Search results for: training standards

Authors: Moise A. E., State G., Tudorache M., Custură I., Enea D. N., Osman (Defta) A., Drăgotoiu D.

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This scientific paper explores risk management strategies in the food supply chain, with a focus on chicken raw materials, in the context of a company sourcing from the EU and non-EU. The aim of the paper is to adapt the requirements of international standards (IFS, BRC, QS, ITW, FSSC, ISO), proposing efficient methods to identify and remediate non-conformities and corrective and preventive actions. Defining the supply flow and acceptance steps promotes collaboration with suppliers to ensure the quality and safety of raw materials. To assess the risks of suppliers and raw materials, objective criteria are developed and vulnerabilities in the supply chain are analyzed, including the risk of fraud. Active monitoring of international alerts through RASFF helps to identify emerging risks quickly, and regular analysis of international trends and company performance enables continuous adaptation of risk management strategies. Implementing these measures strengthens food safety and consumer confidence in the final products supplied.

Keywords: food supply chain, international standards, quality and safety of raw materials, RASFF

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Authors: Elham S. Hasham, Anthony S. Hasham

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The construction industry is one of Australia’s fastest growing industries and its success is a result of a firm’s client satisfaction with focus on product determinants such as price and quality. Ensuring quality at every phase is a must and building rapport with the client will go a long way. To capitalise on the growing demand for Engineering Consulting Firms (ECFs), we should “redefine the bottom line by allowing client satisfaction, high-quality standards, and profits to be the top priorities”. Consequently, the emphasis should be on improving employee skills through various training provisions. Clients seek consistency and thus expect that all services should be similar in respect to quality and the ability of the service to meet their needs. This calls for empowerment and comfortable work conditions to motivate employees and give them incentive to deliver quality and excellent output. The methodology utilized is triangulation-a combination of both quantitative and qualitative research. The case study-Australian Consulting Engineers (ACE) was established in 1995 and has operations throughout Australia, the Philippines, Europe, U.A.E., K.S.A., and Lebanon. ACE is affiliated with key agencies and support organizations in the engineering industry with International Organization for Standardization (ISO) certifications in Safety and Quality Management. The objective of this study is significant as it sheds light on employee motivation and client satisfaction as imperative determinants of the success of an organization.

Keywords: leadership, motivation, organizational behavior, satisfaction

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Authors: L. Petrosyan

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The problem of psychologist training remains a key priority in Armenia. During the Soviet period, the notion of a psychologist was obscure not only in Armenia but also in other Soviet republics. The breakup of the Soviet Union triggered a gradual change in this area activating the cooperation with specialists from other countries. The need for recovery from the psychological trauma caused by the 1988 earthquake pushed forward the development of practical psychology in Armenia. This phenomenon led to positive changes in perception of and interest to a psychologist profession.Armenian universities started designing special programs for psychologists’ preparation. Armenian psychologists combined their efforts in the field of training relevant specialists. During the recent years, the Bologna educational system was introduced in Armenia which led to implementation of education quality improvement programs. Nevertheless, even today the issue of psychologists’ training is not yet settled in Armenian universities. So far graduate psychologists haven’t got a clear idea of personal and professional qualities of a psychologist. Recently, as a result of educational reforms, the psychology curricula underwent changes, but so far they have not led to a desired outcome. Almost all curricula in certain specialties are aimed to form professional competencies and strengthen practical skills. A survey conducted in Armenia aimed to identify what are the ideas of young psychology specialists on the image of a psychologist. The survey respondents were 45 specialists holding bachelor’s degree as well as 30 master degree graduates, who have not been working yet. The research reveals that we need to change the approach of preparing psychology practitioners in the universities of Armenia. Such an approach to psychologist training will make it possible to train qualified specialists for enhancement of modern psychology theory and practice.

Keywords: practitioners, psychology degree, study, professional competencies

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Authors: Ivan N. Gallegos, Merle Dawn Comidoy, Mira Sol Cabal, Paul Martin Acol, Arnie Polistico

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Barangay Health Workers (BHWs) are the lead health advocates who provide basic health care services at the grass-roots level. Hence, adequate skills and training are needed to deliver these services effectively. The study aimed at identifying the communication needs of Barangay health workers situated at the dumpsite of Davao City, Philippines, gravitating towards designing a communication plan tailor-fitted to their needs. It employed a qualitative research design, particularly an in-depth interview of the health workers. Several communication problems were identified, including the lack of participation of BHWs in the Barangay development plan, the lack of a continuous skills enhancement program, ineffective communication strategies resulting in insufficient knowledge of proper personal hygiene, and the inactive participation of community members in health services. Based on these communication problems, the following activities and training were suggested: capacitating BHWs on writing proposals and plans; basic communication skills training; educational seminars for parents; and a sanitation campaign.

Keywords: communication planning, health care services, Barangay health workers, communication strategies

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Authors: Alireza Barari, Ahmad Abdi

