Search results for: parent kills child
Commenced in January 2007
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Edition: International
Paper Count: 1846

Search results for: parent kills child

1066 Influence of Plastic Waste Reinforcement on Compaction and Consolidation Behavior of Silty Soil

Authors: Maryam Meftahi, Yashar Hamidzadeh

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In recent decades, the amount of solid waste production has been rising. In the meantime, plastic waste is one of the major parts of urban solid waste, so, recycling plastic waste from water bottles has become a serious challenge in the whole world. The experimental program includes the study of the effect of waste plastic fibers on maximum dry density (MDD), optimum moisture content (OMC) with different sizes and contents. Also, one dimensional consolidation tests were carried out to evaluate the benefit of utilizing randomly distributed waste plastics fiber to improve the engineering behavior of a tested soils. Silty soil specimens were prepared and tested at five different percentages of plastic waste content (i.e. 0.25%, 0.50%, 0.75%, 1% and 1.25% by weight of the parent soil). The size of plastic chips used, are 4 mm, 8 mm and 12 mm long and 4 mm in width. The results show that with the addition of waste plastic fibers, the MDD and OMC and also the compressibility of soil decrease significantly.

Keywords: silty soil, waste plastic, compaction, consolidation, reinforcement

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1065 Effects of Exposure to Domestic Physical Violence on Children's Behavior: A Chinese Community-Based Sample

Authors: Cao Yuping, Li Longfei, Zhao Xingfu, Zhang Yalin

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Purpose: This study examined the effects of exposure to domestic physical violence (DPV) on children’s behavior in a community sample. Method: Ninety-three 12-16 year-old adolescents exposed to DPV were matched with 54 adolescents with no exposure to DPV based on age, gender, family composition and parental age and education level. Participation included assessment with the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ-SF) and Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) by the adolescents and their parents respectively. Results: CBCL total score and anxiety/depression, social interaction problems, attention problems, delinquency, aggression and externalizing scores were significantly higher in adolescents exposed to DPV than those in controls (all ps<0.05).The CBCL total score and scores of anxiety/depression, social interaction problems, attention problems, delinquency, aggression and externalizing behaviors of boys were significantly higher in the research group than in the controls (all ps<0.05). Delinquency scores in abused adolescents were significantly higher than in DPV witnessed (p<0.05), but no other scores of CBCL were significant different. Different subtypes of behavioral problems were associated with different types of abuse. Conclusions: DPV exposure is associated with adverse behaviors in children, especially among boys. Children witness DPV alone have similar behavioral scores as the abused children. We recommend that both abused and DPV witness adolescents in Chinese communities need treatment to mitigate the effects on maladjusted behaviors.

Keywords: domestic violence, child, behavior, community, China

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1064 Parental Monitoring of Learners’ Cell Phone Use in the Eastern Cape, South Africa

Authors: Melikhaya Skhephe, Robert Mawuli Kwasi Boadzo, Zanoxolo Berington Gobingca

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This research study sought to examine parental monitoring of learners’ cell phone use in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. To this end, the researchers employed a quantitative approach. Data were obtained through questionnaires, with a sample of 15 parents having been purposively selected. The findings revealed that parents are unaware that they have to monitor the learner’s cell phone. Another finding was that parents in the 21-century did not support the use of mobile phones in education. The researchers recommend that parent’s discussion forums be created to educate parents on how a cell phone can be used in education. Cellphone companies need to be encouraged to educate parents on how they monitor cell phones used by learners. Another recommendation was that network providers need to restrict access to searching on the internet according to age.

Keywords: parental monitoring, app blocking services, learner’s cell phone use, cell phone

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1063 Effectiveness of Visual Auditory Kinesthetic Tactile Technique on Reading Level among Dyslexic Children in Helikx Open School and Learning Centre, Salem

Authors: J. Mano Ranjini

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Each and every child is special, born with a unique talent to explore this world. The word Dyslexia is derived from the Greek language in which “dys” meaning poor or inadequate and “lexis” meaning words or language. Dyslexia describes about a different kind of mind, which is often gifted and productive, that learns the concept differently. The main aim of the study is to bring the positive outcome of the reading level by examining the effectiveness of Visual Auditory Kinesthetic Tactile technique on Reading Level among Dyslexic Children at Helikx Open School and Learning Centre. A Quasi experimental one group pretest post test design was adopted for this study. The Reading Level was assessed by using the Schonell Graded Word Reading Test. Thirty subjects were drawn by using purposive sampling technique and the intervention Visual Auditory Kinesthetic Tactile technique was implemented to the Dyslexic Children for 30 consecutive days followed by the post Reading Level assessment revealed the improvement in the mean score value of reading level by 12%. Multi-sensory (VAKT) teaching uses all learning pathways in the brain (visual, auditory, kinesthetic-tactile) in order to enhance memory and learning and the ability in uplifting emotional, physical and societal dimensions. VAKT is an effective method to improve the reading skill of the Dyslexic Children that ensures the enormous significance of learning thereby influencing the wholesome of the child’s life.

Keywords: visual auditory kinesthetic tactile technique, reading level, dyslexic children, Helikx Open School

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1062 Coronin 1C and miR-128A as Potential Diagnostic Biomarkers for Glioblastoma Multiform

Authors: Denis Mustafov, Emmanouil Karteris, Maria Braoudaki

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Glioblastoma multiform (GBM) is a heterogenous primary brain tumour that kills most affected patients. To the authors best knowledge, despite all research efforts there is no early diagnostic biomarker for GBM. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short non-coding RNA molecules which are deregulated in many cancers. The aim of this research was to determine miRNAs with a diagnostic impact and to potentially identify promising therapeutic targets for glioblastoma multiform. In silico analysis was performed to identify deregulated miRNAs with diagnostic relevance for glioblastoma. The expression profiles of the chosen miRNAs were then validated in vitro in the human glioblastoma cell lines A172 and U-87MG. Briefly, RNA extraction was carried out using the Trizol method, whilst miRNA extraction was performed using the mirVANA miRNA isolation kit. Quantitative Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction was performed to verify their expression. The presence of five target proteins within the A172 cell line was evaluated by Western blotting. The expression of the CORO1C protein within 32 GBM cases was examined via immunohistochemistry. The miRNAs identified in silico included miR-21-5p, miR-34a and miR-128a. These miRNAs were shown to target deregulated GBM genes, such as CDK6, E2F3, BMI1, JAG1, and CORO1C. miR-34a and miR-128a showed low expression profiles in comparison to a control miR-RNU-44 in both GBM cell lines suggesting tumour suppressor properties. Opposing, miR-21-5p demonstrated greater expression indicating that it could potentially function as an oncomiR. Western blotting revealed expression of all five proteins within the A172 cell line. In silico analysis also suggested that CORO1C is a target of miR-128a and miR-34a. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated that 75% of the GBM cases showed moderate to high expression of CORO1C protein. Greater understanding of the deregulated expression of miR-128a and the upregulation of CORO1C in GBM could potentially lead to the identification of a promising diagnostic biomarker signature for glioblastomas.

