Search results for: open access initiative

Authors: Mehrnoosh Azimi Sanavi, Hamed Ghazvini, Mehryar Zargari, Hossein Ghalehnoei, Zahra Hosseini-khah

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Objectives: Calcium Voltage-Gated Channel Subunit Alpha1 C (CACNA1C) is one of the most important genes associated with schizophrenia. Methods: 45 male Wistar rats were divided into 5 groups: saline, control, ketamine, clozapine, and risperidone. Animals in ketamine, risperidone, and clozapine groups received ketamine (30 mg/ kg-i.p.) for 10 days. After the last injection of ketamine, we started injecting clozapine (7.5 mg/kg-i.p.) risperidone (1 mg/kg-i.p.) for up to 28 days. Twenty-four hours after the last injection, open field, social interaction, and elevated plus-maze tests, and gene expression in the hippocampus were performed. Results: The results of the social interaction test revealed a significant decrease in cumulative time with ketamine compared with the saline group and an increase with clozapine and risperidone compared with the ketamine group. Moreover, results from the elevated plus-maze test demonstrated a critical decrease in open-arm time and an increase in close-arm time with ketamine compared with saline, as well as an increase in open-arm time with risperidone compared with ketamine. Further results revealed a significant increase in rearing and grooming with ketamine compared to saline, as well as a decrease with risperidone and clozapine compared to ketamine. There were no significant differences in CACNA1C gene expression between groups in the rat hippocampus. In brief, the results of this study indicated that clozapine and risperidone could partially improve cognitive impairments in the rat. However, our findings demonstrated that this treatment is not related to CACNA1C gene expression.

Keywords: schizophrenia, ketamine, clozapine, risperidone

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Authors: Ujala, Diksha Sharma, Mahinder Partap, Ashish R. Warghat, Bhavya Bhargava

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In soil-less agriculture, hydroponic is considered a potential farming system for the production of uniform quality plant material in significantly less time. Therefore, for the first time, the current investigation corroborates the effect of different cultivation conditions (open-field, poly-house, and hydroponic) on morpho-physiological traits, phenolic content, and essential oil components analysis in three flower color variants (yellow, scarlet red, and orange) of Tagetes patula. The results revealed that the maximum plant height, number of secondary branches, number of flowers, photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, and transpiration rate were observed under the hydroponic system as compared to other conditions. However, the maximum content of gallic acid (0.82 mg/g DW), syringic acid (3.98 mg/g DW), epicatechin (0.48 mg/g DW), p-coumaric acid (7.28 mg/g DW), protocatechuic acid (0.59 mg/g DW), ferulic acid (2.58 mg/g DW), and luteolin (8.24 mg/g DW) were quantified maximally under open-field conditions. However, under hydroponic conditions, the higher content of vanillic acid (0.43 mg/g DW), caffeic acid (0.49 mg/g DW), and quercetin (0.92 mg/g DW) were quantified. Moreover, a total of nineteen volatile components were identified in the essential oil of different flower color variants of T. patula cultivated under different conditions. The major reported volatile components in essential oil were (-)-caryophyllene oxide, trans-β-caryophyllene, trans-geraniol, 3 methyl-benzyl alcohol, and 2,2’:5’,2”-terthiophene. It has also been observed that the volatile component percentage range in all variants was observed in open-field (70.85 % to 90.54 %), poly-house (59.03 % to 77.93 %), and hydroponic (68.78 % to 89.41 %). In conclusion, the research highlighted that morpho-physiological performance with flower production was enhanced in the hydroponic system. However, phenolic content and volatile components were maximally observed in open-field conditions. However, significant results have been reported under hydroponic conditions in all studied parameters, so it could be a potential strategy for quality biomass production in T. patula.

Keywords: Tagetes patula, cultivation conditions, hydroponic, morpho-physiology

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Authors: Joshua W. Edefo, Shafiul Azam, Murray D. Smith

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Introduction: In April 2022, the Welsh Government introduced the six goals for urgent and emergency care programs. One of these goals was to provide access to clinically safe alternatives, leading to the establishment of the Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) program. The SDEC initiative aims to offer viable options that maintain patient safety while avoiding unnecessary hospital stays. The aim of the study is to determine the duration of patient stay in SDEC and compare it with that of Emergency department (ED) stay to ascertain if one of the objectives of SDEC is achieved. Methods: Patient stays and attendance datasets were constructed from Withybush SDEC and ED patient records. These records were provided by Hywel Dda University Health Board Informatics. Some hypothetical pathways were identified, notably SDEC visits involving a single attendance and ED visits then immediately transferred to SDEC. Descriptive statistics were used to summarise the data, and hypothesis tests for mean differences used the student t-test. Propensity scoring was employed to match a set of ED patient stays to SDEC patient stays which were then used to determine the average treatment effect (ATE) to compare durations of stay in SDEC with ED. Regression methods were used to model the natural logarithm of the duration of SDEC attendance, and the level of statistical significance was set to 0.05. Results: SDEC visits involving a single attendance (170 of 384; 44.3%) is the most frequently observed pathway with patient length of stay at 256 minutes (95%CI 237.4 - 275.1). The next most frequently observed pathway of patient stay was SDEC attendance after presenting to ED (80 of 384; 20.8%) and gave the length of stay of 440 minutes (95%CI 351.6 - 529.2). Time spent in this pathway significantly increased by 184 minutes (95%CI 118.0 - 250.2, support for no difference p<0.001) compared to the most seen pathway. When SDEC data were compared with ED, the estimate for the ATE from SDEC single attendance was -272 minutes (95%CI -334.1 - -210.5; p<0.001), while that of ED then SDEC pathway was -50.6 min (95%CI -182.7-81.5; p=0.453). Conclusion: When patients are admitted to SDEC and successfully discharged, their stays are significantly shorter, approximately 4.5 hours, compared to patients who spend their entire stay in the Emergency Department. That difference vanishes when the patient stay includes a period spent previously in ED before transfer to SDEC.