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Introduction: Plyometric training (PT) is popular among individuals involved in dynamic sports, and is executed with a goal to improve muscular performance. Cytokines are considered as immunoregulatory molecules for regulation of immune function and other body responses. In addition, the pro-inflammatory cytokines, TNF-α andIL-1β, have been reported to be increased during and after exercises. If some of the cytokines which cause responses such as inflammation of cells in skeletal muscles, with manipulating of training program or optimizing nutrition, it can be avoided or limited from those injuries caused by cytokines release. Its shows that mistletoe extracts show immune-modulating effects. Materials and methods: present study was to investigate the effect of six weeks PT with or without mistletoe supplementation (MS)(10 mg/kg) on cytokine responses and performance in male basketball players. This study is semi-experimental. Statistic society of this study was basketball player’s male students of Mahmoud Abad city. Statistic samples are concluded of 32 basketball players with an age range of 14–17 years was selected from randomly. Selection of samples in four groups of 8 individuals Participants were randomly assigned to either an experimental group (E, n=16) that performed plyometric exercises with (n=8) or without (n=8) MS, or a control group that rested (C, n=16) with (n=8) or without (n=8) MS. Plants were collected in June from the Mazandaran forest in north of Iran. Then they dried in exposure to air without any exposition to sunlight, on a clean textile. For better drying the plants were high and down until they lost their water. Each subject consumed 10 mg/kg/day of extract for six weeks of intervention. Pre and post-testing was performed in the afternoon of the same day. Blood samples (10 ml) were collected from the intermediate cubital vein of the subjects. Serum concentration of IL-1β and TNF-α were measured by ELISA method. Data analysis was performed using pretest to posttest changes that assessed by t-test for paired samples. After the last plyometric training program, the second blood samples were in the next day. Group differences at baseline were evaluated using One-way ANOVA (post-hock Tukey) test is used for analysis and comparison of three group’s variables. Results: PT with or without MS improved the one repetition maximum leg and chest press, Sargeant test and power in RAST (P < 0.05). However there were no statistically significant differences between groups in Vo2max measures (P > 0.05). PT resulted in a significant increase in plasma IL-1β concentration from 1.08±0.4 mg/ml in pre-training to 1.68±0.18 mg/ml in post-training (P=0.006). While the MS significantly decreased the training-induced increment of IL-1β (P=0.007). In contrast, neither PT nor MS had any effect on TNF-α levels (P > 0.05). Discussion: The results of this investigation indicate that PT improved muscular performance and increases the IL-1β concentration. Increasing of IL-1β after exercise in damaged skeletal muscle has shown of the role of this cytokine in inflammation processes and damaged skeletal muscle repair. However mistletoe supplementation ameliorates the increment of IL-1β levels, indicating the beneficial effect of mistletoe on immune response following plyometric training.

Keywords: mistletoe supplementation, training, IL-1β, TNF-α

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Authors: A. J. Olatunji, Adebolu Temitope Johnson

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Groundwater samples were collected randomly from hand-dug wells and boreholes in parts of the Ado Ekiti metropolis and were subjected to quality assessment and characterization. Physicochemical analyses, which include the in-situ parameters (pH units, Turbidity, and Electrical Conductivity) and laboratory analysis of selected ionic concentrations, were carried out following standard methods. Hydrochemistry of the present study revealed relative mean concentrations of cations in the order Ca2+ > Na+ > Mg2+ > Cu2+> Fe > Mn2+ and that of anions: Cl- > NO3- > SO42- > F - respectively considering World Health Organisation Standard (WHO) range of values for potable water. The result shows that values of certain parameters (Total Dissolved Solid (TDS), Manganese, Calcium, Magnesium, Fluoride, and Sulphate) were below the Highest Desirable Level of the Standards, while values of some other parameters (pH Units, Electrical Conductivity, Turbidity, Alkalinity, Sodium, Copper, Chloride, and Total Hardness) were within the range of figures between Highest Desirable Level (HDL) and Maximum Permissible Level (MPL) of World Health Organization (WHO) drinking water Standards. The reduction in the mean concentration value of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) of most borehole samples follows the fact that water had been allowed to settle in the overhead tanks before usage; we discussed and brainstormed in the course of sampling and agreed to take a sample that way because that represents what the people consume, it also shows an indication while there was slightly concentration increase of these soluble ions in hand-dug wells samples than borehole samples only with the exception of borehole sample seven BH7 because BH7 uses the mono-pumping system. These in-situ parameters and ionic concentrations were further displayed and or represented on bar charts along with the WHO standards for better pictorial clarifications. Deductions from field observation indices revealed the imprints of natural weathering, ion-exchange processes, and anthropogenic activities influencing groundwater quality. A strong degree of association was found to exist between sodium and chlorine ions in both hand-dug well and borehole groundwater samples through the use of Pearson’s correlation coefficient; this association can further be supported by the chemistry of the parent bedrock associated with the study area because the chemistry of groundwater is a replica of its host rock. The correlation of those two ions must have begun from the period of mountain building, indicating an identical source from which they were released to the groundwater. Moreover, considering the comparison of ionic species concentrations of all samples with the (WHO) standards, there were no anomalous increases or decreases in the laboratory analysis results; this simply reveals an insignificant state of pollution of the groundwater. The study and its sampling techniques were not set to target the likely area and extent of groundwater pollution but its portability. It could be said that the samples were safe for human consumption.

Keywords: groundwater, physicochemical, parameters ionic, concentrations, WHO standards

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Authors: Saptiadi Nugroho, A. Nur Muhamad Afif

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Understanding factors that influence employee performance is very important. By finding the significant factors, organization could intervene to improve the employee performance that simultaneously will affect organization itself. In this research, four aspects consist of PCCD training, education level, corrective action, and work location were tested to identify their influence on employee performance. By using correlation analysis and T-Test, it was found that employee performance significantly influenced by PCCD training, work location, and corrective action. Meanwhile the education level did not influence employee performance.

Keywords: employee development, employee performance, performance management system, organization

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Authors: Amunupura Kiriwandeiye Gedara, Asintha Saminda Gnanaratne