Keywords: non-coding RNAs, gene expression, brain tumours, immunohistochemistry

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1061 Status of Sensory Profile Score among Children with Autism in Selected Centers of Dhaka City

Authors: Nupur A. D., Miah M. S., Moniruzzaman S. K.

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Autism is a neurobiological disorder that affects physical, social, and language skills of a person. A child with autism feels difficulty for processing, integrating, and responding to sensory stimuli. Current estimates have shown that 45% to 96 % of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder demonstrate sensory difficulties. As autism is a worldwide burning issue, it has become a highly prioritized and important service provision in Bangladesh. The sensory deficit does not only hamper the normal development of a child, it also hampers the learning process and functional independency. The purpose of this study was to find out the prevalence of sensory dysfunction among children with autism and recognize common patterns of sensory dysfunction. A cross-sectional study design was chosen to carry out this research work. This study enrolled eighty children with autism and their parents by using the systematic sampling method. In this study, data were collected through the Short Sensory Profile (SSP) assessment tool, which consists of 38 items in the questionnaire, and qualified graduate Occupational Therapists were directly involved in interviewing parents as well as observing child responses to sensory related activities of the children with autism from four selected autism centers in Dhaka, Bangladesh. All item analyses were conducted to identify items yielding or resulting in the highest reported sensory processing dysfunction among those children through using SSP and Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21.0 for data analysis. This study revealed that almost 78.25% of children with autism had significant sensory processing dysfunction based on their sensory response to relevant activities. Under-responsive sensory seeking and auditory filtering were the least common problems among them. On the other hand, most of them (95%) represented that they had definite to probable differences in sensory processing, including under-response or sensory seeking, auditory filtering, and tactile sensitivity. Besides, the result also shows that the definite difference in sensory processing among 64 children was within 100%; it means those children with autism suffered from sensory difficulties, and thus it drew a great impact on the children’s Daily Living Activities (ADLs) as well as social interaction with others. Almost 95% of children with autism require intervention to overcome or normalize the problem. The result gives insight regarding types of sensory processing dysfunction to consider during diagnosis and ascertaining the treatment. So, early sensory problem identification is very important and thus will help to provide appropriate sensory input to minimize the maladaptive behavior and enhance to reach the normal range of adaptive behavior.

Keywords: autism, sensory processing difficulties, sensory profile, occupational therapy

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1060 Trauma inside and Out: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study of Family, Community and Psychological Wellbeing amongst Pediatric Victims of Interpersonal Violence

Authors: Mary Bernardin, Margie Batek, Joseph Moen, David Schnadower

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Background: Exposure to violence not only has negative psychological impact on children but is a risk factor for children becoming recurrent victims of violence. However, little is known regarding the degree to which child victims of violence are exposed to trauma at home and in their community, or its association with specific psychological diagnoses. Objective: The aims of this study were to perform in-depth characterizations of family, community and psychological wellness amongst pediatric victims of interpersonal violence. Methods: As standard of care at the Saint Louis Children’s Hospital pediatric emergency department (ED), social workers perform in-depth interviews with all children presenting due to violent interpersonal encounters. In this retrospective cross-sectional study, we collected data from social work interviews on family structure, exposure to violence in the community and the home, as well as history of psychological diagnoses amongst children ages 8-19 years who presented to the ED for injuries related to interpersonal violence from 2014-2017. Results: A total of 407 patients presenting to the ED for an interpersonal violent encounter were analyzed. The average age of studied youths was 14.7 years (SD 2.5). Youths were 97.5% African American ethnicity and 66.6% male. 67.8% described their home having a nonnuclear family structure, 50% of which reported living with a single mother. Of the 21% who reported having incarcerated family members, 56.3% reported their father being incarcerated, 15% reported their mother being incarcerated, and 12.5% reported multiple family members being incarcerated. 11.3% reported witnessing domestic violence in their home. 12.8% of youths reported some form of child abuse. The type of child abuse was not specified in 29.3% of cases, but physical abuse (32.8%) followed by sexual abuse (22.4%) were the most commonly reported. 14.5% had history of placement in foster care and/or adoption. 64% reported having witnessed violence in their community. 30.2% reported having lost friends or family due to violence, and of those, 26.4% reported the loss of a cousin, 18.9% the loss of a friend, 16% the loss of their father, and 12.3% the loss of their brother due to violence. Of the 22.4% youths with psychiatric diagnose(s), 48.4% had multiple diagnoses, the most common of which were ADD/ADHD (62.6%), followed by depression (31.9%), bipolar disorder (27.5%) and anxiety (15.4%). Conclusions: A remarkable proportion of children presenting to EDs due to interpersonal violence have a history of exposure to instability and violence in their homes and communities. Additionally, psychological diagnoses are frequent among pediatric victims of violence. More research is needed to better understand the association between trauma exposure, psychological health and violent victimization amongst children.

Keywords: community violence, emergency department, pediatric interpersonal violence, pediatric trauma, psychological effects of trauma

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1059 Implication of Attention Deficit and Task Avoidance on the Mathematics Performance of Pupils with Intellectual Disabilities

Authors: Matthew Bamidele Ojuawo

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To some parents, task avoidance implies the time when argument ensues between parents and their children in order to get certain things done correctly without being forced. However, some children avoid certain task because of the fears that it is too hard or cannot be done without parental help. Laziness plays a role in task avoidance when children do not want to do something because they do not feel like it is easy enough or if they just want their parent help them get it over with more quickly. Children with attention deficit disorder more often have difficulties with social skills, such as social interaction and forming and maintaining friendships. The focus of this study is how task avoidance and attention deficit have effect on the mathematics performance of pupils in the lower basic classroom. Mathematics performance of pupils with learning disabilities has been seriously low due to avoidance of task and attention deficit posed as carried out in the previous researches, but the research has not been carried out in the lower basic classroom in Oyo, Oyo state, Nigeria.

