Search results for: analyzed

Authors: Mindaugas Zavalis

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Analysis of experimental tests data of bending one-way reinforced concrete slabs from various articles of science revealed that voided slabs with a grid of hollow plastic inserts inside have smaller mechani-cal and physical parameters compared to continuous cross-section slabs (solid slabs). The negative influence of a reinforced concrete slab is impacted by hollow plastic inserts, which make a grid of voids in the middle of the cross-sectional area of the reinforced concrete slab. A formed grid of voids reduces the slab’s stiffness, which influences the slab’s parameters of serviceability, like deflection and cracking. Prima-ry investigation of data established during experiments illustrates that cracks occur faster in the tensile surface of the voided slab under bend-ing compared to bending solid slab. It means that the crack bending moment force for the voided slab is smaller than the solid slab and the reduction can variate in the range of 14 – 40 %. Reduce of resistance to cracking can be controlled by changing a lot of factors: the shape of the plastic hallow insert, plastic insert height, steps between plastic in-serts, usage of prestressed reinforcement, the diameter of reinforcement bar, slab effective depth, the bottom cover thickness of concrete, effec-tive cross-section of the concrete area about reinforcement and etc. Mentioned parameters are used to evaluate crack width and step of cracking, but existing analytical calculation methods for cracking eval-uation of voided slab with plastic inserts are not so exact and the re-sults of cracking evaluation in this paper are higher than the results of analyzed experiments. Therefore, it was made analytically calculations according to experimental bending tests of voided reinforced concrete slabs with hollow plastic inserts to find and propose corrections for the evaluation of cracking for reinforced concrete voided slabs with hollow plastic inserts.

Keywords: voided slab, cracking, hallow plastic insert, bending, one-way reinforced concrete, serviceability

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Authors: Victoria Bila, Iryna Ventskivska, Oleksandra Zahorodnia

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The goal of the study: To study the distribution of patients of the Kiyv Perinatal Center according to the Robson system and compare it with world data. Materials and methods: a comparison of the distribution of patients of Kiyv Perinatal center according to the Robson system for 2 periods - the first quarter of 2019 and 2020. For each group, 3 indicators were analyzed - the share of this group in the overall structure of patients of the Perinatal Center for the reporting period, the frequency of abdominal delivery in this group, as well as the contribution of this group to the total number of abdominal delivery. Obtained data were compared with those of the WHO in the guidelines for the implementation of the Robson system in 2017. Results and its discussion: The distribution of patients of the Perinatal Center into groups in the Robson classification is not much different from that recommended by the author. So, among all women, patients of group 1 dominate; this indicator does not change in dynamics. A slight increase in the share of group 2 (6.7% in 2019 and 9.3% - 2020) was due to an increase in the number of labor induction. At the same time, the number of patients of groups 1 and 2 in the Perinatal Center is greater than in the world population, which is determined by the hospitalization of primiparous women with reproductive losses in the past. The Perinatal Center is distinguished from the world population and the proportion of women of group 5 - it was 5.4%, in the world - 7.6%. The frequency of caesarean section in the Perinatal Center is within limits typical for most countries (20.5-20.8%). Moreover, the dominant groups in the structure of caesarean sections are group 5 (21-23.3%) and group 2 (21.9-22.9%), which are the reserve for reducing the number of abdominal delivery. In group 2, certain results have already been achieved in this matter - the frequency of cesarean section in 2019 here amounted to 67.8%, in the first quarter of 2020 - 51.6%. This happened due to a change in the leading method of induction of labor. Thus, the Robson system is a convenient and affordable tool for assessing the structure of caesarean sections. The analysis showed that, in general, the structure of caesarean sections in the Perinatal Center is close to world data, and the identified deviations have explanations related to the specialization of the Center.

Keywords: cesarian section, Robson system, Kyiv Perinatal Center, labor induction

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Authors: Sela Adjei

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This paper aims to rationalize the need for media policy implementation and copyright enforcement to address various challenges faced within Ghana’s film industry. After Ghana transitioned to democratic rule in 1992, critics and media professionals advocated a national media policy. This advocacy subsequently resulted in agitation for media deregulation and loosening of grip on state-owned media organizations. The reinstatement of constitutional rule in 1992 paved the way for the state to lax its monopoly of the media within the democratic context of a free market economy. The National Media Commission proposed a media policy and broadcast bill which was presented to parliament but has still not been passed into law. This legislative lapse partly contributed to the influx of unregulated foreign content. Accessible foreign media content subsequently promoted a system of unfair competition that radically undermined locally produced content, putting a generation of thriving film producers out of work. Drawing on reflections from a series of structured interviews, focus group discussions and creative workshops, the findings of this study maintain that the various challenges confronting Ghanaian filmmakers is centred around inadequate funding opportunities, copyright violation and policy implementation issues. Using the film industry structure and value chain analysis, the various challenges faced by the selected film producers were discussed and critically analyzed. A significant aspect of this study is the solution-driven approach adopted in outlining the practical recommendations that will boost the aesthetic, cultural and economic value of Ghanaian film productions. Based on the discussions and conclusions drawn with the various stakeholders within Ghana’s creative industries, the paper makes a strong case for firm state regulation, copyright enforcement and policy implementation to grow Ghana’s film industry.

Keywords: film, value, copyright, media, policy, culture, regulation, economy

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Authors: Alexander Hedlund, Anna-Karin Stengard, Olof Björkqvist

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A step towards reducing greenhouse gases and energy consumption is to collaborate with the energy system between several industries. This work is based on a case study on integration of pulp and paper mills with a district heating system in Sundsvall, Sweden. Present research shows that it is possible to make a significant reduction in the electricity demand in the mechanical pulping process. However, the profitability of the efficiency measures could be an issue, as the excess steam recovered from the refiners decreases with the electricity consumption. A consequence will be that the fuel demand for steam production will increase. If the fuel price is similar to the electricity price it would reduce the profit of such a project. If the paper mill can be integrated with a district heating system, it is possible to upgrade excess heat from a nearby kraft pulp mill to process steam via the district heating system in order to avoid the additional fuel need. The concept is investigated by using a simulation model describing both the mass and energy balance as well as the operating margin. Three scenarios were analyzed: reference, electricity reduction and energy substitution. The simulation show that the total input to the system is lowest in the Energy substitution scenario. Additionally, in the Energy substitution scenario the steam from the incineration boiler covers not only the steam shortage but also a part of the steam produced using the biofuel boiler, the cooling tower connected to the incineration boiler is no longer needed and the excess heat can cover the whole district heating load during the whole year. The study shows a substantial economic advantage if all stakeholders act together as one system. However, costs and benefits are unequally shared between the actors. This means that there is a need for new business models in order to share the system costs and benefits.