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The security forces can be described as a workforce that goes beyond the role of ensuring the national security and contributes to the development process of the country. Soldiers are following combatant training courses during their tenure, they are equipped with a variety of vocational training courses to satisfy the needs of the army, to equip them with vocational training capabilities to achieve the development and reconstruction goals of the country as well as for the betterment of society in the event of emergencies. But with retirement, their relationship with the military is severed, and they are responsible for the future of their lives. The main purpose of this study was to examine how such professional capabilities can contribute to the development of the country, the current socio-economic status of the retired soldiers, and the current application of the vocational training skills they have mastered in the army to develop and rebuild the country in an effective manner. After analyzing the available research literature related to this field, a conceptual framework was developed and according to qualitative research methodology, and data obtained from Case studies and interviews are analyzed by using thematic analysis. Factors influencing early retirement include a lack of understanding of benefits, delays in promotions, not being properly evaluated for work, getting married on hasty decisions, and not having enough time to spend on family and household chores. Most of the soldiers are not aware about various programs and benefits available to retirees. They do not have a satisfactory attitude towards the retirement guidance they receive from the army at the time of retirement. Also, due to the lack of understanding about how to use their vocational capabilities successfully pursue their retirement life, the majority of people are employed in temporary jobs, and some are successful in post-retirement life due to their successful use of training received. Some live on pensions without engaging in any income-generating activities, and those who retire after 12 years of service are facing severe economic hardships as they do not get pensions. Although they have received training in various fields, they do not use them for their benefit due to lack of proper guidance. Although the government implements programs, they are not clearly aware of them. Barriers to utilization of training include an absence of a system to identify the professional skills of retired soldiers, interest in civil society affairs, exploration of opportunities in the civil and private sectors, and politicization of services. If they are given the opportunity, they will be able to contribute to the development and reconstruction process. The findings of the study further show that it has many social, economic, political, and psychological benefits not only for individuals but also for a country. Entrepreneurship training for all retired soldiers, improving officers' understanding, streamlining existing mechanisms, creating new mechanisms, setting up a separate unit for retirees, and adapting them to civil society, private and non-governmental contributions, and training courses can be identified as potential means to improve the current situation.

Keywords: development, reconstruction, retired soldiers, vocational capabilities

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Authors: Neuma Chaveiro, Juliana Guimarães Faria

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Introduction: The thematic that guides this study is teacher training for the teaching of sign language in a perspective of bilingual education – specifically aimed at Brazilian public schools that offer inclusive education, and that have, among its students, deaf children who use Brazilian Sign Language as a means of communication and expression. In the Teacher Training Course for Letters/Libras at the Universidade Federal de Goiás/UFG, we developed a bilingual education project for the deaf, linked to PIBID (Institutional Scholarship for Teaching Initiation Program), funded by the Brazilian Federal Government through CAPES (Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel). Goals: to provide the education of higher education teachers to work in public schools in basic education and to insert students from the UFG’s Letters/Libras course in the school’s daily life, giving them the opportunity for the creation and participation in methodological experiences and of teaching practices in order to overcome the problems identified in the teaching-learning process of deaf students, in a bilingual perspective, associating Libras (Brazilian Sign Language) and Portuguese. Methodology: qualitative approach and research-action, prioritizing action – reflection – action of the people involved. The Letters-Libras PIBID of the College of Letters/UFG, in this qualitative context, is guided by the assumptions of investigation-action to contribute to the education of the Libras teacher. Results: production of studies and researches in the area of education, professionalization and teaching practice for the degree holder in Letters: Libras; b) studies, research and training in bilingual education; c) clarification and discussion of the myths that permeate the reality of users of sign languages; d) involving students in the development of didactic materials for bilingual education. Conclusion: the PIBID Project Letters/Libras allows, both to the basic education school and to the teachers in training for the teaching of Libras, an integrated and collective work partnership, with discussions and changes in relation to bilingual education for the deaf and the teaching of Libras.

Keywords: deaf, sign language, teacher training, educacion

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Authors: Jann-Eike Saathoff, Kirill Alexander Schmoor, Martin Achmus, Mauricio Terceros

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By using partial factors of safety, uncertainties due to the inherent variability of the soil properties and loads are taken into account in the geotechnical design process. According to the reliability index concept in Eurocode-0 in conjunction with Eurocode-7 a minimum safety level of β = 3.8 for reliability class RC2 shall be established. The reliability of the system depends heavily on the choice of the prespecified safety factor and the choice of the characteristic soil properties. The safety factors stated in the standards are mainly based on experience. However, no general accepted method for the calculation of a characteristic value within the current design practice exists. In this study, a laterally loaded monopile is investigated and the influence of the chosen quantile values of the deterministic system, calculated with p-y springs, will be presented. Monopiles are the most common foundation concepts for offshore wind energy converters. Based on the calculations for non-cohesive soils, a recommendation for an appropriate quantile value for the necessary safety level according to the standards for a deterministic design is given.

Keywords: asymptotic sampling, characteristic value, monopile foundation, probabilistic design, quantile values

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Authors: Yaping Gao

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With the increasing globalization of education and the continued momentum and wider adoption of online education and digital learning all over the world, post pandemic, it is crucial that best practices and extensive experience and knowledge gained from the higher education community over the past few decades be adopted and adapted to benefit the broader international communities, which can be vastly different culturally and pedagogically. Schools and institutions worldwide should consider to adopt, adapt and apply these proven practices to develop strategic plans for digital transformation at institutional levels, and to improve or develop quality online or digital learning environments at course and program levels to help all students succeed. The presenter will introduce the primary components of the US-based quality assurance process, including: 1) five sets of research-supported standards to guide the design, development and review of online and hybrid courses; 2) professional development offerings and pathways for administrators, faculty and instructional support staff; 3) a peer-review process for course/program reviews resulting in constructive recommendations for continuous improvement, certification of quality and international recognition; and 4) implementation of the quality assurance process on a continuum to program excellence, achievement of institutional goals, and facilitation of accreditation process and success. Regardless language, culture, pedagogical practices, or technological infrastructure, the core elements of quality teaching and learning remain the same across all delivery formats. What is unique is how to ensure quality of teaching and learning in online education and digital learning. No one knows all the answers to everything but no one needs to reinvent the wheel either. Together the international education community can support and learn from each other to achieve institutional goals and ensure all students succeed in the digital learning environments.

Keywords: online education, digital learning, quality standards, best practices, online teaching and learning

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Authors: Kazumoto Tanaka

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It is well known that sport skill learning is facilitated by video observation of players’ actions in sports. The optimal viewpoint for the observation of actions depends on sport scenes. On the other hand, it is impossible to change viewpoint for the observation in general, because most videos are filmed from fixed points. The study has tackled the problem and focused on karate match as a first step. The study developed a method for observing karate player’s actions from any point of view by using 3D-CG model (i.e. virtual player) obtained from video images, and verified the effectiveness of the method on karate match.