Keywords: task avoidance, parents, children with attention deficit, mathematics

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1058 Maternal Awareness of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: A Jordanian Study

Authors: Nemeh Ahmad Al-Akour, Ibrahem Alfaouri

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Objective: To examine the level of maternal awareness of SIDS and its prevention amongst Jordanian mothers in the north of Jordan, as well as to determine their SIDS-related infant care practices. Design: A cross-sectional design. Setting: The study was conducted in maternal out-patients clinics of two teaching hospitals and three maternal and child health clinic in three major health care centers in Northern Jordan. Participants: A total of 356 mothers of infants attending the maternal and child health clinics were included in this study. Measurements and findings: A self-administered questionnaire was used for collecting data study. In this study, 64%of mothers didn’t hear about SIDS, while only 7% of mothers were able to identify factors risk-reducing recommendations. Avoidance of prone sleeping was the most frequently identified recommendation (5%). There were 67.7% of mothers who put their infant in a lateral position to sleep, 61% used soft mattress surface for their babies sleep and 25.8% who shared a bed with their babies. Employed mother, mothers of higher age, and mothers living within a nuclear family were the only factors associated with maternal awareness of SIDS. Friends were the highest a source of knowledge of SIDS for mothers (44.7%). Key conclusions: There was a low level of awareness of SIDS and its associated risk factor among the mothers in Jordan. The mothers' misconception about smoking and sleeping position for their infants requires further efforts. Implications for practice: To ensure raising awareness of infant care practice regarding SIDS, a national educational intervention on SIDS risk reduction strategies and recommendations is necessary for maintaining a low rate of SIDS in the population.

Keywords: bed sharing, infant care, Jordan, sleep position, sudden infant death

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1057 The Counselling Practice of School Social Workers in Swedish Elementary Schools - A Focus Group Study

Authors: Kjellgren Maria, Lilliehorn Sara, Markström Urban

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This article describes the counselling practice of school social workers (SSWs) with individual children. SSWs work in the school system’s pupil health team, whose primary task is health promotion and prevention. The work of SSWs is about helping children and adolescents who, for various reasons, suffer from mental ill-health, school absenteeism, or stress that make them unable to achieve their intended goals. SSWs preferably meet these children in individual counselling sessions. The aim of this article is to describe and analyse SSWs’ experience of counselling with children and to examine the characteristics of counselling practice. The data collection was conducted through four semi-structured focus group interviews with a total of 22 SSWs in four different regions in Sweden. SSWs provide counselling to children in order to bring about improved feelings or behavioural changes. It can be noted that SSWs put emphasis on both the counselling process and the alliance with the child. The interviews showed a common practice among SSWs regarding the structure of the counselling sessions, with certain steps and approaches being employed. However, the specific interventions differed and were characterised by an eclectic standpoint in which SSWs utilise a broad repertoire of therapeutic schools and techniques. Furthermore, a relational perspective emerged as a most prominent focus for the SSWs by re-emerging throughout the material. We believe that SSWs could benefit from theoretical perspectives on ‘contextual model’ and ‘attachment theory’ as ‘models of the mind’. Being emotionally close to the child and being able to follow their development requires a lot from SSWs, as both professional caregivers and as “safe havens”.

Keywords: school social conselling, school social workers, contextual model, attachment thory

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1056 The Effects of Parents’ Personality Traits and Family Variables on Aggressive Behavior in Children from the State of Kuwait

Authors: Eisa Al-Balhan

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This study explores the effects of parents’ personality and family variables on aggressive behavior in children from the State of Kuwait. The sample of 117children aged between 6 and 10 years (M=7.79 years, SD =1.4 years),117 fathers, and 117mothers from Kuwait. The following tools were used: a) the Aggressive Behavior Scale for Children (ABSC), b) the Personality Scales Inventory (PSI), and c) the Family Climate Scale (FCS). The results show that there were significant differences between children with highly aggressive behavior and those with low aggressive behavior for most of the personality traits of the father and mother, as well as most of the family climate and its different dimensions according to the father’s knowledge and the mother’s knowledge. Furthermore, there was a significant difference between males and females in the total score of aggressive behavior, verbal aggression, physical aggression, self-aggression, and aggression toward others, with higher scores occurring among males. Most of the correlations of the children’s aggressive behavior were with the personality traits of the father. The personality traits of the mother, family climate, and most of its different dimensions according to the father's and mother's knowledge had significant negative correlations with the child's aggression. There was no effect of the mother's and father's education levels on their child’s aggressive behavior. There was a significant difference between normal families and separated families in the total score of aggressive behavior, verbal aggression, and self-aggression, with a higher score occurring among separated families, and there was no significant difference between the two groups in physical aggression and aggression towards others.

Keywords: aggressive behavior, personality traits of parents, family variables, parents

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1055 The Right of Pregnant Girls to Remain in School: Conflicting Human Rights

Authors: Ronelle Prinsloo

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Teenage pregnancy in South African schools is a growing concern. In South Africa, many young female learners end their schooling permanently, not because they have completed their studies, but due to pregnancy. The admission policy of public schools is determined by the governing body of such a school, and this policy can determine that a pregnant leaner may not attend school during pregnancy and for a certain period after the birth of the child. This can be seen as an infringement of the rights of the teenage mother to be allowed to attend school. It can also be argued that this conflicts with the best interest of the child as well as the rights of the governing body to determine policy in accordance with the mandate as given to them by the parents and community served by the school. A pregnant learner can argue that the admission policy of a school is discriminatory if it does not allow the pregnant learner to continue her schooling. She may also argue that she is being unfairly discriminated against based on gender because in many instances, the baby’s father is still allowed to go to school. The Constitution (Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, Act 108 of 1996), provides in section 9, that everyone is equal before the law; it goes on to provide that equality includes the full and equal enjoyment of all rights and freedoms and provides those grounds on which one may not be discriminated against including, gender, sex, and pregnancy. Schools should be encouraged to re-enroll students if they have a support system available to assist with the necessary childcare when they attend school. To dramatically increase the number of young people enrolled in alternative pathways such as Further Education and Training or Adult Basic Education and Training must be provided. In addition, alternative systems must offer viable exit opportunities for participants by cohering with further education and economic opportunities.