Keywords: attendance, emergency-department, patient-stay, same-day-emergency-care

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Authors: Yogesh Kumar Singh, T. S. Murugesh Prabhu, Upasana Dutta, Girishchandra Yendargaye, Rahul Yadav, Rohini Gopinath Kale, Binay Kumar, Manoj Khare

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The Indian subcontinent is severely affected by floods that cause intense irreversible devastation to crops and livelihoods. With increased incidences of floods and their related catastrophes, an Early Warning System for Flood Prediction and an efficient Flood Management System for the river basins of India is a must. Accurately modeled hydrological conditions and a web-based early warning system may significantly reduce economic losses incurred due to floods and enable end users to issue advisories with better lead time. This study describes the design and development of an EWS-FP using advanced computational tools/methods, viz. High-Performance Computing (HPC), Remote Sensing, GIS technologies, and open-source tools for the Mahanadi River Basin of India. The flood prediction is based on a robust 2D hydrodynamic model, which solves shallow water equations using the finite volume method. Considering the complexity of the hydrological modeling and the size of the basins in India, it is always a tug of war between better forecast lead time and optimal resolution at which the simulations are to be run. High-performance computing technology provides a good computational means to overcome this issue for the construction of national-level or basin-level flash flood warning systems having a high resolution at local-level warning analysis with a better lead time. High-performance computers with capacities at the order of teraflops and petaflops prove useful while running simulations on such big areas at optimum resolutions. In this study, a free and open-source, HPC-based 2-D hydrodynamic model, with the capability to simulate rainfall run-off, river routing, and tidal forcing, is used. The model was tested for a part of the Mahanadi River Basin (Mahanadi Delta) with actual and predicted discharge, rainfall, and tide data. The simulation time was reduced from 8 hrs to 3 hrs by increasing CPU nodes from 45 to 135, which shows good scalability and performance enhancement. The simulated flood inundation spread and stage were compared with SAR data and CWC Observed Gauge data, respectively. The system shows good accuracy and better lead time suitable for flood forecasting in near-real-time. To disseminate warning to the end user, a network-enabled solution is developed using open-source software. The system has query-based flood damage assessment modules with outputs in the form of spatial maps and statistical databases. System effectively facilitates the management of post-disaster activities caused due to floods, like displaying spatial maps of the area affected, inundated roads, etc., and maintains a steady flow of information at all levels with different access rights depending upon the criticality of the information. It is designed to facilitate users in managing information related to flooding during critical flood seasons and analyzing the extent of the damage.

Keywords: flood, modeling, HPC, FOSS

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Authors: Jaswinder Singh

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In this paper, comparative analysis is carried out to study the performance of wavelength/time/space optical CDMA codes using two well-known formats; those are CSRZ and DPSK-RZ using RSoft’s OptSIM. The analysis is carried out under the real-like scenario considering the presence of various non-linear effects such as XPM, SPM, SRS, SBS and FWM. Fiber dispersion and the multiple access interference are also considered. The codes used in this analysis are 3-D wavelength/time/space codes. These are converted into 2-D wavelength-time codes so that their requirement of space couplers and fiber ribbons is eliminated. Under the conditions simulated, this is found that CSRZ performs better than DPSK-RZ for fiber-optic CDMA applications.

Keywords: Optical CDMA, Multiple access interference (MAI), CSRZ, DPSK-RZ

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Authors: Thomas, Daniel Tajo, Kish

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Sight is primarily associated with the function of gathering and processing near and extended spatial information which is largely used to support self-determined interaction with the environment through self-directed movement and navigation. By contrast, hearing is primarily associated with the function of gathering and processing sequential information which may typically be used to support self-determined communication through the self-directed use of music and language. Blindness or the lack of vision is traditionally characterized by a lack of capacity to access spatial information which, in turn, is presumed to result in a lack of capacity for self-determined interaction with the environment due to limitations in self-directed movement and navigation. However, through a specific protocol of FlashSonar education developed by World Access for the Blind, the function of hearing can be expanded in blind people to carry out some of the functions normally associated with sight, that is to access and process near and extended spatial information to construct three-dimensional acoustic images of the environment. This perceptual education protocol results in a significant restoration in blind people of self-determined environmental interaction, movement, and navigational capacities normally attributed to vision - a new way to see. Thus, by expanding the function of hearing to process spatial information to restore self-determined movement, we are not only changing the meaning of blindness, and what it means to be blind, but we are also recasting the meaning of vision and what it is to see.

Keywords: echolocation, changing, sensory, function

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Authors: Alicja Kot-Niewiadomska

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Securing sustainable access to raw materials is vital for the growth of the European economy and for the goals laid down in Strategy Europe 2020. One of the most important sources of mineral raw materials are primary deposits. The efficient management of them, including extraction, will ensure competitiveness of the European economy. A critical element of this approach is mineral deposits safeguarding and the most important tool - spatial planning. The safeguarding of deposits should be understood as safeguarding of land access, and safeguarding of area against development, which may (potential) prevent the use of the deposit and the necessary mining activities. Many European Union countries successfully integrated their mineral policy and spatial policy, which has ensured the proper place of mineral deposits in their spatial planning systems. These, in turn, are widely recognized as the most important mineral deposit safeguarding tool, the essence of which is to ensure long-term access to its resources. The examples of Austria, Portugal, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, discussed in the paper, are often mentioned as examples of good practices in this area. Although none of these countries managed to avoid cases of social and environmental conflicts related to mining activities, the solutions they implement certainly deserve special attention. And for many countries, including Poland, they can be a potential source of solutions aimed at improving the protection of mineral deposits.

