and lysed) with different metastatic potential and serum and tissues from patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer at different grades. Interesting features in terms of, simplicity, speed, portability and sample amount required to provide quantitative results, make this immuno-platform more compatible than conventional methodologies with the clinical diagnosis and prognosis at the point of care.

Keywords: electrochemistry, mmunosensors, biosensors, E-cadherin, IL-13 receptor α2, cancer colorectal

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