Keywords: admission policy, Constitution of South Africa, human rights, teenage pregnancy

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1054 Low Enrollment in Antiretroviral Treatment among Pregnant Women Screened HIV Infected in Informal Health Centers in Cameroon

Authors: Lydie Audrey Amboua Schouame, Sylvie Kwedi Nolna, Antoine Socpa, Alexandre Benjamin Nkoum

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Background: Despite the struggle of the Cameroonian Ministry of Public Health against informal health centers (IHCs) because of their illegality, IHCs are booming in Cameroon and a large part of the population uses them. In 2017, more than 3.000 IHCs were counted across the country. Most of these IHCs have antenatal clinics and they screen pregnant women for HIV. However, there is no data on the Prevention of Mother-To-Child Transmission of HIV (PMTCT) in this informal health sector in Cameroon. This study aimed to investigate the initiation of Antiretroviral treatment (ART) in pregnant women screened HIV positive in IHCs and associated factors. Methods: From January 01, 2018, to June 30, 2020, we carried out a cohort study of pregnant women attending their first antenatal visit and screened HIV positive in informal health centers in the cities of Douala and Ebolowa in Cameroon. Consenting participants were interviewed at two points: at least one week after delivery of the HIV result and three months later. The collected data were entered into Kobo collected and analyzed in SPSS V23.0 software. Results: A total of 182 HIV-infected pregnant women were enrolled in the study. The median age at enrollment was 30 years (IQR, 24-34) and the median gestational age at first ANC was 25 weeks (IQR, 19-31). Overall 61% (111/182) had a secondary level of education, 65% (118/182) were married/in a common-law relationship and 69% (126/182) had no income activity. At their first ANC, 91% (166/182) were naïve to ARV treatment. Among them, only 45% (74/166) initiated ART. The median delay in initiating ARV treatment was 5 days (IQR, 0-25). Of those who have started ART, only 64% (48/74) remained on treatment 3 months later. Conclusion: In order to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV, attention should be paid to IHCs.

Keywords: informal health centers, human immunodeficiency, antiretroviral treatment, pregnant women

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1053 Mondoc: Informal Lightweight Ontology for Faceted Semantic Classification of Hypernymy

Authors: M. Regina Carreira-Lopez

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Lightweight ontologies seek to concrete union relationships between a parent node, and a secondary node, also called "child node". This logic relation (L) can be formally defined as a triple ontological relation (LO) equivalent to LO in ⟨LN, LE, LC⟩, and where LN represents a finite set of nodes (N); LE is a set of entities (E), each of which represents a relationship between nodes to form a rooted tree of ⟨LN, LE⟩; and LC is a finite set of concepts (C), encoded in a formal language (FL). Mondoc enables more refined searches on semantic and classified facets for retrieving specialized knowledge about Atlantic migrations, from the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America (1776) and to the end of the Spanish Civil War (1939). The model looks forward to increasing documentary relevance by applying an inverse frequency of co-ocurrent hypernymy phenomena for a concrete dataset of textual corpora, with RMySQL package. Mondoc profiles archival utilities implementing SQL programming code, and allows data export to XML schemas, for achieving semantic and faceted analysis of speech by analyzing keywords in context (KWIC). The methodology applies random and unrestricted sampling techniques with RMySQL to verify the resonance phenomena of inverse documentary relevance between the number of co-occurrences of the same term (t) in more than two documents of a set of texts (D). Secondly, the research also evidences co-associations between (t) and their corresponding synonyms and antonyms (synsets) are also inverse. The results from grouping facets or polysemic words with synsets in more than two textual corpora within their syntagmatic context (nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc.) state how to proceed with semantic indexing of hypernymy phenomena for subject-heading lists and for authority lists for documentary and archival purposes. Mondoc contributes to the development of web directories and seems to achieve a proper and more selective search of e-documents (classification ontology). It can also foster on-line catalogs production for semantic authorities, or concepts, through XML schemas, because its applications could be used for implementing data models, by a prior adaptation of the based-ontology to structured meta-languages, such as OWL, RDF (descriptive ontology). Mondoc serves to the classification of concepts and applies a semantic indexing approach of facets. It enables information retrieval, as well as quantitative and qualitative data interpretation. The model reproduces a triple tuple ⟨LN, LE, LT, LCF L, BKF⟩ where LN is a set of entities that connect with other nodes to concrete a rooted tree in ⟨LN, LE⟩. LT specifies a set of terms, and LCF acts as a finite set of concepts, encoded in a formal language, L. Mondoc only resolves partial problems of linguistic ambiguity (in case of synonymy and antonymy), but neither the pragmatic dimension of natural language nor the cognitive perspective is addressed. To achieve this goal, forthcoming programming developments should target at oriented meta-languages with structured documents in XML.

Keywords: hypernymy, information retrieval, lightweight ontology, resonance

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1052 Characterization of Mycoplasma Pneumoniae Causing Exacerbation of Asthma: A Prototypical Finding from Sri Lanka

Authors: Lakmini Wijesooriya, Vicki Chalker, Jessica Day, Priyantha Perera, N. P. Sunil-Chandra

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M. pneumoniae has been identified as an etiology for exacerbation of asthma (EQA), although viruses play a major role in EOA. M. pneumoniae infection is treated empirically with macrolides, and its antibiotic sensitivity is not detected routinely. Characterization of the organism by genotyping and determination of macrolide resistance is important epidemiologically as it guides the empiric antibiotic treatment. To date, there is no such characterization of M. pneumoniae performed in Sri Lanka. The present study describes the characterization of M. pneumoniae detected from a child with EOA following a screening of 100 children with EOA. Of the hundred children with EOA, M. pneumoniae was identified only in one child by Real-Time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test for identifying the community-acquired respiratory distress syndrome (CARDS) toxin nucleotide sequences. The M. pneumoniae identified from this patient underwent detection of macrolide resistance via conventional PCR, amplifying and sequencing the region of the 23S rDNA gene that contains single nucleotide polymorphisms that confer resistance. Genotyping of the isolate was performed via nested Multilocus Sequence Typing (MLST) in which eight (8) housekeeping genes (ppa, pgm, gyrB, gmk, glyA, atpA, arcC, and adk) were amplified via nested PCR followed by gene sequencing and analysis. As per MLST analysis, the M. pneumoniae was identified as sequence type 14 (ST14), and no mutations that confer resistance were detected. Resistance to macrolides in M. pneumoniae is an increasing problem globally. Establishing surveillance systems is the key to informing local prescriptions. In the absence of local surveillance data, antibiotics are started empirically. If the relevant microbiological samples are not obtained before antibiotic therapy, as in most occasions in children, the course of antibiotic is completed without a microbiological diagnosis. This happens more frequently in therapy for M. pneumoniae which is treated with a macrolide in most patients. Hence, it is important to understand the macrolide sensitivity of M. pneumoniae in the setting. The M. pneumoniae detected in the present study was macrolide sensitive. Further studies are needed to examine a larger dataset in Sri Lanka to determine macrolide resistance levels to inform the use of macrolides in children with EOA. The MLST type varies in different geographical settings, and it also provides a clue to the existence of macrolide resistance. The present study enhances the database of the global distribution of different genotypes of M. pneumoniae as this is the first such characterization performed with the increased number of samples to determine macrolide resistance level in Sri Lanka. M. pneumoniae detected from a child with exacerbation of asthma in Sri Lanka was characterized as ST14 by MLST and no mutations that confer resistance were detected.

