Search results for: young adult literature

Authors: Aušra Černauskienė

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The heritage of modern architecture is closely related to the materiality and technology used to implement the buildings. Concrete is one of the most ubiquitous post-war building materials with enormous aesthetic and structural potential that architects have creatively used for everyday buildings and exceptional architectural objects that have survived. Concrete's material, structural, and architectural development over the post-war years has produced a remarkably rich and diverse typology of buildings, for implementation of which unique handicraft skills and industrialized novelties were used. Nonetheless, in the opinion of the public, concrete architecture is often treated as ugly and obsolete, and in Lithuania, it also has negative associations with the scarcity of the Soviet era. Moreover, aesthetic non-appreciation is not the only challenge that concrete architecture meets. It also no longer meets the needs of contemporary requirements: buildings are of poor energy class, have little potential for transformation, and have an obsolete surrounding environment. Thus, as a young heritage, concrete architecture is not yet sufficiently appreciated by society and heritage specialists, as it takes a short time to rethink what they mean from a historical perspective. However, concrete architecture is considered ambiguous but has its character and specificity that needs to be carefully studied in terms of cultural heritage to avoid the risk of poor renovation or even demolition, which has increasingly risen in recent decades in Lithuania. For example, several valuable pieces of post-war concrete architecture, such as the Banga restaurant and the Summer Stage in Palanga, were demolished without understanding their cultural value. Many unique concrete structures and raw concrete surfaces were painted or plastered, paying little attention to the appearance of authentic material. Furthermore, it raises a discussion on how to preserve buildings of different typologies: for example, innovative public buildings in their aesthetic, spatial solutions, and mass housing areas built using precast concrete panels. It is evident that the most traditional preservation strategy, conservation, is not the only option for preserving post-war concrete architecture, and more options should be considered. The first step in choosing the right strategy in each case is an appropriate assessment of the cultural significance. For this reason, an evaluation matrix for post-war concrete architecture is proposed. In one direction, an analysis of different typological groups of buildings is suggested, with the designation of ownership rights; in the other direction – the analysis of traditional value aspects such as aesthetic, technological, and relevant for modern architecture such as social, economic, and sustainability factors. By examining these parameters together, three relevant scenarios for preserving post-war concrete architecture were distinguished: conservation, renovation, and reuse, and they are revealed using examples of concrete architecture in Lithuania.

Keywords: modern heritage, value aspects, typology, conservation, upgrade, reuse

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Authors: Ankur Bansal, Shashank Bishnoi

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Degradation of Sewage pipes, sewage pumping station and Sewage treatment plants(STP) is of major concern due to difficulty in their maintenance and the high cost of replacement. Most of these systems undergo degradation due to Biogenic sulphuric acid (BSA) attack. Since most of Waste water treatment system are underground, detection of this deterioration remains hidden. This paper presents a literature review, outlining the mechanism of this attack focusing on critical parameters of BSA attack, along with available models and software to predict the deterioration due to this attack. This paper critically examines the various steps and equation in various Models of BSA degradation, detail on assumptions and working of different softwares are also highlighted in this paper. The paper also focuses on the service life design technique available through various codes and method to integrate the servile life design with BSA degradation on concrete. In the end, various methods enhancing the resistance of concrete against Biogenic sulphuric acid attack are highlighted. It may be concluded that the effective modelling for degradation phenomena may bring positive economical and environmental impacts. With current computing capabilities integrated degradation models combining the various durability aspects can bring positive change for sustainable society.

Keywords: concrete degradation, modelling, service life, sulphuric acid attack

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Authors: Ali Olfati, Parichehr Nouri

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Objective: In this study, we have investigated for the first time in the literature the efficacy of riboflavin [VB2] in preventing uterus As₂O₃ damage. Methods: Rats received 40 μg LHRHa for estrus synchronization. 48 pregnant Wistar rats were included. Four groups were formed with 7 rats in each group: Sham, 1.5 mg arsenic trioxide (As₂O₃/L) alone or in combination with VB2 [20 and 40 mg/L] in drinking water [for 21 days continuously]. Similar to maternal generation treatment, the F1-female generation was also arranged [for 35 days continuously until puberty]. Results: Data indicated that As₂O₃ reduced body weight and feed intake (p<0.05). Furthermore, the serum malondialdehyde levels in the As₂O₃ group were significantly higher than that of the control group (p<0.05). At the same time, total antioxidative status and the activities of glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase were reduced (p<0.05). Meanwhile, As₂O₃ remarkably increased the production of inflammatory markers [interleukin 6 and C-reactive protein](p<0.05). As₂O₃ administration induced uterus apoptosis-related genes by upregulating caspase-3, iNOS, and Bax genes and downregulating Bcl-2 gene of pubertal F1-female rats (p<0.05). Conclusion: Our observation indicated that VB2 therapy is potentially an effective strategy to modifying the detrimental effects of As₂O₃ in pubertal F1-female rats via suppresses oxidative damages.