Keywords: energy system, cooperation, simulation method, excess heat, district heating

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Authors: Mojo Mengistu Gelasso

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The tropical forest is considered the most important forest ecosystem for mitigating climate change by sequestering a high amount of carbon. The potential carbon stock of the forest can be influenced by many factors. Therefore, studying these factors is crucial for understanding the determinants that affect the potential for woody carbon storage in the forest. This study was conducted to evaluate the potential for woody carbon stock and how it varies based on plant community types, as well as along altitudinal, slope, and aspect gradients in the Munessa dry Afromontane forest. Vegetation data was collected using systematic sampling. Five line transects were established at 100 m intervals along the altitudinal gradient between two consecutive transect lines. On each transect, 10 quadrats (20 x 20 m), separated by 200 m, were established. The woody carbon was estimated using an appropriate allometric equation formulated for tropical forests. The data was analyzed using one-way ANOVA in R software. The results showed that the total woody carbon stock of the Munessa forest was 210.43 ton/ha. The analysis of variance revealed that woody carbon density varied significantly based on environmental factors, while community types had no significant effect. The highest mean carbon stock was found at middle altitudes (2367-2533 m.a.s.l), lower slopes (0-13%), and west-facing aspects. The Podocarpus falcatus-Croton macrostachyus community type also contributed a higher woody carbon stock, as larger tree size classes and older trees dominated it. Overall, the potential for woody carbon sequestration in this study was strongly associated with environmental variables. Additionally, the uneven distribution of species with larger diameter at breast height (DBH) in the study area might be linked to anthropogenic factors, as the current forest growth indicates characteristics of a secondary forest. Therefore, our study suggests that the development and implementation of a sustainable forest management plan is necessary to increase the carbon sequestration potential of this forest and mitigate climate change.

Keywords: munessa forest, woody carbon stock, environmental factors, climate mitigation

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Authors: Mengistu Gelasso Mojo

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The tropical forest is considered the most important forest ecosystem for mitigating climate change by sequestering a high amount of carbon. The potential carbon stock of the forest can be influenced by many factors. Therefore, studying these factors is crucial for understanding the determinants that affect the potential for woody carbon storage in the forest. This study was conducted to evaluate the potential for woody carbon stock and how it varies based on plant community types, as well as along altitudinal, slope, and aspect gradients in the Munessa dry Afromontane forest. Vegetation data was collected using systematic sampling. Five line transects were established at 100 m intervals along the altitudinal gradient between two consecutive transect lines. On each transect, 10 quadrats (20 x 20 m), separated by 200 m, were established. The woody carbon was estimated using an appropriate allometric equation formulated for tropical forests. The data was analyzed using one-way ANOVA in R software. The results showed that the total woody carbon stock of the Munessa forest was 210.43 ton/ha. The analysis of variance revealed that woody carbon density varied significantly based on environmental factors, while community types had no significant effect. The highest mean carbon stock was found at middle altitudes (2367-2533 m.a.s.l), lower slopes (0-13%), and west-facing aspects. The Podocarpus falcatus-Croton macrostachyus community type also contributed a higher woody carbon stock, as larger tree size classes and older trees dominated it. Overall, the potential for woody carbon sequestration in this study was strongly associated with environmental variables. Additionally, the uneven distribution of species with larger diameter at breast height (DBH) in the study area might be linked to anthropogenic factors, as the current forest growth indicates characteristics of a secondary forest. Therefore, our study suggests that the development and implementation of a sustainable forest management plan is necessary to increase the carbon sequestration potential of this forest and mitigate climate change.

Keywords: munessa forest, woody carbon stock, environmental factors, climate mitigation

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Authors: Caio E. G. Reis, Jose G. Dórea, Teresa H. M. da Costa

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Objective: Epidemiological data shows an inverse association of coffee consumption with risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus. However, the clinical effects of coffee consumption on the glucose metabolism biomarkers remain controversial. Thus, this paper reviews clinical trials that evaluated the effects of coffee consumption on glucose metabolism. Research Design and Methods: We identified studies published until December 2014 by searching electronic databases and reference lists. We included randomized clinical trials which the intervention group received caffeinated and/or decaffeinated coffee and the control group received water or placebo treatments and measured biomarkers of glucose metabolism. The Jadad Score was applied to evaluate the quality of the studies whereas studies that scored ≥ 3 points were considered for the analyses. Results: Seven clinical trials (total of 237 subjects) were analyzed involving adult healthy, overweight and diabetic subjects. The studies were divided in short-term (1 to 3h) and long-term (2 to 16 weeks) duration. The results for short-term studies showed that caffeinated coffee consumption may increase the area under the curve for glucose response, while for long-term studies caffeinated coffee may improve the glycemic metabolism by reducing the glucose curve and increasing insulin response. These results seem to show that the benefits of coffee consumption occur in the long-term as has been shown in the reduction of type 2 diabetes mellitus risk in epidemiological studies. Nevertheless, until the relationship between long-term coffee consumption and type 2 diabetes mellitus is better understood and any mechanism involved identified, it is premature to make claims about coffee preventing type 2 diabetes mellitus. Conclusion: The findings suggest that caffeinated coffee may impairs glucose metabolism in short-term but in the long-term the studies indicate reduction of type 2 diabetes mellitus risk. More clinical trials with comparable methodology are needed to unravel this paradox.

Keywords: coffee, diabetes mellitus type 2, glucose, insulin

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Authors: Po-Sheng Kuo, Che-Wei Lu, Ssu-Ching Chen

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Chlorinated ethenes (CEs) constitute a predominant contaminant in Taiwan's native polluted sites, particularly in groundwater inundated with sulfate salts that substantially impede remediation efforts. The reduction of sulfate by sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) impairs the dechlorination efficiency of Dehalococcoides by generating hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), resulting in incomplete chloride degradation and thereby leading to the failure of bioremediation. In order to elucidate interactions between sulfate reduction and dechlorination, this study aims to establish a co-culture system of Dehalococcoides and SRB, overcoming H₂S inhibition by employing the synthesis of ferrous sulfide (FeS), which is commonly utilized in chemical remediation due to its high reduction potential. Initially, the study demonstrates that the addition of ferrous chloride (FeCl₂) effectively removed H₂S production from SRB and enhanced the degradation of trichloroethylene to ethene. This process overcomes the inhibition caused by H₂S produced by SRB in high sulfate environments. Compared to different concentrations of ferrous dosages for the biogenic generation of FeS, the efficiency was optimized by adding FeCl₂ at an equal ratio to the concentration of sulfate in the environment. This was more effective in removing H₂S and crystal particles under 10 times smaller than those synthesized under excessive FeCl₂ dosages, addressing clogging issues in situ remediation. Finally, utilizing Taiwan's indigenous dechlorinating consortium in a simulated high sulfate-contaminated environment, the biodiversity of microbial species was analyzed to reveal a higher species richness within the FeS group, conducive to ecological stability. This study validates the potential of the co-culture system in generating biogenic FeS under sulfate and CEs co-contamination, removing sulfate-reducing products, and improving CE remediation through integrated chemical and biological remediations.

