Search results for: support vector machine

Authors: Mingook Lee, Sungjoo Lee

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As technology-based service industries grow drastically worldwide; companies are recognizing the importance of market preoccupancy and have made an effort to capture a large market to gain the upper hand. To this end, a focus on patents can be used to determine the properties of a technology, as well as to capture advantages in technical skills, in comparison with the firm’s competitors. However, technology-based services largely depend not only on their technological value but also their economic value, due to the recognized worth that is passed to a plurality of users. Thus, it is important to determine whether there are any competitors in the target areas and what services they provide in any field. Despite this importance, little effort has been made to systematically benchmark competitors in order to identify business opportunities. Thus, this study aims to not only identify each position of technology-centered service companies in complex market dynamics, but also to discover new business opportunities. For this, we try to consider both technology and market environments simultaneously by utilizing patent data as a representative proxy for technology and trademark dates as an index for a firm’s target goods and services. Theoretically, this is one of the earliest attempts to combine patent data and trademark data to analyze corporate strategies. In practice, the research results are expected to be used as a decision criterion to diagnose the economic value that companies can obtain by entering the market, as well as the technological value to be passed onto their customers. Thus, the proposed approach can be useful to support effective technology and business strategies in a firm.

Keywords: business opportunity, patent, Portfolio analysis, trademark

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Authors: Abdiwahab Guled

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Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that emanates from a broad range of conditions, which affect the communication skills, social skills. It causes restrictive and repetitive behaviors to individuals. The number of children with ASD is an increasing prevalence around the world. Virtual reality (VR) is an assistive technology, which puts the learner in an immersive learning environment. It allows the learner to interact with that environment in a seemingly real or physical way using special electronic equipment, such as headsets. This exploratory study examines the potential benefits that VR may provide to improving the communication skills of children with ASD. Educating a child with ASD is challenging because access to services, resources, and support for autistic children is inadequate. Therefore, this study intends to investigate the challenges of teaching children with ASD and how VR might help teachers to improve the communication skills of these children with ASD. Online research and literature review were used as a method to gather previously published studies to identify the research gap and provide the groundwork for future studies. Results show that VR offers potential benefits to improving the communication skills of children with ASD but there is a gap in our understanding of the functionalities of all the features of VR technology and how we can utilize it to improve the communication skills of children with ASD. Communication is a broad subject and it is impossible for one study to evidently define the speech challenges of autistic children and provide an irrefutable solution. Therefore, this study proposes further research to dissect how can VR be used to improve the different communication challenges that impede the everyday functioning of autistic children.

Keywords: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), autistic, Asperger, Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS), virtual reality (VR).

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Authors: Hsi Wei

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Does the language we speak affect the way we think? This question has been discussed for a long time from different aspects. In this article, the issue is examined with an experiment on how speakers of different languages tend to do different sequencing when it comes to the size of general objects. An essential difference between the usage of English and Mandarin is the way we sequence the size of places or objects. In English, when describing the location of something we may say, for example, ‘The pen is inside the trashcan next to the tree at the park.’ In Mandarin, however, we would say, ‘The pen is at the park next to the tree inside the trashcan.’ It’s clear that generally English use the sequence of small to big while Mandarin the opposite. Therefore, the experiment was conducted to test if the difference of the languages affects the speakers’ ability to do the different sequencing. There were two groups of subjects; one consisted of English native speakers, another of Mandarin native speakers. Within the experiment, three nouns were showed as a group to the subjects as their native languages. Before they saw the nouns, they would first get an instruction of ‘big to small’, ‘small to big’, or ‘repeat’. Therefore, the subjects had to sequence the following group of nouns as the instruction they get or simply repeat the nouns. After completing every sequencing and repetition in their minds, they pushed a button as reaction. The repetition design was to gather the mere reading time of the person. As the result of the experiment showed, English native speakers reacted more quickly to the sequencing of ‘small to big’; on the other hand, Mandarin native speakers reacted more quickly to the sequence ‘big to small’. To conclude, this study may be of importance as a support for linguistic relativism that the language we speak do shape the way we think.

Keywords: language, linguistic relativism, size, sequencing

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Authors: Darynne Madison Dela Gente, Panayiota Courelli

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Similarities in behavior between perpetrators of school violence and those with a parent in prison raise concern when considering the root causes of a student’s violent behavior. Dealing with parental incarceration is highly consequential on a student’s emotional well-being and may cause aggressive behavior that can lead to them becoming a perpetrator of school violence. These students are more likely to have interpersonal issues, antisocial tendencies, and a hostile demeanor, which are factors that closely align with indicators of an offender of violence. Developmental risk factors of parental incarceration are heavily understudied and often overlooked. This literature review aims to analyze the correlation between having a parent in prison and exhibiting physical or verbal aggression in a school environment. Furthermore, it strives to bring awareness to the inconsistencies in existing research and encourage a greater depth of study of the behavioral impacts, specifically in an academic setting. Furthermore, it will elaborate on the effectiveness of current intervention programs, such as Project Avary, Hope House, Kids Mates Inc., and Girl Scouts Beyond Bars, which provide immense support, as well as proposed methods of implementation in a school environment. Creating a space for these students to cope ultimately aids in the prevention of violent behaviors and intergenerational incarceration. Access to intervention programs, especially in schools located in areas with high rates of incarceration, would greatly reduce the risk of these students becoming perpetrators of school violence.