Keywords: As₂O₃, inflammation, puberty, vitamin B2

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Authors: Chetra Mang, Ahmadali Tahmasebimoradi, Xavier Lorang

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Lattice structures are widely used in various applications, especially in aeronautic, aerospace, and medical applications because of their high performance properties. Thanks to advancement of the additive manufacturing technology, the lattice structures can be manufactured by different methods such as laser beam melting technology. However, the presence of geometric defects in the lattice structures is inevitable due to the manufacturing process. The geometric defects may have high impact on the mechanical strength of the structures. This work analyzes the correlation between the manufacturing parameters and the mechanical strengths of the lattice structures. To do that, two types of the lattice structures; body-centered cubic with z-struts (BCCZ) structures made of Inconel718, and body-centered cubic (BCC) structures made of Scalmalloy, are manufactured by laser melting beam machine using Taguchi design of experiment. Each structure is placed on the substrate with a specific position and orientation regarding the roller direction of deposed metal powder. The position and orientation are considered as the manufacturing parameters. The geometric defects of each beam in the lattice are characterized and used to build the geometric model in order to perform simulations. Then, the mechanical strengths are defined by the homogeneous response as Young's modulus and yield strength. The distribution of mechanical strengths is observed as a function of manufacturing parameters. The mechanical response of the BCCZ structure is stretch-dominated, i.e., the mechanical strengths are directly dependent on the strengths of the vertical beams. As the geometric defects of vertical beams are slightly changed based on their position/orientation on the manufacturing substrate, the mechanical strengths are less dispersed. The manufacturing parameters are less influenced on the mechanical strengths of the structure BCCZ. The mechanical response of the BCC structure is bending-dominated. The geometric defects of inclined beam are highly dispersed within a structure and also based on their position/orientation on the manufacturing substrate. For different position/orientation on the substrate, the mechanical responses are highly dispersed as well. This shows that the mechanical strengths are directly impacted by manufacturing parameters. In addition, this work is carried out to study the uncertainty propagation of the geometric defects on the mechanical strength of the BCC lattice structure made of Scalmalloy. To do that, we observe the distribution of mechanical strengths of the lattice according to the distribution of the geometric defects. A probability density law is determined based on a statistical hypothesis corresponding to the geometric defects of the inclined beams. The samples of inclined beams are then randomly drawn from the density law to build the lattice structure samples. The lattice samples are then used for simulation to characterize the mechanical strengths. The results reveal that the distribution of mechanical strengths of the structures with the same manufacturing parameters is less dispersed than one of the structures with different manufacturing parameters. Nevertheless, the dispersion of mechanical strengths due to the structures with the same manufacturing parameters are unneglectable.

Keywords: geometric defects, lattice structure, mechanical strength, uncertainty propagation

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Authors: A. Fettahoglu

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Theory of viscoelasticity is used by many researchers to represent behavior of many materials such as pavements on roads or bridges. Several researches used analytical methods and rheology to predict the material behaviors of simple models. Today, more complex engineering structures are analyzed using Finite Element Method, in which material behavior is embedded by means of three dimensional viscoelastic material laws. As a result, structures of unordinary geometry and domain like pavements of bridges can be analyzed by means of Finite Element Method and three dimensional viscoelastic equations. In the scope of this study, rheological models embedded in ANSYS, namely, generalized Maxwell elements and Prony series, which are two methods used by ANSYS to represent viscoelastic material behavior, are presented explicitly. Subsequently, a practical problem, which has an analytical solution given in literature, is used to verify the applicability of viscoelasticity tool embedded in ANSYS. Finally, amount of error in the results of ANSYS is compared with the analytical results to indicate the influence of used method and time step size.

Keywords: generalized Maxwell model, finite element method, prony series, time step size, viscoelasticity

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Authors: J. Szoltysek, S. Twarog

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The happy city, as the desired effect of changes implemented by cities, involves the deliberate and purposeful evolution of material and spiritual space in which residents pursue happiness, as it is perceived collectively and individually. The quality of life (QoL) has, for many years, been researched as one of the dimensions of happiness. Both literature studies and the observation of how cities function lead to the conclusion that the happy city is the city of meetings. The importance of meeting spaces in cities for the quality of life has been confirmed also for Polish cities and, as a result, the conclusions may be drawn that public space should be planned in such a manner so as to tailor it – to the greatest possible degree – to the needs of the residents of Polish cities. The study embraced both Polish and foreign data concerning both the dimension of the quality of life in cities and the issues related to the existence of common spaces where meetings take place. Both quantitative and qualitative analytical techniques have been used to analyze and interpret the data collected. We sought the answers to the questions on the significance of the factors, identified by the respondents, which affect the QoL in a city. We identified 9 mega factors: being, work, education, recreation, health and safety, mobility, neighborhood, acceptance, agora. We established the preferences of the QoL in relation to the size of a city and the public spaces, that seem to be the cornerstone of the happy city.

