Search results for: institution volume

Authors: Aliseydi Bozkurt, Ugur Yılmaz

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Objective: It was aimed to evaluate the current status of semen parameters in fertile males with one or more children and whose wife having a pregnancy for the last 1-12 months in Malatya region. Methods: Sperm samples were obtained from 131 voluntary fertile men. In each analysis, sperm volume (ml), number of sperm (sperm/ml), sperm motility and sperm viscosity were examined with Makler device. Classification was made according to World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. Results: Mean ejaculate volume ranged from 1.5 ml to 5.5 ml, sperm count ranged from 27 to 180 million/ml and motility ranged from 35 to 90%. Sperm motility was found to be on average; 69.9% in A, 7.6% in B, 8.7% in C, 13.3% in D category. Conclusion: The mean spermiogram values of fertile males in Malatya region were found to be similar to those in fertile males determined by the WHO. This study has a regional classification value in terms of spermiogram values.

Keywords: fertile men, infertility, spermiogram, sperm motility

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Authors: Ali Abu Ali, Mohammad Salhab

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Introduction: In the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) microfinance struggles to find momentum. The Lebanese economy has been struggling through the years due to domestic and external, political and social instability. Although as of 2014 there are around 23 MFIs that are mainly subsidized by the USAID, operating in the country, the Lebanese microfinance market is mostly dominated by three microfinance institutions: Al Majmoua, Vitas, and Al Quard Al Hassan Association. Methodology: A quantitative approach using a standardized questionnaire would analyse the perception of the average Lebanese towards microfinance. A questionnaire was designed and validated. Results: Almost half of the respondents earn a monthly income ranged between $100 and $600. Almost 52% of the respondents were university graduates, around 25% finished secondary and high school, and 12% hold a masters or MBA degree. Topic understanding towards microfinance differs across Lebanese areas. The highest percentage of respondents who claim that microfinance offers financial services to low income people are the residents of Beirut (35.1%), Bekaa (30.8%), and South of Lebanon (24.7%). Higher levels of topic understanding were associated with lower levels of age range. Al Quard el Hassan foundation was regarded as the most known micro financial institution operating in Lebanon. In general, Lebanese people tend to believe that microfinance can play an important role in reducing unemployment rates and poverty levels in Lebanon. When people were asked what would motivate you to get a loan from MFIs, most of the respondent (57.4%) across all the Lebanese region claimed that it was the need for money to satisfy a need such as paying back a loan, to fix something at home, or for self-consideration like buying a car. Conclusion: Our findings showed that in general Lebanese tend to have a positive perception towards microfinance. However, most Lebanese perceive microfinance as the process of just providing loans without specifying for whom it is intended. We advise that government introduces laws to regulate the microfinance market.

Keywords: microfinance, economics, finance, business, analysis, theory

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Authors: Bibire Abdulkareem Hussein

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Job satisfaction and motivation are considered as major tools in sustaining institutional development, they are also the machinery used to achieve an institutional goals and objectives. However, it has been observed that some institutions failed in motivating and stimulating their workers; in contrast, workers may be motivated but not satisfied with the job and failed to perform efficiently and effectively. It is hoped that the study of this nature would be of significance value to all stakeholders in education specifically, lecturers in higher institutions in Nigeria. Also it significances will enhance lecturers’ effectiveness and performance in discharging their duties. It is against this backdrop that, this study investigated whether job satisfaction and motivation predict lecturers’ effectiveness in Nigeria Police Academy, Wudil, KanoState. The correlational research method was adopted for the study while purposive sampling technique was used to choose the institution and the sampled lectures (70). Simple random sampling technique was used to select one hundred cadets across the academy. Two instruments were used to elicit information from both lecturers and cadets. These were job satisfaction and motivation; and lecturers’ effectiveness Questionnaires. The instruments were subjected to pilot testing and found to have reliability coefficient of 0.69 and 0.71 respectively. The results of the study revealed that there was a significance relationship among job satisfaction, motivation and lecturers effectiveness in Nigeria Police Academy, Job satisfaction had a Beta weight (β) of .125, t = 3.253, p<0.05, Job motivation had a Beta weight (β) of .185, t = 3.849, p<0.05. There was a significance relationship between job satisfaction and lecturers’ effectiveness in Nigeria Police Academy the cal r is 0.21 while the crt r is 0.19. at p<0.05 and; there was a significance relationship between job motivation and lecturers effectiveness in Nigeria Police Academy the cal r is 0.20 while the crt r is 0.19 at p<0.05This study therefore concluded that there was a significance relationship among job satisfaction, motivation and lecturers effectiveness in Nigeria Police Academy s,In view of the findings of this study, the paper recommends that lecturers should be more pro-active and more effective in their primary assignment (teaching) in order to make meaningful impacts and inputs in the life of cadets and boost the standard of the academy. In the same vein, it is recommended that management should intensify efforts to improve lecturers’ welfares by providing more motivational techniques to enhance more productivity.

Keywords: academy, lecturers effectiveness, motivation, satisfaction

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Authors: Zakiya Shireen, Sujin B. Babu

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Irreversible diffusion-limited cluster aggregation (DLCA) of binary sticky spheres was simulated by modifying the Brownian Cluster Dynamics (BCD). We randomly distribute N spheres in a 3D box of size L, the volume fraction is given by Φtot = (π/6)N/L³. We identify NA and NB number of spheres as species A and B in our system both having identical size. In these systems, both A and B particles undergo Brownian motion. Irreversible bond formation happens only between intra-species particles and inter-species interact only through hard-core repulsions. As we perform simulation using BCD we start to observe binary gels. In our study, we have observed that species B always percolate (cluster size equal to L) as expected for the monomeric case and species A does not percolate below a critical ratio which is different for different volume fractions. We will also show that the accessible volume of the system increases when compared to the monomeric case, which means that species A is aggregating inside the cage created by B. We have also observed that for moderate Φtot the system undergoes a transition from flocculation region to percolation region indicated by the change in fractal dimension from 1.8 to 2.5. For smaller ratio of A, it stays in the flocculation regime even though B have already crossed over to the percolation regime. Thus, we observe two fractal dimension in the same system.