Keywords: biogenic ferrous sulfide, chlorinated ethenes, Dehalococcoides, sulfate-reducing bacteria, sulfide inhibition

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Authors: Wajeeha Zahid, Shafquat Rozi, Farhan Raza, Masood Kadir

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Background: Dental caries affects the overall health and well-being of children. Findings from various international studies regarding the association of dental caries with asthma are inconsistent. With the increasing burden of caries and childhood asthma, it becomes imperative for an underdeveloped country like Pakistan where resources are limited to identify whether there is a relationship between the two. This study aims to identify an association between dental caries and asthma. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 544 children aged 12-15 years recruited from five private schools in Karachi. Information on asthma was collected through the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) questionnaire. The questionnaire addressed questions regarding child’s demographics, physician diagnoses of asthma, type of medication administered, family history of asthma and allergies, dietary habits and oral hygiene behavior. Dental caries was assessed using DMFT Index (Decayed, Missing, Filled teeth) index The data was analyzed using Cox proportional Hazard algorithm and crude and adjusted prevalence ratios with 95% CI were reported. Results: This study comprises of 306 (56.3%) boys and 238 (43.8%) girls. The mean age of children was 13.2 ± (0.05) years. The total number of children with carious teeth (DMFT > 0) were 166/544 (30.5%), and the decayed component contributed largely (22.8%) to the DMFT score. The prevalence of physician’s diagnosed asthma was 13%. This study identified almost 7% asthmatic children using the internationally validated International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) tool and 8 children with childhood asthma were identified by parent interviews. Overall prevalence of asthma was 109/544 (20%). The prevalence of caries in asthmatic children was 28.4% as compared to 31% among non-asthmatic children. The adjusted prevalence ratio of dental caries in asthmatic children was 0.8 (95% CI 0.59-1.29). After adjusting for carious food intake, age, oral hygiene index and dentist visit, the association between asthma and dental caries turned out to be non-significant. Conclusion: There was no association between asthma and dental caries among children who participated in this study.

Keywords: asthma, caries, children, school-based

Procedia PDF Downloads 229

Authors: Qin Yang, Fan Zhang, Juan Du, Chongkui Sun, Krishna Kota, Yun-Ling Zheng

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Telomeres are specialized structures at chromosome ends consisting of tandem repetitive DNA sequences [(TTAGGG)n in humans] and associated proteins, which are necessary for telomere function. Telomere lengths are tightly regulated within a narrow range in normal human somatic cells, the basis of cellular senescence and aging. Previous studies have extensively focused on how short telomeres are extended and have demonstrated that telomerase plays a central role in telomere maintenance through elongating the short telomeres. However, the molecular mechanisms of regulating excessively long telomeres are unknown. Here, we found that telomerase enzymatic component hTERT plays a dual role in the regulation of telomeres length. We analyzed single telomere alterations at each chromosomal end led to the discoveries that hTERT shortens excessively long telomeres and elongates short telomeres simultaneously, thus maintaining the optimal telomere length at each chromosomal end for an efficient protection. The hTERT-mediated telomere shortening removes large segments of telomere DNA rapidly without inducing telomere dysfunction foci or affecting cell proliferation, thus it is mechanistically distinct from rapid telomere deletion. We found that expression of hTERT generates telomeric circular DNA, suggesting that telomere homologous recombination may be involved in this telomere shortening process. Moreover, the hTERT-mediated telomere shortening is required its enzymatic activity, but telomerase RNA component hTR is not involved in it. Furthermore, shelterin protein TPP1 interacts with hTERT and recruits it on telomeres to mediate telomere shortening. In addition, telomere-associated proteins, DKC1 and TCAB1 also play roles in this process. This novel hTERT-mediated telomere shortening mechanism not only exists in cancer cells, but also in primary human cells. Thus, the hTERT-mediated telomere shortening is expected to shift the paradigm on current molecular models of telomere length maintenance, with wide-reaching consequences in cancer and aging fields.

Keywords: aging, hTERT, telomerase, telomeres, human cells

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Authors: G. Vishnu, T. V. Bharat

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Rainfall plays a major role in the stability of natural slopes in tropical and subtropical regions. These slopes usually have high slope angles and are stable during the dry season. The critical rainfall intensity that might trigger a landslide may not be the highest rainfall. In addition to geological discontinuities and anthropogenic factors, water content, suction, and hydraulic conductivity also play a role. A thorough geotechnical investigation with the principles of unsaturated soil mechanics is required to predict the failures in these cases. The study discusses three landslide events that had occurred in residual hills of Guwahati, India. Rainfall data analysis, history image analysis, land use, and slope maps of the region were analyzed and discussed. The landslide occurred on June (24, 26, and 28) 2020, on the respective sites, but the highest rainfall was on June (6 and 17) 2020. The factors that lead to the landslide occurrence is the combination of critical events initiated with rainfall, causing a reduction in suction. The sites consist of a mixture of rocks and soil. The slope failure occurs due to the saturation of the soil layer leading to loss of soil strength resulting in the flow of the entire soil rock mass. The land-use change, construction activities, other human and natural activities that lead to faster disintegration of rock mass may accelerate the landslide events. Landslides in these slopes are inevitable, and the development of an early warning system (EWS) to save human lives and resources is a feasible way. The actual time of failure of a slope can be better predicted by considering all these factors rather than depending solely on the rainfall intensities. An effective EWS is required with less false alarms in these regions by proper instrumentation of slope and appropriate climatic downscaling.