Keywords: city, meetings, public spaces, social cohesion, quality of life

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Authors: Burcu Oksuz, Volkan Altıintas, Zulfiye Acar Senturk

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Though in the academic literature, it is emphasized that Public Relations (PR) should not be seen only as media relations, in practise, the media relations has a very dominant position at the communication studies carried out by many companies. There are many PR practitioners who have journalism background. However the number of the practitioners who have started to work in the sector after having PR education at the universities has been highly increasing. Therefore, it can be said that previous journalist dominance has diminished at the public relations sector in Turkey. However, by virtue of the fact that some companies and practitioners consider the media coverage the first priority of PR, this much is certain that the dominant position of media relations is ongoing. On the other hand, still many companies measure the success of their PR by how much place their companies have taken. This situation creates major pressure on the PR practitioners to have close relations with the media members and to make them write articles about their companies. Thereupon, PR practitioners have to take the time for the media relations and the media relations comes into prominence more than the other PR functions. The aim of this study is to reveal the PR functions at the companies and to evaluate the position of the media relations in the PR studies. Therefore, it is aimed to find out at what extend the discourse of “Public relations is not media relations” is accepted in practice and actualised. Accordingly, a research about 15 hotel enterprises which are located in the city of İzmir will be carried out. İzmir as one of the most important tourism destinations has many hotels. The PR/corporate communications managers will be interviewed profoundly within the scope of this study and PR functions performed by hotels will be discussed in details in consideration of the datum obtained.

Keywords: media relations, public relations, public relations practitioners, Turkey

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Authors: Rebecca Heron, Steal Adcock, Karen Parsonson

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Non-offending pedophiles are an under- researched, hard to reach population. This group of individuals are often hesitant to come forward and fail to seek help ongoing stigma experienced in society.In order to better understand non-offending pedophiles experiences of their identity and the stigma they face, semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 10 non-offending pedophiles, who were recruited through online support groups for individuals who have sexual attractions towards children. Participants were interviewed over skype, and the data was analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) approach, anda number of themes were generated from the rich data set produced. Four main themes emerged, providing insight into how non-offending pedophiles experience stigma. The themes included ‘stigma in relation to themselves’, ‘others’, ‘the media portrayal’and ‘impact of the stigma of MAP’s seeking treatment’. Findings are discussed in relation to existing literature, and practical recommendations are proposed to hopefully allow this population to feel more comfortable sharing their sexual interests, which will allow them to seek help resulting in them not offending and, ultimately, the prevention of sexual abuse. This study fills the void in terms of lack of research with this population, especially when it comes to qualitative in depth studies, including not just male minor attracted persons but female minor attracted persons as well.

Keywords: pedophillia, stigma, non-offending pedophiles, minor attracted persons, prevention

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Authors: Hassan Barau Singhry

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Purpose: Leadership or the absence of it is an important behaviour affecting employees’ job satisfaction. Although, there are many models of leadership, one that stands out in a period of change is the transformational behaviour. The aim of this study is to investigate the role of an organizational justice on the relationship between transformational leadership and employee job satisfaction. The study is based on the assumption that change begins with leaders and leaders should be fair and just. Methodology: A cross-sectional survey through structured questionnaire was employed to collect the data of this study. The population is selected the three tiers of government such as the local, state, and federal governments in Nigeria. The sampling method used in this research is stratified random sampling. 418 middle managers of public organizations respondents to the questionnaire. Multiple regression aided by structural equation modeling was employed to test 4 hypothesized relationships. Finding: The regression results support for the mediating role of organizational justice such as distributive, procedural, interpersonal and informational justice in the link between transformational leadership and job satisfaction. Originality/value: This study adds to the literature of human resource management by empirically validating and integrating transformational leadership behaviour with the four dimensions of organizational justice theory. The study is expected to be beneficial to the top and middle-level administrators as well as theory building and testing.

Keywords: distributive justice, job satisfaction, organizational justice, procedural justice, transformational leadership

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Authors: Moftah BinHasan

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Induction motors (IM) are vital components in industrial processes whose failure may yield to an unexpected interruption at the industrial plant, with highly incurred consequences in costs, product quality, and safety. Among different detection approaches proposed in the literature, that based on stator current monitoring termed as Motor Current Signature Analysis (MCSA) is the most preferred. MCSA is advantageous due to its non-invasive properties. The popularity of motor current signature analysis comes from being that the current consists of motor harmonics, around the supply frequency, which show some properties related to different situations of healthy and faulty conditions. One of the techniques used with machine line current resorts to spectrum analysis. Besides discussing the fundamentals of MCSA and its applications in the condition monitoring arena, this paper shows a summary of the most frequent faults and their consequence signatures on the stator current spectrum of an induction motor. In addition, this article presents different case studies of induction motor fault diagnosis. These faults were seeded in the machine which was run for more than an hour for each test before the results were recorded for the faulty situations. These results are then compared with those for the healthy cases that were recorded earlier.