Keywords: BCD, fractals, percolation, sticky spheres

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Authors: Andre Bechuke

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The quality of every learning programme in Higher Education (HE) is dependent on the planning, design, and development of the curriculum decisions. These curriculum development decisions are highly influenced by the knowledge of the end-user, who are not always just the students. When curriculum experts plan, design and develop learning programmes, they always have the end-users in mind throughout the process. Without proper knowledge of the end-user(s), the design and development of a learning programme might be flawed. Curriculum experts often struggle to determine who the real end-user is. As such, it is even more challenging to establish what needs to be known about the end user that should inform the plan, design, and development of a learning programme. This research sought suggest approaches to guide curriculum experts to identify the end-user(s), taking into consideration the pressure and influence other agencies and structures or stakeholders (industry, students, government, universities context, lecturers, international communities, professional regulatory bodies) have on the design of a learning programme and the graduates of the programmes. Considering the influence of these stakeholders, which is also very important, the task of deciding who the real end-user of the learning programme becomes very challenging. This study makes use of criteria 1 and 18 of the Council on Higher Education criteria for programme accreditation to guide the process of identifying the end-users when developing a learning programme. Criterion 1 suggests that designers must ensure that the programme is consonant with the institution’s mission, forms part of institutional planning and resource allocation, meets national requirements and the needs of students and other stakeholders, and is intellectually credible. According to criterion 18, in designing a learning programme, steps must be taken to enhance the employability of students and alleviate shortages of expertise in relevant fields. In conclusion, there is hardly ever one group of end-users to be considered for developing a learning programme, and the notion that students are the end-users is not true, especially when the graduates are unable to use the qualification for employment.

Keywords: council on higher education, curriculum design and development, higher education, learning programme

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Authors: Sanjay K. Behera, Debasish Saha, Paramesh Gadige, Ranjini Bandyopadhyay

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The zero shear viscosity (η₀) of a suspension of hard sphere colloids characterized by a significant polydispersity (≈10%) increases with increase in volume fraction (ϕ) and shows a dramatic increase at ϕ=ϕg with the system entering a colloidal glassy state. Fragility which is the measure of the rapidity of approach of these suspensions towards the glassy state is sensitive to its size polydispersity and stiffness of the particles. Soft poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) particles deform in the presence of neighboring particles at volume fraction above the random close packing volume fraction of undeformed monodisperse spheres. Softness, therefore, enhances the packing efficiency of these particles. In this study PNIPAM particles of a nearly constant swelling ratio and with polydispersities varying over a wide range (7.4%-48.9%) are synthesized to study the effects of polydispersity on the dynamics of suspensions of soft PNIPAM colloidal particles. The size and polydispersity of these particles are characterized using dynamic light scattering (DLS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). As these particles are deformable, their packing in aqueous suspensions is quantified in terms of effective volume fraction (ϕeff). The zero shear viscosity (η₀) data of these colloidal suspensions, estimated from rheometric experiments as a function of the effective volume fraction ϕeff of the suspensions, increases with increase in ϕeff and shows a dramatic increase at ϕeff = ϕ₀. The data for η₀ as a function of ϕeff fits well to the Vogel-Fulcher-Tammann equation. It is observed that increasing polydispersity results in increasingly fragile supercooled liquid-like behavior, with the parameter ϕ₀, extracted from the fits to the VFT equation shifting towards higher ϕeff. The observed increase in fragility is attributed to the prevalence of dynamical heterogeneities (DHs) in these polydisperse suspensions, while the simultaneous shift in ϕ₀ is ascribed to the decoupling of the dynamics of the smallest and largest particles. Finally, it is observed that the intrinsic nonlinearity of these suspensions, estimated at the third harmonic near ϕ₀ in Fourier transform oscillatory rheological experiments, increases with increase in polydispersity. These results are in agreement with theoretical predictions and simulation results for polydisperse hard sphere colloidal glasses and clearly demonstrate that jammed suspensions of polydisperse colloidal particles can be effectively fluidized with increasing polydispersity. Suspensions of these particles are therefore excellent candidates for detailed experimental studies of the effects of polydispersity on the dynamics of glass formation.

Keywords: dynamical heterogeneity, effective volume fraction, fragility, intrinsic nonlinearity

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Authors: Sree Vennela P., V. Samyuktha Bhardwaj

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Hyponatremia is an electrolyte disturbance in which the sodium ion concentration in the serum is lower than normal. Sodium is the dominant extracellular cation (positive ion) and cannot freely cross from the interstitial space through the cell membrane, into the cell. Its homeostasis (stability of concentration) inside the cell is vital to the normal function of any cell. Normal serum sodium levels are between 135 and 145 mEq/L. Hyponatremia is defined as a serum level of less than 135 mEq/L and is considered severe when the serum level is below 125 mEq/L. In the vast majority of cases, Hyponatremia occurs as a result of excess body water diluting the serum sodium (salt level in the blood). Hyponatremia is often a complication of other medical illnesses in which excess water accumulates in the body at a higher rate than can be excreted (for example in congestive heart failure, syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone, SIADH, or polydipsia). Sometimes it may be a result of over-hydration (drinking too much water).Lack of sodium (salt) is very rarely the cause of Hyponatremia, although it can promote Hyponatremia indirectly. In particular, sodium loss can lead to a state of volume depletion (loss of blood volume in the body), with volume depletion serving as a signal for the release of ADH (anti-diuretic hormone). As a result of ADH-stimulated water retention (too much water in the body), blood sodium becomes diluted and Hyponatremia results.