Keywords: early warning system, historic image analysis, slope instrumentation, unsaturated soil mechanics

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Authors: Aline M. Dantas, Alexander T. Sack, Elisabeth Bruggen, Peiran Jiao, Teresa Schuhmann

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Risk-taking behavior has been associated with the activity of specific prefrontal regions of the brain, namely the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC). While the deactivation of the rDLPFC has been shown to lead to increased risk-taking behavior, the functional relationship between VMPFC activity and risk-taking behavior is yet to be clarified. Correlational evidence suggests that the VMPFC is involved in valuation processes that involve risky choices, but evidence on the functional relationship is lacking. Therefore, this study uses brain stimulation to investigate the role of the VMPFC during risk-taking behavior and replicate the current findings regarding the role of the rDLPFC in this same phenomenon. We used continuous theta-burst stimulation (cTBS) to inhibit either the VMPFC or DLPFC during the execution of the computerized Maastricht Gambling Task (MGT) in a within-subject design with 30 participants. We analyzed the effects of such stimulation on risk-taking behavior, participants’ choices of probabilities and average values, and response time. We hypothesized that, compared to sham stimulation, VMPFC inhibition leads to a reduction in risk-taking behavior by reducing the appeal to higher-value options and, consequently, the attractiveness of riskier options. Right DLPFC (rDLPFC) inhibition, on the other hand, should lead to an increase in risk-taking due to a reduction in cognitive control, confirming existent findings. Stimulation of both the rDLPFC and the VMPFC led to an increase in risk-taking behavior and an increase in the average value chosen after both rDLPFC and VMPFC stimulation compared to sham. No significant effect on chosen probabilities was found. A significant increase in response time was observed exclusively after rDLPFC stimulation. Our results indicate that inhibiting DLPFC and VMPFC separately leads to similar effects, increasing both risk-taking behavior and average value choices, which is likely due to the strong anatomical and functional interconnection of the VMPFC and rDLPFC.

Keywords: decision-making, risk-taking behavior, brain stimulation, TMS

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Authors: Faezeh Eslamian, Zhiming Qi, Michael J. Tate

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Phosphorus losses from agricultural fields through leaching is one of the main contributors to eutrophication of lakes in Quebec as well as North America. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the application of high calcium hydrated lime as a soil amendment in reducing the subsurface transport of phosphorus to water bodies by studying the interactions between phosphorus leaching and lime application in three common agricultural soil textures (sandy loam, loam and clay loam) in Quebec. For this purpose, 6 intact soil columns of 10 cm diameter and 20 cm deep were taken from each of the three different soil textured agricultural fields. Lime (high calcium hydrated lime) was applied to the top 5 cm of half of the intact soil columns while the rest were left as controls. The columns were leached with artificial rainwater in-consecutively at a rate of 3 mm h-1 over a 90-day period. The total amount of water added was equal to the average total rainfall of the region in fall. The leachate samples were collected daily and analyzed for dissolved reactive phosphorus, total dissolved phosphorus, total phosphorus, pH, electrical conductivity, calcium, magnesium, potassium and iron. The results showed that lime was able to significantly reduce dissolved reactive phosphorus concentrations in the leachates by 70 and 40 percent in sandy loam and loam soil columns, respectively, while phosphorus concentration in the clay loam soil leachates were increased by 40 percent. The calcium in lime has P-binding capabilities. Soil chemical properties in sandy and loamy soils can affect phosphorus leaching, whereas, transport mechanisms in clay soils with macropores dominate phosphorus leaching behaviors. The presence of preferential pathways and cracks in the clay soil columns has led to a quick transport of phosphorus through the soil and the less contact time with the soil matrix, therefore, causing less opportunity for P sorption and larger P release. Application of lime to agricultural fields can be considered as a promising measure in mitigating phosphorus loss from sandy loam and loam soils.

Keywords: leaching, lime, phosphorus, soil texture

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Authors: Md. Rezaul Karim, Andreas Thiel

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Bangladesh is known as one of the most climate vulnerable countries in the world. Innovative technologies are always the key responses to the management of climate impacts. The objectives of this study are to determine the farmer’s perception of climate variability, to compare farmers’ perceptions with metrological data, and to explore the determinants that affect the likelihood of adoption of the selected Climate Smart Agricultural (CSA) technologies. Data regarding climate change perception, determinants and adoption were collected based on the household survey from stratified and randomly selected 365 farmers of the Biral sub-district under Dinajpur district in drought-prone northern Bangladesh. The likelihood of adoption of CSA technologies was analyzed following a multivariate probit model. The findings show that about 82.5% of the farmers perceived increasing temperature, and 75.1 % of farmers perceived decreasing dry season rainfall over the years, which is similarly relevant to metrological data. About 76.4.7% and 80.85% of farmers were aware of the drought tolerance crops and vermicompost, respectively; more than half of the farmers adopted these practices. Around 70.7% of farmers were aware of perching for insect control, but 46.3% of farmers adopted this practice. Although two-thirds of farmers were aware of crop diversification and pheromone trap, adoption was lower compared to the other three CSAs. Results also indicate that the likelihood of adoption of the selected CSAs is significantly influenced by different factors such as socio-economic characteristics, institutional factors and perceived technological or innovation attributes. The likelihood of adopting drought tolerance crops is affected by 11, while crop diversification and perching method by 7, pheromone trap by 9 and vermicompost by 8 determining factors. Lack of information and unavailability of input appear to be major obstacles to the non-adoption of CSA technologies. This study suggests that policy implications are necessary to promote extension services and overcome the obstacles to the non-adoption of individual CSA technologies. It further recommends that the research study should be conducted in a diverse context, nationally or globally.

Keywords: determinants, adoption, climate smart agriculture, northern Bangladesh

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Authors: Theresa Belema Chris-Biriowu

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The change in trends in relation to gender representation in beer brand commercials was the thrust of the study. The study investigated how beer brand commercials reflect societal realities in their portrayals of gender roles within the span of a decade. The major objective of the study was to find out how gender was contextualized in selected beer brand commercials that both air on Nigerian television and stream on YouTube. The study was anchored on the muted group theory. The population of the study was in two streams: the total number of beer beverages that are produced by the eleven breweries in Nigeria and the registered advertising agencies in Lagos, Nigeria. The sample size was also two-pronged: the purposive selection of beer brands that have their commercials on television and YouTube and the purposive selection of an ad agency that has produced running commercials for beer brands within the period between 2010s and 2020s. They adopted visual framing analysis and narrative analysis research techniques. The study qualitatively analyzed the contents of beer brand commercials and conducted an interview with the management of the ad agency for data collection. The data was presented in images and words. The findings showed that females are underrepresented and misrepresented in the beer brand commercials and that the beer brands are not producing commercials that adequately reflect the realities of present times. It was also found that very little has changed in the ad industry between the periods studied, and commercial screenplays are not written with a specific aim to either target the female demographics or give them equal opportunities to thrive in the beer economy. The study concluded that the gender gap in beer commercials subsists and translates to gender discrimination, especially since it is established that females are also stakeholders in the beer economy. The study recommends that beer brands should produce commercials that appeal to their audience irrespective of gender, reflect contemporary realities, and give all genders equal opportunities to thrive in the increasingly competitive industry.