Keywords: mycoplasma pneumoniae, Sri Lanka, characterization, macrolide resistance

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1051 Teachers’ and Students’ Causal Explanations for Classroom Misbehavior: Similarities and Differences

Authors: Rachel C. F. Sun

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This study aimed to examine the similarities and differences between teachers’ and students’ causal explanations of classroom misbehavior. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with twelve teachers and eighteen Grade 7-9 students. The qualitative data were analyzed, in which the attributed causes of classroom misbehavior were categorized into student, family, school, and peer factors. Findings showed that both interviewed teachers and students shared similarity in attributing to student factors, such as ‘fun and pleasure seeking’ and ‘attention seeking’ as the leading causes of misbehavior. However, the students accounted to school factors, particularly ‘boring lessons’ as the next attributed causes, while the teachers accounted to family factors, such as ‘lack of parent demandingness’. By delineating the factors at student, family, school, and peer levels, these findings help drawing corresponding implications for preventing and mitigating misbehavior in school.

Keywords: causal explanation, misbehavior, student, teacher

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1050 Hybrid Molecules: A Promising Approach to Design Potent Antimicrobial and Anticancer Drugs

Authors: Blessing Atim Aderibigbe

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A series of amine/ester-linked hybrid compounds containing pharmacophores, such as ursolic acid, oleanolic acid, ferrocene and bisphosphonates, were synthesized in an attempt to develop potent antibacterial and anticancer agents. Their structures were analyzed and confirmed using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, and mass spectroscopy. All the synthesized hybrid compounds were evaluated for their antibacterial activities against eleven selected bacterial strains using a serial dilution method. Some of the compounds displayed significant antibacterial activity against most of the bacterial and fungal strains. In addition, the in vitro cytotoxicity of these compounds was also performed against selected cancer cell lines. Some of the compounds were also found to be more active than their parent compounds, revealing the efficacy of designing hybrid molecules using plant-based bioactive agents.

Keywords: ursolic acid, hybrid drugs, oleanolic acid, bisphosphonates

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1049 An Analytical Study on the Effect of Chronic Liver Disease Severity and Etiology on Lipid Profiles

Authors: Thinakar Mani Balusamy, Venkateswaran A. R., Bharat Narasimhan, Ratnakar Kini S., Kani Sheikh M., Prem Kumar K., Pugazhendi Thangavelu, Arun Murugan, Sibi Thooran Karmegam, Radhakrishnan N., Mohammed Noufal, Amit Soni

Abstract:

Background and Aims: The liver is integral to lipid metabolism, and a compromise in its function leads to perturbations in these pathways. In this study, we hope to determine the correlation between CLD severity and its effect on lipid parameters. We also look at the etiology-specific effects on lipid levels. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective cross-sectional analysis of 250 patients with cirrhosis compared to 250 healthy age and sex-matched controls. Severity assessment of CLD using MELD and Child-Pugh scores was performed and etiological details collected. A questionnaire was used to obtain patient demographic details and lastly, a fasting lipid profile (Total, LDL, HDL cholesterol, Triglycerides and VLDL) was obtained. Results: All components of the lipid profile declined linearly with increasing severity of CLD as determined by MELD and Child-Pugh scores. Lipid levels were clearly lower in CLD patients as compared to healthy controls. Interestingly, preliminary analysis indicated that CLD of different etiologies had differential effects on Lipid profiles. This aspect is under further analysis. Conclusion: All components of the lipid profile were definitely lower in CLD patients as compared to controls and demonstrated an inverse correlation with increasing severity. The utilization of this parameter as a prognosticating aid requires further study. Additionally, preliminary analysis indicates that various CLD etiologies appear to have specific effects on the lipid profile – a finding under further analysis.

Keywords: CLD, cholesterol, HDL, LDL, lipid profile, triglycerides, VLDL

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1048 Prevalence and Associated Factors of Stunting among 6-59 Months Children in Pastoral Community of Korahay Zone, Somali Regional State, Ethiopia 2016

Authors: Sisay Shine, Frew Tadesse, Zemenu Shiferaw, Lema Mideksa

Abstract:

Background: Stunting is one of the most important public health problems in Ethiopia with an estimated 44.4% of children less than five years of age are stunted. Thus, this study aimed to assess prevalence and associated factors of stunting among 6-59 months children in pastoral community of Korahay Zone, Somali Regional State, Ethiopia. Objective of the study: To assess prevalence and associated factors of stunting among 6-59 months children in pastoral community of Korahay Zone, Somali Regional State, Ethiopia, 2016. Methods: Community based cross sectional study design was done among 770 children in pastoral community of Korahay Zone. Systematic sampling techniques were used to select households and took child mother pair from each selected households. Data was collected using pre-tested and structured questionnaire. Odds ratio with 95% confidence interval was used to assess level of significance. Result: Prevalence of stunting among 6-59 months age children was 31.9%. Sex (AOR: 1.47, 95%CI 1.02, 2.11), age (AOR: 2.10, 95%CI 1.16, 3.80), maternal education (AOR: 3.42, 95%CI 1.58, 7.41), maternal occupation (AOR: 3.10, 95%CI 1.85, 5.19), monthly income (AOR: 1.47, 95%CI 1.03, 2.09), PNC visits (AOR: 1.59, 95%CI 1.07, 2.37), source of water (AOR: 3.41, 95%CI 1.96, 5.93), toilet availability (AOR: 1.71, 95%CI 1.13, 2.58), first milk feeding (AOR: 3.37, 95%CI 2.27, 5.02) and bottle feeding (AOR: 2.07, 95%CI 1.34, 3.18) were significant predictors of stunting. Conclusion and recommendations: Prevalence of stunting among 6-59 months children was high 31.9%. Lack maternal education, not feeding first milk, unsafe water supply, absence toilet availability and bottle feeding can increase the risk of stunting. So, educating mothers on child feeding practice, sanitation and important of first milk can reduce stunting.