Keywords: induction motor, condition monitoring, fault diagnosis, MCSA, rotor, stator, bearing, eccentricity

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Authors: Bel G Raggad

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An e-Learning setting is a distributed computing environment where information resources can be connected to any public network. Public networks are very unsecure which can compromise the reliability of an e-Learning environment. This study is only concerned with the intrusion detection aspect of e-Learning security and how incident responses are planned. The literature reported great advances in intrusion detection system (ids) but neglected to study an important ids weakness: suspected events are detected but an intrusion is not determined because it is not defined in ids databases. We propose an incident response generator (DIRG) that produces incident responses when the working ids system suspects an event that does not correspond to a known intrusion. Data involved in intrusion detection when ample uncertainty is present is often not suitable to formal statistical models including Bayesian. We instead adopt Dempster and Shafer theory to process intrusion data for the unknown event. The DIRG engine transforms data into a belief structure using incident scenarios deduced by the security administrator. Belief values associated with various incident scenarios are then derived and evaluated to choose the most appropriate scenario for which an automatic incident response is generated. This article provides a numerical example demonstrating the working of the DIRG system.

Keywords: decision support system, distributed computing, e-Learning security, incident response, intrusion detection, security risk, statefull inspection

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Authors: Shawna M. Margesson

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This research study seeks to explore the lived experience of peer support workers (PSWs) in a peer-led non-governmental organization in Denver, Colorado, USA. The Colorado Mental Wellness Network offers supportive wellness recovery services such as wellness recovery action plans (WRAP), advocacy trainings for anti-stigma campaigns, and PSWs to work with and for consumers in the community. This study suggests that a peer-run environment is a unique community setting for PSWs to work given all employees are living in mental wellness recovery. Little has been documented about PSWs' personal accounts of working within a recovery-oriented organization and their first-person accounts to working with consumers. The importance of this study is to provide an ethnographic account of both subjects; the lived experiences of PSWs of both organizational and consumer-driven recovery. This study seeks to add to the literature and the social work profession the personal accounts of PSWs as they provide services to others like themselves. It also will provide an additional lens to view the peer-driven movement in mental health and wellness recovery.

Keywords: peer to peer movement, mental health, ethnography, peer support workers

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Authors: Wafaa Salah, Mostafa A. Salama, Jane Doe

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Recently, the corporate social performance (CSP) is not less important than the corporate financial performance (CFP). Debate still exists about the nature of the relationship between the CSP and CFP, whether it is a positive, negative or a neutral correlation. The objective of this study is to explore the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) reports and CFP. The study uses the accounting-based and market-based quantitative measures to quantify the financial performance of seven organizations listed on the Egyptian Stock Exchange in 2007-2014. Then uses the information retrieval technologies to quantify the contribution of each of the three dimensions of the corporate social responsibility report (environmental, social and economic). Finally, the correlation between these two sets of variables is viewed together in a model to detect the correlations between them. This model is applied on seven firms that generate social responsibility reports. The results show a positive correlation between the Earnings per share (market based measure) and the economical dimension in the CSR report. On the other hand, total assets and property, plant and equipment (accounting-based measure) are positively correlated to the environmental and social dimensions of the CSR reports. While there is not any significant relationship between ROA, ROE, Operating income and corporate social responsibility. This study contributes to the literature by providing more clarification of the relationship between CFP and the isolated CSR activities in a developing country.

Keywords: financial, social, machine learning, corporate social performance, corporate social responsibility

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Authors: Simon Ingelsten, Anton Lundberg, Vijay Shankar, Lars-Olof Landström, Örjan Johansson

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The flow in a low consistency disc refiner is simulated with the aim of identifying flow structures possibly being of importance for a future study to optimise the energy efficiency in refining processes. A simplified flow geometry is used, where a single groove of a refiner disc is modelled. Two different fibre models are used to simulate turbulent fibre suspension flow in the groove. The first model is a Bingham viscoplastic fluid model where the fibre suspension is treated as a non-Newtonian fluid with a yield stress. The second model is a new model proposed in a recent study where the suspended fibres effect on flow is accounted for through a modelled orientation distribution function (ODF). Both models yielded similar results with small differences. Certain flow characteristics that were expected and that was found in the literature were identified. Some of these flow characteristics may be of importance in a future process to optimise the refiner geometry to increase the energy efficiency. Further study and a more detailed flow model is; however, needed in order for the simulations to yield results valid for quantitative use in such an optimisation study. An outline of the next steps in such a study is proposed.

Keywords: disc refiner, fibre flow, sustainability, turbulence modelling

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Authors: Antonia Tsaknaki

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There are many and divergent views on how the science of translation should be taught in academic institutions or colleges, meaning as an independent study area or as part of Linguistics, Literature or Foreign Languages Departments. A much more debated issue refers to the question of whether translation theory should be included in syllabuses and study programs or the focus should be solely on practicing the profession, that is translating texts. This dissertation examines prevailing views on the significance of translation theory in translation studies in order to design an open course on moodle. Taking into account that there is a remarkable percentage of translation professionals who are self-taught without having any specific studies, the course aims at helping either translation students or professional translators familiarize with concepts, methods and problem-solving strategies that are considered necessary during the process. It is organized in four modules where the learner is guided through a series of topics (register, equivalence, decision-making, level of naturalness, Skopos theory etc); after completing these topics, they are given assignments (further reading) and texts to work on in order to practice the skills obtained. The course does not focus on a specific language pair and therefore is suitable for every individual who needs a theoretical background to boost their performance or for institutions seeking to save classroom time but not at the expense of learners’ skills.