Keywords: mineral deposits, land use planning, mineral deposit safeguarding, European practices

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Authors: Fred Alinda, Marjorie Negesa, Gerald Karyeija

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Like elsewhere in the world, youth unemployment remains a big problem more so to the most educated youth and female. In Rwanda, unemployment is estimated at 13.2% among youth graduates compared to 10.9% and 2.6 among secondary and primary graduates respectively. Though empirical evidence elsewhere associate youth unemployment with education level, relevance of skills and access to business support opportunities, mixed evidence still exist on the significance of these factors to youth employment. As youth employment strategies in countries like Rwanda continue to recognize the potential role university education can play to enhance employment, there is a need to understand the catalysts or barriers. This paper, therefore, draws empirical evidence from a survey on the influence of education qualification, skills relevance and access to business support opportunities on employment of the youth university graduates in Masaka sector, Rwanda. The analysis tested four hypotheses; access to university education significantly affects youth employment, Relevance of university education significantly contributes to youth employment; access to business support opportunities significantly contributes to youth employment, and significant gender differences exist in the employment of youth university graduates. A cross-section survey was used in lieu of the need to explore the prevailing status of youth employment and contributing factors across the sector. A questionnaire was used to collect data on a large sample of 269 youth to allow statistical analysis. This was beefed up with qualitative views of leaders and technical officials in the sector. The youth University graduates were selected using simple random sampling while the leaders and technical officials were selected purposively. Percentages were used to describe respondents in line with the variables under while a regression model for youth employment was fitted to determine the significant factors. The model results indicated a significant influence (p<0.05) of gender, education level and access to business support opportunities on employment of youth university graduates. This finding was also affirmed by the qualitative views of key informants. Qualitative views pointed to the fact that university education generally equipped the youth with skills that enabled their transition into employment mainly for a salary or wage. The skills were, however, deficient in technical and practical aspects. In addition, the youth generally lacked limited access to business support opportunities particularly guarantees for loans, business advisory, and grants for business as well as training in business skills that would help them gain salaried employment or transit into self-employment. The study findings bear an implication on the strategy for catalyzing youth employment through university education. The findings imply that university education should be embraced but with greater emphasis on or supplementation with specialized training in practical and technical skills as well as extending business support opportunities to the youth. This will accelerate the contribution of university education to youth employment.

Keywords: education, employment, self-employment, youth

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Authors: Arif Anwar Surani, Salman Ali, Asif Surani, Sohaib Zahid, Akbar Shoukat Ali, Zeeshan-Ul-Hassan Usmani, Joseph Varon, Salim Surani

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Objective: Terrorism and suicidal bomb blast attacks are commonplace in Karachi, Pakistan. During the years 2000 to 2007, there were over 60 bomb explosions resulting in more than 1500 casualties. These explosions produce a wide variety of external injuries. We undertook this study to evaluate pattern of external injury produced after bomb blast attacks and to compare injury profile resulting from explosions in open versus semi-confined blast environments. Method: A retrospective, cross-sectional, study was conducted to review injuries sustained after bomb blast attacks in Karachi, Pakistan, from January 2000 to October 2007. Emergency medical records and medico legal certificates of patients presented to three major public sector hospitals of Karachi were evaluated using self-design proforma. Results: Data of 481 victims meet inclusion criteria and were incorporated for final analysis. Of these, 63.6% were injured in open spaces and 36.4% were injured in semi-confined blast environments. Lacerations were commonly encountered as external injury (47.7%) followed by penetrating wounds (15.3%). Lower and upper extremities were most commonly affected (38.6% and 19% respectively). Open and semi-confined blast environments produced a specific injury pattern and profile (p=<0.001). Conclusions: Bomb blast attacks in Karachi produce an external injury pattern consistent with other studies, with exception of an increased frequency in penetrating wounds. Semi-confined blast environments were associated with severe injuries. Further studies are required to better classify injuries and their severity based on standardized scoring systems. Effective emergency response systems must be designed to cope with mass causalities following bomb explosions.

Keywords: bomb blast attacks, injury pattern, external injury, open space, semi-confined space, blast environment

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Authors: Mark R. Leipnik, Dahlia Durga, Linda Johnson-Bhola

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Kaieteur is the most iconic National Park in the rainforest-clad nation of Guyana in South America. However, the magnificent 226-meter-high waterfall at its center is virtually inaccessible by surface transportation, and the occasional charter flights to the small airstrip in the park are too expensive for many tourists and residents. Thus, the largest waterfall in all of Amazonia, where the Potaro River plunges over a single free drop twice as high as Victoria Falls, remains preserved in splendid isolation inside a 57,000-hectare National Park established by the British in 1929, in the deepest recesses of a remote jungle canyon. Kaieteur Falls are largely unseen firsthand, but images of the falls are depicted on the Guyanese twenty dollar note, in every Guyanese tourist promotion, and on many items in the national capital of Georgetown. Georgetown is only 223-241 kilometers away from the falls. The lack of a single mileage figure demonstrates there is no single overland route. Any journey, except by air, involves changes of vehicles, a ferry ride, and a boat ride up a jungle river. It also entails hiking for many hours to view the falls. Surface access from Georgetown (or any city) is thus a 3-5 day-long adventure; even in the dry season, during the two wet seasons, travel is a particularly sticky proposition. This journey was made overland by the paper's co-author Dahlia Durga. This paper focuses on potential ways to improve overland tourist access to Kaieteur National Park from Georgetown. This is primarily a GIS-based analysis, using multiple criteria to determine the least cost means of creating all-weather road access to the area near the base of the falls while minimizing distance and elevation changes. Critically, it also involves minimizing the number of new bridges required to be built while utilizing the one existing ferry crossings of a major river. Cost estimates are based on data from road and bridge construction engineers operating currently in the interior of Guyana. The paper contains original maps generated with ArcGIS of the potential routes for such an overland connection, including the one deemed optimal. Other factors, such as the impact on endangered species habitats and Indigenous populations, are considered. This proposed infrastructure development is taking place at a time when Guyana is undergoing the largest boom in its history due to revenues from offshore oil and gas development. Thus, better access to the most important tourist attraction in the country is likely to happen eventually in some manner. But the questions of the most environmentally sustainable and least costly alternatives for such access remain. This paper addresses those questions and others related to access to this magnificent natural treasure and the tradeoffs such access will have on the preservation of the currently pristine natural environment of Kaieteur Falls.