Keywords: dietary, environmental, healthcare, socio-demographic, stunting

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1047 Trajectories of Conduct Problems and Cumulative Risk from Early Childhood to Adolescence

Authors: Leslie M. Gutman

Abstract:

Conduct problems (CP) represent a major dilemma, with wide-ranging and long-lasting individual and societal impacts. Children experience heterogeneous patterns of conduct problems; based on the age of onset, developmental course and related risk factors from around age 3. Early childhood represents a potential window for intervention efforts aimed at changing the trajectory of early starting conduct problems. Using the UK Millennium Cohort Study (n = 17,206 children), this study (a) identifies trajectories of conduct problems from ages 3 to 14 years and (b) assesses the cumulative and interactive effects of individual, family and socioeconomic risk factors from ages 9 months to 14 years. The same factors according to three domains were assessed, including child (i.e., low verbal ability, hyperactivity/inattention, peer problems, emotional problems), family (i.e., single families, parental poor physical and mental health, large family size) and socioeconomic (i.e., low family income, low parental education, unemployment, social housing). A cumulative risk score for the child, family, and socioeconomic domains at each age was calculated. It was then examined how the cumulative risk scores explain variation in the trajectories of conduct problems. Lastly, interactive effects among the different domains of cumulative risk were tested. Using group-based trajectory modeling, four distinct trajectories were found including a ‘low’ problem group and three groups showing childhood-onset conduct problems: ‘school-age onset’; ‘early-onset, desisting’; and ‘early-onset, persisting’. The ‘low’ group (57% of the sample) showed a low probability of conducts problems, close to zero, from 3 to 14 years. The ‘early-onset, desisting’ group (23% of the sample) demonstrated a moderate probability of CP in early childhood, with a decline from 3 to 5 years and a low probability thereafter. The ‘early-onset, persistent’ group (8%) followed a high probability of conduct problems, which declined from 11 years but was close to 70% at 14 years. In the ‘school-age onset’ group, 12% of the sample showed a moderate probability of conduct problems from 3 and 5 years, with a sharp increase by 7 years, increasing to 50% at 14 years. In terms of individual risk, all factors increased the likelihood of being in the childhood-onset groups compared to the ‘low’ group. For cumulative risk, the socioeconomic domain at 9 months and 3 years, the family domain at all ages except 14 years and child domain at all ages were found to differentiate childhood-onset groups from the ‘low’ group. Cumulative risk at 9 months and 3 years did not differentiate between the ‘school-onset’ group and ‘low’ group. Significant interactions were found between the domains for the ‘early-onset, desisting group’ suggesting that low levels of risk in one domain may buffer the effects of high risk in another domain. The implications of these findings for preventive interventions will be highlighted.

Keywords: conduct problems, cumulative risk, developmental trajectories, early childhood, adolescence

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1046 Sexual Orientation, Household Labour Division and the Motherhood Wage Penalty

Authors: Julia Hoefer Martí

Abstract:

While research has consistently found a significant motherhood wage penalty for heterosexual women, where homosexual women are concerned, evidence has appeared to suggest no effect, or possibly even a wage bonus. This paper presents a model of the household with a public good that requires both a monetary expense and a labour investment, and where the household budget is shared between partners. Lower-wage partners will do relatively more of the household labour while higher-wage partners will specialise in market labour, and the arrival of a child exacerbates this split, resulting in the lower-wage partner taking on even more of the household labour in relative terms. Employers take this gender-sexuality dyad as a signal for employees’ commitment to the labour market after having a child, and use the information when setting wages after employees become parents. Given that women empirically earn lower wages than men, in a heterosexual couple the female partner will often do more of the household labour. However, as not every female partner has a lower wage, this results in an over-adjustment of wages that manifests as an unexplained motherhood wage penalty. On the other hand, in homosexual couples wage distributions are ex ante identical, and gender is no longer a useful signal to employers as to whether the partner is likely to specialise in household labour or market labour. This model is then tested using longitudinal data from the EU Standards of Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC) to investigate the hypothesis that women experience different wage effects of motherhood depending on their sexual orientation. While heterosexual women receive a significant motherhood wage penalty of 8-10%, homosexual mothers do not receive any significant wage bonus or penalty of motherhood, consistent with the hypothesis presented above.

Keywords: discrimination, gender, motherhood, sexual orientation, labor economics

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1045 Adult Health Outcomes of Childhood Self-Control and Social Disadvantage in the United Kingdom

Authors: Michael Daly

Abstract:

Background/Aims: The interplay of childhood self-control and early life social background in predicting adult health is currently unclear. We drew on rich data from two large nationally representative cohort studies to test whether individual differences in childhood self-control may: (i) buffer the health impact of social disadvantage, (ii) act as a mediating pathway underlying the emergence of health disparities, or (iii) compensate for the health consequences of socioeconomic disadvantage across the lifespan. Methods: We examined data from over 25,000 participants from the British Cohort Study (BCS) and the National Child Development Study (NCDS). Child self-control was teacher-rated at age 10 in the BCS and ages 7/11 in the NCDS. The Early life social disadvantage was indexed using measures of parental education, occupational prestige, and housing characteristics (i.e. housing tenure, home crowding). A range of health outcomes was examined: the presence of chronic conditions, whether illnesses were limiting, physiological dysregulation (gauged by clinical indicators), mortality, and perceptions of pain, psychological distress, and general health. Results: Childhood self-control and social disadvantage predicted each measure of adult health, with similar strength on average. An examination of mediating factors showed that adult smoking, obesity, and socioeconomic status explained the majority of these linkages. There was no systematic evidence that self-control moderated the health consequences of early social disadvantage and limited evidence that self-control acted as a key pathway from disadvantage to later health. Conclusions: Childhood self-control predicts adult health and may compensate for early life social disadvantage by shaping adult health behaviour and social status.