Keywords: beer brands, commercials, gender representation, visuals, television, YouTube

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Authors: Ana Cristina Lindsay, Sherrie Wallington, Faith Lees, Mary Greaney

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Purpose: Latino children in low-income families are at elevated risk of becoming overweight or obese. The purpose of this study was to examine low-income Latino parents’ beliefs, parenting styles and practices related to their children’s eating and physical activity behaviors while at home. Design and Methods: Qualitative study using focus group discussions with 33 low-income Latino parents of preschool children 2 to 5 years of age. Transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: Data analyses revealed that most parents recognize the importance of healthy eating and physical activity for their children and themselves. However, daily life demands including conflicting schedules, long working hours, financial constraints, and neighborhood safety concerns, etc., impact parents’ ability to create a home environment supportive of these behaviors. Conclusions: This study provides information about how the home environment influences low-income Latino preschool children’s eating and physical activity habits. This information is useful for pediatric nurses in their health promotion and disease prevention efforts with low-income Latino families with young children, and for the development of home-based and parenting interventions to prevent and control childhood obesity among this population group. Practice Implications: Pediatric nurses can facilitate communication, provide education, and offer guidance to low-income Latino parents that support their children’s development of early healthy eating and physical activity habits, while taking into account daily life barriers faced by families. Moreover, nurses can play an important role in the integration and coordination of home-visitation to complement office-based visits and provide a continuum of care to low-income Latino families.

Keywords: home environment, Latino, obesity, parents, healthy eating, physical activity

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Authors: Sarthak Kumar Jena, Chandra Sekhar Mishra, Prabina Rajib

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Purpose: This paper aims to derive undervaluation signal from the insiders trading of Indian companies where the ownership is complex and concentrated, investors protection is weak, and the insider rules and regulations are not stringent like developed country. This study examines the relationship between insider trading with short term and long term abnormal return. The study also examines the relationship between insider trading and the actual share repurchase by the firm. Methodology: A sample of 78 companies over the period 2008-2013 are analyzed in the study due to not availability of insider data in Indian context. For preliminary analysis T-test and Wilcoxon rank sum test is used to find the difference between the insider trading before and after the share repurchase announcement. Tobit model is used to find out whether insider trading influence shares repurchase decisions or not. Return on the basis of market model and buy hold are calculated in the previous year and the following year of share repurchase announcement. Findings: The paper finds that insider trading around share repurchase is more than control firms and there is positive and significant difference in insider buying between the previous year of share buyback announcement and the following year of buyback announcement. Insider buying before share repurchase announcement has a positive influence on share repurchase decisions. We find insider buying has a positive and significant relationship with announcement return, whereas insider selling has a negative significant relationship with announcement return. Actual share repurchase and program completion also depend on insider trading before share repurchase. Research limitation: The study is constrained by the small sample size, so the results should be viewed by keeping this limitation in mind. Originality: The paper is to our best knowledge the first study based on Indian context to extend the insider trading literature to share repurchase event and examine insider trading to find out undervaluation signal associated with insider buying.

Keywords: insider trading, buyback, open market share repurchase, signalling

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Authors: Mohamed Ahmed Tony, Fayez Abaza

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The effects of a dietary supplement of rumen-protected choline on feed intake, milk yield, milk composition and some blood metabolites were evaluated in transition dairy cows. Forty multiparous cows were blocked into 20 pairs and then randomly allocated to either one of 2 treatments. The treatments were supplementation either with or without (control) rumen-protected choline. Treatments were applied from 2 weeks before and until 8 weeks after calving. Both groups received the same basal diet as total mixed ration. Additionally, 50 g of a rumen-protected choline supplement (25% rumen protected choline chloride) was added individually in the feed. Individual feed intake, milk yield, and body weight were recorded daily. Milk samples were analyzed weekly for fat, protein, and lactose content. Blood was sampled at week 2 before calving, d 1, d 4, d 7, d 10, week 2, week 3, and week 8 after calving. Glucose, triglycerids, nonesterified fatty acids, and β-hydroxybutyric acid in blood were analysed. The results revealed that choline supplementation increased DM intake from 16.5 to 18.0 kg/d and, hence, net energy intake from 99.2 to 120.5 MJ/d at the intercept of the lactation curve at 1 day in milk. Choline supplementation had no effect on milk yield, milk fat yield, or lactose yield. Milk protein yield was increased from 1.11 to 1.22 kg/d at the intercept of the lactation curve. Choline supplementation was associated with decreased milk fat concentration at the intercept of the lactation curve at 1 day in milking, but the effect of choline on milk fat concentration gradually decreased as lactation progressed. Choline supplementation decreased the concentration of blood triglycerids during the first 4 wk after parturition. Choline supplementation had no effect on energy-corrected milk yield, energy balance, body weight and body condition score. Results from this study suggest that fat metabolism in periparturient dairy cows is improved by choline supplementation during the transition period and this may potentially decrease the risk for metabolic disorders in the periparturient dairy cow.

Keywords: choline, dairy cattle, transition cow, triglycerids

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Authors: Md. Akiz Uddin

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This research attempted to identify the determining factors that extensively persuaded customers of the First Security Islamic Bank Limited (FSIBL) to open accounts and their perception and satisfaction level towards it. Initially, a theoretical model was established based on existing literature reviews. After that, a self-administered structured questionnaire was developed, and data were collected from 180 customers of the FSIBL of Bangladesh using purposive sampling technique. The collected data were later analyzed through a statistical software. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was used to verify the model of the study and test the hypotheses. The study particularly examined the determinants of opening accounts, customers’ perception and their satisfaction level towards the bank on several factors like the bank’s compliance with Shariah law, use of modern technology, assurance, reliability, empathy, profitability, and responsiveness. To examine the impact of religious belief on being FSIBL clients, the study also investigates non-Muslim clients’ perception about FSIBL. The study focused on FSIBL customers only from five branches of Dhaka city. The study found that the religious beliefs is the most significant factors for Muslim customers for considering FSIBL to open an account, and they are satisfied with the services, too. However, for non-Muslim customers, other benefits like E-banking, various user-friendly services are the most significant factors for choosing FSIBL. Their satisfaction level is also statistically significant. Furthermore, even if the non- Muslim customers didn’t consider religious beliefs as determinant factors for choosing FSIBL, the respondents informed that they have trust that people who believe in shariah law are more reliable to keep money with them. These findings open up the avenue for future researchers to conduct more study in this area through employing a larger sample size and more branches and extending the current model by incorporating new variables. The study will be an important addition to the potentials of Islamic banking system, literature of service quality and customer satisfaction level, particularly in the success of Islamic banking system in Bangladesh.