Keywords: nature tourism, GIS, Amazonia, national parks

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Authors: Warjito, Kevin Geraldo, Budiarso, Muhammad Mizan, Rafi Adhi Pranata, Farhan Rizqi Syahnakri

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According to data from 2021, the number of households in Indonesia that have access to on-grid electricity is claimed to have reached 99.28%, which means that around 0.7% of Indonesia's population (1.95 million people) still have no proper access to electricity and 38.1% of it comes from remote areas in Nusa Tenggara Timur. Remote areas are classified as areas with a small population of 30 to 60 families, have limited infrastructure, have scarce access to electricity and clean water, have a relatively weak economy, are behind in access to technological innovation, and earn a living mostly as farmers or fishermen. These people still need electricity but can’t afford the high cost of electricity from national on-grid sources. To overcome this, it is proposed that a hydroelectric power plant driven by a pico-hydro turbine with an undershot water wheel will be a suitable pico-hydro turbine technology because of the design, materials and installation of the turbine that is believed to be easier (i.e., operational and maintenance) and cheaper (i.e., investment and operating costs) than any other type. The comparative study of the angle of the undershot water wheel blades will be discussed comprehensively. This study will look into the best variation of curved blades on an undershot water wheel that produces maximum hydraulic efficiency. In this study, the blade angles were varied by 180 ̊, 160 ̊, and 140 ̊. Two methods of analysis will be used, which are analytical and numerical methods. The analytical method will be based on calculations of the amount of torque and rotational speed of the turbine, which is used to obtain the input and output power of the turbine. Whereas the numerical method will use the ANSYS application to simulate the flow during the collision with the designed turbine blades. It can be concluded, based on the analytical and numerical methods, that the best angle for the blade is 140 ̊, with an efficiency of 43.52% for the analytical method and 37.15% for the numerical method.

Keywords: pico hydro, undershot waterwheel, blade angle, computational fluid dynamics

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Authors: Hailye Tekleselassie

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Edge computing is a spread computing outline that transports initiative applications closer to data sources such as IoT devices or local edge servers, and possible happenstances would skull the action of new technologies. However, this investigation was attained to investigation the consciousness of technology and communications organization workers and computer users who support the service cloud. Surveys were used to achieve these objectives. Surveys were intended to attain these aims, and it is the functional using survey. Enquiries about confidence are also a key question. Problems like data privacy, integrity, and availability are the factors affecting the company’s acceptance of the service cloud.

Keywords: IoT, data, security, edge computing

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Authors: Derradji A., Ben El Mamoun M., Zakaria E., Charadi I. Anrur

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The issue of dilapidated buildings represents a significant opportunity for constructive and beneficial interventions in Morocco. Faced with challenges associated with aging constructions and rapid urbanization, the country is committed to developing innovative strategies aimed at revitalizing urban areas and enhancing the sustainability of infrastructure, thereby ensuring citizens' safety. Through targeted investments in the renovation and modernization of existing buildings, Morocco aims to stimulate job creation, boost the local economy, and improve the quality of life for residents. Additionally, the integration of sustainable construction standards and the strengthening of regulations will promote resilient and environmentally friendly urban development. In this proactive perspective, LABOTEST has been commissioned by the National Agency for Urban Renewal (ANRUR) to conduct an in-depth study. This study focuses on the technical expertise of 1800 buildings identified as dilapidated in the prefectures of Rabat and Skhirat-Témara following an initial clearance operation. The primary objective of this initiative is to conduct a comprehensive diagnosis of these buildings and define the necessary interventions to eliminate potential risks while ensuring appropriate treatment. The article presents the adopted intervention methodology, taking into account the social dimensions involved, as well as the results of the technical expertise. These results include the classification of buildings according to their degree of urgency and recommendations for appropriate conservatory measures. Additionally, different pathologies are identified and accompanied by specific treatment proposals for each type of building. Since this study, the adopted approach has been generalized to the entire territory of Morocco. LABOTEST has been solicited by other cities such as Casablanca, Chefchaouen, Ouazzane, Azilal, Bejaad, and Demnate. This extension of the initiative demonstrates Morocco's commitment to addressing urban challenges in a proactive and inclusive manner. These efforts also illustrate the endeavors undertaken to transform urban challenges into opportunities for sustainable development and socio-economic progress for the entire population.

Keywords: building, dilapidated, rehabilitation, Morocco

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Authors: S. M. C. Kelly, A. Hargreaves, S. Hargreaves

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Introduction: The Can’t intubate, Can’t ventilate emergency scenario is one which has been shown to be managed badly in the past. Reasons identified included gaps in knowledge of the procedure and the emergency equipment used. We aimed to show an increase in confidence amongst anesthetists and operating department practitioners in the technique following a short tea trolley style teaching intervention. Methods: We carried out the teaching on a one-to-one basis. Two Anaesthetists visited each operating theatre during normal working days. One carried out the teaching session and one took over the intra‐operative care of the patient, releasing the listed anaesthetist for a short teaching session. The teaching was delivered to mixture of students and healthcare professionals, both anaesthetists and anaesthetic practitioners. The equipment includes a trolley, an airway manikin, size 10 scalpel, bougie and size 6.0 tracheal tube. The educator discussed the equipment, performed a demonstration and observed the participants performing the procedure. We asked each person to fill out a pre and post teaching questionnaire, stating their confidence with the procedure. Results: The teaching was delivered to 63 participants in total, which included 21 consultant anaesthetists, 23 trainee doctors and 19 anaesthetic practitioners. The teaching sessions lasted on average 9 minutes (range 5– 15 minutes). All participants reported an increase in confidence in both the equipment and technique in front of neck access. Anaesthetic practitioners reported the greatest increase in confidence (53%), with trainee anaesthetists reporting 27% increase and consultant anaesthetists 22%. Overall, confidence in the performance of emergency front of neck access increased by 31% after the teaching session. Discussion: Short ‘Trolley style’ teaching improves confidence in the equipment and technique used for the emergency front of neck access. This is true for students and for consultant anaesthetists. This teaching style is quick with minimal running costs and is relevant for all anesthetic departments.

Keywords: airway teaching, can't intubate can't ventilate, cricothyroidotomy, front-of-neck

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Authors: Isik Cetintav, Cenk Misirli, Yilmaz Can, Damla Gunel

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This work investigates experimental and numerical analysis of open die forging of multimetallic materials. Multimetallic material production has recently become an interesting research field. The mechanical properties of the materials to be used for the formation of multimetallic materials and the mechanical properties of the multimetallic materials produced will be compared and the material flows of the use of different lubricants will be examined. Furthermore, in this work, the mechanical properties of multimetallic metallic materials produced using different materials will be examined by using different lubricants. The advantages and disadvantages of different lubricants will be approached with the bi-metallic material to be produced. Cylindrical specimens consisting of two different materials were used in the experiments. Specimens were prepared as aluminum sleeve and copper core and upset at different reduction. This metal combination present a material model of which chemical composition is different. ABAQUS software was used for the simulations. Simulation and experimental results have also shown reasonable agreement.