Keywords: MOOCs, moodle, online learning, open courses, translation, translation theory

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Authors: Vithul Kalki

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The mainstream political economy failed to explain the nature and causes of systemic failures and thus to compare and comprehend how contemporary capitalist systems work. An alternative research framework of Critical Macro-Finance (CMF) is an attempt to collaborate political theory with post-Keynesian economics with an objective to find answers to unresolved questions that emerged since the international financial crisis and repeated failures of capital systems. This unorthodox approach brings out four main propositions, namely : (a) that the adoption of American financial practices has anchored financial globalization in market-based finance; (b) that global finance is a set of interconnected, hierarchical balance sheets, increasingly subject to time-critical liquidity; (c) that credit creation in market-based finance involves new forms of money; and (d) that market-based finance structurally requires a de-risking state capable both of protecting systemic liabilities and creating new investment opportunities. The ongoing discussion of CMF literature is yet to be tested or even fully framed. This qualitative paper will critically examine the CMF framework and will engage in discussions aiming to connect the CMF with theories of capitalism in a wider context to bring a holistic approach for analyzing contemporary financial capitalism.

Keywords: critical macro-finance, capitalism, financial system, comparative political economy

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Authors: Brang Mai Lazing

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The central argument of this paper proposes that while democracy cannot guarantee transparency, authentic transparency within the hierarchy of the Church can be pursued as a means of dealing with cases of clergy sexual abuse. Amid the recent global scandal of clergy sexual abuse cases, a previous study has argued that a democratic rule should be applied to the administration of the Church so that, while a democratic Church could be compelled to exercise greater transparency when handling such cases, the Church might thereby regain credibility. Using the methodology of literature analysis, this paper explores the necessity for hierarchy and finds that democracy cannot be a guarantee for transparency. Further, through a dialogue between the theological insights of Benedict XVI and Edward Schillebeeckx, this paper argues that transparency practices are possible within the hierarchy of the Catholic Church in dealing with clergy sexual abuse cases. Finally, three implications of transparency in dealing with clergy sexual abuse cases are proposed, viz.: (a) that the harm which is ultimately done to the sacred faith of believers and to the sacred origin of the hierarchy through clergy sexual abuse cases should be given greater emphasis, (b) that the removal of unnecessary layers within the Church hierarchy or replacement with layers empowered with the authority to effect change might help implement accountability and transparency practices, and (c) that any changes made to enhance transparency should be made in terms of ‘adaptability’.

Keywords: Benedict XVI, clergy sexual abuses, democracy, Edward Schillebeeckx, hierarchy, transparency

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Authors: Feby Zaki Raouf Fawzy

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Nowadays, design and architecture are being affected and undergoing change with the rapid advancements in technology, economics, politics, society, and culture. Architecture has been transforming with the latest developments after the inclusion of computers in design. Integration of design into the computational environment has revolutionized architecture and unique perspectives in architecture have been gained. The history of architecture shows the various technological developments and changes in which architecture has transformed with time. Therefore, the analysis of integration between technology and the history of the architectural process makes it possible to build a consensus on the idea of how architecture is to proceed. In this study, each period that occurs with the integration of technology into architecture is addressed within the historical process. At the same time, changes in architecture via technology are identified as important milestones and predictions with regards to the future of architecture have been determined. Developments and changes in technology and the use of technology in architecture within years are analyzed in charts and graphs comparatively. The historical process of architecture and its transformation via technology is supported by a detailed literature review, and they are consolidated with the examination of focal points of 20th-century architecture under the titles parametric design, genetic architecture, simulation, and biomimicry. It is concluded that with the historical research between past and present, the developments in architecture cannot keep up with the advancements in technology, and recent developments in technology overshadow architecture; even technology decides the direction of architecture. As a result, a scenario is presented with regard to the reach of technology in the future of architecture and the role of the architect.

Keywords: design and development the information technology architecture, enterprise architecture, enterprise architecture design result, TOGAF architecture development method (ADM)

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Authors: N. S. Kubanza, D. Simatele, D. K. Das

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The purpose of this paper is to understand the urban environmental problems in Kinshasa and the consequences of these for the poor. This paper particularly examines the concept of environmental injustice in solid waste management in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The urban low-income communities in Kinshasa face multiple consequences of poor solid waste management associated with unhealthy living conditions. These situations stemmed from overcrowding, poor sanitary, accumulation of solid waste, resulting in the prevalence of water and air borne diseases. Using a mix of reviewed archival records, scholarly literature, a semi-structured interview conducted with the local community members and qualitative surveys among stakeholders; it was found that solid waste management challenge in Kinshasa is not only an environmental and health risk issues, but also, a problem that generates socio-spatial disparities in the distribution of the solid waste burden. It is argued in the paper that the urban poor areas in Kinshasa are often hardest affected by irregularities of waste collection. They lack sanitary storage capacities and have undermined organizational capacity for collective action within solid waste management. In view of these observations, this paper explores mechanisms and stakeholders’ engagement necessary to lessen environmental injustice in solid waste management (SWM) in Kinshasa.