Keywords: islamic banking, customers’ satisfaction, customers’ perception, shariah law

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Authors: Yaolin Tian, Shanxiong Chen, Fujia Zhao, Xiaoyu Lin, Hailing Xiong

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Ancient books are significant culture inheritors and their background textures convey the potential history information. However, multi-style texture recovery of ancient books has received little attention. Restricted by insufficient ancient textures and complex handling process, the generation of ancient textures confronts with new challenges. For instance, training without sufficient data usually brings about overfitting or mode collapse, so some of the outputs are prone to be fake. Recently, image generation and style transfer based on deep learning are widely applied in computer vision. Breakthroughs within the field make it possible to conduct research upon multi-style texture recovery of ancient books. Under the circumstances, we proposed a network of layout analysis and image fusion system. Firstly, we trained models by using Deep Convolution Generative against Networks (DCGAN) to synthesize multi-style ancient textures; then, we analyzed layouts based on the Position Rearrangement (PR) algorithm that we proposed to adjust the layout structure of foreground content; at last, we realized our goal by fusing rearranged foreground texts and generated background. In experiments, diversified samples such as ancient Yi, Jurchen, Seal were selected as our training sets. Then, the performances of different fine-turning models were gradually improved by adjusting DCGAN model in parameters as well as structures. In order to evaluate the results scientifically, cross entropy loss function and Fréchet Inception Distance (FID) are selected to be our assessment criteria. Eventually, we got model M8 with lowest FID score. Compared with DCGAN model proposed by Radford at el., the FID score of M8 improved by 19.26%, enhancing the quality of the synthetic images profoundly.

Keywords: deep learning, image fusion, image generation, layout analysis

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Authors: Ariba Siddiqui, Amber Khan

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The need for bio-implantable devices in the field of medical sciences has been increasing day by day; however, the charging of these devices is a major issue. Batteries, a very common method of powering the implants, have a limited lifetime and bulky nature. Therefore, as a replacement of batteries, acoustic power transfer (APT) technology is being accepted as the most suitable technique to wirelessly power the medical implants in the present scenario. The basic model of APT consists of piezoelectric transducers that work on the principle of converse piezoelectric effect at the transmitting end and direct piezoelectric effect at the receiving end. This paper provides mechanistic insight into the parameters affecting the design and efficient working of acoustic power transfer systems. The optimum design considerations have been presented that will help to compress the size of the device and augment the intensity of the pressure wave. A COMSOL model of the PZT (Lead Zirconate Titanate) transducer was developed. The model was simulated and analyzed on a frequency spectrum. The simulation results displayed that the efficiency of these devices is strongly dependent on the frequency of operation, and a wrong choice of the operating frequency leads to the high absorption of acoustic field inside the tissue (medium), poor power strength, and heavy transducers, which in effect influence the overall configuration of the acoustic systems. Considering all the tradeoffs, the simulations were performed again by determining an optimum frequency (900 kHz) that resulted in the reduction of the transducer's thickness to 1.96 mm and augmented the power strength with an intensity of 432 W/m². Thus, the results obtained after the second simulation contribute to lesser attenuation, lightweight systems, high power intensity, and also comply with safety limits provided by the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It was also found that the chosen operating frequency enhances the directivity of the acoustic wave at the receiver side.

Keywords: acoustic power, bio-implantable, COMSOL, Lead Zirconate Titanate, piezoelectric, transducer

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Authors: Moiseenko F. V., Volkov N. M., Zhabina A. S., Stepanova E. O., Kirillov A. V., Myslik A. V., Artemieva E. V., Agranov I. R., Oganesyan A. P., Egorenkov V. V., Abduloeva N. H., Aleksakhina S. Yu., Ivantsov A. O., Kuligina E. S., Imyanitov E. N., Moiseyenko V. M.

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Analysis of ctDNA in patients with NSCLC is an emerging biomarker. Multiple research efforts of quantitative or at least qualitative analysis before and during the first periods of treatment with TKI showed the prognostic value of ctDNA clearance. Still, these important results are not incorporated in clinical standards. We evaluated the role of ctDNA in EGFR-mutated NSCLC receiving first-line TKI. Firstly, we analyzed sequential plasma samples from 30 patients that were collected before intake of the first tablet (at baseline) and at 6, 12, 24, 36, and 48 hours after the “starting point.” EGFR-M+ allele was measured by ddPCR. Afterward, we included sequential qualitative analysis of ctDNA with cobas® EGFR Mutation Test v2 from 99 NSCLC patients before the first dose, after 2 and 4 months of treatment, and on progression. Early response analysis showed the decline of EGFR-M+ level in plasma within the first 48 hours of treatment in 11 subjects. All these patients showed objective tumor response. 10 patients showed either elevation of EGFR-M+ plasma concentration (n = 5) or stable content of circulating EGFR-M+ after the start of the therapy (n = 5); only 3 of these patients achieved an objective response (p = 0.026) when compared to the former group). The rapid decline of plasma EGFR-M+ DNA concentration also predicted for longer PFS (13.7 vs. 11.4 months, p = 0.030). Long-term ctDNA monitoring showed clinically significant heterogeneity of EGFR-mutated NSCLC treated with 1st line TKIs in terms of progression-free and overall survival. Patients without detectable ctDNA at baseline (N = 32) possess the best prognosis on the duration of treatment (PFS: 24.07 [16.8-31.3] and OS: 56.2 [21.8-90.7] months). Those who achieve clearance after two months of TKI (N = 42) have indistinguishably good PFS (19.0 [13.7 – 24.2]). Individuals who retain ctDNA after 2 months (N = 25) have the worst prognosis (PFS: 10.3 [7.0 – 13.5], p = 0.000). 9/25 patients did not develop ctDNA clearance at 4 months with no statistical difference in PFS from those without clearance at 2 months. Prognostic heterogeneity of EGFR-mutated NSCLC should be taken into consideration in planning further clinical trials and optimizing the outcomes of patients.