Keywords: adolescent behavior, adolescent mental health, parental incarceration, school violence prevention

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Authors: Adel Khorramrouz, Monireh Ahmadi Bani, Ehsan Norouzi

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Background:-Due to the essential role of the foot in movement, foot disorders (FDs) have significant impacts on activity and quality of life. Many studies confirmed the association between FDs and demographic characteristics. On the other hand, recent advances in data collection and statistical analysis led to an increase in the volume of databases. Analysis of patient’s data through the decision tree can be used to explore the relationship between demographic characteristics and FDs. Significance of the study: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between demographic characteristics with common FDs. The second purpose is to better inform foot intervention, we classify FDs based on demographic variables. Methodologies: We analyzed 2323 subjects with pes-planus (PP), pes-cavus (PC), hallux-valgus (HV) and plantar-fasciitis (PF) who were referred to a foot therapy clinic between 2015 and 2021. Subjects had to fulfill the following inclusion criteria: (1) weight between 14 to 150 kilogram, (2) height between 30 to 220, (3) age between 3 to 100 years old, and (4) BMI between 12 to 35. Medical archives of 2323 subjects were recorded retrospectively and all the subjects examined by an experienced physician. Age and BMI were classified into five and four groups, respectively. 80% of the data were randomly selected as training data and 20% tested. We build a decision tree model to classify FDs using demographic characteristics. Findings: Results demonstrated 981 subjects from 2323 (41.9%) of people who were referred to the clinic with FDs were diagnosed as PP, 657 (28.2%) PC, 628 (27%) HV and 213 (9%) identified with PF. The results revealed that the prevalence of PP decreased in people over 18 years of age and in children over 7 years. In adults, the prevalence depends first on BMI and then on gender. About 10% of adults and 81% of children with low BMI have PP. There is no relationship between gender and PP. PC is more dependent on age and gender. In children under 7 years, the prevalence was twice in girls (10%) than boys (5%) and in adults over 18 years slightly higher in men (62% vs 57%). HV increased with age in women and decreased in men. Aging and obesity have increased the prevalence of PF. We conclude that the accuracy of our approach is sufficient for most research applications in FDs. Conclusion:-The increased prevalence of PP in children is probably due to the formation of the arch of the foot at this age. Increasing BMI by applying high pressure on the foot can increase the prevalence of this disorder in the foot. In PC, the Increasing prevalence of PC from women to men with age may be due to genetics and innate susceptibility of men to this disorder. HV is more common in adult women, which may be due to environmental reasons such as shoes, and the prevalence of PF in obese adult women may also be due to higher foot pressure and housekeeping activities.

Keywords: decision tree, demographic characteristics, foot disorders, machine learning

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Authors: Amichai Ben ari, Daniella Margalit

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Medical procedures, such as surgery, may have traumatic significance for some children. This study examines the relationship between maltreatment in children and the development Pediatric Medical Traumatic Stress (PMTS). To this end, differences in the level of distress of children after surgery were examined between two groups: children who were maltreated ("children at risk") and children from the control group ("children who are not at risk"). The study involved 230 parents of children who came to the hospital to undergo surgery. Parents filled out demographic questionnaires to measure socioeconomic variables and psychological questionnaires to measure the distress of the child and parent before surgery. After 6 months from the time of surgery, the parents again filled in the questionnaire measuring the child's distress. The results of the study showed that the level of distress experienced by children at risk after surgery was significantly higher relative to children who are not at risk. It was also found that the level of distress experienced by parents of children at risk in relation to their child’s surgery is significantly higher compared to parents of children who are not at risk. Finally, it was found that the variables: (1) pre-morbid psychological functioning of the child. (2) Parental and family functioning in daily life. (3) Exposure of the child to traumatic events. (4) Support factors for the family. Are variables that predict the development of PMTS in children after surgery, but only for children at risk and not for children who are not at risk. The significance of the findings in relation to the need to identify at-risk populations in the hospitals and the policies derived from them were discussed, and several directions were raised for further research.

Keywords: children at risk, pediatric medical traumatic stress (PMTS), PTSD, medical procedures

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Authors: Laila Al-Balushi, Suad Al-Kharosui

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Due to the increasing number of breast cancer cases in Oman and the impact of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19 on bed situation in the hospital, a policy of early discharge (ED) with drain after breast cancer surgery was initiated at one of the tertiary hospitals in Oman. The uniqueness of this policy is no home visit follow-up, conducted after discharge and the main mode of communication was Instagram media. This policy then was evaluated by conducting a quasi-experimental study using a questionnaire with ten open and closed-ended questions, five questions to explore patient experience using a five-point Likert scale. A total of 41 female patients responded to the questionnaire. Almost 96% of the participants stated being well informed about drain care pre- and post-surgery at home. 9% of the participants developed early sign of infection and was managed at out-patient clinics. Participants with bilateral drains expressed more pain than those with single drain. 90% stated satisfied being discharged with breast drain whereas 10% preferred to stay in the hospital until the drains were removed. This study found that the policy of ED with a drain after BC surgery is practical and well-accepted by most patients. The role of breast nurse and presence of family and institutional support enhanced the success of the policy implementation. To optimize patient care, conducting a training program by breast nurse for nurses at local health centres about care management of patients with drain could improve care and enhance patient satisfaction.