Keywords: multimetallic, forging, experimental, numerical

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Authors: A. Elbyed

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Nowadays, ontologies are used for achieving a common understanding within a user community and for sharing domain knowledge. However, the de-centralized nature of the web makes indeed inevitable that small communities will use their own ontologies to describe their data and to index their own resources. Certainly, accessing to resources from various ontologies created independently is an important challenge for answering end user queries. Ontology mapping is thus required for combining ontologies. However, mapping complete ontologies at run time is a computationally expensive task. This paper proposes a system in which mappings between concepts may be generated dynamically as the concepts are encountered during user queries. In this way, the interaction itself defines the context in which small and relevant portions of ontologies are mapped. We illustrate application of the proposed system in the context of Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) where learners need to access to learning resources covering specific concepts.

Keywords: resources query, ontologies, ontology mapping, similarity measures, semantic web, e-learning

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Authors: Nashaat A. Deiab, Aida Radwan, Mohamed Elnagdy, Mohamed S. Yahiya, Rasha Moustafa

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This study is to evaluate and investigate the dosimetric performance of our institution's 3D treatment planning system, Elekta PrecisePLAN, for open 6MV fields including square, rectangular, variation in SSD, centrally blocked, missing tissue, square MLC and MLC shaped fields guided by the recommended QA tests prescribed in AAPM TG53, NCS report 15 test packages, IAEA TRS 430 and ESTRO booklet no.7. The study was performed for Elekta Precise linear accelerator designed for clinical range of 4, 6 and 15 MV photon beams with asymmetric jaws and fully integrated multileaf collimator that enables high conformance to target with sharp field edges. Seven different tests were done applied on solid water equivalent phantom along with 2D array dose detection system, the calculated doses using 3D treatment planning system PrecisePLAN, compared with measured doses to make sure that the dose calculations are accurate for open fields including square, rectangular, variation in SSD, centrally blocked, missing tissue, square MLC and MLC shaped fields. The QA results showed dosimetric accuracy of the TPS for open fields within the specified tolerance limits. However large square (25cm x 25cm) and rectangular fields (20cm x 5cm) some points were out of tolerance in penumbra region (11.38 % and 10.9 %, respectively). For the test of SSD variation, the large field resulted from SSD 125 cm for 10cm x 10cm filed the results recorded an error of 0.2% at the central axis and 1.01% in penumbra. The results yielded differences within the accepted tolerance level as recommended. Large fields showed variations in penumbra. These differences between dose values predicted by the TPS and the measured values at the same point may result from limitations of the dose calculation, uncertainties in the measurement procedure, or fluctuations in the output of the accelerator.

Keywords: quality assurance, dose calculation, 3D treatment planning system, photon beam

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Authors: Lee Seungheon, Kim Ba-Ro

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In this study, the anti-stress effects of the ethanolic extract of Hydrangeae Dulcis Folium (EHDF) were investigated. To determine the effects of EHDF on physical stress, changes in the whole-body cortisol level and behaviour were monitored in zebrafish. To induce physical stress, we used the net handling stress (NHS). Fish were treated with EHDF for 6 min before they were exposed to stress, and the fish were either evaluated via behavioural tests, including a novel tank test and an open field test or sacrificed to collect body fluid from the whole body. The results indicate that increased anxiety-like behaviours in the novel tank test and open field test under stress were recovered by treatment with EHDF at 5, 10 and 20 mg/L (P < 0.05). Moreover, compared with the normal group, which was not treated with NHS, the whole-body cortisol level was significantly increased by treatment with NHS in the control group. Compared with the control group, pre-treatment with EHDF at concentrations of 5, 10 and 20 mg/L for 6 min significantly prevented the increase in the whole-body cortisol level induced by NHS (P < 0.05). In addition, adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH) challenge studies showed that EHDF completely blocked the effects of ACTH (0.2 IU/g, IP) on cortisol secretion. These results suggest that EHDF may be a good anti-stress candidate and that its mechanism of action may be related to its positive effects on cortisol release.

Keywords: net handling stress, zebrafish, hydrangeae dulcis folium, whole-body cortisol, novel tank test, open field test

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Authors: Gaurav Prabhudesai, Gaetan Brill

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The sun's energy source comes from a hydrogen-to-helium thermonuclear reaction, generating a temperature of about 5760 K on its outer layer. On account of this high temperature, energy is radiated by the sun, a part of which reaches the earth. This sunlight, even after losing part of its energy en-route to scattering and absorption, provides a time and space averaged solar flux of 174.7 W/m^2 striking the earth’s surface. According to one study, the solar energy striking earth’s surface in one and a half hour is more than the energy consumption that was recorded in the year 2001 from all sources combined. Thus, technology for extraction of solar energy holds much promise for solving energy crisis. Of the many technologies developed in this regard, Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) plants with central solar tower and receiver system are very impressive because of their capability to provide a renewable energy that can be stored in the form of heat. One design of central receiver towers is an open cavity where sunlight is concentrated into by using mirrors (also called heliostats). This concentrated solar flux produces high temperature inside the cavity which can be utilized in an energy conversion process. The amount of energy captured is reduced by losses occurring at the cavity through all three modes viz., radiation to the atmosphere, conduction to the adjoining structure and convection. This study investigates the natural convection losses to the environment from the receiver. Computational fluid dynamics were used to simulate the fluid flow and heat transfer of the receiver; since no analytical solution can be obtained and no empirical correlations exist for the given geometry. The results provide guide lines for predicting natural convection losses for hexagonal and circular shaped open cavities. Additionally, correlations are given for various inclination angles and aspect ratios. These results provide methods to minimize natural convection through careful design of receiver geometry and modification of the inclination angle, and aspect ratio of the cavity.