Keywords: NSCLC, EGFR, targeted therapy, ctDNA, prognosis

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Authors: Leslie M. Mullins

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In the face of dramatically shifting demographic trends and macroeconomic pressures on affordable housing in high-cost cities, municipalities and developers have been forced to develop new models of sustainable development that integrates elements of substantial rehabilitation and new construction while controlling for relocation and mass displacement. Community development partners in the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California are starting to prioritize anti-displacement strategies when rehabilitating severely neglected public housing developments. This study explored the community-driven efforts to transform four dilapidated public housing sites (N=2,600 households) into thriving mixed-income housing communities. Eight interviews were conducted with frontline workers (property managers and service providers), who directly worked with residents throughout critical stages of the relocation and leasing process. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed by a systematic procedure for qualitative analysis to identify key themes on the topics of interest. Also, an extensive literature analysis was conducted to determine promising practices throughout the industry. This study highlighted that resident’s emotional attachment to their homes (regardless of the deteriorating conditions of their unit) could both a) impede the relocation process and substantially impact the budget and timeline, while b) simultaneously providing a basis for an enhanced sense of belonging and community cohesion. This phenomenon often includes the welcoming of new residents and cultures. Resident centered workshops, healing centered rituals, and extensive 'hands-on' guidance was highlighted as promising practices that resulted in residential retention rates that were two to three times the national average and positively impacted the overall project’s budget and timeline.

Keywords: anti-displacement strategies, community based practices, community cohesion, cultural preservation, healing-centered, public housing, relocation, trauma-informed

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Authors: Sadeq Al Yaari, Muhammad Alkhunayn, Aayah Al Yaari, Ayman Al Yaari, Montaha Al Yaari, Sajedah Al Yaari, Fatehi Eissa

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The recent rise of smart educational aids and the move away from traditional listening aids are leading to a fundamental shift in the way in which individuals with attention and listening problems (ALP) manipulate listening inputs and/or act appropriately to the spoken information presented to them. A total sample of twenty-six ALP pupils (m=20 and f=6) between 7-12 years old was selected from different strata based on gender, region and school. In the sample size, thirteen (10 males and 3 females) received the treatment in terms of smart classes provided with smart educational aids in a listening course that lasted for four month-semester while others did not (they studied the same course by the same instructor but in ordinary class). A pretest was administered to assess participants’ levels, and a posttest was given to evaluate their attention and listening comprehension performance, namely in phonetic and phonological tests with sociolinguistic themes that have been designed for this purpose. Test results were analyzed both psychoneurolinguistically and statistically. Results reveal a remarkable change in pupils’ behavioral listening where scores witnessed a significant difference in the performance of the experimental ALP group in the pretest compared to the posttest (Pupils performed better at the pretest-posttest on phonetics than at the two tests on phonology). It is concluded that smart educational aids designed for listening skills help not only increase the listening command of pupils with ALP to understand what they listen to but also develop their interactive listening capability and, at the same rate, are responsible for increasing concentrated and in-depth listening capacity. Plus, ALP pupils become able to grasp the audio content of text recordings, including educational audio recordings, news, oral stories and tales, views, spiritual/religious text and general knowledge. However, the pupils have not experienced individual smart audio-visual aids that connect listening to other language receptive and productive skills, which could be the future area of research.

Keywords: language skills, implementing, listening skill, attention, smart aids

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Authors: Dragan Zivotic, Mirjana Ilic, Aleksandra Perovic, Predrag Gavrilovic

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As with the provision of other services, the service quality perception is one of the key factors that the modern manager must pay attention to. Countries in which the state regulation is in transition also have specific features in providing fitness services. Identification of the dimensions in which the most significant different service quality perception between different types of fitness centers, enables managers to profile the offer according to the wishes and expectations of users. The aim of the paper was the comparison of the quality of services perception in the field of fitness in Serbia between three categories of fitness centers: the privately owned centers, the publicly owned centers, and the Public-private partnership centers. For this research 350 respondents of both genders (174 men and 176 women) were interviewed, aged between 18 and 68 years, being beneficiaries of fitness services for at least 1 year. Administered questionnaire with 100 items provided information about the 15 basic areas in which they expressed the service quality perception in the gym. The core sample was composed of 212 service users in private fitness centers, 69 service users in public fitness centers and 69 service users in the public-private partnership. Sub-samples were equal in representation of women and men, as well as by age and length of use of fitness services. The obtained results were subject of univariate analysis with the Kruskal-Wallis non-parametric analysis of variance. Significant differences between the analyzed sub-samples were not found solely in the areas of rapid response and quality outcomes. In the multivariate model, the results were processed by backward stepwise discriminant analysis that extracted 3 areas that maximize the differences between sub-samples: material and technical basis, secondary facilities and coaches. By applying the classification function 93.87% of private centers services users, 62.32% of public centers services users and 85.51% of the public-private partnership centers users of services were correctly classified (total 86.00%). These results allow optimizing the allocation of the necessary resources in profiling offers of a fitness center in order to optimally adjust it to the user’s needs and expectations.

Keywords: fitness, quality perception, management, public ownership, private ownership, public-private partnership, discriminative analysis

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Authors: Zeynep Aksoy

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Since global mobility of capital, information and people increase more and more, intercultural communication and management become a growing study field of investigating various aspects of the interaction between people from different cultural backgrounds. Human mobility, caused by several intentions from tourism to forced migration, often put people in facing communication barriers, issues or sometimes conflicts. This reality naturally enforces education institutions to develop international policies and programs for students in order to improve their intercultural experiences along with the educative objectives. Study-abroad programs, particularly the student exchanges in higher education provide an environment for participants to encounter with cultural differences. Therefore, international exchange programs (i.e. Erasmus Student Mobility, Global Exchange Program) are accepted to bring opportunities for intergroup contact, which may lead students to obtain new perspectives about the host culture, either in positive or negative ways, and new intercultural communication skills. This study aims to explore the role of short-term study abroad experience on intercultural communication competence with a qualitative approach. It attempts to reveal a comparative analysis, which is derived from two field studies conducted in Izmir (Turkey) and in Amsterdam (the Netherlands) in 2015 and 2016. They were both organized in two phases as pre-and-posttest to gain an insight into the changes (if any) in students’ attitudes and knowledge regarding the host culture, and their further motivations towards cross-cultural interactions. With this aim, focus group sessions and in-depth interviews have been taken place with participants at the beginning of their stay and at the end of the semester. The sample covers students mainly from Erasmus program (20 students in Izmir and 14 students in Amsterdam), and few from Global Exchange Program (5 students in Amsterdam). Data obtained from both studies were thematically analyzed and essential themes were identified within the framework of intercultural communication competence.