Keywords: Tolvaptan, hyponatremia, syndrome of insufficient anti diuretic hormone (SIADH), euvolemic hyponatremia

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Authors: Kumiko Inagaki

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In recent, years, Japanese universities have begun to face a dilemma: more than half of all high school graduates go on to attend an institution of higher learning, overwhelming Japanese universities accustomed to small student bodies. These universities have been forced to embrace qualitative changes to accommodate the increased number and diversity of students who enter their establishments, students who differ in their motivations for learning, their levels of eagerness to learn, and their perspectives on the future. One of these changes is an increase in awareness among Japanese educators of the importance of active learning, which deepens students’ understanding of course material through a range of activities, including writing, speaking, thinking, and presenting, in addition to conventional “passive learning” methods such as listening to a one-way lecture. 　The purpose of this study is to examine the effectiveness of the teaching method adapted to improve active learning. A teaching method designed to promote active learning was implemented in a social science course at one of the most popular universities in Japan. A questionnaire using a five-point response format was given to students in 2,305 courses throughout the university to evaluate the effectiveness of the method based on the following measures: ① the ratio of students who were motivated to attend the classes, ② the rate at which students learned new information, and ③ the teaching method adopted in the classes. The results of this study show that the percentage of students who attended the active learning course eagerly, and the rate of new knowledge acquired through the course, both exceeded the average for the university, the department, and the subject area of social science. In addition, there are strong correlations between teaching method and student motivation and between teaching method and knowledge acquisition rate. These results indicate that the active learning teaching method was effectively implemented and that it may improve student eagerness to attend class and motivation to learn.

Keywords: active learning, Japanese university, teaching method, university education

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Authors: Opeyemi Fadipe, Seong Lee, Guangming Chen, Steve Efe

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In comparison to conventional combustion technologies, fluidized bed combustion has several advantages, such as superior heat transfer characteristics due to homogeneous particle mixing, lower temperature needs, nearly isothermal process conditions, and the ability to operate continuously. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) can help anticipate the intricate combustion process and the hydrodynamics of a fluidized bed thoroughly by using CFD techniques. Bubbling Fluidized bed was model using the Eulerian-Eulerian model, including the kinetic theory of the flow. The model was validated by comparing it with other simulation of the fluidized bed. The effects of operational gas velocity, volume fraction, and feed rate were also investigated numerically. A higher gas velocity and feed rate cause an increase in fluidization of the bed.

Keywords: fluidized bed, operational gas velocity, volume fraction, computational fluid dynamics

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

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This study is to evaluate the dosimetric performance of our institution's 3D treatment planning system for wedged and off-axis 6MV photon beams, guided by the recommended QA tests documented in the 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. Ten tests were applied on solid water equivalent phantom along with 2D array dose detection system. The calculated doses using 3D treatment planning system PrecisePLAN were compared with measured doses to make sure that the dose calculations are accurate for simple situations such as square and elongated fields, different SSD, beam modifiers e.g. wedges, blocks, MLC-shaped fields and asymmetric collimator settings. The QA results showed dosimetric accuracy of the TPS within the specified tolerance limits. Except for large elongated wedged field, the central axis and outside central axis have errors of 0.2% and 0.5%, respectively, and off- planned and off-axis elongated fields the region outside the central axis of the beam errors are 0.2% and 1.1%, respectively. The dosimetric investigated results yielded differences within the accepted tolerance level as recommended. Differences between dose values predicted by the TPS and measured values at the same point are the 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, wedged fields, off-axis fields, 3D treatment planning system, photon beam

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Authors: Beghdadi Lotfi, Bouziane Abdelhafid

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A finite volume method for quadrilaterals unstructured mesh is developed to predict the two dimensional steady-state solutions of conduction equation. In this scheme, based on the integration around the polygonal control volume, the derivatives of conduction equation must be converted into closed line integrals using same formulation of the Stokes theorem. To valid the accuracy of the method two numerical experiments s are used: conduction in a regular block (with known analytical solution) and conduction in a rotated block (case with curved boundaries).The numerical results show good agreement with analytical results. To demonstrate the accuracy of the method, the absolute and root-mean square errors versus the grid size are examined quantitatively.

Keywords: Stokes theorem, unstructured grid, heat transfer, complex geometry

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Authors: Jorge Iván Bañol-Betancur, Lina María Martínez-Sánchez, María de los Ángeles Rodríguez-Gázquez, Estefanía Bahamonde-Olaya, Ana María Gutiérrez-Tamayo, Laura Isabel Jaramillo-Jaramillo, Camilo Ruiz-Mejía, Natalia Morales-Quintero

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Acute chest pain is a distressing sensation between the diaphragm and the base of the neck and it represents a diagnostic challenge for any physician in the emergency department. Objective: To establish the main clinical and epidemiological characteristics of patients who present with chest pain to the emergency department in a private clinic from the city of Medellin, during 2014-2015. Methods: Cross-sectional retrospective observational study. Population and sample were patients who consulted for chest pain in the emergency department who met the eligibility criteria. The information was analyzed in SPSS program vr.21; qualitative variables were described through relative frequencies, and the quantitative through mean and standard deviation ‬or medians according to their distribution in the study population. Results: A total of 231 patients were evaluated, the mean age was 49.5 ± 19.9 years, 56.7% were females. The most frequent pathological antecedents were hypertension 35.5%, diabetes 10,8%, dyslipidemia 10.4% and coronary disease 5.2%. Regarding pain features, in 40.3% of the patients the pain began abruptly, in 38.2% it had a precordial location, for 20% of the cases physical activity acted as a trigger, and 60.6% was oppressive. Costochondritis was the most common cause of chest pain among patients with an established etiologic diagnosis, representing the 18.2%. Conclusions: Although the clinical features of pain reported coincide with the clinical presentation of an acute coronary syndrome, the most common cause of chest pain in study population was costochondritis instead, indicating that it is a differential diagnostic in the approach of patients with pain acute chest.