Keywords: personality and health, social disadvantage, health psychology, life-course development

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1044 Pediatricians as a Key Channel of Influence for Infant Formula Purchases

Authors: Matthew Heidman, Susan Dallabrida, Analice Costa

Abstract:

For infant caregivers, choosing an infant formula for their child can be a difficult task in an already stressful environment of caring for a newborn. There exist several channels that influence purchasing decision of infant formula such as, friends and family and their experiences, health care professionals, social media influencers, as well as standard media marketing. This study sought to identify the key channels by which caregivers obtain information regarding infant formula and help them make their purchasing decision. A digital survey was issued for 90 days in the US (n=121) and 30 days in Mexico (n=88) targeting respondents with children ≤4 years of age. Respondents were asked two key questions regarding the influences on their purchasing decisions: 1) “When choosing a formula brand, what do you do to help you make your decision?”, and 2) “When choosing a formula brand, what is most important to you?”. A list of potential answers was provided for each question and respondents were asked to select all that apply to them. Lastly, respondents were provided a 5-point Likert scale and asked to respond to the statement 3) “I am more likely to buy a particular formula brand if my pediatrician recommends it to me”. For question 1, in the US and Mexico, 76% and 95% of respondents respectively, selected “I ask my pediatrician” which represented the top selection. For question 2, 52% and 45% of respondents respectively, selected “On package “Pediatrician Recommended” claim…” which also represented the top selection. For statement 3, 82% and 89% of respondents respectively, stated that they either “somewhat agree” or “strongly agree” with the statement. For infant caregivers, the pediatrician is a very important channel of influence when it comes to purchasing decision of infant formula. Caregivers clearly see the pediatrician as the arbiter of their child’s nutrition and seek their recommendations for infant formula use. For infant formula manufacturers, it is important that they see the pediatrician as the gatekeeper to this market, and they put resources into medical marketing communication to this health care professional group to ensure success.

Keywords: infant formula, pediatrician, purchasing driver, caregiver

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1043 Designing a Learning Table and Game Cards for Preschoolers for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) on Earthquake

Authors: Mehrnoosh Mirzaei

Abstract:

Children are among the most vulnerable at the occurrence of natural disasters such as earthquakes. Most of the management and measures which are considered for both before and during an earthquake are neither suitable nor efficient for this age group and cannot be applied. On the other hand, due to their age, it is hard to educate and train children to learn and understand the concept of earthquake risk mitigation as matters like earthquake prevention and safe places during an earthquake are not easily perceived. To our knowledge, children’s awareness of such concepts via their own world with the help of games is the best training method in this case. In this article, the researcher has tried to consider the child an active element before and during the earthquake. With training, provided by adults before the incidence of an earthquake, the child has the ability to learn disaster risk reduction (DRR). The focus of this research is on learning risk reduction behavior and regarding children as an individual element. The information of this article has been gathered from library resources, observations and the drawings of 10 children aged 5 whose subject was their conceptual definition of an earthquake who were asked to illustrate their conceptual definition of an earthquake; the results of 20 questionnaires filled in by preschoolers along with information gathered by interviewing them. The design of the suitable educational game, appropriate for the needs of this age group, has been made based on the theory of design with help of the user and the priority of children’s learning needs. The final result is a package of a game which is comprised of a learning table and matching cards showing sign marks for safe and unsafe places which introduce the safe behaviors and safe locations before and during the earthquake. These educational games can be used both in group contexts in kindergartens and on an individual basis at home, and they help in earthquake risk reduction.

Keywords: disaster education, earthquake sign marks, learning table, matching card, risk reduction behavior

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1042 Effect of Early Therapeutic Intervention for the Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Quasi Experimental Design

Authors: Sultana Razia

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The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of early therapeutic intervention on children with an autism spectrum disorder. Participants were 140 children with autism spectrum disorder from Autism Corner in a selected rehabilitation center of Bangladesh. This study included children who are at aged of 18-month to 36-month and who were taking occupational therapy and speech and language therapy from the autism center. They were primarily screened using M-CHAT; however, children with other physical disabilities or medical conditions were excluded. 3-months interventions of 6 sessions per week are a minimum of 45-minutes long per session, one to one interaction followed by parent-led structured home-based therapy were provided. The results indicated that early intensive therapeutic intervention improves understanding, social skills and sensory skills. It can be concluded that therapeutic early intervention has a positive effect on diminishing symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Keywords: autism, m-chat, reciprocal social behavior, CRP

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1041 Story Telling Method as a Bastion of Local Wisdom in the Frame of Education Technology Development in Medan, North Sumatra-Indonesia

Authors: Mardianto

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Education and learning are now grown rapidly. Synergy of techonology especially instructional technology in the learning activities are very big influence on the effectiveness of learning and creativity to achieve optimal results. But on the other hand there is a education value that is difficult to be articulated through character-forming technology such as honesty, discipline, hard work, heroism, and so forth. Learning strategy and storytelling from the past until today is still an option for teachers to convey the message of character values. With the material was loaded from the local culture (stories folklore), the combination of learning objectives (build character child) strategy, and traditional methods (storytelling and story), and the preservation of local culture (dig tale folklore) is critical to maintaining the nation's culture. In the context of maintaining the nation's culture, then since the age of the child at the level of government elementary school a necessity. Globalization, the internet and technology sometimes feel can displace the role of the teacher in the learning activities. To the oral tradition is a mainstay of storytelling should be maintained and preserved. This research was conducted at the elementary school in the city of Medan, North Sumatra Indonesia, with a random sampling technique, the 27 class teachers were respondents who were randomly assigned to the Madrasah Ibtdaiyah (Islamic Elementary School) both public and private. Research conducted at the beginning of 2014 refers to a curriculum that is being transformed in the environment ministry Republic Religion Indonesia. The results of this study indicate that; the declining skills of teachers to develop storytelling this can be seen from; 74.07% of teachers have never attended a special training storytelling, 85.19% no longer nasakah new stories, only 22.22% are teachers who incorporate methods of stories in the learning plan. Most teachers are no longer concerned with storytelling, among those experiencing difficulty in developing methods because the story; 66.67% of children are more interested in children's cartoons like Bobo boy, Angrybirds and others, 59.26 children prefer other activities than listening to a story. The teachers hope, folklore books should be preserved, storytelling training should be provided by the government through the ministry of religion, race or competition of storytelling should be scheduled, writing a new script-based populist storytelling should be provided immediately. The teachers’ hope certainly not excessive, by realizing the story method becomes articulation as the efforts of child character development based populist, therefore the local knowledge can be a strong fortress facing society in the era of progress as at present, and future.