Keywords: concentrated solar power (CSP), central receivers, natural convection, CFD, open cavities

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Authors: A. Kourou, A. Ioakeimidou, E. Pelli, M. Panoutsopoulou, V. Abramea

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Worldwide there is a growing recognition that education is a critical component of any disaster impacts reduction effort and a great challenge too. Given this challenge, a broad range of awareness raising projects at all levels are implemented and are continuously evaluated by Earthquake Planning and Protection Organization (EPPO). This paper presents an overview of EPPO educational initiative (seminars, lectures, workshops, campaigns and educational material) and its evaluation results. The abovementioned initiative is focused to aware the public, train teachers and civil protection staff, inform students and educate people with disabilities on subjects related to earthquake reduction issues. The better understating of how human activity can link to disaster and what can be done at the individual, family or workplace level to contribute to seismic reduction are the main issues of EPPO projects. Survey results revealed that a high percentage of teachers (included the ones of special schools) from all over the country have taken the appropriate preparedness measures at schools. On the other hand, the implementation of earthquake preparedness measures at various workplaces (kindergartens, banks, utilities etc.) has still significant room for improvement. Results show that the employees in banks and public utilities have substantially higher rates in preventive and preparedness actions in their workplaces than workers in kindergartens and other workplaces. One of the EPPO educational priorities is to enhance earthquake preparedness of people with disabilities. Booklets, posters and applications have been created with the financial support of the Council of Europe, addressed to people who have mobility impairments, learning difficulties or cognitive disability (ή intellectual disabilities). Part of the educational material was developed using the «easy-to-read» method and Makaton language program with the collaboration of experts on special needs education and teams of people with cognitive disability. Furthermore, earthquake safety seminars and earthquake drills have been implemented in order to develop children’s, parents’ and teachers abilities and skills on earthquake impacts reduction. To enhance the abovementioned efforts, EPPO is a partner at prevention and preparedness projects supported by EU Civil Protection Financial Instrument. One of them is E-PreS’ project (Monitoring and Evaluation of Natural Hazard Preparedness at School Environment). The main objectives of E-PreS project are: 1) to create smart tools which define, simulate and evaluate drills procedure at schools, centers of vocational training of people with disabilities or other workplaces, and 2) to involve students or adults with disabilities in the E-PreS system evacuation procedure in case of earthquake, flood, or volcanic occurrence. Two other EU projects (RACCE educational kit and EVANDE educational platform) are also with the aim of contributing to raising awareness among people with disabilities, students, teachers, volunteers etc. It is worth mentioning that even though in Greece many efforts have been done till now to build awareness towards earthquakes and establish preparedness status for prospective earthquakes, there are still actions to be taken.

Keywords: earthquake, emergency plans, E-PreS project, people with disabilities, special needs education

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Authors: Abd Latif Abdul Rahman, Zuraidah Arif, Muhammad Faizal Iylia, Mohd Ghazali, Asmadi Mohammed Ghazali

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Mobile information is a significant access point for human information activities. Theories and models of human information behavior have developed over several decades but have not yet considered the role of the user’s computing device in digital information interactions. This paper reviews the literature that leads to developing a conceptual framework of a study on the managers mobile information behavior. Based on the literature review, dimensions of mobile information behavior are identified, namely, dimension information needs, dimension information access, information retrieval and dimension of information use. The study is significant to understand the nature of librarians’ behavior in searching, retrieving and using information via the mobile device. Secondly, the study would provide suggestions about various kinds of mobile applications which organization can provide for their staff to improve their services.

Keywords: mobile information behavior, information behavior, mobile information, mobile devices

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Authors: Rohan M. Dalal, Elena Pirondini, Shanu Somvanshi

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Introduction: The current state of reproductive health outcomes in lower-income countries is poor, with inadequate knowledge and culture among adolescent boys. Moreover, boys have traditionally not been a priority target. To explore the opportunity to educate adolescent boys in the developing world regarding accurate reproductive health information, the purpose of this study is to investigate how adolescent boys in the developing world engage and use technology, utilizing cell phones. This electronic survey and video interview study were conducted to determine the feasibility of a mobile phone platform for an educational video game specifically designed for boys that will improve health knowledge, influence behavior, and change health outcomes, namely teen pregnancies. Methods: With the assistance of Plan India, a subsidiary of Plan International, informed consent was obtained from parents of adolescent males who participated in an electronic survey and video interviews via Microsoft Teams. An electronic survey was created with 27 questions, including topics of mobile phone usage, gaming preferences, and sexual and reproductive health, with a sample size of 181 adolescents, ages 11-25, near New Delhi, India. The interview questions were written to explore more in-depth topics after the completion of the electronic survey. Eight boys, aged 15, were interviewed for 40 minutes about gaming and usage of mobile phones as well as sexual and reproductive health. Data/Results. 154 boys and 27 girls completed the survey. They rated their English fluency as relatively high. 97% of boys (149/154) had access to mobile phones. The majority of phones were smartphones (97%, 143/148). 48% (71/149) of boys borrowed cell phones. The most popular phone platform was Samsung (22%, 33/148). 36% (54/148) of adolescent males looked at their phones 1-10 times per day for 1-2 hours. 55% (81/149) of the boys had parental restrictions. 51% (76/148) had 32 GB of storage on their phone. 78% (117/150) of the boys had wifi access. 80% (120/150) of respondents reported ease in downloading apps. 97% (145/150) of male adolescents had social media, including WhatsApp, Facebook, and YouTube. 58% (87/150) played video games. Favorite video games included Free Fire, PubG, and other shooting games. In the video interviews, the boys revealed what made games fun and engaging, including customized avatars, progression to higher levels, realistic interactive platforms, shooting/guns, the ability to perform multiple actions, and a variety of worlds/settings/adventures. Ideas to improve engagement in sexual and reproductive health classes included open discussions in the community, enhanced access to information, and posting on social media. Conclusion: This study involving an electronic survey and video interviews provides an initial foray into understanding mobile phone usage among adolescent males and understanding sexual and reproductive health education in New Delhi, India. The data gathered from this study support using mobile phone platforms, and this will be used to create a serious video game to educate adolescent males about sexual and reproductive health in an attempt to lower the rate of unwanted pregnancies in the world.