Keywords: computer graphics, karate training, learning by observation, motion capture, virtual player

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Authors: Jeh Patel, Chandrahas Paidi, Ahmed Hambaba

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Traditional methods for analyzing athlete movement often lack the detail and immediacy required for optimal training. This project aims to address this limitation by developing a Real-time human pose estimation system specifically designed to enhance athlete training across various sports. This system leverages the power of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to provide a comprehensive and immediate analysis of an athlete’s movement patterns during training sessions. The core architecture utilizes dilated convolutions to capture crucial long-range dependencies within video frames. Combining this with the robust encoder-decoder architecture to further refine pose estimation accuracy. This capability is essential for precise joint localization across the diverse range of athletic poses encountered in different sports. Furthermore, by quantifying movement efficiency, power output, and range of motion, the system provides data-driven insights that can be used to optimize training programs. Pose estimation data analysis can also be used to develop personalized training plans that target specific weaknesses identified in an athlete’s movement patterns. To overcome the limitations posed by outdoor environments, the project employs strategies such as multi-camera configurations or depth sensing techniques. These approaches can enhance pose estimation accuracy in challenging lighting and occlusion scenarios, where pose estimation accuracy in challenging lighting and occlusion scenarios. A dataset is collected From the labs of Martin Luther King at San Jose State University. The system is evaluated through a series of tests that measure its efficiency and accuracy in real-world scenarios. Results indicate a high level of precision in recognizing different poses, substantiating the potential of this technology in practical applications. Challenges such as enhancing the system’s ability to operate in varied environmental conditions and further expanding the dataset for training were identified and discussed. Future work will refine the model’s adaptability and incorporate haptic feedback to enhance the interactivity and richness of the user experience. This project demonstrates the feasibility of an advanced pose detection model and lays the groundwork for future innovations in assistive enhancement technologies.

Keywords: computer vision, deep learning, human pose estimation, U-NET, CNN

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Authors: Michael Campbell, Malaz Elsaddig, Kevin Jones

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Background: Despite encouraging progress, global maternal mortality has remained stubbornly high since the declaration of the Millennium development goals. Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for well over half of maternal deaths with Post-Partum Haemorrhage (PPH) being the lead cause. ‘In house’ simulation training delivered by local doctors may be a sustainable approach for improving emergency obstetric care. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of a Train-the-Trainer (TtT) model in a rural Ugandan hospital to ascertain whether it can feasibly improve practitioners’ management of PPH. Methods: Three Ugandan doctors underwent a training course to enable them to design and deliver simulation training. These doctors used MamaNatalie® models to simulate PPH scenarios for midwives, nurses and medical students. The main outcome was improvement in participants’ knowledge and confidence, assessed using self-reported scores on a 10-point scale. Results: The TtT model produced significant improvements in the confidence and knowledge scores of the ten participants. The mean confidence score rose significantly (p=0.0005) from 6.4 to 8.6 following the simulation training. There was also a significant increase in the mean knowledge score from 7.2 to 9.0 (p=0.04). Medical students demonstrated the greatest overall increase in confidence scores whilst increases in knowledge scores were largest amongst nurses. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that a TtT model can be used in a low resource setting to improve healthcare professionals’ confidence and knowledge in managing obstetric emergencies. This Train-the-Trainer model represents a sustainable approach to addressing skill deficits in low resource settings. We believe that its expansion across healthcare institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa will help to reduce the region’s high maternal mortality rate and step closer to achieving the ambitions of the Millennium development goals.

Keywords: low resource setting, post-partum haemorrhage, simulation training, train the trainer

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Authors: Nadezhda Kvatashidze

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The conceptual framework of International Financial Reporting Standards determines the basic principles of accounting. The said principles have multiple applications, with professional judgments being one of those. Recognition and assessment of the information contained in financial reporting, especially so the somewhat uncertain events and transactions and/or the ones regarding which there is no standard or interpretation are based on professional judgments. Professional judgments aim at the formulation of expert assumptions regarding the specifics of the circumstances and events to be entered into the report based on the conceptual framework terms and principles. Experts have to make a choice in favor of one of the aforesaid and simulate the situations applying multi-variant accounting estimates and judgment. In making the choice, one should consider all the factors, which may help represent the information in the best way possible. Professional judgment determines the relevance and faithful representation of the presented information, which makes it more useful for the existing and potential investors. In order to assess the prospected net cash flows, the information must be predictable and reliable. The publication contains critical analysis of the aforementioned problems. The fact that the International Financial Reporting Standards are developed continuously makes the issue all the more important and that is another point discussed in the study.

Keywords: conceptual framework, faithful representation, professional judgement, relevance

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Authors: Rashid Javed, Hardy Lehmkuehler, Franz Josef-Behr

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Web Processing Services (WPS) have up growing concern in geoinformation research. However, teaching about them is difficult because of the generally complex circumstances of their use. They limit the possibilities for hands- on- exercises on Web Processing Services. To support understanding however a Training Tools Collection was brought on the way at University of Applied Sciences Stuttgart (HFT). It is limited to the scope of Geostatistical Interpolation of sample point data where different algorithms can be used like IDW, Nearest Neighbor etc. The Tools Collection aims to support understanding of the scope, definition and deployment of Web Processing Services. For example it is necessary to characterize the input of Interpolation by the data set, the parameters for the algorithm and the interpolation results (here a grid of interpolated values is assumed). This paper reports on first experiences using a pilot installation. This was intended to find suitable software interfaces for later full implementations and conclude on potential user interface characteristics. Experiences were made with Deegree software, one of several Services Suites (Collections). Being strictly programmed in Java, Deegree offers several OGC compliant Service Implementations that also promise to be of benefit for the project. The mentioned parameters for a WPS were formalized following the paradigm that any meaningful component will be defined in terms of suitable standards. E.g. the data output can be defined as a GML file. But, the choice of meaningful information pieces and user interactions is not free but partially determined by the selected WPS Processing Suite.