Keywords: story telling, local wisdom, education, technology development

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1040 Numerical Investigation of Embankments for Protecting Rock Fall

Authors: Gökhan Altay, Cafer Kayadelen

Abstract:

Rock fall is a movement of huge rock blocks from dip slopes due to physical effects. It generally occurs where loose tuffs lying under basalt flow or stringcourse is being constituted by limestone layers which stand on clay. By corrosion of some parts, big cracks occur on layers and these cracks continue to grow with the effect of freezing-thawing. In this way, the breaking rocks fall down from these dip slopes. Earthquakes which can induce lots of rock movements is another reason for rock fall events. In Turkey, we have a large number of regions prone to the earthquake as in the World so this increases the possibility of rock fall events. A great number of rock fall events take place in Turkey as in the World every year. The rock fall events occurring in urban areas cause serious damages in houses, roads and workplaces. Sometimes it also hinders transportation and furthermore it maybe kills people. In Turkey, rock fall events happen mostly in Spring and Winter because of freezing- thawing of water in rock cracks frequently. In mountain and inclined areas, rock fall is risky for engineering construction and environment. Some countries can invest significant money for these risky areas. For instance, in Switzerland, approximately 6.7 million dollars is spent annually for a distance of 4 km, to the systems to prevent rock fall events. In Turkey, we have lots of urban areas and engineering structure that have the rock fall risk. The embankments are preferable for rock fall events because of its low maintenance and repair costs. Also, embankments are able to absorb much more energy according to other protection systems. The current design method of embankments is only depended on field tests results so there are inadequate studies about this design method. In this paper, the field test modeled in three dimensions and analysis are carried out with the help of ANSYS programme. By the help of field test from literature the numerical model validated. After the validity of numerical models additional parametric studies performed. Changes in deformation of embankments are investigated by the changes in, geometry, velocity and impact height of falling rocks.

Keywords: ANSYS, embankment, impact height, numerical analysis, rock fall

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1039 Evaluation of Broiler Parent Breeds under Libyan Conditions

Authors: Salem A. Abdalla Bozrayda, Abulgasem M. Hubara

Abstract:

The use of commercial poultry breeds in Libya may result in large economic losses because genotypes selected in temperate climates may respond differently to other climate conditions and management. Therefore three commercial breeds (Hypeco, Avian, and Shaver) were evaluated in two regions. The data were obtained from weekly records of three parental flocks for each breed at Ghout El-sultan and Tawargha region. Feed Hen Housed (FHH), Hen Housed Egg Production (HHEP) Mortility % were the studied traits. Statistical model include location, year, month, age and breed. Hypeco produced more HHEP 68.6 with Less FHH 22.9 kg but with higher mortility 8.5 % than Avian and shaver breeds. The breeds exhibited different responses to the different months in Libya. In conclusion, the differences, which exhibited between the breeds in traits studied, indicate that genotype x environment must be considered when select breed to perform under Libyan conditions.

Keywords: hypeco avian shaver, feed hen housed, hen housed egg production, mortility, Libya

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1038 Creativity and Expressive Interpretation of Musical Drama in Children with Special Needs (Down Syndrome) in Special Schools Yayasan Pendidikan Anak Cacat, Medan, North Sumatera

Authors: Junita Batubara

Abstract:

Children with special needs, especially those with disability in mental, physical or social/emotional interactions, are marginalized. Many people still view them as troublesome, inconvenience, having learning difficulties, unproductive and burdensome to society. This study intends to investigate; how musical drama can develop the ability to control the coordination of mental functions; how musical dramas can assist children to work together; how musical dramas can assist to maintain the child's emotional and physical health; how musical dramas can improve children creativity. The objectives of the research are: To know whether musical drama can control the coordination of mental function of children; to know whether musical drama can improve communication ability and expression of children; to know whether musical drama can help children work with people around them; to find out if musical dramas can develop the child's emotional and physical health; to find out if musical drama can improve children's creativity. The study employed a qualitative research approach. Data was collecting by listening, observing in depth through public hearings that select the key informants who were teachers and principals, parents and children. The data obtained from each public hearing was then processed (reduced), conclusion drawing/verification, presentation of data (data display). Furthermore, the model obtained was implementing for musical performance, where the benefits of the show are: musical drama can improve language skills; musical dramas are capable of developing memory and storage of information; developing communication skills and express themselves; helping children work together; assisting emotional and physical health; enhancing creativity.

Keywords: children Down syndrome, music, drama script, performance

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1037 Comparison of Clinical Profiles of Patients Seen in a Women and Children Protection Unit in a Local Government Hospital in Makati, Philippines Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic Between January 2018 to February 2020 and March 2020 to December 2021

Authors: Margaret Denise P. Del Rosario, Geraldine Alcantara

Abstract:

Background: The declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted hospital visits of child abuse cases with less consults but more severe injuries. Objective: The study aims to identify the clinical profiles of patients seen in the hospital ng Makati Women and Children Protection Unit before and during the pandemic. Design: A cross-sectional analytic study design through review of records that underwent quantitative analysis. Results: 264 cases pre-pandemic and 208 cases during the pandemic were reviewed. Most reported cases were neglect comprising of 47% of the pre-pandemic cases and 68% of cases during the pandemic. Supervisory neglect was most commonly reported. An equal distribution between males and females were seen among victims and alleged perpetrators. The age group of both victims and alleged perpetrators during the pandemic was significantly younger compared to the pre-pandemic period. Children belonging to larger family groups were commonly encountered with most of them being the eldest amongst siblings. Alleged perpetrators were mostly secondary graduates for both time periods. A significant increase of cases during the pandemic occurred at home. More patients required hospitalization during the pandemic period with 37% compared to the 23% of admissions prior to the pandemic. Furthermore, a three-fold increase of injuries sustained during the pandemic required intensive care. Conclusion: The study reflects increased severity of injuries related to abuse during the pandemic compared to pre-pandemic times. A significant increase in injuries requiring intensive care were also seen despite less reported cases.

Keywords: child abuse, COVID-19, violence against children, WCPU, neglect

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