Keywords: acute coronary syndrome, chest pain, epidemiology, osteochondritis

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Authors: Naim Izet Kajtazi

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Context: Although rare, glomus tumor (i.e., nonchromaffin chemodectomas and paragan¬gliomas) is the most common middle ear tumor, with female predominance. Pre-operative embolization is often required to devascularize the hypervascular tumor for better surgical outcomes. Process: A 35-year-old female presented with episodes of frequent dizziness, ear fullness, and right ear tinnitus for 12 months. Head imaging revealed a right glomus tympanicum tumor. She underwent pre-operative endovascular embolization of the glomus tympanicum tumor with surgical, cyanoacrylate-based glue. Immediately after the procedure, she developed drowsiness and severe pain in the right temporal region. Further investigations revealed a right cerebellar stroke in the posterior inferior cerebellar artery territory. She was treated with intravenous heparin, followed by one year of oral anticoagulation. With rehabilitation, she significantly recovered from her post embolization stroke. However, the tumor was resected at another institution. Ten years later, follow-up imaging indicated a gradual increase in the size of the glomus jugulare tumor, compressing the nearby critical vascular structures. She subsequently received radiation therapy to treat the residual tumor. Outcome: Currently, she has no neurological deficit, but her mild dizziness, right ear tinnitus, and hearing impairment persist. Relevance: This case highlights the complex nature of these tumors, which often bring challenges to the patients as well as treatment teams. The multi-disciplinary team approach is necessary to tailor the management plan for individual tumors. Although embolization is a safe procedure, careful attention and thoughtful anatomic knowledge regarding dangerous anastomosis are essential to avoid devastating complications. Complications occur due to encountered vessel anomalies and new anastomoses formed during the gluing and changes in hemodynamics.

Keywords: stroke, embolization, MRI brain, cerebral angiogram

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Authors: Ilyasu G., Ogoina D., Otu AA, Muhammed FD, Ebenso B., Otokpa D., Rotifa S., Tuduo-Wisdom O., Habib AG

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Background: The 2014 Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak was characterized by fear, misconceptions and irrational behaviors. We conducted a knowledge attitude and practice survey of EVD in Nigeria to inform the institution of effective control measures. Methods: Between July 30th and September 30th 2014, a cross-sectional study on knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) was undertaken among adults of the general population and healthcare workers (HCW) in three states of Nigeria, including Kano, Cross River and Bayelsa states. Demographic information and data on KAP were obtained using a self-administered standardized questionnaire. The percentage KAP scores were categorized as good and poor. Independent predictors of good knowledge of EVD were ascertained using a binary logistic regression model. Results: Out of 1035 study participants with a median age of 32 years, 648 (62.6%) were males, 846 (81.7%) had tertiary education and 441 (42.6%) were HCW. There were 218, 239 and 578 respondents from Bayelsa, Cross Rivers, and Kano states, respectively. The overall median percentage KAP scores and interquartile ranges (IQR) were 79.46% (15.07%), 95.0% (33.33%), and 49.95% (37.50%), respectively. Out of the 1035 respondents, 470 (45.4%), 544(52.56%), and 252 (24.35%) had good KAP of EVD defined using 80%, 90%, and 70% score cut-offs, respectively. Independent predictors of good knowledge of EVD were a HCW (Odds Ratio-OR-2.89, 95% Confidence interval-CI of 1.41-5.90), reporting ‘moderate to high fear of EVD’ (OR-2.15, 95% CI-1.47-3.13) and ‘willingness to modify habit’ (OR-1.68, 95% CI-1.23-2.30). Conclusion: Our results reveal suboptimal EVD-related knowledge, attitude and practice among adults in Nigeria. To effectively control future outbreaks of EVD in Nigeria, there is a need to institute public sensitization programs that improve understanding of EVD and address EVD-related myths and misconceptions, especially among the general population.

Keywords: Ebola, health care worker, knowledge, attitude

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Authors: Jayakant Singh, Enu Anand

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Background: Child marriage is widely prevalent in India. It is a form of gross human right violation that succumbs a child bride to be subservient to her husband within a marital relation. We investigated the relationship between age at marriage of women and her level of empowerment with physical violence experienced 12 months preceding the survey among young women aged 20-24 in two culturally distinct states- Bihar and Tamil Nadu of India. Methods: We used the information collected from 10514 young married women (20-24 years) at all India level, 373 in Bihar and 523 in Tamil Nadu from the third round of National Family Health Survey. Empowerment index was calculated using different parameters such as mobility, economic independence and decision making power of women using Principal Component Analysis method. Bivariate analysis was performed primarily using chi square for the test of significance. Logistic regression was carried out to assess the effect of age at marriage and empowerment on physical violence. Results: Lower level of women empowerment was significantly associated with physical violence in Tamil Nadu (OR=2.38, p<0.01) whereas child marriage (marriage before age 15) was associated with physical violence in Bihar (OR=3.27, p<0.001). The mean difference in age at marriage between those who experienced physical violence and those who did not experience varied by 7 months in Bihar and 10 months in Tamil Nadu. Conclusion: Culture specific intervention may be a key to reduction of violence against women as the results showed association of different factors contributing to physical violence in Bihar and Tamil Nadu. Marrying at an appropriate age perhaps is protective of abuse because it equips a woman to assert her rights effectively. It calls for an urgent consideration to curb both violence and child marriage with stricter involvement of family, civil society and the government. In the meanwhile physical violence may be recognized as a public health problem and integrate appropriate treatment to the victims within the health care institution.