Keywords: deegree, interpolation, IDW, web processing service (WPS)

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Authors: T. Suleiman, C. Mchugh, H. Ranu

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Background; Asthma continues to be associated with poor patient outcomes, including mortality. An audit of the management of acute asthma admissions in our hospital in 2020 found poor compliance with National Asthma and COPD Audit Project (NACAP) standards which set out to improve inpatient asthma care. Clinical nurse specialists have been shown to improve patient care across a range of specialties. In September 2021, an asthma Nurse Specialist (ANS) was employed in our hospital. Aim; To re-audit management of acute asthma admissions using NACAP standards and assess for quality improvement post-employment of an ANS. Methodology; NACAP standards are wide-reaching; therefore, we focused on ‘specific elements of good practice’ in addition to the provision of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) on discharge. Medical notes were retrospectively requested from the hospital coding department and selected as per NACAP inclusion criteria. Data collection and entry into the NACAP database were carried out. As this was a clinical audit, ethics approval was not required. Results; Cycle 1 (pre-ANS) and 2 (post-ANS) of the audit included 20 and 32 patients, respectively, with comparable baseline demographics. No patients had a discharge bundle completed on discharge in cycle 1 vs. 84% of cases in cycle 2. Regarding specific components of the bundle, 25% of patients in cycle 1 had their inhaler technique checked vs. 91% in cycle 2. Furthermore, 80% of patients had maintenance medications reviewed in cycle 1 vs. 97% in cycle 2. Medication adherence was addressed in 20% of cases in cycle 1 vs. 88% of cases in cycle 2. Personalized asthma action plans were not issued or reviewed in any cases in cycle 1 as compared with 84% of cases in cycle 2. Triggers were discussed in 30% of cases in cycle 1 vs. 88% of cases in cycle 2. Tobacco dependence was addressed in 44% of cases in cycle 1 vs. 100% of cases in cycle 2. No patients in cycle 1 had community follow-up requested within 2 days vs. 81% of the patients in cycle 2. Similarly, 20% of the patients in cycle 1 vs. 88% of the patients in cycle 2 had a 4-week asthma clinic follow-up requested. 75% of patients in cycle 1 were the recipient of ICS on discharge compared with 94% of patients in cycle 2. Conclusion; Our quality improvement project demonstrates the utility of an ANS in improving performance in the management of acute asthma admissions, evidenced here through concordance with NACAP standards. Asthma is a complex condition with biological, psychological, and sociological components; therefore, ANS is a suitable intervention to improve concordance with guidelines. ANS likely impacted performance directly, for example, by checking inhaler technique, and indirectly as a safety net ensuring doctors included ICS on discharge.

Keywords: asthma, nurse specialist, clinical audit, quality improvement

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Authors: Yea-Pyng Lin

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Evidence-based nursing (EBN) can improve quality of patient care and reduce medical expenses. Development of training and consultation program according to nurses’ needs and difficulties is essential to promote their competence and self-efficacy in EBN. However, limited research evaluated the effects of EBN program on EBN self-efficacy among nurses. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of an EBN consultation program on self-efficacy and outcome expectancy of evidence-based practice (EBP) among nurses. A two-group pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design was used. A purposive sample of full-time nurses was recruited from a hospital. Experimental group (n=28) received the EBN consultation program including 18-hour EBN training courses, hand-on practices and group discussion by faculty mentors. Control group (n=33) received regular in-service education with no EBN program. All participants received baseline and post-test assessment using Chinese version of Self-Efficacy in EBP scale (SE-EBP) and Outcome Expectancy for EBP scale (OE-EBP). After receiving EBN consultation program, experimental group’s posttest scores of SE-EBP (t=-4.98, p<0.001) and OE-SEP (t=-3.65, p=0.001) were significantly higher than those of the pretests. By controlling the age and years of nursing work experience, the experimental group‘s SE-EBP(F=10.47, p=0.002) and OE-SEP(F=9.53, p=0.003) scores were significantly improved compared to those of the control group. EBN program focus on hand-on practice and group discussion by faculty mentors in addition to EBN training courses can improve EBP self-efficacy and outcome expectancy among nurses. EBN program focus on English literature reading, database searching, and appraisal practice according to nurses’ needs and difficulties can promote implementation of EBN.

Keywords: evidence-based nursing, evidence-based practice, consultation program, self-efficacy, outcome expectancy

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Authors: Fei Peng, Jun Yuan, Chen Fan, Fan Jiang, Qian Sun, Yudi Liu

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Although Earth Station in Motion (ESIM) services are widely used and there is a huge market demand around the world, International Telecommunication Union (ITU) does not have unified conclusion for the use of ESIM yet. ESIM are Mobile Satellite Services (MSS) due to its mobile-based attributes, while multiple administrations want to use ESIM in Fixed Satellite Service (FSS). However, Radio Regulations (RR) have strict distinction between MSS and FSS. In this case, ITU has been very controversial because this kind of application will violate the RR Article and the conflict will bring risks to the global deployment. Thus, this paper illustrates the development of rules, regulations, standards concerning ESIM and the radio spectrum usage of ESIM in different regions around the world. Firstly, the basic rules, standard and definition of ITU’s Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) is introduced. Secondly, the World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC) agenda item on radio spectrum allocation for ESIM, e.g. in C/Ku/Ka band, is introduced and multi-view on the radio spectrum allocation is elaborated, especially on 19.7-20.2 GHz & 29.5-30.0 GHz. Then, some ITU-R Recommendations and Reports are analyzed on the specific technique to enable these ESIM to communicate with Geostationary Earth Orbit Satellite (GSO) space stations in the FSS without causing interference at levels in excess of that caused by conventional FSS earth stations. Meanwhile, the opposite opinion on not allocating EISM service in FSS frequency band is also elaborated. Finally, based on the ESIM’s future application, the ITU-R standards development trend is forecasted. In conclusion, using radio spectrum resource in an equitable, rational and efficient manner is the basic guideline of ITU. Although it is not a good approach to obstruct the revise of RR when there is a large demand for radio spectrum resource in satellite industry, still the propulsion and global demand of the whole industry may face difficulties on the unclear application in modify rules of RR.