Keywords: breast cancer, surgery, early discharge, surgical drain

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Authors: Mazouzi Nourdjihane, K. Boutemak, A. Haddad, Y. Chegreouche

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In the last decades, biodegradable polymers have been considered as one of the most popular options for the delivery of drugs and various conventional doses. The film forming system (FFS) can be used in topical, transdermal, ophthalmic, oral and gastric applications. Recently this system has focused on improving drug delivery, which can promote drug release. In this context, the aim of this study is to create polymeric film-forming systems for the stomach and to evaluate and test their gastroprotective effects, comparing the effects of changes in composition on film characteristics. It uses a plant-derived polyphenol extract extracted from fennel to demonstrate anti-inflammatory activity in the film. The films are made from hydroxypropyl methylcellulose polymer and different types of plastic, glycerol and polyethylene glycol. The ffs properties show that MgO-glycerol-reinforced hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC-MgO-Gly) is better than that based on MgO-PEG-reinforced hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC-MgO-PEG). It is durable, has a faster drying time and allows for maximum recovery. Water vapor strength and blowing speed and other additions show another advantage of HPMC-MgO-Gly compared to HPMC-MgO-PEG, indicating good adhesion between the support (top) and film production. In this study, the gastroprotective effect of fennel phenol extract was found, showing that this plant material has a gastroprotective effect on ulcers and that the film can absorb the active substance.

Keywords: film formin system, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, magnesium oxide, in vivo

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Authors: Ummi Sholihah Pertiwi Abidin, Eva Fadhilah

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Social changes are more and more growing and having many different forms as the time passed and thought methods in the society. One of many forms of that social changes is the emancipation of women that is flourishing by the inception of gender equality perception between men and women in all aspects including education. It’s not anymore found the distinction between genders in learning and the education achieving right at this globalized era. But, it is still many perceptions which are against that equality of education achieving right, either come from the women’s selves or many external factors. They assumed that they are going to be a mother in the future, and a wife, someone with responsible for taking care of the household and everything inside, while the husband is the one who has the responsible for looking for the living. So comes from this kind of assumption, the perception against the education equality between genders, which means there is no need for them –women- to achieve the high education because they will still end up as housewives. Except those working or career women that need high education to support their works. These women are not aware that even a mother needs the high and capable education. Because, as the 'mother to be,' they surely need broad knowledge from the education to educate their children in the future. It is such a big fault to say the kind of thing, 'It is no matter that I am not educated, in case I’m just a housewife. The important thing is my children get a great education'. Unfortunately, it is still often found, saying 'A housewife job is not a big deal to do with high education.' This qualitative method paper raises a theme about the importance of education for women, no matter what will they be in the future. Because however, and whatever is the woman’s career outside the house, or even not working outside, she’s still a mother for her children, and 'educational provision' is a great need. And so forth, this educational provision is a big deal to do with future generation’s foredoom, regarding the first source of children’s knowledge and the first school for them is their mother.

Keywords: women education, mother to be, educational provision, first school, future generation’s foredoom

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Authors: Save Kumwenda, Khumbo Kalulu, Kondwani Chidziwisano, Limbani Kalumbi, Vincent Doyle, Bagrey Ngwira

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Introduction: The Malawi Government in partnership with Non-Governmental Organizations adopted Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) in 2008 as an approach in sanitation and hygiene promotion with an aim of declaring Malawi Open Defeacation Free (ODF) by 2015. While there is a significant body of research into CLTS available in public domain, there is little research done on challenges faced in implementing CLTS in Malawi. Methods: A cross-sectional qualitative study was carried out in three districts of Ntcheu, Balaka, and Phalombe. Data was collected using Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and Key informant interviews (KII) and analysed manually. Results: In total, 96 people took part in FGDs and 9 people in KII. It was shown that choice of leaders after triggering was commonly done by chiefs, facilitators, and VHC without following CLTS principles as opposed to identifying individuals who showed leadership skills. Despite capacity building initiatives involving District Coordinating Teams, lack of resources to undertake follow-ups contributed to failure to sustain ODF in the community. It was also found that while most respondents appreciating the need for no subsidies, the elderly and those with disabilities felt the need for external support because do not have money for buying strong logs, slabs for durable toilet floor and also to hire people to build latrines for them. Conclusion: Effective implementation of CLTS requires comprehensive consideration of various issues that may affect its success.

Keywords: open defecation, community-led, sanitation, faecal matter, hygiene, Malawi

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Authors: Natalia Selezneva

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The level of crime depends on a number of factors, such as political and economic instability, social inequality and ineffective legislation. A special place in the overall level of crime takes juvenile delinquency. United Nations Standard Minimum developed rules for the administration of juvenile justice (The Beijing Rules), in order to ensure the rights of juvenile offenders under the various legal systems. Most countries support these recommendations, and Russia is no exception. Russia's criminal code establishes the minimum age of criminal liability; types of crimes for which the possible involvement of minors to justice; punishment; sentencing and execution of punishment for minors. However, these provisions cause heated debates in the scientific literature. The high level of juvenile crime indicates the ineffectiveness of legal regulation of criminal liability of minors. In order to ensure compliance with international standards require new and modern approaches to improve national legislation and practice of its application. Achieving this goal will be achieved through the following tasks: 1. Create sub-branches of law regulating the legal status of minors; 2. Improving the types of penalties; 3. The possibility of using alternative measures; 4. The introduction of the procedure of extrajudicial settlement of the conflict. The criminal law of each country depends on the historical, national and cultural characteristics. The development of the Russian legislation taking into account international experience is extremely essential and will be a new stage in the formation of a legal state, especially in the sphere of protection of the rights of juvenile offenders.