Keywords: child marriage, empowerment, India, physical violence

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Authors: Mohamed Abdelrahman Abdalla

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Apart from their function in producing CSF, the brain ventricles have been recognized as the mere remnant of the embryological neural tube with no clear role. The lack of proper definition of the function of the brain ventricles and the central spinal canal has made it difficult to ascertain the pathophysiology of its different disease conditions or to treat them. This study aims to review the simple physics that could explain the basic function of the CNS ventricular system and to suggest new ways of approaching its pathology. There are probably more physical factors to consider than only the pressure. Monro-Killie hypothesis focuses on volume and subsequently pressure to direct our surgical management in different disease conditions. However, the enlarged volume of the ventricles in normal pressure hydrocephalus does not move any blood or brain outside the skull. Also, in idiopathic intracranial hypertension, the very high intracranial pressure rarely causes brain herniation. On this note, the continuum of the intracranial cavity with the spinal canal makes it a whole unit and hence the defect in the theory. In this study, adding different factors to the equation like brain and CSF density and positions of the brain in space, in addition to the volume and pressure, aims to identify how the ventricles are important in the CNS homeostasis. In addition, increasing the variables that we analyze to treat different CSF pathological conditions should increase our understanding and hence accuracy of treatment of such conditions.

Keywords: communicating hydrocephalus, functions of the ventricles, idiopathic intracranial hypertension physics of CSF

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Authors: Lemi Tolu

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Background: Postpartum family planning (PPFP) focuses on the prevention of unintended and closely spaced pregnancies through the first 12 months following childbirth. Objective: This study assesses the barriers to uptake of long-term and permanent family planning methods among immediate post-partum mothers at Saint Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Methodology: An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from January 1 to June 30, 2017. The six months of study were used as strata, and systematic sampling used to select participants in each month. Post-partum mothers were interviewed using pretested structured questionnaires. Data entry and analysis were done using SPSS version 17. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regressions were fitted to identify determinants of post-partum family planning uptake. An OR with 95% CIs was calculated, and p values set at 005 were used to determine the statistical significance of associations. Results: Four hundred and twenty-two post-partum women were interviewed. Two hundred sixty-eight (63%) women received counselling on family planning, and 241 (66.8 %) got information about contraception. One hundred and fifty-two (45%) of the women accepted long-term and permanent contraception on their immediate postpartum period before discharge. Contraceptive counselling (OR = 2.13, 95% CI 1.004-3.331), getting information from the health facility (OR = 15.15, 95% CI 1.848-19.242), and partner support (OR = 1.367, 95% CI 1.175-2.771) were significantly associated with long-term and permanent contraception uptake. Conclusion: Postpartum counselling on family planning and provision of contraception information improve immediate postpartum FP acceptance, and, hence postpartum programs need to strengthen such services.

Keywords: contraception, immediate postpartum, long-term family planning, post-partum family planning

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Authors: Ki Moo Lim, Iman R. Tayibnapis

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According to WHO estimation, 38 out of 56 million (68%) global deaths in 2012, were due to noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). To avert NCD, one of the solutions is early detection of diseases. In order to do that, we developed 'U-Healthcare Mirror', which is able to measure vital sign such as heart rate (HR) and respiration rate without any physical contact and consciousness. To measure HR in the mirror, we utilized digital camera. The camera records red, green, and blue (RGB) discoloration from user's facial image sequences. We extracted blood volume pulse (BVP) from the RGB discoloration because the discoloration of the facial skin is accordance with BVP. We used blind source separation (BSS) to extract BVP from the RGB discoloration and adaptive filters for removing noises. We utilized singular value decomposition (SVD) method to implement the BSS and the adaptive filters. HR was estimated from the obtained BVP. We did experiment for HR measurement by using our method and previous method that used independent component analysis (ICA) method. We compared both of them with HR measurement from commercial oximeter. The experiment was conducted under various distance between 30~110 cm and light intensity between 5~2000 lux. For each condition, we did measurement 7 times. The estimated HR showed 2.25 bpm of mean error and 0.73 of pearson correlation coefficient. The accuracy has improved compared to previous work. The optimal distance between the mirror and user for HR measurement was 50 cm with medium light intensity, around 550 lux.

Keywords: blood volume pulse, heart rate, photoplethysmography, independent component analysis

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Authors: Hariti Rafika, Fekih Malika, Saighi Mohamed

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Heat transfer by natural convection in storage tanks for LNG is extremely related to heat gains through the walls with thermal insulation is not perfectly efficient. In this paper, we present the study of natural convection in the unsteady regime for natural gas in aware phase using the fluent software. The gas is just on the surface of the liquid phase. The CFD numerical method used to solve the system of equations is based on the finite volume method. This numerical simulation allowed us to determine the temperature profiles, the stream function, the velocity vectors and the variation of the heat flux density in the vapor phase in the LNG storage tank volume. The results obtained for a general configuration, by numerical simulation were compared to those found in the literature.

Keywords: numerical simulation, natural convection, heat gains, storage tank, liquefied natural gas

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Authors: Methembe Mdlalose

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This paper synthesizes the findings of a study that utilized a purposive sampling methodology laced within a grounded theory analytical framework with LED managers, mayors, and traditional leaders representing six municipalities of uThukela District of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The paper critiques the two institution’s micro-relations within local governance and their overall impact on the general development discourse of rural areas. The study is located in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, a part of South Africa that experiences extremely low levels of development in rural areas and suffers from high rates of inequality, poverty, and unemployment. The paper unpacks the role of two significant stakeholders in the local sphere. Considered as the two dominant stakeholders at the local level, questions of compatibility between traditional leaders and municipal councillors often surge, as the two institutions (who represent two autonomous entities) that operate within the same operational boarders. The discussion around community development lies very deeply on accountability, which assures citizens that fruitless spending is curbed and good governance is maintained. If development is to be assured, it is vital to monitor accountability within government spheres and its departments. It is further essential to monitor the relations within local government. The findings of this research confirmed how relationships between traditional leaders and councillors can and have contributed to economic development or its stagnation thereof in rural areas. In addition, the findings revealed that there is an extensive need for the two stakeholders to work collectively, as this is a vital move in planning for development. Furthermore, the better accountability of local government and a better understanding of how clear policy and its implementation is may be a valuable asset in the discourse of community economic development in rural areas.