Keywords: earth station in motion, ITU standards, radio regulations, radio spectrum, satellite communication

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Authors: Seema Sharma Kaushik, Dhananjoy Shaw

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Various length dimensions of the body have been a variable of interest in the research areas of kinanthropometry. However the inclusion of length measurements in various studies remains restricted to reflect characteristics of a particular game/sport at a particular time. Hence, the present investigation was conducted to study various length dimensions correlates of a longitudinal physical conditioning program on Indian male youth. The study was conducted on 90 Indian male youth. The sample was equally divided into three groups namely, progressive load training (PLT), constant load training (CLT) and no load training (NL). The variables included sitting height, leg length, arm length and foot length. The study was conducted by adopting the multi group repeated measure design. Three different groups were measured four times after completion of each of the three meso-cycles of six-weeks duration each. The measurements were taken using the standard landmarks and procedures. Mean, standard deviation and analysis of co-variance were computed to analyze the data statistically. The post-hoc analysis was conducted for the significant F-ratios at 0.05 level. The study concluded that the followed longitudinal physical conditioning program had significant effect on various length dimensions of Indian male youth.

Keywords: Indian male youth, longitudinal, length dimensions, physical conditioning

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Authors: Ali Asgary, Haopeng Zhou, Ghassem Tofighi

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Use of virtual (VR), augmented reality (AR), and extended reality technologies for training and education has increased in recent years as more hardware and software tools have become available and accessible to larger groups of users. Similarly, the applications of these technologies in earthquake related training and education are on the rise. Several studies have reported promising results for the use of VR and AR for evacuation behaviour and training under earthquake situations. They simulate the impacts that earthquake has on buildings, buildings’ contents, and how building occupants and users can find safe spots or open paths to outside. Considering that considerable number of earthquake injuries and fatalities are linked to the behaviour, our goal is to use these technologies to reduce the impacts of building contents on people. Building on our artificial intelligence (AI) based indoor earthquake risk assessment application that enables users to use their mobile device to assess the risks associated with building contents during earthquakes, we develop a virtual reality application to demonstrate the behavior of different building contents during earthquakes, their associate moving, spreading, falling, and collapsing risks, and their risk mitigation methods. We integrate realistic seismic models, building contents behavior with and without risk mitigation measures in virtual reality environment. The application can be used for training of architects, interior design experts, and building users to enhance indoor safety of the buildings that can sustain earthquakes. This paper describes and demonstrates the application development background, structure, components, and usage.

Keywords: virtual reality, earthquake damage, building content, indoor risks, earthquake risk mitigation, interior design, unity game engine, oculus

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Authors: M. Golzade Gangraj, A. Abdi, H.faraji

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Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of six weeks of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise with pomegranate juice (PJ) on plasma leptin in adult women selection of type-2 diabetes. Methods: Survey postmenopausal diabetic women aged 45 to 60 years in the city of Babylon, who coordinated Diabetes Association presented the city, among them 34 were selected as subjects were randomly divided into four groups: control, PJ, practice and PJ. Experimental groups consisted of 6 weeks of aerobic exercise training program three times a week for at least 45 minutes per meeting. Two days before and after the training period in the fasting state (12 h) blood samples from the brachial vein was performed in a sitting position. Results: Results showed that aerobic exercise with consumption of pomegranate juice alone and interaction with each significantly decrease levels of leptin plasma in older women with type 2 diabetes compared to control group. Conclusion: According to the research findings can be stated the exercise with pomegranate juice beneficially effects fat tissue and decreases plasma leptin in adult women with type 2 diabetes and thereby reduce risk of cardiovascular disease.

Keywords: aerobic exercise, pomegranate, leptin, diabetes

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Authors: Abeer M. Orabi

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Midwives are being seen as a key factor in returning birth care to a normal physiologic process that is woman-centered. On the other hand, more needs to be done to increase access for every woman to professional midwifery care. Because of the nature of the midwifery specialty, the magnitude of the effect that can result from a lack of knowledge if midwives make a mistake in their care has the potential to affect a large number of the birthing population. So, the development, running, and management of midwifery educational programs should follow international standards and come after a thorough community needs assessment. At the same time, the number of accredited midwifery educational programs needs to be increased so that larger numbers of midwives will be educated and qualified, as well as access to skilled midwifery care will be increased. Indeed, the selection of promising midwives is important for the successful completion of an educational program, achievement of the program goals, and retention of graduates in the field. Further, the number of schooled midwives in midwifery education programs, their background, and their experience constitute some concerns in the higher education industry. Basically, preceptors and clinical sites are major contributors to the midwifery education process, as educational programs rely on them to provide clinical practice opportunities. In this regard, the selection of clinical training sites should be based on certain criteria to ensure their readiness for the intended training experiences. After that, communication, collaboration, and liaison between teaching faculty and field staff should be maintained. However, the shortage of clinical preceptors and the massive reduction in the number of practicing midwives, in addition to unmanageable workloads, act as significant barriers to midwifery education. Moreover, the medicalized approach inherent in the hospital setting makes it difficult to practice the midwifery model of care, such as watchful waiting, non-interference in normal processes, and judicious use of interventions. Furthermore, creating a motivating study environment is crucial for avoiding unnecessary withdrawal and retention in any educational program. It is well understood that research is an essential component of any profession for achieving its optimal goal and providing a foundation and evidence for its practices, and midwifery is no exception. Midwives have been playing an important role in generating their own research. However, the selection of novel, researchable, and sustainable topics considering community health needs is also a challenge. In conclusion, ongoing education and research are the lifeblood of the midwifery profession to offer a highly competent and qualified workforce. However, many challenges are being faced, and barriers are hindering their improvement.