Keywords: criminal law, juvenile offender, punishment, the age of criminal responsibility

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Authors: Kapil Khanna, Swee Kuik, Joowon Ban

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The current linear economic system is unsustainable due to its dependence on the uncontrolled exploitation of diminishing natural resources. The integration of business innovation and supply chain management has brought about the redesign of business processes through the implementation of a closed-loop approach. The circular economy (CE) offers a sustainable solution to improve business opportunities in the near future by following the principles of rejuvenation and reuse inspired by nature. Those business owners start to rethink and consider using waste as raw material to make new products for consumers. The implementation of CE helps organisations to incorporate new strategic plans for decreasing the use of virgin materials and nature resources. Supply chain partners that are geographically dispersed rely heavily on innovative approaches to support supply chain management. Presently, numerous studies have attempted to establish the concept of supply chain management (SCM) by integrating CE principles, which are commonly denoted as circular SCM. While many scholars have recognised the challenges of transitioning to CE, there is still a lack of consensus on business best practices that can facilitate companies in embracing CE across the supply chain. Hence, this paper strives to scrutinize the SCM practices utilised for CE, identify the obstacles, and recommend best practices that can enhance a company's ability to incorporate CE principles toward business innovation and supply chain performance. Further, the paper proposes future research in the field of using specific technologies such as artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, and blockchain as business innovation tools for supply chain management and CE adoption.

Keywords: business innovation, challenges, circular supply chain, supply chain management, technology

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Authors: Adeniyi G. Adeogun, Bolaji F. Sule, Adebayo W. Salami, Michael O. Daramola

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Estimation of water yield and water balance in a river catchment is critical to the sustainable management of water resources at watershed level in any country. Therefore, in the present study, Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) interfaced with Geographical Information System (GIS) was applied as a tool to predict water balance and water yield of a catchment area in Nigeria. The catchment area, which was 12,992km2, is located upstream Jebba hydropower dam in North central part of Nigeria. In this study, data on the observed flow were collected and compared with simulated flow using SWAT. The correlation between the two data sets was evaluated using statistical measures, such as, Nasch-Sucliffe Efficiency (NSE) and coefficient of determination (R2). The model output shows a good agreement between the observed flow and simulated flow as indicated by NSE and R2, which were greater than 0.7 for both calibration and validation period. A total of 42,733 mm of water was predicted by the calibrated model as the water yield potential of the basin for a simulation period 1985 to 2010. This interesting performance obtained with SWAT model suggests that SWAT model could be a promising tool to predict water balance and water yield in sustainable management of water resources. In addition, SWAT could be applied to other water resources in other basins in Nigeria as a decision support tool for sustainable water management in Nigeria.

Keywords: GIS, modeling, sensitivity analysis, SWAT, water yield, watershed level

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Authors: Aisha M. Memon, Arabella Bhutto, Zahid A. Memon, Adnan Pitafi

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This study aims to identify the existing and non-existing elements in the entrepreneurial ecosystem which include finance, institutions, laws and regulations, human capital, culture, and markets, to measure the level of effectiveness of existing elements and to develop recommendations for improving the ecosystem to facilitate the women entrepreneurs in Jamshoro, Pakistan. The nature of this study is qualitative. Data were drawn from 25 in-depth, semi-structured interviews and a focus group discussion with women entrepreneurs in rural Jamshoro, Pakistan. The findings show the lack of awareness and knowledge among women entrepreneurs about available financial resources, lack of knowledge about laws, an absence of familial and societal support for women in accessing the entrepreneurial ecosystem, the absence of business and innovation enablers in rural areas, communication gaps, and unskilled human capital. The study found that institutions like non-for-profit organizations are playing an active role in the growth of women entrepreneurs. The existing entrepreneurial ecosystem in Jamshoro can be improved through culturally sensitive coordinated approach, interventions aimed at increasing awareness about the resources, promoting an understanding about the laws and regulations, making business enablers more effective, establishing public-private partnerships, and providing the women entrepreneurs easy access to market and financial resources.

Keywords: entrepreneurship, entrepreneurship ecosystem, Pakistan, women entrepreneurs

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Authors: Shalini Rankawat, Mansi Rankawat, Rahul Dubey, Mazad Zaveri

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Physiological signals such as electrocardiogram (ECG) and arterial blood pressure (ABP) in the intensive care unit (ICU) are often seriously corrupted by noise, artifacts, and missing data, which lead to errors in the estimation of heart rate (HR) and incidences of false alarm from ICU monitors. Clinical support in ICU requires most reliable heart rate estimation. Cardiac activity, because of its relatively high electrical energy, may introduce artifacts in Electroencephalogram (EEG), Electrooculogram (EOG), and Electromyogram (EMG) recordings. This paper presents a robust heart rate estimation method by detection of R-peaks of ECG artifacts in EEG, EMG & EOG signals, using energy-based function and a novel Signal Quality Index (SQI) assessment technique. SQIs of physiological signals (EEG, EMG, & EOG) were obtained by correlation of nonlinear energy operator (teager energy) of these signals with either ECG or ABP signal. HR is estimated from ECG, ABP, EEG, EMG, and EOG signals from separate Kalman filter based upon individual SQIs. Data fusion of each HR estimate was then performed by weighing each estimate by the Kalman filters’ SQI modified innovations. The fused signal HR estimate is more accurate and robust than any of the individual HR estimate. This method was evaluated on MIMIC II data base of PhysioNet from bedside monitors of ICU patients. The method provides an accurate HR estimate even in the presence of noise and artifacts.