Keywords: economic development, traditional leadership, democratically elected councillors, local governance

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Authors: Jan Gayl Barcelon, N. Gorgonio

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Renal tubular acidosis, a medical condition that involves the accumulation of acid in the body due to failure of the kidneys to maintain normal urine and blood pH, is rarely encountered in pregnancy. The effect of renal tubular acidosis in pregnancy is not fully established. It may worsen during pregnancy and cause maternal and fetal morbidity. A 30-year-old primigravida was diagnosed with renal tubular acidosis at age 7, but due to uncontrolled disease progression, she developed rickets at age 10. She was first seen in our institution at eight weeks gestation and maintained on bicarbonate and potassium supplementation. At 26 weeks gestation, she was diagnosed with polyhydramnios, causing on and off irregular uterine contractions. At 30 weeks gestation, despite oral Nifedipine, premature labor was uncontrolled; hence she was admitted for tocolysis. With elevated creatinine (123 umol/L) and a normal blood urea nitrogen level (6.70 mmol/L), she was referred to Nephrology Service, which cleared the patient prior to MgSO₄ drip. Dosing of 4g MgSO₄ over 20 minutes followed by a maintenance of 2g/hour x 24 hours for neuroprotection and tocolysis was ordered. Two hours after MgSO₄ drip initiation, hematuria developed with adequate urine output. The infusion was immediately stopped. The serum magnesium level was high normal at 6.7 mEq/L. After 4 hours of renal clearance, the repeat serum magnesium level was normal (2.7 mEq/L) and with clear urine output. The patient was then given Nifedipine 30mg/tab, 3x a day which controlled the uterine contractions. At 37 weeks gestation, the patient delivered via primary low transverse Cesarean Section to a live female with a birthweight of 2470gm, appropriate for gestational age. The use of MgSO₄ for the control of premature labor in patients with chronic renal disease secondary to renal tubular can cause hematuria.

Keywords: hematuria, magnesium sulfate, premature labor, renal tubular acidosis

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Authors: Marlon P. Perez

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The study intended to determine the level of occupational stress that was experienced by faculty members of private and public business schools in Batangas City with the end in view of proposing organizational development interventions in managing occupational stressors. Stressors such as factors intrinsic to the job, role in the organization, relationships at work, career development and organizational structure and climate were used as determinants of occupational stress level. Descriptive method of research was used as its research design. There were only 64 full-time faculty members coming from private and public business schools in Batangas City – University of Batangas, Lyceum of the Philippines University-Batangas, Golden Gate Colleges, Batangas State University and Colegio ng Lungsod ng Batangas. Survey questionnaire was used as data gathering instrument. It was found out that all occupational stressors were assessed stressful when grouped according to its classification of tertiary schools while response of subject respondents differs on their assessment of occupational stressors. Age variable has become significantly related to respondents’ assessments on factors intrinsic to the job and career development; however, it was not significantly related to role in the organization, relationships at work and organizational structure and climate. On the other hand, gender, marital status, highest educational attainment, employment status, length of service, area of specialization and classification of tertiary school were revealed to be not significantly related to all occupational stressors. Various organizational development interventions have been proposed to manage the occupational stressors that are experienced by business faculty members in the institution.

Keywords: occupational stress, business school, organizational development, intervention, stressors, faculty members, assessment, manage

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Authors: Norbert Tribl

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European contemporary scientific public opinion considers the concept of constitutional identity as a highlighted issue. Some scholars interpret the matter as the manifestation of a conflict of Europe. Nevertheless, constitutional identity is a bridge between the Member States and the EU rather than a river that will wash away the achievements of the integration. In accordance with the opinion of the author, the main problem of constitutional identity in Europe is the undetermined nature: the exact concept of constitutional identity has not been defined until now. However, this should be the first step to understand and use identity as a legal institution. Having regard to this undetermined nature, the legal-theoretical examination of constitutional identity is the main purpose of this study. The concept of constitutional identity appears in the Anglo-Saxon legal systems by a different approach than in the supranational system of European Integration. While the interpretation of legal institutions in conformity with the constitution is understood under it, the European concept is applied when possible conflicts arise between the legal system of the European supranational space and certain provisions of the national constitutions of the member states. The European concept of constitutional identity intends to offer input in determining the nature of the relationship between the constitutional provisions of the member states and the legal acts of the EU integration. In the EU system of multilevel constitutionalism, a long-standing central debate on integration surrounds the conflict between EU legal acts and the constitutional provisions of the member states. In spite of the fact that the Court of Justice of the European Union stated in Costa v. E.N.E.L. that the member states cannot refer to the provisions of their respective national constitutions against the integration. Based on the experience of more than 50 years since the above decision, and also in light of the Treaty of Lisbon, we now can clearly see that EU law has itself identified an obligation for the EU to protect the fundamental constitutional features of the Member States under Article 4 (2) of Treaty on European Union, by respecting the national identities of member states. In other words, the European concept intends to offer input for the determination of the nature of the relationship between the constitutional provisions of the member states and the legal acts of the EU integration.