Keywords: Erasmus student mobility, intercultural communication competence, student exchange, short-term study abroad

Procedia PDF Downloads 245

Authors: Herng-Sheng Lee, Chi-Yi Chen, Wan-Ting Huang, Li-Jen Chang, Solomon Chih-Cheng Chen, Hsin-Yi Yang

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A variety of gastrointestinal disorders, such as Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and coeliac disease, are recognized as risk factors for osteoporosis and osteoporotic fractures. One recent study suggests that individuals with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) might also be at increased risk of osteoporosis and osteoporotic fractures. Up to now, the association between IBS and the risk of fractures at different anatomic sites occurrences is not completely clear. We conducted a population-based cohort analysis to investigate the fracture risk of IBS in comparison with non-IBS group. We identified 29,505 adults aged ≥ 20 years with newly diagnosed IBS using the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database in 2000-2012. A comparison group was constructed of patients without IBS who were matched according to gender and age. The occurrence of fracture was monitored until the end of 2013. We analyzed the risk of fracture events to occur in IBS by using Cox proportional hazards regression models. Patients with IBS had a higher incidence of osteoporotic fractures compared with non-IBS group (12.34 versus 9.45 per 1,000 person-years) and an increased risk of osteoporotic fractures (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] = 1.27, 95 % confidence interval [CI] = 1.20 – 1.35). Site specific analysis showed that the IBS group had a higher risk of fractures for spine, forearm, hip and hand than did the non-IBS group. With further stratification for gender and age, a higher aHR value for osteoporotic fractures in IBS group was seen across all age groups in males, but seen in elderly females. In addition, female, elderly, low income, hypertension, coronary artery disease, cerebrovascular disease, and depressive disorders as independent osteoporotic fracture risk factors in IBS patients. The IBS is considered as a risk factor for osteoporotic fractures, particularly in female individuals and fracture sites located at the spine, forearm, hip and hand.

Keywords: irritable bowel syndrome, fracture, gender difference, longitudinal health insurance database, public health

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Authors: Waepa Wanhussen

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The Ministry of Public Health has established policies accelerating health promotion to prevent public health problems in five border provinces of Thailand. One of these policies employs the religion to guide the community development and solve health issues consistent with the lifestyle and culture of those people. This policy is an important strategy to solve the problems due to the unrest and conflicts in the southern border provinces. This participatory action research aimed to develop mosques as healthy religion places in Narathiwat Province. In the development, the participatory action, consisting of 5 stages, was conducted from October 2012 - May 2013. Stage I: Conducting a survey for problems and needs for developing healthy religion places by employing community participation. Stage II: Analyzing problems and situations at a workshop containing informal interviews and group conversations with 200 participants (health providers at district level, Imams (the Muslim leaders), and community leaders). Stage III: Planning for developing healthy religion places by health providers, Imams, community leaders. Stage IV: Implementing the plan according to the conditions of problems and needs of the community in order to develop healthy religion places. Stage V: Evaluating the implementation by using the instrument, a criteria of being healthy religion place, for collecting data. Data were analyzed by using percentage. It was found that out of 630 mosques 575 (90.12%) passed the criteria of being a healthy religion place. Among these mosques, 190 mosques (30.15%) were in good and very good level, in which, after the implementation, the number of being good and very good healthy mosques increased by 22.58%. The researcher suggested that the developing sustainably healthy religion places require the participation of residences in the community and agencies such as local government, the Islamic Council of Narathiwat Province, and Council of Culture of Narathiwat Province. The healthy religion places can be used to strengthen and sustain health promotion and disease prevention in the community as health learning centers.

Keywords: healthy religion places, development of community participation, nursing informatics, health

Procedia PDF Downloads 276

Authors: Kehinde Joseph Awosan, Balarabe Adami Isah, Edzu Usman Yunusa, Sarafadeen Adeniyi Arisegi, Izuchukwu Obasi, Oluchi Solomon-Anucha

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Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is prevalent in patients with diabetes mellitus and a significant risk for major cardiovascular events. Identifying its burden and peculiarities is crucial to preventing complications among those at risk. Aim: This study was conducted to determine the prevalence and predictors of metabolic syndrome among diabetes clinic attendees in Sokoto, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 365 patients with type 2 diabetes attending the diabetes clinic of Specialist Hospital, Sokoto, Nigeria. A structured questionnaire was used to obtain data on the respondents’ socio-demographic variables, treatment history, and lifestyle. Blood pressure and anthropometric measurements (including weight, height, and waist circumference) were done for the patients. Likewise, biochemical assessment (including fasting plasma glucose, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), and triglyceride (TG) was done. Metabolic syndrome was defined according to the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP ATP III). Data were analyzed using the IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25. Results: The ages of the patients ranged from 30 to 78 (mean = 50.9 ±11.7) years. The overall prevalence of MetS was 57.3%, with a higher prevalence in females (68.1%) than males (43.0%). The most common components of MetS observed were hypertension (69.2%), and elevated fasting plasma glucose (65.7%); while the predictors of MetS were age > 50 years (OR 6.960, 95% CI: 3.836-12.628, p < 0.001), female sex (OR 2.300, 95% CI: 1.355-3.903, p = 0.002), physical activity (OR 0.214, 95% CI: 0.126-0.363, p < 0.001), and overweight/obesity (OR 3.356, 95% CI: 1.838-6.127, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Metabolic syndrome is prevalent among patients with type 2 diabetes in Sokoto, Nigeria, and the predictors were age > 50 years, female sex, physical activity, and overweight/obesity. Diabetes care providers should screen their patients for MetS to prevent adverse cardiovascular events.

Keywords: prevalence, predictors, metabolic syndrome, diabetes

Procedia PDF Downloads 124

Authors: Renee Yi-Mond Yuan

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The fast development of tourism industries around the world, has largely contributed to many cities, and countries economical and social progress. Past year Taiwan in particular was ranked among one of fastest raise growth country. Thanks to the prominent importance of this phenomenon; seasonal mobility or multipurpose trips have reached more than 1 Billion tourists crossing International borders and more than 4 billion intramural travelers that have nourished the economy and employment in the service sector in most attractive regions, representing about one tenth of World GDP amount, including trade, research, cultural or journalistic purposes. Then the increased activities are giving pressure to the consumption of energy, water, resources, and Greenhouse Gas emissions. The further concentration of tourists in most beautiful sites of the World with consistent supply and reduced pollutions and means for waste control and risks management are challenging the preservation and protection of the natural original environment, including species and their ecosystems, ethnics and their cultures or languages, protection of inherited landscapes and monuments for the future generations to come. In this article, few projects will be analyzed, methods and directions in the EU sustainable development scheme giving way to economical and social activities and preserve rural areas and remote countryside as well as smarter cities development. EU ETS forecasting escalation in the next few decades for road and air, and will reconsider investments and reliance on Biobased alternatives that may turn out solutions and contributions to sustain popularization of tourism development. Study of Examples of Stakeholders practices and Governments efforts, consumer’s attitude to bring new forms of more responsible holidays models: ecotourism, eco-certification, partnerships, investment in technologies and facilities, and possibly create greener perceptions and less impacting demands for the longer term through association, organizations and awards.

Keywords: tourism, sustainability, protection, risks management, change in rural/urban environment

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