Keywords: adolescent males, India, mobile phone, sexual and reproductive health

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Authors: Yu Li, Dongyao Wang, Xiaobao Sun, Wei Ni

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In long-term evolution (LTE), the carriers around 5GHz are planned to be utilized without licenses to further enlarge system capacity. This feature is termed licensed assisted access (LAA). The channel sensing (clean channel assessment, CCA) is required before any transmission on these unlicensed carriers, in order to make sure the harmonious co-existence of LAA with other radio access technology in the unlicensed band. Obviously, the CCA threshold is very critical, which decides whether the transmission right following CCA is delivered in time and without collisions. An improper CCA threshold may cause buffer overflow of some eNodeBs if the eNodeBs are heavily loaded with the traffic. Thus, to solve these problems, we propose an adaptive threshold adjustment method for CCA in the LAA downlink. Both the load and transmission opportunities are concerned. The trend of the LAA throughput as the threshold varies is obtained, which guides the threshold adjustment. The co-existing between LAA and Wi-Fi is particularly tested. The results from system-level simulation confirm the merits of our design, especially in heavy traffic cases.

Keywords: LTE, LAA, CCA, threshold adjustment

Procedia PDF Downloads 136

Authors: Darshani Premaratne, Afshin Kandampath Puthiyadath

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The Government of Qatar is taking active steps in improving quality of health care industry in the state of Qatar. In this initiative development and market introduction of Clinical Information System and Electronic Health Record (EHR) system are proved to be a highly challenging process. Along with an organization specialized on EHR system development and with the blessing of Health Ministry of Qatar the process of introduction of EHR system in Qatar healthcare industry was undertaken. Initially a market survey was carried out to understand the requirements. Secondly, the available government regulations, needs and possible upcoming regulations were carefully studied before deployment of resources for software development. Sufficient flexibility was allowed to cater for both the changes in the market and the regulations. As the first initiative a system that enables integration of referral network where referral clinic and laboratory system for all single doctor (and small scale) clinics was developed. Setting of isolated single doctor clinics all over the state to bring in to an integrated referral network along with a referral hospital need a coherent steering force and a solid top down framework. This paper discusses about the lessons learned in developing, in obtaining approval of the health ministry and in introduction to the industry of the single doctor referral network along with an EHR system. It was concluded that development of this nature required continues balance between the market requirements and upcoming regulations. Further accelerating the development based on the emerging needs, implementation based on the end user needs while tallying with the regulations, diffusion, and uptake of demand-driven and evidence-based products, tools, strategies, and proper utilization of findings were equally found paramount in successful development of end product. Development of full scale Clinical Information System and EHR system are underway based on the lessons learned. The Government of Qatar is taking active steps in improving quality of health care industry in the state of Qatar. In this initiative development and market introduction of Clinical Information System and Electronic Health Record (EHR) system are proved to be a highly challenging process. Along with an organization specialized on EHR system development and with the blessing of Health Ministry of Qatar the process of introduction of EHR system in Qatar healthcare industry was undertaken. Initially a market survey was carried out to understand the requirements. Secondly the available government regulations, needs and possible upcoming regulations were carefully studied before deployment of resources for software development. Sufficient flexibility was allowed to cater for both the changes in the market and the regulations. As the first initiative a system that enables integration of referral network where referral clinic and laboratory system for all single doctor (and small scale) clinics was developed. Setting of isolated single doctor clinics all over the state to bring in to an integrated referral network along with a referral hospital need a coherent steering force and a solid top down framework. This paper discusses about the lessons learned in developing, in obtaining approval of the health ministry and in introduction to the industry of the single doctor referral network along with an EHR system. It was concluded that development of this nature required continues balance between the market requirements and upcoming regulations. Further accelerating the development based on the emerging needs, implementation based on the end user needs while tallying with the regulations, diffusion, and uptake of demand-driven and evidence-based products, tools, strategies, and proper utilization of findings were equally found paramount in successful development of end product. Development of full scale Clinical Information System and EHR system are underway based on the lessons learned.

Keywords: clinical information system, electronic health record, state regulations, integrated referral network of clinics

Procedia PDF Downloads 356

Authors: Tiron-Tudor Adriana, Farcas Teodora Viorica, Ciolomic Ioana Andreea

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The issue of human capital mobility inside Europe is still an open one. Even though there were created some tools in order to better move from one country to another to work and study the number of the people doing this is very low because of various factors presented in this paper. The "rethinking educational" agenda of the European Commission has open the floor for new projects which can create steps towards a European language for skills and competences, qualifications. One of these projects is the Partnership for Exchange of experience in Student on-the-job Training. As part of this project, we are interested to see the situation of the human capital inside EU and the elements that were created until now to support this mobility. Also, the main objective of the project is to make a comparison between the four countries involved in PEST project (Romania, Hungary, Finland, and Estonia), at the education and internship level. The results are helpful for the follow of the project, for identifying where changes can be done and need to be done.

Keywords: ECVET, human capital mobility, partnership exchange, students on the job mobility, vocational education and training

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Authors: Maliha Ahmed Suleman, Sidra Ahmed Suleman

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Introduction: The use of pacifiers is common amongst infants and young children as a comforting behavior. These non-nutritive sucking habits can be detrimental to the developing occlusion should they persist while the permanent dentition is established. Orthodontic pacifiers have been recommended as an alternative to conventional pacifiers as they are considered to have less interference with orofacial development. However, there is a lack of consensus on whether this is true. Aim and objectives: To review the prevalence of malocclusion associated with the use of orthodontic pacifiers. Methodology: Literature was identified through a rigorous search of the Embase, Pubmed, CINAHL, and Cochrane Library databases. Articles published from 2000 onwards were included. In total, 5 suitable papers were identified. Results: One study showed that the use of orthodontic pacifiers increased the risk of malocclusion, as seen through a greater prevalence of accentuated overjet, posterior crossbites, and anterior open bites in comparison to individuals who did not use pacifiers. However, this study found that there was a clinically significant reduction in the prevalence of anterior open bites amongst orthodontic pacifier users in comparison to conventional pacifier users. Another study found that both types of pacifiers lead to malocclusion; however, they found no difference in the mean overjet and prevalence of anterior open bites amongst conventional and orthodontic pacifier users. In contrast, one study suggested that orthodontic pacifiers do not seem to be related to the development of malocclusions in the primary dentitions, and using them between the ages of 0-3 months was actually beneficial as it prevents thumb-sucking habits. One of the systemic reviews concluded that orthodontic pacifiers do not seem to reduce the occurrence of posterior crossbites; however, they could reduce the development of open bites by virtue of their thin neck design. Whereas another systematic review concluded that there were no differences as to the effects on the stomatognathic system when comparing conventional and orthodontic pacifiers. Conclusion: There is limited and conflicting evidence to support the notion that orthodontic pacifiers can reduce the prevalence of malocclusion when compared to conventional pacifiers. Well-designed randomized controlled trials are required in the future in order to thoroughly assess the effects of orthodontic pacifiers on the developing occlusion and orofacial structures.