Keywords: barriers, challenges, midwifery education, educational programs

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Authors: G. Yanay-Ventura, H. Desivilya Syna, K. Michael

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Social businesses are based on the idea that an enterprise can be established for the sake of profit and, at the same time, with the aim of fulfilling social goals. Yet, the question of how these goals can be integrated in practice to derive parallel benefit in both realms still needs to be examined. Particularly notable in this context is the ‘governance challenge’ of social businesses, meaning the danger of the mission drifts from the social goal in the pursuit of good business. This study is based on an evaluation study of a social business that operates as a restaurant providing professional training to at-risk youth. The evaluation was based on the collection of a variety of data through interviews with stakeholders in the enterprise (directors and managers, business partners, social partners, and position holders in the restaurant and the social enterprise), a focus group consisting of the youth receiving the professional training, observations of the restaurant’s operation, and analysis of the social enterprise’s primary documents. The evaluation highlighted significant strengths of the social enterprise, including reaching relatively fast business sustainability, effective management of the restaurant, stable employment of the restaurant staff, and effective management of the social project. The social enterprise and business management have both enjoyed positive evaluations from a variety of stakeholders. Clearly, the restaurant was deemed by all a promising young business. However, the social project suffered from a 90% dropout rate among the youth entering its ranks, extreme monthly fluctuation in the number of youths participating, and a distinct minority of the youth who have succeeded in completing their training period. Possible explanations of the high dropout rate included the small number of cooks, which impeded the effectiveness of the training process and the provision of advanced cooking skills; lack of clarity regarding the essence and the elements of training; and lack of a meaningful peer group for the youth engaged in the program. Paradoxically, despite the stakeholders’ great appreciation for the social enterprise, the challenge of governability was also formidable, revealing a tangible risk of mission drift in the reduction of the social enterprise’s target population and a breach of the commitment made to the youth with regard to practical training. The risk of mission drifts emerged as a hidden and evasive issue for the stakeholders, who revealed a deep appreciation for the management and the outcomes of the social enterprise. The challenge of integration, therefore, requires an in-depth examination of how to maintain a successful business without hindering the achievement of the social goal. The study concludes that clear conceptualization of the training process and its aims, increased cooks’ participation in the social project, and novel conceptions with regard to the evaluation of success could serve to benefit the youth and impede mission drift.

Keywords: evaluation study, management, mission drift, social business

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Authors: Saba Daneshmand, Assal Habibi

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Studying musicians has become a prominent approach in macrostructural neuroscience research aimed at exploring the influence of environmental factors on brain development due to the significant impact of musical training on the brain. Although longitudinal studies can establish a direct causal relationship between musical training and brain development, only a limited number of studies have been conducted for a long enough duration. We recruited children for the experimental music group to participate in an after-school music program which was compared to the control group that had no such after-school program or enrichment activities. We ultimately calculated cortical thickness, a distinct measure of development. When a task such as playing an instrument occurs frequently, the associated neural processes become quicker and more refined over time, causing only the necessary pathways to remain; this, therefore, results in cortical thinning. The Brain and Music Lab has identified the anterior and posterior superior temporal gyrus, Heschl's gyrus, and the inferior regions to be involved with musicianship. The past study only found that the posterior superior temporal gyrus experienced a larger thinning in the music group compared to the control; however, we expect our ongoing study to produce similar but more intense results, including thinning in the other regions associated with musicianship. We believe the limited results of the previous study are due to its short duration which is why this ongoing and more lengthy longitudinal study is a significant and indispensable contribution in helping us discover the important developmental aspects of musical training.

Keywords: cortical thickness, music, neuroimaging, child development

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Authors: Kaveh Azadeh, Saeid Fazelifar

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The main purpose of the present study was to examine the effect of 12 weeks (3 days/week) concurrent training followed by 4 weeks detraining on insulin resistance in obese boys without dietary intervention. Methods: 24 obese children boys (body mass index> 28, age= 11- 13year old) voluntarily participated in the study. Biochemical factors, body composition, and functional physical fitness were assessed in three stages [baseline, after 12 week’s combined endurance and resistance training and 4 week’s detraining in the experimental group (n=12); baseline and after 12 weeks in control group (n=12)]. Results: Indepented - Sample T test revealed that in experimental group after 12weeks trainings the insulin resistance, and body fat mass were significantly declined, whereas endurance and strength of abdominal muscles significantly increased compared to control group (p<0/05). One-way ANOVA for three different periods showed that insulin resistance, body fat mass, strength of abdominal muscles after 12week training was significantly improved in the experimental group compared with the baseline. Following 4weeks detraining insulin resistance again significantly increased (p<0/05). After detraining disturbances of physiological adaptation in obese children have more rapid course in comparison with those anthropological and functional indices. Conclusion: Results showed that participation in the regular concurrent trainings provides a decrease of insulin resistance in obese children. It may serve as a strategy in treatment of obesity and management on insulin resistance, as well as to increase endurance and strength muscles in obese children. Adaptations resulting from regular exercises following detraining are reversible.