Keywords: ECG, ABP, EEG, EMG, EOG, ECG artifacts, Teager-Kaiser energy, heart rate, signal quality index, Kalman filter, data fusion

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Authors: Yeliz Karaca, Rana Karabudak

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Multifractal Denoising techniques are used in the identification of significant attributes by removing the noise of the dataset. Magnetic resonance (MR) image technique is the most sensitive method so as to identify chronic disorders of the nervous system such as Multiple Sclerosis. MRI and Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) data belonging to 120 individuals who have one of the subgroups of MS (Relapsing Remitting MS (RRMS), Secondary Progressive MS (SPMS), Primary Progressive MS (PPMS)) as well as 19 healthy individuals in the control group have been used in this study. The study is comprised of the following stages: (i) L2 Norm Multifractal Denoising technique, one of the multifractal technique, has been used with the application on the MS data (MRI and EDSS). In this way, the new dataset has been obtained. (ii) The new MS dataset obtained from the MS dataset and L2 Multifractal Denoising technique has been applied to the K-Means and Fuzzy C Means clustering algorithms which are among the unsupervised methods. Thus, the clustering performances have been compared. (iii) In the identification of significant attributes in the MS dataset through the Multifractal denoising (L2 Norm) technique using K-Means and FCM algorithms on the MS subgroups and control group of healthy individuals, excellent performance outcome has been yielded. According to the clustering results based on the MS subgroups obtained in the study, successful clustering results have been obtained in the K-Means and FCM algorithms by applying the L2 norm of multifractal denoising technique for the MS dataset. Clustering performance has been more successful with the MS Dataset (L2_Norm MS Data Set) K-Means and FCM in which significant attributes are obtained by applying L2 Norm Denoising technique.

Keywords: clinical decision support, clustering algorithms, multiple sclerosis, multifractal techniques

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Authors: Barzan Hadi Hama Karim

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In recent years, an increasing number of faculties and colleges of basic education are established by the universities and ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research of Iraqi Kurdistan to graduate English teachers to teach in the basic and high schools. One central consideration of this study is to what extent graduate teachers receive adequate preparation from these faculties and college of basic education. An important program which is offered in the department of English language in these colleges and faculties is Viewing and Practicing. The purpose of this research is to explore how students of basic education colleges and faculties are using the program of Viewing and Practicing to support the educational process. This study provides a general framework about educational uses of the program as a pedagogical tool to teach English Language in the basic schools and describes the different perceptions of the students at the final stage of their education. A survey is used to collect responses from a group of students to determine their expectations and perceptions about the program. The results display that the program has several aspects of strengths, such as improving English teaching and speaking proficiency, cultivating subject knowledge related to applied linguistics and promoting research engagement. The findings of the study address the following questions: Is Viewing and Practicing Program beneficial for students to experience English language for future career at schools? To what extent do the students prefer teaching English Language in the schools?

Keywords: teaching experience, viewing and practicing, perception, expectation

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Authors: Rene Kasper, Hyago Ribeiro, Marcelo Curth

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Electronic sports, or just e-sports, boast an exponential growth in the interest of the public and large investors. The e-sports teams are equal to classic sports teams, like football, since in their structure they have, besides the athletes, administrators, coaches and even doctors. The concept of team games arises with a very strong social interaction, as it is perceived that users interact with real peers rather than competing with intelligent software. In this sense, electronic games are established as a sociocultural phenomenon and as multidimensional media. Thus, the research aims to identify the profile of users and the importance of brands in the Brazilian electronic sports scene, as well as the relationship of consumers (called fans) with the products and services that occupy the media spaces of the transmissions of sports championships. The research used descriptive quantitative methodology, applied in different e-sports communities, with 160 respondents. The data collection instrument was a survey containing seven questions, which addressed the profile of the participants and their perception on the proposed theme in research. Regarding the profile, the age ranged from 17 to 31 years, of which 93.3% were male and 6.7% female. It was found that 93.3% of the participants had contact with the Brazilian electronic sports scene for at least 2 years, of which 26.7% played between 6 and 12 hours a week and 46.7% played more than 12 hours a week. In addition, it was noticed that income was not a deciding factor to enjoy electronic sports games, because the percentage distribution of participants ranged from 1 to 3 minimum wages (33.3%) and greater than 6 salaries (46.7 %). Regarding the brands, 85.6% emphasized that brands should support the scenario through sponsorship and publicity and 28.6% are attracted to consume brands that advertise in e-sports championships.