Keywords: orthodontics, pacifier, malocclusion, review

Procedia PDF Downloads 79

Authors: Schirin Hanf, Carlos Lizandara-Pueyo, Timmo P. Emmert, Ivana Jevtovikj, Roger Gläser, Stephan A. Schunk

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Metal alkoxides are very versatile precursors for a broad array of complex functional materials. However, metal alkoxides, especially transition metal alkoxides, tend to form oligomeric structures due to the very strong M–O–M binding motif. This fact hinders their facile application in sol-gel-processes and complicates access to complex carbonate or oxidic compounds after hydrolysis of the precursors. Therefore, the development of a synthetic alternative with the aim to grant access to carbonates and hydroxycarbonates from simple metal alkoxide precursors via hydrolysis is key to this project. Our approach involves the reaction of metal alkoxides with unsaturated isoelectronic molecules, such as carbon dioxide. Subsequently, a stoichiometric insertion of the CO₂ into the alkoxide M–O bond takes place and leads to the formation of soluble metal alkyl carbonates. This strategy is a very elegant approach to solubilize metal alkoxide precursors to make them accessible for sol-gel chemistry. After hydrolysis of the metal alkyl carbonates, crystalline metal carbonates, and hydroxycarbonates can be obtained, which were then utilized for the synthesis of Cu/Zn based bulk catalysts for methanol synthesis. Using these catalysts, a comparable catalytic activity to commercially available MeOH catalysts could be reached. Based on these results, a complement for traditional precipitation techniques, which are usually utilized for the synthesis of bulk methanol catalysts, have been found based on an alternative solubilization strategy.

Keywords: metal alkoxides, metal carbonates, metal hydroxycarbonates, CO₂ insertion, solubilization

Procedia PDF Downloads 182

Authors: Mohamed Fredj, Abdallah Hafsaoui, Radouane Nakache

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The study of the stability of the mining works in rock masses fractured is the major concern of the operating engineer. For geotechnical works in mines and quarries, it there is not today's general methodology for analysis and the quantification of the risks relating to the dangers inherent in these concrete types (falling boulders, landslides, etc.). The reasons for this are uncertainty, which weighs on available data or lack of knowledge of the values of the parameters required for this analysis type. Stability calculations must be based on reliable knowledge of the distribution of discontinuities that dissect the Rocky massif and the resistance to shear of the intact rock and discontinuities. This study is aimed to study the stability of slope of mine (Kef Sennoun - Tebessa, Algeria). The problem is analyzed using a numerical model based on the finite elements (software Plaxis 3D).

Keywords: stability, discontinuities, finite elements, rock mass, open-pit mine

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Authors: Razieh Teimouri

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Electrical modelling of Cu (In,Ga)Se₂ thin film solar cells is carried out with compositionally graded absorber and CdS buffer layer. Simulation results are compared with experimental data. Surface defect layers (SDL) are located in CdS/CIGS interface for improving open circuit voltage simulated structure through the analysis of the interface is investigated with or without this layer. When SDL removed, by optimizing the conduction band offset (CBO) position of the buffer/absorber layers with its recombination mechanisms and also shallow donor density in the CdS, the open circuit voltage increased significantly. As a result of simulation, excellent performance can be obtained when the conduction band of window layer positions higher by 0.2 eV than that of CIGS and shallow donor density in the CdS was found about 1×10¹⁸ (cm⁻³).

Keywords: CIGS solar cells, thin film, SCAPS, buffer layer, conduction band offset

Procedia PDF Downloads 222

Authors: M. Cherki, I. Taouam, A. Amiri, F. Hmimid, T. Ould Bellahcen

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The Moroccan coasts represent an important wealth of red algae which have an economic interest. Among these algae, the Gelidium sesquipedale, which is exploited industrially for its richness in agar. The aim of this study is to establish a general overview of the macronutrient composition of Gelidium sesquipedale and to compare this composition according to three factors: the harvest site (El Jadida, Casablanca and Mohammadia), the harvest depth (coast and depth) and the drying process (open air and oven). Proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates are measured by different methods. The analysis of results show that the protein concentrations of the El Jadida and Mohammadia samples are significantly higher than that of Casablanca (0.026 ± 0.0007 µg/µg DW 0.024 ± 0.001 µg/µg DW and 0.006 ± 0.0007 µg/µg DW, p < 0.05 respectively). However, Casablanca samples are significantly richer in total sugars (0.023 ± 0.002 µg/µg DW, p < 0.05) and less rich in reducing sugars (0.0001 ± 0.00001 µg/µg DW, p < 0.05) compared to other samples. The lipid concentrations of the samples from the three harvest sites do not show any significant difference. With respect to depth, only total protein and total sugar concentrations were significantly higher in the coast versus depth samples (0.035 ± 0.004 µg/µg DW vs. 0.026 ± 0.0007 µg/µg DW and 0.035 ± 0.006 µg/µg DW vs. 0.012 ± 0.005 µg/µg DW p < 0.05 respectively). For the drying process, protein, total sugars and lipid concentrations were significantly higher in open air samples compared to oven samples (0.006 ± 0.0007 µg/µg DW). vs 0.004 ± 0.0003 µg/µg DW, 0.023 ± 0.002 µg/µg DW vs 0.007 ± 0.002 µg/µg DW and 8% vs 4% p < 0.05 respectively). Our results demonstrate that the chemical composition of Gelidium sesquipedale varies according to the harvest region. In addition, samples harvested on the coast and dried in the open air are the richest in macronutrients.

Keywords: biochemical composition, drying, depth, Gelidium sesquipedale, red algae, region

Procedia PDF Downloads 145