Keywords: endurance and resistance trainings, detraining, insulin resistance, obese children

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Authors: Marisol Warthon-Medina, Jenny Plumb, Ayoub Aljawaldeh, Mark Roe, Ailsa Welch, Maria Glibetic, Paul M. Finglas

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Similar to Western Countries, the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) also presents major public health issues associated with the increased consumption of sugar, fat, and salt. Therefore, one of the policies of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) EMR is to reduce the intake of salt, sugar, and fat (Saturated fatty acids, trans fatty acids) to address the risk of non-communicable diseases (i.e. diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer) and obesity. The project objective is to assess status and provide training and capacity development in the use of improved standardized methodologies for updated food composition data, dietary intake methods, use of suitable biomarkers of nutritional value and determine health outcomes in low and middle-income countries (LMIC). Training exchanges have been developed with clusters of countries created resulting from regional needs including Sudan, Egypt and Jordan; Tunisia, Morocco, and Mauritania; and other Middle Eastern countries. This capacity building will lead to the development and sustainability of up-to-date national and regional food composition databases in LMIC for use in dietary monitoring assessment in food and nutrient intakes. Workshops were organized to provide training and capacity development in the use of improved standardized methodologies for food composition and food intake. Training needs identified and short-term scientific missions organized for LMIC researchers including (1) training and knowledge exchange workshops, (2) short-term exchange of researchers, (3) development and application of protocols and (4) development of strategies to reduce sugar and fat intake. An initial training workshop, Morocco 2018 was attended by 25 participants from 10 EMR countries to review status and support development of regional food composition. 4 training exchanges are in progress. The use of improved standardized methodologies for food composition and dietary intake will produce robust measurements that will reinforce dietary monitoring and policy in LMIC. The capacity building from this project will lead to the development and sustainability of up-to-date national and regional food composition databases in EMR countries. Supported by the UK Medical Research Council, Global Challenges Research Fund, (MR/R019576/1), and the World Health Organization’s Eastern Mediterranean Region.

Keywords: dietary intake, food composition, low and middle-income countries, status.

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Authors: Ma. Cecilia D. Licuan

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The pandemic situation continues to affect the lives of many people, including children with disabilities and their families, globally, especially in developing countries like the Philippines. The operations of health programs, industries, and economic sectors, as well as academic training institutions, are still challenged in terms of operations and delivery of services. The academic community of the Physical Therapy program is not spared by this circumstance. The restriction posted by the quarantine policies nearly terminated the onsite delivery of training programs for the senior internship level, which challenged the academic institutions to implement flexible learning programs to ensure the continuity of the instructional and learning processes with full consideration of safety and compliance to health protocols. This study aimed to develop a benchmark model that can be used by tertiary-level health institutions in the implementation of the Pediatric Senior Clinical Internship Training Program using Telerehabilitation. It is a descriptive-qualitative paper that utilized documentary analysis and focused on explaining the design, development, and implementation processes used by De La Salle Medical and Health Sciences Institute – College of Rehabilitation Sciences (DLSMHSI-CRS) Physical Therapy Department in its Pediatric Cluster Senior Clinical Internship Training Program covering the pandemic years spanning from the academic year 2020- 2021 to present anchored on needs analysis based on documentary reviews. Results of the study yielded the determination of the Pediatric Telerehabilitation Model; declaration of developed training program outcomes and thrusts and content; explanation of the process integral to the training program’s pedagogy in implementation; and the evaluation procedures conducted for the program. Since the study did not involve human participants, ethical considerations on the use of documents for review were done upon the endorsement of the management of the DLSMHSI-CRS to conduct the study. This paper presents the big picture of how a tertiary-level health sciences institution in the Philippines embraced the senior clinical internship challenges through the operations of its telerehabilitation program. It specifically presents the design, development and implementation processes used by De La Salle Medical and Health Sciences Institute – College of Rehabilitation Sciences Physical Therapy Department in its Pediatric Cluster Senior Clinical Internship Training Program, which can serve as a benchmark model for other institutions as they continue to serve their stakeholders amidst the pandemic.

Keywords: pediatric physical therapy, telerehabilitation, clinical internship, pandemic

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Authors: Ahmad Torkaman, Suogol Shomtob, Hadi Akbari Seddigh

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In this paper it has been attempted to investigate the lack of attention to how specific spatial characteristics of the children except existing places such as nurseries. In order to achieve the standard center to faster children understanding their mentality is the first issue that must be studied. Exploring the spiritual characteristics and complexities of children cannot be possible except in accordance with the different aspects and background of their growth in various age periods. In order to achieving the standard center for fostering children, the first issue that must be studied understands their mentality. Exploring the spiritual qualities and complexities of children are not provided except in accordance with the characteristics and their different growth backgrounds in different age periods. According to previous researches game or playing is the most important activity that helps children to communicate and educate and sometimes therapy in specific fields. Investigating game as a proper way to train, the variety of games, the various kind of play environment and how to treat some abnormalities thereby are the issues discussed in recent research. Another consideration concerns the importance of artistic activities among children which is very evident in studying identification of their abnormalities. At the end of this study after investigating how to understand child and communicate with him/her, aiming to recognize Specific spatial characteristics for better training children, the physical and physiological criteria and characteristics is Reviewed and ends up to a list of required spaces and dimensional characteristic of spaces and needed children's equipment.

Keywords: children, space, interior design, development, growth

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Authors: Emmanuela Ngozi Maduka

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In Nigeria, civil-military relations is at its lowest point as a result of the challenges emanating from incessant initiation of military aid to civil authorities (MACA) for internal security operations. This paper is concerned with the question whether it is appropriate for the military to handle internal security crisis with exception to terrorism and armed militia. It analyses the legal framework for MACA in internal security operations which appear to be in contradiction with military tactical and equipment training. The paper argues that the expectation that transitional re-training of the military for internal security operations will reconcile these inconsistencies specifically on the issue of use of force is not practicable and will always pose challenges for both the military and the citizens. Accordingly, this paper adopts a socio-legal methodology for better clarity on the interactions between the legal framework on MACA and military internal security operations. The paper also identifies the lack of effective and proficient paramilitary within the security design of Nigeria as the key issue which results in incessant initiation of MACA and advocates for the establishment of an effective and proficient paramilitary to effectively handle internal security crisis within Nigeria.

Keywords: civil-military relations, MACA, military training, operational challenges, paramilitary, use of force

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