Keywords: brands, consumer behavior, e-sports, virtual games

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Authors: G. Erkomaishvili, M. Kobalava, T. Lazariashvili, N. Damenia

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Current state of foreign direct investment (FDI) in Georgia is analyzed and evaluated in the paper, the existing legislative background for regulating investments and stimulating policies to attract investments are shown. It is noted that in developing countries encouragement of investment activity, support and implementation are of the most important tasks, implying a consistent investment policy, investor-friendly tax regime and the legal system, reducing administrative barriers and restrictions, fare competitive conditions and business development infrastructure. The work deals with the determining factor of FDIs and the main directions of stimulation, as well as prospective industries where new investments are needed. Contributing and hindering factors and stimulating measures are analyzed. As a result of the research, the direct and indirect factors attracting FDI have been identified. Facilitating factors to FDI inflow are as follows: simplicity of starting business, geopolitical location, low taxes, access to credit, ease of ownership registration, natural resources, low burden of regulations, low level of corruption and low crime rates. Hindering factors to FDI inflow are as follows: small market, lack of policy for attracting investments, low qualification of the workforce (despite the large number of unemployed people it is difficult to find workers with necessary special skills and qualifications), high interest rates, instability of national currency exchange rate, presence of conflict zones within the country and so forth.

Keywords: foreign direct investment, investor, investment attracting marketing policies, reinvestment

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Authors: A. M. Sultana, Norhirdawati Binti Mhd Zahir, Norzalan Hadi Yaacob

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Recently in Malaysia, women's participation in teaching profession has increased. The increasing trend of women’s participation in the teaching profession poses challenges in families, especially in the developing countries like Malaysia. One of these challenges, concerns in balancing their role between family and job responsibility that faced by many women teachers. The purpose of this study is to discover how women teachers' impact on family happiness and the challenges faced by them in balancing their role between family and job responsibility. The findings presented in this study are based on survey research in a secondary school Dato’ Bijaya Setia in the district of Gugusan Manjoi which is located in Kedah, Malaysia. The study found that employment of women in economic activity has several beneficial impacts of improving the economic condition of the family. The results also revealed that in low income earning families, both husbands and wives’ employment contribute to the family income that less likely to experience of family poverty. The study also showed despite women's teachers’ significant role towards the overall development of the family, the majority of women teachers encountered a number of difficulties in balancing their role between family and job responsibility especially when they need to work more than the normal working time. Therefore, it is common for the majority of women suffering from psychological stress when they are unable to complete the task at a fixed time. The present study also suggests implication of family friendly policy and its appropriate practice to support the women teachers who are significantly contributing to family, community and the country.

Keywords: emotional exhaustion, family friendly policy, work family conflict, women teacher

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Authors: Junaid Kameran Ahmed

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A laminated plate composite of graphite/epoxy has been analyzed dynamically in the present work by using a quadratic element (8-node diso-parametric), and by depending on 1^st order shear deformation theory, every node in this element has 6-degrees of freedom (displacement in x, y, and z axis and twist about x, y, and z axis). The dynamic analysis in the present work covered parametric studies on a composite laminated plate (square plate) to determine its effect on the natural frequency of the plate. The parametric study is represented by set of changes (plate thickness, number of layers, support conditions, layer orientation), and the plates have been simulated by using ANSYS package 12. The boundary conditions considered in this study, at all four edges of the plate, are simply supported and fixed boundary condition. The results obtained from ANSYS program show that the natural frequency for both fixed and simply supported increases with increasing the number of layers, but this increase in the natural frequency for the first five modes will be neglected after 10 layers. And it is observed that the natural frequency of a composite laminated plate will change with the change of ply orientation, the natural frequency increases and it will be at maximum with angle 45 of ply for simply supported laminated plate, and maximum natural frequency will be with cross-ply (0/90) for fixed laminated composite plate. It is also observed that the natural frequency increase is approximately doubled when the thickness is doubled.

Keywords: laminated plate, orthotropic plate, square plate, natural frequency (free vibration), composite (graphite / epoxy)

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Authors: Ömer Tamer, Davut Avcı, Yusuf Atalay

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Novel picolinate complex of manganese(II) ion, [Mn(pic)2] [pic: picolinate or 2-pyridinecarboxylate], was prepared and fully characterized by single crystal X-ray structure determination. The manganese(II) complex was characterized by FT-IR, FT-Raman and UV–Vis spectroscopic techniques. The C=O, C=N and C=C stretching vibrations were found to be strong and simultaneously active in IR and spectra. In order to support these experimental techniques, density functional theory (DFT) calculations were performed at Gaussian 09W. Although the supramolecular interactions have some influences on the molecular geometry in solid state phase, the calculated data show that the predicted geometries can reproduce the structural parameters. The molecular modeling and calculations of IR, Raman and UV-vis spectra were performed by using DFT levels. Nonlinear optical (NLO) properties of synthesized complex were evaluated by the determining of dipole moment (µ), polarizability (α) and hyperpolarizability (β). Obtained results demonstrated that the manganese(II) complex is a good candidate for NLO material. Stability of the molecule arising from hyperconjugative interactions and charge delocalization was analyzed using natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis. The highest occupied and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals (HOMO and LUMO) which is also known the frontier molecular orbitals were simulated, and obtained energy gap confirmed that charge transfer occurs within manganese(II) complex. Molecular electrostatic potential (MEP) for synthesized manganese(II) complex displays the electrophilic and nucleophilic regions. From MEP, the the most negative region is located over carboxyl O atoms while positive region is located over H atoms.