Keywords: constitutional identity, EU law, European Integration, supranationalism

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Authors: Nana Bolashvili, Vakhtang Geladze, Tamazi Karalashvili, Nino Machavariani, George Geladze, Davit Kartvelishvili, Ana Karalashvili

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Fresh water is the major natural resource of Georgia. The average perennial sum of the rivers' runoff in Georgia is 52,77 km³, out of which 9,30 km³ inflows from abroad. The major volume of transit river runoff is ascribed to the Chorokhi river. Average perennial runoff in Western Georgia is 41,52 km³, in Eastern Georgia 11,25 km³. The indices of Eastern and Western Georgia were calculated with 50% and 90% river runoff respectively, while the same index calculation for other countries is based on a 50% river runoff. Out of total volume of resources, 133,2 m³/sec (4,21 km³) has been geologically prospected by the State Commission on Reserves and Acknowledged as reserves available for exploitation, 48% (2,02 km³) of which is in Western Georgia and 2,19 km³ in Eastern Georgia. Considering acknowledged water reserves of all categories per capita water resources accounts to 2,2 m³/day, whereas high industrial category -0. 88 m³ /day fresh drinking water. According to accepted norms, the possibility of using underground water reserves is 2,5 times higher than the long-term requirements of the country. The volume of abundant fresh-water reserves in Georgia is about 150 m³/sec (4,74 km³). Water in Georgia is consumed mostly in agriculture for irrigation purposes. It makes 66,4% around Georgia, in Eastern Georgia 72,4% and 38% in Western Georgia. According to the long-term forecast provision of population and the territory with water resources in Eastern Georgia will be quite normal. A bit different is the situation in the lower reaches of the Khrami and Iori rivers which could be easily overcome by corresponding financing. The present day irrigation system in Georgia does not meet the modern technical requirements. The overall efficiency of their majority varies between 0,4-0,6. Similar is the situation in the fresh water and public service water consumption. Organization of the mentioned systems, installation of water meters, introduction of new methods of irrigation without water loss will substantially increase efficiency of water use. Besides new irrigation norms developed from agro-climatic, geographical and hydrological angle will significantly reduce water waste. Taking all this into account we assume that for irrigation agricultural lands in Georgia is necessary 6,0 km³ water, 5,5 km³ of which goes to Eastern Georgia on irrigation arable areas. To increase water supply in Eastern Georgian territory and its population is possible by means of new water reservoirs as the runoff of every river considerably exceeds the consumption volume. In conclusion, we should say that fresh water resources by which Georgia is that rich could be significant source for barter exchange and investment attraction. Certain volume of fresh water can be exported from Western Georgia quite trouble free, without bringing any damage to population and hydroecosystems. The precise volume of exported water per region/time and method/place of water consumption should be defined after the estimation of different hydroecosystems and detailed analyses of water balance of the corresponding territories.

Keywords: GIS, management, rivers, water resources

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Authors: Saadia Izzeldin Malik

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Lack of ethics is the crisis of the 21-century. Today’s global world is filled with economic, political, environmental, media/communication, and social crises that all generated by the eroding fabric of ethics and moral values that guide human’s decisions in all aspects of live. Our global world is guided by liberal western democratic principles and liberal capitalist economic principles that define and reinforce each other. In economic terms, capitalism has turned world economic systems into one market place of ideas and products controlled by big multinational corporations that not only determine the conditions and terms of commodity production and commodity exchange between countries, but also transform the political economy of media systems around the globe. The citizen (read the consumer) today is the target of persuasion by all types of media at a time when her/his interests should be, ethically and in principle, the basic significant factor in the selection of media content. It is very important in this juncture of clashing media values –professional and commercial- and wide spread ethical lapses of media organizations and media professionals to think of a perspective to theorize these conflicting values within a broader framework of media ethics. Thus, the aim of this paper is to, epistemologically, bring to the center a perspective on media ethics as a basis for reconciliation of clashing values of the media. The paper focuses on conflicting ethical values in current media debate; namely ownership of media vs. press freedom, individual right for privacy vs. public right to know, and global western consumerism values vs. media values. The paper concludes that a framework to reconcile conflicting values of media ethics should focus on the “individual” journalist and his/her moral development as well as focus on maintaining ethical principles of the media as an institution with a primary social responsibility for the “public” it serves.

Keywords: ethics, media, journalism, social responsibility, conflicting values, global

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Authors: Nataliya Apanovich, Mark Wright

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Uganda is among the poorest but fastest growing populations in the world. Its annual population growth of 3% puts additional stress through land fragmentation, agricultural intensification, and deforestation on already highly weathered tropical (Ferralsol) soils. All of these factors lead to decreased agricultural yields and consequently diminished food security. The central region of Uganda, Buganda Kingdom, is especially vulnerable in terms of food security as its high population density coupled with mismanagement of natural resources led to gradual loss of its soil and even changes in microclimate. These changes are negatively affecting livelihoods of smallholder farmers who comprise 80% of all population in Uganda. This research focuses on biochar for soil remediation in Masaka District, Uganda. If produced on a small scale from locally sourced materials, biochar can increase the quality of soil in a cost and time effective manner. To assess biochar potential, 151 smallholder farmers were interviewed on the types of crops grown, agricultural residues produced and their use, as well as on attitudes towards biochar use and its production on a small scale. The interviews were conducted in 7 sub-counties, 32 parishes, and 92 villages. The total farmland covered by the study was 606.2 kilometers. Additional information on the state of agricultural development and environmental degradation in the district was solicited from four local government officials via informal interviews. This project has been conducted in collaboration with the international agricultural research institution, Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda. The results of this research can have implications on the way farmers perceive the value of their agricultural residues and what they decide to do with them. The underlying objective is to help smallholders in degraded soils increase their agricultural yields through the use of biochar without diverting the already established uses of agricultural residues to a new soil management practice.