Keywords: environmental justice, solid waste management, urban environmental problems, urban poor

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Authors: Fatmeh Alzoubi, Reem Ali

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Jordan is a developing country in the Middle East and, much like other countries in the world, has high rates of intimate partner violence (IPV). Little information is available on Jordanian men’s and women’s attitudes toward IPV. The purpose of this study is to examine men’s and women’s attitudes toward IPV in Jordan and its relationship with some demographics and family functioning. A descriptive cross-sectional correlational design with a sample of 401 men and women was used. Descriptive statistics (M, SD), Pearson r, t test, and ANOVA were used. The results indicated that Jordanian men and women have a lower score of IPVAS, 40.06 (SD = 8.20), indicating lower acceptance of IPV compared with the literature. Family functioning was 3.12 (SD = 0.46), indicating more healthy families. Family functioning was negatively correlated with IPVAS scores (r = –.22, p = .00). All demographic variables showed small to moderate correlations with IPVAS. Education for both study participants and their spouses had a negative correlation with IPVAS (r = –.27, p = .00) and (r = –.20, p = .00), respectively. Male participants, individuals who were living with extended family, and those living in rural areas had significantly high IPVAS scores, indicating more accepting attitudes toward IPV. Practitioners should provide families with education on the methods of conflict resolution, effective communication within the family, problem-solving approaches, equal role distribution, and appropriate styles of establishing a family.

Keywords: intimate partner violence, Jordanian men and women’s health, attitudes, family functioning

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Authors: M. Maache, R. Bessaih

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In this study, the effect of the magnetic field direction on the free convection heat transfer in a vertical cylinder filled with an Al₂O₃ nanofluid is investigated numerically. The external magnetic field is applied in either direction axial and radial on a cylinder having an aspect ratio H/R0=5, bounded by the top and the bottom disks at temperatures Tc and Th and by an adiabatic side wall. The equations of continuity, Navier Stocks and energy are non-dimensionalized and then discretized by the finite volume method. A computer program based on the SIMPLER algorithm is developed and compared with the numerical results found in the literature. The numerical investigation is carried out for different governing parameters namely: The Hartmann number (Ha=0, 5, 10, …, 40), nanoparticles volume fraction (ϕ=0, 0.025, …,0.1) and Rayleigh number (Ra=103, Ra=104 and Ra=105). The behavior of average Nusselt number, streamlines and temperature contours are illustrated. The results revel that the average Nusselt number increases with an increase of the Rayleigh number but it decreases with an increase in the Hartmann number. Depending on the magnetic field direction and on the values of Hartmann and Rayleigh numbers, an increase of the solid volume fraction may result enhancement or deterioration of the heat transfer performance in the nanofluid.

Keywords: natural convection, nanofluid, magnetic field, vertical cylinder

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Authors: Marlin Mubarak

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Background: Endometriosis is a complex disabling disease affecting young females in the reproductive period mainly. The aim of this project is to generate a diagnostic model to predict severity and stage of endometriosis prior to Laparoscopic surgery. This will help to improve the pre-operative diagnostic accuracy of stage 3 & 4 endometriosis and as a result, refer relevant women to a specialist centre for complex Laparoscopic surgery. The model is based on the British Society of Gynaecological Endoscopy (BSGE) pain questionnaire, clinical examination and ultrasound scan. Design: This is a prospective, observational, study, in which women completed the BSGE pain questionnaire, a BSGE requirement. Also, as part of the routine preoperative assessment patient had a routine ultrasound scan and when recto-vaginal and deep infiltrating endometriosis was suspected an MRI was performed. Setting: Luton & Dunstable University Hospital. Patients: Symptomatic women (n = 56) scheduled for laparoscopy due to pelvic pain. The age ranged between 17 – 52 years of age (mean 33.8 years, SD 8.7 years). Interventions: None outside the recognised and established endometriosis centre protocol set up by BSGE. Main Outcome Measure(s): Sensitivity and specificity of endometriosis diagnosis predicted by symptoms based on BSGE pain questionnaire, clinical examinations and imaging. Findings: The prevalence of diagnosed endometriosis was calculated to be 76.8% and the prevalence of advanced stage was 55.4%. Deep infiltrating endometriosis in various locations was diagnosed in 32/56 women (57.1%) and some had DIE involving several locations. Logistic regression analysis was performed on 36 clinical variables to create a simple clinical prediction model. After creating the scoring system using variables with P < 0.05, the model was applied to the whole dataset. The sensitivity was 83.87% and specificity 96%. The positive likelihood ratio was 20.97 and the negative likelihood ratio was 0.17, indicating that the model has a good predictive value and could be useful in predicting advanced stage endometriosis. Conclusions: This is a hypothesis-generating project with one operator, but future proposed research would provide validation of the model and establish its usefulness in the general setting. Predictive tools based on such model could help organise the appropriate investigation in clinical practice, reduce risks associated with surgery and improve outcome. It could be of value for future research to standardise the assessment of women presenting with pelvic pain. The model needs further testing in a general setting to assess if the initial results are reproducible.