Keywords: DFT, picolinate, IR, Raman, nonlinear optic

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Authors: M. Panidou, F. Kilipiris, E. Christou, K. Alexandris

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This study focuses on Generation Z, the next generation of tourists born between 1996 and 2012. Given their significant population size, Generation Z is expected to have a substantial impact on the travel and tourism sector. Therefore, understanding their travel preferences is crucial for businesses in the hospitality and tourism industry. By examining their travel preferences, this research aims to identify the unique characteristics and motivations of this generation when it comes to travel. This study used a quantitative method, and primary data was collected through a survey (online questionnaire), while secondary data was gathered from academic literature, industry reports, and online sources to provide a comprehensive analysis of the topic. The sample of the study was 100 Greek individuals aged between 18-26 years old. The data was analyzed with the support of SPSS software. The findings of the research indicated that technology, sustainability, and budget-friendly options are essential components for attracting and retaining Generation Z tourists. These preferences highlight the importance of incorporating innovative technologies, promoting sustainable practices, and offering affordable travel options to effectively engage this market niche. This research contributes to the field of hospitality and tourism businesses by providing valuable insights into the travel preferences of Generation Z. By understanding their distinct features and preferences; businesses can tailor their strategies and marketing efforts to effectively engage and retain this market segment. Considering the limitations of the sample size, future studies could aim for a larger and more diverse sample to enhance the generalizability of the findings.

Keywords: gen Z, technology, travel preferences, sustainability

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Authors: Thilivhali E. Rasimphi, David Tinarwo

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Access to energy is crucial in poverty alleviation, economic growth, education, and agricultural improvement. The best renewable energy source is one which is locally available, affordable, and can easily be used and managed by local communities. The usage of renewable energy technology has the potential to alleviate many of the current problems facing rural areas. To address energy poverty, biogas technology has become an important part of resolving such. This study, therefore, examines the performance of digesters in Gawula village; it also identifies the contributing factors to the adoption and use of the technology. Data was collected using an open-ended questionnaire from biogas users. To evaluate the performance of the digesters, a data envelopment analysis (DEA) non-parametric technique was used, and to identify key factors affecting adoption, a logit model was applied. The reviewed critical barriers to biogas development in the area seem to be a poor institutional framework, poor infrastructure, a lack of technical support, user training on maintenance and operation, and as such, the implemented plants have failed to make the desired impact. Thus most digesters were abandoned. To create awareness amongst rural communities, government involvement is key, and there is a need for national programs. Biogas technology does what few other renewable energy technologies do, which is to integrate waste management and energy. This creates a substantial opportunity for biogas generation and penetration. That is, a promising pathway towards achieving sustainable development through biogas technology.

Keywords: domestic biogas technology, economic, sustainable, social, rural development

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Authors: E. A. Krasikov

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Dependence of the materials properties on neutron irradiation intensity (flux) is a key problem while usage data of the accelerated materials irradiation in test reactors for forecasting of their capacity for work in realistic (practical) circumstances of operation. Investigations of the reactor pressure vessel steel radiation degradation dependence on fast neutron fluence (embrittlement kinetics) at low flux reveal the instability in the form of the scatter of the experimental data and wave-like sections of embrittlement kinetics appearance. Disclosure of the steel degradation oscillating is a sign of the steel structure cyclic self-recovery transformation as it take place in self-organization processes. This assumption has received support through the discovery of the similar ‘anomalous’ data in scientific publications and by means of own additional experiments. Data obtained stimulate looking-for ways to management of the structural steel radiation stability (for example, by means of nano - structure modification for radiation defects annihilation intensification) for creation of the intelligent self-recovering material. Expected results: - radiation degradation theory and mechanisms development, - more adequate models of the radiation embrittlement elaboration, - surveillance specimen programs improvement, - methods and facility development for usage data of the accelerated materials irradiation for forecasting of their capacity for work in realistic (practical) circumstances of operation, - search of the ways for creating of the radiation stable self-recovery intelligent materials.

Keywords: degradation, radiation, steel, wave-like kinetics

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Authors: Rukminingsih Rukmi

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This paper addresses the issue of L2 teaching speaking to ESL students by fostering their active learning through project-based learning. Project-based learning was employed in classrooms where teachers support students by giving sufficient guidance and feedback. The students drive the inquiry, engage in research and discovery, and collaborate effectively with teammates to deliver the final work product. The teacher provides the initial direction and acts as a facilitator along the way. This learning approach is considered helpful for fostering students’ active learning. that the steps in implementing of project-based learning that fosters students’ critical thinking in TEFL class are in the following: (1) Discussing the materials about Speaking Class, (2) Working with the group to construct scenario of ways on speaking practice, (3) Practicing the scenario, (4) Recording the speaking practice into video, and (5) Evaluating the video product. This research is aimed to develop a strategy of teaching speaking by implementing project-based learning to improve speaking skill in the second Semester of English Department of STKIP PGRI Jombang. To achieve the purpose, the researcher conducted action research. The data of the study were gathered through the following instruments: test, observation checklists, and questionnaires. The result was indicated by the increase of students’ average speaking scores from 65 in the preliminary study, 73 in the first cycle, and 82 in the second cycle. Besides, the results of the study showed that project-based learning considered to be appropriate strategy to give students the same amount of chance in practicing their speaking skill and to pay attention in creating a learning situation.