Keywords: agricultural residues, biochar, central Uganda, food security, soil erosion, soil remediation

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Authors: Giovanna Carugno

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The concept of invention is rarely scrutinized by legal scholars since it is a slippery one, full of nuances and difficult to be defined. When does an idea become relevant for the patent law? When is it simply possible to talk of what an invention is? It is the first question to be answered to obtain a patent, but it is sometimes neglected by treaties or reduced to very simple and automatically re-cited definitions. Maybe, also because it is more a transnational and cultural concept than a mere institution of law. Tautology is used to avoid the challenge (in the United States patent regulation, the inventor is the one who contributed to have a patentable invention); in other case, a clear definition is surprisingly not even provided (see, e.g., the European Patent Convention). In Europe, the issue is still more complicated because there are several different solutions elaborate inorganically be national systems of courts varying one to the other only with the aim of solving different IP cases. Also a neighbor domain, like copyright law, is not assisting us in the research, since an author in this field is entitles to be the 'inventor' or the 'author' and to protect as far as he produces something new. Novelty is not enough in patent law. A simple distinction between mere improvement that can be achieved by a man skilled in the art (a sort of reasonable man, in other sectors) or a change that is not obvious rising to the dignity of protection seems not going too far. It is not still defining this concept; it is rigid and not fruitful. So, setting aside for the moment the issue related to the definition of the invention/inventor, our proposal is to scrutinize the possible self-sufficiency of a system in which the inventor or the improver should be awarded of royalties or similar compensation according to the economic improvement he was able to bring. The law, in this case, is in the penumbras of misleading concepts, divided between facts that are obscure and technical, and not involving necessarily legal issues. The aim of this paper is to find out a single definition (or, at least, the minimum elements common in the different legal systems) of what is (legally) an invention and what can be the hints to practically identify an authentic invention. In conclusion, it will propose an alternative system in which the invention is not considered anymore and the only thing that matters are the revenues generated by technological improvement, caused by the worker's activity.

Keywords: comparative law, intellectual property, invention, patents

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Authors: Londeka Ntuli, Frasia Oosthuizen

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Background: Tenefovir disiproxil fumarate (TDF) is a nephrotoxic drug and has been proven to contribute to renal insufficiency necessitating intensive monitoring and management of adverse effects arising from prolonged exposure to the drug. TDF is one of the preferred first-line drugs used in combination therapy in most regions. There are estimated 300 000 patients being initiated on the Efavirenz/TDF/Emtricitabine first-line regimen annually in South Africa. It is against this background that this study aims to investigate the effects of TDF on renal sufficiency of HIV positive patients. Methodology: A retrospective quantitative study was conducted, analysing clinical charts of HIV positive patient’s older than 18 years of age and on a TDF-containing regimen for more than 1 year. Data were obtained from the analysis of patient files and was transcribed into Microsoft® Excel® spreadsheet. Extracted data were coded, categorised and analysed using STATA®. Results: A total of 275 patient files were included in this study. Renal function started decreasing after 3 months of treatment (with 93.5% patients having a normal EGFR), and kept on decreasing as time progressed with only 39.6% normal renal function at year 4. Additional risk factors for renal insufficiency included age below 25, female gender, and additional medication. Conclusion: It is clear from this study that the use of TDF necessitates intensive monitoring and management of adverse effects arising from prolonged exposure to the drug. The findings from this study generated pertinent information on the safety profile of the drug TDF in a resource-limited setting of a public health institution. The appropriate management is of tremendous importance in the South African context where the majority of HIV positive individuals are on the TDF containing regimen; thus it is beneficial to ascertain the possible level of toxicities these patients may be experiencing.

Keywords: renal insufficiency, tenefovir, HIV, risk factors

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Authors: Uzma Imtiaz

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Ecological feminism adheres to the basic philosophy that patriarchy is the wellspring of natural and gender domination. It explores the relationship between women and nature in a patriarchal society. Eco-feminism argues that women and nature have an intrinsic association and exploitation of women is the exploitation of nature itself. It further views the world as a holistic institution that offers equal opportunities for men and women. Eco-feminism rejects male domination in a patriarchal society where men and women do not get equal rights to survival. Furthermore, it investigates modern capitalist practices that exert unjust male dominance over nature and women. Cultural eco-feminist theorists argue that industrialization and modern science are male-centered and exhibit male chauvinistic views in attempts to control females’ ability to reproduce. This research intends to analyze an eco-feminist novel by Laila Halaby from the eco-feminism theoretical framework of Maria Mies and Vandana Shiva. The feminist dystopian novel throws light on the double-faced processes of capitalism and housewifization that destroy the autonomy of women over their bodies and life. Moreover, this study aims to highlight the unjust capitalistic processes and policies that turn other countries and women into colonies to exploit them by white men in the name of progress and civilization. The novel brings the patriarchal ways of dominance over women into question. This research paper concludes that women and men should get equal opportunities to survive in society, and women should have given rights over their bodies to decide their future. The research is qualitative in nature, so the method of close reading is selected to analyze the hypodermic effect of patriarchy in society. This study is valuable in highlighting the exploitative ways of men to subjugate women and nature and helps to give awareness to women against gender exploitation in society.

Keywords: housewifization, exploitation, capitalist patriarchy, female victimization

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Authors: Surachai Ampawasuvan, Supornchai Utainarumol

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Most of fuel station’ customers, who drive on the major arterial road wants to use the stations to fill fuel to their vehicle during their journey to destinations. According to the survey of traffic volume of the vehicle using fuel stations by video cameras, automatic counting tools, or questionnaires, it was found that most users prefer to use fuel stations on holiday rather than on working day. They also prefer to use fuel stations in the morning rather than in the evening. When comparing the ratio of the distribution pattern of traffic volume of the vehicle using fuel stations by video cameras, automatic counting tools, there is no significant difference. However, when comparing the ratio of peak hour (peak hour rate) of the results from questionnaires at 13 to 14 percent with the results obtained by using the methods of the Institute of Transportation Engineering (ITE), it is found that the value is similar. However, it is different from a survey by video camera and automatic traffic counting at 6 to 7 percent of about half. So, this study suggests that in order to forecast trip generation of vehicle using fuel stations on major arterial road which is mostly characterized by Though Traffic, it is recommended to use the value of half of peak hour rate, which would make the forecast for trips generation to be more precise and accurate and compatible to surrounding environment.

Keywords: peak rate, trips generation, fuel station, arterial road

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