Keywords: deep endometriosis, endometriosis, minimally invasive, MRI, ultrasound.

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Authors: Howard Gomwe, Eunice Seekoe, Philemon Lyoka, Chioneso Show Marange, Dennyford Mafa

Abstract:

There is arguably a lack of literature regarding body physical fitness and body composition amongst primary school learners in South Africa. For this reason, the study is aimed at investigating and accessing how body composition relates to physical fitness amongst primary school learners in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. In order to achieve this, a school-based cross-sectional survey was carried out among 876 primary school learners aged 9 to 14 years. Body composition indicators were measured and/or calculated, whilst physical fitness was evaluated according to the EUROFIT fitness standards by a 20 m shuttle run, push-ups, sit and reach as well as sit-ups. Out of 876 participants, a total of 870 were retained. Of these, 351 (40.34%) were boys, and 519 (59.66%) were girls. The average age of learners was 11.04 ± 1.50 years, with boys having a significantly (p = 0.002) higher mean age (M = 11.24; SD = 1.51 years) as compared to that of girls (M = 10.91; SD = 1.48 years). The non-parametric Spearman Rho correlation coefficients revealed several significant and negative relationships between body composition measurements with physical fitness characteristics, which were stronger in girls than in boys. The findings advocate for policymakers and responsible authorities to initiate the development of policies and interventions targeted at encouraging physical activity and health promotion among primary school learners in South Africa, especially in girls.

Keywords: BMI, body composition, body fat, children, physical fitness, primary school

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Authors: Asna Anchalan, Anjana Bhagyanathan

Abstract:

Urban green space plays an important role in providing health (physical and mental well-being), economic, and environmental benefits for urban residents and neighborhoods. Ensuring equitable distribution of urban green space is vital to ensure equal access to these benefits. This study is developing a methodology for assessing spatial equity of urban green spaces in the Indian context. Through a systematic literature review, the research trends, parameters, data, and tools being used are identified. After 2020, the research in this domain is increasing rapidly, where COVID-19 acted as a catalyst. Indian documents use various terminologies, definitions, and classifications of urban green spaces. The terminology, definition, and classification for this study are done after reviewing several Indian documents, master plans, and research papers. Parameters identified for assessing spatial equity are availability, proximity, accessibility, and socio-economic disparity. Criteria for evaluating each parameter were identified from diverse research papers. There is a research gap identified as a comprehensive approach encompassing all four parameters. The outcome of this study led to the development of a methodology that addresses the gaps, providing a practical tool applicable across diverse Indian cities.

Keywords: urban green space, spatial equity, accessibility, proximity, methodology

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Authors: Sudheer Gupta

Abstract:

Approximately 4 billion citizens of the world live on the equivalent of less than $8 a day. This segment constitutes a $5 trillion global market that remains under-served. Multinational corporations have historically tended to focus their innovation efforts on the upper segments of the economic pyramid. The academic literature has also been dominated by theories and frameworks of innovation that are valid when applied to the developed markets and consumer segments, but fail to adequately account for the challenges and realities of new product and service creation for the poor. Theories of entrepreneurship developed in the context of developed markets similarly ignore the challenges and realities of operating in developing economies that can be characterized by missing institutions, missing markets, information and infrastructural challenges, and resource constraints. Social entrepreneurs working in such contexts develop solutions differently. In this talk, we summarize lessons learnt from a long-term research project that involves data collection from a broad range of social entrepreneurs in developing countries working towards solutions to alleviate poverty, and grounded theory-building efforts. We aim to develop a better understanding of consumers, producers, and other stakeholder involvement, thus laying the foundation to build a robust theory of innovation and entrepreneurship for the poor.

Keywords: poverty alleviation, social enterprise, social innovation, development

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Authors: Kathie Records, R. Jeanne Ruiz, Kimberly Ayers, Rebecca Pasillas

Abstract:

Background: Preterm births of less than 37 weeks gestation occur disproportionately to Hispanics living along the U.S.-Mexico border. Prematurity has devastating and costly effects on children, families and the health care system. Few preventive interventions have been tested for this vulnerable group. Objectives: To present the modeling and pilot testing of the theory-based Mastery Lifestyle Intervention (MLI), designed to reduce and prevent PTB among Mexican American women (the terms Hispanics or Latinas will also be used to represent this group) living in the United States. Design and Methods: The conceptualization of the problem of preterm births and the available literature underpinning the mastery lifestyle intervention will be reviewed. The lifestyle intervention includes foundational components of problem solving therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy. Findings from implementation of a one-group pilot test and focus group evaluated the feasibility and acceptability of the MLI. Summary: Participants found the MLI to be feasible and acceptable, and reported perceiving improved health status and familial relationships. Suggestions were provided for modifications prior to efficacy testing. The MLI appears to be a theoretically and empirically grounded intervention that holds promise for preventing preterm births among Latinas.