Keywords: active learning, project-based learning, speaking ability, L2 teaching speaking

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Authors: Zhanxing Li, Liqi Zhu

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Authorities often intervene in children’s property conflicts, which may affect young children’s ownership understanding. First possession is a typical rule of ownership judgment. We recruited Chinese preschoolers as subjects and investigated their ownership reasoning regarding first possession, by setting three conditions via a conflicting cues method, in which a third party (mother or peer friend)’s testimony was always opposite to the cue of first possession (authority/non-authority testimony condition), or only the cue of first possession was present (no testimony condition). In Study A, we examined forty-two 3- and 5-year olds’ attribution and justification of ownership. The results showed while 5-year olds gave more support for the first possessor as the owner across three conditions, 3-year olds’ choice for the first possessor had no difference from the non-first possessor in the authority testimony condition. Moreover, 3-year olds tended to justify by reference to what mother said in the authority testimony condition, 5-year olds consistently referred to the first possession in three conditions. In Study B, we added two ownership questions to quantify children’s ability of ownership reasoning with four age groups (n = 32 for the 3-year-olds, n = 33 for the 4-year-olds, n = 27 for the 5-year olds and n = 30 for the adults) to explore the developmental trajectory further. It revealed that while 5-year olds’ performances were similar to the adults’ and always judged the first possessor as owner in three conditions, 3- and 4-year olds’ performed at chance level in the authority testimony condition. The results imply that Chinese young preschooler’s ownership reasoning was susceptible to authority’s testimony. Family authority may play an important role in diluting children’s adherence to ownership principles, which will be helpful for children to learn to share with others.

Keywords: authority, ownership judgment, preschoolers, testimony

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Authors: Mohamed Majrashi, Patricia Connolly, Terry Gourlay

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Cardiopulmonary bypass is known to cause inflammatory response during open heart surgery. It includes the initiation of different cascades such as coagulation, complement system and cytokines. Although the immune system is body’s key defense mechanism against external assault, when overexpressed, it can be injurious to the patient, particularly in a cohort of patients in which there is a heightened and uncontrolled response. The inflammatory response develops in these patients to an exaggerated level resulting in an autoimmune injury and may lead to poor postoperative outcomes (systemic inflammatory response syndrome and multi-organs failure). Previous studies by this group have suggested a correlation between the level of IL6 measured in patient’s blood before surgery and after polymeric activation and the observed inflammatory response during surgery. Based upon these findings, the present work is aimed at using this response to develop a test which can be used prior to the open heart surgery to identify the high-risk patients before their operation. The work will be accomplished via three main clinical phases including some pilot in-vitro studies, device development and clinical investigation. Current findings from studies using animal blood, employing DEHP and DEHP plasticized PVC materials as the activator, support the earlier results in patient samples. Having established this relationship, ongoing work will focus on developing an activated lateral flow strip technology as a screening device for heightened inflammatory propensity.

Keywords: cardiopulmonary bypass, cytokines, inflammatory response, overexpression

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Authors: Marcelo Sifuentes López

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Strategic performance definition and follow-up processes have to be clear in order to provide value in today’s competitive world. Customer expectations must be linked to internal organization strategic objectives leading to profitability and supported by visibility and flexibility among others.By taking a whole picture of the supply chain, the executive, and its team will define the current supply chain situation and an insight into potential opportunities to improve processes and provide value to main stakeholders. A systematic performance evaluation process based on operational and financial indicators defined by customer requirements needs to be implemented and periodically reviewed in order to mitigate costs and risks on time.Supplier long term relationship and collaboration plays a key role using resources available, real-time communication, innovation and new ways to capitalize global opportunities like emerging markets; efforts have to focus on the reduction of uncertainties in supply and demand. Leadership has to promote consistency of communication and execution involving suppliers, customers, and the entire organization through the support of a strategic sourcing methodology that assure the targeted competitive strategy and sustainable growth. As customer requirements and expectations are met, results could be captured in a casual picture like a “selfie”; where outcomes could be perceived from any desired angle by them; or like most “selfies”, can be taken with a camera held at arm's length by a third party company rather than using a self-timer.

Keywords: supply chain management, competitive advantage, value creation, collaboration and innovation, global marketplace

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Authors: Evangelia-Chrysanthi Kouklari, Stella Tsermentseli, Claire P. Monks

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Executive function (EF) refers to a set of future-oriented and goal-directed cognitive skills that are crucial for problem solving and social behaviour, as well as the ability to organise oneself. It has been suggested that EF could be conceptualised as two distinct but interrelated constructs, one emotional (hot) and one cognitive (cool), as it facilitates both affective and cognitive regulation. Cool EF has been found to be strongly related to Theory of Mind (ToM) that is the ability to infer mental states, but research has not taken into account the association between hot EF and ToM in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to date. The present study investigates the associations between both hot and cool EF and ToM in school-aged children with ASD. This cross-sectional study assesses 79 school-aged children with ASD (7-15 years) and 91 controls matched for age and IQ, on tasks tapping cool EF (working memory, inhibition, planning), hot EF (effective decision making, delay discounting), and ToM (emotional understanding and false/no false belief). Significant group differences in each EF measure support a global executive dysfunction in ASD. Strong associations between hot EF and ToM in ASD are reported for the first time (i.e. ToM emotional understanding and delay discounting). These findings highlight that hot EF also makes a unique contribution to the developmental profile of ASD. Considering the role of both hot and cool EF in association with ToM in individuals with ASD may aid in gaining a greater understanding not just of how these complex multifaceted cognitive abilities relate to one another, but their joint role in the distinct developmental pathway followed in ASD.

Keywords: ASD, executive function, school age, theory of mind

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