Keywords: birth, Hispanic, intervention, stress

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Authors: Fiona Soraya Addai-Sundiata, Ernest Yeboah Acheampong, Ralph Frimpong

Abstract:

The rationale of this study is to examine the career experiences of elite female football coaches in Ghana. More importantly, it focus on their motives, the challenges of football coaching and their experiences along their career paths. The study draws from literature on female coaches in football to understand their experiences and reflections in their chosen careers. The findings of the study relied on in-depth semi-structured interviews with five elite female football coaches aged between 28 and 50 years. Participants’ responses reveal that both intrinsic and extrinsic motives drive them into football coaching, including learning experiences from abroad, a strong desire to break the gendered hegemony of coaching in Ghana, serving as role models, enjoyment, satisfaction and passion for their chosen careers. Results indicate that they encountered sociocultural, organisational, personal and interpersonal challenges. Also, they experience gender stereotyping, limited career mobility, sexism and marginalisation, which prevent them from becoming elite coaches. The study provides useful data for stakeholders, including Ghana Football Association (GFA), to use effective strategies (e.g., special incentives for women coaches) to attract and retain women in the football coaching space.

Keywords: elite female football coaches, career experiences, gender, motives, trajectories

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Authors: Fiona Soraya Addai-Sundiata, Ernest Yeboah Acheampong, Ralph Frimpong

Abstract:

The rationale of this study is to examine the career experiences of elite female football coaches in Ghana. More importantly, it focus on their motives, the challenges of football coaching and their experiences along their career paths. The study draws from literature on female coaches in football to understand their experiences and reflections in their chosen careers. The findings of the study relied on in-depth semi-structured interviews with five elite female football coaches aged between 28 and 50 years. Participants’ responses reveal that both intrinsic and extrinsic motives drive them into football coaching including learning experiences from abroad, a strong desire to break the gendered hegemony of coaching in Ghana, serving as role models, enjoyment, satisfaction and passion for their chosen careers. Results indicate that they encountered sociocultural, organisational, personal and interpersonal challenges. Also, they experience gender stereotyping, limited career mobility, sexism and marginalisation, which prevent them from becoming elite coaches. The study provides useful data for stakeholders including Ghana Football Association (GFA) to use effective strategies (e.g., special incentives for women coaches) to attract and retain women in the football coaching space.

Keywords: elite female football coaches, career experiences, gender, motives, trajectories

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Authors: Mifrah Ahmad

Abstract:

Game designing processes vary with the intentions of the game. Digital games have versatile starting and finishing processes and these have been reported throughout the literature over decades. However, the need to understand how game designers’ practice in designing games is approached in the industry and how do they approach designing games is yet to be informed and whether they consider existing models or frameworks in their practice to assist their designing process of games. Therefore, this paper discusses 17 game designers’ participants' perspectives on how they approach designing games and how their experience of designing various games influences their practice. This research is conducted in an Australian context, through a phenomenology approach, where semi-structured interviews were designed and grounded by theory of experience by John Dewey. The audio data collected was analyzed using NVivo and interpreted using the interpretivism paradigm to contextualize the essence of game designers’ experiences in their practice and unfold their designing, developing, and iterative methodologies. As a result, a generic game-designing model is proposed that illuminates a sequence of steps that enables game designers’ initiatives toward a successful game design process. A ‘Five-Essential-Steps’ model (5ESM) for designing digital games may potentially assist early career game designers, gaming researchers as well as academics pursuing the designing process of games, educational games, or serious games.

Keywords: game designers practice, experiential design, designing models, game design approaches, designing process, software design, top-down model

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Authors: Murat Mert, Yusuf Ozer, Fatih Kolay

Abstract:

Behaviour of giving harm to the body in literature has been named as “self-injury”, “self-mutilation” ve “self-harm”. “Self-injury”, or “self-mutilation” is generally used for the same meaning and mentioned as an action which is committed to the body itself directly. As is seen that alcohol and drug users have injured their bodies because of deprivation, whereas behaviour of self-injury in some societies is accepted as religious and cultural, it has nevertheless been diagnosed in people who have a borderline personality disorder, histrionic personality disorder, psychotic personality disorder and mood disorder. There has not been any direct self-murder tendency in people having self-harmed. However, death cases can be seen together with loss of consciousness depending on loss of blood by exceeding the limit in the course of injury action. 34- year old – male person who was alcohol addicted, having had a psycological treatment beforehand, had mutilated his small intestine together with fatty tissue by cutting his body with a razor-blade at the thought of insects strolling around the body (delirium tremens) due to deprivation attack and had died in the result of various cuts. In this study, crime scene investigation and death mechanism of the person having had self-harmed in a result of abstinence syndrome will be explained. Relevant criteria which differentiate this case from homicide will be examined.

Keywords: self-injury, autopsy, abstinence syndrome, CSI

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